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Home , Al Smith (ice hockey), Jerry Bruckheimer, Kansas City Scouts, Mark Jankowski, Sami Vatanen

SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/01/17 1085908 Ducks acquire from Devils for Sami 1085947 Everything you need to know about Devils at Vatanen Colorado Avalanche 1085909 Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler are expected to return to the Ducks in mid-December 1085910 Ducks acquire center Adam Henrique for Sami Vatanen 1085948 Blue Jackets | Little-used Scott Harrington gets his chance 1085911 Ducks filled with hope as injured players slowly return 1085949 Blue Jackets | Matt Calvert nears return from injury 1085912 Whicker: Wounded Ducks pull the trigger, trade for Adam Henrique 1085950 Preview: Dallas meets with Blackhawks and their Stars Coyotes killer for important matchup in Chicago 1085913 Preview: Coyotes at Flames, 6:30 p.m., FOX Sports 1085951 Scores from three lines help Stars overtake Blackhawks in Arizona Central Division 1085914 Coyotes shut out by former goalie Mike Smith in loss to 1085952 Cold facts: Stars' Mattias Janmark puts Chicago away with Flames OT 1085953 With Martin Hanzal out again, Stars' Remi Elie and Gemel Smith make for speedy alternatives 1085915 David Backes feeling good after early return to Bruins 1085954 Janmark scores twice, including OT game-winner, for 1085916 Bruins inch closer to a healthy lineup a day after win Stars 1085917 David Backes leads a group of healing Bruins ready for game day Red Wings 1085918 Haggerty: Resurgent Bruins deserve a hand 1085955 Red Wings' Anthony Mantha relishing big role but, please, 1085919 Rask answers Bruins' call against mighty Lightning no H-O-R-S-E 1085920 Anders Bjork closing in on a return for the Bruins 1085956 self-destruct, skid hits 6; 'We better 1085921 Morning Skate: Has Tuukka Time returned? figure it out' 1085922 Backes makes quick return after colon surgery 1085957 Red Wings fall apart in 2nd period vs. Canadiens, lose 6th straight, 6-3 1085958 Wings' Mantha has been good vs. Canadiens; Blashill 1085923 Sabres GM Jason Botterill opens up on effort, Eichel, seeks overall greatness chats with Pegula 1085959 'Stupid hockey': Red Wings' skid reaches six 1085924 Linus Ullmark remains a happy guy, on and off the ice 1085960 GM Ken Holland: Red Wings still need to ‘play better’ 1085925 With Botterill a believer in world juniors, Sabres may let 1085961 Detroit Red Wings vs. live chat Nylander play 1085962 Reeling Red Wings whipped at home by Canadiens 1085926 Sabres GM Jason Botterill still weighing what to do with Kane 1085927 Skating opportunities at New Era Field outdoor rink 1085963 The Oilers take a leap of faith with Laurent Brossoit and Jujhar Khaira 1085964 Dellow: Todd McLellan's preference to load up lines 1085928 rookie wonder Clayton Keller knows all makes sense about Calgary 1085965 Lowetide: Oilers No. 11-20 Prospects Winter 2017 1085929 Flames dynamic duo silences Desert Dogs 1085966 Mirtle: How do you solve a problem like Connor McDavid? 1085930 Just 19, Matthew Tkachuk already playing in 100th NHL The Leafs look to take a depth approach game 1085931 Mike Smith, Mark Jankowski come up big as Flames blank Coyotes 1085967 Panthers foward Radim Vrbata returns to practice, could 1085932 Flames sophomore Matthew Tkachuk hits 100-game play Friday night plateau 1085968 Preview: Sharks at Panthers, 7:30 p.m., Friday 1085933 Game Day: Smith has something to prove against 1085969 In similar position again after November, Panthers look to Coyotes tonight turn corner 1085934 2011-12: The year that defined Mike Smith as an NHL goalie 1085935 Duhatschek: One-on-one with Glen Gulutzan on 1085970 Drew Doughty's looming free agency won't be a inconsistency, team defence, and Johnny Gaudreau distraction, Kings GM says 1085936 The Flames defensive woes are real, and they're 1085971 Kings keep rolling with 5-2 victory over the Washington spectacular Capitals 1085972 Kings score two goals in nine seconds to beat Capitals 1085973 November 30 morning skate quotes: John Stevens 1085937 Patrick Kane says he has to keep his emotions in check, 1085974 November 30 morning skate notes: Visa update, line avoid dumb penalties combinations, Kings-Caps 1085938 Blackhawks, Stars set to face off at United Center 1085975 Prospect Austin Wagner Ready to Make Pro Jump 1085939 Blackhawks fall 4-3 to Stars in overtime 1085976 Game 26: Los Angeles at Washington 1085940 The waiting is the hardest part for Blackhawks’ Jordan 1085977 NOVEMBER 30 SCORING CHANCES Oesterle 1085978 NOVEMBER 30 POSTGAME NOTES 1085941 Blackhawks salvage in overtime loss to Stars 1085979 NOVEMBER 30 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOKINEN, 1085942 Hawks fail to turn on the power, fall in OT KEMPE, MACDERMID 1085943 Janmark scores twice as Stars beat Blackhawks 4-3 in OT 1085980 NOVEMBER 30 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS 1085944 Chicago Blackhawks' Kane wary of penalties 1085945 Five takeaways from Blackhawks-Stars: Power play fails again 1085946 Blackhawks can’t overcome mediocre start in overtime loss to Stars 1085981 Wild's problem is simple: Too much talent out, not enough 1086022 Warrenspiece: The heat's on Ceci; Duchene talks posts back in and shots 1085982 Wild claims Nate Prosser off waivers from Blues 1086023 Chabot returns to Senators' lineup against Islanders on 1085983 Nate Prosser claimed off waivers for 3rd stint with Wild Friday 1085984 Wild stretch for Nino comes in Wild victory, and he's 1086024 The Senators are not for sale — period — says club's satisfied with that president and CEO 1085985 Jared Spurgeon sidelined two weeks with groin strain 1086025 Senators' Karlsson plans to get what he's worth in next 1085986 Wild-Vegas game recap contract — and no less 1085987 Pain-free Zach Parise getting closer to returning to play for 1086026 Senators announce the Parliament Hill lineup for outdoor Wild game weekend 1085988 Staal's 3rd-period pair gives Wild 4-2 win vs. Knights 1086027 Warrenspiece: Senators' Harpur gets his chance, Chabot 1085989 Eric Staal's third-period goals give Wild 4-2 win over sits expansion Vegas 1086028 What the Ottawa Senators can learn from the league's 1085990 Wild claim veteran defenseman Nate Prosser off waivers best power play 1085991 Wild’s Zach Parise after back surgery: ‘I’m not going to 1086029 Pronman: Biggest risers from the 2017 NHL Draft change’ 1085992 Former Wild players’ life in Vegas: 70 degrees and sunny, plus winning hockey 1086030 benefits from Flyers' new-found patience | 1085993 Wild bounce back with much-needed 4-2 win over Golden Bob Ford Knights 1086031 Jordan Weal, hitting 'restart button,' will replace Danick Martel in Flyers lineup Montreal Canadiens 1086032 Cord-cutting Philly fans should keep an eye on what NBC 1085994 Gallagher scores twice, Canadiens beat struggling Red Sports is doing in Portland Wings 6-3 1086033 After players-only meeting, Flyers unable to put a finger on 1085995 Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings: Five things you should issues know 1086034 Flyers penalty kill a key to helping them get out of funk 1085996 Canadiens deal Peter Holland to Rangers for winger Adam Cracknell 1085997 Game Day: Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin won't be in lineup 1086035 Chad Ruhwedel showing value to Penguins that goes against Red Wings beyond traditional statistics 1085998 In the Habs' Room: Gallagher shines, depth players step 1086036 Penguins notebook: Evgeni Malkin practices, will be up in victory gametime decision against Sabres 1085999 About last night ... Canadiens stomp Detroit 6-3 1086037 Tim Benz: Trade Ian Cole, but it better be for right reasons 1086000 Surging Habs overcome injuries, lousy first period to win 1086038 Ian Cole returns to the lineup … and gets hit with a puck 4th straight 1086039 Evgeni Malkin eyeing return Friday in Buffalo 1086001 Brendan Gallagher leads a third line in name only 1086040 Ranking the Penguins' greatest rivalries Matt Freed/Post-Gazette 1086002 Predators' Frederick Gaudreau handles uncertainty with maturity 1086041 The coach who led Brent Burns to the Norris Trophy 1086003 Vancouver Canucks 5, Nashville Predators 3: 3 things we learned St Louis Blues 1086042 Blues updates: Defenseman Prosser claimed by Minnesota 1086004 The Devils Trade Adam Henrique to the Ducks 1086043 Blues notes: Berglund's return sends Sundqvist to bench 1086005 How John Quenneville, handled AHL 1086044 BLUES VS. KINGS transition after Devils training camp 1086045 With busy December looming, Blues have work to do 1086006 Devils trade Adam Henrique to Ducks for defenseman Sami Vatanen | What it means 1086007 4 things to know about new Devils defenseman Sami 1086046 Can Nikita Kucherov join the NHL’s most exclusive club? Vatanen 1086047 Cedric Paquette suspended one game 1086008 Devils fans rip Adam Henrique-Sami Vatanen trade on Twitter: 'What were you thinking?' Maple Leafs 1086009 How Sami Vatanen trade came together between Devils 1086048 Nylander has three points, Oilers score on themselves late and Ducks to give Maple Leafs win 1086010 'It's over!' | Adam Henrique's heartfelt goodbye to Devils 1086049 Oilers’ McDavid might be better player, but Leafs’ fans Matthews has better support 1086011 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 30 1086050 Leafs edge Oilers thanks to crazy own goal 1086012 Devils trade Adam Henrique to Ducks for defenseman 1086051 Bizarre own goal lets Leafs escape Edmonton with win Sami Vatanen 1086052 Leafs Locker: No signs of sulking from Leafs' Nylander 1086013 Devils react to Adam Henrique being traded away 1086053 Matt Benning's Toronto connection runs deep 1086014 What the Devils know about new D Sami Vatanen 1086054 Maple Leafs' Matthews misses skate but expects to play 1086015 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Dec. 1 versus Oilers 1086016 Devils get needed defensive help, but part with playoff 1086055 Mirtle: In the battle of Canadian rebuilds, the Maple Leafs hero have slipped past the Oilers 1086017 Islanders go on toy shopping spree for sick kids ahead of hospital visits 1086018 Rangers' Mika Zibanejad out indefinitely with concussion 1086019 Mika Zibanejad concussion is crushing to Rangers 1086020 Ryan McDonagh looks like he’s good to go 1086021 Rangers center Mika Zibanejad diagnosed with concussion Vancouver Canucks Websites 1086072 Canucks Game Day: Hoping to finish on a Music City high 1086079 The Athletic / LeBrun: With Islanders cruising, John note Tavares in no rush to look ahead to free agency 1086073 Canucks winger Derek Dorsett’s hockey career over after 1086080 The Athletic / Grassroots to Gold: Sweden uses innovative injury setback thinking to tackle development, challenges 1086074 Kuzma: Dorsett 'devastated' by news that health risks 1086081 The Athletic / The Flames defensive woes are real, and have ended career they're spectacular 1086075 Kuzma: Canucks salute heart, hard work, hilarity as 1086082 The Athletic / What makes an appealing NHL 'Dorse' forced to retire market? 1086076 The Provies: Daniel Sedin joins 'The Club,' Boesermania 1086083 The Athletic / Mirtle: How do you solve a problem like runs wild on you, and Vanek is the Dean Malenko of the Connor McDavid? The Leafs look to take a depth 1086077 Canucks Post Game: Daniel does it his way, Boeser's approach best, Green day, Dorsett drama, Turris tales 1086084 The Athletic / Mirtle: In the battle of Canadian rebuilds, the 1086078 Canucks 5, Predators 3 – What We Learned: The daily Maple Leafs have slipped past the Oilers double, Daniel hits plateau, Boeser at his best 1086085 The Athletic / Pronman: Biggest risers from the 2017 NHL Draft 1086086 The Athletic / Evaluating Dave Hakstol's status as head 1086056 Wild’s Jason Zucker feels ‘little weird’ facing hometown coach: What should the Flyers do next? team Golden Knights 1086087 Sportsnet.ca / William Nylander showing time on Maple 1086057 Golden Knights falter in final period for 4-2 loss at Leafs’ fourth line won’t last long Minnesota 1086088 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks overwhelm Predators by 1086058 Golden Knights face Wild tonight with newly inked channelling their inner Dorsett McNabb 1086089 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens looking to trade defenceman Brandon Davidson 1086090 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers return the favour by standing up for 1086059 Nathan Walker’s feel-good story as first Australian in NHL Russell after gaffe takes a turn, waived by Capitals 1086091 Sportsnet.ca / Unlikely contributions push undermanned 1086060 Gone in nine seconds: Kings’ burst leaves Caps at a loss Canadiens back to even 1086061 Capitals place Nathan Walker on waivers 1086093 Sportsnet.ca / Dorsett’s retirement leaves Canucks 1086062 Kings strike quickly in 5-2 victory over Capitals teammates with emotional hole 1086063 National Christmas Tree Ceremony could affect your trip 1086094 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers’ Brossoit in the spotlight with Talbot to Thursday's Caps game out ‘at least two weeks’ 1086064 Nathan Walker waived by Caps, appears to be Hershey 1086095 Sportsnet.ca / How poor shot quality has contributed to the bound Oilers’ miserable start 1086065 Tarik's 3 Stars: Kings, Quick crown Caps 1086096 Sportsnet.ca / 6 reasonable reactions to Drew Doughty’s 1086067 3 reasons why the Caps lost to the Kings free agency comments 1086097 TSN.CA / Leafs get a little help from a foe, hold on for victory 1086098 TSN.CA / Rielly: Shutting down McDavid ‘about as big as it gets’ 1086099 TSN.CA / How much blame does Boucher deserve for Sens’ slump? 1086100 TSN.CA / A look at the NHL’s shift in power-play structure 1086101 USA TODAY / Canucks forward Derek Dorsett retires because of neck injury 1086102 USA TODAY / Sami Vatanen trade cements Devils GM 's reputation as dealmaker 1086068 TONIGHT: Golden Knights at Jets, 7 p.m. TV: TSN3; Radio: TSN 1290 1086069 Thoughts of parade not scoffed at 1086070 Look how much you've grown! Jets a lot different now, first coach Noel says 1086071 Point totals rising for Jets: November brought more good than bad

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1085908 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks acquire Adam Henrique from Devils for Sami Vatanen

Mike Coppinger

The Ducks acquired some scoring punch Thursday to address their injury-riddled offense. The team dealt defenseman Sami Vatanen to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forward Adam Henrique, along with forward Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round draft pick. The Ducks also included an undisclosed conditional pick. With the emergence of Josh Manson and Brandon Montour on the blueline, Vatanen became expendable. The Finnish defenseman underwent offseason shoulder surgery, and since his return, was prone to turnovers this season. Henrique, too, has struggled during this campaign. The 27-year-old has been a staple of the team’s top-six forwards since he broke out with 51 points during his rookie season (2011-12), but was recently demoted to the fourth line. Henrique has just 14 points (four goals) in 24 games this season for one of the top scoring teams in the NHL. “I was shocked, obviously, this morning,” said Henrique, who plays both center and wing. “The initial shock has worn off, and I’m excited to join the guys on the road and get the new chapter started. “It’s a winning organization. When everyone returns from the injuries, it’s going to be a scary team making a push this year.” Blandisi, 27, has seen limited action in the NHL over the last two seasons and has yet to debut this campaign while he worked on his game in the minors. The two-way center potted nine points in 27 games for the Devils last season. “This helps us right now,” Ducks general manager Bob Murray said. “We’ve looked for left-handed shooting centers/wings for a long time now. “It’s a good deal for both teams. We both have needs to fill. Hopefully, this works out for both teams.” Vatanen, 26, was drafted by the Ducks in the fourth round of the 2009 draft. He made his NHL debut during the 2012-13 season with just eight games played, but after that, quickly made his mark as a puck-moving defenseman. He scored 37 points in 2014-15 and 38 the following season. Vatanen also recorded a goal and five assists in the playoffs this year. LA Times: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085909 Anaheim Ducks

Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler are expected to return to the Ducks in mid-December

By MIKE COPPINGER

Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler are expected to return to the Ducks in mid-December The Ducks added some much-needed offensive help with the acquisition of Adam Henrique on Thursday, but even more firepower is on the way. General manager Bob Murray said Thursday that top centers Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler should return in time for the team's next trip. Top scorer Rickard Rakell has been sidelined for the last three games with an upper-body injury, and the team is hopeful he'll return for Tuesday's game against the Vegas Golden Knights. The Ducks are in the midst of a six-game road swing and return to Anaheim for a game against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. They'll be back on the road the following week, starting with a Dec. 14 contest against the St. Louis Blues, when Getzlaf and Kesler could be in the lineup. Getzlaf hasn't played since he suffered a fractured cheekbone after a puck struck him in the face Oct. 29. The captain has seven points in six games this season (one goal). He also missed games with a lower-body injury suffered during the preseason. Kesler has yet to suit up this season. The former Selke Trophy winner underwent offseason hip surgery and needed to learn how to stride again. Longtime minor leaguers Derek Grant and Chris Wagner have filled their spots as the team's top two centers. LA Times: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085910 Anaheim Ducks Henrique is perhaps most famous for scoring the overtime goal against the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals that lifted New Jersey to its first Final appearance in nine Ducks acquire center Adam Henrique for Sami Vatanen years. The seven-year veteran became a fan favorite with his play and extensive off-ice charity work.

After being told of the trade by Shero when the two met Thursday By Eric Stephens | PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 morning, Henrique had to process it before looking forward to “get a new chapter started.”

“When he told me the news, I was just shocked,” Henrique said. “It COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Ducks shook up a largely stagnant NHL trade wasn’t something that I was expecting. But saying that, kind of in the market Thursday by sending defenseman Sami Vatanen to the New back of my mind going into this season, maybe at some point, maybe Jersey Devils for centers Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi, along with closer to trade deadline — you generally don’t see trades like this go a 2018 third-round draft pick. down earlier in the season. Long seen as a piece they could use to acquire some scoring help, “But I think with everything going on in Anaheim with the injuries, it just Vatanen was moved as Ducks general manager Bob Murray pulled the makes sense. I think the Devils have obviously been looking for a trigger to get some significant help for a forward group decimated by defenseman. I think everything kind of came together herein the last day injuries. or two, from what I’ve been told.” Murray also sent the Devils a conditional pick to acquire Henrique, a Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was eager to add him to his undermanned 2012 Calder Trophy finalist as a rookie who has four goals and 10 assists team that plays the Blue Jackets on Friday night. He said he has already in 24 games with the Devils this season. Henrique, 27, had career highs worked on different line combinations and spots involving Henrique, who of 30 goals and 50 points in 2015-16 and has averaged 22 goals and 24 was to arrive in Columbus on Thursday night. “He’s obviously going to assists for every 82 games played. play,” the coach said. “Simple as that.” According to NJ.com, New Jersey will get the Ducks’ third-round “Let’s not kid ourselves where we’re at,” Carlyle added. “We’ve been selection in 2019 if Henrique signs a contract extension before that year’s honest and up front. We’ve been taxed. People have stepped up, people draft. It will receive the Ducks’ third-rounder in 2020 if Henrique inks an have got more of an opportunity. Some people have been surprises, extension after the draft. No pick will go to the Devils if the forward does simple as that. not re-sign with Anaheim. “But the addition of a veteran NHL guy that’s been to the Stanley Cup It is a “hockey deal” that Murray prefers to make. Henrique carries a $4 finals, that’s been a 20-to-30-goal scorer consistently, play center in a million salary-cap hit and is to be paid $5 million this season and $5.5 high role, top-six forward, kill penalties, play the power play, an-around million in 2018-19 before his contract expires. Vatanen is in the second of player. Add that to your lineup, what coach wouldn’t be happy?” a four-year, $19.5-million extension that he signed in the summer of 2016. The return of Getzlaf and Kesler — the two are skating daily, Murray confirmed, and could join the Ducks on their East Coast road trip before In a conference call, Murray said he and Devils general manager Ray Christmas — could give them the possibility of slotting Henrique and Shero had discussions going back to before the June draft as Shero had Antoine Vermette behind them. Or Henrique could be put on left wing an excess in forward depth while Murray was loaded on the blue line. and Carlyle can move Wagner and Grant about. The Devils, according to an Eastern Conference source, were quietly shopping Henrique since last spring. Murray said his acquisition’s versatility gives Carlyle “options” and that the possibility of a rotation of Getzlaf-Kesler-Henrique-Vermette at center “We both had to kind of wait,” Murray said. “I had to wait for the defense “makes us really strong down the middle if Randy wants to go that way.” to get healthy to make a decision on who to move. He kind of just got some of his forwards back. It’s a good deal for both teams in the sense Cam Fowler was with Henrique on the Hockey League’s Windsor that we both had needs to fill. Spitfires that won the 2010 Memorial Cup, the top prize in Canadian major junior hockey. Fowler said the Ducks are “getting a real quality “You never like to give up a guy like Sami because he’s such a player and an even better guy.” competitive player and has done so many good things for us. It probably wasn’t easy for them to give up Adam either. Hopefully this one works “He’s a two-way player,” Fowler said. “Does all the little things well. He’s out for both teams.” a guy that when you watch him play, there’s not going to be something that really sticks out and kind of blows you away. But when you actually Five forwards that would fit on the Ducks’ top three lines – Ryan Getzlaf, look at the details of his game, he does everything extraordinarily well. Ryan Kesler, Rickard Rakell, Ondrej Kase and Patrick Eaves – are currently out. Key two-way winger Jakob Silfverberg did not play the third “He’ll kill penalties. He can help out on the power play. Has got a really period of Thursday’s 3-2 win over St. Louis because of an upper-body good shot. Really good release. And he’s a great guy in the locker room ailment. too. I think it’s great for us.” And with the Ducks already playing grinders Derek Grant and Chris Blandisi, 23, will also join up with the Ducks and could be in the lineup. Wagner as their top two centers, Murray opted to act as his team is trying Also an OHL product, the forward has spent this season with New to stay within range of the playoff picture with stops at Columbus, Jersey’s affiliate in Binghamton (N.Y.). He Nashville and Vegas ahead on their most challenging stretch to date. played in parts of 2015-16 and 2016-17 with the Devils and has eight goals and 18 assists in 68 NHL games. “As everybody knows, we’ve been looking for a left-hand shot center or winger,” Murray said. “Adam can play both. … Once we got healthy, we “He’s a guy that’s looking for an opportunity,” Murray said. had to make a decision. They happened to get healthy at the same time so there was an opportunity for both teams. Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.01.2017 “It helps us right now. I’m not going to deny that. We have two big centermen out, but they’re not that far away. Keep our head above water until they get back.” Vatanen, 26, was drafted by the Ducks in 2009 and spent his first five- plus years with the franchise. His best seasons were 2014-15 and 2015- 16, when he recorded back-to-back campaigns of 12 goals and 25 assists and nine goals and 29 assists. The Finnish defender has regressed since and was struggling on the ice in coming back from surgery to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder. Vatanen had a goal and three assists along with a minus-6 rating in 15 games after making his season debut Oct. 28. The ascension of Brandon Montour as an offensive-minded defenseman with a right shot like Vatanen, along with other blue-line prospects like Jacob Larsson, Marcus Pettersson and Josh Mahura, made it easier for Murray to part with the veteran. 1085911 Anaheim Ducks Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.01.2017

Ducks filled with hope as injured players slowly return

By ERIC STEPHENS | PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Comings and goings. Permanence has been an elusive concept when it comes to the Ducks’ lineup and it should be no surprise that the lack of stability has produced a mediocre 11-10-4 record. But as they gathered for practice Thursday at Nationwide Arena, Ducks coach Randy Carlyle was in an upbeat mood heading into Friday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. A win over St. Louis, the top team in the Western Conference, was one reason. A trade that subtracts Sami Vatanen from his defense but brings in a proven Adam Henrique and a potential NHL regular in Joseph Blandisi to fill in his ravaged forward group was another. And the hope that some of the injured will return to the ice Friday or sometime soon as they trudge into December is a third possibility that had Carlyle feeling optimistic. For instance, Ondrej Kase will play if he considers himself ready to return from a head injury. The winger has missed the last 10 games but returned to practice with the Ducks after participating in two sessions with their American Hockey League team in San Diego. “It’ll always depend on the player,” Carlyle said. “The player’s been on the ice for almost two weeks now. It’ll be up to him. If the medical staff says that he’s available to play, then the rest will be up to him to say ‘I’m capable of playing.’ If not, then that’s his decision. “If he tells me yes, he’s playing.” Kase, who has five goals and three assists in the 12 games he has played, reported progress over the 10 days that he has been skating. “Every day was better, better and better,” he said. His return will help provide more offensive skill. At the least, it will provide some coverage in case right wing Jakob Silfverberg is not able to play. Silfverberg was held out of the third period Wednesday in St. Louis for precautions after suffering what Carlyle called was an upper-body injury. One of their top all-around forwards, Silfverberg did not practice but did ride an exercise bike as part of some off-ice work. “Hopefully he’s fine,” Carlyle said. “Took him out last night because he wasn’t feeling good. We’ll have a skate tomorrow morning. If he gets through today fine and skates tomorrow, he’s available.” Defenseman Brandon Montour did take part in the brisk workout and is available to play. Montour sat out Wednesday due to a hyperextended elbow suffered Monday night against Chicago. Some of their best could be coming back on the radar. Ducks general manager Bob Murray said Rickard Rakell could join the team in Vegas as they end their trip Tuesday against the Golden Knights. Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler are also skating daily and might travel for their next road juncture starting Dec. 14. INCREASED DUTIES Kevin Roy is seeing time on the Ducks’ power play and the rookie winger took advantage of it Monday by scoring a second-period goal in their 3-2 win over the Blues. It was Roy’s second goal in his 10th game since being called up from the minors on Nov. 8. “It’s nice to get some minutes there with really good players and try to make some plays,” Roy said. “Try to do what I do with players like that, it’s a lot easier.” Roy was happy that Carlyle gave him the opportunity to make a difference. Entrusting a youngster with limited NHL experience represented a leap of faith for the coach. And he likes Roy’s smarts with the puck and how he can make cuts and elude defenders. “To me, it was important that he got some games in first,” Carlyle said. “It was important for him to get comfortable with the speed and what was going on. He’s always played that position. That’s where his strengths lie.” 1085912 Anaheim Ducks around for six months. It was diagnosed as a coxsackie viral ailment, of which there are only 200 cases annually in the U.S.

Blandisi overcame that entire-body injury and stayed upright long enough Whicker: Wounded Ducks pull the trigger, trade for Adam Henrique to impress the Ducks , although he’s likely to start in San Diego. Last season Tampa Bay got only 17 games from Steven Stamkos and at By MARK WHICKER | PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 one point was so injured that it couldn’t field 11 healthy forwards. The Lightning missed the playoffs. Today, with health, it has the best record in hockey. You know it’s a bad injury if the hockey people actually tell you what it is “This team could make a scary run when everybody comes back,” Henrique said. Ryan Getzlaf had a broken cheekbone. Cam Fowler had a knee problem. Ryan Kesler had a torn labrum in his hip. The Ducks must first overcome their fear of getting out of bed. How many times do accidents happen before they’re accidental no longer? Normally they say “upper body injury,” as in the case of Rickard Rakell. That can run the gamut between dandruff and coronary thrombosis, It Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.01.2017 often means a concussion. But the secrecy at least means the player will return soon, so it’s best not to give the marauding opponents a target. The Ducks have not suffered trivial injuries this season. It’s been month- to-month, not day-to-day. At that point they were missing Getzlaf, Fowler, Kesler and Patrick Eaves, who suffered Guillain-Barre Syndrome. That’s 80 percent of a power-play unit. Derek Grant is a center who had not scored an NHL goal in 80 games until this season, when he came to Anaheim. Now he has five. He has played surprisingly well for the Ducks. Nevertheless, they never expected Grant would be on their first line, as he was Wednesday at St. Louis, a game the Ducks won. Getzlaf was hit in the face with a puck. Rakell got hurt running into Kevin Bieksa, who is his teammate. General Manager Bob Murray said Getzlaf and Kesler could return sometime during the Ducks’ next trip, which encompasses Dec. 14-23. Eight of their next 11 games are on the road. They are one point out of the playoff mix at the moment even though they lead the NHL in shots- on-goal allowed, at 36 per game. So on Thursday they dealt defenseman Sami Vatanen to New Jersey in exchange for centers Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi. Sometimes you get pushed into your own trade deadline. Murray said the trade wasn’t caused by the injuries, that the Ducks had eyed the two Devils for a while but had to wait until Vatanen and Hampus Lindholm could prove they weren’t hurt anymore. They did that, but then Brandon Montour proved he could play better than Vatanen. “We had a surplus of defensemen, they had a surplus of centers,” Murray said. Henrique, 27 and a junior teammate of Fowler’s at Windsor, is reasonably priced at $5 million this year and $5.5 million next year. He was made available because of center , last year’s top draft pick. But Henrique can give the Ducks the down-the-middle dominance that sometimes carries a team into June. The Ducks can choose their lines, not invent them. They can use Getzlaf, Kesler, Henrique and faceoff whiz Antoine Vermette as their centers and move Rakell back to the wing. When Ondrej Kase returns from his UBI, he could theoretically join Rakell on Getzlaf’s line, and Kesler could reunite with Jakob Silfverberg and Andrew Cogliano. They could not have hoped to get Henrique two years ago, when he scored 30 goals. In 2012 he was probably the Devils’ best forward in the Stanley Cup Final loss to the Kings, and he was already the first rookie to score two series-clinching goals in the playoffs. But the Devils have gone younger and faster, and Henrique was holding down the third line through much of their surprising 14-6-2 start, with four goals. Blandisi is the wild-card in all this. He had 14 points in 19 games for Binghamton, New Jersey’s AHL affiliate. He scored 52 goals in junior hockey for Barrie. He’s 5-foot-11 but plays above his height in terms of penalties, and he has a reputation as a bit of a diver. He’s most definitely an irritant, which is fine with the Ducks. Blandisi has also endured his own health mysteries. In 2014 he suddenly had severe balance issues and lost his peripheral vision. His agent watched him play a junior game and called to find out if Blandisi was hung over from the night before. He thought his skates were malfunctioning somehow, so he sharpened the blades and still couldn’t hold up. The condition worsened, then hung 1085913 Arizona Coyotes Johnny Gaudreau leads the Flames with 34 points and 23 assists, and has a team-high 14 goals. Calgary has the 10th-best power play in the NHL at 21.4 percent, but its penalty kill ranks next to Preview: Coyotes at Flames, 6:30 p.m., FOX Sports Arizona last at 74.4 percent. foxsportsarizona.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 FOX Sports Arizona

CALGARY, Alberta — The Coyotes will meet up with a couple of former teammates for the first time tonight when they battle the Calgary Flames at the Scotiabank Saddledome. Mike Smith, starting in Arizona for six seasons, is expected to start in goal for the Flames (13-10-1). Smith is 11-8-1 with a 2.67 goals- against average and a .921 save percentage. The Flames lineup also includes defenseman Michael Stone, who also played six seasons in Arizona. Stone scored Calgary’s lone goal in a 4-1 loss to Toronto on Tuesday at the Saddledome, and he’s glad the Flames don’t have to wait too long to put the disappointing loss to the Leafs behind them. “That’s huge when you can learn from the games that you don’t play well in and you can get right back in the saddle and build on your game,” Stone said. “That’s what it’s all about.” Old friend Mike Smith is in net for the other guys tonight. That's plenty of ammunition for a trip down memory lane with @TysonNash and @BizNasty2point0. @ArizonaCoyotes vs. #Flames, 6:30 p.m. pic.twitter.com/Q9GuSJrVam — FOX Sports Arizona (@FOXSPORTSAZ) November 30, 2017 Scott Wedgewood will make his fourth consecutive start in net for the Coyotes (6-17-4) in place of the injured Antti Raanta, who was brought in to replace Smith as Arizona’s top goaltender. Wedgewood has compiled a 2-3-2 record to go with a 2.99 goals against- average and a .901 save percentage. He had 24 saves and a strong effort in Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss at Edmonton but gave up the game- winning goal to Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on a breakaway with 40 seconds left in overtime. “I think the guys deserved that win,” Wedgewood said. “They played well in front of me and took away a high-powered offense — kept them to two goals and an overtime goal. We did great defensively. Overall, we walk out of here probably deserving that win if we play that way moving forward.” As for when Raanta will return to the lineup, Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet gave the team website an update Wednesday. “He’ll catch up with us back home,” said Tocchet, whose team will host the New Jersey Devils at the Gila River Arena on Saturday before playing a road game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. “We’ll probably know more about (his recovery) on Friday. Scott will play (Thursday) and then we’ll make a decision after that.” Oliver Ekman-Larsson had one of Arizona’s two goals on Tuesday. He has goals in three consecutive games and four goals and three assists during a six-game point streak. With 18 points, he is three behind team leader Clayton Keller. [NBA: Phoenix Suns-Media Day] The Coyotes recalled Andrew Campbell from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on Wednesday after defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson left the Tuesday game in the second period because of an upper-body injury. “He’s still going to be day-to-day, but the injury is a little bit worse than we thought,” Tocchet said of Hjalmarsson. Calgary is dealing with lower-body injuries to right wingers Kris Versteeg and Jaromir Jagr. While Versteeg was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, Jagr practiced with the Flames and could be ready to play against the Coyotes. The Flames recalled Garnet Hathaway from the AHL’s on Wednesday, and coach Glen Gulutzan said the right winger, who has 43 games of experience over the past three seasons with the Flames, didn’t look out of place at practice. “Even watching him today, he looks a lot more comfortable than he did last year coming up,” said Gulutzan of Hathaway, who recorded 11 goals and eight assists in 19 games with the Heat before being called up. “It’s a good bolt of energy for us.” 1085914 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes shut out by former goalie Mike Smith in loss to Flames

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS NOVEMBER 30, 2017 AT 10:11 PM

CALGARY, Alberta — Mike Smith stopped 28 shots to blank his former team, Mark Jankowski scored twice and the Calgary Flames beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-0 on Thursday night. Smith picked up his second shutout of the season and 35th of his career. The 35-year-old was making his first start against Arizona since being acquired by Calgary via trade in June. Mikael Backlund also scored for Calgary. The Flames bounced back after opening their four-game homestand with a 4-1 loss to Toronto on Tuesday night. Scott Wedgewood made 41 saves for the Coyotes. Jankowski opened the scoring 2:48 into the second by showing an elite set of hands. Set up in front on a tic-tac-toe passing sequence with linemates Sam Bennett and Jaromir Jagr, Jankowski was stopped on his first try but put his stick between his legs to zip the rebound over Wedgewood’s glove. Calgary extended its lead to 2-0 at 10:19 of the third when Matthew Tkachuk neatly set up Backlund in front. Jankowski added his second of the night and fifth of the season less than two minutes later. Right off a faceoff, he went to the net and scored on a forehand-to-backhand deke. Smith, who improved to 11-8-1, had his best stop halfway through the second period when he dove across the crease to thwart Christian Dvorak. With Antti Raanta (upper body) sidelined, Wedgewood made his fourth straight start for the Coyotes and fell to 2-4-2. Wedgewood kept the score 1-0 early in the third with a pair of stops against Johnny Gaudreau, who has been held off the scoresheet in three straight games. NOTES: Tkachuk played in his 100th game. The 19-year-old is the second-youngest player to get to 100 games in franchise history, behind only Dan Quinn. … Jagr (lower body) returned after missing one game. … Garnet Hathaway, just recalled from AHL Stockton, got into his first game since the season opener. … The Coyotes were without Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body), who was injured Tuesday night in Edmonton. Arizona Sports LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085915 Boston Bruins Toy story After practice, the Bruins got in their sleighs and headed to their annual Holiday Toy Shopping event at Walmart in Saugus. All of the toys are David Backes feeling good after early return to Bruins purchased through donations from the Bruins players, coaching staff, and the Boston Bruins Foundation. The toys will be delivered to hospitals around Boston. By Barbara Matson Boston Globe LOADED: 12.01.2017

Never tell a hockey player an injury will keep him out for a month. He’ll take two weeks. Among the players who showed up for the Bruins’ optional practice at Warrior Arena Thursday was David Backes. Great news for the injury- riddled team: The veteran forward got through Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay and arrived for the next day’s skate with only the usual aches and pains. “A little stiff and sore, like I just played my first game in four weeks,’’ said Backes, who had just played his first game in four weeks. “But nothing out of the ordinary, and that’s a good sign.” The 33-year-old was on the ice for 18 minutes and 58 seconds against the Lightning, only 27 days after undergoing surgery to remove sections of his colon because of an infection caused by diverticulitis. He said he did not feel any aftereffects from the surgery, even as he doled out a team-high five hits in the game. “Nothing to do with my surgery at all,’’ he said. “More just legs and getting up to speed and contact and all that other stuff. That’s a really good sign. “I wanted to get out today and loosen up and get some kinks out, and we were able to do that. Now back to a whole day of practice [Friday] and we’ll play an afternoon game in Philly with our dads [on hand].” The recovery time for Backes had been projected at eight weeks, but he had the approval of his doctors before he resumed each activity in the process. It’s possible the resolve of the professional athlete was overlooked as a recovery tool. “My body responded really well,” said Backes, who also noted that the surgeon took extra time. “He knew he was putting back together a professional athlete. “Being young helps; I’m probably half the average age of someone who gets this surgery. Also being active right after the surgery. I was walking the next day. In a week to 10 days, I was riding a bike and not letting scar tissue adhere to everything that’s been all jumbled around in there. “I don’t know if I’m making medical history, but I’m a case to maybe push the envelope a little bit for people to recover and get back on their feet. “It’s kind of like a mini-C-section, what I had, and rather than taking a baby out of there, they took 10 inches of colon out of there. Credit to all the moms who are carrying around a little baby right away — a little more sympathy from me.’’ Backes said he was down as much as 15 pounds, though he has put some of the weight back, and he felt lighter on the ice against Tampa Bay. Coach Bruce Cassidy expects Backes to resume a familiar role. “It’s nice to have him back,’’ said Cassidy. “I think we all thought it would take a little longer to recover. But that’s between David and the medical staff, but they determined he can play, so that’s great news for us. “He could go up with [Patrice Bergeron] and [Brad Marchand], that type of role, and add some scoring, some muscle there. But the young skill we’ve brought in, we’d like to build a third line where he’s a reliable, heavy presence every night, plays against one of the other team’s top lines, preferably a bigger group. I think he thrives in that role. “Obviously power-play presence in the second unit, in front of the net, is something he’s always had, [on the] PK he’s a good faceoff guy. So we can move him around between center and right wing.” Status report Marchand, who had missed six games with an undisclosed injury before picking up two assists in Wednesday’s victory, chose not to practice, but later said he felt good. “Great to get back in it, always fun to win,’’ Marchand said . . . Anders Bjork (suspected head injury) skated, and stayed late to work on his skills, and both David Krejci (back) and Adam McQuaid (broken leg) got in some time on the ice before the full practice. Cassidy said Krejci is day to day, Bjork has the potential to play Saturday, and as for Jake DeBrusk (undisclosed injury), Cassidy said, “No, but I’m not ruling him out.’’ 1085916 Boston Bruins

Bruins inch closer to a healthy lineup a day after win

Stephen Harris Thursday, November 30, 2017

In the aftermath of Wednesday’s impressive 3-2 victory over Tampa, it was a fairly slow day at Warrior Ice Arena, where the Bruins had a low- key optional practice. The B’s have another practice tomorrow before heading out for a two-game trip to Philadelphia (Saturday afternoon) and Nashville (Monday night). Among the news tidbits of the day: David Backes, who returned from colon surgery to play his first game vs. the Lightning, was fine and back on the ice. David Krejci, sidelined by a recurrence of his earlier ailment (thought to involve the back), took the ice for a brief skate. He’ll go out again tomorrow and hasn’t been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Flyers. The same is true for rookie winger Anders Bjork, who stayed on the ice by himself for extensive extra work. Rookie Jake DeBrusk, however, did not skate today and is doubtful for this trip. Defenseman Adam McQuaid (broken leg) skated lightly for a second straight day, but his return isn’t yet imminent. Boston Herald LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085917 Boston Bruins he was known as line-rush kind of guy who might fit in with a Krejci type. But now he’s grown his game.”

• • • David Backes leads a group of healing Bruins ready for game day Tampa Bay Lightning forward Cedric Paquette was suspended for one game without pay by the NHL for boarding Bruins defenseman Torey Stephen Harris Friday, December 01, 2017 Krug. Paquette was assessed a minor penalty for boarding in the second period of Tampa Bay’s 3-2 loss Wednesday at the Garden. FEELING GOOD: David Backes played Wednesday night for the Bruins and reported having no ill effects yesterday. Boston Herald LOADED: 12.01.2017 In the aftermath of Wednesday’s impressive 3-2 victory over Tampa Bay, it was a fairly slow day yesterday at Warrior Ice Arena, where the Bruins had a low-key optional practice ahead of a two-game trip to Philadelphia and Nashville. Among the news items of the day: David Backes, who returned from colon surgery to play his first game against the Lightning, came through with no ill effects and was back on the ice; David Krejci, sidelined by a recurrence of his earlier ailment (thought to be his back), took the ice for a brief skate. He’ll go out today and could potentially be back for tomorrow’s matinee against the Flyers. The same iffy prognosis applies to rookie winger Anders Bjork, who stayed on the ice for extensive extra work. Rookie Jake DeBrusk, who missed the Tampa Bay win with an unknown injury, did not skate and is doubtful for this trip. Defenseman Adam McQuaid (broken leg) skated lightly for a second straight day and his recovery is on schedule, but his return isn’t imminent. Backes, who played 18:58 in his unexpectedly early return, was happy he hit no snags. “My first shift I finished a hit and I was like, ‘That was good, we’re going to be good for the night,’ ” he said. “There were nerves and butterflies, but none of the stabbing, pulling or any of the real injury-type things to be cautious about. I think that test has been passed.” In returning from major surgery about a month ahead of schedule, did Backes make medical history? “I don’t know if I’m making medical history but I think I’m a case to maybe push the envelope a little bit for healthy people to recover and get back on their feet,” he said, crediting his physicians in performing the surgery in a manner that allowed the quickest healing; and allowing him to push hard in his rehab. “Everything I (did) had a caveat on it: If it hurts, don’t do it,” said Backes. “I still pushed myself. If I’m biking and it feels really good, I can go to another level; if I’m lifting weights and everything is great, I can add a little more weight. My body responded really well.” His remarkable return was also eased, he said, because at age 33 he’s half the age of folks who typically undergo a colon resection for diverticulitis. As he sat out 12 games, what did he see from a B’s team missing numerous key injured players? “I think it’s forced us to simplify our game, be more of a blue-collar team instead of a skill/rush team,” said Backes. “To get pucks behind their defenseman and rely on our forecheck to turn pucks over; a little more low-to-high, defenseman shooting and traffic in front of the net. “It seems like last year we transitioned to that mentality for the playoffs, instead of trying to build that into our game the whole year. So I think it’s forced us to that earlier.” Talking about all the line-shuffling he’s had to with the rash of injuries, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy indicated the ideal setup for the top two lines might include Danton Heinen at right wing with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand, and David Pastrnak with Krejci and maybe DeBrusk. Cassidy loves the versatility of Heinen, who can perform with skill and speed on the top line, or grind it out on the No. 4 threesome. Heinen’s stats — four goals, seven assists and plus-3 — point to his wide skill set. “He’s got good enough hands, good enough IQ, good enough pace to keep up with (Bergeron and Marchand),” said the coach. “Or he can go down the lineup and he established himself with (Sean) Kuraly and (Tim) Schaller by being a north-south, chip-and-chase, below-the-goal line possession guy. He’s really reliable. “Danton has really grown his game to be able to play with different flavors of forwards. That’s a credit for him. Coming out of college at 1085918 Boston Bruins Those are exactly the kind of traits that are needed when things tighten up in the second half, and those are exactly the kind of things that separate playoff contenders from playoff pretenders at crunch time. The Haggerty: Resurgent Bruins deserve a hand Bruins have shown in the first few months of the season that they have the moxie and the makeup to be in that playoff conversation.

Now it’s a matter of them healing up, finally icing the lineup that they By Joe Haggerty November 30, 2017 11:41 AM hoped to have on Opening Night but never actually have this season, and following through on the promise they’ve shown in the last six games. BOSTON -- It’s time to give the Bruins some credit for hanging in there, SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 and hanging tough, through the difficult times this season. Clearly the B’s caught the Tampa Bay Lightning at the right time, thanks to the NHL schedule-makers and to Tampa’s own four-losses-in-six- games slump. But they still got the better of Hart Trophy candidates Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov while hanging on for a 3-2 feel- good win over the Bolts, who were playing their second of a back-to- back, at the TD Garden on Wednesday night. The Bruins dominated in the first period, outshooting the Lightning 19-5 and taking advantage of them having played the night before in Buffalo, but it became a much more competitive game after that. It was up to the B's to hold on and close things out against the high-powered Lightning, and that’s exactly what they did while finally getting some timely saves from their franchise goaltender. “I think we played a really strong game, for the most part,” said Bruce Cassidy. “They had a push that we had to respond to, and we did eventually.” The Bruins have now won five of their last six games and bull-rushed their way back into a playoff position, having climbed over the Detroit Red Wings into third place in the Atlantic Division. It’s still early yet, obviously, and Boston is still missing some significant core players due to injury, but the B’s should be proud of the way they’ve withstood massive adversity in the season’s first two months. “I think there’s a lot of character in this room and I think that just speaks for where we are,” said Riley Nash, who scored an important goal in the first period to extend Boston’s lead. “Our leaders have done a fantastic job, they’ve played great, and I think a lot of the guys that have been getting called up and filling in have done a phenomenal job . . . “You want to know that when a guy comes up he’s ready to go and a lot of those guys have really stepped in and played well. [Danton] Heinen, for example, he’s been down for a little bit but came up and he’s been one of our better forwards for the last two, three weeks.” It’s a credit to the Bruins players, both young and older, for stepping up when the opportunity presented itself, and it’s also an impressive balancing act from coach Bruce Cassidy and his staff. They’ve tinkered and experimented with combinations and players, and Cassidy has even gone with seven defensemen to get a pair of wins against contenders Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay over the last week. Whether it’s changing around the game-to-game lineup, tightening up the systems when the personnel changed radically due to injury, or coaching up AHL players like Jordan Szwarz when they’ve been summoned to help, Cassidy has handled it all with optimistic determination and an unwillingness to use any of it as a self-pitying excuse for losing efforts. That’s a great deal of challenge for Cassidy in his first full year guiding the Bruins, but he’s been up to the task. “It’s a big [win],” said Brad Marchand, who topped 22 minutes of ice time with a pair of assists in a strong performance after missing 8 of the last 10 games with injury. “I don’t think we saw their best game, but we definitely were ready and excited to play them. We want to continue to get better and I think we’ve done it, the last little bit. You’re really seeing guys come into their own and really step up. And we need that going forward. When we get more guys back, it’s going to help us even more. We’re going to be playing good hockey. It’s fun to watch.” Those traits have filtered down into the Bruins dressing room and allowed young players like Heinen, Jake DeBrusk and Charlie McAvoy to step up and support the remaining veteran players. Those traits have also allowed Cassidy and his coaches to navigate through a bit of a goaltending controversy, and start to come out on the other side of it with Tuukka Rask building up his confidence level and effectiveness. None of this is all that exotic over the course of an 82-game regular season, of course, but the sheer volume of injuries could have been the kind of thing to break a team’s spirit early in the season. Instead the Bruins have built character and mental toughness while fighting to stay relevant in a city currently dominated by the Celtics and Patriots, and those qualities will serve them well down the stretch. 1085919 Boston Bruins

Rask answers Bruins' call against mighty Lightning

By Joe Haggerty November 30, 2017 11:59 AM

BOSTON – It wasn’t a spectacular, stand-on-his-head performance from Tuukka Rask on Wednesday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. But it didn't have to be. Rask simply made the key save at the vital part of the game and played well when called upon in making 19 stopsin Boston’s 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning at TD Garden. He's struggled pretty much all season, but made the clutch stop at the important time in the game. Certainly it was the kind of winning performance that the Bruins require out of both goalies, but weren’t getting anything close to out of their No. 1 (Rask) this season. “He’s a goalie, he’s a pro, and he’s a competitor," said coach Bruce Cassidy. "I think at some point as a goalie, you need wins. Was this the time? Probably. There’s a lot of chatter lately. So for him to step up and get it done, and for us to play well in front of him – not have to stand on his head, that’s the other thing. . . . I think he’s going to feel good about it and sleep well tonight.” While it’s pretty clear the pressure was squarely on Rask headed into the start against the NHL’s most explosive offense, the Finnish netminder brushed a lot of those notions off after the game like they were Tampa testing shots from the outside. Instead he saved his best on a side-to- side kicking leg pad save on a Nikita Kucherov bid in the final 30 seconds of the second period, and also had the good fortune of a Tyler Johnson net drive harmlessly bounce off the far post at a precarious time in the game. Rask gave up a couple of goals, but talso seemed to have a unique ability to step right back into his role. “I needed it. I need [the wins]. It was good to see, there was a post-and- out today. That’s always a positive,” said Rask. “So enjoy the little things I guess, because you know, so many times [the second period scoring shot] hits my heel and goes in, and today it didn’t. “Well those are the saves the people expect you to make, and you talk about after the game that, you should have saved that and keep the lead,’ and now you talk that it was a timely save. So it’s something that you always do, you want to do, and you try to do, and hopefully more often than not you actually save those.” On Wednesday night, Rask made those timely saves against the mighty Lightning, and is simply hoping to be able to extend a winning streak. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085920 Boston Bruins

Anders Bjork closing in on a return for the Bruins

By Joe Haggerty November 30, 2017 6:17 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – For once the Bruins didn’t lose any players to injury in Wednesday night’s win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, and they may be getting another back in time for this weekend’s road tilt against the Philadelphia Flyers. That would be another shot in the arm for the Black and Gold after getting Ryan Spooner, David Backes and Brad Marchand back against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Anders Bjork was on the ice for the second straight day, and spent a long time shooting and skating long after optional practice had ended on Thursday. Bjork has missed seven games and counting with an upper- body injury suffered after a violent mid-ice collision with Leafs energy forward Matt Martin. The 22-year-old didn’t want to discuss any specifics about the injury, but said he’s encouraged that it’s feeling better to the point where he can practice again, and get back into the lineup sooner rather than later. “It’s nice to be back with the team skating. I’m doing well now, and hopefully I can be back in the game soon helping the team out,” said Bjork, who was asked if Saturday might be a reasonable timetable for a return. “I think so. We’ll see how my conditioning is, but I want to be 100 percent skill-wise and conditioning-wise when I play in a game so I’m able to do my best when I get back in there.” Above and beyond Bjork, the Bruins had injured players Adam McQuaid (broken leg) and David Krejci (back) skating ahead of the optional practice as they slowly work their way back into the lineup. McQuaid has been out since mid-October and Krejci missed Wednesday’s win over Tampa Bay after the latest flare-up with an injury that’s dogged the 31- year-old at points this season. Amazingly the injury-battered Bruins have had only one game this season where Patrice Bergeron, Krejci and David Backes have all been in the lineup at the same time. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085921 Boston Bruins

Morning Skate: Has Tuukka Time returned?

By Joe Haggerty November 30, 2017 3:51 PM

Here are all the links from around the hockey world, and what I’m reading, while giving two thumbs up to the movie “Baby Driver.” Best all- time usage of Hocus Pocus’ “Focus” in a film. *In the interest of self-promotion, here’s my hit with Toucher and Rich from Thursday morning where I evaluated Tuukka Rask’s performance. It was overall positive because he made the timely save to win a game for the Bruins, but it’s also clear the Bruins goalie is still a work in progress while building himself back up again. *The Buffalo Sabres are still weighing what to do with Evander Kane, but the fact that they’re willing to eat salary in order to trade him feels like they’ve already made their decision. *Pro Hockey Talk’s James O’Brien is daydreaming about both Drew Doughty and Erik Karlsson hitting free agency in the future. *A look back at the season where current Calgary Flames goalie Mike Smith dominated and helped carry the Coyotes into the playoffs. *A sad story in Vancouver as Canucks energy forward Derek Dorsett, off to the best start of his NHL career, had to call it quits because of lingering neck and back problems. *The evolution of Jonathan Huberdeau from young, promising Panthers forward to a core, veteran performer has been impressive. *For something completely different: Bill Belichick mic-ed up during a game is something Patriots fans never get tired of. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085922 Boston Bruins

Backes makes quick return after colon surgery

By Joe Haggerty November 30, 2017 3:13 PM

BOSTON – It bears repeating that David Backes, 33, was out only 27 days after having 10 inches of his colon removed in an early November surgery for diverticulitis and returned with a vengeance in the Bruins' 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night. In total, Backes missed just 12 games after the significant surgery and beat his recovery timetable by about a month following a procedure not usually undergone by professional athletes. Even better news: Backes said after the game that he felt even better than he thought he would while racking up 18:58 of ice time, throwing five hits and diving on the ice to break up plays in an energetic return to the lineup. “I think I felt better than I expected to feel...four weeks off, you know, 20- something games into the season, everyone is hitting their stride and trying to catch up from 10 days sitting around, not doing anything is a bit of a challenge,” said Backes. “That’s a credit to the training staff and strength staff here. Those skates where you’re alone [are important] and in the practices you’re getting some work done so you can seamlessly transition into the game. “As I was given permission to do things, I was reporting honestly about how my body was responding and the surgeon and the doctors were honest about letting me progress at a rate that I was comfortable with. There was always a caveat – if it hurts don’t do it, stop and we’ll re-group or maybe take a little more time to heal. I think the benefit [for Backes] might be that the surgery is normally done on older people that are maybe not in great shape. I might’ve been able to beat the norm a little bit that way.” Either way, it’s dedication to the team and toughness shown in returning so quickly that are not insignificant things coming from a veteran leader on a hockey team. It sets the bar for expectations across the roster and gives the Bruins back their big-bodied power forward who can do a lot of different things on the ice. “I liked [David] Backes. He was physical; you could tell there was a little rust, which we expected, but just having his presence out there,” said Bruce Cassidy. “We were happy to have [injured players Backes, Brad Marchand and Ryan Spooner] back in the lineup. These are good players in this league.” Backes didn’t factor into the scoring but did finish with the five hits, seven shot attempts and the kind of toughness displayed that will make a lasting impression on his teammates. As with many things when it comes to Backes, the value of him being in the lineup goes way beyond what simply shows up in the box score. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085923 Buffalo Sabres "There's mixed reviews I'm sure for Jack because of the offensive production," Botterill said. "But what I've absolutely loved from Jack is that competitive nature that he has and has shown. He's interacted with Sabres GM Jason Botterill opens up on effort, Eichel, chats with Pegula Phil, and he wants to improve as a player. "He's more had more difficult matchups this year. Simple things such as the penalty kill, he's done a very nice job on that aspect. His speed is By John Vogl | Published Thu, Nov 30, 2017 such an asset, and I think you've seen that in recent games. I think he's utilized it a little bit more. I think the only thing that's sort of missing now is success on the power play. The losses are painful enough. What irritates Buffalo Sabres fans even "I've seen it throughout the league. Star players have that success on the more is hearing that players lack pride and effort. power play, then it carries over more to even strength. Hopefully, we can get our power play going here and not only give our team a spark there, They've heard it game after game. but I think it will give our players on the power play – not only Jack but all "Where some of the frustration comes from, even our own players, I think of our players on the power play – more confidence with the puck at even there is a work ethic," Sabres General Manager Jason Botterill said strength." Thursday. "I think they are working, but on a game-by-game basis it's Botterill has decisions coming on whether to trade scoring leader one player working hard and not all of the players working hard at the Evander Kane – he says he hasn't decided yet – and whether to allow same time. Or you see one line going well, and the other lines not going Alex Nylander to represent Sweden at the world juniors in Buffalo from well. The penalty killing has improved this year, but then the power play's Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. That might happen. Botterill will continue to talk with slipped. the Amerks forward and Swedish hockey officials. "There has to be more of a consistency for us to be a consistent team." "I'm a big believer of the tournament," Botterill said. "I think it's a great They've been consistently bad, but that's not what Botterill was expecting tournament for young players to play against their peers and represent as the new general manager. Buffalo is 6-15-4 as it starts back-to-back their country. nights against Botterill's old team, the Pittsburgh Penguins. "The fact the tournament is right here in Buffalo versus him traveling "I think we could have a long discussion on are we better than our record, halfway around the world makes it an easier possibility." worse than our record," Botterill said in KeyBank Center. "The bottom Murray allowed Nylander to represent Sweden at last year's world junior line is our record's our record. What we're looking for, we're looking for tournament. The winger had five goals and 12 points in seven games. players to help us out of our situation here, players who want to improve and want to become a part of the solution here." Nylander has played just six games in Rochester this season after suffering an injury during the Sabres Prospect Challenge in September. To find the right players, Botterill is evaluating Buffalo and Rochester. The 19-year-old has one goal and three points. The teams are wildly different. 'We'll continue to look at where his game's at over the next little bit, The last-place Sabres are 1-7-2 in the last 10 games and, generally continue to talk to him and our coaches down in Rochester," Botterill speaking, in a miserable place. Players are much happier in Rochester said. "We're just looking at hey, what's the best thing for his development as the Amerks have started 11-5-4, good for sixth overall in the 30-team path right now?" American Hockey League. Buffalo News LOADED: 12.01.2017 It's tough to sell patience and the future to a fan base that has heard the sales pitch for too long, but there's not much choice as the Sabres continue to bottom out. "We're very excited about the steps a team like Rochester has made," Botterill said. "Are we where we want to be? No, but at least especially at forward down in Rochester, I think there's a lot of internal competition down there for the call up. "It's something we have to do more throughout our entire organization, have more internal competition for spots up here in Buffalo, more internal competition for our prospects and guys we want to sign, and guys ready for a call up from the American Hockey League up to the ." It was evident from his hiring in May that Botterill would be more cheerful and upbeat than his predecessor, Tim Murray. The GM had good things to say on several topics, none more so than organizational communication. Botterill is impressed with how coach Phil Housley is critiquing the players after games and teaching them at practice. The GM likes how the Sabres' leaders are talking with each other and Housley. He likes the regular chats between the coaches in Buffalo and Rochester. Botterill has also had plenty of talks with owner . "He's been very supportive with everything that's been going on," Botterill said. "From Day One when I took the job here, I had to make sure that we were on the same page of what we had to accomplish here and the steps we had to make. "We've sat down in meetings to discuss where our team's at, not just the situation in Buffalo but our entire organization. Like any owner, like our fans, you want better on-ice success and a better on-ice record. What we've tried to explain to him is, 'Hey, these are the steps we want to take to improve that record.' "This is a very difficult league. There's a ton of parity throughout the entire league, and I've loved the compete that our team has shown and the resilience to show that it can come back, but we can't be chasing games all the time. We have to have that desperation, that jump at the start of the game." As the Sabres struggle, reviews have been mixed for star center Jack Eichel. People are looking at his demeanor and numbers, which include seven goals and 19 points in 25 games. 1085924 Buffalo Sabres continues to inch forward to playing his first game of the season after suffering a lower body injury in the last game of the preseason.

Two Western New York natives have earned assignments to officiate at Linus Ullmark remains a happy guy, on and off the ice the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. Dina Allen (North Tonawanda) will be a referee for the women's By Amy Moritz | Published Thu, Nov 30, 2017 tournament while Fraser McIntyre (Amherst) will be a linesman in the men's tournament.

There were seven Americans selected for the 47 on-ice positions at the On Wednesday night, Linus Ullmark was in Utica. He made 31 saves for Olympics. The referees and linesmen come from 13 countries. the , but the team ended up on the short end of a 2- 1 overtime loss to the Comets. Fans will have a chance to skate on the outdoor rink at New Era Field. But it will cost you. Thursday morning, Ullmark found himself in Buffalo, practicing with the Sabres in HaborCenter. The official word from the team was that starting Organizers of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship announced goaltender Robin Lehner was given a "maintenance day" and the Sabres two sessions of open skating for fans, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on wanted two goalies at practice. So up came Ullmark to join Chad Wednesday, Dec. 27, and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. Johnson. Just for the day. Just for practice. 28. And as usual, the 24-year-old was all smiles and jokes, offering a side of The cost is $100 and includes a 300 level ticket to the United States vs. life lessons with Linus for good measure. Canada outdoor game scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at New Era Field in Orchard Park. "The show is what you dream of so every opportunity I get to show how I’m doing down there is great fun," Ullmark said after Thursday's practice. Any fan who has already purchased a ticket and would like to also experience the skate can contact the Bills ticket office and they will make What has Ullmark been showing in Rochester? He's 6-0-2 in his last an accommodation. eight appearances. Skaters will enter the stadium through Gate 1 and head toward section A year after leading the AHL in saves, games and minutes played, he 122/123 for field and ice access. There will be a warming station in New has picked up where he left off. He won a career-best five straight from Era Field's east end zone tunnel, and fans can purchase concessions at Nov. 1 to Nov. 17. He currently leads the AHL in saves (444) and is tied the Miller Lite Brew Pub. Participants must bring their own skates, and third in wins with nine while his .919 save percentage ranks 14th helmets are required for anyone under the age of 12. But Ullmark insists the personal success is the result of a team effort. The offer is first open to Bills seaso- ticket members, Sabres season ticket holders, and My One Buffalo members starting Thursday. "I wouldn't say what's working well for me, I would say how it works for Remaining slots are open to the general public beginning at 10 a.m. Dec. the team," Ullmark said. "You know personal success comes when the 1. team is having success. So if the team's doing good, I'm doing good." Buffalo News LOADED: 12.01.2017 And the team is doing pretty good. The Amerks entered Thursday tied for third in the Eastern Conference with 26 points (11 wins, five losses, three overtime losses and one shootout loss). And the winning has created a better environment for players to grow. "I (stinks) if you lose every game, don't you agree?" Ullmark said. "That's just how it is. If you win, you don't really care about what's really going on with your game or something. It's easier to let it go whenever you hit a slump or something like that personally. It's when you start getting all those losses in a row that you start thinking about what I'm doing wrong. You might not be doing anything wrong it's just the puck is passed this way and goes into the net." So what is it exactly that Ullmark is doing right? He considers this a vague question and offers a vague answer, although one that's offered with the bits of wit and wisdom that have become a hallmark of the goaltender. "I've had this question a lot of times during this season. I thought that people might know the answer by now," Ullmark said. "I’m just going to say once again, it's personal level. It's about growing as person. You grow as an athlete. And you can't take any days off. You can't really take any days off as a person. You can't go out there and be a moron ... It doesn't work like that. Just be yourself. I’m a happy guy. I like being a happy guy so why shouldn't I be happy guy at all times? Same thing being on the ice. I'm a happy guy, so why not be happy on the ice." Matt Tennyson looks ready for game action. But the Buffalo Sabres want the defenseman to get his timing back with some time down in Rochester. Before he can play for the American Hockey League affiliate, he has to clear waivers. And Sabres coach Phil Housley sure hopes he does. "Well hopefully he does clear because I thought Matt brought a lot to the table," Housley said Thursday afternoon after the team practice in HarborCenter. "He had a really good, solid camp. He was really consistent with his play when he was in the lineup and then he got hurt and unfortunately we've got numbers coming back at us. On a personal note I'd like to see him get through, get back his timing, and get some games in." Tennyson has been on the injured reserve since Nov. 7 missing 11 games with a foot injury. He was an everyday defenseman in the lineup, twice skating more than 20 minutes in a game. The Sabres have an abundance of defensemen, nine total participating in Thursday's practice, as players start to return from injury. Zach Bogosian 1085925 Buffalo Sabres

With Botterill a believer in world juniors, Sabres may let Nylander play

By John Vogl | Published Thu, Nov 30, 2017

Though Alex Nylander is in his second professional season, the Buffalo Sabres prospect is still eligible to play in the world juniors. That might happen. General Manager Jason Botterill will continue to talk with Nylander and Swedish hockey officials before deciding whether to release the forward for the world junior tournament. It's being held in Buffalo from Dec. 26 to Jan. 5. "I'm a big believer of the tournament," Botterill said Thursday. "I think it's a great tournament for young players to play against their peers and represent their country. "The fact the tournament is right here in Buffalo versus him traveling halfway around the world makes it an easier possibility." Previous Sabres GM Tim Murray allowed Nylander to represent Sweden at last year's world junior tournament. The winger had five goals and 12 points in seven games. It didn't translate to success in the American Hockey League. Nylander had 10 goals and 28 points in 65 games for Rochester. 'We'll continue to look at where his game's at over the next little bit, continue to talk to him and our coaches down in Rochester," Botterill said. "We're just looking at hey, what's the best thing for his development path right now?" Nylander has played just six games in Rochester this season after suffering an injury during the Sabres Prospect Challenge in September. The 19-year-old has one goal and three points for the Amerks. "We're just very excited to have him back right now," Botterill said. "It's been a frustrating start to the season for him, but he's excited about being back right now, being part of our group down there." Buffalo News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085926 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres GM Jason Botterill still weighing what to do with Kane

By John Vogl | Published Thu, Nov 30, 2017

Jason Botterill is very happy with Evander Kane. The Buffalo Sabres' general manager is also unsure whether he'll keep or trade the high- scoring winger. On one hand, trading Kane seems like a bad idea since he is the only consistent scorer on the NHL's lowest-scoring team. On the other, Buffalo has multiple needs and could lose the pending unrestricted free agent during the offseason anyway. Botterill has yet to decide which hand has more leverage. "That's accurate," Botterill said Thursday. "You look statistically, Evander's done a great job for us. We're a team that's looking for more goals, and he's scored goals. "We've been very happy from Day One with how Evander's come into training camp focused on our team and focusing on helping our team try to improve. Statistically, he's done a great job." Kane has 12 goals and 23 points in 25 games for Buffalo, putting him on pace for 39 goals and 75 points, both of which would be career highs under new coach Phil Housley. "I think Phil deserves a lot of the credit with Evander," Botterill said. "He reached out to build a relationship early in the season, and Evander's come in here from Day One of training camp and has performed very well for us. "We've been very happy with his play." But as Anaheim and New Jersey showed Thursday, general managers are talking and ready to trade. The Ducks sent a package involving defenseman Sami Vatanen to New Jersey in exchange for forward Adam Henrique and others. Botterill was watching. "That's the balancing act you're always going to get, just like you saw with the trade today," the GM said. "I'm sure if you talk to both those teams, they're excited about the players they got, but it's also disappointment about the players you have to let go. That's always the things you're looking at, trying to find that mix." Buffalo News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085927 Buffalo Sabres

Skating opportunities at New Era Field outdoor rink

By Amy Moritz | Published Thu, Nov 30, 2017

Fans will have a chance to skate on the outdoor rink at New Era Field. But it will cost you. Organizers of the IIHF World Junior Hockey Championship announced two sessions of open skating for fans, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Dec. 27, and from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 28. The cost is $100 and includes a 300 level ticket to the United States vs. Canada outdoor game scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 29, at New Era Field in Orchard Park. Skaters will enter the stadium through Gate 1 and head toward section 122/123 for field and ice access. There will be a warming station in New Era Field's east end zone tunnel, and fans can purchase concessions at the Miller Lite Brew Pub. Participants must bring their own skates, and helmets are required for anyone under the age of 12. The offer is first open to Bills season ticket members, Sabres season ticket holders, and My One Buffalo members starting Thursday. Remaining slots are open to the general public beginning at 10 a.m. Dec. 1. Buffalo News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085928 Calgary Flames Armed with a swagger beyond his years, he has been described by Keith Tkachuk as a player who will end up a hybrid between Gaudreau and Kane, his childhood idol. Arizona Coyotes rookie wonder Clayton Keller knows all about Calgary “They get the puck in open space a lot of good things happen,” said Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet of the comparison between his young star and Calgary’s no. 13. ERIC FRANCIS “They’re not scared — they’ll go into high traffic areas.

You can see Gaudreau is still a young guy but has veteran presence and Thursday may have been Clayton Keller’s first visit to the Saddledome, knows where to go. Same with Clayton. They have escapability. They’re but his connection with Calgary goes back many years. in a corner with some big guys and somehow they come out of the corner with the puck. Both those guys do it well.” So far back, in fact, that the goalie he has scored more goals against than any other has been retired for almost five years. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.01.2017 You see, growing up in the Show Me State of , Keller spent countless hours in the makeshift rink in his unfinished basement shooting pucks past Miikka Kiprusoff. The Finnish netminder was just one of the five life-sized Fathead decals on the walls of his makeshift rink, this one featuring ol’ Kipper lunging to stop a shot. “I’ve scored on him a bunch,” smiled the 19-year-old Calder Trophy candidate, who is the lone bright spot on a Coyotes team taking on water once again. “He’s still in the basement today. I never met him, but he was obviously a great goalie so it was kind of cool to have him there.” Kinda cool to be here too, where Kiprusoff and giants like Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, Patrick Kane and other Fathead idols on his walls skate nightly. “I didn’t even think of that but it’s kind of cool,” beamed Keller, whose father ordered the decals when he was a youngster. Not only is ‘cool’ one of his favourite words, but one of the best to describe how he’s handled his first year in the bigs since being drafted seventh overall in 2016 — just one spot behind his longtime Triple-A linemate in St. Louis, Matthew Tkachuk. Entering Thursday’s game against the Flames, Keller was tied for tops in rookie goal scoring with 11, which just so happens to be the same number scored to date by the league’s hottest player, Johnny Gaudreau. The similarities don’t end there, as Keller and Gaudreau share a similar stature off the ice, if not on it just yet. Generously listed at 5-foot-10, 168 pounds, the Boston University standout admits he styles his game after the Flames star who played for his crosstown rival at Boston College. “Definitely, I’ve watched a lot of his games — he’s so smart and skilled and he’s around my size, which is good for me so I can compare my game to his and how he creates offence,” said Keller, who leads the Coyotes with 21 points in 27 games and has more shots (81) than anyone on either team in Thursday’s game. “It was great to spend some time with him at the World Championships last year and see him be successful so far this year.” Gaudreau’s first impression of the then-18-year-old last spring was a strong one. “He’s a great little player,” said Gaudreau, the best player on the ice in a 3-0 Calgary win. “I got to play with him at the World Championships a little bit and you could tell he’d be in the league right from the start of the season. “You can tell how excited he is to score, like I was my first year. It’s contagious when you see guys like that and you want to score. He’s a smart player and he’s playing really well to start his career off. It’s great to see another American player – another small player – who is getting it done for his team.” No doubt destined to be Team U.S.A. teammates for a lot of years. Oh sure, he’s minus-17 and has plenty to learn on the defensive side of the game, but Keller has already won over his coaches who use him almost 20 minutes a night — more than any other rookie forward in the NHL. “I’ve been put in a lot of good situations and played with a lot of great players who have made it easier,” said Keller when asked if he is surprised to be finding the net so often early in his career. “The coaches trust me a lot so it’s good to have that connection with them.” 1085929 Calgary Flames Matthew Tkachuk who was battling with Alex Goligoski. Nearly two minutes later, Jankowski scored his second to give the Flames a three- goal cushion. Flames dynamic duo silences Desert Dogs The Flames best chance of the opening frame was when Travis Hamonic hit the post — a shot that nearly fooled the in-house Enmax flame operators who prematurely lit the lamp before Calgary did. KRISTEN ODLAND, POSTMEDIA Calgary’s lone penalty kill of the first period — Troy Brouwer, off for cross-checking — limited the Coyotes to one shot. In the end, the PK was perfect — going two-for-two. If the coach has anything to say about it, Mark Jankowski may find himself a permanent spot in the Calgary Flames dressing room. Up next? The Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (8 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) as the teams square off for the first time since a 3-0 loss to But the 23-year-old centreman might not need an apartment just yet. open the season “We like to keep him hungry, so we’re going to let him stay at the hotel Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.01.2017 for a while,” deadpanned Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan, following Thursday’s 3-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. In actuality, after (another) two-goal performance — two incredible highlight-reel markers that gave the home side its’ 14th victory of the 2017-18 campaign — the answer couldn’t be more clear. Even the boss couldn’t keep a straight face. “I can tell you right now,” Gulutzan said. “I’ve watched enough young players, I don’t see him going anywhere. I think he’ll be here for a while.” With the first line shooting blanks on this night — Coyotes netminder Scott Wedgewood made 41 saves in a spectacular road game, 12 of them on Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland — Jankowski came to work. The five-year project of the Flames, the 21st-overall pick of the 2012 draft, and a hotel-dweller since he was recalled from the Stockton Heat on Oct. 23 cemented his place in Calgary’s lineup with two goals, a game-leading six shots on net and 15:23 of ice time. He was three-for-11 in the face-off circle but, hey, it’s a tough league. And since his arrival, he’s fit right in. “I’m not exactly sure what the rule is,” said the ultra-polite rookie who now has five goals and six points in 17 games. “I’m just taking it day-by-day now and not getting complacent. I’m trying to get better every day.” Helping out his cause against the Coyotes was Jaromir Jagr, who set up Jankowski perfectly for his first marker — the opening strike of the game, 2:48 into the second period. Jagr, working at the top of the circle, fed Jankowski who was in tight to Wedgwood’s crease. Caroming his own rebound, he rapped the puck between his legs (!) and through a small space between Wedgewood’s skate and the post. His second goal was off a spirited drive to the front of the net in the third period after a face-off at the 12:11 mark. “The first one was kind of nice, it was a little Monny-ish in Ottawa, going between the legs,” Gulutzan said. “The skill, the patience — but you know what has impressed me about that young man is just his 200-foot game and his responsibility within the game, managing the game within the game. He’s done that really well . . . when you fulfill a need . . . now you’re starting to see some chemistry build in the third line.” It should be noted their other linemate, Sam Bennett, had an excellent night especially considering he took a puck to the face on Tuesday and required nine stitches in his forehead. He picked up assists on both of Jankowski’s goals. Flames netminder Mike Smith, playing against his old team for the first time in the regular season as a member of the Calgary Flames, posted his second shutout of the season, stopping 28 shots. Calgary improved to 14-10-1 while the Coyotes dropped to a lowly 6-18- 4. Not bad for a rebound performance after Tuesday’s 4-1 turnover-filled loss to the . “The first period was a little busy but not a whole lot of tough chance,” Smith said. “It was a solid effort from our group. We blocked a ton of shots and they did a lot of good things in front of me. We want to build on that.” Mikael Backlund potted one past the 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., at the 10-minute mark, finishing on a fantastic play behind the net by 1085930 Calgary Flames streak basically got us into the playoffs. So all the things that go into making the playoffs or not making the playoffs, and then we get there and you lose four straight and it’s just done. You need to win 16 times (to Just 19, Matthew Tkachuk already playing in 100th NHL game win the Stanley Cup), and we didn’t win once. It’s just crazy how far we were.

“Every single year, you have to make the playoffs. And then when you WES GILBERTSON make playoffs, you have to give everything you’ve got because you never know … ”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 12.01.2017 He has hockey sense beyond his years, a fearlessness and ferocity seldom seen in teenagers and already 100 loggings on his resume at the National Hockey League level. If you are looking for evidence that Matthew Tkachuk is, indeed, still a kid, you apparently need to be eavesdropping on his frequent phone conversations with his parents, Keith and Chantal. After all, the Calgary Flames’ left-winger is living on his own this season, for the first time stick-handling through the cooking and cleaning and other household chores. “It’s nice that they’re just one phone call away,” Tkachuk said. “I seem to be calling a lot with stupid questions … Sometimes, if I’m too embarrassed and don’t want to call my parents, then I’ll call my buddies. “Especially my dad, he’ll make fun of me. But that’s just everyday life.” Now in his second season as an everyday NHLer, the 19-year-old Tkachuk marked a significant milestone in Thursday’s clash with the Arizona Coyotes, suiting up for his 100th regular-season outing at hockey’s highest level. Still 11 days shy of his 20th birthday, he becomes just the second youngster in Flames’ franchise history to hit triple digits in games played during his teens. Dan Quinn, way back in 1985, was the other. “It’s amazing how quick it went by. Last year, I didn’t even know if I would be playing here or not and now I’m at 100,” Tkachuk said. “We have a great team in here. Me being in the position that I’m in, the guys around me, it’s given me a chance to really succeed. “I look back and I reflect on teammates, every single one I’ve had. They’ve made the first 100 go really smooth for me.” Heading into Thursday’s late date with the Desert Dogs, Tkachuk’s stat- sheet included 17 goals, 64 points and 134 penalty minutes in 99 regular- season efforts. According to Corsica Hockey, he has drawn more penalties than any other skater since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. He’s also been suspended twice and booed in several rinks where he’s not yet old enough to stand in the beer line. “You know what? A hundred games hasn’t made much of a difference in this kid — in a good way. He was good from the start,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “I’m not saying he’s not any better after 100 games. For me, he’s quicker and he’s stronger this year but for a first- year player, I think I said it a lot last year — I have not coached another player that young that had such a complete game at such a young age.” High praise, but still plenty of room for ascent, too. “The growth for him is on the physical side and on the maturity side,” Gulutzan said. “He’s going to get stronger. He’s going to get quicker. He’s going to be able to shoot the puck better. He’s going to be able to hold it longer against bigger guys, once he gets that man’s body. Mental- wise, obviously learning the league a little bit more, but I don’t think the margins for growth there are that high because he has such an elite mind already. “So I think his gains are going to be physical maturity and game maturity, meaning becoming a little more polished in certain areas.” Tkachuk is a key piece of the long-term plan at the Saddledome, and it certainly didn’t take 100 games for that to become crystal-clear. During this chat, he stressed the importance of being a good teammate and well-liked in the locker-room. Asked about personal highlights on the road to Thursday’s milestone, he mentioned just one — “My first goal, that was pretty cool” — before his mind wandered to the Flames’ brief playoff stay last spring and the energy and atmosphere at the rink and around the city. “You want to try to make your team one of those teams like the Pittsburghs and the Chicagos, where every year you’re a contender,” Tkachuk said. “Because you never know when your shot is going to be over, when your chance to win is going to be done. I don’t really think about it too much because I’m 19 but even last year, you go to the playoffs and just what a grind it is to get there … I mean, a 10-game win 1085931 Calgary Flames Matthew Tkachuk who was battling with Alex Goligoski. Nearly two minutes later, Jankowski scored his second to give the Flames a three- goal cushion. Mike Smith, Mark Jankowski come up big as Flames blank Coyotes The Flames best chance of the opening frame was when Travis Hamonic hit the post — a shot that nearly fooled the in-house Enmax flame operators who prematurely lit the lamp before Calgary did. Kristen Odland, Postmedia Calgary’s lone penalty kill of the first period — Troy Brouwer, off for cross-checking — limited the Coyotes to one shot. In the end, the PK was perfect — going two-for-two. If the coach has anything to say about it, Mark Jankowski may find himself a permanent spot in the Calgary Flames dressing room. Up next? The Edmonton Oilers on Saturday (8 p.m., CBC, Sportsnet 960 The Fan) as the teams square off for the first time since a 3-0 loss to But the 23-year-old centreman might not need an apartment just yet. open the season. “We like to keep him hungry, so we’re going to let him stay at the hotel Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.01.2017 for a while,” deadpanned Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan, following Thursday’s 3-0 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. In actuality, after (another) two-goal performance — two incredible highlight-reel markers that gave the home side its’ 14th victory of the 2017-18 campaign — the answer couldn’t be more clear. Even the boss couldn’t keep a straight face. “I can tell you right now,” Gulutzan said. “I’ve watched enough young players, I don’t see him going anywhere. I think he’ll be here for a while.” With the first line shooting blanks on this night — Coyotes netminder Scott Wedgewood made 41 saves in a spectacular road game, 12 of them on Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Micheal Ferland — Jankowski came to work. The five-year project of the Flames, the 21st-overall pick of the 2012 draft, and a hotel-dweller since he was recalled from the Stockton Heat on Oct. 23 cemented his place in Calgary’s lineup with two goals, a game-leading six shots on net and 15:23 of ice time. He was three-for-11 in the face-off circle but, hey, it’s a tough league. And since his arrival, he’s fit right in. “I’m not exactly sure what the rule is,” said the ultra-polite rookie who now has five goals and six points in 17 games. “I’m just taking it day-by-day now and not getting complacent. I’m trying to get better every day.” Helping out his cause against the Coyotes was Jaromir Jagr, who set up Jankowski perfectly for his first marker — the opening strike of the game, 2:48 into the second period. Jagr, working at the top of the circle, fed Jankowski who was in tight to Wedgwood’s crease. Caroming his own rebound, he rapped the puck between his legs (!) and through a small space between Wedgewood’s skate and the post. His second goal was off a spirited drive to the front of the net in the third period after a face-off at the 12:11 mark. “The first one was kind of nice, it was a little Monny-ish in Ottawa, going between the legs,” Gulutzan said. “The skill, the patience — but you know what has impressed me about that young man is just his 200-foot game and his responsibility within the game, managing the game within the game. He’s done that really well . . . when you fulfill a need . . . now you’re starting to see some chemistry build in the third line.” It should be noted their other linemate, Sam Bennett, had an excellent night especially considering he took a puck to the face on Tuesday and required nine stitches in his forehead. He picked up assists on both of Jankowski’s goals. Flames netminder Mike Smith, playing against his old team for the first time in the regular season as a member of the Calgary Flames, posted his second shutout of the season, stopping 28 shots. Calgary improved to 14-10-1 while the Coyotes dropped to a lowly 6-18- 4. Not bad for a rebound performance after Tuesday’s 4-1 turnover-filled loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. “The first period was a little busy but not a whole lot of tough chance,” Smith said. “It was a solid effort from our group. We blocked a ton of shots and they did a lot of good things in front of me. We want to build on that.” Mikael Backlund potted one past the 25-year-old from Brampton, Ont., at the 10-minute mark, finishing on a fantastic play behind the net by 1085932 Calgary Flames streak basically got us into the playoffs. So all the things that go into making the playoffs or not making the playoffs, and then we get there and you lose four straight and it’s just done. You need to win 16 times (to Flames sophomore Matthew Tkachuk hits 100-game plateau win the Stanley Cup), and we didn’t win once. It’s just crazy how far we were.

“Every single year, you have to make the playoffs. And then when you Wes Gilbertson make playoffs, you have to give everything you’ve got because you never know … ”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.01.2017 He has hockey sense beyond his years, a fearlessness and ferocity seldom seen in teenagers and already 100 loggings on his resume at the National Hockey League level. If you are looking for evidence that Matthew Tkachuk is, indeed, still a kid, you apparently need to be eavesdropping on his frequent phone conversations with his parents, Keith and Chantal. After all, the Calgary Flames’ left-winger is living on his own this season, for the first time stick-handling through the cooking and cleaning and other household chores. “It’s nice that they’re just one phone call away,” Tkachuk said. “I seem to be calling a lot with stupid questions … Sometimes, if I’m too embarrassed and don’t want to call my parents, then I’ll call my buddies. “Especially my dad, he’ll make fun of me. But that’s just everyday life.” Now in his second season as an everyday NHLer, the 19-year-old Tkachuk marked a significant milestone in Thursday’s clash with the Arizona Coyotes, suiting up for his 100th regular-season outing at hockey’s highest level. Still 11 days shy of his 20th birthday, he becomes just the second youngster in Flames’ franchise history to hit triple digits in games played during his teens. Dan Quinn, way back in 1985, was the other. “It’s amazing how quick it went by. Last year, I didn’t even know if I would be playing here or not and now I’m at 100,” Tkachuk said. “We have a great team in here. Me being in the position that I’m in, the guys around me, it’s given me a chance to really succeed. “I look back and I reflect on teammates, every single one I’ve had. They’ve made the first 100 go really smooth for me.” Heading into Thursday’s late date with the Desert Dogs, Tkachuk’s stat- sheet included 17 goals, 64 points and 134 penalty minutes in 99 regular- season efforts. According to Corsica Hockey, he has drawn more penalties than any other skater since the start of the 2016-17 campaign. He’s also been suspended twice and booed in several rinks where he’s not yet old enough to stand in the beer line. “You know what? A hundred games hasn’t made much of a difference in this kid — in a good way. He was good from the start,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “I’m not saying he’s not any better after 100 games. For me, he’s quicker and he’s stronger this year but for a first- year player, I think I said it a lot last year — I have not coached another player that young that had such a complete game at such a young age.” High praise, but still plenty of room for ascent, too. “The growth for him is on the physical side and on the maturity side,” Gulutzan said. “He’s going to get stronger. He’s going to get quicker. He’s going to be able to shoot the puck better. He’s going to be able to hold it longer against bigger guys, once he gets that man’s body. Mental- wise, obviously learning the league a little bit more, but I don’t think the margins for growth there are that high because he has such an elite mind already. “So I think his gains are going to be physical maturity and game maturity, meaning becoming a little more polished in certain areas.” Tkachuk is a key piece of the long-term plan at the Saddledome, and it certainly didn’t take 100 games for that to become crystal-clear. During this chat, he stressed the importance of being a good teammate and well-liked in the locker-room. Asked about personal highlights on the road to Thursday’s milestone, he mentioned just one — “My first goal, that was pretty cool” — before his mind wandered to the Flames’ brief playoff stay last spring and the energy and atmosphere at the rink and around the city. “You want to try to make your team one of those teams like the Pittsburghs and the Chicagos, where every year you’re a contender,” Tkachuk said. “Because you never know when your shot is going to be over, when your chance to win is going to be done. I don’t really think about it too much because I’m 19 but even last year, you go to the playoffs and just what a grind it is to get there … I mean, a 10-game win 1085933 Calgary Flames INJURY UPDATES Flames left-winger Sam Bennett needed to be stitched up after struck by a puck on the forehead in the final minute of Tuesday’s 4-1 home loss to Game Day: Smith has something to prove against Coyotes tonight the Maple Leafs, but he’ll be good to go against the Coyotes. “Maybe his modelling career is in jeopardy,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “But he’s a tough, tough character.” Bennett’s linemate, long-haired Wes Gilbertson legend Jaromir Jagr, is also expected to be in action after a one-game sit-out due to a nagging lower-body injury.

Johnny Gaudreau has cooled off. On Wednesday, Mike Smith hosted a handful of former teammates for dinner at his new digs. STARTING TO SLUMP? On Thursday, the Calgary Flames’ puck-stopper will try to leave his pals Flames superstar Johnny Gaudreau has only been blanked six times this starved for offence. season, but three of those zeroes have come in the past week and change — the Blue Jackets, Avalanche and, most recently, the Maple After six seasons as the go-to goalie for the Arizona Coyotes, the 35- Leafs managed to hold Gaudreau off the scoresheet. In the middle of that year-old Smith will be facing rubber from familiar faces as the Desert stretch, the 24-year-old piled up three points against the Stars. Gaudreau Dogs pay a visit to the Saddledome (7 p.m., Sportsnet 360/Sportsnet 960 is still a contender for Mr. November honours with eight goals and 19 The Fan). points in a dozen dates this month. Although the Flames and Coyotes clashed during the pre-season, Smith CALDER CANDIDATE admitted this is more than, as athletes often try to claim, just another game. It’s far too early to cast final ballots, but there’s no doubt that Coyotes mighty-mite Clayton Keller is an early frontrunner for the Calder Trophy “Obviously, Arizona has been a special part of my life,” Smith said. “For as rookie of the year. The 5-foot-10 Keller was selected with the seventh- six years, I was a Coyote so it definitely has some meaning to it.” overall pick in the 2016 NHL Draft — immediately after the Flames welcomed Matthew Tkachuk — and has been Arizona’s go-to guy as a The Flames are certainly happy to have him. 19-year-old rookie, with a team-high 11 goals and 21 points so far. Smith was acquired by trade in June and has provided stability in BONUS: Flames left-winger Matthew Tkachuk logs his 100th regular- Calgary’s crease, with an 11-8-1 record, a 2.67 goals-against average season appearance Thursday, becoming just the second skater in and .921 save percentage in his first fall in the Flaming C. Calgary’s franchise history to hit triple digits in games played before his Meanwhile, it’s been a struggle for the rebuilding Coyotes, although 20th birthday. they’ve posted a 4-2-1 record in their past seven dates after managing FLAMES GAMEDAY LINES just two wins in their first 20 games. Johnny Gaudreau-Sean Monahan-Micheal Ferland “Obviously, you want your friends do well still,” Smith said. “You’re in a sport where everyone wants to win, but you never want to see people Matthew Tkachuk-Mikael Backlund-Michael Frolik who you’ve grown close to not do well. But tonight, I’d like to see them not do so well. Sam Bennett -Mark Jankowski-Jaromir Jagr “I’m fortunate for the opportunity I have with Calgary and it’s been a good Garnet Hathaway-Matt Stajan-Troy Brouwer start to the season so far. I just want to continue that.” DEFENCE PAIRINGS Arizona Coyotes at Calgary Flames Mark Giordano-Dougie Hamilton 7 p.m., Saddledome, TV: Sportsnet West, Radio: Sportsnet 960 The Fan TJ Brodie-Travis Hamonic THE BIG MATCHUP Brett Kulak-Michael Stone Flames G Mike Smith vs. his former teammates GOALIES Duh. Smith was a difference-maker in the desert for six seasons — including an invite to the NHL’s all-star showcase last winter — before Mike Smith being traded to the Flames in June. The 35-year-old goaltender has been David Rittich a stalwart so far at the Saddledome, oftentimes bailing out a leaky defence. Meanwhile, his old pals certainly seem to miss him. Arizona’s COYOTES GAMEDAY LINES new No. 1, Antti Raanta, is currently sidelined by an upper-body injury and the Coyotes have already tried five different guys in their crease this Brendan Perlini-Derek Stepan-Tobias Rieder fall, with that crew combining for just six wins. Smith faced some familiar Clayton Keller-Brad Richardson-Dylan Strome faces in a pre-season clash against his former squad, but you can bet Thursday’s tilt has been circled on his calendar. Scott Wedgewood will Max Domi-Christian Dvorak-Christian Fischer be in the opposite crease. Jordan Martinook-Zac Rinaldo-Nick Cousins Garnet Hathaway DEFENCE PAIRINGS FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Jason Demers HERE COMES HATHAWAY Andrew Campbell-Alex Goligoski The Flames are hoping for an injection of energy after Wednesday’s recall of right-winger Garnet Hathaway from the American Hockey Kevin Connauton-Luke Schenn League’s Stockton Heat. The 26-year-old Hathaway has potted a team- GOALIES leading 11 goals for the farm club, but he does most of his damage with his shoulder pads at the NHL level. In 41 career contests for the Flames, Scott Wedgewood he has notched one goal and seven assists and racked up 111 hits. Hathaway will work alongside Matt Stajan and Troy Brouwer on the Marek Langhamer fourth line. SPECIAL TEAMS CELLAR-DWELLER POWER PLAY Despite winning four of their past seven contests, the Coyotes are still FLAMES: 21.4% (10th) pulling up the rear in the NHL’s overall standings with a cringe-worthy 6- 17-4 record. Among their scariest stats, the Desert Dogs are averaging COYOTES: 17.4% (22nd) 2.41 snipes per night — lowest in the Western Conference — and have a league-worst goal differential of minus-32. There was more bad news PENALTY KILL during Tuesday’s 3-2 overtime loss in Edmonton, when veteran defenceman Niklas Hjalmarsson suffered an upper-body injury. FLAMES: 74.4% (30th) COYOTES: 80.3% (16th) SICK BAY FLAMES LW Kris Versteeg (lower body) COYOTES D Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper body), G Antti Raanta (upper body) Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085934 Calgary Flames organization. “Chicago had just won the Cup. I think the shots at the end of the first period were, like, 21-1, and when we scored our first goal in the second period — Ekman-Larsson scored — and I remember looking 2011-12: The year that defined Mike Smith as an NHL goalie up at the shots and it was like, 24-2 and we were up one-nothing. “He was quite dialled in.” Kristen Odland, Postmedia Dialled in doesn’t even begin to describe it. Smith made 39 saves as the Coyotes posted a 4-0 win to clinch the series.

“It was, like, ‘Oh my gosh. We’re going to win this game,’” recalled a still- What Keith Yandle remembers most were the odds. baffled Shane Doan, the longtime face of the franchise. “It was in Chicago, and they were going crazy. It was so disheartening for them And the intravenous fluids. because they were out-playing us. But we had Smitty. He did that to Chicago for, like, six games straight. Both, combined with Mike Smith’s out-of-this-world goaltending, added up to the Phoenix Coyotes very first National Hockey League playoff “And it was incredible.” series victory over the 2010 Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks and spurred them to the franchise’s best post-season performance since In reality, Smith’s consistency began in the final stretch of the 2011-12 moving to Arizona in 1996. regular season campaign, particularly in the month of February when the Coyotes went 11-0-1. In four of those games — all dubyas for Smith — “No one had us favoured to beat them or even gave us a chance,” the the team scored once or twice in each contest. former Coyotes defenceman was saying the other day, referring to the now-iconic 2011-12 playoff run and territory the team hasn’t seen since. Heading into March, he posted a 2-0 victory over the Columbus Blue “And I just remember Smitty stealing games for us. I think the shot totals Jackets and set an NHL record at the time for stopping 54 shots in a were 50 or close to 60 saves a night. And he’s not a goalie that’s just shut-out, his third-straight. standing in his net. He’s active and getting out of his net all the time to play the puck. I remember him getting I.V.s after every game because he Then, during the final stretch with a playoff spot already locked up, Smith was getting so many shots on net.” won the last five games of the regular season to help clinch the franchise’s first Pacific Division title. It was his first deep playoff run in the NHL and, certainly, his first season playing a significant starting role in the NHL. Prior to that, he’d toiled in “He stood on his head all year,” said Ekman-Larsson who was just into the minors, slugging it out for four seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning his second year as a professional at the time. “He is an unbelievable organization, never really gaining notoriety or any type of traction at the goalie, and he’s so easy to play with as a defenceman. It’s so hard when big-league level. you have one guy chasing you down in the corner and you need to be aware of where your teammates are. Goaltender Mike Smith averaged 40 shots a game against the Chicago Blackhawks in the first round. “He made it so much easier for me and for our group of defencemen.” After a busy regular season during which he started 67 games to help And, apparently, he was just getting started. guide the Coyotes to the promised land and averaging 40 shots per night In the post-season, he finished with a 1.99 goals against average and a during the first round against the Blackhawks in that exciting spring of .944 save percentage through the Blackhawks series, another defensive 2012, Smith needed all the help he could get. five-game duel with the Nashville Predators and all the way to the So there he’d sit, with a tube and a bag of I.V. fluid and have his fluids Western Conference finals, which they lost in five games to the eventual replaced to help him perform at an optimum level and to avoid Stanley Cup-champion Los Angeles Kings. dehydration. Kings Dustin Brown takes a slash to the back of the leg from Mike “Oh, I remember that,” said Smith, now 35-years-old and relaxing in his Smith. new home dressing room with the Calgary Flames — years and miles That playoff run, he faced 602 shots. For perspective, through 21 games away from where he was back then. “I don’t think it’s that odd … it with the Flames this season, he’s faced 685 shots. probably doesn’t get publicized very much (that players get I.V.s). But it was a busy time of the season. I hadn’t really played that much hockey in Smith finished fourth in Vezina Trophy voting that year. my career in the NHL. In the playoffs, everything is elevated and you’re losing a lot of weight in games. But to the Coyotes, he was invaluable all season. “You’re constantly trying to keep your energy level up.” “I’ve never seen a goaltending performance like he gave,” Doan said. “Ever. And I know people will point to all kinds of amazing things, but, for Coyotes teammates celebrate with Smith after defeating the Nashville me personally, I’ve never been an eyewitness to a display of goaltending Predators 2-1 in Game 5. like that. The thing is, they were never supposed to be there. They haven’t been “It was absolutely phenomenal. It wasn’t fair that we had him.” back there since. In Game 2 of the Blackhawks series, Andrew Shaw clipped Smith in the And the Coyotes, coming into the Scotiabank Saddledome to face Smith head as he went to play the puck behind the Coyotes net. After being and the Flames on Thursday (7 p.m., Sportsnet 360/Sportsnet 960 The attended to by the medical staff and giving the entire arena in Glendale, Fan), have a long way to go to returning — especially given their seismic Ariz., a scare in the process, he played out the remainder of the game. shift this 2017-18 season. But at the time, hearts stopped everywhere. But back then, with Smith as their lifeline — and an I.V. acting as his — they clung to every minute against the ‘Hawks. And won. “I’m like, ‘OK, is he going to be OK? What’s the deal? Am I going to have to play?’ said Jason LaBarbera, Smith’s back-up netminder at the time The story goes: and, in an ironic twist, now works down the hall as a goalie coach with the Western Hockey League’s Calgary Hitmen. “I remember I was on the Game 1 — a 3-2 overtime win in Arizona. Out-shot 45-34. ice stretching with my gear thinking, ‘OK, I’m going into this game and Game 2 — a 4-3 overtime loss in Arizona. Out-shot 50-33. maybe even into this series.’ Even the next day, we weren’t sure if he was able to play Game 3. But he seemed to be OK and played a Game 3 — a 3-2 overtime win in Chicago. Out-shot 37-34. heckuva Game 3.” Game 4 — a 3-2 overtime win in Chicago. Out-shot 32-19. Smith was fired up about the play which saw Shaw suspended for three games, and it seemed to fuel his desire to finish off the Blackhawks. Game 5 — a 2-1 overtime loss in Arizona. Out-shot 38-19. Phoenix Coyotes goalie Mike Smith tangles with Los Angeles Kings Then, there was Game 6. forward Justin Williams during the Western Conference finals on May 13, 2012. No surprise that the Blackhawks out-shot the Coyotes, again, but this time the shot-clock read 28-8 — after two (!) periods while the Coyotes The fuel, of course, is another aspect. were up 1-0 on an Oliver Ekman-Larsson goal. “If you know Mike at all, you know he’s going to get a little pissy about “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a better goaltending performance,” said certain things,” LaBarbera said with a chuckle. “He’s certainly an Flames general manager Brad Treliving, then part of the Coyotes emotional guy — a competitor, for sure. To get hit like that … he’s very firey, for sure. “I’ve seen him on the golf course — (he’ll) shank a shot and throw a club or throw his putter. I’ve seen him smash his stick in practice. He’s an emotional guy, but he wants to do well. He doesn’t like losing, and he doesn’t like it when things don’t go well.” Go ahead and search “Mike Smith breaks stick” for the full catalog of epic stick smashes. The most-watched display was on Jan. 20, 2013, when Smith, angry about allowing a sixth goal in an eventual 6-4 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks, winds up and lets loose on the goalpost. Shortly after, the replay shows Doan picking up the broken pieces of Smith’s stick. “We got into some pretty heated arguments during games in between periods,” Doan said with a chuckle. “And that’s just his competitiveness and my competitiveness, and we both appreciated it … Smitty and I would hug each other and tell each other we loved each other. “But prior to it, it might get pretty intense, and people around might not necessarily know if we were ever going to be friends again.” Smith reacts after giving up a goal to Los Angeles Kings’ Dwight King in Game 2. Since that remarkable 2011-12 post-season brilliance, Smith has established himself as one of the top netminders in the NHL, and his entire body of work is why the lanky Kingston, Ont., native, ended up with the Flames in the off-season. Part of that package is his competitiveness. Anyone who has played with the guy knows that that spark, channelled in the right way, can be a catalyst for a team. It also makes for an accountable teammate. And one heckuva friend. “For the most part, probably one of us would go too far and the other one would call the other into check,” Doan said with a chuckle, spilling the details of their on-ice squabbles. “But because you trust the other person and their opinion so much, they can say that to you. I could trust Smitty, and he could be honest with me at times when I needed him to be honest with me … If he says, ‘Easy…’ I might not necessarily want to hear it. But the same thing goes the other way.” But that type of emotion? The best. “I love that,” Doan said. “He battles constantly to keep all of that contained because it’s what makes him really good when it’s under control. When he’s controlling it, he’s amazing. And when it gets away from him, it’s the same as any of us — it’s sometimes harder.” The passion, the compete, the ability to steal games, the way he plays the puck in the defensive zone … it’s all part of what made Smith so dominant in 2011-12. On top of it all, he’s still maintaining his reputation for being a “genetic freak” of an athlete at 35-years-old. “For a goalie, too. He’s all ripped up,” Yandle said. “He almost looks like a swimmer — big, long arms. He’s probably the most athletic goalie I’ve ever played with. He’s just a really good athlete.” A physical specimen, really. “He’s tall, he’s real strong, he’s lean …” Treliving said. “You probably wouldn’t think he was a goaltender by looking at his body. He’s put together. He’s ripped. Then, he’s just an athlete. He can dunk a basketball. He can hit a home run. He’s taken batting practice with major league teams. He’s just an athlete. Some guys are athletes or some guys are more technically sound and can get through it that way. He’s a bit of a blend.” Now, he’s in Calgary. That remarkable post-season run is in the past. But if the 2011-12 campaign showed anything, it’s that the power of the odds can surprise you. So can I.V.s. “If you look at any team when they win the Cup or have a good run, it’s usually whoever has the hottest goalie at the time,” Yandle said. “That happened with us. We obviously didn’t finish the way we wanted to, losing to L.A. “Having Smitty made it more possible.” Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085935 Calgary Flames Duhatschek: In terms of how you are currently deploying your six-man defence corps, have you thought at all about splitting up TJ Brodie and Travis Hamonic, and having Brodie play more with Michael Stone and Duhatschek: One-on-one with Glen Gulutzan on inconsistency, team Hamonic play more with Brett Kulak? On paper, that Brodie-Hamonic pair defence, and Johnny Gaudreau was the way you imagined it unfolding after you made the trade for Hamonic with the New York Islanders, but there have been moments when it looks like a square peg/round hole pairing. Plus, when Hamonic missed a few games there earlier in November and Stone had to play up By Eric Duhatschek the lineup, he and Brodie looked pretty good together – and they weren’t bad last year, when Stone came over in the trade from Arizona. Where

do you see that going? It has been an up-and-down start to the 2017-18 season for the Calgary Gulutzan: It’s true, we watched, for 25-plus games, how Stone and Flames, with some exceptional performances mixed in with others that Brodie played together last year. But sometimes, these things take time – were ordinary or even underperforming. Only two points separated eight and the best games for Brodie and Hamonic came just before Hamonic teams in the middle of the Western Conference standings as of Thursday got hurt. When he came back, it was an injury he really couldn’t skate morning, with the Flames sitting fourth in the Pacific, just behind the San with, so the first games back when he was healthy, it took him a while to Jose Sharks. get up to sync. But we’re not averse to changing up the pairings. In fact, Coach Glen Gulutzan sat down to answer five burning questions about when we got short against Toronto, we moved our pairings around a bit. what’s contributed to the team’s 13-10-1 start and what lies ahead as the We’re not afraid to do that, but we want to give it time to develop. There’s calendar clicks over to December. not a monumental gap in the way our ice time is allocated. It works a little better this way, but we’re open to anything all the time – whatever makes Duhatschek: The No. 1 question I seem to hear from fans has to do with us better. your team’s inconsistency. The Flames can look like world beaters one night – you guys were very good against Colorado and Washington on Duhatschek: Up front, you’ve had a very good season from the Sean your six-game road trip, but then you had a so-so outing against Toronto Monahan-Johnny Gaudreau-Micheal Ferland line, and the unit featuring in your first game back home. From the coaching staff’s perspective, can Mikael Backlund, Michael Frolik and Matthew Tkachuk always gives you explain the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of this team so far? you an honest two-way effort. But the bottom six forwards have been really inconsistent, and secondary scoring has been an issue. Are you Gulutzan: To explain the inconsistency, for me, you’re looking at a team any closer to figuring out the third and fourth lines? that two years ago had 77 points and then went to 94 and now is still finding its way. We haven’t established a complete identity of what works Gulutzan: I think we were getting closer, but then we had the injuries to night in and night out, season in and season out. I’ll use the L.A. Kings as Jags (Jaromir Jagr) and (Kris) Versteeg, so now you’ve got (Garnet) an example. Even though they missed the playoffs a couple of times in Hathaway up. But what I do know is that Mark Jankowski will be playing the last few years after winning their two Stanley Cups, their underlying third line here. He’s been very solid for us – both in his 200-foot game numbers never change. Their identity has never changed. They’re and in creating chances. Another stat you should know – in his last 10 always near the top of the league in goals against and in chances games, Sam Bennett has had his most productive segment – not points- against. They’re always a team that’s hard to play against. They grind. wise, but in terms of chances created – in his career. So the answer to They keep the score down. They have an identity. The league’s so hard that question, yes, there was some semblance of a line being created these days that it doesn’t always work – and if they don’t score goals at there, but we have had some setbacks since. opportune times, or lose their starting goalie to injury, they may not Duhatschek: Just to wrap up, there has only ever been one Calgary always get into the playoffs. But if they do get in, you don’t want to play Flames player to win a scoring title – and that was Jarome Iginla back in them – because they know exactly who they are, and what they need to 2002. But Johnny Gaudreau has crept up to No. 3 in the scoring race and do to win the two Cups that they’ve won. That’s how I see a team like as of this morning, was only three points behind Tampa’s Steve L.A. I believe our team is still trying to figure out the exact identity of who Stamkos, the league leader. Going into the final game of November, we are and what we need to do to win every day. Gaudreau had scored 19 points this month, the same as Connor I always talk about the NHL as an every-day league. Every day, you have McDavid, and he seems to make something happen practically every to do the same things to win – and I think we’re still trying to find a way to night. Can he do what Iginla did 16 years ago and actually win the become a great team. We’re a good team, but with any good team, you’ll scoring title, do you think? see inconsistencies in their game. The great teams, nine times out of 10, Gulutzan: I think he’s pushing to do so, even though I’ve never asked him they’re playing the same way. We’re not at that level yet. That is my that question. But I can see it in his determination. The best part of it is, focus as a coach – to get them to that level, night in and night out. That you want your players to have that determination because, over 82 isn’t a two-day or two-month thing. It’s a process – for a team to figure games, it’s hard to be good every night or to be great every night. But out how to win in the league forever. Once it gets into your group, it’s he’s pushing to do that because I think he’d like to win the scoring title. hard to leave. Even if you lose talent, there’s so much residual ‘we know And that’s how you grow as a player. Once it comes to be playoff time, how to win’ left over that you can win for two years past where you it’s hard every night. But if he’s pushing that mindset – to be good every should win. Once it’s in, it stays in for a while, but it’s not in our team yet. night — over 82 games, that’s going to carry over into the playoffs. I think It’s coming, but it’s not yet ingrained in our DNA. too, the way we’re deploying those guys helps. We’ve played them Duhatschek: I think just about everyone will agree that Mike Smith has against the top matchups in the league over the past 10 to 12 games and come in and done an exceptional job of stabilizing your goaltending – to they’ve had 45 points. But the other thing that Johnny has going for him the extent that there really hasn’t been room in the net for anyone else. is he’s got Gio (Mark Giordano) and Dougie (Hamilton) with him quite a Eddie Lack was waived and is in the minors, and currently, David Rittich bit as a five-man unit. So when you get arguably the best pair in the is your back up. But going into Thursday’s game, Smith is one of only six National Hockey League playing with a top offensive crew, he could win NHL to have played above 1,200 minutes – and the only one the scoring title with his mindset and the way he’s playing and with the who is roughly the same age as him is the New York Rangers’ Henrik guys that he has helping him get the puck. Lundqvist. So the question is, how many games can Smith play? He’s The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 35, and he’s had some injuries in the past. I can see how it might be difficult to veer away from him, given how well he’s played, but do you concern yourself with maybe overplaying him? Gulutzan: You have to get to know your players. I’ve had other goalies that wouldn’t be able to play high numbers because of the physical condition they’re in. Forget about his age. Physical conditioning is the most important thing – and I think Mike Smith can play close to 70 games. Now, we have to manage that – and make sure we look at the big picture. We’ve done a study that indicates if a goalie’s played more than a certain number of regular-season games, it affects their playoff performance – and they don’t usually go very far. There is not a very good correlation between a high amount of games played in the regular season and going deep into the playoffs, so you need to find a balance. You need to look big picture with your goalie. So the answer is, with his conditioning, I think he could play 70. But does it mean he’ll play 70? Not necessarily – because I’ll always look at him big picture and go more on the cautious side than keep sticking him in on the paranoid side. 1085936 Calgary Flames This is even uglier than the even strength results. The Flames' total shots against while down a man have jumped by 16.5 shots per 60 over last year (!), resulting in a significant bump to their actual and expected goals The Flames defensive woes are real, and they're spectacular against rates as well. The fact that the current penalty kill is significantly worse than the 2015- 16 version is instructive. That team finished with some of the worst PK By Kent Wilson results in the league as well and was considered one of the main reasons for the Hartley firing.

I added the total goals against for emphasis. Last year, the Flames The Calgary Flames are currently a chaos hockey club. They generate a surrendered 49 goals on the PK (recall they were one of the most lot and give up a lot. Their game south of the red line is often hurried, penalized teams in the league). This season, they have already given up panicked, and marked by uncertainty. 22 goals, which puts them on pace to surrender 75 over the course of 82 games. That would be 20 more goals than the lousy 2015-16 Flames. Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs featured a handful of Yuck. unforced errors in the Flames' defensive end, an all-too-common theme to the season so far. This past summer, GM Brad Treliving went all-in on A portion of that number can be attributed to the club's PK save rate, rebuilding the club's blueline in a bid to strengthen Calgary's defensive which is down around 85 per cent. That said, the true concern is the rate depth, an area that appeared to be a clear weakness last season. The at which the team is allowing shots and chances while down a man. gambit hasn't paid off. Again, the objective given the off-season activities was to improve these various measures, but they've completely gone the other way. The Flames are winning more than they are losing to date, but only marginally. They have a negative goal differential and boast one of the The particulars worst penalty kills in the league. If the club really has designs on a deep playoff run, they'll need to diagnose and fix their on-going struggles in We can see who is at fault at a player level by looking at shot and their own end. expected goals rates for each guy on the roster and comparing them to team average rates over the last couple of seasons. In context First up, the forwards: First, let's establish that Calgary's defensive woes are legitimate and our perception isn't being skewed by a spate of bad performances in Detroit, Player GP TOI CF% CA/60 xGA/60 2018 Dallas, and against Toronto. CA/60 diff 2017 CA/60 diff The Flames currently sit 23rd in the league in terms of goals against per MIKAEL.BACKLUND 24 316.72 58.16 50.01 1.85 game (3.17). That is despite Mike Smith standing on his head for a -7.4 -2.63 portion of the season and sporting an even strength save percentage of .928. MATTHEW.TKACHUK 23 305.68 58.68 50.44 1.98 -6.97 -2.20 In terms of shot attempts and expected goals against, the Flames are 19th (57.41 CA/60) and 15th (2.32 XGA/60), respectively. Not terrible JOHNNY.GAUDREAU 24 344.93 54.7 51.14 numbers, but fairly disappointing rates given what the team has invested 2.29 -6.27 -1.50 in its blueline. MICHEAL.FERLAND 23 298.68 53.6 53.03 2.27 We can put these numbers in further context by comparing them to -4.38 0.39 Calgary's last couple of seasons. The goal, after all, was to improve the SEAN.MONAHAN 24 319.42 55.26 53.53 2.36 defence by retaining Michael Stone and trading for Travis Hamonic. -3.88 0.89 Here's how the club is doing at five-on-five relative to the last two years (all numbers via Corsica Hockey): MICHAEL.FROLIK 24 333.6 56.94 53.6 2.12 -3.81 0.96 Team Season GP CF% CF/60 CA/60 xGF/60 xGA/60 CURTIS.LAZAR 17 168.03 44.88 59.63 2.37 2.22 6.99 CGY 2017-2018 24 51.75 61.59 57.41 2.45 2.32 MATT.STAJAN 15 145.68 46.3 59.72 2.17 2.31 7.08 CGY 2016-2017 82 50.55 53.8 52.64 2.12 2.22 JAROMIR.JAGR 14 150.38 51.27 61.44 2.62 4.03 8.80 CGY 2015-2016 82 48.12 53.07 57.22 2.17 2.34 KRIS.VERSTEEG 22 209.13 46.34 63.12 2.19 5.71 10.48 Treliving noted in the summer that he was worried about goal scoring this season, but it's the Flames offence that is currently floating the team. The TROY.BROUWER 24 233.03 45.61 63.85 2.69 2017-18 Flames have the best Corsi (CF%) and expected goals ratios 6.44 11.21 (XGF%) of the last three years, but only because the offence is generating way more shots and chances than previously — almost eight MARK.JANKOWSKI 16 187.98 46.53 66.39 2.62 more shot attempts per 60 minutes compared to the last two seasons. 8.98 13.75 I have highlighted the concerning numbers on the other side of the puck. SAM.BENNETT 24 274.93 46.15 67.22 2.75 The Flames' shot attempt suppression has dropped by almost five shots 9.81 14.58 per 60 relative to last season, and is, in fact, worse than the 2015-16 TANNER.GLASS 7 58.15 41.32 73.26 2.78 Flames — a team that finished with 77 points and fired coach Bob 15.85 20.62 Hartley. Calgary's current expected goals against rate isn't meaningfully different than that squad either. Remember, too, that the team last year This table includes Corsi against per sixty rates (CA/60) and expected took almost three months to find its legs under the new coaching staff, so goals against rates (XGA/60) for the Flames most common forward having the current club trail them by five shots per 60 is concerning. skaters this year. The latter two columns show the difference between the team's average CA/60 and the player's personal CA/60 for each As mentioned, Calgary's penalty killing this season has also been a season in question (this year and last year, respectively). Negative grave concern. Here's how their results look in context if we repeat this numbers in these columns are good because we are talking about shots process for the PK: against (fewer is better). Team Season GP CA/60 GA GA/60 xGA/60 From the data, the bifurcation of the Flames' roster is clear. The top-six CGY 2017-2018 24 108.23 22 10.13 8.85 rotation including the Monahan and Backlund lines are allowing shots at rates below the team's average CA rate this year. Everyone below that CGY 2016-2017 82 91.73 49 6.32 6.23 group is getting lit up. CGY 2015-2016 82 102.78 55 9.19 7.53 The recently formed Mark Jankowski line including Jaromir Jagr and Sam Bennett has begun to sink rapidly after an encouraging start. They still generate more shots and chances than their brethren on the fourth line, There are encouraging nuggets buried in the data, of course — the but they have also begun to surrender more than them as well. Flames top-end is facing hard minutes and quality competition and thriving. If the team can somehow sort out the dog's breakfast below their There isn't much to be said about Calgary's fourth line. It's been bad core guys, they could become a contender. forever, and the addition of Curtis Lazar to the group hasn't helped anything. Matt Stajan, Troy Brouwer, and Kris Versteeg are starting to Solutions see time catch up to them, resulting in a group that is both permissive in terms of allowing shots and punchless in terms of generating shots. To The question remains, how do they do that? Treliving is entering year two say the Flames are getting nothing from the fourth line is actually of his quest to fill in the gaps on the roster, and things have only gotten optimistic. In reality, they are getting less than nothing most nights. worse. The far right column compares each player's current CA/60 rate versus Some of his bets were good — Jagr and Versteeg, for instance. Some of the club's average CA/60 from last year. It shows that only Backlund, them weren't — Stone, Bartkowski, and Lazar were long shots to provide Tkachuk, and Gaudreau have improved relative to last season, while meaningful help given their careers. Hamonic was a high risk, high Monahan, Micheal Ferland, and Micheal Frolik have run in place. The reward gamble that seems to be going sideways. Throw in the Brouwer bottom-six, in contrast, is somehow much worse. contract, the Stajan deal (which wasn't signed by Treliving), and Bennett's unfortunate de-evolution, and the Flames bottom-end of the Now, here's the blueline: roster has turned into a dumping ground of floundering kids, doddering vets, and failed experiments. Player GP TOI C+/- CF% CA/60 xGA/60 CA 2018 diff CA 2017 diff From a roster construction perspective, it's becoming increasingly difficult to determine who is at fault for what or how to improve things. MARK.GIORDANO 24 411.15 130 57.63 52.68 Disentangling the passengers from the anchors amongst the depth 2.05 -4.73 0.04 players seems like a fool's errand — no matter how Glen Gulutzan mixes DOUGIE.HAMILTON 24 411.47 122 57.19 52.93 and matches the support guys, they almost always come out on the 2.1 -4.48 0.29 wrong side of the shot, chance, and goal count. TRAVIS.HAMONIC 21 357.42 -11 49.18 57.24 There are two primary options open to Gulutzan and Treliving: First, 2.57 -0.17 4.60 break up the core players and spread them more liberally throughout the lineup. While this would dilute the concentration of quality players at the BRETT.KULAK 15 186.6 -6 49.16 58.52 top of the roster, it will also dilute the concentration of lousy players at the 2.62 1.11 5.88 bottom. The risk here is undermining the strength of the team without seeing enough of a boost elsewhere to compensate. TJ.BRODIE 24 439.95 -21 48.77 59.6 2.49 2.19 6.96 The other option is to start making drastic changes to the parts that aren't working. That can mean anything from making trades to waiving guys MATT.BARTKOWSKI 11 122.52 -29 43.72 and giving other players in the organization a chance. Andrew 63.66 2.21 6.25 11.02 Mangiapane, Rasmus Andersson, and Marek Hrivik are all players who have excelled on the farm, for instance. MICHAEL.STONE 24 331.22 -39 47.09 64.13 2.36 6.72 11.49 In terms of systemic issues, it's curious to see the team struggle to execute a system under the same set of coaches and expectations, just As expected, only the Giordano pairing is above the team average here. a season removed from highly improved defensive results. Hamonic, after bottoming out recently, has seen his CA/60 and CF% rate improve slightly over the last few games, to the degree that he has We've noted in this space recently that the club seems to have trouble nominally passed the still struggling TJ Brodie. Brett Kulak started out controlling gaps through the neutral zone, is far too lax when it comes to really well, but his numbers have suffered the more he has played. Stone denying zone entries, and is frequently failing to execute clean exits and and Matt Bartkowski tend to get outplayed most nights (especially if they breakouts. The most recent defeat at the hands of the Maple Leafs play together), although they have better XGA rates than the second pair, highlighted one of the team's most frustrating failings this year — the which suggests Brodie and Hamonic have been more permissive when it inability to manage the puck just inside their own blueline. Time and time comes to quality chances again, the Flames high forwards in the zone are turned back by pinching defenders. This often leads to turnovers that result in high-quality We can see here that no one on the back-end is better this year relative chances against or sustained offensive zone forays. to last year in terms of denying shot attempts at even strength. The Gio pairing hasn't really changed, while everyone else is below water. This means that any opposing team that applies speed and pressure on the forecheck can force the Flames into sub-optimal plays. In addition, We'll skip the blow-by-blow detail for the PKers, since everyone's sample Calgary's untidy puck management through the neutral zone means their size so far this year is pretty small, and it's hard to take anything away on transition can be neutered by highly structured, trapping clubs. an individual level yet. All we know for certain there is the team in general needs to improve. A lot. On the PK, Calgary can't seem to effectively pressure the puck carrier or deny entries at the blueline. Opposition teams enter the Flames' zone at Sam Bennett. (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports) will and set-up their formation with ease. Once in formation, they are Discussion typically able to fire with ease from the blueline and top of the circle, or feed cross-ice passes through the Flames defenders. Calgary's A look at these results shows how badly many of Treliving's gambles defensemen around the net are frequently outnumbered. Rebounds are have gone so far. The additions of Stone, Bartkowski, Hamonic, Lazar, rarely cleared efficiently. and Jagr over the last 12 months were designed to firm up an obvious weakness at the bottom of the rotation, but nothing has helped. The Are these struggles due to a change in systems that are causing opposite is true, in fact — everyone outside of the core players has confusion? Or is this mix of players just suddenly unable to execute somehow taken a step backward. Gulutzan's system effectively? It's hard to say at this juncture. The other bet that has gone south is Bennett. The team was banking on Conclusion him becoming a worthwhile NHLer this season, which would have The numbers are discouraging, but the good news is there is still time to diversified the attack up front and given the team three capable forward turn things around. By the end November last year, the Flames were units. Instead, Bennett has regressed to the degree that his viability as giving up 57.12 CA/60. Through the rest of the year, they dropped that to an everyday NHLer is now in question. 52.23 CA/60. At this point, it may also make sense to question if Brodie is ever going to That means it's possible to improve things drastically in season. We also re-discover his form. Since moving to the left side and leaving his know this team and coaching staff is capable of better outcomes. If they partnership with Giordano, Brodie's defensive play has been inconsistent can clean up their play in the defensive zone while maintaining the gains at best. Both he and Hamonic have visibly struggled on the bad side of they have made in terms of generating shots and chances, the Flames the puck this year, and Hamonic will become the fourth partner in two can still become a heavy hitter in the West. Otherwise, they will continue years that is apparently “dragging Brodie down.” This isn't impossible to limp along, with a roster that is half contender, half bottom feeder. given his partners have included Deryk Engelland, Dennis Wideman, Stone, and now a potentially broken Hamonic, but one begins to wonder The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 if Brodie is also part of the problem. He certainly doesn't look as steady and dependable as he did a few years ago on the right side. 1085937 Chicago Blackhawks

Patrick Kane says he has to keep his emotions in check, avoid dumb penalties

Paul Skrbina

An object in emotion tends to stay in emotion At least that’s how the laws of physics have applied themselves lately to Patrick Kane. The Blackhawks right winger was fined $5,000 Tuesday for his retaliatory slash Monday night against the Ducks’ Nick Ritchie. On Tuesday night, Kane was punished with a two-minute cross-checking penalty, which was under review by the league, for his hit to the face of the Predators’ Kevin Fiala. The blow, which sent Fiala to the ice, occurred immediately after Kane looked like he got away with a cross-check against Roman Josi. “I'm a pretty emotional guy (on the ice),” Kane said, noting his slash of Ritchie was different from the cross-checks of Fiala and Josi. “Sometimes you want to control your frustrations in moments like that and be a little bit smarter. … Both of them were kind of in the moment, and then you kind of realize what you did. Kind of live and learn from those situations.” Kane’s frustrations Tuesday had a lot to do with the first period when he managed four shots on goal and clanged another off the crossbar only to come up empty. His frustration Monday stemmed from who it was — Ritchie was suspended for two games after he put Michal Rozsival on injured reserve in April — and what he did, which was slash Kane first. Still, coach Joel Quenneville said his players must err on the side of self- control more often. “We have to be smarter,” he said. “We’ve taken some needless penalties. … They’re looking to call penalties, whether it’s retaliation or slashes. Don’t make it easy on the referee.” Tootoo returns: The Blackhawks waived Jordin Tootoo on Wednesday, then welcomed him back Thursday after no team claimed him. The right winger, who was put on long-term injured reserve after training camp because of an upper-body injury, was assigned to Rockford after clearing waivers. Tootoo, 34, had two goals and an assist in 50 regular-season games last season. He also appeared in two playoff games. “He has been working hard to get back playing, so let’s go,” Quenneville said. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085938 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks, Stars set to face off at United Center

Paul Skrbina

The Blackhawks and Stars go into Thursday’s game, the first of two in a row the two play against each other, each with 27 points. The Central Division foes will meet again Saturday in Dallas. The Blackhawks (12-9-3) are coming off a 3-2 loss to the Predators on Tuesday, but they are 5-2-1 in their last eight games. They are playing their third game of a five-game stretch that spans seven days. The Stars (13-10-1) are coming off a 3-0 victory at Las Vegas, a game in which Radek Faksa recorded his first career hat trick. And he did so in the span of 6 minutes, 46 seconds in the second period. He scored his second and third goals in a span of eight seconds. Goalie Ben Bishop stopped all 34 shots he faced for his second shutout. Bishop was the goalie for the Lightning when the Blackhawks defeated them in 2015 to win the Stanley Cup. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085939 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks fall 4-3 to Stars in overtime

Paul Skrbina

The celebratory lights were on, but the puck wasn’t home. Alex DeBrincat pasted a shot off the crossbar to Stars goalie Ben Bishop’s right with about 12 1/2 minutes left in the first period Thursday night during the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime loss at the United Center. The shot momentarily teased the crowd and fooled stadium operations into briefly illuminating the spotlights that begin such an occasion. It was the first of a few times the Blackhawks came close but not close enough. “I saw (Patrick Sharp) raise his hand,” DeBrincat said. “I didn’t really see it, so I just assumed it was in the net.” That awkward moment was preceded about six minutes earlier by Mattias Janmark’s would-be shorthanded goal that wasn’t after the puck collided with Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford’s outstretched right leg to keep the game scoreless. There were no such false alarms for DeBrincat or Janmark later in the first period of a game pitting evenly matched Central Division foes who both began Thursday with 27 points. Janmark started the scoring when he beat Crawford on a wraparound with 5 minutes, 14 seconds left in the first for a lead that lasted nine seconds. He ended it 51 seconds into 3-on-3 overtime. Just after Janmark’s first score, DeBrincat turned the goal lamp on for real off a pretty pass from Ryan Hartman for his 11th goal. The score also made him the first rookie in franchise history with 10 goals in a calendar month, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, but it was one of only a few chances the Blackhawks had during the first two periods. “Not a lot going on,” forward Patrick Kane said. “I think we had 10 shots after two, which is unacceptable.” Kane didn’t go so far as that adjective to describe the Stars’ next goal, which came courtesy of Radek Faksa’s penalty shot with 2:40 left in the first period. The Blackhawks were 39 seconds into their fourth power play of the period when Kane was whistled for hooking on Faksa’s breakaway. “You can probably see the replay on calling the penalty shot,” Kane said. “It looked like I just lifted his stick. But we had our fair share of chances on the power play, so we’re not going to blame that.” The Blackhawks were 1-for-6 in that department. DeBrincat’s status as the team’s leading scorer was short-lived thanks to Kane, who shipped a perfect power-play pass to Artem Anisimov 62 seconds into the second period. Anisimov pounded the puck past Bishop for his 12th goal of the season and the Blackhawks’ second of the game to tie the score again. Back and forth the teams went, all the way to overtime after Kane’s goal 4:34 into the third, when the Hawks had 12 shots. Two unlikely saves by Bishop early in the period — the first off his throat on a Nick Schmaltz shot 40 seconds in and the second off his left leg pad as he fell to the ice off the stick of Anisimov — at the time preserved his team’s 3-2 lead. Crawford made three consecutive saves on Remi Elie, who earlier had given the Stars a 3-2 lead, with just more than five minutes left, the last while lying on his back, to keep it 3-3. That was a fitting way for regulation to end for two teams so close in the standings and who will meet again Saturday in Dallas. PAUL SKRBINA’S THREE STARS 1. Mattias Janmark, Stars: Scored the first and last goals of the game. 2. Radek Faksa, Stars: Goal and an assist a game after he scored first career hat trick. 3. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks: Scored game-tying goal, also had an assist. Up next: At Stars, 8 p.m. Saturday, NBCSCH. Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085940 Chicago Blackhawks

The waiting is the hardest part for Blackhawks’ Jordan Oesterle

Mark Lazerus

Conventional wisdom says that a young player is better off playing every night in the minor leagues than spending every NHL game in the press box as a healthy scratch. But conventional wisdom never spent six hours in a bus driving across the Midwest to go play three games in three nights in front of a couple thousand people. So, no, Jordan Oesterle wouldn’t rather be in Rockford right now. But that doesn’t mean that he’s content to be a healthy scratch for the 14th time in 15 games Thursday night against the Dallas Stars. “It’s had its points where it’s been challenging,” Oesterle said of playing just four of the Hawks’ first 25 games. “I want to be playing every night and helping this team win. But even with what’s going on, it’s going to help me as a player down the road. From the beginning of the season and training camp, I feel drastically improved. I feel a lot more comfortable. Now I have to just keep working and waiting for my chance. And the next time I get to go in there, make the most of it and play pissed off and not want to come out.” At 25, Oesterle isn’t really a prospect anymore. He’s spent most of the last three seasons in the American Hockey League, and has 29 NHL games under his belt with the Oilers and Blackhawks. So while if he didn’t have to clear waivers to be demoted, he’d probably be in Rockford by now, he firmly believes he’s an NHL player. He’s just waiting for his chance to prove it. Thing is, that chance likely won’t come unless there’s an injury (or two, considering Michal Kempny is a healthy scratch for the seventh straight game). And obviously, Oesterle isn’t rooting for that. So for now, he’ll just keep working and waiting. Because that’s all he can really do. “Team success is just as much success for us,” Oesterle said. “Once you make a team at the beginning of the year, you buy into that team, and do whatever you have to do to help that team win — whether it’s practicing or playing in games. As long as we win and continue to play as well as we have, then it’s fairly enjoyable to watch.” Grandpa Sharp Patrick Sharp’s time in Dallas will be just a blip in his hockey legacy, but the Hawks veteran had fond memories of his two seasons with the Stars. “Lot of good friends over there, a great group of guys,” Sharp said. “They welcomed me right away from Day 1, and that’s sometimes tough to do when you play so long in the same division and compete against each other.” Sharp was the big brother in Chicago, well known for tormenting the Hawks’ two biggest stars, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews, during their first few years in the league. There were no such pranks awaiting Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin, however. “I was the grandfather over there,” Sharp said. “I was older than all those guys by a couple years. I thought i was getting older in the Hawks locker room, then I went to play for the Stars and realized I was really old.” Play smart Kane was fined $5,000 for a two-handed slash Monday on Anaheim’s Nick Ritchie, and managed to avoid supplemental discipline for a cross- check to the face of Nashville’s Kevin Fiala in the third period on Tuesday night. But the penalty led to what proved to be the game-winning power- play goal for the Predators. “We have to be smarter,” Joel Quenneville said. “We’ve taken some needless penalties, and they’re looking for that more, whether it’s the whack or the slash. They’re looking to call penalties. Whether it’s retaliation or slashes, don’t make it easy on the referee.” Tootoo returns Jordin Tootoo, who was put on injured reserve at the end of training camp with an undisclosed injury, cleared waivers Thursday and will report to Rockford. Quenneville said the 34-year-old veteran indeed plans to keep playing. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085941 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks salvage point in overtime loss to Stars

Mark Lazerus

In a typical Blackhawks season, November is about settling on line combinations, working a few new players into the rotation, and ironing out any early season wrinkles. Standings-watching? That’s still months away. So it was telling that Artem Anisimov pointed out the fact that the Hawks and Stars were tied in the Central Division — and both on the edge of the playoff picture — entering Thursday night’s game, the first of a home- and-home with Dallas. This is the Hawks’ new reality. It is going to be a much more tense season than they’re used to. “Everybody’s well aware of how close it is and how competitive it is in our division and conference,” coach Joel Quenneville said after a 4-3 overtime loss to the Stars. “That won’t change. Whether that gets you excited or whatever, that’s where we’re at.” With that in mind, Thursday’s game was something of a mixed bag. The Hawks were truly awful for most of the first 40 minutes. All the good things they’ve been doing that have contributed to their recent surge — better puck management, more cycling, more defensive involvement in the offense — were nowhere to be found. Through two periods, the Hawks had a measly 10 shots. Yet they still somehow managed to salvage a point, tying the game three different times until Mattias Janmark beat a flat-footed Duncan Keith 51 seconds into overtime for his second goal of the game. “Disappointing,” Anisimov said. Janmark also scored on a wraparound at 14:46 of the first, but Alex DeBrincat answered just nine seconds later, becoming the first Hawks rookie ever to score 10 goals in a calendar month. After Radek Faksa scored on a penalty shot — Patrick Kane made a clean stick-lift on Faksa’s shorthanded breakaway, but he was called for hooking — Anisimov banged in a brilliant Kane pass for a power-play goal early in the second period to tie it 1-1. DeBrincat and Anisimov combined for 19 of the Hawks’ 41 goals in November. But both are planning to shave their “Movember” mustaches. Hockey players are famously superstitious, but apparently not superstitious enough to look silly. “It’s a bright future for him, if he shaves his mustache,” Anisimov quipped. The Stars, despite all their skill, are playing a more Blues-style game — structured, defensive, and a little boring under coach Ken Hitchcock. The Hawks didn’t do themselves any favors with their poor puck management, though. “Just not really much going on,” Kane said, sounding almost bewildered. “We had the puck and then we gave it away and it was tough to get it back. We started buzzing a little bit in the third and had some momentum which was good to see.” The Hawks looked like a different team to start the third — faster, more aggressive, more in control. Kane redirected a Gustav Forsling blast to tie the game at 3-3 just 4:34 in. The momentum swung back and forth from there, and Corey Crawford made 13 stops in the third just to get the game into overtime. The power play — much improved over the past few weeks — was the biggest culprit in this one. The Hawks were just 1-for-7 with the man- advantage, squandering nearly five minutes worth of power plays in the waning minutes of the third period. The loss leaves the Hawks just outside the Western Conference playoff picture, part of an eight-team logjam between 26 and 29 points. And yes, just 25 games into the season, it is already time to start paying attention. The Hawks and Stars meet again Saturday in Dallas. “It’s going to be a big game for both of the teams,” Anisimov. Yes, already. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085942 Chicago Blackhawks

Hawks fail to turn on the power, fall in OT

By John Dietz

Handed all sorts of ammunition in the first 22 minutes against the Dallas Stars on Thursday night, the Chicago Blackhawks not only didn't hit many bulls-eyes, they barely brought a gun to the fight. Dallas made the Hawks pay for some sloppy, uninspired play and prevailed 4-3 in overtime when Mattias Janmark beat Corey Crawford with a neat flip shot for his second goal of the game. The Hawks went 1-for-7 on the power play, had just 10 shots on goal through two periods and were fortunate to come away with a point against their division rivals. "We don't compete hard enough in the first two periods," center Artem Anisimov said. "Then we start playing in the third. Just not enough." The Hawks (12-9-4) fell 1 point behind the Stars (14-10-1) and will see them again Saturday at Dallas. This game could have been over in the first period, but coach Joel Quenneville's power-play units generated next to nothing, then failed again with 2:37 of man-advantage time midway through the third. "We scored one, but we didn't generate enough," Quenneville said. "We had net-front presence -- we just didn't get it through when it was the opportune time. We lost momentum on the power play tonight." Not only did they lose momentum, the Hawks actually fell behind 2-1 when Radek Faska converted a penalty shot at 17:20 of the first after Patrick Kane was called for hooking on a breakaway. Kane, who didn't agree with the call, made up for it by tipping in a Gustav Forsling shot 4:34 into the third period to tie it at 3-3. "I think you can probably see the replay on calling the penalty shot, it looked like I just lifted his stick," said Kane, who has 10 goals on the season and 5 in the last eight games. "But we had our fair share of chances on the power play, so we're not going to blame that. We should have done better on the power play and it probably wouldn't have even went to overtime." Artem Anisimov and Alex DeBrincat scored the Hawks' other goals, with DeBrincat's coming just nine seconds after Dallas took a 1-0 lead in the first period. Anismiov scored the Hawks' only power-play goal, tipping in a perfect pass from Kane to make it 2-2 at 1:02 of the second. Said Kane: "To be able to find that puck through a stick and someone else's legs -- and to be able to get that much on it and put it in the net -- that's pretty impressive by him." Anisimov has scored 11 times in the last 15 games, while DeBrincat has 10 goals in the last 13. Crawford made 31 saves, including 3 on Remi Elie shots from point- blank range in a six-second span late in the third period. Dallas then went to the power play, and Crawford turned away a Tyler Seguin shot. Four seconds later, Alexander Radulov somehow missed a wide-open net from 10 feet away. "Crow played amazing and we could have not even made it to overtime," DeBrincat said. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085943 Chicago Blackhawks Elie made up for the costly penalty later in the second. He went in all alone on Crawford after a nice pass from Faksa and scored his third of the season with a nifty move, making it 3-2 at 14:04. Janmark scores twice as Stars beat Blackhawks 4-3 in OT NOTES: Hanzal was scratched with what Hitchcock called "general soreness." The 30-year-old Hanzal has been in and out of the lineup so far this season due to injuries. "We've learned to deal with it, but it's been By JAY COHEN very disappointing for him because he's been a very effective player every game he's played," Hitchcock said. ... The Blackhawks assigned forward Jordin Tootoo to Rockford of the American Hockey League. CHICAGO -- Mattias Janmark has good days and bad days in his return UP NEXT from an unusual knee injury. Stars: Take on Chicago on Saturday night and visit Colorado on Sunday This one was pretty nice. night. Janmark scored his second goal of the game 51 seconds into overtime Blackhawks: Following the trip to Dallas, Chicago returns home to face and the Dallas Stars beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Thursday night the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night. for their third consecutive victory. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 "We played 55 good minutes today, which is a good sign, and we competed," Dallas coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Competed like heck. We deserved to win and you know for me we're trying to build something, but you build it through the really tough times at the start of the year." Janmark made his NHL debut in 2015 and had 15 goals and 14 assists in 73 games during his rookie season. But the Swedish forward missed all of last year with a joint disorder in which the bone underneath the cartilage dies because of reduced blood flow, contributing to Dallas' tumble down the standings. He looked just fine against Chicago, stuffing home a wraparound in the first period and beating Corey Crawford with a little wrist shot over the goaltender's right shoulder in overtime. "It's a constant struggle with all the games," Janmark said. "Sometimes you feel great and then sometimes you go through a couple games where you don't feel as great, so I think it's going to take some time and I'm probably going to go up and down a little bit more, but I think overall I've been able to play on a good level." Radek Faksa had a goal and an assist and Remi Elie also scored for Dallas, which has won five of six overall. Ben Bishop made 19 saves in the Stars' first win against the Blackhawks since a 6-2 victory at Chicago on March 22, 2016. The Central Division rivals play again in Dallas on Saturday night. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who dropped to 1-1-1 in a seven-day stretch with five games. Alex DeBrincat and Artem Anisimov also scored, and Nick Schmaltz had two assists. Chicago trailed 3-2 before Kane redirected defenseman Gustav Forsling's shot past Bishop at 4:34 of the third. Kane has at least one point in eight of his last nine games. "Good first 10 minutes of the third," Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said. "I thought we slowed down a bit again after we tied it up." Elie, who replaced an ailing Martin Hanzal in the lineup, had three good looks at a potential go-ahead score with about 5 1/2 minutes left, but Crawford turned him away each time. Crawford finished with 31 saves. The Blackhawks went 0 for 3 on the power play in the third and 1 for 7 with the man advantage overall. "We lost momentum in the game with our power play tonight," Quenneville said. Dallas led 2-1 after a strange first period. The Stars jumped in front on Janmark's fifth of the season at 14:46, but the Blackhawks responded nine seconds later on DeBrincat's wrist shot by Bishop on the stick side. It was DeBrincat's fourth goal in his last three games and 10th of November, making him the first rookie in franchise history with 10 goals in a calendar month, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Chicago had four power plays in the opening period and was still outscored by Dallas with the man advantage. Faksa buried his first career penalty shot after Kane was called for hooking on a short-handed breakaway, making it 2-1 at 17:20. Faksa has four goals in his last two games. He had a natural hat trick in Dallas' 3-0 win at Vegas on Tuesday night. Chicago's fourth power-play opportunity carried over into the second, and it took advantage. With Elie in the box for slashing, Kane made a terrific pass to Anisimov in front for his ninth goal in November and team-leading 12th on the season. 1085944 Chicago Blackhawks

Chicago Blackhawks' Kane wary of penalties

John Dietz

Patrick Kane has never been known to take many penalties, but his most recent two heading into the Chicago Blackhawks' game against Dallas on Thursday night certainly were noteworthy. The first came against Anaheim on Monday when he reared back and slashed Nick Ritchie after Ritchie slashed Kane. That whack earned Kane a $5,000 fine. The next night in Nashville, Kane was whistled for high-sticking Kevin Fiala 1:02 into the third period of the Hawks' 3-2 loss. Roman Josi scored on the ensuing power play to give Nashville a 3-1 lead. "Obviously you don't want your stick to come up high in a situation like that against Nashville," said Kane, who failed to put away a few Grade A scoring chances in the first period. "That's something that I obviously need to be more aware of and not (be) as careless in that situation." Said coach Joel Quenneville: "I think we've got to be smarter. We've taken some needless penalties. And they're looking for that more -- whether it's a whack or the slash. … Don't make it easy on the referee." Kane has averaged 23½ penalty minutes over the past four seasons and already has 12 in this campaign. He admitted Thursday he gets "pretty emotional" on the ice. "Sometimes you want to control your frustrations in moments like that and be a little bit smarter," Kane said. "But I don't know. Certain situations are a lot different. Both of them were in the moment, and then you kind of realize what you did. Kind of live and learn from those situations." Kane took another penalty Thursday, hooking Dallas' Radek Faksa on a first-period breakaway. Faksa was awarded a penalty shot and converted to give Dallas a 2-1 lead at 17:20. Slap shots: Forward Jordin Tootoo cleared waivers Wednesday and the Hawks assigned him to Rockford. Tootoo, 34, played in 50 games for the Hawks last season, scoring 2 goals. He had been on long-term injured reserve with an upper-body injury. … Going into Thursday's action, Alex DeBrincat was tied with Vancouver's Brock Boeser for most goals (9) among rookies in November. That number also tied them for third among all NHL players. … Dallas' Radek Faksa recorded a hat trick vs. Las Vegas in the Stars' last game, with his second and third goals coming seven seconds apart. The last player to score his second and third goals in less than eight seconds was Hartford's Sylvain Turgeon (0:06) in 1987. … Dallas' Martin Hanzal did not play against the Hawks. He is out with a lower-body injury. Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085945 Chicago Blackhawks

Five takeaways from Blackhawks-Stars: Power play fails again

By Tracey Myers November 30, 2017 11:20 PM

Well, that could’ve ended better. Here are five takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. 1. Mediocre first 40 minutes. The Blackhawks have gotten off to great starts more often lately but they didn’t on Thursday night. The so-so play continued through the second period. Despite getting two goals the Blackhawks generated very little, recording just 10 shots on goal through the first two periods. But… 2. (Sort of) better in the third. The Blackhawks finally woke up in the last period, putting Ben Bishop to work and recording more shots in that period (12) than they did the first two (10). If that effort is there through the first two periods perhaps it’s a different outcome. 3. The power play fails again. This was another area in which the Blackhawks were trending for most of the month but the power play was not good against the Stars. They had just one goal on seven opportunities, falling back into the bad habits of overpassing, not shooting enough and being careless with the puck. Oh, and they gave up a penalty shot on one of them. Said coach Joel Quenneville, “we lost momentum on our power play tonight.” 4. Great month for Anisimov and DeBrincat. In November, Artem Anisimov got back to what works for him and Alex DeBrincat starting showing his scoring prowess at the top level. These two were scoring again on Thursday night, and Anisimov and DeBrincat finished the month with 10 and 9 goals, respectively. It’s especially helpful for DeBrincat as he develops his pro game. Anisimov joked, “bright future for him, if he shaves his mustache, you know?” 5. Crawford cleans up. Corey Crawford saw some decent chances through this one but got tested with about five minutes remaining in regulation. The Stars took advantage of a turnover and got several choice scoring opportunities, with Crawford stopping them all. His great work continued on a late Stars power play, helping the Blackhawks force overtime. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085946 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks can’t overcome mediocre start in overtime loss to Stars

By Tracey Myers November 30, 2017 11:05 PM

The third period was an energetic one for the Blackhawks, at least through the first half of it. The shots were there. So were the good scoring opportunities. So was the necessary urgency. Before that, however… “Yeah, just not really much going on,” Patrick Kane said of the first two periods of the Blackhawks’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Dallas Stars. “I thought we had the puck and then we gave it away and it was tough to get it back. We started buzzing a little bit in the third and had some momentum which was good to see. But not much really going on. I think we had 10 shots after two, which is unacceptable.” It was an unacceptable opening 40 minutes for the Blackhawks, who could use every point they can get in an already tight Central Division. The good work they’ve built up through most of November wasn’t there enough on Thursday. The power play was listless. The shot count wasn’t acceptable until late. After so many consistent games, the Blackhawks took a bit of a step back against the Stars. “Good first 10 minutes of the third. We slowed down a bit again after we tied it up,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “We didn’t have enough pace with the puck, pressure on the puck or enough of the puck. And what we did with it, we gave them a lot of quality opportunities because we didn’t keep it or protect it.” If there was any consistency it came from Alex DeBrincat and Artem Anisimov. The Blackhawks had 41 goals in November, and DeBrincat and Anisimov combined for 19 of them. “Both had great months. Cat went to a higher level than we’ve seen, tremendous upside, a threat every time he was out there tonight,” Quenneville said. “Arty’s been consistent as well, productive, net presence, defensively responsible, so he’s had a great month and we need arty to keep going and we need some guys to get going.” And that’s got to be the mantra for the Blackhawks from here on out. At times in November, it looked like they were righting the ship. They were playing better hockey, finally scoring goals after starting the month in an offensive drought. But there are still too many who aren’t bringing the consistent performances. The top line had a so-so night. Richard Panik is struggling mightily; as Quenneville said, if he’s not scoring he at least has to bring the physical element more. The Blackhawks did some good on Thursday but not enough. The production through most of this one was, as Kane said, unacceptable. There’s a lot of season left but the Blackhawks are already fighting for position in the standings, and they’ll see the Stars again on Saturday night. The Blackhawks started trending in the right direction in November but they need more. It won’t be getting any easier. “Disappointing, obviously. We just needed to get the win. In the standings we had a tie before that game. We needed to find a way to make points, win the game,” Artem Anisimov said. “It’s going to be a big game for both teams [on Saturday].” Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085947 Colorado Avalanche

Everything you need to know about New Jersey Devils at Colorado Avalanche

By Mike Chambers | November 30, 2017 at 3:32 PM

NEW JERSEY AT COLORADO, 7 p.m. Friday, ALT, 950 AM Spotlight on Will Butcher: The Devils’ rookie defenseman from the University of Denver makes his first appearance in Denver against the team that selected him in the fifth round of the 2013 draft. The Avalanche’s inconsistent interest with Butcher since he was drafted and the team’s league-worst 48 point season last season led to the player — the 2017 Hobey Baker Award winner as national player of the year — using his college free agency option and cut himself loose from the Avs on Aug. 16. Butcher, who played four years at DU and served as captain as a senior while leading the Pioneers to the 2017 national championship, signed with New Jersey on Aug. 27 and became the first NHL rookie defenseman to ever record nine assists in the first six games of a career. Butcher, 22, is playing third-pairing minutes with the Devils but leads the team with 10 power-play points and is in command of the No. 1 power play. NOTEBOOK Devils: They completed a major trade Thursday by acquiring defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick from Anaheim, sending forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 third-round pick to the Ducks. Vatanen will step into the top-four role, and since he’s a right-handed shot, he could slot in on the right side where Steven Santini, Damon Severson and Ben Lovejoy play. Henrique, 27, was among New Jersey’s most popular players, having played 455 games for the team since the Devils drafted him in 2008. Henrique scored the overtime goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Finals to send the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final. … They haven’t played since Monday, when they lost 3-2 to the visiting Florida Panthers. Avalanche: The Avs are 8-2-1 at home this season (8-2-0 at the Center) with a 29.5 percent success rate on the power play. Colorado was 2-of-5 on the man-advantage in Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime win over Winnipeg and has scored a power-play goal in nine of 11 home games. … Center Nathan MacKinnon is tied for first in the NHL with three game- winning goals, including two in OT. He has produced 19 of his 28 points at home This month, MacKinnon’s 15 assists and 20 points ranked first among all NHL players. … Center Alex Kerfoot is seventh among NHL rookie scorers with 17 points (eight goals). His eight tallies and his seven power-play points are each tied for fourth among first-year players. … Defenseman Nikita Zadorov has scored in consecutive games for the first time in his career. His three goals on the season tie his career high — what he amassed in 60 games for the Buffalo Sabres in 2014-15. Top- pair defenseman Erik Johnson had eight shots against the Jets on Wednesday, one shy of his career high of nine (March 24, 2016 vs. Philadelphia). … Colorado continues its five-game homestand Sunday against Dallas and Tuesday versus Buffalo. Denver Post: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085948 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Little-used Scott Harrington gets his chance

By Steve Gorten

Scott Harrington is an easy guy to pull for, John Tortorella will tell you, but the Blue Jackets coach doesn’t feel sorry for the defenseman. Sure, Tuesday’s game against the was only the third time that Harrington has played in 25 games this season, even though he has had a spot on the active roster since opening night. And that chance came only at the expense of Ryan Murray, whose upper-body injury caused him to miss practice Thursday and is expected to give Harrington another chance Friday against the Anaheim Ducks at Nationwide Arena. But being a habitual healthy scratch is the situation Harrington’s stuck in. “It’s hard. But as I’ve said, that’s his life,” Tortorella said Thursday. “He’s got to figure it out. Because we’re not going to (give) him 20 minutes and 15 games in a row to get his game going. This is the spot he’s at right now, by our judgment, with the depth chart, and this is what I like about him — how he handles it.” Harrington hasn’t complained publicly — or privately, according to teammates — about his plight. Unlike defenseman Gabriel Carlsson or backup goalie Joonas Korpisalo, Harrington can’t get playing time, and experience, by going to the Jackets’ minor-league affiliate in Cleveland. He would have to clear waivers, and the Jackets’ brass doesn’t want to risk losing the 24-year- old to another team. Harrington, who has played 25 games for the Jackets since they acquired him from Toronto in a trade 17 months ago, said he never wonders whether he’d be better off if he were placed on waivers. “No. I love it here in Columbus,” he said Thursday. “I still enjoy coming to the rink every day. I still feel like I can develop my game with (assistant coach) Kenny (McCudden) and with our practices. I just have to wait for an opportunity like this, try to have fun and make the most of it.” Tuesday’s game was the first since Nutivaara became a regular in the lineup that a Jackets defenseman has missed a game because of injury. When Tortorella had seven defenseman in uniform multiple times during a stretch, Carlsson — not Harrington — was his choice. “It’s got to be pretty tough, whether you’re used to it or not,” right wing Cam Atkinson said of Harrington. “He’s a true professional, really. Handles his business. Every single day, he tries to get better, and for him to step in the lineup and do what he did last game ... that’s huge for us.” Harrington said he has used drills in practices to challenge himself, and he has made sure his confidence and patience haven’t dwindled. “I’ve been able to keep my game sharp,” he said, adding, “I’m just trying to take advantage of this opportunity.” Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085949 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Matt Calvert nears return from injury

By Steve Gorten

Blue Jackets left wing Matt Calvert participated in a full practice Thursday for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury Nov. 4, and he is close to returning to the lineup. “We’re kind of at that stage where it’s day-to-day,” Calvert said. “You do a hard practice, you wake up (Friday) morning, see how you feel, and you re-evaluate then.” Calvert probably won’t play Friday against the Anaheim Ducks at Nationwide Arena because he wasn’t on a forward line full time during rushes Thursday, but Saturday’s game at the Washington Capitals is a possibility. Coach John Tortorella noted that Calvert “did some battling” in practice, but Tortorella wasn’t sure when Calvert will return. Regardless, “it feels great” to skate with teammates again, Calvert said. “It gets a little lonely when you’re out. As much as you don’t want guys out with you, I had (Alexander) Wennberg for about a week or so, and (Lukas Sedlak). But when you’re by yourself, it gets pretty lonely.” Calvert, who has missed 11 games, was injured in the third period at Tampa Bay when Dan Girardi dealt him a shoulder-to-shoulder blow that knocked off Calvert’s helmet and sent him crashing onto the ice. The Jackets placed Calvert on injured reserve two days later and announced that he’d be out three to four weeks. Tortorella deemed the hit clean at the time. Calvert concurred Thursday, saying he should have had his head up more before “one of the harder hits I’ve ever had in my career.” Calvert has three goals, five assists and a plus-3 rating in 14 games. Before his injury, he had been “our best 200-foot player all year long,” Tortorella said. Murray misses practice Defenseman Ryan Murray didn’t practice after sitting out Tuesday’s game against Carolina because of an upper-body injury. Scott Harrington, who filled in for Murray as Markus Nutivaara’s partner, is expected to play again against the Ducks. Listen to the Cannon Fodder podcast Tortorella said the Jackets will carry seven defensemen for the second half of this weekend’s back-to-back, meaning there will be a minor- league call-up if Murray is unavailable. Praise for Schroeder Tortorella said he had “a long conversation” with Jordan Schroeder before the forward was sent back to Cleveland on Wednesday, and the coach encouraged him to remain positive despite the demotion. “I’m really excited about how he played,” Tortorella said. Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085950 Dallas Stars "The rest of the guys are up and running, so I think we are ready for it. Ideally, this is what you want, but if we think we are being outplayed in the middle of the ice, we'll go right back. This is very short-term, and we'll Preview: Dallas meets with Blackhawks and their Stars killer for evaluate on a short-term basis. This is game to game, and there is no important matchup in Chicago plan other than this works for us as long as other players are adding to the mix."

-- Hitchcock on putting back together the top line of Benn-Seguin- By Mike Heika Radulov. "A little different feeling to the game for sure. A lot of friends on the other side. More importantly, two teams that are playing well as of late that are STARS at BLACKHAWKS tied in the standings, and you look at those standings and this game's pretty important. So it's a big game for a lot of reasons." 7:30 p.m. today (FSSW/1310AM The Ticket-96.7FM) -- Blackhawks forward Patrick Sharp on facing his old team Storyline Stars' projected lineup The battle for placement in the Central Division takes center stage as two teams that are behind the pace will fight for important points. Dallas is 1- Jamie Benn-Tyler Seguin-Alexander Radulov 6-0 in games against Central opponents and faces a Chicago team that is 2-5-0. Oh yeah, and the two teams meet again Saturday in Dallas. This Mattias Janmark-Jason Spezza-Devin Shore is a pretty important stretch of games for the Stars. Antoine Roussel-Radek Faksa-Tyler Pitlick Key matchup Remi Elie-Gemel Smith-Brett Ritchie Patrick Kane vs. Stephen Johns: Kane might be one of the great Stars killers of all time. The leading scorer on the Blackhawks has 50 points Esa Lindell-John Klingberg (23 goal, 27 assists) in 40 career games against Dallas. Johns is a Dan Hamhuis-Greg Pateryn former Chicago draft pick who has played pretty well against his old team. In six career games against the Blackhawks, Johns has two Stephen Johns-Julius Honka assists and is even. Ben Bishop Key number Kari Lehtonen .933: That's the save percentage for Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford, second best in the NHL. Crawford is fourth in GAA among qualified Scratched: Jamie Oleksiak. goalies at 2.21, yet he is just 11-7-1 on the season. He is 15-10-0 in his Injured: Marc Methot (knee), Martin Hanzal (lower body). career against Dallas with a 2.84 GAA and .902 save percentage. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.01.2017 Notable -- Dallas beat Vegas, 3-0, on Tuesday, and is 13-10-1, 4-8-1 on the road. The Stars are 4-1-0 in their past five games. -- Chicago lost 3-2 at Nashville on Tuesday and is 4-1-1 in its past six games. The Blackhawks are 12-9-3, 6-4-1 at home -- Ben Bishop is expected to start for Dallas. He is 11-7-0 with a 2.62 GAA and .912 save percentage. He is 4-1-1 in his career against Chicago with a 2.45 GAA and .924 save percentage. -- This is the first of four meetings between these two teams. Dallas went 0-3-2 against Chicago last season. -- Defenseman Marc Methot is out for 4-6 weeks after arthroscopic knee surgery. -- Center Martin Hanzal suffered a lower body injury Tuesday at Vegas and has traveled back to Dallas. The Stars are expected to give an update on Friday. -- Chicago ranks ninth in scoring at 3.17 and fifth in goals against at 2.63. -- Dallas ranks 13th in scoring at 2.92 and ninth in goals against at 2.83. -- The Blackhawks rank fifth in shots on goal at 35.0, while the Stars rank fourth in fewest shots against at 29.5. -- Jamie Benn has 27 points (8 goals, 19 assists) in 32 career games against Chicago, but is minus-15 in that span. -- Gemel Smith has 3 points (2 goals, 1 assist) in 2 career games against the Blackhawks. He is plus-3 in that span. -- Tyler Seguin has 14 points (7 goals, 7 assists) in 20 career games against Chicago and is minus-7 in that span. -- Jonathan Toews has 41 points (15 goals, 26 assists) in 39 career games against the Stars. He is plus-10 in that span. He said it "We don't even know what the injury is. We don't even know where it is, to be honest with you. The general soreness just comes up all the time, and we've got to figure it out...It's very disappointing for him. We've learned to deal with it, but it's been very disappointing for him. He's been a very effective player in every game, but for whatever reason he can't seem to stay healthy." -- Stars coach Ken Hitchcock on the fact that Martin Hanzal suffered a lower body injury and flew back to Dallas. This is the fourth different injury for Hanzal this season. 1085951 Dallas Stars

Scores from three lines help Stars overtake Blackhawks in Central Division

By Mike Heika

CHICAGO -- The way to make the playoffs in today's NHL is through your divisional play. Heck, the way to advance in the playoffs is through your divisional play. So with the division so important, this home-and-home with the Chicago Blackhawks is huge for the Stars. Mattias Janmark's goal 51 seconds into overtime Thursday gave the Stars a 4-3 win at United Center and moved Dallas to 14-10-1 (29 points). Chicago picked up a point but fell behind the Stars at 12-9-4 (28 points). Dallas dominated the first period, despite taking four penalties. The Stars had a 15-7 advantage in shots on goal and a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Because of a lower-body injury to Martin Hanzal, who will be reevaluated Friday, Stars coach Ken Hitchcock decided to reunite the top line of Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. Hitchcock broke up the high-scoring trio because the Stars' other lines weren't scoring. And he warned before the game that he would break up the top line again if he needed to. "The rest of the guys are up and running, so I think we are ready for it," Hitchcock said before the game. "Ideally, this is what you want, but if we think we are being outplayed in the middle of the ice, we'll go right back. This is very short-term, and we'll evaluate on a short-term basis. This is game to game, and there is no plan other than this works for us as long as other players are adding to the mix." Fortunately for the Stars, they received goals from the other three lines. Janmark got the Stars on the board 14:46 into the first period when he swooped behind the net and tucked in a wraparound for his fifth goal of the season. Chicago countered nine seconds later with an Alex DeBrincat goal to tie it, but then the Stars' penalty-killers came up big. Antoine Roussel helped spring Radek Faksa on a short-handed breakaway, and Faksa drew a hooking penalty from Patrick Kane. Faksa, who had his first career hat trick Tuesday, scored on his first career penalty shot. Faksa lifted in his ninth goal of the season, and Dallas had a 2-1 lead. The penalty kill was huge, as it held the Blackhawks to a 1 for 7 night on the power play. Both teams scored in a quiet second period -- with Chicago tallying on the power play and Dallas getting a pretty goal from Remi Elie -- and then Chicago tied it up in the third period. The Blackhawks dominated played early, and Kane scored off a redirection to make it 3-3 early in the period. Both sides them dug in knowing what was on the line. Each teams made a push in the third period, and then Dallas was able to get the big play in overtime. Janmark got loose on the left wing, made a slick move and scored his second goal of the game. "We played 55 good minutes today, which is a good sign, and we competed," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "We competed like heck. We deserved to win and you know for me we're trying to build something, but you build it through the really tough times at the start of the year." The win pushed Dallas to 2-6-0 in divisional games and sets up a nice rematch Saturday at American Airlines Center. "It means a little more than other games when you play a team that you're going to be battling with," Jason Spezza said before the game. "It's inevitable that we're going to be fighting with them in the standings down the stretch. It's a big time for us. It's a big time for us as a team. It can really separate ourselves and make a move, or you can kind of stay in the pack, so it's important to try and chip away at these games." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085952 Dallas Stars

Cold facts: Stars' Mattias Janmark puts Chicago away with OT goal

By Mike Heika

Stars 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT) Three Stars 1. Mattias Janmark, Stars - Two goals, including OT winner 2. Radek Faksa, Stars - Goal, assist, plus-2 3. Patrick Kane, Blackhawks- Goal, assist, typical annoying performance Big play You need good fortune on the road and the Stars got some in the first period. Ben Bishop went behind the net to play a dump-in, and the puck deflected off the glass and right in front. Alex DeBrincat had a chance to chip the puck into the open net, but instead hit the post. It was huge moment for the Stars. Discuss Do the Stars have enough depth now to allow the top line to stay together? They played well, and the other lines definitely had their scoring chances, as well. Is it time to let Benn-Seguin-Radulov lead the way? What does it mean? The Stars have to win in the Central not only to make the playoffs, but to have some confidence if they get there. This is a division-centric league now, and Dallas needs to figure that out. The Stars are now 2-6-0 against the division. GOALS Stars: Gemel Smith sprung Mattias Janmark down the wing, and Janmark circled behind the net and tucked in his fifth goal of the season at 14:46 of the first period. Stars 1, Blackhawks 0. Blackhawks: On the ensuing faceoff, Alex DeBrincat took a pass from Ryan Hartman and scored from the right circle for his 11th goal of the season at 14:55 of the first period. Stars 1, Blackhawks 1. Stars: Antoine Roussel sprung Radek Faksa for a shorthanded breakaway, and Faksa was hooked by Patrick Kane. Faksa then scored on the first penalty shot of his career at 17:20 of the first period. Stars 2, Blackhawks 1. Blackhawks: With Chicago on the power play, Kane made a great pass into the crease that Artem Anisimov redirected into the net for his 12th goal of the season at 1:02 of the second period. Stars 2, Blackhawks 2. Stars: Tyler Pitlick made a nice transition move in the neutral zone and Faksa then sprung Remi Elie down the left wing. Elie made a slick deke and scored his third goal of the season at 14:04 of the second period. Stars 3, Blackhawks 3. Blackhawks: Gustav Forsling made a hard shot from the blueline and Kane redirected it in for his 10th goal of the season at 4:34 of the third period. Stars 3, Blackhawks 3. Stars: Janmark busted in on the left wing and flipped a shot over Corey Crawford to win in overtime. Stars 4, Blackhawks 3 (OT). Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085953 Dallas Stars

With Martin Hanzal out again, Stars' Remi Elie and Gemel Smith make for speedy alternatives

By Mike Heika

CHICAGO -- Remi Elie and Gemel Smith are friends. They also are battling for the same ice time, so that can make things a little interesting. The two forwards have alternated healthy scratches at times but were both in the lineup Thursday because of an injury to center Martin Hanzal. Elie had the majority of games early in the season while Smith sat, but Smith played in his fifth consecutive game Thursday while Elie returned from two healthy scratches. "You have competition in your team," Stars coach Ken Hitchcock said. "Smith took over, and he's not giving up ground. Els has a chance to play, and he has to grab it right back." Smith is 23 with 30 games of NHL experience. Elie is 22 with 36 games. Entering Thursday, Smith had played 13 games this season with two goals and three assists. Elie had played 18 games with two goals and no assists. Because they are battling similar challenges, they rely on one another. "If I'm not in, I know I'm going to be ready to come in. If he's not in, I know he's going to be ready to come in. So I think it's good," Smith said. "We both know that if we let off the gas, we'll be taken out. So I think it's a good challenge for both of us." Elie said he looks at every day the same so that he will be ready if he gets called upon. "I think you just prepare every day to play and then let things happen," Elie said. "You always have to be ready." Hitchcock said the two young forwards are versatile and have speed. That's one of the reasons they have stepped ahead of some of the more veteran players in the AHL. "It's fine to have speed with the puck, but you have to have speed without the puck," Hitchcock said. "Whether it be on the attack or in support, the game in hockey right now is speed without the puck, and these guys really provide that for us. They get on top of you quick, they force you into mistakes, they win puck races and puck battles because they are there quicker. That's the name of the game." Hanzal out again: It's been a tough year for Hanzal. He missed all of training camp with an ankle injury, missed three games with a lower-body injury unrelated to the ankle, missed two games with a hand injury, and now is out with a lower-body injury he suffered Tuesday at Vegas. Hanzal returned to Dallas, and Hitchcock said the team should have an update Friday. "We don't even know what the injury is. We don't even know where it is, to be honest with you," Hitchcock said Thursday morning. "The general soreness just comes up all the time, and we've got to figure it out." Hitchcock said that the team has been able to work around Hanzal's absence but that it misses the presence of the 30-year-old who signed a three-year, free-agent contract that averages $4.75 million per season. "It's very disappointing for him. We've learned to deal with it, but it's been very disappointing for him," Hitchcock said. "He's been a very effective player in every game, but for whatever reason he can't seem to stay healthy." Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085954 Dallas Stars 4 Chicago Janmark scores twice, including OT game-winner, for Stars 1 1 BY JAY COHEN 1 0 CHICAGO Mattias Janmark scored his second goal of the game 51 — seconds into overtime and the Dallas Stars beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on Thursday night. 3 Radek Faksa had a goal and an assist and Remi Elie also scored for First Period—1, Dallas, Janmark 5 (Smith), 14:46. 2, Chicago, DeBrincat Dallas, which has won three straight and five of six. Ben Bishop made 19 11 (Hartman, Murphy), 14:55. 3, Dallas, Faksa 9, 17:20 (sh). Penalties— saves. Benn, DAL, (tripping), 2:12;Janmark, DAL, (tripping), 5:17;Elie, DAL, (tripping), 16:41;Kane, CHI, Penalty Shot (interference on breakaway Janmark skated in and beat Corey Crawford over the goaltender’s right (penalty shot)), 17:20;Elie, DAL, (slashing), 19:16. shoulder for his sixth of the season, giving the Stars the opener of the home-and-home series between division rivals. Dallas hosts Chicago on Second Period—4, Chicago, Anisimov 12 (Schmaltz, Kane), 1:02 (pp). 5, Saturday night. Dallas, Elie 3 (Pitlick, Faksa), 14:04. Penalties—Toews, CHI, (hooking), 17:39. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who dropped to 1-1-1 in a seven-day stretch with five games. Alex DeBrincat and Third Period—6, Chicago, Kane 10 (Forsling, Schmaltz), 4:34. Artem Anisimov also scored, and Nick Schmaltz had two assists. Penalties—Toews, CHI, (hooking), 6:43;Klingberg, DAL, major (high sticking), 7:30;Bouma, CHI, (tripping), 14:40;Lindell, DAL, (tripping), Chicago trailed 3-2 before Kane redirected defenseman Gustav 17:05. Forsling’s shot past Bishop at 4:34 of the third. Kane has at least one point in eight of his last nine games. Overtime—7, Dallas, Janmark 6 (Seguin, Klingberg), 0:51. Penalties— None. Elie, who replaced an ailing Martin Hanzal in the lineup, had three good looks at a potential go-ahead score with about 5 1/2 minutes left, but Shots on Goal—Dallas 15-6-13-1—35. Chicago 7-3-12—22. Power-play Crawford turned him away each time. Crawford finished with 31 saves. opportunities—Dallas 0 of 3;Chicago 1 of 7. Goalies—Dallas, Bishop 12- 7-0 (22 shots-19 saves). Chicago, Crawford 11-7-2 (35-31). A—21,589 Dallas led 2-1 after a strange first period. The Stars jumped in front when (19,717). T—2:34. Referees—Marc Joannette, Ian Walsh. Linesmen— Janmark stuffed home a wraparound off Crawford’s left skate at 14:46, Ryan Gibbons, Derek Nansen. but the Blackhawks responded nine seconds later on DeBrincat’s wrist shot by Bishop on the stick side. Star-Telegram LOADED: 12.01.2017 It was DeBrincat’s fourth goal in his last three games and 10th of November, making him the first rookie in franchise history with 10 goals in a calendar month, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Chicago had four power plays in the opening period and was still outscored by Dallas with the man advantage. Faksa buried his first career penalty shot after Kane was called for hooking on a short-handed breakaway, making it 2-1 at 17:20. Faksa has four goals in his last two games. He had a natural hat trick in Dallas’ 3-0 win at Vegas on Tuesday night. Chicago’s fourth power-play opportunity carried over into the second, and it took advantage. With Elie in the box for slashing, Kane made a terrific pass to Anisimov in front for his ninth goal in November and his team- leading 12th on the season. Elie made up for the costly penalty later in the second. He went in all alone on Crawford after a nice pass from Faksa and scored his third of the season with a nifty move, making it 3-2 at 14:04. Briefly Bishop was shaken up after Schmaltz’s shot went off his chin 40 seconds into the third, but stayed in the game after he was checked by a trainer. … Hanzal was scratched with what coach Ken Hitchcock called “general soreness.” The 30-year-old Hanzal has been in and out of the lineup so far this season due to injuries. “We’ve learned to deal with it, but it’s been very disappointing for him because he’s been a very effective player every game he’s played,” Hitchcock said. … The Blackhawks assigned forward Jordin Tootoo to Rockford of the American Hockey League. Up next Stars: Take on Chicago on Saturday night and visit Colorado on Sunday night. Blackhawks: Following the trip to Dallas, Chicago returns home to face the Los Angeles Kings on Sunday night. Dallas 2 1 0 1 — 1085955 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings' Anthony Mantha relishing big role but, please, no H-O-R-S-E

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 1:04 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017

Anthony Mantha parried media in English and French, a common situation when the Detroit Red Wings meet his hometown Montreal Canadiens. Mantha spoke for a good 15 minutes after an optional morning skate Thursday, covering topics from hockey to hoops to horses. Now in his second full season with the Red Wings, Mantha, 23, is eager to help guide the Red Wings towards the playoffs, to make good on performing up to great responsibility. “I enjoy playing this role, I enjoy playing a lot of minutes,” Mantha said ahead of the Wings’ evening game against the Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena. “I enjoy being able to be an impact player for our team. That is what I am trying to do right now and that’s what I need to be better at. I need to make smarter plays, easy plays. I need to move my feet to get into an open area and create some o-zone plays.” Mantha took a team-leading 11 goals into Thursday’s game. He’s a week removed from being called out by coach Jeff Blashill, a rebuke that has prompted better play from Mantha. “It comes back to being an every day-er,” Mantha said. “Just try to help the team by doing simple things, putting pucks on net, being good defensively, being first in battles to win the puck. If everyone brings their game back to what they can do, I think we can be a great team.” The Red Wings need Mantha, their first-round pick from 2013, to shine consistently if they are to be successful. Blashill gave Mantha that message at the start of the season, and reminded him again last week. Mantha is one of five forwards on the team to average above 17 minutes a game, playing time Mantha has been given (and largely earned) because when he plays to his 6-foot-5, 225-pound size, he dominates. “He’s one of the guys who gets top nine minutes and power play minutes, so he is not alone by any stretch, but he’s certainly in that group of guys that need to be factors,” Blashil said. “I think he’s played three very good games in a row where he’s had good jump, he’s been moving his feet real well. You are not going to get rewarded every night when you do that, but if you do it over and over and over again, you will get rewarded.” Mantha has spent most of the season playing with Dylan Larkin; of late Tomas Tatar has completed the line. Mantha is also a regular on Larkin’s power play unit. “I’ve liked him with Larks, for certain,” Blashill said. “When you play with Larks, you have to skate - he is going to drag you into making sure that you are skating up and down the sheet and I think both Tats and Anthony are much better when they’re skating.” Mantha has history of shining against the Habs, with three goals in six career games. The Wings play in Montreal Saturday, and Mantha will have a contingent of family and friends in the stands at Bell Centre, having grown up 20 minutes outside of Montreal, in Longueuil, Quebec. His parents have been in Detroit this week, and will drive back Friday to catch both games. Locally Mantha is enjoying sharing LCA with the Pistons; he and Andreas Athanasiou took advantage of the basketball court being up Wednesday to play a game of H-O-R-S-E, though Mantha conceded defeat to the hoops-savvy Athanasiou after two shots. “It’s all good,” Mantha said, smiling. “AA is a better basketball player than I am.” The two plan on attending the Pistons’ Dec. 8 game against the Golden State Warriors.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085956 Detroit Red Wings Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 Detroit Red Wings self-destruct, skid hits 6; 'We better figure it out'

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 12:03 a.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017 | Updated 12:14 a.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017

The Detroit Red Wings are playing repetitive hockey, but not the kind that spurs victories. Head coach Jeff Blashill called Thursday’s 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens “stupid hockey. Just craziness to be honest with you.” That old saying about the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is defining the Wings’ second six-game losing streak of the season: Play a good period, then get away from what works. The Wings looked really good in the first period against the Habs, building a 2-1 lead on goals from Anthony Mantha and Tomas Tatar. But then sloppy coverage and uninspired play allowed the Canadiens to score five unanswered goals before Frans Nielsen converted on a power play with minutes to spare in regulation. “I thought we had them where we wanted them to be in the game and then slowly we let them work themselves into it by making some mistakes and not sticking to what we should do,” Henrik Zetterberg said. “The thing is, when we are playing good, we’re good, but when we’re playing not so good, we’re terrible. When we are playing bad, we have to be better. You won’t have everything you want every night but you have to be able to live through those nights and play through those games and we are not doing that right now. “We are not a team that is going to score six goals or five goals. There are a lot of players that have to be better. It starts with me. I have to find a way to get more out of my ice time and produce more and then hopefully everyone else will follow along.” The Wings fell to 4-5-4 at home, with their next game on the road Saturday at Montreal. But then they come home for five games. The Wings have fallen from third in the Atlantic Division, where they started the week, though they are only two points from regaining that position. It’d help if they could finish more of their chances. They put themselves in position to win both against the Canadiens and the Los Angeles Kings, but weren’t able to build enough of a lead either night. The Wings had multiple odd-man rushes against the Canadiens in the first period, but nothing to show for any of them. “In the first period, we showed everyone how we can play,” Mantha said. “We had three or four 2-on-1s — if those go in, it’s a different game. But we need to show up in the second and third.” Blashill has stressed since training camp the Wings don’t have a margin of error; they don’t have the talent to outscore mistakes, they don’t have the skill to amend for entire periods or more of bad hockey. “You just can’t give away easy goals,” Blashill said. “You suck the energy out of yourself by giving away easy goals. It was absolutely 100 percent crazy goals against — even the first PK goal, we get two guys caught up the ice. Nonsensical. And then the second and third goals are absolutely nuts. Can’t give away easy goals in this league and expect to win. We better figure it out. “The other thing I’d say is, there were not enough guys with the real crazy commitment to winning — by that I mean find a way to be not quite in the shot lane, find a way to not quite win a battle. Guys not doing the little things it takes to win.” After last week’s loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Blashill said the Wings had too many “passengers” in the game. Blashill said after Thursday’s loss it’s human nature to need to be reminded of the commitment it takes to win. “Very rarely does anybody play at 100 percent optimal all the time,” Blashill said. “In fact, nobody does. Teams that are blessed with some ultra, ultra elite players can get away with it sometimes. If we want to be different, then we have to be special, so we better be way better about our number of efforts that aren’t at 100 percent maximum. I think our team has through large parts of the year been really, really good about our work ethic and determination. I think there’s been enough of the year where we’ve been real good about it, so it’s a reminder we’ve got to be better about it here.” The Wings need reminders because they keep repeating self-destructive hockey. 1085957 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings fall apart in 2nd period vs. Canadiens, lose 6th straight, 6-3

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 10:20 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017

The Detroit Red Wings’ struggles with consistency cost them a huge divisional game. They were unable to build on a good start Thursday at Little Caesars Arena, falling behind during an uninspired second period to end up with a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. The Wings are 4-5-4 at home, and have gone six games since their last victory. They’ve been outscored, 16-8 the past four games. It looked like a win might be brewing in the first period, as the Wings earned offensive zone time and some great chances. Anthony Mantha scored his 12th goal of the season and Tomas Tatar scored his eighth to create a 2-1 lead, but the Canadiens scored three times in the second period while the Wings got away from attacking and creating good scoring opportunities. Frans Nielsen scored on a power play with 2:24 left in regulation, assisted by Mantha and Dylan Larkin. The Atlantic division opponents play again Saturday in Montreal. Here are the major storylines from the game: Mantha scored his fourth goal in seven career games against Montreal at 5:14 of the first period when he fired a shot from the right circle that clanked in off the far goalpost. Fellow French-Canadian Xavier Ouellet fed Mantha the puck. The goal came a minute after the Canadiens had converted with three seconds left in a power play when Max Pacioretty’s shot went in off Brendan Gallagher’s stick. Tatar made it 2-1 when he converted 30 seconds into Detroit’s second power play. Tatar had the puck in the left circle, gave it to Gustav Nyquist, who dropped it back to Tatar. Tatar fired a shot that eluded Carey Price, who was screened by Justin Abdelkader. The Wings had been 0-for-5 on power play opportunities through the prior two games. The Wings had two shots on power plays and two shots shorthanded in the first period, part of a 13-6 overall edge after 20 minutes. Sorry second The Canadiens scored 43 seconds apart in the second period to take a 3-2 lead. First, Charles Hudon took advantage of an opening and beat Wings goalie Jimmy Howard glove side; then Andrew Shaw fired from point-blank range, at 5:29. Alex Galchenyuk scored at 17:49 to double the Canadiens’ lead. The Wings were outshot 13-9 in the period, and didn’t generate many quality chances. The Wings didn’t come up with the fire they needed in the third period — they got one shot on net through the first handful of minutes, and any hope of a rally was nipped when Gallagher tipped a bouncy puck into Detroit’s net at 8:35. Pacioretty snuck a loose puck into the net on a power play with four minutes left in regulation.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085958 Detroit Red Wings ICE CHIPS Blashill said defenseman Trevor Daley (neck) and forward Martin Frk (groin) are both game-time decisions, though it appeared Daley was a Wings' Mantha has been good vs. Canadiens; Blashill seeks overall better bet of playing Thursday than Frk. greatness … Blashill thinks the Eastern Conference standings will be tight to the very end this season. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 1:10 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | “There’s no bad teams in the East,” Blashill said. “Every team, every Updated 7:19 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 single night, is a battle. Every game is critical and I haven’t been shy about saying that.” Detroit — Here’s a sure sign the Montreal Canadiens were in town Thursday, minutes after an optional morning skate was completed: Detroit News LOADED: 12.01.2017 There was a large swarm of media around forward Anthony Mantha. Mantha, 23, has been in the NHL for two seasons, but he is from Longueuil, Quebec (“20 minutes from the Bell Centre,” Mantha said), and had a phenomenal career in the Quebec junior league. So Montreal remains intrigued about one of its native sons. And Mantha enjoys playing against the Canadiens; he has three goals in five career games against them. “Against Montreal I do,” said Mantha, when asked whether he remembers his statistics against the Canadiens. “Because it’s my hometown team, and it’s always fun to be able to play against them. “I probably don’t know every stat off the top of my head. But against Montreal, it’s been good.” Mantha’s parents are in Detroit this week and will drive back to Montreal to catch Saturday’s game against the Red Wings at the Bell Centre. Mantha is planning on having dinner Friday night with friends after the Red Wings land in Montreal. “Just a pleasant time,” Mantha said. “I’ll enjoy it.” Mantha grew up a Canadiens fan, but didn’t have a favorite individual player on the team. His favorite was Joe Sakic, the former Quebec Nordique / Colorado Avalanche star, with Steve Yzerman and Eric Lindros close behind. Mantha and his family would go to two or three Canadiens games per season. “And we’d watch every game (on TV),” Mantha said. Since being singled out last week by coach Jeff Blashill as one player who the Red Wings needed more from, Mantha has been more active on the ice. Mantha had a goal Saturday against New Jersey, and has nine shots in three games, with a minus-2 rating. Blashill may have been taking a risk singling out Mantha, but the right buttons appears to have been pushed. “What I know about Anthony is 100 percent he cares a ton,” Blashill said. “He wants to be a great player and he has the ability to be a great player. “You can’t push those types of buttons if they don’t care and don’t have the ability. He and I have had conversations, and I’ve told him, ‘My job isn’t to let you be OK – I want to help you be great.’ “And he has greatness in him. He is ready for that kind of pressure.” The Red Wings entered Thursday’s game with no victories in their last five, but there remains a positive belief in the locker room. Players know what they must to do to be successful and believe the difference between wins and losses these last few games – three of the losses have been in overtime – has been small. “We feel like we certainly could have won any of those games and we got points in them, so it’s not like we lost five games in regulation,” Blashill said. “Right now there’s no challenge to the buy-in of how we have to play to be successful.” Defenseman Mike Green believes there’s a need to be more consistent in various areas. “At times we’ve played real well and haven’t won, but we can’t make excuses,” Green said. “We’ve got to get our points. We want to achieve that consistency every night that you need to raise the bar as the season goes on. Teams are getting better, and that way, you want to keep up and stay ahead of them. “Consistency is a key.” 1085959 Detroit Red Wings Detroit News LOADED: 12.01.2017

'Stupid hockey': Red Wings' skid reaches six

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 10:11 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 12:04 a.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017

Detroit — Many Red Wings players, and coach Jeff Blashill, were talking about the importance of these two games against Montreal. A divisional opponent, tight standings, about how important the game are even this early in the regular season. If it’s the case, then the Red Wings hurt themselves — and are continuing to damage their spot in the standings on this homestand — Thursday with a 6-3 loss to Montreal. Too many costly defensive breakdowns, not enough urgency, all added up to another disheartening loss on home ice. “Stupid hockey,” Blashill said. “Just craziness. You come out and have a real good first period overall … you just cannot give away easy goals.” For at least the second time during his homestand, Blashill wasn’t impressed with the level of commitment from some of his team, too. “Not enough guys with the real crazy commitment to win,” Blashill said. “Find a way to not be in the shot lane, not win a battle, just not enough guys to do the little things to win. The level of commitment it takes to win in this league is incredible. We have to raise our commitment level.” The Red Wings (10-11-5, 25 points) saw their winless streak reach six games (0-3-3), as well as dropping beneath Montreal in the Atlantic Division standings into fifth place. And the lack of success at Little Caesars Arena continues to be a confounding riddle for the Red Wings. Remember all the talk preceding this homestand, in which the Red Wings play 13 of 15 games at LCA? How it was make-or-break, a defining point of their season? This isn’t going good. They’re 2-3-4 during this stretch, 2-3-3 at LCA. So much for the advantages of playing on home ice. They’re 4-5-4 thus far this season, although not playing smart hockey at home doesn’t help. “We create the home-ice advantage,” Blashill said. “You can’t give up easy goals. It’s hard to ask your crowd to be way behind you when you give up (bad goals). You want home ice advantage, you have to make sure you play more efficient hockey.” In what’s sure to be a close playoff race, Tampa and Toronto have created some separation atop the Atlantic Division, while Boston and Montreal are beginning to gather steam upward in the standings. The Red Wings can’t afford a prolonged losing streak to fall deep in the standings. “When we play good, we’re good but when we don’t play good, we’re terrible,” said captain Henrik Zetterberg, who hasn’t scored a goal in 19 games. “You have to be able to live through nights and games and we’re not doing that right now. “There are a lot of players that have to be better, starting with me. I have to find a way to more out of my ice time and produce more and hopefully everybody else will follow along.” The Canadiens scored three times in the second period to erase a 2-1 Red Wings lead, and added insurance in the third, to grind out a win. The Canadiens scored three times in the second period to erase a 2-1 Red Wings lead, and added insurance in the third, to grind out a win. Anthony Mantha (his 12th), Tomas Tatar (eighth, on the power play) and Frans Nielsen (seventh, power play) had Red Wings goals. Goaltender Jimmy Howard stopped 19 shots. Brendan Gallagher (his 11th and 12th, one on the power play), Charles Hudon (third), Andrew Shaw (sixth), Alex Galchenyuk (sixth) and Max Pacioretty (eighth, power play) had Montreal goals. The Canadiens (12-12-3, 27 points) won their fourth consecutive game, all since goaltender Carey Price (28 saves) has returned from injury and back to his all-world level after a poor start. “They outskated and outbattled us,” Mantha said. “We need to be ready.”

1085960 Detroit Red Wings After improving through the last 20 games of last season and a fine performance at the 2017 World Championship, Larkin led the Wings in points before the game against the Canadiens Thursday, with four goals GM Ken Holland: Red Wings still need to ‘play better’ and 17 points. “He turned 21 in July,” Holland said. “He’s young.” Gregg Krupa, The Detroit News Published 9:22 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | And then Holland talked about sets of young players who arrive as stars, Updated 9:23 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 and sets of young players who become stars in their early seasons. “Certainly, you can look at Steve Yzermans and Joe Sakics and Connor McDavids,” he said, of the stars upon arrival. “But there’s also Detroit — Four months into his 21st year as general manager of the Red Zetterbergs and Datsyuks. Pavs and Z became Pav and Z at the age of Wings, Ken Holland would like to see his club win more of the games in 25 or 26. which they play well enough to tempt victory, only to leave the ice with a point or none. “It’s a hard league. But, as Holland said before the season, they are a team hunting for a “So, I think Dylan’s in a great spot. He’s an important guy on our team.” playoff berth and hoping to perform better as the season progresses. Mantha’s incremental progress is well on course, Holland said. A few of the players in Grand Rapids may get a look before the trade “You know, when the coach talks to the players, we want the players to deadline, Holland said. But major moves are unlikely, until then, when the be the best they can be,” he said, of the occasional public criticism of standings will again determine whether management is buying or selling Mantha. for a consecutive season. “I think that most young players, almost all young players have some He likes the systematic development of three young players, Andreas parts of their game that they need to improve, whether it’s defensively, Athanasiou, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha, and he included Martin whether it’s strength, shoot the puck or don’t shoot with the puck. Frk, saying new guys are producing more and more good play for the Red Wings. “I think that Anthony is a very gifted, talented, big, big player. And he remained discreet about his future with the team, beyond this “He has 30 goals in the NHL. He’s on a nice path. He’s getting better season. every year – every year. “Well, I think the good news is, we appear to be in the game,” he said, of “At this time last year he was just getting up here and now he’s our the Red Wings’ performance through earlier this week. second leading scorer.” “We’re going to have to play better. We’re in the race. Athanasiou impressed the organization with how he returned to the Red Wings after negotiating a contract up to a week before Halloween. “Certainly, for the next 50-some games, teams are going to play their way in. We’re going to have to be better.” “Yeah, absolutely,” Holland said. But, as his former coach Mike Babcock used to say, top defensemen and “I mean, he came back with a great attitude. I’m a manager I’ve been goal-scoring forwards are unlikely to walk through the door. around a while, so I understand that business is business. And when business is done, then we go about the game. It is still more about development for the Wings. “I was impressed that he was able, once we got it done, to come back “There’s a player or two we’d like to see in Grand Rapids,” Holland said. and go about his business, and he’s played good. “If we have injuries up front or on defense, there’s a young player or two in Grand Rapids we’d like to see what they can do. “He came back, he’s scored some goals,” Holland said. “He’s had an impact on the team.” “So, I think for the most part it’s going to be internal between now and the deadline.” Holland last season expressed a desire to stay and continue to work on rebuilding the Red Wings. Is he talking about a contract for himself, for By then, he said, the team will have improved or not. next season? He can tick off the action in the Red Wings’ close losses like a tax “I have nothing to say about it, at all,” he said, with a facial expression accountant recites the available deductions, including the details of the that reinforced his firm intent. losses to the Capitals, the Avalanche, the Devils. Told that lots of folks around at least a couple of countries in North He said the 0-4 record in overtime, with three of the losses at home, America are quite curious, Holland’s expression changed only slightly. demonstrates the narrow margins. “I don’t know anything about that,” he said. “I have nothing to say.” “Obviously, if you’re going to make the playoffs, you’ve got to have a good home record,” Holland said. “We’ve got to find a way to be better at home.” Detroit News LOADED: 12.01.2017 That said, the power play and the penalty kill, both about as bad as they have been in a generation in Detroit last season, were eighth and fourth in the NHL entering play Thursday. “I just think that, for us, it’s a fine-line league,” he said. “Finding a way to score a little more 5-on-5 goals here, especially with specialty teams that are pushing the top-five — we’ve just got to find a way. “I think, certainly in the early going here, up front, the three younger players – four, with Frk, when he has been in there — Athanasiou, Mantha and Larkin, they are getting more ice time. They’re having a bigger role, a bigger impact on our team, which is a good thing.” Holland said the incremental nature of the development of Athanasiou, Larkin and Mantha is, in part, by design. Management and coaches intend it, because it is consistent with the kind of players they are. While many tried to tag Larkin with a “sophomore slump” label last season, plainly much was going on in his second season. “We wanted him to be a center iceman. Obviously, with being a center iceman, there are more responsibilities,” he said. “Early in his career we wanted to free him up to use his speed. Then we slowly moved him into the middle.” 1085961 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings vs. Montreal Canadiens live chat

Updated November 30, 2017 at 6:31 PM; Posted November 30, 2017 at 6:30 PM By Ansar Khan [email protected]

GAME INFORMATION * Who: Detroit Red Wings (10-10-5) vs. Montreal Canadiens (11-12-3) * Where: Little Caesars Arena The Red Wings will try to snap a five-game winless streak (0-2-3) and gain some traction at home, where they are 4-4-4 this season and where they play six of their next seven, including tonight. Henrik Zetterberg has gone 18 games without a goal, the longest drought of his career. The Canadiens have won three in a row since goaltender Carey Price returned from a lower-body injury and appear to be turning around their season following a 1-6-1 start. Price has allowed just two goals in the past three games while stopping 100-of-102 shots. Jonathan Drouin leads Montreal with 17 points and Brendan Gallagher has 10 goals.

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085962 Detroit Red Wings

Reeling Red Wings whipped at home by Canadiens

Updated December 1, 2017 at 12:57 AM; Posted November 30, 2017 at 10:04 PM By Ansar Khan [email protected]

DETROIT - The Montreal Canadiens had plenty of excuses to lose Thursday. They were missing their leading scorer, Jonathan Drouin, and best defenseman, Shea Weber, due to injuries. They played the night before and didn't arrive in town until 3 in the morning. But they overcame those obstacles and extended the Detroit Red Wings' slide. Brendan Gallagher scored two goals and added an assist as the Canadiens defeated the Red Wings 6-3 at Little Caesars Arena. The Red Wings (10-11-5) are winless in six (0-3-3), equaling their longest skid of the season. They dropped to 4-5-4 at home. The Canadiens (12-12-3) have won four in a row, rebounding nicely after a 1-6-1 start this season. The streak coincides with goaltender Carey Price's return from a lower-body injury. He made 28 saves. Jimmy Howard allowed a season-high six goals. He has yielded four or more goals in four of his past five starts. Anthony Mantha, Tomas Tatar and Frans Nielsen scored for Detroit. These teams meet again Saturday at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens outshot the Red Wings 13-9 and scored three unanswered goals in the second to take a 4-2 lead. Charles Hudon tied it at 4:46, firing in a loose puck near the slot. Three Red Wings were crowded around the net, trying to defend two Canadiens. All were looking the other way when the puck came out for Hudon. Andrew Shaw scored just 43 seconds later. A neutral-zone turnover by Justin Abdelkader led to a quick transition. Phillip Danault fed Shaw, who was racing into the zone and fired a shot over Howard's glove into the top corner of the net. Alex Galchenyuk make it 4-2 at 17:49, whipping in a hard wrist shot from the slot as the Red Wings were scrambling in their own zone. Gallagher dashed the Red Wings' hopes for a comeback by scoring at 8:35 of the third, on a bouncing puck that eluded Howard. Max Pacioretty added a power-play goal with 4:01 remaining. Nielsen capped the scoring on the power play with 2:24 to play. The second period was a sharp contrast from the first, when the Red Wings outshot the Canadiens 13-6 and took a 2-1 lead. Mantha scored his team-leading 12th goal at 5:14 to tie it 1-1. His shot from the corner deflected off Victor Mete's stick and between Price's pads. Mantha has four goals in seven career games against the Canadiens, his hometown team. Tatar put Detroit ahead 2-1 on the power play at 15:43. He one-timed a drop pass from Gustav Nyquist past Price. It was his eighth goal. Gallagher opened the scoring at 4:10 of the first period, with three seconds remaining on a power play. He split the defense and deflected in a shot from Max Pacioretty.

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085963 Edmonton Oilers He seems to have arrived, and it’s hard to critique the process that brought him to this point. Arguably, Edmonton would have been marginally better feeding Khaira some of the minutes that went to other The Oilers take a leap of faith with Laurent Brossoit and Jujhar Khaira players, but that wasn’t knowable at the time. There’s always an element of give-and-take in turning a player from prospect to NHLer, and in between juggling issues of more immediate importance McLellan did a fair job, and two months into the season Khaira looks to be an everyday By Jonathan Willis 10 hours ago player and perhaps one capable of taking on a larger role. Khaira’s story is still a long way from being over; there will be ups and downs over the remainder of 2017-18 and in the seasons to come, and For Laurent Brossoit and Jujhar Khaira, this is the moment they’ve been the NHL is not a league that tolerates complacency. There’s always waiting for. someone else coming along to steal that job. Each has spent the first quarter of the 2017-18 NHL season in a limited To this point, though, Khaira’s development track looks pretty good for a role, caught in the same limbo so many other players making the jump to third-round pick: two years post-draft at the amateur level, three years of the majors find themselves in: regarded highly enough to be on the steady growth in the AHL mixed in with some NHL cameos in Years 2 roster, but not highly enough to get regular minutes from their head and 3, and finally the testing process he’s gone through this season. coach. Realistically, the successful career arc for prospects that don’t show Now they’re being thrust up the depth chart. An injury to Cam Talbot high-end offence at some point along the way is something like five which is expected to sideline him for “at least two weeks” has opened up years. the starting goalie gig and Brossoit is the man on deck. He hasn’t earned It’s still a worthwhile investment for NHL teams. Khaira’s cap hit is a the job, but then he hasn’t been given a chance to do so, either; he’s only modest $675,000 for the next two seasons, and even if all goes well the had three starts all season. Oilers will have an upper hand in negotiations when it expires. Khaira’s road to the top is a little different, in that it’s more predicated on One of Edmonton’s lower-case problems is that they don’t have a lot of his own play, but there’s an element of opportunity there as well. While forward prospects like Khaira in the system, thanks to some poor draft he’s performed very well over his last few games, Khaira is also decisions and even more so due to trading a lot of their mid-draft benefitting from the poor results in certain situations of similar players selections over the years. With the exceptions of Puljujarvi, and with all ahead of him on the depth chart, and it may just mean he gets a chance due respect to longer shots like Joe Gambardella and Kyle Platzer, it in one of the plummest gigs in hockey: wouldn’t be a big shock if none of the under-25 forwards in Bakersfield With the spotlight about to hit both of these players, their respective this year had a significant NHL career. development paths warrant further scrutiny. Even if we confine our gaze 12.01.2017= solely to their post-draft careers, their current roles are the result of years of work by them as individuals and years of development by the Oilers. The path Brossoit took to his current position bears some striking similarities to that of Khaira. 12.01.2017= Brossoit was drafted one season earlier, in 2011, but the typical Khaira started his summer as one of the players that Edmonton exposed development timeline for goalies is a little longer than that for forwards. I for the expansion draft. On quality alone, Vegas should have taken him don’t know if that’s strictly necessary; my personal suspicion is that they over Griffin Reinhart; add positional needs to that equation and he was mature at the same rate as players in other positions, but one sees clearly the right pick for the Golden Knights. Fortunately for the Oilers, arguments for a later age or even the more radical view that Goalies Vegas made the wrong decision, though given where they are in the Don’t Improve (capitals essential, as per Colby Cosh). Regardless, in it is standings I doubt George McPhee is losing any sleep over it. what teams do. It’s even enshrined in the CBA, which allows a longer After surviving expansion, Khaira entered training camp favoured for a waiver exemption for our netminding friends. roster spot. He played well throughout camp, helping his chances, but it Brossoit spent two years as a starter post-draft in the WHL with the Oil didn’t buy him a lot of rope when the games started for real. Kings, then joined the Oilers a few months into his pro career via trade. He played in three of four and didn’t look all that great; Edmonton was The deal was a solid one by then-GM Craig MacTavish; MacTavish out-chanced when he was on the ice and he had virtually no offensive correctly deduced that Ladislav Smid’s contributions to victory were not impact. Brad Malone came up and earned every minute he got, Kailer commensurate with his cap hit and did well to add a couple of second-tier Yamamoto was in a scoring role and Khaira just hadn’t done enough to prospects while trimming the budget. unseat incumbent Iiro Pakarinen. So it wasn’t a surprise to see him sit for From there, things went more or less according to plan. He had a solid three. season as an ECHL starter, moved to the AHL the next year and put in Todd McLellan doesn’t like to let any of his reserve forwards to sit for too two solid campaigns at that level, which put him on track for eventual long, though, so Khaira found his way back into the rotation. He played major-league employment. not much and not well in Pittsburgh, but looked really good in a win over In 2016-17, Brossoit’s final year of waiver exemption, the Oilers signed Dallas and saw his ice time bumped up against the Capitals, where he Jonas Gustavsson to be their little-used backup; he’d been a sub-NHL was decent but not spectacular. goaltender for a few years already and things didn’t go well, so Brossoit Then Khaira was back in the press box. His increase in minutes showed was summoned to replace him. It was the most critical moment in the he’d proven something to the coach, but not enough to force his way young goalie’s career, particularly since he’d had some difficulties with permanently into the lineup. Bakersfield that season. But he delivered solid play in limited minutes, going 4-1-0 with a .928 save percentage, and a job in the NHL in 2017- Pakarinen came back after two games scratched and played well. The 18 was thereby assured. Oilers were wretched in a 4-0 loss to Detroit on November 5, but the fourth line looked great, easily outperforming the units above it, which (Like Kharia, Brossoit was made available in expansion. Unlike Khaira, meant those players got more rope. Additionally, Edmonton had a bunch positional need worked against him; the rules were such that Vegas had of other items to sort out. Jussi Jokinen was on the verge of being traded, access to a virtually unlimited quality of prospect goalies and given Kailer Yamamoto was assigned and Jesse Puljujarvi was brought up, waiver rules little need to pick any of them.) Malone was still forcing the issue; with so much going on, Khaira ended This season superficially has not gone so well for Brossoit, but that’s up sitting for six straight games. more than a little misleading. McLellan has a long history of leaning When he came back, though, he was immediately given an opportunity. heavily on his starting goalie, and Talbot delivered in the role last season. He’d topped 10 minutes of ice time just once in his previous six games, Ironically, Talbot’s erratic performance this year may have made it more playing 10:40 in a mid-October loss to Ottawa. In his November 12 return difficult for McLellan to give Brossoit games; the reasoning seems to be to the lineup, he got more than 14 minutes. that the team’s interests were best-served by allowing Talbot to try and play his way out of his struggles. As McLellan fed Khaira more minutes, he was rewarded with better play. Since that six-game absence, Khaira has played in six contests and the As a result, Brossoit has started just three games in the season’s first two Oilers have out-chanced the opposition 20-to-7 when he’s been on the months: ice. In my view and that of my fellow chance counters (the Journal’s October 17 vs. Carolina: 16 saves, five goals against on 21 shots; 0.762 David Staples and Bruce McCurdy), Khaira had an easily discernable SV%. contribution of 14 of those chances for and just three of the ones against. November 12 at Washington: 18 saves, one goal against on 19 shots; 0.947 SV%. November 24 at Buffalo: 28 saves, two goals against on 30 shots; 0.933 SV%. Now he’ll be the Oilers’ starting goalie for an indeterminate spell. It’s the second great critical moment in his career. It’s more than a little ridiculous that literally years of development come down to such a short stretch of games, but if Brossoit carries the ball he’ll be perceived as a starter-in-waiting, and if he fumbles it the Oilers may not be able to keep employing him as a backup. Such is the high-stakes nature of NHL goaltending. It’s also not uncommon for young goalies to find themselves in this position. “LB’s a good goaltender,” McLellan said Thursday morning. “He’s no different than a lot of the backups that are in the National League. They don’t have a lot of experience, and they get it as they go. He’s going to get it now.” Ideally, the Oilers would have had the luxury of giving Brossoit a longer run of games as an NHL backup. That could perhaps have happened after he was recalled last season; alternatively, the Oilers could have spelled Talbot a little more after poor games earlier this year. Realistically, though, it would only have resulted in a few more games of NHL experience. Teams that develop goalies at some point end up giving them minutes, and a lot of times they come all at once because of an injury rather than being dished out in drips and drabs over a longer period of time. The important thing is to have a reasonable basis for confidence in the player because of their performance at other levels. That's what faith is; not blind reliance, but a surety of belief in something unknowable based on available knowledge. The Oilers may be taking a leap of faith here, but it's one based on a long relationship. Brossoit has been a pro for four seasons before this one, and his work as an ECHL and AHL starter and NHL backup points to a guy who should be capable of playing in the league. 12.01.2017= There isn’t one big takeaway from the development arcs of Brossoit and Khaira, just a bunch of little ones. It takes a lot of patience to get secondary prospects from the draft to the NHL, and it’s no wonder so many players fall off the map along the way. There are a bunch of team-building points to draw off that, including the importance of ensuring a reasonably steady supply of players at various points in their development arc so that there’s always a next guy coming up. It almost always seems like there’s a sudden transition as these players take on more responsibility. That’s true to a degree, but it’s also hard to avoid. NHL coaches are trying to win games and there’s only one way for a prospect to get experience; typically his looks come in drips and drabs until either he or events force the coach’s hand. Finally, this is an area which highlights the importance of trust between an NHL coach and the rest of his organization. He typically doesn’t have a lot to do with bringing those players along, and events like training camp and the pre-season are a poor substitute for watching those players in regular season action over a period of time. He needs to have a basis for belief that those prospects aren’t going to burn him, and that comes from scouts, executives and a development system that does a good job of assessing talent and then preparing it for a major-league role.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085964 Edmonton Oilers though you're cutting the ice time of a better player to give more to a weaker player. (Hockey's got a lot of confounding factors like this.)

One way to look at this is to look at what's gone on in games where the Dellow: Todd McLellan's preference to load up lines makes sense Oilers have had McDavid, Draisaitl and Nugent-Hopkins largely split up and compare that to games where two of the three of them have primarily played together. By Tyler Dellow 11 hours ago In 2015-16, the Oilers had a pretty lousy year for injuries. They only managed to get those three centres into the lineup on 12 occasions. Seven times, the primary lines for those three centres were separated; It's kind of hard to keep up with the story du jour in Edmonton these days. five times, at least two of them played together. The Oilers did much As of this writing, Oilers coach Todd McLellan has just announced that better from a shot share perspective when at least two of them were goalie Cam Talbot will be out for at least two weeks, leaving the Oilers to playing together — they put up a 54 per cent Corsi% in those five games rely on Laurent Brossoit and Nick Ellis as they attempt to drag versus a 45.5 per cent Corsi% when the three played apart. themselves back into the playoff race. Unfortunately, they got killed on the percentages when the three of them I want to circle back to a story that was in the news over the past few played together, shooting just 6.1 per cent with an .883 save percentage days. McLellan talked at some length Wednesday about his own at 5-on-5 in those games as compared to a 7.7 shooting percentage and preference to load up his top two lines with his top players. He explained a .904 save percentage when the three were apart. So they did better at his preference for playing Leon Draisaitl together with Connor McDavid in 5-on-5 when at least two of three played together by possession but not the following terms: by goals, albeit in a very small sample. In my mind there is a great fit there. They played together for a lot of Last year, all three were healthy all year and McLellan split things up games last year and produced a ton of points, and that's obviously Leon fairly evenly. In 39 games, he spread them out. In 43 games, he put them [Draisaitl]. They have a connection and understand how each other together. This time, the Oilers' Corsi% was slightly better in games where plays. They complement each other quite well, size and strength and the three were primarily apart — 50.7 per cent versus 49.3 per cent. vision with the speed and the pace; both have the ability to finish. But There's a huge caveat to this though. The Oilers outscored the opposition right now we're trying to win some games and spread it out a little bit, so 91-61 at 5-on-5 in games where McLellan loaded up the lines last year. Leon plays in the middle and we're back to auditioning up there on the They got outscored 79-75 in games where he spread the three out. This right side. was a save percentage thing — they got a .916 with the three spread out and a .938 when they were together. A big edge in goals means an If you've never spoken publicly without notes, you have no idea how impact on possession, which would lead me to suspect that the difficult it is to avoid saying something that sounds a little bit odd. I possession gap between is much smaller than it appears and may have assume that the Oilers are always trying to win games, which makes the actually been reversed once you allowed for score effects. “right now we're trying to win some games” a little bit jarring. McLellan went on to expand on his thinking about loading up a couple of lines. This year, the possession has been better when McLellan has loaded up his lines although, again, that comes with a caveat — the Oilers have One, those top-six tend, and they do, it's not even tend, they play a lot been outscored 37-27 at 5-on-5 in games where McLellan's loaded up more minutes than the third and fourth line players do. You want your his top two lines and outscored the opposition 16-7 in games where he best players on the ice as much as you can. hasn't. So there will have been more time chasing games when the lines Secondarily is when you're the low forward in your zone defending it have been loaded up, which will drive up the possession. takes a lot of energy and it zaps you pretty quick, so you're not allowed to We can cut a little further into that. In order to do so, I looked only at the go on offence as much as you might like to. So when you have two guys, portion of the game that was within a goal in the first two periods or tied Pavelski and Thornton, Draisaitl and McDavid, they can share those in the third this year. Again, I split the games based on whether or not duties and they stay a little fresher to go on offence. I have to say this the McLellan had loaded up his lines or not. right way so that I respect the players who play on the third and fourth line, sometimes those players think well together and they have a gel and With the lines loaded up while the game is close, the Oilers have been a common brain, a hockey brain or a hockey sense if you will and you get outscored 22-20 with a 55.1 per cent Corsi%. In the games where he more out of them that way. hasn't done that, they've outscored the opposition 14-5 with a 53.4 per cent Corsi%. The difference in the goals comes down to save percentage There are two ideas to unpack in there. The first is that the top six play “a — they've gotten a .968 with the score close and the talent spread out as lot more minutes” than the third and fourth lines. McLellan's career as a compared to a .903 with the top two lines loaded up. I don't think that you head coach coincides neatly with the NHL's Better But Still Not Great can attribute the difference in goals to what's being done with the Data Age, which makes checking this assertion fairly easy to do, at least forwards — they've just happened to get saves when they've spread the in regards to him. In order to do so, I went through his time as a head three centres over three lines. coach and grouped the ice time together by where a player ranked in 5- on-5 in a given game. I then aggregated that into “lines” — ranks one-to- On this look, I can see where McLellan is coming from in terms of a three are line one, ranks four-to-six are line two, etc. preference to load up his two lines. I don't see the evidence as being particularly definitive either way. When that happens, I tend to think that So you can see McLellan's point here. On teams that he coaches, the whatever the coach prefers to do is reasonable, particularly when what third line tends to play about two minutes less than the second line and he wants to do is consistent with his own habits in running a bench. As about four minutes less than the first line in a given game. Of course, he we've seen above, McLellan does tend to end up with healthy differences could also choose to alter the allocation of minutes to spread them more in ice time for his various lines. equitably among the top three lines, maybe by taking some time from the fourth line but he has issues of keeping fourth liners happy and managing In the bigger picture, I tend to like the idea of a team running with three his bench within the context of the game to worry about as well. lines that can hurt the opposition and, if it has six forwards who can drive play or make a difference somehow, organizing them into pairs. I think, So for him, if he's thinking about creating three lines for the Oilers although I've never done a really in-depth study on it, that teams will centred by McDavid, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Draisaitl, he's also achieve more success doing that. considering the fact that based on how he's historically run his bench, he's either going to get about four fewer 5-on-5 minutes from Draisaitl or The challenge in doing this with the Oilers is, I think, that they're in a bit two fewer 5-on-5 minutes from Draisaitl and two fewer 5-on-5 minutes of a transition phase, waiting for Jesse Puljujarvi and Kailer Yamamoto to from Nugent-Hopkins. become impact top nine forwards. When that happens, the case for spreading out the talent will probably get stronger. In the interim, it's hard Those extra minutes will be allocated to whoever gets slotted into the top to make a compelling case that McLellan's preference to load up his top six ahead of Draisaitl or Nugent-Hopkins. McLellan seems to be saying two lines is wrong. that he'd rather give those extra minutes to Draisaitl or Nugent-Hopkins instead of, say, Drake Caggiula or Ryan Strome or whoever gets bumped up there. The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 The issue isn't really about maximizing the minutes of the best players though. It's about arranging the minutes in such a fashion that you give your team the best opportunity to win, which is a slightly different proposition. If, for example, you could slightly weaken the McDavid line by removing Draisaitl from it while getting a massive improvement from the third line by adding Draisaitl to it, you might come out ahead even 1085965 Edmonton Oilers at the international level, he always seems to raise his game. I’m not sure how much upside he has, but there’s enough in the toolkit that he has a chance.” (The Athletic) Lowetide: Oilers No. 11-20 Prospects Winter 2017 No. 15 (NR) L Graham McPhee, Boston College (NCAA) Intelligent two-way winger who is emerging as a sophomore in college. By Allan Mitchell 19 hours ago McPhee posted 2-8-10 in 39 games as a freshman and is 4-5-9 in 15 games this year. College players drive you mad because ice time is weaned in year one, so this spike in offence might be McPhee's actual ability. There's enough offence to project him as a good NHL prospect. We've reached the halfway point in this year's Winter Top 20, a good time to re-set the top 10 before the journey home. For those who are new No. 16 (15) RC Aapeli Rasanen, Boston College (NCAA) to my rankings, there's several restrictions on the list and a few guidelines for what is valued: One of my favourite prospects, RHC who has a range of skills and has been impressive in international play. Rasanen's speed and offensive Players over 50 NHL games graduate (25 for goalies) creativity are the weaker elements of his game, suggesting he's more likely to be a checking forward at his outer marker. Players who have been traded no longer appear. No. 17 (17) LHD Dillon Simpson, Bakersfield Condors (AHL) List is based on potential and gives zero weight to being close to NHL- ready. There are a few things you can count on from Dillon Simpson: He's going to find a way to get better each season, his coach loves him and he's Previous ranking in brackets (previous ranking is from Winter 2016) going to make his partner better. Simpson is now in a mentor role for youngsters like Caleb Jones and Ethan Bear but for me his on-ice results This list likes offence. defensively suggest Simpson's defence might be NHL calibre. He's going This list also likes prospects who can make the NHL in more than one to need some luck and to find a coach who believes in him, but Simpson way. has been overcoming the odds since his draft day. Winter Top 10 2017 No. 18 (NR) RHD Ryan Mantha, Bakersfield Condors (AHL) (NR) R Kailer Yamamoto Mantha was a March 2017 free-agent signing from the OHL. A fourth- round selection by the New York Rangers in 2014, they decided not to (1) R Jesse Puljujarvi sign him and Mantha spent an extra season in junior. As sometimes happens with youngsters, he spiked in the months following and became (6) RD Ethan Bear quite the catch for the Oilers. He is playing well in Bakersfield (17 GP, 0- (7) LD Caleb Jones 5-5) and is a solid addition to Edmonton's prospect cluster. (2) L Tyler Benson No. 19 (NR) RHD John Marino, Harvard (NCAA) (NR) R Kirill Maksimov Marino is ideally suited to the modern NHL: A smooth skating defender who makes quick decisions and good passes. His offence (35 GP, 2-13- (NR) L Ostap Safin 15 last year, 8 GP, 0-3-3 so far this season) may be obscured by Adam Fox and Reilly Walsh, two younger players for Harvard. It's sometimes (11) RD Filip Berglund easy to forget college defenders because the boxcars never scream top (9) LC Jujhar Khaira end, but Marino has talent and is making progress. (14) G Nick Ellis No. 20 (NR) G Stuart Skinner, Lethbridge Hurricanes (WHL) Last winter, this list was populated by men like Matt Benning, Drake Skinner is another big goalie (6-foot-3, 205 pounds) with quick reflexes. Caggiula, Anton Slepyshev and Tyler Pitlick, all of whom have since He started the season well, then struggled and has recently regained the graduated to the NHL. How many of these 10 names will graduate by form that got him drafted by the Oilers No. 78 overall. He turns 20 in winter 2018? My guess is Yamamoto, Puljujarvi and Jujhar Khaira. November 2018, meaning he could turn pro in the same season as Dylan Wells. It's possible Edmonton staggers the graduation, meaning an 11-20 Winter 2017 overage season for Skinner. I believe the organization loves him. No. 11 (16) LD William Lagesson, Djurgarden (SHL) If you place the “McDavid Cluster” NHL players on this page, the prospect depth chart makes a great deal of sense. Peter Chiarelli, Keith William Lagesson is my highest ranked shut down blueliner on this year's Gretzky and Bob Green are building up the middle on defence and in list. He's impressive. Good speed, good in coverage and he plays with a goal, while spending some valuable selections on both wings over the physical edge. Noteworthy this season has been Lagesson's easy last two seasons. adjustment from NCAA hockey to playing big minutes in the SHL (Sweden's top pro league). He is playing over 20 minutes a night for his If you're looking for areas of need for the 2018 draft and spring college SHL team (Djurgarden) and ranks second on the team in ice time. He is signing season, I'll suggest puck movers on RHD, a substantial scorer on signed and we may see him in North American in the fall of 2018. left wing and a complete centre because you have to keep building. For the first time in one forever, I believe Oilers fans can be somewhat No. 12 (20) G Dylan Wells, Peterborough Petes (OHL) satisfied with the work being done in goal. The organization has devoted Wells is mobile, has size and likes to challenge shooters. He has an depth draft picks on the position and have been active in college free agency. inconsistent track record, partly due to playing for a middling team. His save percentages by month this season: .888 (September), .919 My 2015 list boasted Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse. (October) and .892 (November) vary wildly and his shots against per 60 We won't see that kind of talent on one list again in my lifetime but this total (34.1) is actually lower than a year ago (36.6). I have him ranked as year's list does have some important complementary roles to fill. There's the No. 2 goalie in the system, but also believe he has the most potential. no “lock” for stardom on the list, Oilers fans will be watching Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi and Tyler Benson closely over the rest of No. 13 (12) G Laurent Brossoit, Edmonton Oilers (NHL) this season. The organization is going to need some luck, but there's still Now at 20 NHL games and with a consistent resume since 2014-15, he a lot to like. is the NHL backup this season but may not have Todd McLellan's full

confidence. Edmonton is 25 games into the season, and Brossoit has started just three of them. In his 20 NHL games he has a save The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 percentage of .902, I've always suspected the Craig MacTavish regime was far higher on him than the Chiarelli management team. Goalies are famously difficult to project, the one true thing we can say about Brossoit is that his opportunity is now. No. 14 (NR) LHD Dmitri Samorukov, Guelph Storm (OHL) Raw defender who will need to refine his game, there's some terrific potential in Samorukov. Corey Pronman: “He’s a mobile defenseman who can move the puck with size. In the OHL, he’s been quite bland, but 1085966 Edmonton Oilers Rogers Place, with 55-per-cent possession. Those numbers fall to 25 goals, 88 points and 53-per-cent possession on the road.

At least some of that damage on the road is coming against the weaker Mirtle: How do you solve a problem like Connor McDavid? The Leafs links on opponents. look to take a depth approach There has been some interesting discussion around the Oilers all season about lineup construction and what makes the most sense given their By James Mirtle Nov 30, 2017 lineup. This piece from Young Willis delved nicely into the argument for spreading out your talent on multiple lines, as Edmonton is now attempting of late. EDMONTON — Mike Babcock's line blender has been on ice crush You don't have to look further than the Penguins, who have won the last lately. He has held down the button, full puree, and there's no sign of two Stanley Cups, for a good example of a team splitting up its offensive letting up. stars — with Crosby, Malkin and Kessel on different lines — and giving their opponents fits. So when the Maple Leafs players walked into the Oilers' new hockey palace on Wednesday afternoon for practice and saw they were skating (That's how you get Roman Polak playing big minutes and a 35 per cent with altogether different folks yet again, few were surprised. Corsi against Malkin, for example, in the 2016 Stanley Cup final. That's how you win a championship, in the salary cap slash parity era.) This is the new normal. The reality is not many teams have enough depth to counter a legitimate “It's different every day pretty much,” Tyler Bozak said. “They change a three-line approach. There's always going to be at least one rotation that lot during the game, too… It could change in the first period. Second. gets exposes. Third. Or you could stay together a couple months. I guess you just never know.” And it's way harder on the road. With that in mind, it would be foolish to read too much into the Leafs line So if there's a method to Babcock's madness in Edmonton with his latest combinations. changes, it's this: Yet here we are, doing just that, for reasons we'll delve into below. 1. Defensively, it bolsters their weakest points, by giving Bozak a pair of strong two-way wingers in Marleau and Brown. Even if McLellan targets Here are the four combinations Babcock threw together at Wednesday's them with McDavid, they should be okay. practice along with the total minutes those combinations have played together this season (in brackets): 2. McLellan likely keeps McDavid away from Kadri given what happened last time, which means you can have JVR on that line and take Hyman-Matthews-Marner (30.6) advantage of Kadri's offence more. As much as Kadri has become a shutdown option, he remains a dangerous scoring option. JvR-Kadri-Komarov (1.5) 3. Matthews and Marner present a big time offensive threat that the Marleau-Bozak-Brown (0.1) Oilers will have to respect, likely with their top D pair. Martin-Moore-Nylander (9.9) 4. The fourth line is a wild card with Nylander on it. They were very good So, in 1,225 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey, these lines have been together against an injured Calgary team that lacked depth on its fourth line, for about 3 per cent of it — or an average of a minute and a half a game. mostly because Nylander can make plays on his own. Most of that has been when Marner has been shifted up with Matthews in The reality in facing Edmonton right now is if you can neutralize McDavid, order for Babcock to throw Nylander in the doghouse midgame. you stand a good chance of winning. The Oilers' record when he doesn't produce a point is 1-5-1 — with their lone win coming against the So, why, after one of the Leafs' best games of the season, would Coyotes earlier this week. Babcock toss together a bunch of combinations we've rarely seen against a dynamic offensive team like Edmonton? Friends. Kevin Sousa-USA TODAY Sports Either he doesn't want to show Oilers coach Todd McLellan his hand. Or, Babcock, for his part, doesn't seem particularly concerned which of his more likely, he is thinking about how to counter a team that is (a) relying top centres — Matthews or Kadri — gets the McDavid assignment. on one player for a lot of its offence and (b) has split its three top “Either or,” Babcock said. “It doesn't much matter. They're both going to weapons — McDavid, Draisaitl and The Nuge — onto three separate get on the ice. We'll see how the game goes. The score determines so lines. much of what happens as far as match-ups go.” The thing is that line combinations and matching are simple at home. In other words, if the Oilers are down, McDavid will play more — You often get what you're looking for — or at the very least your second potentially a lot more — and some of this chess match stuff we're talking choice. about goes out the window. So when McDavid and company roll into Toronto — as they will in 10 Same if the Leafs are down early — although Matthews still doesn't look days for their only appearance of the year — Babcock can build a like he's at 100 per cent after that suspected back injury kept him out for defensive line around Komarov-Kadri-Brown to drive Edmonton's best four games. player nuts. Hopefully, just for the spectacle, we get more of McDavid versus It worked wonders last time. Matthews than we have in the past. Matthews has only played two But, in Thursday's game, McLellan gets to make that call. Without an games against Edmonton in his career given they're an out-of-conference obvious shutdown trio like the Leafs have, he can go a number of team. In his 36 minutes of ice time against the Oilers, less than 12 different directions against the Leafs. (11:49) were head-to-head with McDavid. No goals were scored by either team with those two on the ice. If you look at some of the big games McDavid has had at home this year, the coach has taken advantage of that flexibility. Instead of pushing for a (They've probably spent more time on the ice on the same team than defensive match-up — and being cautious — he has taken advantage of against one another, if we include the World Cup in the fall of 2016.) the possibilities on offence. Thursday could certainly add to the number of minutes they've faced one Two weeks ago against Vegas, it was a three-point night for McDavid, another. Babcock can play the match-up game as much as he wants, but some of which came at the expense of the Golden Knights' depth lines he has to know his top young star will need to outperform Edmonton's and third D pair. captain to give them a good chance to win. Two weeks before that, McDavid had another three-point night against He isn't shying away from that. And it may well be what decides the the Devils and again two of the goals against were scored with the likes outcome of the game. of Dalton Prout on the ice. Should be interesting. There are more examples — but those will suffice for this comparison.

It's early, but McDavid's home-road splits are shaping up to be different The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 than previous years. He is scoring at a 41-goal and 109-point pace at 1085967 Florida Panthers

Panthers foward Radim Vrbata returns to practice, could play Friday night

Matthew DeFranks Contact Reporter Sun Sentinel

Florida Panthers forward Radim Vrbata returned to practice on Thursday morning for the first time since he was hit in the face by a puck in Los Angeles on Nov. 18, and could return to play on Friday night against the Sharks. Panthers coach Bob Boughner said Vrbata was medically cleared Wednesday morning, but the team would wait to decide whether he would play Friday or Saturday in Carolina. Vrbata was activated off injured reserve Thursday, with Evgenii Dadonov (out for 4-6 weeks with a shoulder injury) being placed on IR. If Vrbata does return on Friday night, it’s unclear where he would slot into the lineup. Prior to his injury, Vrbata primarily played on the second line with a couple games on the third line. But the Panthers and Boughner have used the same lineup in consecutive games for the first time since the season’s opening week. Florida won both games: a win in Monday over New Jersey before beating the Rangers in New York on Tuesday. On Thursday morning, Vrbata skated on a four-person fourth line with Connor Brickley, Micheal Haley and Colton Sceviour. “We talked about it the other night after our game in New York, I like the way our lines look right now,” Boughner said. “I like the way the young guys are playing. What it affords us is maybe not having to rush someone back that’s not completely 100 percent yet.” Vrbata has been quiet offensively after signing a one-year deal in the offseason. All three of his goals came in the same game (on Oct. 26 against Anaheim), and he had just one assist in his previous seven games before getting hurt. “Vrby is a veteran guy,” Boughner said. “He’s played a lot of games, so he’s going to help us when he comes back. It’s just a matter of how he feels, especially in a back-to-back game. We’re going to make the smart decision with him.” -- Derek MacKenzie did not practice on Thursday morning. Boughner said it was a maintenance day for the captain and that he’s expected to play on Friday night. -- Boughner said Roberto Luongo would start in goal against the Sharks. In San Jose on Nov. 16, Luongo shut out San Jose for the first time in his career.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085968 Florida Panthers

Preview: Sharks at Panthers, 7:30 p.m., Friday

Matthew DeFranks Contact Reporter Sun Sentinel

Sharks at Panthers When/where: 7:30 p.m./BB&T Center, Sunrise TV: Fox Sports Florida. Radio: 560-AM; 640-AM (Palm Beach) Scouting report: The Florida Panthers host the San Jose Sharks on Friday night, looking to win three straight games for the first time this season. The Panthers finished a two-game trip through New Jersey and New York by winning both games, just the third time all season the team won consecutive games. On Tuesday against the Rangers, Denis Malgin scored the game-winning goal with 1:09 left in the third period. … This is the second and final game against San Jose this season, having played the Sharks on Nov. 16 in California. The Panthers won that game, 2-0, in the franchise’s first shutout against the Sharks. Roberto Luongo made 35 saves and coach Bob Boughner won two coach’s challenges that negated Sharks goals. … The Sharks have also won consecutive games entering Friday night and kick off a back-to-back that also includes Tampa Bay on Saturday night. San Jose owns the best defense in the league, allowing just 2.17 goals per game to go along with its second- ranked penalty kill at 88.3 percent. … Panthers forward Radim Vrbata (face) could return to the lineup after missing the last five games.

Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085969 Florida Panthers “Even if you’re losing, you know if you had a good game or a bad game, even if you win,” Bjugstad said. “We might have snuck away with one the other night, but that’s kind of how this thing works. If you put yourself in In similar position again after November, Panthers look to turn corner the position of having a chance to win, it makes a whole lot of difference.”

Matthew DeFranks Contact Reporter Sun Sentinel Sun Sentinel LOADED: 12.01.2017

A trip through recent historical NHL standings reveals stunning consistency by the Florida Panthers and displays a pivot for a traditionally slow-starting team. That usual time is approaching. With the calendar flipping to December ahead of Friday’s home game against the San Jose Sharks, the Panthers will close out November with 22 points in 24 games. They’ve won back-to-back games for the third time this season and are looking for the first three-game win streak of the year. “Stringing more games together, being more consistent, that’s the name of the game,” Panthers forward Nick Bjugstad said. But working from behind isn’t new for the franchise. Here’s how the team fared through November in the last three seasons. 2016-17: 24 points in 23 games. 2015-16: 24 points in 23 games. 2014-15: 24 points in 21 games. In each of those three seasons, and the current one as well, the Panthers found themselves in sixth place in the Atlantic Division. But those three seasons each ended differently, in part an ode to the length of the hockey season, but also due to a host of first-half events that helped shape the campaigns. In the 2014-15, it was former coach Gerard Gallant’s first season as Panthers coach and ushered in a sense of optimism with an eventual 91- point season. In 2015-16, the club went on a generational 12-game win streak that vaulted it to a division title. (Eighteen teams have never had a win streak as long.) In 2016-17, the pendulum swung the other way with Gallant’s firing in November, followed by a nosedive to an 81-point season. So how does that apply to this year’s Panthers, who have eight players that span all four seasons? Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad said he feels more comfortable with the trajectory of this season compared to last year’s fluctuations on the coaching staff. “I think the start, learning new systems and stuff like that, we were a little slow with that this year,” Ekblad said. “But I think the past 8-10 games, we’ve been in every game, we’ve been competing in every game, with the one hiccup against Chicago.” Panthers foward Radim Vrbata returns to practice, could play Friday night The Panthers are 6-4-0 in their past 10 games, slowly climbing from the cellar of the Eastern Conference back into the playoff picture. The maddening swings from game to game appear to have dissolved. Gone are the impressive wins over Tampa Bay and St. Louis and the listless losses to Tampa Bay and Columbus. “It comes from a level head,” Ekblad said of consistency. “ It comes from confidence. It comes from everything clicking at the right time every night. It comes from just everyone doing the right things each day. It comes from winning games that you might not deserve.” Bjugstad added: “There were some really high points at the beginning of the year. We played some good teams and beat them pretty good. But the lows were pretty low as far as what we were giving up and how we were playing.” Bjugstad said the team is starting to hold each other more accountable. They’ll hash out miscommunications, aim to solve issues among themselves. “If you’re not really communicating, blaming other guys individually, it doesn’t help,” Bjugstad said. “That’s what I mean as far as a team, we’re talking to each other. We’re holding each other accountable. An argument here and there doesn’t hurt.” Both Ekblad and Bjugstad acknowledged that Tuesday’s win in New York could have easily been a loss. But they also pointed to playing close games as a way to steal victories two points at a time. 1085970 Los Angeles Kings

Drew Doughty's looming free agency won't be a distraction, Kings GM says

Curtis Zupke

Drew Doughty’s looming free agency keeps popping up like mushrooms on a lawn, but Kings general manager Rob Blake isn’t about to take out his gardening gloves. For the third time since training camp, Doughty this week left open the possibility that he wouldn’t re-sign with the Kings when his contract expires after next season. Blake said Thursday he’s not concerned about Doughty’s future with the Kings becoming a distraction. “Not at all,” Blake said. “I’m not worried about that. He’s going to learn that he’s going to be asked those questions, but he’s a long way from being unrestricted. It’s not like he’s unrestricted here in a month.” The Kings are eligible to re-sign Doughty July 1 and are not permitted to negotiate an extension before that date. Doughty has spoke candidly about his situation and he told The Athletic he would consult with fellow Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators to estimate the financial numbers. Karlsson’s contract also expires following the 2018-19 season. This could be the first big negotiation for Blake since he replaced Dean Lombardi as general manager this year. Doughty is having another Norris-like season and can legitimately command more than his $7- million salary cap charge, the same as Karlsson. The Kings already have $10 million going out to Anze Kopitar, per his eight-year contract extension in 2016. Doughty said in September that he wants to remain a King and reiterated that sentiment in Toronto last month. But he’s continually couched his stance with the possibility he could go elsewhere. Doughty referenced Montreal Canadiens defenseman P.K. Subban as a starting point for negotiation for him and Karlsson. Subban’s cap hit is $9 million per season. “Right now, we’d be gauging off what Subban makes,” Doughty told the Athletic. “I think both of us deserve quite a bit more than that.” Etc. Andy Andreoff “had some issues” following his upper-body injury from a fight with the Ducks’ Kevin Bieksa but is expected to be available when he comes off injured reserve Saturday. “As of [Wednesday], all the reports are good,” Blake said … Torrey Mitchell’s status was unclear as of Thursday morning and he was not with the Kings as he tries to get immigration clearance…. There remains no timetable on Jeff Carter (ankle) and Blake couldn’t commit to a post- All-Star break for his return. “He’s not anytime soon,” Blake said.

LA Times: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085971 Los Angeles Kings

Kings keep rolling with 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals

Curtis Zupke

The stadium entertainment crew at Capital One Arena saw fit to play a pregame video mash-up of the film “La La Land” with the Kings making a rare visit. The no-so subtle jab made sense, given it was a virtual city of stars with the big names on display: Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom of the Washington Capitals against Drew Doughty, Anze Kopitar and Jonathan Quick. Then there was a rewrite and a call for a lesser-known name to emerge, and out came 34-year-old journeyman Jussi Jokinen, who scored the winning goal for the Kings in a 5-2 victory on his daughter Sandra’s sixth birthday. “She hasn’t seen her dad score a goal in a long time, so I just wanted to get one on her birthday,” Jokinen said. “It feels good.” In front of a crowd of 18,506, Jokinen sneaked behind the defense and slipped a backhand past Capitals goalie Braden Holtby to give the Kings their second goal in nine seconds midway in the second quarter and a lead they would never lose. It was Jokinen’s first goal since March, when he was with the Florida Panthers before he was bought out and traded to the Kings. Marian Gaborik, 35, also scored his first goal since March, on a breakaway bounce in the first period, and later added an empty-net goal. Rookie defenseman Kurtis MacDermid recorded the first multi-point game of his career with two assists, and Trevor Lewis also had two assists. Ovechkin and Backstrom? They were each scoreless with a minus-2 rating, guarded largely by Doughty and Kopitar. Doughty said he came out fine from a knee-on-knee collision with Tom Wilson. “I’ve never been so tired in my whole entire life,” Doughty said. “I felt like I spent the entire game in my own zone playing against that Ovechkin line. But it was a great battle. All four lines, all six D, Quickie played great. It was just a full team effort.” Quick denied Evgeny Kuznetsov’s bid for a hat trick and stretched out to stop a Christian Djoos shot in the third period. Doughty knelt down and hugged Quick after the latter. “I can’t even say what I said to him,” Doughty said. “I think I swore a couple times.” The Capitals swear they see Jokinen in their sleep. He has eight goals and seven assists in 22 games at Washington, most during his 10 years playing in the Eastern Conference. “I was actually thinking about that before tonight’s game,” Jokinen said. “It’s funny sometimes you end up getting more points against [certain] teams. … I’ve been able to get lots of goals, lots of points against this team over my career.” Doughty distraction? For the third time since training camp, Doughty this week left open the possibility that he wouldn’t re-sign with the Kings when his contract expires after next season. General manager Rob Blake said he’s not concerned about Doughty’s future becoming a distraction. “Not at all,” Blake said. “I’m not worried about that. He’s going to learn that he’s going to be asked those questions, but he’s a long way from being unrestricted. It’s not like he’s unrestricted here in a month.” The Kings are eligible to re-sign Doughty on July 1 and are not permitted to negotiate an extension before then. Doughty has been unfiltered about his situation and told The Athletic that he would consult with fellow Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson of the Ottawa Senators to estimate the financial numbers. Karlsson’s contract also expires after the 2018-19 season. Doughty said in September that he wants to remain a King and reiterated that sentiment last month. But he has continually couched his stance with the possibility he could sign elsewhere.

LA Times: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085972 Los Angeles Kings Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.01.2017 Kings score two goals in nine seconds to beat Capitals

Staff Report By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS | PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 at 7:24 pm | UPDATED: December 1, 2017 at 12:18 am

WASHINGTON — Plenty of thoughts raced through Jussi Jokinen’s mind before taking the ice, from his daughter’s birthday to his success on the road against the Capitals. Not much went through his mind when he scored the Kings’ second goal in a span of nine seconds, the key stretch in a 5-2 victory at Washington on Thursday night. The quick-strike, second-period goals by Jonny Brodzinski and Jokinen helped the Kings win their third in a row. “It kind of changed the whole hockey game,” Jokinen said. “It gave a big lift to our hockey team, and we didn’t have to chase the game anymore, and they had to chase the game.” Jokinen’s goal was his first in 21 games this season after starting with the Edmonton Oilers before a trade to the Kings on Nov. 14. In the midst of a challenging year that included being bought out by the Florida Panthers in June, the 34-year-old was beaming at being able to celebrate daughter Sandra’s sixth birthday with his first goal since March 17. “She hasn’t seen her dad score a goal in a long time,” said Jokinen, who has eight goals and seven assists in 22 games at Washington. “It was fun to get one on her birthday. It feels good.” The Kings are finally back to feeling good after losing seven of eight from Nov. 9-24. This one wasn’t easy, as they had to rally and withstand two goals from Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov, but the Kings got 27 saves from Jonathan Quick and two goals from Marian Gaborik to get the job done. “They’re so hard to play against,” said defenseman Drew Doughty, who played a big part in shutting down the Capitals’ top line of Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and Tom Wilson. “I’ve never been so tired in my whole entire life. I felt like I spent the entire game in my own zone playing against that Ovechkin line. But it was a great battle. All four lines, all six D, Quickie played great – it was just a full team effort, and that’s why we won.” Washington’s win streak ended at three as a handful of miscues proved costly. Goaltender Braden Holtby made a miscommunication that led to Brodzinski’s goal, and rookie defenseman Madison Bowey was out of position on Jokinen’s. “We did a lot of good things,” said Holtby, who allowed three goals on 25 shots. “We did some bad things, too. We got a lucky on a few plays, too. … Just some areas, we’ve got to get on the same page with more attention to detail, myself included, and go from there.” The Kings were plenty happy about winning a fun, back-and-forth game against the Capitals. But no one wanted to get ahead of themselves about stringing together a few wins. “It’s a process,” Coach John Stevens said. “We’re trying to get our team to a point where we continue to build our team game. It’s frustrating when you lose, your energy kind of drops a little bit. But the group’s been terrific, I think the leadership group’s been terrific and we still put ourselves in a position where we want to be and continue to get better.” The Kings continue their four-game trip Friday night at St. Louis. NOTES Tyler Toffoli had an empty netter with four seconds left. … Quick improved to 8-2-0 in his career against Washington. … Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid picked up his first two assists in his 18th NHL game. … The Kings’ league-best penalty kill was a perfect 2 for 2. … Kings forward Torrey Mitchell missed his third consecutive game with immigration/visa issues since being acquired from Montreal on Thanksgiving. … Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov picked up his 100th career point as he assisted on Kuznetsov’s first goal. … Capitals defenseman Christian Djoos returned after missing six games with a suspected concussion. He replaced Taylor Chorney. … Washington put forward Nathan Walker on waivers with the intent of the Aussie getting more playing time in the American Hockey League. 1085973 Los Angeles Kings

November 30 morning skate quotes: John Stevens

Jon Rosen November 30, 20170 Comments

On anything behind the Kings’ strong record against the Eastern Conference: The question was asked the other night. I just think the way the schedule was lined up, we’ve had a lot of games against the east to start the year, and we got off to a good start, obviously, and I think the games in the west, a lot of those have been heavily contested. There’s certainly a lot of focus on games in the division from both teams, so sometimes you get on the road and you’re traveling. You really bear down and get on a roll and get in road mode, and sometimes a team’s on the road, and you can catch them on a back-to-back, I think that’s happened on certain situations. But I don’t pinpoint any one reason. I think it’s a small sample size for the year. I mean, it’s still early in the season. A little past the quarter pole with the season, so I’m not quite sure why it’s worked out that way, but the schedule certainly presented a lot of match-ups with the Eastern Conference early on. On whether there’s much difference between this Washington team and past teams: Well, not really. They’ve still got the same dangerous players they’ve had before. I think the one thing with Washington that’s maybe overlooked is that they have a lot of skill, but they play a real physical brand of hockey. Their forecheck’s aggressive but physical and their forecheck is something they really look to establish a lot of offense from. And then outside of that, you’ve got Backstrom, Kuznetsov, Ovechkin, Oshie. They’ve got some dangerous guys on the back end. They’ve got a great goalie, so they have had a significant amount of change here, but I think the core of their team has stayed intact. On sharing injury information, given Ken Hitchcock’s disclosure that he’s open to revealing it: I would ask the question of why is it important that you know everything? I think sometimes it protects the players. Sometimes a player’s working through an injury. If he’s coming back, opponents might know – even if it’s a knee injury, they might try to take advantage of taking him wide. I mean, who knows, right? To me, I’m not saying I’m right, and I’m not saying I’m wrong, but what I will say is that the health of the player and the best interest of the player should always be at the forefront of any decision we’re making. I’m not going to discredit Hitch. [laughs] [Reporter: There are privacy issues involved, too.] Well, I just think the health of a player, I mean, if a player’s got some kind of a – maybe it’s a shoulder. Not that they’re trying to hurt players, but you are going to try and wear guys down. You’re going to try and find a crack in the armor. You might make sure you go out of your way to finish checks on that player above the rules and making sure that you’re disciplined and not crossing the line. But if Drew Doughty’s got a bad shoulder, then I’m going to make sure i finish my check on him every time. Or Kopitar or anybody else. I guess my question would be ‘why do they need to know everything?’ In the NFL, there’s a line. [Reporter: The NFL does the gambling stuff.] Right, so you’ve got to set the line, right? I get that. We don’t want gambling in hockey, do we?

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085974 Los Angeles Kings -As for the Caps, they’re expected to use line combinations of Ovechkin- Backstrom-Wilson, Vrana-Kuznetzov-Oshie, Graovac-Eller-Smith-Pelly and Stephenson-Beagle-Chiasson, and defensive pairings of Orpik- November 30 morning skate notes: Visa update, line combinations, Carlson, Orlov-Niskanen and Djoos-Bowey. Djoos has missed the last six Kings-Caps games with an upper-body injury but is expected to return tonight. Andre Burakovsky remains out after undergoing thumb surgery. He has missed the last 16 games. With 56 man-games lost to injury entering tonight’s play, Washington has already surpassed last year’s remarkably low total Jon Rosen of 49 man-games lost. November 30, 20170 Comments -There was a big trade within the division today as Anaheim sent defensemen Sami Vatanen and a conditional third round pick to New

Jersey for centers Adam Henrique, Joseph Blandisi and a third round Good afternoon from our nation’s capital, Insiders. The Kings practiced pick. It was a typical hockey trade, one in which teams trade from a on the Capital One Arena ice at 11:30 a.m. and aligned as such: position of depth for a position of need. “Obviously they’ve got some depth at the defensive position there,” John Stevens said of Anaheim. Notes: “They’ve had a lot of injuries up front. Adam Henrique, I think he’s a really solid, 200-foot player. There are some good players going both -Jonathan Quick left the ice first and is expected to start in goal. It ways there.” appeared for a moment that he may have awkwardly weathered a shot during the morning skate, but he recovered and continued his normal -Meanwhile, former King Brayden McNabb inked a four-year, $10-million morning routine. It’s the front end of a back-to-back, so the extension that Vegas announced yesterday. McNabb was effective #LAKingsGoalieTweetOff applies. Los Angeles is 2-1-1 on the first night against Los Angeles in his first outing against his former team. of back-to-back sets this season. Quick is 7-2-0 in his career against the Friendships will obviously be put off when a divisional rivalry is rekindled, Capitals with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage. but his ex-mates are happy for him. -Still no Torrey Mitchell. The update from this morning is that he is still in “Yeah, he got a great contract,” Doughty said. “Nabber’s a great player, a Detroit as he awaits finalization on his work visa. There’s a theoretical great person. He’ll be one of my friends for the rest of my life no matter chance he could be available tonight, but I’m not sure if the team would where he plays. Really happy for him, and it’ll be fun that we’ll get to see put him in the lineup on a day he flew to Washington and did not take him for the next four years.” part in the morning skate. That of course, would require his work visa to be completed, which as of this morning hadn’t happened yet. I asked -An Austin Wagner update: whether the current process was unorthodox and was again told that it’s -Tonight’s officials are referees Brian Pochmara and Dean Morton and due to complications of arranging a work visa during and in the aftermath linesmen Brian Murphy and Pierre Racicot. I’ll be joined by Bill Ranford of the Thanksgiving holiday. during tonight’s LA Kings Live pre-game coverage, and will join Ben -Kyle Clifford was the lone skater to remain on the ice for extra work. He Raby and the Capitals Radio network (listen live here) at 2:05 p.m. PT skated in a non-contact purple jersey and remains on injured reserve. and the NHL Network for some FaceTime at 3:05 p.m. PT. Let’s talk Don’t expect him to play on this trip. soon, Insiders. -Jake Muzzin, after yesterday’s practice, on what he liked about the team’s five-man connected play in the win over Detroit: “Wherever the LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 puck was, we had five guys around the puck. When we get stretched out and big gaps in between, we’re not as effective. Especially in our zone, the puck stops, all five guys are stopping and we’re working together to get it out. I think that’s a big, most important one for us.” -The Kings will face a Washington Capitals team that has once against loaded its top line with Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin. After having been separated during training camp and enduring the first 22 games of the season on separate lines, the two were reunited in a 5-2 win over Ottawa on November 22 and have remained tethered at the hip as the Capitals have won all three of the games they’ve played together by multiple scores. Ovechkin has five goals over that span, with Bakstrom assisting on all four even strength markers. “That’s going to be tough to play against them,” Drew Doughty said. “No matter how good you play, they’re going to get scoring chances. That’s just the bottom line. It’s a tough line to play against, and they make this team roll.” Of course, one of the ways to cap Ovechkin’s productivity is to shut off the distribution – especially on the power play – that allows him to have the time and space necessary to fire off the puck. It’s not easy to do. “He’s really good,” Doughty said of Backstrom, who has 556 assists and 747 points in 758 career games. “I wish we got to play against teams in the east more, because it seems like they have all the superstars and stuff like that. Backstrom’s really good. A very wise player, very smart. Great passer. He makes that whole power play unit work, just moving the puck around. It’s all based off him. He’s a good player, a very good player, tough to play against. When I come here or when they come to us, I really enjoy playing Washington.” Who are the most purely skilled players in the league to defend? “I would say McDavid, Crosby, Ovechkin. Those three are probably the three most skilled guys,” Doughty said. “Like, when they’re coming down on me, I’m kind of like, ‘OK, I’ve got to think about what they’re going to do right now,’ whereas I guess the rest of the guys in the league, I kind of just play them the same way as everyone else.” Doughty seems to relish playing in these types of games in which there are high-profile match-ups against fellow league superstars. “We obviously respect each other as players but when it comes down to it we both have a big desire to not lose and we’ll do whatever it takes to win and I’m going to run him and he’s going to run me,” he said on March 10 before the teams’ last meeting. “That’s just the way it is.” 1085975 Los Angeles Kings

Prospect Austin Wagner Ready to Make Pro Jump

Joey Zakrzewski November 30, 20170 Comments

Ontario Reign Forward Austin Wagner is ready to make his professional debut. Since his off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum and dislocated bicep tendon, Wagner has quietly been rehabbing with the Ontario Reign. At first, he was restricted to isolated on-ice workouts and eventually graduated to limited drills in a red “no contact” jersey. Another couple weeks passed and he is now ready to challenge for a roster spot. There are still two more hills to climb before fans could potentially see No. 26 twirling around Citizens Business Bank Arena. He 1.) needs to be medically cleared and 2.) needs to be assigned by the LA Kings powers- that-be. The Situation: This season, Wagner is eligible to return to his junior team, the Regina Pats, for his 2o-year-old campaign and join the club as they host the 2018 Memorial Cup. As a host team, you are automatically entered into the premiere tournament. Certainly a tantalizing option with a chance to claim junior hockey supremacy in his final season. OR He has the opportunity to fast-track his professional career after signing with the Kings this past spring and battle for a roster spot. His speed and scoring ability certainly gained attention around the ranks and are attributes both the Reign and Kings need in their lineup. What would you do?

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085976 Los Angeles Kings

Game 26: Los Angeles at Washington Jon Rosen November 30, 20170 Comments

Game Threads Los Angeles Kings 1, Washington Capitals 1 First Period, 7:33 remaining Radio Feed FUBO TV Stream NHL.com Preview Box Score Ice Tracker SOG: LAK – 8; WSH – 5 PP: LAK – 0/0; WSH – 0/0 First Period 1) WSH – Evgeni Kuznetsov (7) (Dmitry Orlov), 4:04 2) LAK – Marian Gaborik (1) (Trevor Lewis), 11:08 Second Period Los Angeles Kings (14-8-3) at Washington Capitals (14-10-1) Thursday, November 30, 2017, 4:00 p.m. PT Capital One Center, Washington, DC Referees: #18 Brian Pochmara, #36 Dean Morton Linesmen: #93 Brian Murphy, #65 Pierre Racicot Fox Sports West, FOX Sports GO, FUBO TV, KABC 790, I Heart Radio LAK starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Jake Muzzin, D Drew Doughty, LW Alex Iafallo, C Anze Kopitar, RW Dustin Brown LAK scratches: D Oscar Fantenberg, F Torrey Mitchell WSH starters: G Braden Holtby, D Dmitry Orlov, D Matt Niskanen, LW Alex Ovechkin, C Nicklas Backstrom, RW Tom Wilson WSH scratches: D Taylor Chorney, F Brett Connolly, RW Nathan Walker

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085977 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 30 SCORING CHANCES

JESSI MCDONALD DECEMBER 1, 20170 COMMENTS

STATISTICS Scoring chances from previous games: 10/11 Kings 18, Flames 10 10/14 Kings 15, Sabres 13 10/15 Kings 12, Islanders 16 10/18 Kings 17, Canadiens 11 10/21 Kings 19, Blue Jackets 18 10/23 Kings 15, Maple Leafs 24 10/24 Kings 20, Senators 24 10/26 Kings 14, Canadiens 22 10/28 Kings 16, Bruins 13 10/30 Kings 12, Blues 12 11/2 Kings 13, Maple Leafs 18 11/4 Kings 14, Predators 11 11/7 Kings 16, Ducks 12 11/9 Kings 13, Lightning 14 11/12 Kings 14, Sharks 11 11/14 Kings 16, Canucks 17 11/16 Kings 8, Bruins 11 11/18 Kings 11, Panthers 11 11/19 Kings 10, Golden Knights 13 11/22 Kings 12, Jets 11 11/24 Kings 12, Coyotes 19 11/25 Kings 18, Ducks 11 11/28 Kings 12, Red Wings 12

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085978 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 30 POSTGAME NOTES

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 30, 20170 COMMENTS

POSTGAME NOTES -With the win, Los Angeles improved to 59-35-15 all-time against Washington, a record that includes a road mark of 25-21-8. Thursday’s win ended a streak of six straight games in the series won by the home team, dating back to a 5-4 shootout L.A. win at Verizon Center on March 25, 2014. These teams will conclude their season series on March 8 at Staples Center. -With the win, the Kings improved 12-3-0 versus the Eastern Conference, 4-0-0 versus the , 6-1 in games decided by three or more goals, 8-6-3 when their opponent scores first, 5-1-0 when tied after the first period, 8-1-0 when leading after the second period and 6-5-1 when outshot by their opponent. -Los Angeles allowed the game’s first goal for the sixth consecutive game and the 17th time in 26 games. -By outscoring the Capitals 2-0 in the third period, the Kings have now outscored their opponents 32-12 in third periods this season. -Jussi Jokinen recorded his first game-winning goal since December 31, 2016 in a 3-1 win over Dallas. He has three points (1-2=3) and a plus-two rating in eight games since joining Los Angeles. In 42 career games against Washington, he has 14 goals and 30 points. His 14 career goals versus the Capitals is the most he has scored against any NHL team. -In four games since returning from injury, Marian Gaborik has two goals and four points. He has been a plus-one in each game. -With two assists, Trevor Lewis now has six points (3-3=6) and a plus- four rating over his last seven games. -Adrian Kempe finished plus-one and now leads all NHL rookies with a plus-12 rating. -Drew Doughty’s three-game assist streak came to an end. -The Kings attempted 53 shots (27 on goal, 11 blocked, 15 missed). The Capitals attempted 65 shots (29 on goal, 17 blocked, 19 missed). Matt Niskanen led all skaters with five shots on goal, while Alex Iafallo and Tyler Toffoli tied with a team-high four shots. -Los Angeles won 26-of-52 faceoffs (50%). Adrian Kempe won 4-of-7, Anze Kopitar won 8-of-18, Nick Shore won 4-of-15, Nic Dowd won 6-of-7 and Jussi Jokinen won 4-of-5.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085979 Los Angeles Kings some big saves from him and he showed that to us, so that was very good.

Kurtis MacDermid, on what stuck out to him about the team game: NOVEMBER 30 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOKINEN, KEMPE, MACDERMID I think everyone just did the job and they weren’t trying to do to much. You know when everyones doing their job, and playing hard, and digging deep it’s a great team win. JESSI MCDONALD NOVEMBER 30, 20170 COMMENTS MacDermid, on what he read on the play that led to Jonny Brodzinski’s goal: POSTGAME QUOTES Yeah, puck just came out there and I saw a lane and I heard him say “to the net.” So I just tried to get it to the net and you know, it went off him Jussi Jokinen, on whether he saw a big effort by the third and fourth and into the net. So it was a big goal. lines: MacDermid, on whether that was the shortest time between assists that Yeah I think so. You know, I think every team in the league is looking for he can remember: that second period scoring and obviously Brods (Brodzinski) and myself were able to get that second and third goal, big goals to this hockey Those were definitely the fastest two. So yeah, I just saw Lewie come game. Overall I think it was a really good play of hockey for our team. through the middle there and give it to him and he made a great play to They’re a dangerous offensive team so they’re going to get some Jussi and Jussi made an unreal move and scored, so that’s another big chances and obviously we needed Quickie to be Quickie there a few goal. times. And you know he was great again. MacDermid, on what they did to keep the Capitals off the scoreboard in Jokinen, on how the back-to-back goals affected the team’s morale: the third: Yeah, I think it kind of changed the whole hockey game, being down 2-1 We knew they were going to come hard and Quickie was outstanding and then in 10 second span, nine seconds, whatever, being up 3-2. So again, like he always is. And guys dug deep and blocked shots and did obviously it gave a big lift to our hockey team and didn’t have to chase everything we could to come up with the win. the game anymore and they had to chase the game. So that was a big difference in the game tonight. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 Jokinen, on capitalizing on any breakdowns by the Capitals: Yeah I think it happens so fast, I don’t think you think like that. But you know, every time their goalie makes some mistakes you’re going to try and get some shots to him as quick as possible. He probably doesn’t get his confidence back right away so you try to get shots quick. Jokinen, on if he thinks the “rough stretch” has straightened itself out: I think so, yeah. Obviously we’ve been able to string three wins together now and you know we knew this was a big road game for us and we got a good start but tomorrow’s a new game so we forget this tonight to get ready for the next one. Jokinen, on how it felt scoring his first goal of the season: It feels good. Just actually told the TV already, it’s my daughter’s birthday today so she hasn’t seen her dad score a goal in a long time so it’s fun to get one on her birthday. It feels good. [Reporter: What’s her name?] Sandra. [Reporter: How old is she now?] Six years today. Jokinen, on if having played so much in the East helped familiarize him with Washington’s style of play: I think if you watch my stats against this team, this rink has been good for me. Pretty much all my career I’ve scored lots of goals in this rink so I was actually thinking about that before tonight’s game. So some teams you just end up getting more points than others for some reason. And I think I’ve been around a long time playing east and west. Pretty much everybody knows me, and I know every team. But it’s funny, sometimes you end up getting more points against special teams and this team I’ve been able to get lots of goals, lots of points against my whole career. Adrian Kempe, on whether this was the type of game that highlighted his skills: I mean I think these both, two last games, we’ve played well. The line has been playing really well and the team as well so that’s really good. It was a fast game out there today. It was a lot of back and forth and two very good offensive teams. I mean you get a lot of chances and I think it hurt a lot today. I probably should’ve scored one, but Gabby got two so that was good. And I’m glad we came out with a win. It was big for the team. Kempe, on whether he’s got chemistry going with Gaborik right now: Yeah I mean he’s a good player. I like to play with fast players. And he creates a lot with his speed. I know usually where he is and Lewie is doing a hell of a job too for both of us. I mean it’s fun to play with both of them. Kempe, on what he liked from the third period: I think all lines played very well in the D-zone. We knew they were going to try to push for it and we executed. We did well in the D-zone and then we got some chances in the O-zone as well as we did in the second period when we scored two goals there quick. So that was good. Yeah, great third period. Quick was great in the back of the net. We needed 1085980 Los Angeles Kings

NOVEMBER 30 POSTGAME QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS

JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 30, 20170 COMMENTS

POSTGAME QUOTES On the win: They come at you hard, Washington. They really forecheck hard. The one thing with Washington is they’re a really skilled team, but they’re a big, heavy team. They play a hard game. Obviously getting the lead on the road is big for us, and I thought we buckled down. They’re going to get their chances, they’re going to get some time in the zone. They’re a good enough team to do that. I thought it was a gutsy effort once we got the lead and didn’t give it up. On Jussi Jokinen’s “Swiss Army knife” performance: Yeah, I think any good team has got good utility players on it, and he kind of fits that mold. He’s a guy that can move up and down your lineup and play all three forward positions and is just a really intelligent hockey player, and I think you saw that tonight where we moved him up there for faceoffs, we moved him up there with Kopi a little bit, and he just seemed to put himself in the right positions at the right time and make the right play at critical times. It was a solid effort for him tonight. On holding Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom scoreless while L.A.’s depth players contributed: It’s big. I think any time you’re on the road – obviously you get the match- up Kopi head-to-head there, so even if you saw off, you need some production somewhere, and it’s really great to see that line get a couple goals for us and Dermie get involved in the offense there. You’re going to have to have it with the trip this week and the four games coming up this week. We’re going to need contributions from everybody, and it goes without saying that it’s a quality effort and critical times with Quicker in the net again really helped settle things down and was a big reason for the win. On whether “the ship has righted” after a difficult stretch: Let’s be real here for a minute. Our record, we won some games there where everything seemed to go right, and then we lost some games where things didn’t go right, but it’s a process. We’re trying to get our team to a point where we’re continuing to build our team game. It’s frustrating when you lose. Your energy kind of drops a little bit, but the group’s been terrific. I think the leadership group’s been terrific, and we still put ourselves in a position where we want to be and continue to get better. On the importance of Marian Gaborik’s production since returning from injury: Yeah, I think he’s been terrific. You worry about him dropping off a little bit because he gets so ready to play the first couple games, but I think he’s had three really good games for us. He and Kempe seem to have some good chemistry together, and I thought in a really heavy game tonight he played really hard. It’s fitting that he got a couple goals tonight, and we’ve just got to keep getting him reloaded and just keep him where he is because he’s been a really solid player for us. On the speed, skill and chances at both ends in the second period: Well, they’re a good team. The second period, long change, that’s when you’ve really got to manage the puck, and I thought we got away from establishing our forecheck a little bit in the second period, and so once their D get possession, they’re going to stretch and come at you, and they have players that can build underneath, and I think you’ve really got to take that part of the game aware from them. The second period for teams like that that play fast and have got skill and have a good forecheck themselves, it can be dangerous, but we weathered the storm and came back with a solid third period.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085981 Minnesota Wild

Wild's problem is simple: Too much talent out, not enough back in

By Michael Rand November 30, 2017 — 10:28am

An influx of youth and veteran talent arrived on the Wild during the labor- shortened 2012-13 season. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter signed identical 13-year deals over July 4 holiday. Jason Pominville was acquired during the season in a trade. Defenseman Jonas Brodin debuted as a 19-year-old rookie that year. Forwards Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund also made their NHL debuts, while Jason Zucker got a longer look than the six games he had played the year before. The Wild reached the postseason after missing the playoffs four years in a row. The talent influx continued the next year. Nino Niederreiter, 21 at the time, arrived via trade. Marco Scandella became a regular on defense. Erik Haula played key minutes as a forward. The following season Matt Dumba and Thomas Vanek arrived and goalie Devan Dubnyk helped save the season when he arrived as a midseason trade. That was 2014- 15, the third consecutive year the Wild made the playoffs. Since then? Well, Eric Staal gave the Wild a nice lift last year, scoring 28 goals as a veteran upgrade over Vanek. He helped the Wild overachieve last year in reaching the playoffs for the fifth straight year before a disappointing playoff loss to St. Louis. But now Pominville is gone — traded away along with Scandella this past offseason as his decreased production and high cost pinched the Wild. Parise has dealt with injury woes that have kept him out this entire season and limited his effectiveness last year. Haula was lost to expansion. He has seven goals for Vegas this year, while Pominville has six for Buffalo. Brodin, Dumba, Suter, Coyle, Granlund, Zucker, Niederreiter and Dubnyk are still here and are part of the core of this year’s Wild. This year’s team is struggling at 11-10-3, having allowed 30 goals in its past seven games. The struggles were enough that GM Chuck Fletcher addressed the media Wednesday. Our Joe Christensen reported this quote from Fletcher’s session regarding the decisions the team faced this past offseason as it faced salary constraints: “We built the team a certain way, and we did whatever we could, to be honest with you, to keep [Mikael] Granlund and [Nino] Niederreiter and not be forced to lose [Eric] Staal and [Jason] Zucker and keep four [defensemen]. So this is what we wanted, and if it doesn’t work, you can blame that. But I think we kept the right guys.” That might be true. The real problem, though, is the lack of a recent talent influx. Marcus Foligno and Tyler Ennis, the players who came back in the Buffalo trade, have been OK but haven’t given the Wild what Scandella and Pominville did in previous years. Haula was a sneaky loss, leaving a hole 41-year-old Matt Cullen hasn’t been able to consistently fill. And truthfully it’s been a while since a Wild prospect turned into a bona fide top-9 forward or top-6 defenseman to replace other fringe roster players. Joel Eriksson Ek and/or Luke Kunin might be those forwards, but both were sent to the minors in Iowa last week after failing to completely seize opportunities here. Mike Reilly and Gustav Olofsson will be given every chance to be those defensemen after the Wild waived Kyle Quincey on Wednesday. But there’s no guarantee they will succeed. As Fletcher said Wednesday, this is the team the Wild wanted – or at least the team it wanted based on the constraints it faced. But there’s a real talent deficit right now, and as a result a team that thought it was a Stanley Cup contender is back to scrambling to get back into playoff position.

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Wild claims Nate Prosser off waivers from Blues

By Sarah McLellan November 30, 2017 — 12:33PM

The Wild continues to tinker with its back end, as the team claimed defenseman Nate Prosser off waivers Thursday. "It's great," winger Zach Parise said. "Everyone is really excited. The guys are really happy. I think some guys have already exchanged a couple messages with him, and he's obviously really excited too. Just a good guy to have around and a good guy to have in the room. We are excited about getting him back." Fellow blue liner Kyle Quincey went unclaimed after he was placed on waivers by the Wild Wednesday. Prosser has spent the bulk of his career with the Wild, skating in 282 career games in parts of eight seasons. This was the second time the Wild claimed Prosser off waivers from the Blues. The 31-year-old played one game for the Blues this season after signing a two-year, two-way contract with St. Louis in August. A native of Elk River, Prosser ranks seventh in Wild history in blocked shots and 10th in games played among defensemen. Prosser was originally signed as a free agent by the Wild on March 18, 2010. He’ll wear sweater No. 39 with Minnesota.

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Nate Prosser claimed off waivers for 3rd stint with Wild

Staff Report Associated Press November 30, 2017 — 4:50PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Wild have claimed defenseman Nate Prosser off waivers from the St. Louis Blues, returning the nine-year NHL veteran to his home-state team for a third stint. The move was made Thursday before the Wild hosted the Vegas Golden Knights. Prosser appeared in only one game for the Blues this season after signing a two-year, two-way contract. The Wild previously claimed Prosser off waivers from St. Louis on Oct. 2, 2014, after he had signed with the Blues that summer but was let go just before the season. Prosser, a native of Elk River, originally signed with the Wild on in March 2010 as a free agent from Colorado College.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085984 Minnesota Wild He replied: “Probably. What counts, though, is we played a steady game, and came away with a win and something to build on.’’

Soon after the high stick, there was a stoppage in play and it was Wild stretch for Nino comes in Wild victory, and he's satisfied with that announced in the press box that the goal had changed: Brodin’s shot went into the net off a Vegas player, not off Nino’s stick, so Brodin would get credit for his second goal of the season. By Patrick Reusse DECEMBER 1, 2017 — 12:56AM The Wild went ahead on Eric Staal’s goal at 12:05, and then Staal swept the puck down the ice ever so slowly for an empty netter with five seconds left. Wild, 4-2, and the panic of 13 goals in the previous two There was a gentleman crossing Kellogg Boulevard with a group of games had subsided. people around 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. He was wearing a jersey with No. 22 and the name “Clutterbuck’’ on the back. There are some people out there reluctant to give me full credit for hockey wisdom, but I do know this: If you’re going to go to the St. Paul Cal Clutterbuck was a popular player during his five seasons (2008-13) hockey palace in the winter of 2017-18 with a Wild jersey bearing No. 22, with the Wild. The main reason for this was the times he would deliver the name attached should be “Niederreiter’’ and not “Clutterbuck.’’ hits to the opposition. During those stretches of no goals and few assists, the Wild telecasts and other outlets were sure to make us aware of Cal’s Asked about where Nino stands when it comes to reaching his full hit total. potential, Boudreau said: “I’ve seen him play great, and when you see that, you would like to see it every night. He’s a big, strong guy, and for On June 30, 2013, in conjunction with the NHL draft, Wild general someone who goes to the net – and he’s doing that more often – and manager Chuck Fletcher traded Clutterbuck and a third-round draft when we can get him back to left wing … choice to the New York Islanders for Nino Niederreiter. He was a fifth overall draft choice in 2010 and, somehow, the Islanders had deemed “I think he’s a 30-goal scorer every season.’’ him to be a major disappointment at age 20. Slam dunk, Niederreiter for Clutterbuck stands as Fletcher’s best trade, The Wild did not have a first-rounder in that draft, but Fletcher declared and probably the best in the Wild’s existence. Niederreiter was the equivalent of that and then some. Many Wild followers saw this as sugarcoating by Fletcher, and also upset that their pal Cal had been traded. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 We are now early in the fifth season since that trade was made, and Clutterbuck remains with the Islanders, where he has totaled 86 points. Niederreiter has 185 points in that time for the Wild. The Islanders had banished Niederreiter to a full season in the American Hockey League – and bustling Bridgeport, Conn. – during the 2012-13 season. This came after he played small portions of 55 games with the Islanders in 2011-12, scoring one goal and finishing as a minus-29. This stands as an all-timer in wretched player development: We’ll take a 19-year-old and let him die on the vine playing short minutes in the NHL, and then as a 20-year-old, we’ll let him fester in Bridgeport without as much as an NHL shift. Niederreiter asked for a trade. And the Islanders didn’t need such a request to do that. And for this, Fletcher can remain grateful, since when people give him heat for failed bartering (this summer’s deal with Buffalo looks like such a thing), Chuck’s defenders can always say: “Hey, he got Niederreiter for Clutterbuck and a third-rounder.’’ Niederreiter was moved immediately into the lineup by the Wild in 2013- 14. Entering this season, he had played in 325 of a possible 328 games in the regular season, and all 34 playoff games. Earlier this season, he was one of three casualties in a game in Chicago, and missed six games with an ankle injury. Nino has 12 points in 16 games since then, and there were a few minutes on Thursday night when it appeared he had his 10th goal. The Wild had taken a 1-0 lead into the third period. And then the billed as “Vegas’’ popped in a couple of goals for a 2-1 lead. Prior to the second of those goals, Niederreiter was in close on the left and looking at much open net. It is my theory as a hockey heretic that a high percentage of the occasions when a goalie receives the scream of tribute, “Great save,’’ it’s because the shooter hit him with the puck. This time, Niederreiter got rid of the puck instantly and Vegas goalie Malcolm Subban – P.K.’s kid brother -- sprawled with a long arm to make the save. “What did you think of Subban’s save on Niederreiter?’’ a reporter asked. And Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said: “I don’t know. I haven’t looked at it yet. I did turn on the bench and ask, ‘Did he make that stop?’ ‘’ It appeared Niederreiter had gotten revenge less than a minute after Vegas had taken the 2-1 lead. Jonas Brodin fired from the left point, Niederreiter was in the tangle at the front of the net, and reached for the puck and it went past Subban for a 2-2 tie. The goal was announced as belonging to Niederreiter. Then, 2 ½ minutes after that, Derek Engelland caught Nino with a blatant high stick. “If you had managed a little blood, was that four minutes?’’ Nino was asked. 1085985 Minnesota Wild

Jared Spurgeon sidelined two weeks with groin strain

By Sarah McLellan NOVEMBER 30, 2017 — 11:10PM

The Wild proved it can rebound from a disastrous loss, cleaning up its act to post a 4-2 win over the Golden Knights Thursday at Xcel Energy Center after getting overwhelmed by the Jets 7-2 just three days earlier. But now the team will have to tackle a different kind of adversity, as defenseman Jared Spurgeon will be sidelined two weeks with a groin strain. “It is a big loss,” fellow blue liner Matt Dumba said. “You can't take anything away from that. It's Jared Spurgeon. I think he's one of the most underrated guys in the NHL. I see it on a day-to-day basis how good he is. All of us do. “We have to fill that void. It's all working together and making sure we're focused every game from here on out when we don't have him. And when we do have him, we'll try to incorporate him and get this thing rolling.” Spurgeon, who has missed the past two games, was an anchor on the team’s top pairing next to Ryan Suter. He averaged 25 minutes, 39 seconds of ice time per game, and paced the team in blocked shots (51). Dumba took Spurgeon’s spot on the No.1 unit, and the pairing seemed to complement his strengths. He set up center Eric Staal’s game-winning goal and had a team-high six shots in 26:36 of ice time. Overall, the back end contributed 17 shots on net. “It was good that we were getting lots of looks and lots of shots on net,” Dumba said. Here’s what else to watch for after the Wild’s win over the Golden Knights. Although the Wild’s defense was better against the Golden Knights, the unit could look differently Saturday against the Blues after the team added Nate Prosser off waivers Thursday – his third stint with the organization. “We needed a seventh ‘D,’ for sure,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “I mean, we can’t go on the West Coast with six ‘D.’ We don’t make that move and somebody gets hurt tonight, we’re going, ‘Wow, now what do we do?’ “But Prosser, it’s easy because Pross is a guy we all know. We know his capabilities. We know his liabilities. We know that he’s going to come in and fit in with the group. I don’t think sometimes teams take into account how much good fits really mean.” Goalie Devan Dubnyk made a critical save late in regulation, getting enough of a Jonathan Marchessault shot with his stick after sliding across the crease to keep the puck out. Dubnyk seemed to get more comfortable as the game progressed and ended up making 29 saves in his first action in five days. “It just becomes desperation,” Dubnyk said. “It's funny, the play happened and you kind of have a feeling of where everybody is on the ice. To be honest, I didn't even realize we were down under a minute and the net was empty. So the first one came through a bunch of bodies, and I got a toe on it and looked over and was a little bit surprised that there was a guy in a white jersey skating in. Obviously, it was their extra attacker. So I just threw everything out the window and tried to get a piece of it." Some credit for Thursday’s bounce-back performance seems to belong to Wednesday’s practice – a reminder of how important it is to bank ice time in between games. “You kind of lose some things when you're playing so much,” Dumba said. “You're just getting into the routine of that. It's nice to kind of break it up and have a good practice and some hard drills to get back focused on the little things we have to do in the ‘D’ zone to play well. I think we did that.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085986 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Vegas game recap

NOVEMBER 30, 2017 — 10:22PM

GAME RECAP Star Tribune’s Three Stars 1. Eric Staal, Wild: Staal converted the game-winner and added an insurance goal – both in the third period. 2. Devan Dubnyk, Wild: He made 29 saves in his first action since last Saturday.. 3. Jonathan Marchessault, Golden Knights: Marchessault put Vegas up 2-1 and had a team-high six shots. By the numbers 10 Goals by Staal this season. 0 Power-play goals by the Golden Knights in three chances. 4 Wins by the Wild in its past five home games.

SARAH MCLELLAN

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085987 Minnesota Wild selection in the expansion draft and Tuch in a trade to get Vegas to lay off the Wild's other exposed players.

"It's been awesome," Haula said. "I've really enjoyed my time there. We Pain-free Zach Parise getting closer to returning to play for Wild have a good team, and waking up to 70 and sunny isn't too bad."

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 30, 2017 — 11:21PM Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017

The pain chugged through Wild winger Zach Parise's leg constantly, a 24-hour cycle of agony he couldn't escape triggered by a herniated disc in his back. But as soon as he woke up from surgery to fix the issue, Parise felt immediately better. "[The pain] was gone," he said, "and I was able to sit down comfortably. I knew right away. I was like, 'This is fantastic.' "

Almost six weeks after Parise underwent surgery near the end of October to relieve pressure on a nerve, Parise was back on the ice this week as he works toward an eventual return. He skated Wednesday and Thursday, noticing improvement between the two sessions. Parise tried to avoid surgery before ultimately opting for it, a decision that was easy to make after his status deteriorated while he worked to make his season debut. "The most frustrating thing was having it happen at the beginning of the season," Parise said. "You go through a summer of what I felt was a really good summer for training and working and skating, and then not even being able to start, that was pretty demoralizing. That's just the way it goes." Before getting back on the ice, Parise let the wound heal for 3½ weeks and then started to work on his mobility. Next week, he'll start twisting and shooting. At some point, although he isn't sure when, he'll rejoin the team. He also doesn't have a date circled on the calendar for a return to game action, but what Parise is closing in on is the end of the two-to-six-week window post-surgery in which the chances of the issue flaring up again are the highest. And although the pain is gone, Parise isn't expecting any other differences when he's on the ice. "I can't really float around and be a perimeter player all of a sudden," he said. "… I don't see myself changing anything." The Wild continues to fuss with its blue line, reuniting with Nate Prosser after plucking the defenseman off waivers Thursday from the Blues. This will be Prosser's third stint with the organization, as he previously logged 282 games over parts of eight seasons for the Wild. A native of Elk River, Prosser ranks seventh in Wild history in blocked shots (475) and 10th in games played among defensemen. Prosser signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Blues in August, emerging the odd man out on a deep defense. He played only one game this season for St. Louis. "Just a good guy to have around and a good guy to have in the room," Parise said. "We are excited about getting him back." A right shot, Prosser wasn't in the lineup Thursday against Vegas, but look for him to help stabilize the unit when he's ready to debut. As for Kyle Quincey, the defenseman went unclaimed after the Wild placed him on waivers. The Wild did not assign him to the American Hockey League and he was to stay on the roster for the time being. Injury update Defenseman Jared Spurgeon missed his second consecutive game Thursday because of a groin strain. Spurgeon will also be sidelined Saturday when the Wild plays host to the Blues, coach Bruce Boudreau said, adding that "it's debatable" if Spurgeon will accompany the team on its upcoming three-game road trip to California. Vegas visits The Golden Knights made their inaugural visit to Xcel Energy Center with a few familiar faces in tow. Former Wild wingers Erik Haula and Alex Tuch have settled into regular roles with Vegas since joining the team in the summer — Haula via 1085988 Minnesota Wild "We had our chances. We've just got to bear down at the end of the day," McNabb said. "But I think we liked how we played."

NOTES: Wild RW Jason Zucker, who assisted on Granlund's goal, grew Staal's 3rd-period pair gives Wild 4-2 win vs. Knights up playing roller hockey in Las Vegas and is the only Nevada-raised player currently in the NHL. ... The Golden Knights placed LW David Perron on injured reserve before the game with an unspecified injury. ... By DAVE CAMPBELL Associated Press NOVEMBER 30, 2017 — Granlund had six goals in 15 games in November. ... Haula and Golden 11:05PM Knights D Nate Schmidt were roommates at the University of Minnesota.

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Lagging behind in the Western Conference well past Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017 the quarter mark of the season, the Minnesota Wild were embarrassed by their last two losses with a whopping total of 13 goals allowed. Pride and experience kicked in for a key game against the upstart Vegas Golden Knights. Eric Staal scored the go-ahead goal with 7:55 left and tacked on an empty-netter to give the Wild a 4-2 win over the Golden Knights on Thursday night. "We're aware as a group what went on the last two games. The important thing is the response," Staal said. "The important thing is to come out and play the way we know we're capable of, and we did that I thought for the most part all night." Mikael Granlund and Jonas Brodin also scored for the Wild, who wrapped up the month with a 4-0-1 record in their last five home games despite a series of sloppy and sluggish performances throughout November. They lost 6-3 to St. Louis on Saturday and 7-2 at Winnipeg on Monday. "We were just trying to get back to feeling like we used to feel," said goalie Devan Dubnyk, who made 29 saves. Brayden McNabb and Jonathan Marchessault had goals for the Golden Knights, who took their second straight loss after a five-game winning streak. "The two teams are very similar, and I thought we played well," Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said, adding: "It was a coin toss who was going to win." After allowing 30 goals in a seven-game span since three consecutive shutouts by Dubnyk, the defense was much more to Wild coach Bruce Boudreau's liking. "We understand that we're not going to win a lot of 6-5 games, so we have to win the 4-2, the 3-1, the 2-1 kind of games," Boudreau said. The winner for the Wild was started by Matt Dumba's slap shot that glanced off Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland in the front to set up Staal's rebound . Dumba formed an effective defense pairing with stalwart Ryan Suter, with Jared Spurgeon out for at least two weeks because of a groin injury. Brodin and , a recent AHL call-up, also played well together. Murphy poked his stick to stave off a potential tying goal in the closing minutes. Mike Reilly's slick cross-ice pass set up Granlund's goal , the first of the game after more than 37 scoreless minutes. All in all, a night well done by the embattled Wild defensemen. The Golden Knights went 0 for 5 on the power play. "We played a really tight game," Dumba said. "We were really solid." Granlund's shot scraped the same post that Brendan Leipsic hit in the first period, one of three attempts by the Golden Knights that pinged off a pipe. James Neal and Stefan Matteau had the others. Dubnyk's 10th victory of the season was well-earned, though. He denied Marchessault's close-range wrist shot with the inside of his blocker with 61 seconds left, among several prime scoring chances the Golden Knights produced down the stretch. In the second period, Dubnyk's sliding save denied Leipsic on a rush. The Knights, with former Wild forwards Erik Haula and Alex Tuch on the first line, still put together a potent attack. McNabb, the defenseman who signed a four-year, $10 million contract extension this week, broke up a pass in the Wild zone and trailed a 4-on-3 before a drop pass from Matteau set him up for a score . Then Marchessault gave the Knights the lead, going high to Dubnyk's glove side again, off a drop pass by Cody Eakin, all in a span of less than two minutes. But soon after, the Wild tied it up. Nino Niederreiter, who was earlier denied with a difficult pad save by Knights goalie Malcolm Subban, muscled with McNabb for position near the crease as Brodin's slap shot glanced off McNabb's stick and into the net. 1085989 Minnesota Wild the third from a veteran center that’s been a captain, so these guys know what it’s like to get beat bad. But they know what it’s like to come back.”

Eric Staal's third-period goals give Wild 4-2 win over expansion Vegas Star Tribune LOADED: 12.01.2017

By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune DECEMBER 1, 2017 — 12:11AM

There was no epic collapse. The parade to the penalty box was much shorter. And admission to the front of the net was limited. All the issues the Wild had earlier this week amid an eye-opening drubbing by the Jets on Monday in Winnipeg rarely surfaced Thursday, and the team was rewarded for the improvement — piecing together a 4- 2 victory over the upstart Vegas Golden Knights in front of 19,084 at Xcel Energy Center in the Wild’s first meeting with the NHL’s newest team. “Being smart through the middle of the ice, defending hard, being hard to play against, really doing our best to make the right decisions — we know what’s going to make us successful,” Wild center Eric Staal said. “We gotta make sure we bring that and find that every game.” Staal served up the deciding goal, breaking a 2-2 tie with 7 minutes, 55 seconds remaining in the third period — his first game-winner of the season and team-leading 22nd point — before also adding an insurance marker into an empty net with six seconds left to cap off the type of bounce-back effort the Wild needed to recalibrate. Coach Bruce Boudreau discusses the 4-2 win over the Golden Knights. A 7-2 wake-up call to the Jets not only put a magnifying glass on the inconsistency that has marred much of the Wild’s season, but it also highlighted poor play through the neutral zone and defensive third that was leaving the Wild vulnerable when the Jets had the puck — which was quite a bit. The vibe against the Golden Knights was much more even; a hearty practice Wednesday probably helped spark the progress, as the team focused on those areas while also revisiting its backchecking strategy. “It sometimes can get away from you, the style you need to play and what makes our group successful,” Staal said. “So it was a good reset.” After a scoreless first period, the two teams continued to trade chances in the second. Each team had an opportunity on the power play, but each was stymied by the other. The Wild finished 0-for-2, while the Golden Knights were 0- for-3. Vegas came close twice to opening the scoring, as winger James Neal rang a shot off the post before center Stefan Matteau did the same. But it was the Wild that struck first; with 2:59 remaining in the second, winger Mikael Granlund slung a one-timer by Golden Knights goalie Malcolm Subban. The lead, however, was short-lived. Only 2:42 into the third, the Golden Knights tied it when a blistering one- timer from defenseman Brayden McNabb eluded goalie Devan Dubnyk’s glove. Less than two minutes later, Vegas moved ahead 2-1 on a slick wrist shot from center Jonathan Marchessault. But the Wild didn’t shrink under the pressure, evening it 48 seconds after Marchessault’s goal on a shot by defenseman Jonas Brodin. Later in the period, Staal reinstated the Wild’s lead for good. Defenseman Matt Dumba, filling out the top pairing next to Ryan Suter, had a shot carom off Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland and bounce in front of the net. Staal pounced on it and deposited the puck behind Subban, who ended up with 28 saves. “We always talk about getting guys to the net and getting pucks there,” Dubnyk said, “and we were doing that all night.” Dubnyk, who was making his first appearance since last Saturday, was airtight the rest of the way, posting 29 saves. And the Wild converted its fourth victory in its past five games on home ice (4-0-1). “I think when teams get smoked pretty good, their character shows through,” Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. “Our three veteran defensemen I thought played a great game. And we got the two goals in 1085990 Minnesota Wild

Wild claim veteran defenseman Nate Prosser off waivers

By Dane Mizutani | [email protected] | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 at 11:19 am | UPDATED: November 30, 2017 at 12:24 PM

As hard as the Wild try, they can’t quit veteran defenseman Nate Prosser. Suffering from terribly inconsistent play on the blue line, the Wild claimed the 31-year-old Prosser off waivers from the St. Louis Blues on Thursday morning. This marks the second time the Wild have claimed Prosser off waivers from the Blues with the first time coming three years ago. A native of Elk River, Prosser signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Blues in the offseason. He played in one game this season before being put on waivers on Wednesday. Prosser has 38 points (7 goals, 31 assists) in 282 career games with the Wild and his 475 blocked shots rank seventh in franchise history. His career-defining moment to this point came on Jan 18, 2014 with his winning overtime goal against the Dallas Stars on Hockey Day Minnesota, which was being hosted in Elk River. Prosser likely will serve as the team’s extra blue liner, as well as another veteran voice in the locker room. Not surprising considering he’s played that same role throughout his career. “The guys are really happy,” veteran winger Zach Parise said. “I think some guys have already exchanged a couple messages with him and he’s obviously really excited too. Just a good guy to have around and a good guy to have in the room. We are excited about getting him back.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085991 Minnesota Wild think I’ll start to get the itch to play. It’s one of those things where I have to listen to (the doctors). … There’s a good line of communication of what we can and can’t do, and we’ll follow that.” Wild’s Zach Parise after back surgery: ‘I’m not going to change’ Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 By Dane Mizutani | [email protected] | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 at 1:42 pm | UPDATED: November 30, 2017 at 1:43 PM

After having back surgery five weeks ago, Zach Parise still has a long way to go in the recovery process. He won’t even set a timeline on his return to the Wild lineup at this point, though he took his first step Wednesday morning, skating for the first time since having a herniated disk removed. “I feel good,” Parise said Thursday morning after his second straight day on the ice. “It’s still pretty basic skating stuff out there that we’re doing. It feels really good, though.” Parise said the decision to have back surgery was easy because the pinched nerve was causing constant pain shooting up and down his leg. “It was all leg,” Parise said. “So I wasn’t lying when I said it wasn’t my back. My back actually didn’t hurt. My back felt great. It was my leg that hurt.” The pain started during an intense practice at St. Thomas Ice Arena on Oct. 16. Parise took a hit during a one-on-one drill and got “a zing” of nerve pain that never went away. He had surgery eight days later, on Oct. 24, after deciding he could tolerate the pain no longer. “It kept going downhill, and the decision to do it was pretty simple,” Parise said. “At that point I pretty much would’ve done anything to get out of the pain. And I felt like we had kind of exhausted all the options of what we can do to avoid it, so it was pretty simple to finally be like, ‘Let’s just do it, get it done with, start the rehab and move on with life.’ ” Parise said he felt no pain when he awoke from surgery. “It was gone,” Parise said. “I knew right away, I was like, ‘This is fantastic.’ ” Parise said there are certain “checkmarks” he has to hit during the recovery process, like having to lay low for three weeks after the surgery while the wound healed. “I wasn’t even allowed to sweat,” Parise said. “I went through that and once that heals up I started to do some mobility stuff. Now going on the ice with (skating instructor) Diane (Ness) and doing the skating stuff, it’s almost like learning to skate out there again. Then next week I’ll be able to start shooting and doing some twisting. It’s just things like that. You get introduced to going out with the puck and shooting and then hopefully eventually on with the team. As far as that goes, I don’t know how far down the road that’ll be.” While he’s gotten restless from time to time over the past five weeks, Parise said it’s been easier to deal with since his quality of life has been so much better. “I was in kind of that honeymoon phase of just being happy to not be in pain anymore, so that’s all I cared about,” he said. “Now we’ll keep progressing and get back on the ice.” Parise has made his money on the ice by going into the corners and battling for pucks. He plans to continue that gritty style when he returns to the lineup. “I’m not going to change,” Parise said. “I think that’s what makes me the player I am, so I can’t really float around and be a perimeter player all of a sudden. … That’s part of the process. It’ll get to the point of having a comfort to say, ‘Hey. I can take a hit and nothing’s going to happen.’ ” Parise said he isn’t worried about the injury flaring up again. There’s a 2- to 6-week window after the back surgery that carries the highest risk of re-herniating the disk, and he’s almost out of that. “I haven’t felt anything,” Parise said. “I think it’s something that I personally have to pay more attention to with the help of the guys in there. There are just some things that I’ve got to strengthen to make sure we don’t have to worry about it.” Parise won’t return to the lineup until he’s 100 percent. That said, he knows it’s only a matter of time until his patience is tested. “I haven’t hit that point yet,” Parise said. “I feel like once I start to do more stuff and go on the ice and like, ‘Oh I can do that. That felt easy,’ then I 1085992 Minnesota Wild

Former Wild players’ life in Vegas: 70 degrees and sunny, plus winning hockey

By Dane Mizutani | [email protected] | Pioneer Press PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 at 2:59 pm | UPDATED: November 30, 2017 at 3:01 PM

Nearly two months into the season, the Vegas Golden Knights continue to be one of the NHL’s tops teams and certainly its biggest surprise, leading the Pacific Division with a 15-7-1 record and 31 points entering Thursday’s tilt against the Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. The scrappy expansion team is comprised of a cast of misfits playing with a collective chip on their shoulder, including former Wild players Erik Haula and Alex Tuch. “That’s part of it,” said Tuch, who was traded by the Wild during the expansion draft so the Golden Knights steered clear of certain players and selected Haula instead. “I think that guys come in excited to play their old teams and the guys in the locker room want to help those guys beat their old teams.” Haula and Tuch fall into that category, and while the road trip provided an opportunity to catch up with old friends, both players agreed that those friendships will be put on hold during the game. Haula (7 goals, 6 assists) and Tuch (5 goals, 5 assists) were expected to be on the same line along with James Neal against the Wild. “That was one of my goals when I got picked up, to challenge myself to be a top-six forward,” said Haula, a former Gophers star with deep roots in the Twin Cities. “Now it’s about not being satisfied and keeping it going.” Asked what he thinks the reception will be like when both players step onto the ice, Haula joked, “Hopefully more cheers than boos.” “It’s been awesome,” Haula added. “I’ve really enjoyed my time there. We have a good team. And waking up to 70 (degrees) and sunny isn’t too bad.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085993 Minnesota Wild “I liked what I saw much better than the previous two games,” Boudreau said. “We understand that we’re not going to win a lot of 6-5 game, so we have to win the 4-2, the 3-1, the 2-1 games.” Wild bounce back with much-needed 4-2 win over Golden Knights And that’s exactly what the Wild did.

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.01.2017 PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 at 9:37 pm | UPDATED: November 30, 2017 at 11:03 PM

After perhaps the worst two-game stretch the Wild have had in recent memory, highlighted by Monday’s 7-2 beatdown at the hands of the Winnipeg Jets, coach Bruce Boudreau had little doubt that his team was going to bounce back in Thursday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights at the Xcel Energy Center. “We can play horrible one night and then the next night we can play really good,” Boudreau said pregame when asked to assess his team. “I’m expecting us to be a good team tonight.” Clearly the 62-year-old coach has a good read on his team because the Wild tightened things up en route to a much-needed 4-2 win over the Golden Knights. “I think when teams get smoked pretty good, their character shows through,” Boudreau said postgame. “These guys know what it’s like to get beat bad. They also know what it’s like to come back.” In comparison to a few days ago, the Wild looked like a completely different team during Thursday’s contest, playing solid in both ends besides a rough five-minute stretch in the third period that left them trailing. Still, the Wild found a way to battle back and Eric Staal scored the game- winning goal midway through a frenetic third period before adding an empty-net goal in the waning seconds to slam the door shut. “That was good,” said Devan Dubnyk, who finished the night with 29 saves, none bigger than his paddle save in the final minute of the game, as the Wild hung on down the stretch. “We wanted to make sure we were playing solid defensively. When we’re coming off a shellacking like (the game against the Jets) we’re just trying to get back to feeling like we used to feel and I thought we did a good job of doing that.” That effort from the Wild came a little more than 24 hours after general manager Chuck Fletcher called out his team to members of the media. “We are aware as a group what went on the last two games,” Staal said. “The important thing is the response. … We know what’s going to make us successful. We have to make sure we bring that every game.” It was a solid effort out of the gates from the Wild, and after a back-and- forth first period, they finally got on the board late in the second period thanks to a goal from Mikael Granlund. That came after Boudreau made the decision to reunite the dynamic Jason Zucker-Mikko Koivu-Mikael Granlund line. It paid dividends immediately as the the Wild earned an offensive zone draw, and a few seconds later, Granlund gave his team the lead with a winding wrist shot from near the right circle. He had an eternity to pick his spot thanks to a beautiful cross ice pass from Mike Reilly, and once he did, he made the most of it. That lead wouldn’t last, as Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb tied the game early in the third period after a mad rush into the offensive zone. Then, a couple minutes later, Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault gave his team the lead with a wrist shot that beat Dubnyk upstairs. Jonas Brodin continued the chaos less than a minute later, tying the game when his shot from the point ramped up off McNabb’s stick and into the back of the net. That goal came a few minutes after Golden Knights goaltender Malcolm Subban robbed Nino Niederreiter from point- blank range. That paved the way for Staal to net the game-winner late in the third period with a tap-in goal after an initial shot from Matt Dumba bounced right to him in front of the net. “I liked the way we responded and continued to play,” Staal said. “We had a lot of looks the other way. … It was nice to continue to play and get the job done.” Now the Wild need to carry that effort over into Saturday’s game against the St. Louis Blues. 1085994 Montreal Canadiens

Gallagher scores twice, Canadiens beat struggling Red Wings 6-3

RAJ MEHTA/USA TODAY SPORTS NOAH TRISTER PUBLISHED 7 HOURS AGO UPDATED NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Brendan Gallagher scored twice, and his Montreal Canadiens teammates added three goals in the second period on the way to a 6-3 victory over the struggling Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night. Charles Hudon and Andrew Shaw scored 43 seconds apart for the Canadiens, who have won four games in a row. Alex Galchenyuk also scored for Montreal in the second, and Max Pacioretty added a goal in the third to help Claude Julien to his 100th win as Canadiens coach. Anthony Mantha, Tomas Tatar and Frans Nielsen scored for Detroit. The Red Wings have lost six straight, although three of those defeats were in overtime. Detroit led 2-1 in the second when the puck came to Hudon after a scramble in front. He lifted it past goalie Jimmy Howard for the tying goal. Moments later, Shaw took a pass from Phillip Danault and beat Howard with a wrist shot. Galchenyuk made it 4-2 late in the second. Gallagher scored both his goals on deflections in front and has 12 on the season. His second goal of the night made it 5-2 in the third, and Pacioretty added a power-play goal later in the period. Nielsen's goal came on the power play as well and made it 6-3. Gallagher gave the Canadiens a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal in the first, but Mantha answered 64 seconds later with his 12th of the season. Tatar put Detroit up 2-1 with a power-play goal, beating Carey Price with a wrist shot from the left circle. The four-game winning streak is Montreal's longest of the season. The Canadiens were in an early hole thanks to a seven-game skid in October, but this victory moved them into third place in the Atlantic Division.

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Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings: Five things you should know

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette Published on: November 30, 2017 | Last Updated: November 30, 2017 6:00 AM EST

Here are five things you should know about Thursday’s game between the Canadiens and the Red Wings in Detroit (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio): Playoffs? Really? Three weeks ago, it was folly to mention the Canadiens and the playoffs in the same sentence, but Montreal is poised to move into a playoff position. Going into Wednesday night’s action, the Red Wings were holding down the third and final automatic playoff position in the weak Atlantic Division, but they held a two-point edge over the Canadiens. Montreal and Detroit also meet Saturday night at the Bell Centre, so there’s room for movement. Who’s in goal? Coach Claude Julien isn’t tipping his hand when it comes to naming his starting goaltender for this game. Normally, the team would split the workload in back-to-back games, but Julien left his options open and suggested Carey Price might come back after playing against Ottawa Wednesday night at home. If Price plays, he’s looking at four games in six nights and the confidence in Antti Niemi has risen after he stole a point in Nashville last week. Fourth-line woes: You have to wonder how much longer the Canadiens will wait to make changes on the fourth line. The current trio of Byron Froese, Nicolas Deslauriers and Jacob De La Rose has failed to produce a point this season and De La Rose has managed only one assist during the past three seasons. Chris Terry, Daniel Carr and Peter Holland all offer more offence as well as some experience at the NHL level. Medical non-update: Of course, the fourth-line problem would solve itself if the Canadiens could get some of their injured players back in the lineup, but there is no prognosis on Artturi Lehkonen (lower-body injury) or Ales Hemsky, who is out with a concussion. There was one bit of good news this week as defence prospect Noah Juulsen was cleared to join the Laval Rocket. He suffered a broken foot in training camp and his recovery took longer than expected. The other guys: The Red Wings are 3-3-4 in their last 10 games and are giving up more goals (2.92 a game) than they are scoring (2.72). Dylan Larkin leads the Wings with four goals and 21 points, while Anthony Mantha has a team-high 11 goals and 20 points. Detroit has given up on Peter Mrazek as a No. 1 goalie and veteran Jimmy Howard has decent numbers with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.

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Canadiens deal Peter Holland to Rangers for winger Adam Cracknell

Staff Report Montreal Gazette Montreal Gazette Published on: November 30, 2017 | Last Updated: November 30, 2017 11:15 AM EST

The Canadiens announced Thursday that the team has traded Laval Rocket forward Peter Holland to the New York Rangers in exchange for forward Adam Cracknell. Cracknell will report to the Laval Rocket. Cracknell has spent the majority of the 2017-18 season in the American Hockey League with the Hartford Wolfpack, where he had two goals, three points, a minus-5 rating and six penalty minutes in 15 games. The 32-year-old right winger, a native of Prince Albert, Sask., also played four games with the Rangers this season. Prior to joining the Rangers, Cracknell played for the St. Louis Blues, Columbus Blue Jackets, Vancouver Canucks, Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars, collecting 21 goals, 43 points and 46 penalty minutes in 208 NHL games over eight seasons. Holland, 26, had eight goals and 10 assists in 20 AHL games with the Rocket this season. He joined the Canadiens’ organization in July as an unrestricted free agent. The Canadiens also announced early Thursday that forward Jonathan Drouin did not travel with the team to Detroit. He is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Drouin had played Wednesday night against the Senators, scoring the winner on a penalty shot in a 2-1 win. After the game, the Canadiens called up forward Daniel Carr from the Laval Rocket, and he will join the team in Detroit for Thursday night’s game against the Red Wings.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.01.2017 1085997 Montreal Canadiens totals in 208 career NHL games with St. Louis, Columbus, Vancouver, Edmonton, Dallas and the Rangers.

Excited to be joining the @CanadiensMTL organization. Sure wish I Game Day: Canadiens' Jonathan Drouin won't be in lineup against Red hadn’t failed French in elementary school. #bonjour #poutine— Adam Wings Cracknell (@ACracknell25) November 30, 2017 Defenceman David Schlemko finally made his debut with the Canadiens Stu Cowan, Montreal Gazette Wednesday night after missing the first 25 games because of a broken hand suffered on the first day of training camp. Published on: November 30, 2017 | Last Updated: November 30, 2017 5:39 PM EST Schlemko logged 15:54 of ice time against the Senators, including 1:42 on the power play and 40 seconds short-handed, getting two shots on goal. The Canadiens will be looking to win their fourth straight game when they “I just tried to stay simple for the most part and not try to do too much,” take on the Red Wings Thursday night in Detroit (7:30 p.m., TSN2, RDS, Schlemko said after the game. “Just play solid.” TSN Radio 690) but they will have to do it without Jonathan Drouin. Shaw was impressed with Schlemko’s performance. Drouin, who scored on a penalty shot in the Canadiens’ 2-1 win over the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night at the Bell Centre, didn’t travel to “He’s smooth,” Shaw said. “He’s poised with the puck, he makes plays. Detroit after the game with the team because of a lower-body injury. The He skates himself out of pressure areas and makes good plays and Canadiens called up Daniel Carr from the AHL’s Laval Rocket to take allows us to get our feet going. He makes a great first pass. Drouin’s place. Carr has 12-7-19 totals in 20 games with the Rocket. “I played against him quite a bit over the years,” Shaw added about Byron Froese will play centre on the fourth line between Carr and Nicolas Schlemko. “I knew he had it in him and I know he was itching to get back. Deslauriers, while Jacob De La Rose will take Drouin’s spot at centre He was excited for it and he played an outstanding game.” between Alex Galchenyuk and Paul Byron. Shlemko was paired with Jakub Jerabek for most of the game. Shea Weber, who has missed five straight games with a lower-body injury, travelled to Detroit with the Canadiens but has been placed on the “They were great,” Shaw said. “They move the puck well, they have good injured-reserve list according to CapFriendly.com so he won’t play sticks, they skate themselves out of pressure areas and make plays. against the Red Wings. Coach Claude Julien confirmed when he met Offensively, they’re great as well.” with the media at 4:45 p.m. in Detroit that Carey Price will make his fourth straight start in goal against the Red Wings. Jerabek is plus-3 in the four games he has played with the Canadiens since getting called up from Laval while averaging 15:48 of ice time. “If it had been a tough night for him (Wednesday night), we might’ve decided otherwise, but he’s feeling good,” Julien told reporters in Detroit The Canadiens acquired Schlemko from Las Vegas this past summer in about his decision to start Price on back-to-back nights. “He’s a goalie exchange for a fifth-round pick at the 2019 NHL Draft after the Golden who hasn’t played for three weeks, so he’s pretty well-rested.” Knights picked him up from the San Jose Sharks in the NHL expansion draft. Schlemko posted 2-16-18 totals in 62 games with the Sharks last Price stopped 27 of 28 shots against the Senators to win his third straight season and was plus-4. game since coming back from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for 10 games. Price has stopped 100 of the 102 shots he has faced during Shea Who? the three-game winning streak to improve his season record to 6-7-1 with The Canadiens have allowed eight goals in the five games No. 1 a 3.08 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage. defenceman Weber has been out of the lineup, including only two in the Drouin logged 13:10 of ice time against the Senators and won eight of last three games, and have a 3-1-1 record without him. the nine faceoffs he took (89 per cent). Drouin has been struggling in the “We just know we needed to battle harder, box guys out, make sure no faceoff circle this season, winning only 40.8 per cent of his faceoffs one’s getting to Carey,” Shaw said about playing without Weber in the overall. lineup. “Carey’s been huge for us since he came back, making big-time The Canadiens now have an 11-12-3 record and are only one point saves, breaking pucks out, fighting through traffic. He’s been huge for us. behind Boston (11-8-4) for the third and final playoff spot in the Atlantic That and our D battling in front of the net, making sure he can see Division with the Bruins holding three games in hand. The Canadiens everything and getting out pucks when they can.” and Red Wings (10-10-5) are tied with 25 points heading into Thursday’s To make room in the lineup for Schlemko, Julien made rookie game with Detroit holding a game in hand. defenceman Victor Mete a healthy scratch for the second time in four “I see our team playing a more sound hockey game and it’s helping us a games making it look likely the 19-year-old will soon be headed back to lot,” Julien said after Wednesday’s game. “Yeah, we’re getting great the OHL’s London Knights and Team Canada for the world junior goaltending, but I think we also can give credit to the defencemen. championship. Mete had only 6:02 of ice time in Monday’s 3-1 win over They’re a lot better defensively, but also we’re starting to get the puck out the Columbus Blue Jackets. of our own end a little bit better. There’s times where we’re jammed in Julien said he had spoken with Mete before Wednesday’s game about there because teams forecheck hard, just like we do at the other end. his current situation. That’s getting better, but we’ve got a commitment, too, from our forwards to come down and really help and because of that we’re able to re-attack, “It’s not a big deal because it’s just his second game here (as a healthy not spread out, but move out closer to a five-man unit.” scratch),” Julien said about Mete, who has no goals and three assists in 24 games to go along with a minus-1 while averaging 14:49 of ice time. The Canadiens haven’t won more than three games in a row this season, “He’s been good. There’s really no major issues in his game. We got too accomplishing that only once. Thursday night they have a chance to many Ds right now and there’s the balance between having Ds that are a reach the .500 mark for the first time this season after starting out with a little bit more offensive-minded and some that are defensive-minded. We 1-6-1 record in the first eight games. got to have some penalty-killers and we have to have some power-play “We know the media here in Montreal likes to go up the roller-coaster guys. It’s more about balancing right now than anything else.” ride, go up and down,” the Canadiens’ Andrew Shaw said after Canadiens numbers Wednesday’s game. “We’re not worried about how we played in the past, we’re worried about game by game. We got to keep climbing and we’re Drouin leads the Canadiens in scoring with 5-12-17 totals, followed by going to take it game by game, work hard and compete and reassess Brendan Gallagher (10-5-15), Max Pacioretty (7-7-14), Weber (4-9-13) later in the season.” and Phillip Danault (4-9-13). Danault ended a 14-game goal-less drought when he scored Wednesday night against the Senators. The Canadiens acquired forward Adam Cracknell from the New York Rangers on Thursday in exchange for Laval Rocket forward Peter Jacob De La Rose has played 17 games with the Canadiens this season Holland. and is still looking for his first point. In his last 48 games with the Canadiens over three season, De La Rose has zero goals and one Cracknell, 32, was pointless in four games with the Rangers this season assist. Charles Hudon has now gone 13 games without a goal and the and had 2-1-3 totals in 15 games with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. two goals he has this season both came in the same game against the Holland had 8-10-18 totals in 20 games with the Rocket. Senators in Ottawa on Oct. 30. Tomas Plekanec hasn’t scored in the last The 6-foot-2, 218-pound Cracknell was selected by the Calgary Flames 12 games and captain Max Pacioretty has gone eight games without a in the ninth round (279th overall) at the 2004 NHL Draft. He has 21-22-43 goal. The Canadiens rank 30th in the NHL in offence, scoring an average of 2.20 goals per game, and rank 22nd in defence, allowing an average of 3.12 goals per game. They rank 29th on the power play (15.6 per cent) and 21st in penalty-killing (78.2 per cent). Red Wings numbers The Red Wings are winless in their last five games (0-2-3). Dylan Larkin leads Detroit in scoring with 4-17-21 totals, followed by Anthony Mantha (11-9-20), Mike Green (2-16-18) and Justin Abdelkader (4-13-17). Jimmy Howard, Detroit’s No. 1 goalie, has a 8-7-4 record with a 2.57 goals- against average and .921 save percentage. The Red Wings rank 23rd in the NHL in offence, scoring an average of 2.72 goals per game, and rank 14th in defence, allowing an average of 2.92 goals per game. The Red Wings have been good on special teams, ranking eighth in the NHL on the power play (21.8 per cent) and fourth in penalty-killing (84.1 per cent). What’s next? The Canadiens will return home from Detroit after the game and enjoy a day off on Friday. The Red Wings will be at the Bell Centre Saturday night for a rematch (7 p.m., SN, TVA Sports, TSN Radio 690). The Canadiens play three home games next week with the St. Louis Blues visiting the Bell Centre on Tuesday, followed by the Calgary Flames on Thursday and the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday.

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In the Habs' Room: Gallagher shines, depth players step up in victory

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette Published on: November 30, 2017 | Last Updated: November 30, 2017 11:47 PM EST

DETROIT — The Canadiens reached the .500 mark Thursday night with a gutsy 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, but coach Claude Julien said there is still a lot of work to do. “We know it’s going to take more than being even to make the playoffs,” said Julien. “It’s a fresh start in a way, but we have to continue to move forward and get on the positive side.” Thursday marked the fourth consecutive win for the Canadiens and, while they moved into third place in the Atlantic Division, Brendan Gallagher noted that there are teams that have played fewer games and the Canadiens have no reason to feel comfortable. They are one point ahead of Boston, but the Bruins have four games in hand. Gallagher continued to be on a roll as he scored twice and added an assist on a goal by linemate Charles Hudon. Gallagher said the Canadiens struggled in the first period, a byproduct of having played Wednesday night and then arriving at their hotel here at 3 a.m. “We were slow at the start, we weren’t winning the battles,” Gallagher said. “When you’re playing back-to-back, the first period is the toughest. You’re trying to get your legs under you and you have to play smart and we didn’t play smart in that period. But we turned it around. We were able to get the lead in the second period and then in the third we played a really smart road game. We didn’t give them too much.” The Canadiens get another shot at the Red Wings Saturday night at the Bell Centre. “We can’t stop here,” Gallagher said. “We get these guys again next game and that’s just as important as this one. We can’t afford to get complacent. We’re happy with the two points, but when we wake up tomorrow, we know we have to start preparing for Saturday night.” Gallagher has been playing with Tomas Plekanec and Charles Hudon and the line has been producing points. Hudon has been getting chances, but had gone 13 games without a goal before scoring Thursday night. “He’s working hard,” Gallagher said. “There are going to be periods where he doesn’t score, but this is his first full season in the NHL and that’s going to happen. But when we’re working out there, we’re doing things that will help this team win.” Shea Weber missed his sixth consecutive game and leading scorer Jonathan Drouin was home receiving treatment for a lower-body injury. But players like Jacob De La Rose, Daniel Carr and David Schlemko were among the players who stepped up. De La Rose and Carr picked up assists, while Schlemko played a shade over 20 minutes. “You not only want that, you need it,” Julien said. “Over the course of a season, injuries are going to be part of it and when you can step up in the absence of some key players, it’s a good sign. It shows guys are willing to work together. We don’t want to be known as a team that relies on only a few guys.” Having said that, Julien and the Canadiens have relied heavily on goaltender Carey Price to the point where he was called on to play in both ends of the back-to-back series. He has stopped 128 of 133 shots over the four-game run since he missed 10 games with a lower-body injury. “I thought the confidence began before Carey came back, but when Carey comes back in, there’s another confidence level,” Julien said. “It’s another jolt in the right direction. He gives us a chance to win every night, but I have to give credit to the rest of the team.”

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About last night ... Canadiens stomp Detroit 6-3

Mike Boone Published on: November 30, 2017 | Last Updated: November 30, 2017 11:03 PM EST

At the end of the first period Thursday night, how many Canadiens’ fans were booking mid-April tee times? Flying around home ice against a team that had played the night before in Montreal, the Red Wings outshot the Canadiens 13-6 and led 2-1. The recent season-saving surge was decidedly in jeopardy. Then it wasn’t. Early second-period goals by Charles Hudon and Andrew Shaw – within 43 seconds – gave the Canadiens a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. And for the first time since the second game of the season, the Canadiens are at .500. If the playoffs were to begin Friday, the Canadiens would be at the Air Canada Centre for Game 1 against the Leafs. How’s that for a season turnaround? And the two points that moved the Canadiens into third place in the Atlantic Division were won without the team’s best defenceman and one of its best forwards. Shea Weber is still out of the lineup. He’s been missing for every game of the winning streak, and the patchwork D has been excellent. There’s nothing patchwork about Jeff Petry, Karl Alzner and Jordie Benn. But David Schlemko (five blocked shots), Jakub Jerabek and Victor Mete – a surprise starter in place of Joe Morrow – were uniformly excellent. As was the goaltender. Carey Price kept the game close through a first period in which the home team had a series of odd-man rushes that could have bust things open early. Price was a surprise starter in the second of a back-to-back, the more so because he is coming off an injury. But Claude Julien went with a hot hand … and won his gamble. In postgame remarks telecast during L’Antichambre, the Canadiens’ coach attributed the lacklustre first period to the Canadiens’ 2:30 a.m. arrival in Detroit for their third game in four nights. “Fatigue was there, no doubt,” Julien said. “But what I liked was the guys worked hard, and that always gives you a chance to win.” The Canadiens’ work ethic was reflected in 11 names on the scoresheet – including an assist for Jacob De La Rose, who hadn’t registered a point since the Obama presidency. The habitual fourth liner did not look out of place centring Alex Galchenyuk and Paul Byron. Tomas Plekanec, who hasn’t scored since the Bush presidency, picked up two assists. Pleks continues to be rejuvenated by his youthful linemates, Brendan Gallagher, who scored twice. and Charles Hudon, whose hard work finally paid off in his first goal this month. The Captain’s line also excelled.Pacioretty had a goal and an assist, Andrew Shaw scored and Phillip Danault had two assists. Oh, and the power play – much-maligned, and not without reason – was two for four. Let the playoffs begin! But first there are 55 games in which the Canadiens will try to play as well as they have in the last four.

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Surging Habs overcome injuries, lousy first period to win 4th straight

Pat Hickey, Montreal Gazette Published on: November 30, 2017 | Last Updated: November 30, 2017 11:50 PM EST

DETROIT — No Shea Weber. No Jonathan Drouin. No problem. The Canadiens were missing their No. 1 defenceman and their top scorer, but it didn’t matter as they ran their current win streak to four games Thursday night with a 6-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena. Carey Price posted his fourth consecutive win as he made 28 saves. He has allowed only five goals in the four games since he returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a lower-body injury. Moving up: With the win, the Canadiens moved into third place in the Atlantic Division. They are one point ahead of Boston, but the Bruins now have four games in hand. The Red Wings are two points behind Montreal. Scary power play: The Canadiens took a 1-0 lead when Brendan Gallagher deflected a shot by Max Pacioretty on a power play at 4:10 of the first period. Despite the goal — Gallagher’s 11th of the season — it would be a mistake to describe the Montreal power play as anything but terrible in the first period. The Canadiens had two power plays and gave up three short-handed 2-on-1 breaks. Red Wings take the lead: Anthony Mantha tied the score at 5:14 when he scored on a shot from a difficult angle. He was along the goal line when he launched a shot that deflected off defenceman Victor Mete’s stick past Carey Price. It was Mantha’s team-leading 12th goal. Tomas Tatar gave the Red Wings a 2-1 lead when he scored a power-play goal at 15:43. The Canadiens had gone three games without giving up a power-play goal. Gustav Nyquist made a drop pass to set up Tatar, but his most important contribution came when he went in front to screen Price. Minute men: The Canadiens have had a bad habit of giving up two goals in a minute this season, but they scored twice in a 43-second span in the second period. Charles Hudon tied the score at 4:46. Jimmy Howard made saves in close on Gallagher and Tomas Plekanec but a rebound popped out of the scrum in front and Hudon scored. It was his third goal of the season and he ended a 13-game goal drought. Andrew Shaw gave Montreal a 3-2 lead when he tucked a shot under the crossbar on Howard’s glove side. Drought ends for De La Rose: Alex Galchenyuk scored at 17:49 of the second period to give the Canadiens a 4-2 lead, but this goal was memorable because Jacob De La Rose collected an assist. He had gone 44 games since his last point on Feb. 25, 2016. Howard made the stop when Galchenyuk deflected De La Rose’s shot from the point, but Galchenyuk buried the rebound. De La Rose was playing on the top line in place of Drouin, who was back in Montreal nursing a lower-body injury. One more for Gally: Gallagher completed a three-point night when he scored his 12th goal at 8:35 of the third period. It was another deflection as he redirected Jeff Petry’s shot from the point. Pacioretty scored his eighth goal at 15:59, while Frans Nielsen matched that with a late power- play goal for Detroit. Rematch on tap: The Canadiens and the Red Wings will face each other again Saturday at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., Sportsnet TVA Sports, TSN- 690 Radio). It’s the start of a five-game homestand.

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Brendan Gallagher leads a third line in name only

By Emna Achour 4 hours ago

DETROIT – They might not be the biggest or the most star-powered or the most productive, but Brendan Gallagher’s line has been the Canadiens' most reliable since the start of the season. And now they are proving to have some staying power. Gallagher (two goals and an assist), Tomas Plekanec (two assists) and Charles Hudon (one goal) combined for six points in a 6-3 win at the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday and did it once again fueled by their intensity and consistency. “They are workers, but workers with talent,” Claude Julien said. “And when you work hard and you have the necessary skill to go with it, you will have success. That’s what those guys do, they take advantage of their work ethic and let their talent take care of the rest.” Hudon, who scored for the first time since scoring his first two NHL goals in Ottawa a month ago, would have been happy to hear how his coach described his line. “That’s our goal,” Hudon said. “Gally and I told each other we want to be the two guys who work the hardest. We try to do it every game, we try to get off to a good start, to have a good first shift to give the team some momentum. It’s going well right now and we just hope it continues.” One of the reasons the line works is that each element of it brings something to the table that complements the two other elements perfectly. “We have good chemistry, we talk a lot,” Hudon said. “Whether it’s positive or negative, we always have something to say when we get to the bench. Pleky helps me a lot, he gives me a lot of little pointers on things I need to correct, and that will only help me. Gally and me, we’re two guys who forecheck a lot, put a lot of pressure on their defencemen. It helps us retrieve pucks. And Pleky wins faceoffs, which also helps with puck possession.” Aside from Hudon’s goal, which was a nifty bit of passing between him and Gallagher before Hudon finally beat Jimmy Howard high, the line doesn’t generally get too fancy to create scoring chances. They go to the net like there’s no tomorrow instead. It works. “That’s kind of our trademark,” Gallagher said. “We don’t want to make things overly complicated. Charles brings the skill element and his work ethic, while Pleky brings the line together. He’s such a smart player and he has so much experience. Put all that together, and it works.” Carey Price admits that as a goalie, facing a line that works that hard and drives the net that consistently would be as difficult to face as a line loaded with skill players. “Sometimes, keeping things simple is the best formula,” he said. “Those guys did a really good job tonight and sometimes when you find yourself playing on back to back nights, getting goals like that – not necessarily the prettiest goals – is what you need to get a win.” The star of the line is certainly Gallagher, the Canadiens leader with 12 goals this season. It’s too early to start speculating, but Price’s position as the Canadiens usual representative at the All-Star Game might be challenged by Gallagher this year. After all, his second and the team’s fifth of the game, much like his play all night, not only gave everyone free wings at the Cage aux Sports. It gave his team some wings as well.

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Predators' Frederick Gaudreau handles uncertainty with maturity

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 11:54 a.m. CT Nov. 29, 2017

Freddy Gaudreau was an instant sensation. On the most pressure-filled stage in Predators history, the unheralded forward became the second player in NHL history and first in 73 years to score his first three career goals in the Stanley Cup Final. So long, anonymity. Reporters congregated wherever Gaudreau's makeshift locker stall happened to be placed that particular day, eager to tell his story. He became a hometown phenomenon in Bromont, Quebec, where a Predators flag purchased by his parents in Nashville flapped outside city hall. At a Sunday mass in June held at Gaudreau's childhood church, a layperson wore the Predators' former mustard-yellow alternate sweater in his honor. But when the Predators commemorated their Western Conference championship with a banner-raising ceremony Oct. 10, their leading goal- scorer in the Stanley Cup Final wasn't there. Gaudreau was in Milwaukee, preparing to start the season in the American Hockey League. Not exactly a storybook ending. "I think the biggest thing for me — and it's been a couple years that I'm working on that and figuring out that it's the best way to go — is just to go day by day, you know?" Gaudreau said. "It's easy to have things that you're wishing for in the future. It's easy being caught with your head focusing on that too much. You never know what can happen tomorrow. You never know what can happen today, actually." As Gaudreau shared this Tuesday morning near the entrance to the Predators' dressing room, he still had on his hockey pants and skates, having just completed an extra workout with the other scratches. He didn't play that night against the Chicago Blackhawks. To properly handle such a situation requires a mature perspective. Gaudreau's circuitous journey to the NHL — clawing through the minor leagues as an undrafted free agent — prepared him for these circumstances. "It's the main reason why I'm able to think like that now," said Gaudreau, 24. "It's really in those hard moments where I was maybe not focusing on the right thing, and I really realized that it didn't lead me anywhere." Gaudreau, who has appeared in 12 games for the Predators this season, probably will be sent back to the AHL again. Nashville is deep at forward, and Gaudreau is waiver exempt. "This isn't out of the ordinary what Freddy is going through," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "It has no bearing on his life whatsoever. He's a hockey player. He wants to get better every day. When he goes down to the minors, he tells us he's going to be the hardest worker." His breakthrough playoff performance standing as proof, the Predators know that they have a player in Gaudreau who can deliver in a pinch. When they need him, he'll be ready. "Whatever's going to happen, at least if you focus every day on trying to get better in the present moment, then there's nothing else you leave behind," Gaudreau said.

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Vancouver Canucks 5, Nashville Predators 3: 3 things we learned

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 9:39 p.m. CT Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 10:20 p.m. CT Nov. 30, 2017

The Predators' record in November, in which they won 10 of 14 games, will show that they were one of the NHL's top teams. A baseline has been set for what will be considered acceptable moving forward, but a 5-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday also reveals that there are improvements to be made. Here are three observations from Thursday's defeat: Despite having their six-game winning streak at Bridgestone Arena broken Thursday, the Predators did extend two impressive home-related streaks on a power-play goal by forward Filip Forsberg in the second period. Nashville established a franchise record by scoring on the power play for a 12th consecutive home game. The all-time record to start a season is 15 by the 1995-96 New York Rangers. Forsberg, meanwhile, is the NHL's only player with points in each of his team's home games this season, according to Elias Sports Bureau. His 12-game streak, which includes 10 goals and 18 points, is the longest to start a season since Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane reached 16 games two seasons ago. Nashville's dud of a third period dampened those statistics. Vancouver, which trailed 3-2 at the start of the final period, scored three times, including forward Daniel Sedin's 1,000th NHL point. The Predators were outscored 22-12 in third periods in November. After laboring through a forgettable 2016-17 season, Predators forward Craig Smith began this season determined to demonstrate that his down year merely was a hiccup. Through 25 games, Smith already has done so. He had two points Thursday, including his ninth goal. Smith is three goals shy from tying his total last season and on pace for a career high. Smith's offensive reawakening can be attributed to his speed, which he used to zoom past Vancouver defenders and sweep a backhand past goaltender Anders Nilsson. Smith drew a hooking penalty less than one minute later with his swift skating ability, then assisted on Forsberg's goal during the ensuing power play. Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis, who hasn't played this season because of offseason knee surgery, took a significant step in his recovery process Thursday, participating in the team's morning skate. It was the first time this season that Ellis skated with his teammates. He's not expected to make his season debut until near the end of the calendar year. Predators coach Peter Laviolette said that Ellis is "on track" in his recovery and his timetable remains the same. Ellis declined comment Thursday.

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The Devils Trade Adam Henrique to the Ducks

Staff Report By THE ASSOCIATED PRESSNOV. 30, 2017

NEWARK — The Devils acquired defenseman Sami Vatanen in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday in exchange for center Adam Henrique and forward Joseph Blandisi. The Devils get a conditional 2019 or 2020 third-round pick along with Vatanen. The Devils also sent a 2018 third-round pick to Anaheim. Even though he has only a goal and three assists in 15 games this season, Vatanen, 26, gives the Devils the offensive defensemen they were looking for. He is signed for two more seasons at a salary-cap hit of $4.875 million. “It’s a good deal for both teams that we both had needs to fill,” Ducks General Manager Bob Murray said on a conference call. “Hopefully this one works out for both teams.” Vatanen has 126 points in 280 regular-season N.H.L. games. “In acquiring Sami, we bring on a right shot, top-four defenseman who can play in all situations,” Devils G.M. Ray Shero said. “This move also gives us contract certainty on the back end for the next two-plus years.” In Henrique, the Ducks get center depth as they deal with injuries to Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler. Henrique, 27, has four goals and 10 assists in 24 games this season and is signed through 2018-19. The conditional pick is exchanged in 2019 if the Ducks sign Henrique before making their third-round pick at that draft and in 2020 if they sign him afterward. If they do not re-sign Henrique, no pick is exchanged. The Devils’ forward depth, including the return of Travis Zajac from injury, gave Shero the ability to deal from a position of strength to address a need. Henrique was the Devils’ leading point scorer in the 2014-15 season and scored 20 or more goals three times since joining the team in 2011. As a rookie that season, he scored two series-clinching goals during the Devils’ run to the Stanley Cup finals. “Adam has been a key member of our organization for nearly 10 years since he was drafted,” Shero said. “His contributions both on and off the ice will always be appreciated by our organization and fans.”

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How John Quenneville, Joseph Blandisi handled AHL transition after Devils training camp

Updated November 30, 2017 at 6:59 AM; Posted November 30, 2017 at 6:15 AM By Chris Ryan [email protected],

Devils forward prospects John Quenneville and Joseph Blandisi were two players on the NHL roster bubble during training camp in September, where they were among the last cuts as the Devils picked their final 23 players. Both players had strong camps, but the Devils ultimately made the decision to start them in Binghamton in the AHL. While the two went down to get more ice time and opportunities, Binghamton coach Rick Kowalsky saw they had their sights set on playing in the NHL to start the season. "I think it was a little frustrating or disheartening for Q and Blender," Kowalsky told NJ Advance Media. "But at the end of the day, they're now big parts of our team down here. This is really their team as young players. For them to emerge as not only players but leaders and people, and continue to grow down here." Blandisi put together one of his strongest training camps as a pro, while Quenneville scored a pair of goals in one preseason game in his own strong preseason. The two were right at the heart of a competitive training camp, and they know what the Devils are looking for now and in the future. "If anything, it should motivate them to say there was no clear line in the sand as to who was going to make this team," Kowalsky continued. "I think the healthy competition should motivate them even more, knowing some guys who maybe weren't on the radar last year when the season finished for both teams, you can now come into camp with a chance to make the team. " Cutting Blandisi and Quenneville at the end of camp had less to do with them and more to do with the play of others around them. "There's no reason to kind of sugar coat it. I think they had good camps," Kowalsky said. "But nobody saw Jesper Bratt being where he is. Blake Coleman and Brian Gibbons have deserved everything they've gotten and earned every inch of it and continue to sustain it. That's been, I don't want to say the biggest surprise, but a big compliment to them that they're still playing important minutes and in the lineup and contributing." So far in the AHL, Blandisi has two goals and 11 assists in 18 games, while Quenneville has five goals and three assists in eight games. Quenneville missed some time with a shoulder injury, but he has returned to action. Despite a handful of injuries at the NHL level, the Devils haven't made any forward call-ups from the AHL yet this season. For now, Kowalsky is working to help them develop their play and win games in the AHL. "Now it's up to those guys down here, whether it's a Quenneville or a Blandisi or whoever else to continue to follow suit and grow and play at the level that's expected and been established in New Jersey," Kowalsky said.

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Devils trade Adam Henrique to Ducks for defenseman Sami Vatanen | What it means

Updated November 30, 2017 at 3:45 PM; Posted November 30, 2017 at 10:34 AM By Chris Ryan [email protected], NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Devils traded forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi, plus their 2018 third-round pick, to the Anaheim Ducks for defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional draft pick. The Devils can get the Ducks' 2019 third-round pick if Henrique re-signs in Anaheim prior to that Draft. If Henrique re-signs after, the Devils will get the Ducks' 2020 third-round pick. If Henrique does not re-sign in Anaheim, the Devils will not get a pick back. Vatanen will meet the Devils in Colorado after the team departs New Jersey on Thursday. The Devils play at the Avalanche on Friday and at the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Prior to the blockbuster trade, Henrique played his entire career in New Jersey after the Devils drafted him in the third round of the 2008 NHL Draft. Over the course of eight NHL seasons, Henrique played in 455 games where he had 122 goals and 135 assists. Henrique delivered one of the Devils' most iconic moments when he scored the game-winning overtime goal in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, defeating the Rangers and sending the Devils to the Stanley Cup Finals. By adding Vatanen, the Devils get a 26-year-old defenseman who can chew up big minutes on the blue line. The Devils sacrificed some of their forward depth by losing Henrique and Blandisi, but they did so in an effort to bolster their defense, which always comes at a cost. Vatanen is under contract through the 2019-20 season, so the Devils have control of him for two more seasons after 2017-18. Vatanen has 33 goals and 93 assists in 280 games over six NHL seasons. He was a fourth-round pick in the 2009 NHL Draft. While he doesn't boast big offensive numbers, Vatanen gives the Devils a top-pairing, shut-down defenseman that they haven't had since they sent Adam Larsson to the Edmonton Oilers in a trade for Taylor Hall. Henrique's lineup spot should be filled by Marcus Johansson in the short term, as the Devils forward is very close returning after suffering a concussion on Nov. 1. Vatanen is a right-shot defenseman, and he could slot in on the right side where Steven Santini, Damon Severson and Ben Lovejoy currently occupy spots.

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4 things to know about new Devils defenseman Sami Vatanen

Posted November 30, 2017 at 11:23 AM | Updated November 30, 2017 at 03:45 PM By Chris Ryan

The Devils completed an in-season blockbuster trade on Thursday when they acquired defenseman Sami Vatanen from the Anaheim Ducks for forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi, plus a 2018 third-round pick. While the Devils gave up some of their forward depth, they added a piece to their blue line who should bolster their defense. Here are four things to know about the newest Devil. While the Devils way have been looking for defensive help, they weren't going to make a move unless it made sense beyond this season. General manager Ray Shero has had a long-term plan for building the team, and he hasn't moved assets for a short-term rental. The Devils had one year of control left on Henrique, who can become an unrestricted free agent following the 2018-19 season, Vatanen will be under the Devils' control for one additional season, and he can become an unrestricted free agent following the 2019-20 season. The 26-year-old Vatanen is in the prime of his career, and the Devils will be getting great value out of his current contract, which carries a $4.875 million AAV. Vatanen also fits the mold of several other additions the Devils made over the summer. Like Brian Boyle and Marcus Johansson, Vatanen carries playoff experience from his time with the Ducks. He appeared in 40 postseason games over the past four seasons, where he had five goals and 17 assists.

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Devils fans rip Adam Henrique-Sami Vatanen trade on Twitter: 'What were you thinking?'

Posted November 30, 2017 at 12:02 PM | Updated November 30, 2017 at 03:45 PM By Joe Giglio

Whenever a popular player is traded away, some fans aren’t happy— regardless of the return. For the Devils, Thursday’s surprise trade of Adam Henrique in a package to land Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen could be looked at as a win. After all, many teams could use a player like Vatanen. But Henrique had become a favorite in New Jersey, which often leads to an emotional response from any fan base. This situation was no different.

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How Sami Vatanen trade came together between Devils and Ducks

Updated November 30, 2017 at 3:50 PM; Posted November 30, 2017 at 3:21 PM By Chris Ryan [email protected],

Ray Shero's interest in bringing defenseman Sami Vatanen to the Devils goes all the way back to June. The Devils general manager reached out to Anaheim Ducks GM Bob Murray, knowing the Ducks had a plethora of young players who could not all be protected from Las Vegas in the NHL Expansion Draft. Murray ultimately made a deal with Las Vegas to protect Vatanen, so nothing was there for the Devils at the time. But things picked up again recently, leading to Thursday's trade that sent Vatanen to New Jersey for forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi, plus a 2018 third-round pick. "Probably came around just in the last week or so, last few days maybe," Shero said. "But Sami's a guy we've looked at for a long time. Know him really well as a player and I think for us, to me, at 26 years old, he's been a top three, four guy on a real good team in the league. Very competitive. Can play in all different situations." Like many of Shero's trades since he arrived in New Jersey in 2015, acquiring Vatanen gave him a player the team could control beyond one season. The defenseman has two years left on his contract beyond 2017-18, and he can't become a free agent until 2020. "At 26, he's not old, he's not young," Shero said. "He's good experience, he's played with good players and has played very well in the playoffs for a good team in Anaheim and won a bronze medal at the Sochi Olympics in 2014 with Finland -- over the United States unfortunately." Vatanen will meet the Devils in Denver, where they will play the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. Assuming Vatanen arrives without any hiccups, Devils coach John Hynes plans on getting him right into the lineup. "One of the things we really like about him is he's a high hockey IQ guy," Hynes said. "So lots of times when you get a player like that that's got a lot of experience, maybe we'll have some quick pointers that we want to do defensively, but other than that, it's letting him play his game and we'll work with him as we go forward. But we want him to not overthink. We want him to play and compete." The Devils' young offense helped them get off to their 14-6-4 start, and with players such as Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Brian Gibbons and others taking on big roles, it gave them the flexibity to trade from a position of strength. "Like we've talked about all year, it's not just being a competitive team for 20, 25 games, but try to be a competitive team for 82 games," Hynes said. "Any time you have an opportunity like this, it's a real solid hockey trade for both. Both teams had a need and were able to fill it. Just because you acquire players doesn't mean you're going to be good. It's how it fits and how we play. We certainly like the identity on and off the ice that Sami brings."

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'It's over!' | Adam Henrique's heartfelt goodbye to Devils fans

Updated November 30, 2017 at 3:57 PM; Posted November 30, 2017 at 3:41 PM By Chris Ryan [email protected], NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Adam Henrique accomplished plenty during his tenure with the Devils, where the forward racked up 122 goals and 135 assists over seven seasons. But his most memorable moment came in the 2012 Eastern Conference finals, where he netted one of the franchise's most iconic goals. Henrique's Game 6 overtime winner gave the Devils a 4-2 series win over the Rangers for their fifth Stanley Cup finals berth. It sent the into mayhem and inspired Doc Emrick's famous call, "Henrique! It's over!" Naturally, Henrique referenced his overtime heroics and Emrick's words in a thank you and goodbye Tweet to Devils fans following Thursday's trade to the Anaheim Ducks. Defenseman Andy Greene, now one of just two Devils still on the team from that run, recalled how important Henrique was for the team during that postseason. Greene said along with helping the Devils, Henrique jump started his NHL career that spring. "Obviously scored some huge goals against Florida and against the Rangers there," Greene said. "Being a young guy then, he really took control of his career during those playoffs. Made a big name for himself. Obviously had a good regular season too, but that was the icing on the cake. "Unfortunate we didn't get the chance to go through it again together. Was hoping this year, but obviously he's going to a good team out there, and hopefully he can find success out there."

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Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 30

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 8:09 a.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 8:11 a.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017

NEWARK - The bags are packed again. The Devils have an early practice at Prudential Center on Thursday at 10:30 a.m. before departing for Denver, where they face the Avalanche on Friday night (Faceoff: 9 p.m.; Television; MSG Plus 2; Radio: WFAN- 101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network). It’s the start of a three-road trip that includes the Devils’ sixth set of back- to-back games this season when they also face the Coyotes on Saturday night. The trip concludes Tuesday at Columbus, the first of a home-and- home with the Blue Jackets, crucial Metropolitan Division games for the resurgent Devils. Left wing Marcus Johansson, who has missed 13 games since suffering a concussion 57 seconds into a 2-0 win at Vancouver on Nov. 1, is expected to return to the lineup at some point during the trip, possibly against the Avalanche, though coach John Hynes said the back-to-back games will be a consideration as to when Johansson is re-inserted. Here are three storylines: First period – Monitoring MoJo: The progress Johansson makes this week is the prominent storyline for the Devils. So far, the 27-year-old Swede has an underwhelming three goals and two assists in 10 games in his first season with the Devils. But he’s a skilled playmaker who strengthens the power play and his inclusion in the Devils’ lineup will leave Hynes with some difficult decisions to make. Namely, does Johansson go right back into the top six. He was playing on the second line and left wing on that line is currently occupied by Adam Henrique, who is playing his best hockey of the season. Taylor Hall, playing his best hockey since coming to the Devils, is entrenched as the top line left wing. Also, Hynes will have to make another forward a healthy scratch with Jimmy Hayes currently an extra. Stefan Noesen may find himself out of the lineup again. Second period – Well rested: The Devils concluded a strenuous stretch of seven games of 12 days on Monday and the wear and tear showed in a 3-2 loss to the visiting Panthers. Hynes said on Wednesday it was the first time all season, going back to Day 1 of training camp, that his team, “Had a little bit of adversity and we didn’t have a response to it…We didn’t have our legs. We didn’t have our compete.” The Devils did not practice on Tuesday and, on Wednesday, only the players needing a little extra ice time were sent out for an optional practice. Which means there should be some good energy at Thursday’s practice. Or, at least, that’s how the week was designed. Third period – Happy December: Friday’s game marks the first of 14 games in December, the same 14 games the Devils played in November (6-4-4) but, otherwise, the two months will be nothing the same. This upcoming three game-road trip marks the only extended period the Devils will spend away from New Jersey until the New Year after playing eight road games in November. The other three road games this month are spread out and one is against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The Devils have a season-high six-game homestand from Dec. 15-29. That said, the Devils, in a tight divisional battle, must take advantage of home ice this month in order to remain a playoff contender.

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086012 New Jersey Devils Several factors – all pointing to the Devils’ improvement – made Henrique expendable.

First, top-six left wing Marcus Johansson – acquired in the offseason Devils trade Adam Henrique to Ducks for defenseman Sami Vatanen from the Capitals – is expected back in the lineup on this trip after suffering a concussion on Nov. 1. Top-line right wing Kyle Palmieri (broken right foot) should be available sometime between Christmastime Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 10:49 a.m. ET and the New Year. Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 6:37 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 Then there’s the play of rookies Nico Hischier, the 18-year-old No. 1 overall pick, and Jesper Bratt, 19. Both have solidified roles among the Devils’ top six forwards. Henrique played left wing on the second line the NEWARK – Ray Shero just said a lot about how far along he believes the last four games but had also been pushed into the bottom six for a Devils are in their rebuilding efforts in dealing core piece Adam Henrique significant portion of this season. to the Ducks on Thursday for defenseman Sami Vatanen as part of a three-player trade that also includes draft picks. Also, the Devils have gotten a team-high 11 goals from Brian Gibbons, 29, who spent the past two seasons in the AHL. There are also several Vatanen, 26, is a top-four defenseman with strong puck-moving skills strong forward prospects at Binghamton (AHL), Blandisi being among who can play on the power play, a piece Shero and the Devils’ brass them. deemed necessary for improvement, one the team has been looking for since swapping Adam Larsson to the Oilers for Taylor Hall prior to last “Jesper, Nico and Pavel [Zacha, the sixth overall pick in 2015], if they season and one considered affordable given the team’s blossoming hadn’t shown what they’ve shown to this point, maybe we don’t make forward depth. that deal and we hold on to a known commodity and a sure thing in Adam,” goalie Cory Schneider said. “But it’s great that those guys have “The conversation is tough. Ray [Shero] called me this morning and just enabled us to make a bold move that we’re hoping is going to complete told me the news," Henrique told NHL Network Thursday afternoon. "We our team even more. I think we’re all excited to see what we’re going to had a pretty great conversation actually, for 15 or 20 minutes. Obviously look like when we have the full team on the ice.” it was shock, I was just heading to the rink, thinking we’re heading on a road trip, and then you just kind of get the complete 180 there.” The Devils (14-6-4), who open a three-game road trip at Colorado on Bergen Record LOADED: 12.01.2017 Friday night (Faceoff: 9 p.m; Television: MSG Plus 2; Radio: WFAN- 101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network, are in third place in the Metropolitan Division but have not made the playoffs since reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2012. Vatanen is expected to make his Devils' debut against the Avalanche. “It’s hard to lose sight of your plan of what you’re doing,” said Shero, in his third season as the team’s general manager. “The team itself has dictated some of the things we’ve done. But even the trade today, it’s about being a good team and not just in the short term. This is not a short-term fix. We’ll see where the season goes.” Henrique, 27, was one of three remaining players left from that Eastern Conference championship squad, along with captain Andy Greene and center Travis Zajac. He, forward Joseph Blandisi, 23, and a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft were sent to the Ducks for Vatanen and a conditional third-round pick in either 2019 or 2020. Although he is suddenly gone, Henrique still expressed gratitude for his time with the Devils. “Honestly there’s not enough words to say to thank people that I have gotten to know here. I’m certainly going to miss it," Henrique told NHL Network. "New Jersey is always going to be a part of me. I’ve loved my time here, looking forward to the future.” The 5-foot-10, 187-pound Vatanen, who has one goal and three assists in 15 games this season after missing the first month with a shoulder injury and who played for Team Finland in the 2014 Winter Olympics, is in the second season of a four-year, $19.5 million deal which counts $4.875 million against the salary cap. Henrique, the Devils’ third round pick in 2008, had four goals and 10 assists in 24 games this season and 122 goals and 135 assists in 455 career games for the franchise. His six- year, $24 million deal, which counts $4 million against the salary cap, expires after next season. Shero said the uncertainty of whether the Devils could re-sign Henrique and having Vatanen signed through 2020 were key factors for him. If Henrique re-signs with the Ducks prior to the 2019 draft, the Devils get a third-round pick in that draft. If Henrique re-signs with the Ducks after the 2019 draft, the Devils get a third-round pick in 2020. If Henrique does not re-sign with the Ducks, the Devils do not receive a pick. “I think it’s a very good hockey trade,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “It’s sad to see Adam leave. He’s been a consummate Devil for 10 years and a real important part of the organization. He came into my office, he was a little bit upset right away, just the shock of it. As we talked through some things, he was grateful for his time here and he understands this is a game and a business and he also understands this is a great opportunity for him.” “It’s a tough day to see a friend and a teammate go like that, especially someone you played with for so long,” Zajac added. “But, like everyone will tell you, at the end of the day, it’s a business. It’s about making your team better and making sure that’s first and foremost. I think Ray is going to do anything in his ability to help this team win.” 1086013 New Jersey Devils “He came into my office and he was a little bit upset right away,” Hynes said. “Just the shock of it. He’s been here for a long time, he’s got a lot of great relationships. As we talked through some of the things, he was Devils react to Adam Henrique being traded away grateful for his time here. He understands this is a game and a business. He also understands it’s a great opportunity for him. He’s going to a good team and a great place to live. By the end of the conversation, he was looking forward to some of the things that way.” Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 3:22 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 6:42 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 Shero said he told Henrique he believes he has “another level” to get to in his career and he believes the change of scenery and the Ducks need for a top six center will be greatly beneficial to him. Devils general manager Ray Shero discusses why he traded Adam Then, Shero joked he told Henrique that he hoped that next level in his Henrique to the Ducks on Thursday for Sami Vatanen. Andrew career didn’t lead to induction into the because Gross/NorthJersey.com Shero didn’t want to trade a Hall of Famer. It’s always hard to lose a teammate. “He should do real well there so I’m happy for him, too,” Shero said. But the shock is always greater when that teammate is as popular as Adam Henrique was to the Devils. Bergen Record LOADED: 12.01.2017 That was within the room to his teammates and on the ice to the fans. “It’s a tough thing, a real fan favorite here, on and off the ice,” said Devils general manager Ray Shero, who, on Thursday sent Henrique, 27, forward Joseph Blandisi, 23, and a third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft to the Ducks for defenseman Sami Vatanen, 26, and a conditional third- round pick in either 2019 or 2020 that is dependent on whether Henrique, an unrestricted free agent following the 2018-2019 season, re-signs with Anaheim. “Yeah, it sucks,” said Taylor Hall, recalling his own experience being traded from the Oilers to the Devils on June 29, 2016. “Going through what I did a year and a half ago, you feel for guys that have been with their teams their whole career and get traded. Adam even more. He got drafted here. It sucks. He’s a great part of our locker room. It’s tough to see guys like that go. It reminds me more and more this is such a business.” Not many of the players in the Devils’ room following their practice on Thursday at Barnabas Health Hockey House at Prudential Center were very familiar with Vatanen, though all knew he had a reputation as a top- four defenseman who can move the puck and play on the power play. Hall was asked whether this trade indicates that Shero and the Devils’ brass believe the Devils can truly be one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. “I wouldn’t say that because Adam is a really good player and we’re giving up a very good hockey player in that sense,” Hall said. “I can’t comment on the fact that it makes us a contender or if that’s what Ray is thinking. When you trade a good hockey player you’re going to get a good one back. That’s the case here. It’s a good opportunity for Adam. He’s a centerman. He should be playing center. He gets a chance now.” For the latter half of last season and a good portion of this season, Henrique has been used as a left wing by the Devils. Devils captain Andy Greene said while Henrique’s teammates were “a little shocked” by the trade, “we kind of figured something was going on because we hadn’t seen him yet this morning. He kind of walked in, not late, but no one saw him and that’s it.” “Obviously he’s a very good friend, a very good teammate for a few years,” Greene said. “We’re going to miss him. But we’ve got another good player coming back. You have to give up good people and good players to get good players in return.” Greene, Henrique and center Travis Zajac were the last three players remaining from the 2012 Devils team that reached the Stanley Cup Final. “We should start a pool or something, which one of us goes first,” Zajac quipped. “Obviously he’s been a part of this organization for a long time with contributions on and off the ice,” Zajac said, more seriously. “They don’t go unnoticed. It’s a tough day to see a friend and a teammate go like that, especially someone you played with for so long. But, like everyone will tell you at the end of the day, it’s a business. It’s about making your team better and making sure that’s first and foremost. I think Ray is going to do anything in his ability to help this team win. New Jersey Devils' Jimmy Hayes, from left, Blake Coleman, “You’re sad to see him go,” Zajac added of Henrique. “You’ve been a teammate and a friend of his for a long time and you know what he’s put into this logo, this jersey and what it means to be a Devil. I’m sure he was upset, too.” That was confirmed by Devils coach John Hynes. 1086014 New Jersey Devils “I don’t know Sami Vatanen at all,” goalie Cory Schneider said. “The guys who have played with him, they’ve all had good things to say about him as a player and a person and he’s really going to help us on the back What the Devils know about new D Sami Vatanen end. “So, ideally,” Schneider added, “it’s a win-win for both teams.” Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 5:27 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 5:41 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 Bergen Record LOADED: 12.01.2017

Devils coach John Hynes discusses how newly-acquired defenseman Sami Vatanen fits into the lineup. Andrew Gross/NorthJersey.com Most of the players in the Devils’ room following Thursday’s practice knew very little of their newest teammate, defenseman Sami Vatanen, other than by reputation. Which is not to say there is little to know. Vatanen, acquired from the Ducks on Thursday along with a conditional third-round pick in 2019 in exchange for forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi and a third-round pick in 2018, is known as a puck- moving defenseman with playmaking capabilities, a good shot and an ability to lead on the power play. The 26-year-old Vatanen will meet his new teammates in Denver, where the Devils open a three-game road trip against the Avalanche on Friday night (Faceoff: 9 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus 2; Radio: WFAN- 101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network). He has one goal and three assists in 15 games this season as he missed nearly the first month with a shoulder injury. The Finnish-born Vatanen, an Olympian in 2014, had three goals and 21 in 71 games last season and nine goals and a career-high 29 assists for a career-high 38 points in 2015-16. He had a career-high 12 goals to go with 25 assists in 2014-15. “Just from playing against him over the last couple of years,” captain Andy Greene said when asked what he knew about Vatanen. You know he can move the puck really well. He’s a top-four defenseman and he’s really going to help us back there. I’m looking forward to meeting him.” “Not much,” said Travis Zajac, asked the same question. “You play him once or twice a year and you don’t get a chance to watch a lot of their games. Obviously we know he’s a great defenseman and he can skate. He’s got skills obviously and we’re really excited to have him part of this team here.” Two of Vatanen’s four points this season have come on the power play and that’s a fairly good percentage reality for his career. Last season, he had two goals and 14 assists on the power play and, overall, 16 of his 33 career goals in 280 regular-season games and 60 of his 93 assists have come on the man advantage. Plus, he’s a right-handed shot. It’s the same skill sets the Devils sought when they pursued now-Ranger Kevin Shattenkirk as an unrestricted free agent this summer. Devils coach John Hynes said, most likely, Vatanen will be placed right on one of the Devils’ two power play units. Vatanen is expected to play against the Avalanche. “He can play up top, he can run it in the 1-3-1, like (Will) Butcher and Sevvy (Damon Severson) do,” Hynes said. “He’s got an excellent shot. We’ll definitely find a spot for him.” Devils general manager Ray Shero said he first had discussions with Ducks counterpart Bob Murray before the expansion draft. The Ducks did not protect Vatanen but made a side deal with Vegas to make sure he wasn’t selected by the Golden Knights. The Ducks signed Vantanen to a four-year, $19.5 million deal with a salary cap hit of $4.875 million on June 18, 2016, meaning the Devils control his rights through 2020. Shero said talks with the Ducks intensified over the last week. “At 26 years old, he’s been a top three, four guy for a very good team in the league,” Shero said. “He’s really competitive and he can play in all situations. I love the fact that he’s signed for two more years after this. He’s another younger defenseman that can move the puck and competes hard and the cost of that is a real good player in Adam Henrique.” So the learning process for Vatanen’s new teammates can begin on Friday. 1086015 New Jersey Devils

Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Dec. 1

Andrew Gross, Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord Published 2:24 a.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017 | Updated 2:24 a.m. ET Dec. 1, 2017

DENVER – The Devils should have two additions to their lineup when they face the Avalanche at Pepsi Center (Faceoff: 9 p.m.; Television: MSG Plus 2; Radio: WFAN-101.9FM/660AM, digital One Jersey Network). Defenseman Sami Vatanen, acquired from the Ducks on Thursday as forwards Adam Henrique and Joseph Blandisi were sent to Anaheim, is expected to make his Devils’ debut after meeting the team in Denver on Thursday night. And Marcus Johansson, who has missed the last 13 games after suffering a concussion at Vancouver on Nov. 1, is likely to play. Anaheim Ducks defenseman Sami Vatanen (45), from Finland, The Devils (14-6-4) opened their season with a 4-1 win over the visiting Avalanche on Oct. 7. Rookie defenseman Will Butcher, who was drafted by the Avalanche but never signed with the organization and instead signed with the Devils this offseason as a college free agent, set a franchise record for the most points scored by a player in their first game for the team as he had three assists. Cory Schneider, expected to start on Friday, made 40 saves in the win over the Avalanche. The Devils are coming off one of their more lethargic games of the season, Monday night’s 3-2 loss to the visiting Panthers. First period – Sami’s debut: Devils coach John Hynes has no hesitation about inserting Vatanen, 26, immediately into the lineup, even without a full team practice to get him acclimated. Hynes will also insert Vatanen immediately onto a power-play unit because that’s where Vatanen produces a good portion of his points. Vatanen was selected by the Ducks in the fourth round of the 2009 draft so this marks the first time he’s switched organizations. The question will be who is initially paired with Vatanen, an established top-four defenseman and a right-handed shot. Steven Santini, Damon Severson and Ben Lovejoy have been the right-handed shots in the lineup paired with, respectively, captain Andy Greene, John Moore and Butcher. Second period – Johansson’s return: Johansson has progressed well this week since being cleared to play, participating in Monday’s morning skate, Wednesday’s optional practice and Thursday’s full team skate. Trading Henrique opens up Johansson’s pre-injury spot as the second line left wing. Hynes said he wanted to talk to Johansson – and make sure he’s fine after skating in the morning – before making a final determination. Johansson, in his first season with the Devils after being acquired from the Capitals, has three goals and two assists in 10 games thus far. Third period –Butcher’s reception: Butcher led the University of Denver to the NCAA title this spring and was named the Hobey Baker Award winner as college hockey’s top player as a senior. Most likely, though, Avalanche fans will hold a grudge that after being a fifth-round pick of the Avalanche in 2013, Butcher spurned the franchise in order to become a free agent.

Bergen Record LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086016 New Jersey Devils

Devils get needed defensive help, but part with playoff hero

By Brett Cyrgalis November 30, 2017 | 12:15PM

This was a declaration from Devils general manager Ray Shero saying that he is not content to just ease his way through a rebuild. Instead, Shero is being proactive about improving his team, which has surprised by being near the top of the Metropolitan Division standings since the season started. So Shero traded away a core piece in forward Adam Henrique, along with stalled prospect Joe Blandisi and their 2018 third-round pick, to the Ducks in exchange for top-four defenseman Sami Vatanen and a conditional third-round pick in 2019 or 2020. Henrique, 27, is signed through 2018-19 at $4 million per season, and if Anaheim doesn’t resign him, then the Devils don’t get a pick back. Vatanen, 26, is signed through 2019-20 and carries an annual $4.875 million salary-cap hit. And as difficult as it will be for them to lose Henrique, a leader on and off the ice, they certainly got a much-needed upgrade on the blueline. “In acquiring Sami, we bring on a right shot, top-four defenseman who can play in all situations,” Shero said in a statement. “This move also gives us contract certainty on the back end for the next two-plus years. When acquiring a defenseman like Vatanen, you have to give back quality assets or players in return.” Henrique might be most remembered for his overtime game-winner in Game 6 of the 2012 Eastern Conference final against the Rangers, sending the Blueshirts home and the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final, where they would lose to the Kings. His career never seemed to take off like most anticipated, in lockstep with the team missing the playoffs for the previous five years. Henrique’s best statistical season came when he put up 30 goals and 50 points in 2015-16. Vatanen is a good skater and puck-mover, which the Devils need. He can be used on the power play, but with one goal and three assists in 15 games this season, he isn’t exactly an offensive powerhouse. He did have 12 goals in 2014-15, and back-to-back seasons with at least 37 points before a dip in production last year. He is expected to join the team in Denver, where it plays Friday against the Avalanche.

New York Post LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086017 New York Islanders

Islanders go on toy shopping spree for sick kids ahead of hospital visits

By Sal Cacciatore [email protected] @SCacc8 Updated November 30, 2017 11:46 AM

Amidst a strong start on the ice, the Islanders took some time Thursday morning to do some good off of it. Players gathered at the Toys ‘R’ Us in Carle Place to buy gifts they will distribute to children during the team’s annual holiday hospital visits later in December. The Islanders will visit hospitals on Long Island, and in Brooklyn, Queens and . “It’s a fun thing we do every year. It’s one we take really personally,” John Tavares said. “It’s nice to see the kids’ smiles and take their attention off what they’re dealing with for a few moments.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086018 New York Rangers

Rangers' Mika Zibanejad out indefinitely with concussion

BY JUSTIN TASCH NEW YORK DAILY NEWS Updated: Friday, December 1, 2017, 1:57 AM

The Rangers’ center depth will be significantly tested for an indefinite period of time as Mika Zibanejad is in concussion protocol and will at least be out for Friday’s game against Carolina. Zibanejad, who has flourished this season in his new role as the club’s top center and leads the team with 11 goals and 22 points, was diagnosed with delayed onset of concussion symptoms, attributed to a Darren Helm hit he received in the corner late in the third period of last Friday’s game against Detroit. The 24-year-old was slow to get up from the hit but spoke with doctors afterward, felt fine and was cleared, according to Alain Vigneault. Zibanejad took part in off-ice work on Saturday, played in Sunday afternoon’s game against Vancouver and then reported symptoms to the team Tuesday morning after Monday’s off day. Zibanejad fully participated in Tuesday’s morning skate and took line rushes before the game but was a late scratch. “Tried to warm up, still didn’t feel well, so we shut him down,” Vigneault said. David Desharnais was going to be scratched but stepped into Zibanejad’s spot between Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich, notching three assists in a 5-4 loss to Florida. The veteran will remain there and on the top power-play unit for Friday’s game, and the Rangers will need more performances like his from Sunday to navigate however long this stretch without Zibanejad will be. Vigneault has already been playing J.T. Miller at center for the past five games to help patch up the middle. Mike Zibanejad was scratched before Tuesday's loss to the Panthers after taking the ice for warmup. First-round pick Filip Chytil broke camp with the Rangers but the 18-year- old was assigned to Hartford after playing two NHL games. A new option emerged Thursday when the Rangers acquired 26-year-old center Peter Holland from Montreal for Adam Cracknell in a minor-league trade. Claimed off waivers from Dallas right before Chytil was sent down, Cracknell played four NHL games for the Blueshirts before clearing waivers and going to Hartford. Holland, a first-round pick from the 2009 draft, has made NHL appearances with three clubs, most notably 174 games for the Maple Leafs. “I remember him a little bit more when he was in Toronto. I thought he was a good player,” Vigneault said. One silver lining for the Rangers is the expected return of captain Ryan McDonagh for Friday’s game.

New York Daily News LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086019 New York Rangers

Mika Zibanejad concussion is crushing to Rangers

By Brett Cyrgalis November 30, 2017 | 12:05PM

The Rangers shallowest position just got even more so, as the team announced that first-line center Mika Zibanejad suffered a concussion and is out indefinitely. According to coach Alain Vigneault, Zibanejad was injured when he was hit by Red Wings forward Darren Helm near the end of a game Friday at the Garden. “Didn’t seem like much,” Vigneault said after his team’s practice on Thursday, preparing for a Garden match Friday against the Hurricanes. “But my understanding is he did talk to the docs after, felt fine, was cleared.” Zibanejad continued to play that game, and even played Sunday in a 4-3 shootout win over the Canucks. But he was feeling it when he came in on Tuesday morning to prepare for that night’s game against the Panthers. He took part in that morning skate, and even took part in warmups before determining he couldn’t play. “We had optional [practice on Saturday], came in, did off ice,” Vigneault said. “Played the next game, felt fine. We had a day off on Monday and then he came in for the morning skate [Tuesday] and wasn’t feeling well. Had some symptoms. Came in the night, tried in warmup, still didn’t feel well, so we shut him down. Following the protocol.” David Desharnais was set to be a healthy scratch for that game, but got the call at 5:30 p.m. and stepped up into Zibanejad’s position between Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. Desharnais then had his best game as a Ranger, collecting three assists in a 5-4 loss. But the Rangers don’t have an extra healthy forward with Zibanejad out, and Vigneault said there wasn’t a plan to call anyone up at this time. Zibanejad is also leading the team with 22 points (11 goals and 11 assists in 24 games), while his line with Kreider and Buchnevich was developing a lot of chemistry. “Obviously a dynamic player, an integral part of our team and a guy that was really feeling it and having a great season, a lot of skill,” Kreider said. “But at the same time, that’s part of it over a 82-game season. You have to have that ‘next man up’ mentality.” The Rangers also announced that they traded forward Adam Cracknell to the Canadiens in exchange for forward Peter Holland, who will report to AHL Hartford. Cracknell had played four games for the Rangers early in the season after they claimed him off waivers from the Stars on Oct. 9. Holland, 26, was playing for AHL Laval, and has skated in 243 NHL games with the Ducks, Maple Leafs and Coyotes. He was selected by the Ducks with the 15th selection in the 2009 draft. “I remember him a little bit more when he was Toronto. I thought he was a good player,” Vigneault said. “Our guys were able to make a deal today that gives us a little bit more depth in the middle. He’s got some experience. So he’s going to go to Hartford, get some minutes, and he’s definitely a guy that we could call up in the future.”

New York Post LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086020 New York Rangers

Ryan McDonagh looks like he’s good to go

By Brett Cyrgalis December 1, 2017 | 1:40am

It wasn’t easy for Ryan McDonagh to sit on the side and watch. But now the Rangers captain is feeling better, and seems ready to return for Friday night’s Garden match against the Hurricanes after a four-game absence because of an abdominal strain. “Whether it’s a short time away from the team when you’re not playing games or it’s a lot longer, it still feels like a long time,” McDonagh said after Thursday’s practice. “You’re missing the guys and you’re missing out on how the team’s playing, as far as the locker room and what we’re talking about in meetings. So, excited to get back with the group here.” McDonagh spent practice paired with Nick Holden, with Steven Kampfer occasionally rotating in — making it seem as if Kampfer is going to be a healthy scratch. McDonagh had been with Holden before the injury finally forced him out the lineup. But after McDonagh skated the past few days, the effects of the injury seem to be going away. “It’s come a long way here in the last few days,” he said. “Felt really good, not really thinking about it anymore and obviously that’s a good sign.” Added coach Alain Vigneault, “Looked great [Wednesday], looked even better [Thursday]. He was feeling the best he’s felt in a long time. Hopefully it continues.” In McDonagh’s absence, Brendan Smith had been on the left side with Holden — and they combined for two ghastly turnovers on Tuesday that led to the Panthers’ Denis Malgin scoring the game-winning goal with 1:09 left in regulation. Smith spent Thursday’s practice on the right side of the third pair with Marc Staal, while the Brady Skjei-Kevin Shattenkrik duo stayed together. Henrik Lundqvist is set to get his 14th straight start in goal, though backup Ondrej Pavelec could be getting some work soon because the Rangers have six games in nine nights starting Dec. 8. “I talked to Pavs today, the schedule has been pretty spread out as far as Hank getting a lot of games,” Vigneault said. “Pavs is going to get a chance to play and he’s got to win us some games, make a difference and make a couple key saves at the right time. He’s aware of it. Not sure when or which games, but he’s going to get a chance to play and he’s got to be good.” The loss of first-line center Mika Zibanejad to delayed symptoms of a concussion is going to have an effect on the power play. Zibanejad was one of only two right-handed shots (with Shattenkirk) used on the man- advantage. “We don’t have a lot of right-handed shots; on one unit we don’t have any,” Vigneault said. “Now we’ve gone from two to one, it does change the dynamics and certain plays you can make. At the end of the day, you have to find a way to make the plays that are available and make them work. The power play has been a big weapon for us this year.”

New York Post LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086021 New York Rangers

Rangers center Mika Zibanejad diagnosed with concussion

By Steve Zipay and Anthony Rieber [email protected], [email protected] @stevezipay Updated November 30, 2017 8:17 PM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — Center Mika Zibanejad, the Rangers’ leading scorer, has been diagnosed with a concussion and will be out indefinitely, the team announced Thursday. On Tuesday, Zibanejad participated in the morning skate and in pre- game warmups before being ruled out of that night’s game against the Florida Panthers, which the Rangers lost, 5-4. Coach Alain Vigneault said after practice on Thursday that the concussion stems from a seemingly innocuous hit by Detroit’s Darren Helm on Friday. Zibanejad, who has a troubling history of concussions, played on Sunday. Vigneault said he wasn’t made aware of any concussion symptoms until Tuesday morning. “My understanding is when he got hit against Detroit — at the end of the game, he got hit by Helm in the corner — it didn’t seem like much,” Vigneault said. “My understanding is he did talk to the docs after. Felt fine. We had optional [practice] the next day. Came in. Did off-ice [work]. Played the next game. Felt fine. He had a day off on Monday and then he came in for our morning skate [Tuesday] and wasn’t feeling well. Had symptoms.” Zibanejad has 11 goals and 22 points in 24 games. Veteran David Desharnais, who was initially a healthy scratch Tuesday, was called in from home at 5:30 p.m. to replace Zibanejad on the first line with Chris Kreider and Pavel Buchnevich. The former Canadien recorded three assists and was in the same spot in practice on Thursday. The Rangers, who will likely have defenseman Ryan McDonagh back for Friday’s game against Carolina after he missed four straight games with an abdominal strain, have 12 healthy forwards and expect to stay that way. “At the end of the day, we called up Davey at 5:30 to come in and take warmups and play that night and that line was good,” Vigneault said. “That’s what happens in a season. We lost [McDonagh] and some other guys stepped up. In the last game, Davey stepped up.” Zibanejad’s absence also may affect the power play. With a team-high 11 points with the man-advantage, Zibanejad has been a key producer on the unit, which once ranked in the top four of the NHL. But in the last seven games, the power play has dipped, with just one goal in the last 18 opportunities, and has slipped into a tie for 11th at 21.2 percent. Rangers deal for Holland. The Rangers acquired forward Peter Holland from Montreal for forward Adam Cracknell. Holland, 26, has appeared in 243 NHL games over parts of six seasons with Anaheim, Toronto and Arizona. He will report to Hartford. “I remember him a little bit more when he was with Toronto,” Vigneault said. “I thought he was a good player. Our guys were able to make a deal [Thursday] that gives us a little bit more depth in the middle. He’s got some experience. So he’s going to go to Hartford, get some minutes, and he’s definitely a guy that we could call up in the future.”

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086022 Ottawa Senators HOME IS WHERE THE BASKETBALL COURT IS: The Islanders never practise at the Barclay’s Center, but that hasn’t stopped them from rolling to victory after victory during home games inside their unique building, Warrenspiece: The heat's on Ceci; Duchene talks posts and penalty which was originally built to house the Brooklyn Nets, not hockey nets. shots They’re 8-0-2, having outscored opponents 46-30 here … A historically adept tweeter suggested the Senators should have practised at Central Park instead of the Barclay’s Center as a tonic for ending their losing spell. Back in January 2010, the Senators were on a five-game losing Ken Warren Published on: November 30, 2017 streak and then-coach Cory Clouston took them to the great outdoors to skate in advance of a game against the New York Rangers. From there,

the Senators went on a franchise-record 11-game winning streak, kick- BROOKLYN — It’s kind of like picking your poison. Pick a position on the started by a shutout by minor league call-up goaltender Mike Brodeur. Ottawa Senators and you can find a problem — in many cases a major Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.01.2017 problem. Without question, they’ve suffered a bad bounce here or there along the way, but seven-game losing streaks don’t come by accident. They come by not scoring enough goals at pivotal times and by not being good enough at defending in critical moments. SEEING RED BECAUSE OF CECI: In the not stopping goals department, defenceman Cody Ceci is going through a painful rough patch. In the process, he has become the No. 1 whipping boy for Senators fans. The latest case in point came in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to Montreal. With the Senators leading 1-0 early in the second period, Ceci and defence partner Ben Harpur were caught flat-footed when Jonathan Drouin slipped behind Ceci and received a breakaway pass. In Ceci’s desperation to slow Drouin down, he hooked him, resulting in a penalty shot. Drouin beat Mike Condon with a perfect shot. A couple of minutes later, with Ceci on the ice, Phillip Danault added a second goal. Game over, as it turned out. THE BOUCHER DEFENCE: On the play leading to Drouin’s penalty shot, Senators coach Boucher says the responsibility to take away the pass belonged to Harpur in what the coach described as a “staggered” defence. On the Danault goal, Boucher says Ceci lost his battle because he was “dead tired” in his own end, having been on the ice too long, covering up for a player who shouldn’t have changed. In a broader sense, though, Boucher says Ceci’s task of playing against top opposition forwards game after game — the Senators use him in that role because of his size and speed — is tougher than just about anyone outside of the goaltender. “We’re giving him probably the job with the fewest rewards,” he said of the plus/minus of minus 2 beside Ceci’s name. “We know how valuable he has been, but it’s tougher from the outside when you have to deal with the stats and the perception.” The longer he struggles, though, the more he seems miscast in the shutdown role and the more he’s going to take heat when goals go in. If we’ve said it once here, we’ve said it a dozen times: the hole left by the loss of Marc Methot has yet to be adequately filled. WHERE DID THE GOALS GO? Now on to the offensive woes. Maybe it’s time to send out a search party because somewhere over the Atlantic, on the return flight from Sweden, the Senators lost their scoring touch. They’ve scored only eight goals in seven games since coming back to North America. “It’s a game of inches, and we’re one inch the wrong way right now,” said Matt Duchene, who has one goal and no assists in nine games since arriving in the trade for Kyle Turris and company, and is also getting some unwelcome Ceci-like attention from the fans. “(Against Montreal) we hit two goal posts, we had two open nets where the puck bounces on us, we hit the knob of the goalie’s stick late, (Ceci) had him beat but it hit his stick. I haven’t seen a team play this well and create as many chances, and get so little production and success in the win column. I’ve seen it happen to individuals, but I’ve never seen it happen to so many individuals, which equals a team.” ONE PENALTY SHOT, BUT NOT TWO? If Ceci’s hook on Drouin was worth a penalty shot, was Joe Morrow’s hold on Duchene nine minutes later also worth a penalty shot? “I haven’t seen (the replay), but is it that much different?” Duchene asked. “I’m leaning in on him, but at the same time, I feel like I had the corner … I think it’s a grey area.”… Goaltender Craig Anderson, who sat out Wednesday’s game in Montreal, will be back Friday against the Islanders … Mark Stone, who is tied for fourth in the NHL with 14 goals, missed practice Thursday for “maintenance” reasons, but is expected to play Friday. 1086023 Ottawa Senators

Chabot returns to Senators' lineup against Islanders on Friday

Ken Warren Published on: November 30, 2017

BROOKLYN — Ottawa Senators coach Guy Boucher had a positive message Thursday for all the fans criticizing him about how he has used rookie defenceman Thomas Chabot. “The kid is in,” Boucher said of Friday’s game against the New York Islanders, where the Senators will aim to end their seven-game losing streak. Chabot has been in and out of the lineup since being recalled from Belleville of the AHL and was a healthy scratch in Wednesday’s 2-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He has three assists in five games. “He will be in because, right now, we’re struggling scoring goals,” said Boucher of his squad, which has scored only eight goals during the seven-game slump. “He’s got some offence. Obviously, he needs to play some parts of the defensive game better, we know that. But he’s good at transition, at moving the puck, and on the power play maybe (give us) that one goal. We’re certainly not looking at him to come in and save us, but looking at the big picture, we want to have his assets on the ice (against the Islanders).” Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086024 Ottawa Senators

The Senators are not for sale — period — says club's president and CEO

Bruce Garrioch Published on: November 30, 2017

There is no “For Sale” sign on the Ottawa Senators. While there has been no shortage of speculation about whether or not owner is going to sell the team, Tom Anselmi, the club’s president and CEO, tried to put the talk to rest with brief comments on Thursday. Anselmi said he didn’t want to even dignify the rumours that the Senators are going to be sold by making a comment, but he did indicate there’s nothing to anything that’s been reported. (TSN’s Darren Dreger had also quashed the rumours on Tuesday, saying Melnyk isn’t trying to sell the team.) “I have no idea where it’s coming from. There’s nothing to it and I just have no idea where it’s from,” Anselmi said Thursday. “We’re in the sports business and rumours happen, but there’s nothing to it. I don’t even want to respond to it to give any credence.” Melnyk and his group from RendesVouz LeBreton are in the midst of negotiating with the National Capital Commission for a new downtown arena. The NCC indicated at its board of directors meeting last month that it hopes to be in a position to host a “milestone” meeting in January to update everybody on the LeBreton project. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086025 Ottawa Senators “It doesn’t feel as good as it did before and it’s never going to, probably,” Karlsson said. “It’s going to be a while (before it’s comfortable), but it is what it is. I have to find a way to make it feel as good as possible, as Senators' Karlsson plans to get what he's worth in next contract — and often as possible, and probably get rid of some of the bad days that are no less going to happen.” Karlsson has one goal and 16 assists in 18 games, and has a plus/minus of minus 8. With the team having scored only eight goals during the Ken Warren Published on: November 30, 2017 seven-game skid and currently mired in a 1-for-27 slump on the power play, he’s feeling the pressure to do something – anything – to turn the team around. BROOKLYN – Ottawa Senators captain Erik Karlsson made it clear “I think we need some frustration, but in the right way,” he said. “We need Thursday that he won’t be taking any hometown discount simply to stay to be desperate in everything we do right now. We need to win a game. with the club beyond next season. We need to do it now.” “When I go to market, I’m going to get what I’m worth, and it’s going to be Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.01.2017 no less, no matter where I’m going,” Karlsson said following the club’s practice here Thursday, as the Senators aim to end a seven-game losing streak Friday against the New York Islanders. “That’s the business part of it. That’s the way every player has been treated ever since this league has started, and I think the players have been a little bit on the other side of things when it comes to negotiations. I think it’s time to realize that when we go to the table, it’s business on both parts, not just (owners).” Karlsson has this season and next season remaining on his current six- year, $45.5-million contract, and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2018-19 season. But if he’s not signed to a long-term extension in the summer, the Senators would have to consider trading the two-time Norris Trophy winner in order to get a reasonable return rather than risk having him leave as a free agent. The Senators were in a similar situation with centre Kyle Turris, prompting the three-way trade that saw Turris go to Nashville and Matt Duchene come to the Senators from Colorado. Karlsson, who is generally considered to have been the NHL’s top defenceman for the past five seasons, is in position to almost double his current salary, potentially earning as much as $11 million or $12 million annually on a long-term extension. At this point, he has nothing but positives to say about his time with the Senators. “I like it here, I’m comfortable here, I’ve been here my whole career,” he said. “It’s something that I invested all my time in and something I would like to see all the way through. But at the end of the day, when it comes down to it, if it’s not the right fit and it’s not going to work out business- wise, then you’re going to have to look elsewhere because that’s what (owners) are going to do, as well.” It’s intriguing that Karlsson’s future could be directly linked to the future of fellow star defenceman Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings. Doughty, who is also eligible to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2017-18 season, created a mild stir by telling The Athletic that he wants to talk to Karlsson about their respective strategies on negotiations. Doughty also said that he and Karlsson deserve to make more than Nashville’s P.K. Subban, whose $9-million salary cap is currently the highest among NHL defencemen. While Karlsson says he hasn’t thought too much about his future just yet, he recognizes that the time is coming soon. He has no problem with Doughty speaking out. He also said it’s not unusual for players to talk among themselves, as well as to their agents, about future contracts. “It depends how well you know a person and what situation you’re in,” Karlsson said. “We’re in a fairly similar boat, and again, when it comes down to it, I’m sure we’re going to have discussions about what we’re thinking and what we’re going to do. It’s a business that we’re in and we (need to) get treated like we’re a business, and we’re going to treat everybody else like it’s a business, too.” Karlsson will be in Doughty’s neighbourhood next week. Following Friday’s game against the Islanders and Sunday’s contest in Winnipeg, the Senators travel to California. They play Doughty’s Kings on Dec. 7. The contract talk comes amid a terrible Senators slump and Karlsson’s personal seven-game stretch without a point, his longest drought since his rookie season of 2009-10. The Senators captain acknowledges that he’s still adjusting to the change in his body following offseason surgery, which involved the insertion of an artificial tendon into his left foot. 1086026 Ottawa Senators

Senators announce the Parliament Hill lineup for outdoor game weekend

BRUCE GARRIOCH Published on: November 30, 2017

The backdrop was perfect Thursday as the Ottawa Senators announced team activities that will take place on Parliament Hill in conjunction with this month’s NHL 100 Classic at Lansdowne Park. The snow was falling as Senators president and chief executive officer Tom Anselmi, the Canada 150 Rink behind him, confirmed that a Dec. 15 alumni game featuring Team Alfie versus Team Phillips will be among the many events. Led by former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson and defenceman Chris Phillips, the franchise leader in games played with 1,179, the club’s alumni will take part in a Red and White game at 7 p.m. that will include goaltender Patrick Lalime, defencemen Wade Redden and Lance Pitlick, and original captain Laurie Boschman. There will be a draft the night before the game to come up with the roster for the two teams. Phillips said every player he’s spoken with is excited about the chance to come back and play on the rink that’s been constructed on the Hill to close out the celebrations of Canada’s 150th birthday. “I’m really, really excited,” Phillips said Thursday. “Just coming here today, with this backdrop, it’s going to be a lot of fun. Not to mention, getting the guys that we’re going to get, to come back into town and have the reunion is going to be a lot of fun for everybody. “We’re reaching out to players right now to try to get this done, but everybody I’ve talked to has pretty well been on board and is excited to come back.” Not only will admission to the game be free, but there will also be a morning skate at the rink the day of the game, followed by Senators owner Eugene Melnyk’s annual Family Skate for Kids at 1 p.m. This year, students from General Vanier Public School and Assumption Catholic School will receive skates. The Senators will face the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 16 at 7 p.m. at Lansdowne Park. Melnyk had originally wanted the game played on the Hill, but the federal government decided the logistics wouldn’t work. But the Hill will still play a key role in what’s going to be a special weekend. If you’re not one of the 36,000-plus who have tickets to attend the game at Lansdowne, there will be two big screens on the Hill for a live viewing party from 6:30 p.m. until 10. The Senators will also skate on the Canada 150 Rink before the game, but the time hasn’t been finalized. The outdoor game is being held in Ottawa to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the first NHL game ever played on Dec. 19, 1917 between the Senators and Habs at the old Dey’s Arena. The Habs won that game by a 7-4 count. “It’s going to be fantastic,” Anselmi said of the weekend’s activities. “I don’t get nervous talking, but I was nervous talking here because it’s an overwhelming thing when you look behind (the rink at the Peace Tower), and it’s pretty cool, it’s pretty exciting and it’s a great way to finish off a great year for the country. “This is the nation’s capital and this is a great place to hang your hat. You look at something like this and nobody else can do this. It’s just unbelievable, especially with the 150th year for the country and the 100th year of the NHL. We did the 125th year for the Stanley Cup (last month). It’s been pretty breathtaking.” It doesn’t stop there. On Sunday, Dec. 17, the public is invited to join Melnyk, the club’s alumni, Spartacat and Santa Claus for a holiday skate from 1 p.m. until 5. The rink will open Dec. 7, but Dec. 13-17 there will be demonstrations by the Aboriginal Sport and Wellness Council, Sledge Hockey Eastern Ontario and Soldier On, with youth hockey clinics also being held. All events will be free. “It’s so Canadian,” Anselmi said. “It’s so spectacular.” Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086027 Ottawa Senators look at some of the best scorers in the league, they’re not all shots from the outside,” Smith said. “You have to get greasy goals. It’s guys going to the net, to dirty areas. It’s not fun to go there, but for me that’s my style of Warrenspiece: Senators' Harpur gets his chance, Chabot sits game. When I’m scoring goals, when I’m on, that’s where I am and where I’m effective.”

SURVIVING THE THIN BLUELINE KEN WARREN The Senators opened the season by going 3-0-2 without top defenceman Erik Karlsson. The Canadiens entered Wednesday’s game with a 2-1-1 record without top defenceman Shea Weber. Jeff Petry, who has topped MONTREAL — As Thomas Chabot watched from above at the Bell the 27-minute mark four times this month, including 28:55 in Monday’s 3- Centre Wednesday, Big Ben Harpur was again trying to prove that his 1 win over Columbus, is receiving credit for helping pick up the slack … emergence in the playoffs last spring was no fluke. Jonathan Drouin had four goals and 12 assists in 24 games before facing the Senators. Rookie defenceman Mikhail Sergachev, traded to Tampa It’s probably not fair to pit the two Ottawa Senators rookie defencemen for Drouin, has six goals and 12 assists in 24 games. against each other — Chabot has the skating and stickhandling to potentially control an NHL game with his playmaking abilities, while the 6- LAST WORD TO BRIERE foot-6, 222-pound Harpur can be a physically imposing all-around presence — but for now, coach Guy Boucher doesn’t believe he needs During his career, Gatineau’s Daniel Briere was generally a happy-go- both in the line-up everyday. lucky sort, careful in his criticisms. But in his biography, Mister Playoffs, Briere has some choice words for former Montreal Canadiens coach HAILING HARPUR Michel Therrien, who didn’t allow him to showcase his talents and leadership abilities. Briere played in Montreal during the 2013-14 season. Boucher’s views on Chabot, including that he’s still a young player who “There’s no one in the room who respects you,” Briere writes of words needs to develop his defensive skills and read the play better, has put Therrien told him during a heated conversation after a game against the him at odds with much of the fan base. Carolina Hurricanes. “There’s no one who wants to play with you.” … For all that criticism, though, he is bullish on the 22-year-old Harpur, who Briere has gone from player to owner, operating an expansion ECHL enjoyed a coming-out party in the Senators opening-round playoff victory franchise that will be based out of Portland, Maine. over Boston last spring. With Mark Borowiecki now out due to a Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 12.01.2017 concussion, the door is open for Harpur to establish himself as a regular. “He does bring physicality, but what he brings most is his poise with the puck,” Boucher said before Harpur and his teammates took on the Canadiens. “He’s very smart. There are not a lot of guys like that, with his great reach, size and mobility. The ceiling for this guy is really high,” suggesting he can eventually become a top shut-down defenceman. It creates an intriguing scenario looking ahead. Cody Ceci is a pending restricted free agent. Johnny Oduya and the injured Chris Wideman are unrestricted free agents. Could Harpur be a longer-term fixture on the blueline? IS HE MEAN ENOUGH? Harpur says he has to be physical all the time. “I definitely can’t get ahead of myself and I have to bring it every day, I haven’t proven anything yet,” he said. “Chabot has played well in the games he has played and there’s always competition down in Belleville (including Christian Jaros and Andreas Englund).” It may not be in his nature to be mean-spirited, but Harpur says he has no choice but to play with an edge. “It’s more the intensity of it, making sure I’m active every time on the ice. Being hard in front of our net is going to be huge.” TRAIN OF THOUGHT Riding the rails from Ottawa to Montreal on Wednesday morning was as relaxing as travel can be, rolling along, laptop open, while watching the traffic jams at both ends of the trip. Arriving in the heart of Montreal is always a bonus … Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there was a downtown station in Ottawa? I guess that ship has sailed — err, that train has left the tracks. ABSENCE MAKES HEART GROW FONDER Speaking of tracks, Zack Smith was on a fast one in his recovery from his thumb injury. He missed six games, but says there was no doubt in his mind he would be back for the current seven-day trek, which moves on from Montreal to New York to Winnipeg to California to Buffalo. “I wasn’t on the week-long road trip (to New York, Washington and Columbus) and that feels like forever when you’re not there,” said Smith, who returned in Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the New York Islanders. “And that was only a week, so not being on a 16-day trip … you want to be part of it and you feel a little helpless when that’s going on. You always want to be the difference.” BRASSARD’S BOOKENDS Derick Brassard’s wingmen before the puck dropped Wednesday had remarkably similar statistics. And they weren’t pretty. On his left was Smith, with zero goals and six assists in 13 games. On his right was Bobby Ryan, with zero goals and six assists in 14 games. Brassard himself hadn’t scored since Oct. 21, a stretch of 14 games. “When you 1086028 Ottawa Senators power-play unit. The difference in team power play time per game is negligible between the Senators and Penguins, so this is done by design and is in keeping with Boucher's reputation as a major line-juggler. What the Ottawa Senators can learn from the league's best power play After Pittsburgh's big guns and top backups – so seven players – not a single player has averaged more than 1:23 in PP time per game this season. In Ottawa, not counting the departed Kyle Turris – 14 (!) players By James Gordon Nov 30, 2017 have averaged more than that when they've been in the lineup. Part of this was an attempt to find solutions during Karlsson's absence, but it's also indicative of Boucher's strategy of spreading the wealth around. The Ottawa Senators have exceeded expectations in a lot of ways since Karlsson is slightly above four minutes per game. For some reason, Guy Boucher took over as head coach at the start of last season, but Bobby Ryan is also getting four minutes per game, despite the fact he they've been a big disappointment in one particular area: the power play. has zero power play points in 14 games so far this season. As far as easy fixes go, dialling his minutes way back and keeping him off PP1 is Over the 104 regular season games Boucher has coached here, the probably the most obvious. Senators have delivered a meagre 16.8 per cent success rate with the man advantage. That puts them in a tie for 24th in the NHL – not good Meanwhile, the actual big guns, Hoffman (3:42), Brassard (3:38), enough for a team that's now going to have to scratch and claw its way Duchene (3:38) and Stone (3:36) are ceding time not only to the back into the playoff conversation following a six-game losing streak. unproductive Ryan, but also to guys like Ryan Dzingel (2:54), Alex Burrows (2:47), Zack Smith (2:42) and Logan Brown (2:20 when he was It's not that the Senators don't have the tools to succeed: Mike Hoffman here). is sixth in the NHL in power-play goals over that span, despite having played the second-least number of games among the top-12 players. Setups Erik Karlsson is seventh in power-play assists and logs nearly four minutes per game on the PP. The reason Dzingel, Smith, Brown and Ryan get/got so much time is because Boucher uses/used them as low men on the power play, tasked But, for whatever reason, something just isn't working. That's a real with setting screens, looking for rebounds and generally causing havoc. shame, too, because the Senators have become really good at drawing And here's the first big difference between the Senators and Penguins. penalties since Boucher took over. Only seven other teams have had The Senators put their skill guys on the wings and try to generate offence more power-play opportunities over the past season and change. from there. Boucher doesn't seem to value elite skill in those low spots all that much. So, what can the Senators do to turn things around and start cashing in on more of those opportunities? In order to generate some ideas, I Unfortunately, that's where many successful power plays score from and thought it'd be useful to put the league's No. 1 power play under the the Penguins are no exception. That's why they almost always have two microscope and see if there's anything that can be taken and adapted to of Kessel, Hornqvist, Malkin and Crosby on the doorstep. The image Ottawa's roster and systems. below shows a tight umbrella with Letang out. A quick caveat here before you “well actually” me into oblivion: I realize That's Sidney Crosby and Hornqvist in front of the net, with Malkin and that one of the main reasons the Pittsburgh Penguins have the top power Kessel on the wings and Schultz up high. Crosby would score on a play in the league is because they have two of the best centres on the rebound here. planet and a bunch of really good supporting players. That said, Ottawa is not devoid of talent, and there are some things that the Penguins do Here's another example, this time with Malkin out. When that happens, differently which warrant further consideration. Kessel and Hornqvist are almost always right out front or, if there's been some switching down low, it's Crosby. Here they are against the Bruins. OK, with that out of the way, let's take a look at the two most common power-play setups, both of which are used at times by the Senators and They also attack from the wings much faster and with much more Penguins. The first is the umbrella, the top of which looks the way it aggression than Ottawa does. Here, Guentzel is ready to strike when the sounds, and the bottom of which features two players right at the front of Bruins lose track of him. the net – one staggered off slightly to the side the attacking team wants to target. 0:00 The second is the 1-3-1, which features a defenceman at the top, three Here's the kind of stuff you see from Ottawa when things aren't working, players across the middle of the ice and one guy serving as the net-front which is fairly often (heat maps are from the wonderful resource presence. NaturalStatTrick). Teams will switch these up depending on who is healthy and who they're Woof. facing, and they'll tweak them here and there, but that gives you a basic Now here's a look at where the Penguins are generating from. idea of what we're dealing with. The Senators seem to like to get their attempts from guys like Turris Personnel (before), Duchene, Stone and Hoffman at the wings, which is fine, but Personnel is important too, obviously. During the time Boucher has been they waste a lot of attempts by taking them from too far out. Hoffman has in Ottawa, only Alex Ovechkin has scored more power play goals than shown he can score from the top of the circle, but it's pretty much Sidney Crosby (20 in 101 games). Despite playing more than 20 fewer pointless otherwise. games than some of the leading goal scorers, Evgeni Malkin is tied for In all the Pittsburgh power play goals I watched, they took almost zero eighth in goals during the same span (15 in 84). attempts from the circle perimeter, let alone further out than that. Now, if someone were to ask who you thought the top three power-play Even then, Pittsburgh's shots from the circles appear designed more to assist generators were in the NHL during the Boucher Era, what names create finishing opportunities for their skill guys in front rather than would you guess first? Maybe a smooth offensive defenceman serving as attempts to score. The thing is, though, because they have such good the PP quarterback or a top passing centre? Well, you'd be right, but shooters on the wings, teams must respect the shot, and that gets you'd also miss a guy at No. 1 who's probably best known for his shot. opponents fixating. Kessel is a big key to all this, as you'll see. Let's go back to Kessel for a moment. Some of his assists come because When the Penguins are healthy, Patric Hornqvist and Kris Letang round he's working the front of the net and gets a stick on a puck that eventually out PP1. When Malkin is out, Jake Guentzel goes in and when Letang is goes in. At other times, it's because he's moved to the wing and teams out, Justin Schultz takes over at the blueline. worry about him there, to the point they fail to consider the other all-world players bearing down on their net (far more than the Senators do). And The main takeaway here is that when the Penguins are feelin' fine, they Kessel is looking to find those players all the time. don't waste PP1 time on scrubs. They have five dangerous players who can score and set up goals in a variety of ways, and only one of them – Making things even more hairy for defenders is the fact that Kessel isn't Letang – averages less than four minutes of power play time per game content shooting from the circle perimeter and is almost always moving (3:51). Malkin and Kessel are at nearly four-and-a-half minutes per fast toward the net, which just collapses everything down even more onto game. the goalie. Contrast that with Ottawa, which, partly due to injuries but partly due to Takeaways the coach's discretion, has a much flatter spread of power play minutes So what can the Senators take away from all this? Here are just a few and gives way more time to players who probably shouldn't be on a top things. 1. They should (always) stack their talent on PP1 Back when the Senators were still scoring goals, I wrote about a power- play setup that I thought could prove deadly if they stuck with it. The early returns were good against the Colorado Avalanche in Sweden, yet Boucher almost immediately started going back to the Dzingels and Burrows of the world when they got back and then added the injured Ryan into the mix. As another alternative, if the Senators were going to go umbrella with two low, they could put Ryan where Duchene is in the above setup and move Duchene low (which he did in Colorado) to join Stone. Here's another one that's little more than a fantasy at this point, but it's still fun to think about. Chabot looked great working the blueline when he was up early in the season and will end up there at some point anyway, so why not try making Karlsson the primary puck distributor at the half-wall? He'd have a shooting option, two great traffic players down low and could feed passes through to a waiting Hoffman if there were any breakdown. 2. They should give their top players more time to work We've already gone over this a bit, but it bears repeating: Ottawa's best players need to be on the ice more during the man advantage. Putting all the top guys all on one unit would help, but there's no reason for short shifts on a power play. Yes, it's work, but it's not like they're having to gun it back and forth up the ice. Let them play. 3. The Senators need to get way more aggressive Again, shooting from near the wall or the top of the circle is fairly pointless for this team unless it's Mike Hoffman doing it, so tighten up on the wings and start moving more aggressively toward the net. The Senators' passivity is a big part of the problem. The Penguins may have arguably the league's most talented concentration of players on the power play, but they aren't dangling or trying to make finesse passes across the zone to open players in low- danger areas. They are relentless attackers at the goalmouth, which is something the Senators need to be if they're going bring their power play up to respectability. The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086029 Ottawa Senators World Junior camp for Finland where he’s always one of his team’s best players, if not the very best. He’s a smart two-way forward with fine speed and enough vision in his game to create chances. Talvitie hasn’t Pronman: Biggest risers from the 2017 NHL Draft played professionally in Finland yet — not due to anything negative about him as a player, so don’t let that bias your perception of him — but simply because he’s preserving his amateur status to go and play at Penn State next season. I expect he’ll be an important part of Finland’s U20 team By Corey Pronman this winter and has looked better than your typical sixth-round pick. Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis (20th overall) Last week, a reader asked me in my mailbag who are the most When I go around OHL rinks and ask people who the best player in the noticeable risers from the 2017 NHL Draft in the first few months of the league is, some will mention players such as Owen Tippett (Florida), Nick season. I decided this was worth blowing up into a column. The most Suzuki (Vegas) and fellow Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou, but Thomas is obvious candidate for this is Eeli Tolvanen over in the KHL. I’ve written also in the mix. Thomas may not have risen so much that he’s blown by about Nashville’s 30th-overall pick many times the past few months, so fellow 1999 OHL players Tippett and Suzuki, but given how much his I’m not going to spill more digital ink on him, I think readers get the point. game has progressed the past few months, he’s right in that conversation Instead, I’m going to touch on some other players. with those top 13 picks. He should be an important part of Canada’s World Junior team, as a good do everything type of center. Sebastian Aho, D, New York Islanders (139th overall) Aleksi Heponiemi, C, Florida (40th overall) and Tyler Steenbergen, LW, As of this writing, Aho is the youngest defenseman in the top 10 in AHL Arizona (128th overall) shots on goal. He’s played well in all situations for Bridgeport. He’s a fairly mobile defenseman with good hockey sense and shows a lot of I figured it made sense to talk about these two players together given above-average traits, except for his size. Longtime readers know I’ve they’ve played together all season and have been the most important been a fan of his for years. He was ignored at the NHL level up until last parts of the clear best line in the CHL. Heponiemi's point production is summer at the draft, but given his success in the AHL, it would be hard to among the best ever in the WHL by a 19-year-old, and Steenbergen is imagine him being thought of so lowly if teams were given a mulligan. scoring goals at a rate that has plausibly raised the scenario of him going after Ray Ferraro's record of 108 in a season. Drake Batherson, C, Ottawa (121st overall) I rank Heponiemi higher, due to his really high-grade hockey sense and Batherson is one of the top risers in the CHL this season. A player who skill level, and between the two of them, I think he drives a bit more of the was drafted in his second draft-eligible season, there are alarm bells that chances. But Steenbergen also has elite attributes in his speed and shot, go off in my head about getting too excited over a 19-year-old offense not to mention a fairly good skill level. These two have been the driving spike in the QMJHL. One major difference between Batherson and the force on arguably the top team in major junior, and the way they usual profile of guys who worry me — such as Francis Perron (also an embarrass defensemen and goalies nightly are persuasive arguments Ottawa prospect) and Conor Garland (Arizona) who dominated the Q at that they should have been picked higher. older ages — is that, like them, he’s a highly skilled player but unlike them, he has a 6-foot-2 frame. I’ve been impressed whenever I’ve The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 watched Drake this season, and his tools such as his plus vision, good hands and ability to win battles give me confidence in his NHL projection. The main issue is his skating, not his size or lack of skill. You can improve a guy’s footspeed, it’s harder to make a player taller or inject talent into them. Filip Chytil, C, New York Rangers (21st overall) Chytil was strong in the NHL preseason for the Rangers, but he’s been quite good since being sent down to Hartford. He’s playing significant minutes and making an impact for his club. Here are the recent top U19 forwards who have played in the AHL, sorted by shots per game: Chytil’s performance isn’t at David Pastrnak/William Nylander level, but he isn’t too far behind and has shown in a group of mostly early first- round picks — which he was not — that he’s right there in that peer group. His shot per game rate leads his AHL team, despite him being the youngest player in the league and by far the youngest of that peer group of 18 year olds mentioned above. He has the tools to succeed with his speed and skill, but it’s his IQ that has impressed me at this level, which I previously didn’t see as this good. Chytil would likely go top 10-15 in a redraft as it stands now. Max Gildon, D, Florida (66th overall) Gildon’s season has been a lot better than you’d have expected even for a player pick around the 60s, and he has put himself in the conversation for the U.S. World Junior team as an underage player, according to a source. He’s been one of the more dynamic underclassmen defenders in the country. He skates well for a player his size, moves the puck well and has a quality point shot. His defensive decisions aren’t great, but he still pushed the play forward. A look at some recent top 18-year-old defensemen in the NCAA, in varying conferences, sorted by shots per game, shows that Gildon is playing at a notably high level: Igor Shvyryov, C, Colorado (125th overall) I mentioned Shvyryov in last week’s column looking at every team's farm system. I don’t have much to add other than he’s the kind of guy who slid under the radar due to not having much international experience prior to a few weeks ago, with his last appearance for Russia coming nearly two years ago. He’s definitely a player you give kudos to a scout for, but a player with his size, skill and numbers last season in the MHL shouldn’t have been overlooked, including by me. Aarne Talvitie, C, New Jersey (160th overall) Talvitie doesn’t have elite offensive talent, but whenever I’ve watched him, he’s been noticeable, whether at the U18 last season or at the 1086030 Philadelphia Flyers Hakstol has the support of the general manager, and that will help him in the locker room. It won’t help him in the stands if the results don’t improve, however. Nothing will help him in that case, because an Dave Hakstol benefits from Flyers' new-found patience | Bob Ford organization that has recently discovered patience still doesn’t have an unlimited supply, even though the phone no longer blinks with yet another call from Malibu. by Bob Ford, STAFF COLUMNIST Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.01.2017

Dave Hakstol, a tight-lipped fellow from Alberta whose tenure here has not been marked by wild bursts of laughter, is currently the 19th head coach in Philadelphia Flyers history. If you choose to count Bob McCammon twice, which seems only fair, then Hakstol is the 20th. Hakstol is coaching at the start of his third season here, still relatively new to town, but if he finishes this season, only seven of the previous coaches will have served more games. That’s a remarkable testament to the tenuous nature of NHL coaching in general, and to the Flyers’ particular tradition of changing horses at the first sign of a thrown shoe. There are hummingbirds with more patience than the organization during most of the time it was presided over by founder Ed Snider, who didn’t like to lose and wasn’t all that fond of ties, either. The Flyers were quick to change directions with their roster, often disastrously, and quick to change the man behind the bench as well. It is telling that eight of the team’s head coaches were horses that arrived midstream during the playing of a season. Something wasn’t going in the right direction and, by God, the compass was going to be swung around. Wayne Cashman was relieved of duty in 1998 after an overtime win against a Pittsburgh team that was on the way to racking up 98 points that season. The point is that if Dave Hakstol had come along at another time in franchise history, maybe at any other time in franchise history, his prospect of finishing this season, or this week, would not be as promising. Forever and ever, winning right away – tonight! – was the only measure. If Hakstol were winning, it wouldn’t matter if he ever smiled. Freddy “The Fog” Shero, bless his soul, was as goofy as he could be. If there was something he wanted to tell a player, he would put a note in the guy’s locker. He did a lot of odd things like that. But Shero also won two Stanley Cups, and that’s why his name is at the top of the list here with 711 games coached, more than 300 better than the next man. I don’t like Hakstol’s chances of catching Freddy, but he’ll get farther with general manager Ron Hextall calling the shots than he would have during other more hasty administrations. Regardless, it would be a good idea to start winning some games soon. The Flyers will host Boston on Saturday hoping to end a nine-game losing streak. It hasn’t been pretty, but they have extracted five points from the mess, one in a shootout and the other four in overtime losses. The Flyers have held leads in the last seven games of the stretch before melting down, including two-goal leads in four of those games. Hakstol has chosen to repeatedly praise his team for getting those points in the manner of someone surveying a totaled car who is pleased the hubcaps are still in place. He’s accurate, of course. This could have been even worse and there is something to be said for being only a critical play here or there from winning, but it’s not the kind of thing that sits well with the fans, who absorbed Snider’s impatience by osmosis over the course of 50 years. When the Flyers were losing, 3-1, at home Tuesday to San Jose after blowing yet another lead, chants of “Fire Hakstol” rose from the stands, reaching the balcony aerie from which Hextall watches the games. “Obviously, results lately are not very good,” Hextall said. “We deserved better, but we haven’t gotten better.” It could be they are getting what teams get when they are going through a difficult building period, even if it is one not acknowledged out loud, and none of it is necessarily Hakstol’s fault. The organization has given him a journeyman goalie playing with his fifth NHL team who isn’t going to lift a team. Brian Elliott is 25th in the NHL (10 games or more) for save percentage and 27th in goals-against average. In front of Elliott, the team’s top two defensemen for minutes played – Ivan Provorov and Robert Hagg – are 21 and 22, respectively. This is a Flyers team trying to change on the fly, and the coach and GM are doing their best to hold things together while the changes take place. Claude Giroux, the face of the team for the past few years, is 30 years old now. The mixture of young and old on the roster is jarring and doesn’t make for a smooth game at times. 1086031 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.01.2017

Jordan Weal, hitting 'restart button,' will replace Danick Martel in Flyers lineup by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER

Struggling winger Jordan Weal, getting a “fresh start,” will return to the Flyers lineup Saturday afternoon against visiting Boston, and barring an unforeseen development, speedy Danick Martel will remain with the AHL’s Phantoms. Martel was impressive in his first two games after being recalled, but he wasn’t a factor in limited minutes as the Flyers lost to San Jose, 3-1, on Tuesday and suffered their ninth straight defeat. On Wednesday, Martel was sent to the Phantoms, who have two games before the Flyers meet the Bruins. Weal, who has two goals in 20 games, was on a line with Nolan Patrick and Wayne Simmonds at practice Thursday in Voorhees. “I think he needs to hit the restart button a little bit and have a fresh start,” coach Dave Hakstol said about Weal, who was scratched in the previous two games, “and that’s exactly what this opportunity should provide for him. As I’ve said before, his work ethic, his passion, none of that is lacking – nor has it ever been. “It’s a little bit of a restart for him so he can get back in the lineup and just have that fresh feel and fresh start.” The 5-foot-10, 179-pound Weal has appeared off his game after getting hit in the head by Winnipeg’s 6-5, 260-pound Dustin Byfuglien on Nov. 16. Weal missed the next game, and he was unproductive and was used sparingly in the next three contests. As for Martel, Hakstol said he “thought he added a ton of energy, especially early on. The last game, I think we had a lot of tired legs, and he was one of them. But I thought he showed he has that burst that can impact games a little bit offensively. He’s got to keep working toward it. It was a real good opportunity for him to play his first National Hockey League games, and I think we saw a lot of things we liked in him.” Asked if he was sent back to the Phantoms because they had a few games before the Flyers played again, Hakstol said, “No, it wasn’t just for that purpose.” That means, in all likelihood, Martel won’t return for Saturday’s game. Martel didn’t play much in the third period against the Sharks. “I didn’t think he was all that effective as we were going through that game,” Hakstol said. “He’s got to have that burst in order to play the way he needs to play to generate offensive opportunities. Again, a back end of a back-to-back, he didn’t really have that burst.” The Flyers need to drastically improve their penalty kill and their third- period performances if they are going to start winning games. During their nine-game losing streak, they have been outscored, 14-2, after the second period. “The only way to get out of it is to keep working, get that win, and build confidence that way,” center Val Filppula said. “I don’t think we’re playing it safe,” center Sean Couturier said of the late- game meltdowns. “It’s just about managing the game, not forcing things, and being smart out there. It’s little details that are haunting us, and it seems like every little mistake we make ends up in the back of our net right now.” Couturier’s suggested solution: “If we’re not getting anything done within 25, 30 seconds of a shift, just don’t force anything. Put it deep, get a change, and roll four lines. That’s how we should be closing games. We just have to simplify and go back to the basics.” Defenseman Andrew MacDonald said that the closed-door meeting the team held after the San Jose loss was beneficial, that it showed “we have each other’s backs. Obviously we got into this together and we’re going to get out of it together.” Breakaways Michael Raffl left practice with an undisclosed injury that is not believed serious. … Jake Voracek and Dale Weise had maintenance days and did not practice. 1086032 Philadelphia Flyers The experiment comes as NBC Sports is moving forward with other live events on NBC Sports Gold. My colleague Jonathan Tannenwald wrote earlier this week about the network’s somewhat controversial decision to Cord-cutting Philly fans should keep an eye on what NBC Sports is doing add English Premier League soccer games to its paid subscription in Portland streaming platform. Before the move, 130 games were available to stream to cable or satellite subscribers without additional fees (other than their monthly by Rob Tornoe cable bill). But now, cord-cutters will have a way to watch the games for $49.99.

“We have conviction that this is the right business model around the Monday’s 113-91 loss to the Cavaliers might not have been the high Premier League, and the other sports we’ve added to NBC Sports Gold,” point of the Sixers’ season, but it was a monster day for NBC Sports said NBC Sports Group executive vice president and general manager of Philadelphia. The matchup between LeBron James and Joel Embiid digital media Rick Cordella, who said NBC Sports Gold’s subscriber base became the most-streamed game ever for the regional sports network, is “well into the six figures.” logging in more than 1 million minutes streamed — 57 percent higher than the network’s average. Other TV networks, such as ESPN and Turner Sports, are also launching subscription streaming services that offer games that differ from their Fans who want to stream Sixers, Flyers or Phillies games through the broadcast offerings. And ESPN has begun to offer a version of NBC Sports app need to have a cable login or subscribe to a skinny SportsCenter on Snapchat, featuring former FS1 host Katie Nolan, ESPN bundle like Hulu TV. And streaming packages such as NBA League Pass NBA commentator Cassidy Hubbarth, ESPN Radio host Jason Fitz and and NHL Center Ice aren’t available to local fans here in Philadelphia comedian Cy Amundson, among others. because of league blackout rules. “I think we’re still in overall experimental mode of what works, what Which makes an experiment going on in Portland very interesting to makes sense in this,” Cordella said. “What tends to work well are places Philadelphia sports fans. where we own all rights. So there is a sprinkling of content on TV, on NBCSN. But for the hardcore fan, for the high end of the demand curve, NBC Sports Northwest is promoting “Blazers Pass,” the first direct-to- NBC Sports Gold can fill in some of those gaps.” consumer streaming product offered by NBC Sports Regional Networks. It allows Trail Blazers fans within the team’s blackout area to stream a Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.01.2017 bundle of 15 games on NBC Sports Gold, the network’s paid subscription streaming platform, for $34.99 on platforms such as the Roku, Amazon Fire, Chromecast, Apple TV and mobile devices. “We felt it was important to kind of crawl, walk and then run here,” said David Preschlack, the head of the NBC Regional Sports Network. “It’s the first foray into regionalized direct-to-consumer content, and we thought that 15 games was appropriate.” Preschlack said NBC Sports chose to experiment in the direct-to- consumer space with the Blazers mostly because the network renewed its broadcast rights with the team over the summer. Portland’s young, tech-savvy market also played into the decision. Whether a similar product is rolled out in Philadelphia or the seven other NBC Regional Sports Networks will depend on the results in Portland. Preschlack didn’t reveal any specific numbers, but said “Blazers Pass” sign-ups were going “pretty well.” He also said teams in Philadelphia and elsewhere have expressed interest in the outcome. “Fifteen games in Philadelphia is not something we can do from a rights perspective right now,” Preschlack said. But, he added, if the “Blazers Pass” exceeds expectations, it opens up the opportunity to go back to teams like the Sixers and potentially renegotiate TV deals to offer games to fans who don’t have cable subscriptions. “Sixers ratings are off the chart … and the streaming numbers are off the charts,” Preschlack said. Through 19 games, the Sixers are averaging a 2.83 household rating (81,209 homes) on NBC Sports Philadelphia, up 62 percent from this point last year and up 86 percent among viewers 25 to 54, according to Nielsen numbers. It’s the best start the Sixers have had on the network in 10 years. The network’s streaming numbers are also up dramatically. Sixers games are up 381 percent in terms of minutes per game and 401 percent in unique viewers compared to the same time last year, according to numbers provided by NBC Sports Philadelphia. It’s not just the Sixers. Preschlack said NBC Sports Philadelphia’s pregame and postgame shows for the Eagles outperform similar shows on other NBC Sports Regional Networks, including in Boston, where the Patriots are as popular as ever. Still, Preschlack wasn’t enthusiastic about the idea of pushing TV shows such as Philly Sports Talk to consumers who don’t have cable subscriptions, but said there’s been talk of creating new shows specifically for NBC Sports Gold subscribers. “We have a lot of people spending a lot of time on this.… We just haven’t cracked the code on that,” Preschlack said. “We thought our best first step was to put some games out there, and then just figure out how we can experiment and come up with products that are relevant to fans.” Camera icon NBC Sports Philadelphia NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Michael Barkann (left) interviews former Sixers great and current TNT basketball analyst Charles Barkley. 1086033 Philadelphia Flyers times, you tend to reach a little bit more,” MacDonald said. “Guys maybe tried to do too much.

“It’s certainly not a fault for effort or anything like that. It’s more than After players-only meeting, Flyers unable to put a finger on issues anything wanting to help the team win even more. It’s tough when those things happen. You try to do a little bit too much, then you’re out of position and it kind of snowballs a little bit.” By Andrew Kulp | The700Level November 30, 2017 9:00 PM Still, the only common thread here is the lack of a common thread at all. It’s the little things, and it’s the big things. The game plan is neither simple nor detailed enough. It’s mental, but it’s bad luck. VOORHEES, N.J. — If a players-only meeting lends the appearance the Flyers are grasping at straws, that’s probably because the team can’t Maybe the Flyers, with a young, retooling roster that missed the playoffs explain how its managed to lose nine in a row. Or, more importantly, how last season, are growing through some inevitable growing pains. exactly they’re going to turn their season around. “We just have to be better,” Couturier said. “It’s plain and simple. It’s a lot Back at practice on Thursday, the Flyers divulged little from the closed- of little things, but we just have to be better overall.” door conversation that followed a 3-1 loss to the Sharks two days earlier. But they did put on a united front and promised there will be no finger- Stuck in last place in the Metropolitan Division with 23 points in 25 pointing to come. games, the Flyers need to get a lot better – and that’s not going to be easy if they haven’t figured out what the problem is. “It’s frustrating going through this stretch, but it was more or less we have each other’s backs,” Flyers defenseman Andrew MacDonald said after Hakstol on Martel, Weal practice Thursday. “We got into this together, we’re going to get out of it Despite returning Danick Martel to the Phantoms on Wednesday, the together.” Flyers were impressed with the rookie forward’s speed. The 22-year-old’s With the defeats beginning to pile up, and concerns over Flyers coach stamina, on the other hand, is still a work in progress. Dave Hakstol’s job security intensifying, perhaps players simply felt the “He really added a ton of energy, especially early on,” Hakstol said. “The need to address the atmosphere inside the locker room. last game here we had a lot of tired legs, and he was one of them, but he “It’s not nice air around here when you don’t win for nine games in a showed he has that burst that can impact games a little bit offensively.” row,” said Flyers defenseman Radko Gudas, who’s currently serving a Martel appeared in four games for the Flyers, registering a minus-one 10-game suspension. “The guys have a little better feeling of which way and six shots on goal. However, he was limited to just 12 shifts and we’re going to head and what we need to do to get the two points in our under nine minutes of ice time in each of his last two contests, a decision next game.” Hakstol made as the winger’s speed diminished. As far as solutions to halting a skid that’s almost three weeks in the “I didn’t think he was all that effective as we were going through that making, it didn’t sound as though the Flyers touched on anything overly game,” Hakstol said of Tuesday’s contest against the Sharks. “He has to specific during the meeting. have that burst in order to play the way he needs to play to generate “No one is happy about what’s going on, but we’re sticking together,” offensive opportunities. Back end of a back-to-back, he didn’t have that Flyers center Sean Couturier said. “Everyone has their part of burst.” responsibility during this stretch. We have to look at ourselves in the With Jordan Weal ready to return to the lineup after sitting out the last mirror and be better.” two games as a healthy scratch, it sounds like we’ve seen the last of The question is: Better at what exactly? Martel with the Flyers for a little while. To be honest, the Flyers don’t seem entirely certain of the answer. “He just needs to keep working towards it,” Hakstol said. “It was a real good opportunity for him to play his first National Hockey League games, The Flyers have lost games when they couldn’t score goals, others when and we saw a lot of things we liked in him.” they couldn’t hold leads. There have been games when the power play has failed them, others when they weren’t able to kill enough penalties. As for Weal, the Flyers are hoping the second-year player can back on track. After recording two goals and four assists over his first 14 games It’s little things. And it’s a little bit of everything. this season, he is scoreless with a minus-three rating in his last seven. “There’s probably a couple of areas of our game where we have to “He needs to hit the restart button and have a fresh start, and that’s simplify things for sure, even mentally, trying to do things with a real clear exactly what this opportunity should provide for him is a fresh start,” purpose,” Hakstol said. “But we still have to continue adding detail to our Hakstol said. game.” “His work ethic, his passion, none of that is lacking, nor has it ever been. Even when looking at one phase under the microscope, such as a It’s a little bit of a restart for him so he can get back in the lineup and struggling Flyers penalty kill that’s allowed 10 goals over the last six have that fresh feel and fresh start.” games, the dilemma is multifaceted and complex. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.01.2017 “We’ve looked at trying to change it up a little bit with some of the personnel, but it’s not that easy,” Hakstol said. “If it was that simple, you would flip that switch right away. “You can say we’ve given up PK goals, but it’s different areas that we’ve given them up in terms of the type of goals.” Despite inconsistencies across the board, some Flyers players also don’t necessarily feel the team has played as poorly as the 0-4-5 record would indicate. “We’re not playing bad for nine games,” Couturier said. “There’s a bit of bad luck. We have to keep working hard, sticking together and create our own bounces, creating our own luck. Things eventually have to go our way.” The proliferation of overtime and shootout losses might support Couturier’s case. Just one play here, one play there, and we’re not talking about how the Flyers have merely been mediocre in November as opposed to being mired in a weeks-long losing streak. Others feel while the performance on the ice hasn’t been as unsatisfactory as the results, players are pressing as the slump drags on. “Even though we were playing well during the start of this drought, we weren’t getting wins, we weren’t scoring goals, and during those kinds of 1086034 Philadelphia Flyers of Boston’s top unit — which includes Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Torey Krug and Danton Heinen — combine for five more.

So much of hockey is about the success of special teams, so if the Flyers Flyers penalty kill a key to helping them get out of funk can’t stop the Bruins’ power play there’s a good chance they could be in line for a 10th straight loss, and they can’t afford that. Dave Isaac, @davegisaac Published 2:59 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 “It’s points that we’re letting slip and letting opposite teams grab,” Couturier said. “Especially within our division. Against the Islanders, we get one point, but they get two extra points out of those two games. It’s huge down the road. We’ve just got to find a way to get one win and we’ll VOORHEES — There are certain things that build up in a nine-game be fine.” losing streak which teams can’t help much in practice. Courier-Post LOADED: 12.01.2017 Having a lead in the third period may haunt the Flyers until they leave the ice with a win. In two out of the last three games, they’ve held a lead after second intermission and still ended up with a defeat. “We’re maybe a little fragile in our confidence right now during games,” Sean Couturier said. “When things go our way, maybe instead of just coming back to the basics we maybe panic a little bit. We just need to stick together and be a confident group. We have a good team. We’ve proved it at the start of the year.” One of the things they can work on before reaching a game scenario is working on the penalty kill. In the last six games, the Flyers’ power play has been operating at a 66.6-percent efficiency rate. No team in the NHL has been even close to that bad for the season. Entering Thursday night’s action the Edmonton Oilers were in the basement at 73.3 percent and only two rungs up the ladder are the Flyers at 75.3 percent. “There’s different areas we’ve got to work on,” said suspended defenseman Radko Gudas, who is normally part of the penalty kill, but has four more games left to serve in his sentence. “It hasn’t been connecting for us lately. I think the guys that are on the PK, they know what the problem is there. They sit down and look at the things they need to get better at. It’s a work in progress.” The areas ailing the Flyers’ penalty kill are similar to their issues as a team in that they are wide-ranging. Let’s look at the Calgary game on Nov. 18, when the Flames went 3-for-5 on the power play and the next game against Vancouver when the Canucks went 2-for-3. Sean Monahan’s first of his hat trick came when he was at net-front. Brandon Manning wasn’t in position to box him out and Monahan tipped Kris Versteeg’s shot before Brian Elliott could get to it. The second tally the Flyers ran into a bit of bad luck. Couturier couldn’t clear the puck at the point. A shot was blocked by Robert Hagg and the puck ended up going to Johnny Gaudreau who had a lot of time and space. Elliott came out to cut down the angle and made the save but couldn’t squeeze the puck with his glove. There was a rebound and the Flyers, including Elliott, were out of position so the Flames forward had an easy tap-in. On Monahan’s third goal the Flyers were basically taken down two men. Taylor Leier blocked a Gaudreau slapshot just south of the belt and was still down on all fours after the Flames got the puck back and Monahan had the slot basically to himself. “It’s a lot of different little things right now that aren’t going our way,” Couturier said. “Everyone has their own part of responsibility with the mistakes that we’ve done in the past. We just gotta be better. It’s plain and simple.” The next game had a new problem. The first power-play goal came from impressive rookie Brock Boeser, who scored off the rush and the Flyers never got set up because they were chasing bodies and trying to backcheck. The second power-play goal came from Sven Baertschi, who scored when Michal Neuvirth couldn’t control a rebound. The coaching staff has tried to put new personnel in to see if that would help. When things go poorly, teams try to keep things simple. There really is no base strategy for the Flyers to rely on with the penalty kill. “It’s not that easy. If it was that simple, obviously you’d flip that switch right away,” coach Dave Hakstol said. “You’ve got to address all the little areas that are getting us. You can say we’ve given up PK goals, but it’s different areas that we’ve given them up in terms of the type of goals. We’ve got to address those. We’ve got to address each one and you have to improve each area.” Their next opportunity comes Saturday against a Boston Bruins team that is 18th out of 31 on the power play, just under where the Flyers are. David Pastrnak leads the Bruins in power-play tallies with five. The rest 1086035 Pittsburgh Penguins “There's obviously a lot of things we can improve on to make that more lopsided toward the offensive side, like ending plays in our own zone and staying over pucks in the offensive zone, all those little things,” Ruhwedel Chad Ruhwedel showing value to Penguins that goes beyond traditional said. “But, yeah, trying to stay on offense is a big part of our game.” statistics Tribune Review LOADED: 12.01.2017

Jonathan Bombulie | Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, 6:09 p.m.

Measured by traditional statistics, Penguins defenseman Chad Ruhwedel's season looks like Charlie Brown's Christmas tree when he picked it out. Kind of sad and nothing much to look at. No goals, one assist and a minus-1 rating in 21 games played. Measured by some more advanced metrics, though, Ruhwedel's season more closely resembles the tree after the Peanuts gang spruced it up with ornaments and lights: shiny and bright. Ruhwedel ranks among league leaders in most shots generated and fewest goals allowed at even strength this season. While Ian Cole was back practicing with the team's top six defenseman Thursday after being a healthy scratch for the three previous games, it's safe to say the Penguins have entertained the idea of trading the 28- year-old in recent days. There's no way they'd feel comfortable even pondering such a move if they didn't have a capable defenseman in the wings, ready to handle the minutes Cole normally occupies. Two years after signing with the Penguins as an unheralded free agent just as likely to stay in Wilkes-Barre as to graduate to Pittsburgh, Ruhwedel has become that guy. “It's going good,” Ruhwedel said. “The more games you play, the better you feel. That's how it's been for me so far this year.” The specifics of Ruhwedel's strong statistical start look like this: When he's on the ice at even strength, the Penguins generate 38 shots per 60 minutes. That's the seventh-best figure in the league among defensemen. They also allow 1.99 goals per 60 minutes. That's 34th-best in the league. The shot-generation part of the equation isn't all that surprising. Ruhwedel was known as a puck mover and point producer in college at UMass-Lowell and in the AHL after he signed with the Buffalo Sabres as an undrafted free agent in 2013. “I just try to make plays, the ones I know I can,” Ruhwedel said. “We'll try to stay with that.” The eye-opening part is where Ruhwedel ranks in goals allowed: tops among regular Penguins defensemen. There are nuances surrounding that stat, of course. It is tied directly to how many minutes defensemen play in what part of the ice against which opponents. Still, there's no denying that, even though he's relatively undersized at 5- foot-11, 191 pounds, Ruhwedel has been holding his own in the defensive zone this season. “Everybody probably wishes they were 6-5, 220, but there's ways to get around it,” Ruhwedel said. “In today's game, you can't really hack and whack and hook them and all that kind of stuff to get them out of the way. You've just got to make them take the long route to the net and keep body position on them.” Ultimately, Ruhwedel's value to the Penguins is in the transition game. He's at his best when he quickly retrieves pucks in the defensive zone and starts the rush the other way. “The best defense is a good offense,” Ruhwedel said. That's been a hallmark of Penguins teams during the current championship era, especially during the 2016 Stanley Cup run, and it remains a stated goal. If the Penguins trade Cole, their most physical defenseman and accomplished shot blocker, it will be even more of a focus moving forward. They'll be a team dead set on possessing the puck, not slugging it out in the corners and in front of the net. 1086036 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins notebook: Evgeni Malkin practices, will be gametime decision against Sabres

Jonathan Bombulie | Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, 6:21 p.m.

Evgeni Malkin returned to Penguins practice in a full-contact capacity Thursday and is on track to make his return to the lineup Friday night in Buffalo. Malkin took part in a full workout as the team skated in Toronto after attending a Stanley Cup ring ceremony at the Hockey Hall of Fame the night before. Coach Mike Sullivan said he expects Malkin's status to be a game-time decision Friday night. “So hard watching the game on TV,” Malkin said. “I'm skating with the team. Everything's great. Tomorrow, if I wake up and I feel OK, I'm ready to play.” Malkin didn't share many specifics of the injury, but he did say it was caused by taking hits to the same location in consecutive games. Because it was an upper-body injury, he never stopped skating while sidelined. “I lose just four games,” Malkin said. “I'm not missing 20 games. I feel my shape is the same as before. Maybe I lose a little bit of confidence, but it's fine. I want to be back as soon as possible and help the team to win.” The Penguins had their ups and downs while Malkin was out. They scored 15 goals in the four games but went 2-2. “Whenever you get one of the best players in the world back in your lineup, it adds to your team,” linemate Phil Kessel said. Lineup notes Malkin returned to his customary spot at second-line center in practice, skating between Kessel and Jake Guentzel. Riley Sheahan returned to the third line, flanked by Carl Hagelin and Bryan Rust. Carter Rowney centered fourth-line wingers Tom Kuhnhackl and Ryan Reaves. Center Greg McKegg was outside of the top 12 forwards. The top line, with Sidney Crosby centering Conor Sheary and Patric Hornqvist, remained unchanged. “I think it puts players in their appropriate positions,” Sullivan said. “When we do put him back in the lineup, we feel as though we have the best one-two punch in the league in Crosby and Malkin. I think it just slots players in the appropriate positions that give our team an opportunity to have more balance and have more depth.” Injury reporting Dallas Stars coach Ken Hitchcock started a league-wide discussion last week when he said he will no longer use vague terminology when reporting injuries. He said reporters find out the nature of the injury anyway, so there was no need to avoid specifics. “Our feeling is just, tell them what the injury is and move it forward and let's stop the dance,” Hitchcock said. Sullivan will keep dancing. He continues to stick with “upper-body” and “lower-body” designations, hoping to prevent his players from having injuries targeted by opponents. “I think our philosophy is similar to most of the teams in the league,” Sullivan said. “The intent is to protect our players. I think the most important takeaway, what we do report, is whether a player is injured or he's not injured. The specifics of it, really, are irrelevant. It's more about whether a player can play or he can't play. We report that fairly, and we report that almost daily.” Tribune Review LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086037 Pittsburgh Penguins $2.77 million. But he is slightly younger (26) than Cole (28), under contract through 2020, and has more offensive prowess.

What did he yield in return from the Devils? Forwards Adam Henrique, Tim Benz: Trade Ian Cole, but it better be for right reasons Joseph Blandisi and a third-round pick. That's $5.66 million against the cap this year for two players who have Tim Benz | Thursday, Nov. 30, 2017, 6:30 p.m. totaled seven goals in 51 combined games. Henrique scored 30 times two years ago. But he was recently demoted to the fourth line in New Jersey. There are good trades and bad trades. And the bad trades usually get Does that kind of offensive production at that price sound worth it to you labeled that way because they get made for the wrong reasons. for a defenseman who has been a staple in your top six for two straight playoff runs? Those reasons are usually financial. For instance, when the Penguins traded away Jaromir Jagr. If Rutherford can do better than that in exchange for Cole, then I'm all for it. Then, in theory, that would make “hockey sense.” Or when the Pirates trade away, well, just about anyone. But to deal him in an effort to throw good cap space after less than good If defenseman Ian Cole gets dealt from the Penguins, as has been promise of scoring in return, all in the pursuit of apparently eliminating discussed quite publicly of late, it won't be strictly because of money. some manageable personality rub? But it might also be for the wrong reasons. That doesn't make hockey sense. In fact, it's nonsense. Speculation amongst media members who cover the team is that there is Tribune Review LOADED: 12.01.2017 some sort of personality rift between Cole and coach Mike Sullivan. A lot of that belief stems from a sense that Cole is too chummy with the media for Sullivan's taste. Yes, Cole is open with reporters. But I don't see that as a bad thing unless he is giving away tactical secrets, bashing teammates, or providing bulletin board material for opponents. None of which I remember Cole doing to any severe degree. For his part, Sullivan has bristled at the suggestion Cole has been scratched for the intent of keeping him healthy until a deal has been made, or for any type of personality clash. “I think sometimes you guys make it up as you go,” Sullivan told reporters. “I don't know where this stuff comes from.” Well a lot of people from competing outlets have made up the same story I guess. But let's take the coach at his word. Let's assume there's no conflict with Cole. Why then is he being scratched? “We've had a couple of games where the coach made a change on defense,” general manager Jim Rutherford said. “We'll have to see where that goes as we go forward.” That's not exactly dousing the trade rumors, GMJR. In one sense you could understand why Rutherford would want some smoke out there around Cole, even if there isn't a burning fire to trade him. He's in the final year of his contract and likely will be too expensive for Pittsburgh to resign against the salary cap next year. Then there's the looming need to either keep or replace Patric Hornqvist, as well. A shot-blocking defenseman who has been an important penalty-killing contributor on two Stanley Cup winners in the walk year of his deal may be a valuable trade commodity. Then again, all those attributes are reasons why the Pens should keep Cole. Also, keep in mind Cole is currently less expensive than five other regular defensemen on the NHL roster. Furthermore, Cole has a far better resume and measurables than Chad Ruhwedel or any of the other defensemen in Wilkes-Barre who would be replacements. Cole's game hasn't been where it needs to be, particularly on Pittsburgh's leaky PK unit this year (26th in the NHL). The Notre Dame product is far from the only Penguin to be guilty of that, yet he seems to be the most scapegoated so far. If Cole were to be traded, the assumption is that some quality forward scoring depth would come back to Pittsburgh in return. The Penguins have struggled in that area this year. Although, Rutherford would have to keep in mind how much actual quality would be associated with such a player if he were to carry a price tag in the neighborhood of Cole's $2.1 million salary cap hit. The Penguins couldn't take on much more than that in return for Cole and remain cap compliant since they are within about a million dollars of the ceiling as it is. As a comparison, Anaheim just dealt right-handed shooting defenseman Sami Vatanen to New Jersey. Vatanen is more expensive than Cole by 1086038 Pittsburgh Penguins Vegas Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said recently that Marc-Andre Fleury — out since Oct. 13 with a concussion — has been skating some, but he hasn’t progressed enough to where his brain Ian Cole returns to the lineup … and gets hit with a puck is 100 percent. McPhee, speaking on SportsNet 590 in Toronto, also said that Fleury’s symptoms are down to one, and the severity is very low. JASON MACKEY Count Kris Letang on the many Penguins following Fleury’s battle and thinking positive thoughts. TORONTO — Ian Cole was up to some of his old tricks Thursday. “It’s a problem that he’s had in the past [meaning concussions],” Letang said. “You hate to see a guy going through that again. Hopefully, he Not only did Cole skate on a third defense pairing with longtime partner takes his time and comes back the right way.” Justin Schultz — an indication Cole will be in the lineup Friday after three consecutive healthy scratches — but he sustained a gruesome, albeit Letang said he has stayed in communication with Fleury but tries to not minor, injury. ask about the injury much. One he incurred — of course — by having a puck hit him in an “We don’t know what’s going on, how he feels,” Letang said. “The only unenviable spot. thing we can do is hope for the best.” While trying to box out Riley Sheahan, a shot hit Cole on the top of his Post Gazette LOADED: 12.01.2017 thumb. Blood gushed. His nail cracked in half. Cole missed a few minutes of practice and then laughed about it afterward. “The puck hit it right on the tip,” Cole said. “Jammed it. Split my nail open. It killed. I think it’s fine. I can still bend it and everything. It’s not broken, but, man, did it hurt.” Getting pinged with pucks is nothing new for Cole, who blocked a franchise-record 194 pucks a season ago. That’s a number that has likely come up in trade talks, as the Penguins are in the process of wading through offers involving Cole. If he still is with the Penguins by 7 p.m. Friday, it appears that Cole — who statistically has been among their best defensemen thus far — will be back into the lineup, although he’s not reading too much into that. “The lineup is posted on game-day mornings,” Cole said. “I don’t really know what the final plan is. Whatever it is, we’ll be ready.” 66 zinged a guy Former NHL goaltender Glenn Healy stopped by Penguins practice at Mastercard Centre Thursday and left a gift with equipment man Dana Heinze. It was a jersey from his days with the Laval Voisins. Healy, who’s the executive director of the NHL Alumni Association, also told a terrific Mario story. Toward the end of Lemieux’s career, Healy approached Lemieux and asked for one of Mario’s sticks. Carl Hagelin blocks a shot. “Of course,” Healy recalled Lemieux saying, “You’ve been really good to me throughout my career.” Lemieux, as Healy explained, wasn’t talking about guidance or wisdom bestowed. More how many times Lemieux victimized Healy. Just imagine what Lemieux might’ve said to John Vanbiesbrouck had he asked. Time with Stanley Whenever the Penguins are on the road, Brian Dumoulin loves checking out new restaurants; he’s often cited as the player who’s most into food, whether that means cooking or eating it. Dumoulin hasn’t experienced anything like this, though. Wednesday, after they donated a Stanley Cup ring to the Hockey Hall of Fame, the Penguins had the place to themselves for an hour and also had dinner there — with the Cup, of course. “It’s always good seeing the Cup again,” Dumoulin said. “That’s one thing that doesn’t get old.” And the food? “They had good hors d’oeuvres,” Dumoulin said. “We had short ribs for dinner. It was really good, a fun experience.” The Penguins spent another hour Thursday afternoon touring the archives portion of the Hall of Fame, which is housed inside Mastercard Centre. “To have an opportunity to spend time like this, I think it’s invaluable for our team,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “It puts a lot of things in perspective. I hope our players gain a certain level of appreciation for the generations that have come before them and the great players that have carved the way for the game to be what it is today.” Rooting for Flower 1086039 Pittsburgh Penguins “I feel like my conditioning is the same as before. I want to come back as soon as possible and help the team to win. I want to get my game back and play 100 percent.” Evgeni Malkin eyeing return Friday in Buffalo Post Gazette LOADED: 12.01.2017

JASON MACKEY

TORONTO — Evgeni Malkin has missed the past four games with an upper-body injury. It sure doesn’t look as if he will miss a fifth. Malkin rejoined the Penguins for practice Thursday at Mastercard Centre outside of Toronto and looked every bit like the Malkin of old. “I think Geno’s ready to go,” Phil Kessel said afterward. “Whenever you can get one of the best players in the world back in your lineup, it adds to your team.” There were no limitations on Malkin at practice. He fired shots, took faceoffs and absorbed contact. All without a hint of any issue, either. As long as everything responds the way Malkin expects Friday morning, he plans on playing Fruday night against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center. “It’s so hard watching games on TV,” Malkin said. “I skated with the team. Everything was great. [Friday] if I wake up and feel OK, I’ll be ready to play.” The injury evidently didn’t happen in the last game Malkin played — Nov. 18 against the Chicago Blackhawks. Malkin said something happened before, and it kept getting worse and worse. “I felt it right away,” Malkin said. “It wasn’t bad, but the next game, I was hit again, and I felt worse the next day. “I needed to miss a couple games because I couldn't do anything.” The line Malkin centered at practice included Kessel, his regular right wing, and Jake Guentzel on the left, a bit of a new wrinkle. But Conor Sheary, Sidney Crosby and Patric Hornqvist have been productive, so Penguins coach Mike Sullivan wasn’t willing to tinker there. Kessel is having a career year, with 32 points (only three had more going into Thursday's games) and recording at least a point in 20 of 26 games. Developing some cohesion with Malkin has been a big reason why. "Geno’s a good guy," Kessel said. "We get along good. When he’s in the lineup and I get a chance to play with him, he’s a special player and makes it easy on me." Bringing Malkin back into the fold had the Penguins using Riley Sheahan between Carl Hagelin and Bryan Rust on the third line and Carter Rowney with Tom Kuhnhackl and Ryan Reaves the fourth. It slots the Penguins’ centers where they should be up and down the lineup. It also gives them something no other team has at the top. “I think it puts players in their appropriate positions,” Sullivan said. “When we do put him back in the lineup, we feel as though we have the best 1-2 punch in the league in [Sidney] Crosby and Malkin. So I think it just slots players in the appropriate positions that give our team an opportunity to have more balance and have more depth.” The hope would be that having Malkin back also enables the Penguins’ third line to score more, which is something general manager Jim Rutherford is keeping an eye on. It hasn’t done enough of that to this point. Hagelin has one goal, the same as Sheahan. Overall depth scoring has been a problem — the third and fourth lines the Penguins used Thursday have combined for eight goals, with four of them coming from Rust — and perhaps Malkin coming back could change that. “Maybe that goes hand in hand,” Sullivan said. “But for me, it just slots people in the right spots to give them an opportunity to be successful.” Everything looked as it always does with Malkin, the skating, playmaking, creativity, all of it. The only trick, he cautioned, was that it’s practice. “It’s practice,” Malkin said. “It’s different. I only missed four games. I didn’t miss 20. 1086040 Pittsburgh Penguins

Ranking the Penguins' greatest rivalries Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

DAVE MOLINARI

When the Penguins visit Las Vegas on Dec. 14, the Golden Knights will become the 39th opponent the Penguins have faced since entering the NHL in 1967. Some of those franchises faded away and were largely forgotten within a few years — the Colorado Rockies, City Scouts and , among others — while others forged often-ferocious rivalries with the Penguins. Here’s a look at the top four of those: 4. New York Islanders [1975 to present] –The Penguins and Islanders might play a forgettable playoff series someday, but it hasn’t happened yet. New York has been responsible for arguably the two most excruciating postseason eliminations in Penguins history, rebounding from a 3-0 deficit to win a best-of-seven in 1975 and stunning the Penguins’ only Presidents’ Trophy-winning squad in seven games in 1993. The Penguins nearly countered in kind in 1982, taking the Islanders to overtime in Game 5 of a best-of-five series before losing. That was the closest New York came to dropping a series during its four- year run of Stanley Cups. The Penguins picked up their only postseason victory in four tries in 2013, clinching it on a Game 6 overtime goal by Brooks Orpik. 3. Washington [1991 to present] – So much for the conventional wisdom that rivalries are rooted in the playoff meetings — unless it’s the quantity of those that counts, in which case the Capitals’ prominent place on this list is undeniable. The Penguins have faced Washington in the postseason 10 times and won nine of those. That includes no fewer than six in which the Capitals had home-ice advantage. The Penguins also have eliminated Washington en route to each of their five Stanley Cups, winning a Game 7 on the road in 1992, 2009 and 2017. While the intensity of the rivalry seems to have been ratcheted up a bit when Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin came along, its roots extend far beyond their arrival in the NHL. 2. St. Louis [1967 to 1975] – A generation or two of Penguins partisans never witnessed it, but the franchise’s first real rivalry was with the Blues. St. Louis was the dominant expansion team in the wake of the 1967 expansion — the Blues went to three consecutive Stanley Cup finals, although they didn’t win a game in any of them — and the rivalry with the Penguins really took off in the early 1970s. Guys such as the Plager brothers, especially Barclay, were arch-villains at the Civic Arena, and an epic fight between Penguins goalie Al Smith and Bob Plager remains one of the indelible moments from the Penguins’ formative years in the NHL. 1. Philadelphia [1967 to present] – Seriously, could any other franchise possibly have ended up in the top spot? The Penguins and Flyers never met in the playoffs until 1989, by which time the bitterness — OK, raw hatred — between the franchises and their followers was well- established. Geography was a factor in that, given that the franchises share a Commonwealth, but the Flyers’ dominance in the early decades after the teams entered the NHL together certainly grated on Penguins’ fans, too. In 1974, Philadelphia became the first expansion team to win a Stanley Cup [it claimed its most recent one a year later] and the Flyers once went 15 years without losing to the Penguins at the Spectrum, winning 39 games and tying three. Oh yeah, that whole Broad Street Bullies thing was a contributing factor, too. This rivalry won’t cool off as long as Crosby, an arch-villain in Philadelphia and chronic tormentor of the Flyers, plays for the Penguins. Or, more likely, as long as artificial ice is being made in either city. Post Gazette LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086041 San Jose Sharks Burns’s encore was even more impressive. Last year he became the second defenseman since Paul Coffey in 1988-89 to score 29 or more goals in a season. He also set a Sharks scoring record with 76 points The coach who led Brent Burns to the Norris Trophy while leading the NHL in shots on goal (320), earning the franchise’s first Norris Trophy.

Martin said Boughner unlocked Burns’ offensive potential by giving him a By Paul Gackle | PUBLISHED: November 30, 2017 pass to freelance within the team’s structure. “Nowadays, it’s all x’s and o’s, and video, and attention to detail. The coaches are in control of every situation,” he said. “Brent’s more of a SUNRISE, Fla. — Paul Martin is known around San Jose as the “Wookie free-range guy. You don’t want the coach saying to him, ‘Hey, you didn’t whisperer” because Brent Burns emerged as one of the NHL’s top blue make the right play’ and then he gets self-conscious. He has to be liners after he became his defensive partner in 2015-16. allowed to make plays.” Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report But with Boughner in Florida this season, and Rob Zettler leading the newsletter. Sharks defense, Burns’ offensive numbers are taking a dive. Burns didn’t score his first goal until last Friday in his 21st game. He has just 11 But when it comes to getting the reigning Norris Trophy winner in the points in 23 games. frame of mind to succeed, no one speaks the Wookie tongue better than Florida Panthers head coach Bob Boughner, who will reconnect with Nevertheless, the 32-year-old blue liner leads all NHL defenseman in Burns when the Sharks (13-8-2) roll into Sunrise, Fla. Friday. shots on goal (93), the same number he had through 23 games last season, suggesting that he isn’t getting the bounces right now. “It’s no secret that I really loved having him coach me. I learned a lot from him, I was feeling good,” Burns said, reflecting on Boughner’s two-year “He’s still the best shooter from the backend that any team has,” tenure as the Sharks defensive coach. Boughner said. “Sometimes, it’s puck luck. Sometimes, it’s the forwards getting in and screening the goalie.” “You always knew where you stood with him. I knew he had a lot of confidence in me, that’s huge for a player.” When Boughner met up with Burns in San Jose prior to the Sharks- Panthers game Nov. 16, his former-protege gave him a 25-year-old bottle The Panthers coach wound up being the perfect voice for Burns at the of scotch, a signed copy of ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue 2017 and right moment of his career. a hunting knife. Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, Boughner, in turn, gave Burns a pinch of advice, though he didn’t want to commentary and conversation. blow too much wind into Burns’s sails, goal-scoring drought or not. Boughner joined the Sharks coaching staff as one of head coach Pete “I said,’Hey, you’re playing good, stay with it.’ But I was worried about our DeBoer’s first hires a year after Burns made his transition back to the team,” Boughner said. “I told him you can score — but not that night.'” blue line following a season-and-a-half at forward. Burns, who’s nicknamed the Wookie because of his resemblance to the hairy creature, San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.01.2017 Chewbacca, from Star Wars, struggled to re-acclimate himself to the backend in 2014-15, posting a minus-nine rating while shuffling through five defensive partners. As the Sharks missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time in more than a decade, calls for Burns’ return to forward blared in the mainstream media and throughout the Twitterverse. The debate over Burns’ rightful position proved to be a source of tension between general manager Doug Wilson and former-head coach Todd McLellan, as well. But when DeBoer took over as head coach in May 2015, he put an end to the conversation, handing the Burns project over to Boughner, who logged 630 games as an NHL defenseman between 1995 and 2006. “He said, no more of the back and forth — this guy’s a defenseman,” Boughner said, recalling his first summer meeting on the Sharks coaching staff. “It was a good move on his part. Playing back and forth, and switching positions, there’s a lot of little things that, defensively, he had to clean up, and that’s where I came in. We studied it every day.” Boughner quickly recognized another aspect of Burns’ game that needed cleansing: his mindset. According to Boughner, Burns’ biggest issue is the pressure he puts on himself to deliver for his teammates. He hates letting down the guys on the bench, so he’s unnecessarily hard on himself when he makes a mistake, which can produce a snowball effect on the ice. Boughner, 46, developed a knack for knowing what strings to pull with which player while coaching junior hockey with the ’s Windsor Spitfires from 2006 to 2015. He realized that Burns is the type of player who needs, “a shoulder to lean on,” because he “reacts to positive reinforcement way more than negative” messaging. Boughner took a different approach than former-assistant coach Jim Johnson, who developed a reputation for being more of a drill sergeant with the Sharks blue line. “If he made a mistake, it would bother him for the next 10 minutes,” Boughner said of Burns. “He cares a lot. He has a big heart. For me, it was concentrating on what he does well and why he’s so good, and instilling it in his head every day: No one can shoot like you can shoot. No one can dominate a game with the heavy minutes that you play.” With his newfound confidence, Burns took off in the second half of the 2015-16 season, setting franchise records for goals (27) and points by a defenseman (75) while becoming the first blue liner other than Bobby Orr and Ray Bourque to register more than 350 shots in a season. 1086042 St Louis Blues

Blues updates: Defenseman Prosser claimed by Minnesota

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Blues had Nate Prosser on the ice only once in 24 games before placing the veteran defenseman on waivers Wednesday to make room for the return of Patrik Berglund. They may see him on the ice as a member of the Minnesota Wild over the weekend. Prosser was claimed Thursday by the Wild, who play host to the Blues at 5 p.m. Saturday at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. "I'm not too surprised," coach Mike Yeo said. "That's one thing with a guy like that. Quite often teams that know him, that are familiar with him and know what a quality person he is, what kind of character he has. . .(will make a waiver claim). So obviously they had that in sight." The Wild organization is thoroughly familiar with Prosser. Prior to signing with the Blues as a free agent Aug. 3, Prosser had played his entire NHL career with Minnesota _ appearing in 282 regular-season games over parts of eight seasons. His release by the Blues and subsequent pickup by Minnesota was similar to events of three years ago, but not quite as convenient for Prosser. On that occasion, Prosser was released by the Blues on Oct. 2, 2014. “Minnesota’s down here playing (a preseason game), I just went back on their flight,” Prosser told the Post-Dispatch this September. Prosser's only appearance for the Blues this regular season came in the team's 5-2 victory over Calgary on Oct. 25. He saw 15 minutes 23 seconds of ice time, recording four hits, one blocked shot and one takeaway. DISAPPEARING ACT Forwards Chris Thorburn and Sammy Blais were missing in action for much of the third period against Anaheim. Thorburn played only one shift (51 seconds) in the period; Blais was on the ice for only two shifts (totaling 1 minute 19 seconds). "We were chasing the game obviously, and we tried to shorten the bench a little bit," Yeo said, referring to the Blues' 3-0 deficit. "Tried to get to three lines a little bit more, whether it's to get away from some matchups, or just more importantly, try and get into a rhythm." Blais ended up playing only 9:08, easily his low total in six games with the Blues this season. Thorburn was on the ice for 4:58, his second- lowest total of the season. Thorburn's ice time drops in games where lots of penalties are called because he does not play on the Blues' power play or penalty kill units. But Wednesday, there were only two minor penalties called in the third period _ one on each team. BACK TO WORK The Blues held an optional skate Thursday at Scottrade Center with 11 players participating: Blais, Thorburn, Berglund, Dmitrij Jaskin, Scottie Upshall, Kyle Brodziak, Oskar Sundqvist, Magnus Paajarvi, Vince Dunn, Carl Gunnarsson, and Carter Hutton. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086043 St Louis Blues

Blues notes: Berglund's return sends Sundqvist to bench

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The return of Patrik Berglund not only sent veteran defenseman Nate Prosser out the door on waivers, it sent young centerman Oskar Sundqvist to the bench. Acquired from Pittsburgh as part of the Ryan Reaves trade in June, Sundqvist got the most extensive playing time of his young NHL career prior to Berglund’s return, appearing in 22 of the Blues’ first 24 games this season. Previously, he had appeared in a total of 28 games with Pittsburgh, spread out over the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons. He has shown steady improvement this season with the Blues, playing solid defense and not being afraid to do dirty work in the corners, on the forecheck or blocking shots. His faceoff percentage got noticeably better after a dismal start. But he just couldn’t find the net, with no goals and three assists to his credit before giving way to Berglund as the team’s third-line center. “I haven’t had the puck luck when it’s gone in yet,” Sundqvist said. “I’ve got a lot of support from the guys here too with that part, pushing me to just keep going. “Bergy told me last year it took him 31 games to score his first goal and he ended up with 23. So I think you just need that first goal — it’s the toughest one. And then try to kind of get into a flow and keep rolling.” Exactly when Sundqvist gets another chance is uncertain. He was a healthy scratch Wednesday against Anaheim, Berglund’s first game after suffering a shoulder injury during offseason training in June. Sundqvist doesn’t figure to dislodge Berglund from the lineup, so unless he can find a role as a winger on the third line or a spot anywhere on the fourth line, he may be sitting for a while. “Obviously, it’s gonna be some adjustments,” the 23-year-old Sundqvist said. “I have to see what the coaches want and stuff like that. I accept any role they want me to play. “Even though I’m still young, I’ve been in situations like this — both in Sweden and over here. So I know how to handle it. You just need to stay positive and work hard. As I said, whatever role they want me to play I’ll do it. “I can’t hang my head if I don’t play. Just keep your head high and keep working.” PROSSER CLAIMED BY WILD Prosser, who appeared in only one game for the Blues before being waived Wednesday, was claimed on waivers Thursday by Minnesota. “I’m not too surprised,” coach Mike Yeo said. “That’s one thing with a guy like that. Quite often teams that know him, that are familiar with him and know what a quality person he is, what kind of character he has. ... (will make a waiver claim). So obviously they had that in sight.” The Wild organization is thoroughly familiar with Prosser. Prior to signing with the Blues as a free agent Aug. 3, Prosser had played his entire NHL career with Minnesota, appearing in 282 regular-season games over parts of eight seasons. Prosser’s only appearance for the Blues this season came in the team’s 5-2 victory over Calgary on Oct. 25. He saw 15 minutes 23 seconds of ice time, recording four hits, one blocked shot and one takeaway. The Blues play at Minnesota on Saturday, so they could see Prosser in a Wild uniform assuming he’s active. Even with Prosser’s departure, the Blues still have seven defensemen on their active roster, with Carl Gunnarsson — who was plus-10 in 20 games — the extra man now that veteran Jay Bouwmeester has returned from a fractured ankle four games ago. “And all seven are quality NHL defensemen,” Yeo said. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086044 St Louis Blues

BLUES VS. KINGS

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Kings at Blues When/Where • 7 p.m., Scottrade Center TV/Radio • Fox Sports Midwest, KMOX (1120 AM) About the Kings • When Los Angeles visited Scottrade Center on Oct. 30, the Kings were 9-1-1 and battling the Blues for Western Conference supremacy. But a 4-2 loss that night began a 3-6-1 skid for the Kings, who have had trouble scoring consistently and have relied heavily on defense and goalie Jonathan Quick. This is Game 3 of a four-game road swing for LA, as well as a back-to- back with the Kings having won 5-2 Thursday in Washington. Quick started against the Capitals, so backup Darcy Kuemper could get the Friday start. He’s 3-0-2 with a 1.84 goals-against average and a .937 save percentage. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086045 St Louis Blues “We gotta stay on our toes,” Pietrangelo said. “(If) we get scored on, we can’t sit back. We gotta find a way to stay aggressive, and sometimes bounces are going to happen. We just gotta find a way to keep going.” With busy December looming, Blues have work to do Another penalty-kill regular, center Kyle Brodziak, isn’t exactly sure what’s wrong. “We’re getting scored on quite a bit all year, basically,” he said. “Early on we were getting scored on — that might have hurt the By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch confidence. It felt like we were starting to get it back together, and the last few games, same thing. We give up two more (Wednesday). That’s really the story of the game pretty much.” The preliminaries, if you will, are over. All 25 games’ worth. The Blues The Blues have scored 15 goals on the power play, while giving up 17 on enter December with a 17-7-1 record, good for 35 points. No one in the the penalty kill — for a minus-2. That’s in stark contrast to their stellar Western Conference has more points, and only Tampa Bay with 36 has work when it comes to even-strength goals, where they are a league- more in the entire National Hockey League. leading plus-23. But the team’s busiest month of the season is upon us — 16 games in 31 No matter how good the Blues are at 5-on-5 play, if they don’t shore up days, starting with Friday’s 7 p.m. contest with the Los Angeles Kings at special teams there will be more nights like Wednesday when they gave Scottrade Center. By the end of the month, the Blues will be exactly up two power-play goals in a one-goal loss. halfway through the 2017-18 season with 41 games in the books. “I know that there’s ebbs and flows, and there’s times where it looked like There will be eight home games and eight road games. There will be five our penalty killing was really coming along,” Yeo said. “This last little sets of back-to-back games in the month, with all five featuring at least stretch has been another bad stretch here, so we gotta get back on top of one away game. it. But I know that we’ll correct it.” After playing only five Central Division games over the first two months of St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.01.2017 the season, the Blues play six division foes from Dec. 2 through Dec. 29. There will be a home-and-away back-to-back Dec. 16-17 with the Winnipeg Jets, who are breathing down the Blues’ necks in the Central standings. And two games with another Central rival, Nashville, who shut out the Blues 2-0 last week. On Dec. 12, there’s a showdown with Tampa Bay at Scottrade. The Blues do get a three-day Christmas break Dec. 24-26, but starting Friday with the Kings they play a grueling 13 games in 23 days. “We certainly have to make sure that we’re monitoring, just as far as the rest versus rust,” coach Mike Yeo said. “There’s going to be parts of our game that we have to make sure we find a way as coaches that we bring the focus in, and the attention to, because you don’t get those practice reps. “So whether it’s video, maybe it is something you find a way to get on the ice at a particular time to find a way to work on ‘em. We’re going to have to really balance that this month. Our game is demanding. We ask a lot of our players and we need energy to play it. So that’ll be No. 1 for us.” In the near term, there are pressing issues to deal with even with the team’s glossy overall won-lost record. The Blues have hit a plateau over the last three weeks, going 4-4 with three home losses. Wednesday’s 3-2 setback to Anaheim may have been the biggest clunker of the season for a variety of reasons, most notably the Ducks’ injury-depleted roster. Minus most of their big scorers, Anaheim found a way to beat the Blues with practically a JV roster in a game that wasn’t as close as the final score. In that sense, it was reminiscent of the Blues’ 2-0 home loss to Philadelphia at the start of the month. The Flyers came to town playing four rookies on defense, yet managed to keep the high-scoring Blues off the scoreboard. Playing down to your competition is a bad habit to form. “I’ve been part of too many games like that where you look across and you see what they’re missing,” Yeo said. “You think about all the reasons why you should win the game, and next thing you know you’re left wondering what happened. “Every night you have to prepare and you have to be ready to be at your best. I say it over and over again, it doesn’t matter who’s out of the lineup, who’s in the lineup, not a lot separates you from the group that’s across from you.” Whether or not players have a reputation or a résumé, they’re in the league for a reason. “That’s right,” Yeo said. “They’re NHL players.” Of most immediate concern is the Blues’ penalty-kill unit, which after Wednesday’s loss ranked 27th out of the 31 NHL teams in efficiency (75.9 percent). That’s a far cry from last season, when the Blues were third, successfully killing off 84.8 percent of their penalties. “It’s something different every game right now, and it’s not a structural issue,” Yeo said. “It’s not a tactical issue. Obviously, penalty killing, you’ve got to have a game plan as far as your group but there’s a lot of reads and instincts. At certain times we’re not bearing down and we’re not making the right reads.” Captain Alex Pietrangelo, who has logged major PK minutes all season, thinks the unit gets too passive at times. 1086046 Tampa Bay Lightning Bossy was different in 1980-81. He wanted it. Badly. And he wasn’t afraid to say it, which sparked more scrutiny from the press.

Bossy had 48 goals in 47 games, then didn’t score in the next two. In Can Nikita Kucherov join the NHL’s most exclusive club? Game 50, he wasn’t playing well. Then, with five minutes left, the Islanders had a power play, and Bossy put in a rebound. A few minutes later, on a broken play, Bossy got magic No. 50. Joe Smith "From after two periods wondering if I’d ever score a goal again to getting two goals in the last five minutes," Bossy said. "It was a huge load off my shoulders. At some point, I mentioned I wanted to get 50 in 50. It brought Every few years, someone approaches Mike Bossy about his a lot of attention on myself." membership in an exclusive club. Kucherov has seen increased attention from opponents, who are The NHL’s 50-in-50 club. following him more away from the puck. The chances he was scoring on earlier in the season have turned into stellar saves, like Tukka Rask’s Bossy, the Islanders’ Hall of Fame wing, is one of five players who sliding pad save late in second period of a 3-2 loss at Boston on scored 50 goals in his team’s first 50 games of a season. The others: Wednesday. Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, Maurice Richard and Brett Hull. Kucherov said he doesn’t think about scoring 50 in 50. But would he like The subject of 50 in 50 comes up whenever a scorer gets off to a hot to accomplish it? start, such as Simon Gagne in 2005-06, Steven Stamkos in 2010-11 and Nikita Kucherov this season. "I wouldn’t hate it," he said, smiling. The feat hasn’t been accomplished in 25 years — Hull did it in 1991-92 He has a lot of catching up to do. Bossy recalled getting back on pace — and Kucherov is the latest illustration of why. After scoring 17 goals in with a few hat tricks between Games 40 and 50. Some of Kucherov’s his first 19 games, Kucherov is goalless in six straight. peers think he can do likewise. Said Islanders star John Tavares said: "It’s going to take something special, but (Kucherov) has got the talent for Only four players have scored 50 goals in a season since 2009. it." Today’s style of play isn’t as wide open as it was in the 1980s and ’90s Said former Lightning goalie Ben Bishop: "If there’s a guy who can do it, when Gretzky, Lemieux, Bossy and Hull dominated. Goalies are much it’d probably be him." better and bigger, as are their pads. Extensive video and analytics help teams adjust quicker and shut down opposing stars. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 Then again, the recent crackdown on slashing has given playmakers more room, plenty of power plays and greater scoring opportunities. NBSCN analyst Pierre McGuire said there has never been the amount of young talent thrust into the league as there is today. Many of the young players weren’t born the last time 50 in 50 was accomplished. "It wasn’t easy to do for me," said Bossy, 60. "I’m sure that other guys who did it can appreciate the pressure and the media attention that it brings. "It’s a matter of consistency, a lot of sacrifice and dedication, a lot of wanting to do it. Obviously, a lot of things have to fall in the right place." Gagne, a former Lightning forward, racked up 17 goals in the Flyers’ first 15 games of 2005-06. The way he and linemate Peter Forsberg were tearing it up reminds Gagne of the chemistry Stamkos and Kucherov have. (The 50-in-50 club members all had stud linemates: Gretzky with Jari Kurri, Hull with Adam Oates, Lemieux with Jaromir Jagr, Bossy with Bryan Trottier. You get the picture.) After the 2004 lockout, the new collective bargaining agreement rid the NHL of obstruction, clutching and grabbing, and the rule against two-line passing. It sparked the desired offensive onslaught, and Gagne wasn’t alone in his scoring surge. Ottawa’s Daniel Alfredsson and Atlanta’s Dany Heatley had 15 goals in their first 15 games. Gagne said this season’s crackdown on slashing reminds him of life after the lockout. That could help a player like Kucherov. "As soon as a player gets a stick on their gloves, or their pants, it’s two minutes (penalty)," Gagne said. "You get more power plays, more space in tight areas. It’s easier to beat guys one-on-one now." A key factor is health. Gagne believes he had a shot at 50 in 50 until he got hurt in February at the 2006 Olympics. Darius Kasparaitis hip checked Gagne in a knee, resulting in a bone bruise that cost him games. After 17 goals in 15 games, Gagne registered just 17 more in the Flyers’ next 35, finishing with 47. "I was getting those bounces and luck usually you don’t have," he said. "It’s almost like everything happened around the same time. That’s the type of year you need to jump on it." Stamkos, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Malkin are the only players to score 50 or more goals in a season since 2010. Stamkos scored 60 in 2012, but his best shot at 50 in 50 came in 2011, when he had 20 in 21 games. "Everyone was like, ‘50 in 50,’ " Stamkos said. "And it wasn’t even close." Stamkos ended up with 45. "I don’t think anyone thinks about 50 goals in 50 games," he said, "If you have (performance) goals before the season, it’s to score 40 or score 50, not to score 50 in 50." 1086047 Tampa Bay Lightning

Cedric Paquette suspended one game

By Joe Smith Published: November 30, 2017Updated: November 30, 2017 at 09:20 PM

Lightning center Cedric Paquette has been suspended one game for boarding Boston defenseman Torey Krug Wednesday. With Paquette out, the Lightning could decide to call up a forward from AHL Syracuse (like Cory Conacher), or decide to go 11 forwards, seven defensemen against the Sharks Saturday at Amalie Arena. The play occurred in the second period of Tampa Bay's 3-2 loss. Paquette got called for boarding on Krug when he hit him from behind at the boards by the Bruins net. The National Hockey League's Department of Player Safety ruled that Paquette had enough time on his forecheck to avoid or minimize the force of the hit on Krug's shoulder, as opposed to driving his head into the boards. Paquette had yet to be fined or suspended in his 191 career games in the NHL. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086048 Toronto Maple Leafs

Nylander has three points, Oilers score on themselves late to give Maple Leafs win

PERRY NELSON/USA TODAY SPORTS

William Nylander had a goal and two assists as the Toronto Maple Leafs got past the Edmonton Oilers 6-4 on Thursday night. Auston Matthews, Dominic Moore, Matt Martin, Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri also scored for the Maple Leafs (17-9-1). Frederik Andersen stopped 41 shots for the win in net Marleau was credited with the winner despite Edmonton defenceman Kris Russell blasting the puck into his own net while trying to clear it late in the third period. Mark Letestu, Zack Kassian, Connor McDavid and Kris Russell replied for the Oilers (10-14-2), who had a two-game winning streak snapped. Laurent Brossoit got the start in place of Cam Talbot, who is expected to miss at least the next two weeks with injury. Brossoit made 30 saves. The Leafs scored on their first shot of the game, 2:15 into the contest, as Nylander made a great feed on the power play to set up Matthews for his 13th goal of the season. Toronto took a 2-0 lead six minutes into the opening period when Moore beat Brossoit to the stick side with a wrist shot. The Oilers appeared to get back into the game with seven minutes left in the first on a goal by Letestu, but the Leafs responded just 29 seconds later as a turnover at the blue line led to Martin being left alone at the side of the net to score his second of the year. Edmonton made it a one-goal game again 6 1/2 minutes into the second period as Jujhar Khaira made a nice backhand feed from behind the net to Kassian, who scored his second of the season and second goal in as many games. The Oilers tied the game up late in the second period as McDavid tipped a Russell point shot past Andersen. Toronto moved back in front less than a minute later, however on a power play goal by Nylander. Edmonton knotted it up again three minutes into the third as Russell scored on a blast from the point. Kadri added an empty netter with a second left in the third. Both teams are back on the ice on Saturday, with the Maple Leafs heading to Vancouver and the Oilers in Calgary to face the Flames. Globe And Mail LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086049 Toronto Maple Leafs he’s got a little more support around him. But for (Leafs president) Brendan Shanahan and (GM) , they always talk about moving it forward, right? I think they understand that they have a little bit Oilers’ McDavid might be better player, but Leafs’ Matthews has better longer runway. I don’t know if the Edmonton Oilers have as long a support runway. And when I say that, who knows if they even have a runway?” Babcock has a line about pressure that he loves: The pressure is the privilege. He says, if you don’t have any pressure, it means you have no By Bruce Arthur chance. If there is going to be a real rivalry between Matthews and McDavid, Matthews will need to grow. But he already has a better chance to win. EDMONTON—Back when he was the general manager of the Pittsburgh Toronto Star LOADED: 12.01.2017 Penguins, Ray Shero kept a notepad, and likely still does. He would write down ideas, conversations, trade concepts. And later he would review the ideas that never left the page and he would think to himself sometimes, “What the heck? That wouldn’t be good.” And when asked about the responsibility of having young Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin — two generational players, the likes of which you cannot buy — at the start of his tenure in 2006, Shero was honest. “Yeah, I mean, taking the job, I think that was the pressure, not to screw it up,” Shero told me in 2013. “I’d never been a GM before, I’d been an assistant GM for 14 years at that point in time, I don’t want to f--- it up. We had a couple generational players in here, Crosby going into the second year, Malkin going into his first year . . . You try, knowing that when you try there’s no guarantees of anything.” The Toronto Maple Leafs played the Edmonton Oilers Thursday night. These teams are linked by their back-to-back No. 1 draft picks and the potential for a rivalry between them, if largely in absentia. Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews played against one another at a world championship, and on the same line in the brief blinding life of Team North America at the World Cup. This was their third meeting in the NHL. They already seem tired of the hoopla that precedes the matchup, but that doesn’t mean the matchup isn’t special. “If great is really great, all great players do it right all the time,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock, asked whether he had ever coached a great player who didn’t get up for matchups with his true peers. “That’s what they are. They’ve got an elite drive train so they’re dying to play against the best and they want to be in the big moments. That’s what great players are.” “Whenever you go up against the game’s best, you want to bring your best,” McDavid said. “I mean, you have to when you’re going up against guys like Matthews and Crosby.” The debate between them isn’t a debate yet. McDavid has a Hart Trophy. Matthews, with a Calder, is a few steps behind. But Toronto’s 20-year-old has never made much of a secret that he aims to be the best player in the world, which means catching the guy in Edmonton. “Auston, in that short month that we had him (on Team North America), you could see (ambition) just oozing out of him,” said Oilers coach Todd McLellan, his coach at the World Cup. “He (started as an extra forward, but) wanted to play as one of the top guys . . . Both of them have that spirit. They both want to be the best.” And for the franchises lucky enough to have them, this raises the stakes, for good and bad. Toronto came in as a team that still hadn’t played its best, but was tracking as a top-10 team in the NHL, with abundant depth and youth. Edmonton came in gasping for air, having lost starting goaltender Cam Talbot for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury, which for a team already at the bottom of the standings might sink their entire season. And when you have a generational player, that context matters. Leafs management believes having Matthews opens a window of contention that should last a decade and likely more, and nothing that has happened has shaken that idea. It could, but it hasn’t. Having Matthews is an opportunity. It’s the same for the Oilers and McDavid, but now his team is veering from 103-point playoff team to stinkbomb. When you have the greatest player of his generation and the pressure comes to bear, it’s easier for cracks to form — in management, in coaches, everywhere. Once you have a real opportunity, it’s possible to waste it. How many mistakes can you afford? How many have you already made? “That’s the pressure that goes on the GM,” said TSN’s , a former NHL general manager. “That’s one of the things that whenever I’ve been around the top players, it’s not about how good they are. They know they’re good. They want to win. And they want to be on great teams, and they want to perform in the biggest moments.” “I think that’s the same pressure that (Edmonton GM Peter) Chiarelli feels . . . Whether you say McDavid is a cut above, or two cuts above, he’s just that player who can do anything. Matthews is that top player, but 1086050 Toronto Maple Leafs stump. The Oilers tied the game 4-4 three minutes into the third on a Russell rocket, and deserved the comeback.

And then the funny stuff, which probably wasn’t as funny to the Oilers. Leafs edge Oilers thanks to crazy own goal And in the end, it was a good show. There were no blood feuds, no viciousness. There was just a pretty good game with stars playing like stars, which is one way rivalries can be made. By BRUCE ARTHUR Toronto Star LOADED: 12.01.2017

EDMONTON—It didn’t start as a rivalry game. Sure, there is more national attention when Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews are involved, and it can be a bit of a circus. But six minutes in the Leafs looked like ringmasters, and the Oilers looked like the clowns. Building a rivalry works better when it’s competitive. And then came the rest of the game, with booming duelling chants of Let’s go, Oilers and Go Leafs Go, and both Matthews and McDavid scored, and after the Leafs got a lead, the Oilers came back to tie the game 4-4. And then, it turned into comedy. With 1:05 left, Patrick Marleau drove and got a shot off, and it was stopped, and in the fight for the rebound with Nazem Kadri, Oilers defenceman Kris Russell slapped the puck past goaltender Laurent Brossoit, who was understandably surprised. Marleau was credited with the goal, and Kadri added an empty netter to win, 6-4. The Oilers started Brossoit after starter Cam Talbot was ruled out for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury. Talbot started a league- leading 73 games last year, and Brossoit had started 20 in his uneven career. If you were an Edmonton fan, this is about where you would tug your collar, and gulp. It did not help that at times the Oilers looked like they had been transported back in time, to the days when their defensive zone coverage was like trying to catch butterflies in an open field. Toronto opened the scoring on a power play that might not have been, strictly speaking, earned. And of course, it was Matthews who scored it, off an alert pass from William Nylander. Matthews did say, after being held without a shot in Calgary Tuesday night for the first time in his 110-game career, that he would be shooting. Check. Not six minutes into the game it was 2-0, after Dominic Moore turned a turnover into a rush, and his wrist shot beat Brossoit clean, high blocker side. The Oilers got one back from their fourth line off a Jake Gardiner giveaway, and the local euphoria lasted almost 30 seconds before Edmonton turned the puck over at the Oilers blue line. Nylander to Moore, Moore to Matt Martin, and he did his best Alexander Ovechkin imitation to make it 3-1, just as the Edmonton goal was announced. It could have been worse. At one point the Oilers gave Kadri and Marleau a 2-on-0, which Brossoit somehow stunted. The Leafs got to the Edmonton net enough that they and Brossoit should have been on a first- name basis. But the Leafs never put the hammer down, and the Oilers pushed back. McDavid drew successive penalties on Roman Polak — the first because he and Polak essentially play different sports, and the second because at times McDavid plays a different sport than anybody else. He was squeezed on the boards on the first penalty, and then skated around the Leafs zone, weaving like a motorcycle in traffic, and got all the way to the Leafs net before Polak and Andreas Borgman essentially fouled him before he dunked on the whole team. If you wanted grist for the McDavid-Matthews rivalry, you could find it. Matthews controlled one shift in the Oilers zone, which was followed by a McDavid rush. Matthews had the first goal, and with a little over two minutes left in the second, McDavid finished some good work from defencemen Darnell Nurse and Russell with a tip at the side of the net. That goal, the third with the Gardiner-Zaitsev pairing on the ice, made it 3-3. This time the euphoria lasted a minute, during which Edmonton’s Eric Gryba boarded James van Riemsdyk, and William Nylander scored his second goal since Oct. 21. It was his third point of the night, which for a guy in a slump seems pretty good. Before the game, Nylander said, “I think maybe (I had a) loss of confidence for a little bit, and maybe working hard and stuff obviously affects it. Because I mean if you work hard and stuff, that kind of thing kind of comes naturally.” Asked if his father Michael had given him advice William said, “It’s just work hard and you’ll get out of it.” Well, he had a night. And the first two periods were demonstrations of how both these teams have operated: the Leafs with flashes of dominance that didn’t last; the Oilers with flashes of utter incompetence, which came and went. Ron Hainsey was hit high by a shot, left the game and returned in time to find McDavid flying at him like a cheetah at a tree 1086051 Toronto Maple Leafs

Bizarre own goal lets Leafs escape Edmonton with win

Lance Hornby

EDMONTON — The stars came out at Rogers Place on Thursday, but star-crossed Kris Russell felt like disappearing into deep space. After 80 shots by the Maple Leafs and Oilers, Edmonton defenceman Russell put the 81st into his own net while trying to keep it away from Nazem Kadri with 1:05 to play. The goal, whacked past a shocked Laurent Brossoit, was credited to Patrick Marleau, who’d last touched the puck, possibly the most bizarre of his 103 career game winners. “Lucky bounce, good timing,” said Marleau, who was still trying to piece together what happened along with several teammates. “I’ve had one those when it goes in off somebody else, but that late in the game? I don’t think I’ve had that.” Though Auston Matthews versus Connor McDavid opened the show, with both franchise players scoring in a head-to-head match that rocked the rink at times, it was William Nylander’s three-point night that helped Toronto build early leads . “Only a matter of time for him,” Kadri said. “As a young guy, handling those slumps (one goal since Oct. 21 coming in) can be difficult at times, but with his skill and that great shot, the puck is going to go in.” The whole fourth line with Dominic Moore and Matt Martin – to which Nylander has been consigned of late, potted goals, though they still needed Russell’s indirect aid. “I turned to try and battle it out and obviously you know what happened,” said Russell, who’d earlier celebrated an assist on McDavid’s goal, his 200th NHL point and later scored himself. Kadri, who added an empty netter, said he tried to pressure Russell into giving up the puck after a Marleau rebound, never thinking it would work so well. “I was lost, no idea what happened,” Kadri said as the red goal light flashed. “A fortunate bounce, but two points is two points.” Toronto swept the Alberta portion of this Western road trip with one stop remaining in Vancouver. It improved to a record of 9-2-1 in its past 12, while the struggling Oilers once more failed to stretch a win streak beyond two. Frederik Andersen did allow four and had Oiler crash liners Mark Letestu and Zach Kassian beat him, but also faced a team season high 45 shots. From the moment the first ‘Go Leafs Go’ chant beat out the home side’s decibel count, the Oilers looked a bit spooked. The crowd had just seen their first shift of McDavid – Matthews when Darnell Nurse was in the box, an ominous sign with Edmonton last in NHL home penalty killing. Matthews, held without a shot on goal in Calgary to break his record 103-game streak to start a career, quickly went high blocker on Brossoit, who must hold the fort a couple of weeks with Cam Talbot injured. Moore connected from almost the same angle, yet the Leafs defence had some blunder issues of their own through the course of the evening in letting the Oilers tie it 4-4. Nylander, who also ran his assist streak to four games, scored on the power play. While McDavid continued to give Toronto fits with solo rushes, Matthews said later he was feeling the effects of a bad cold that kept him at the hotel in bed and out of the morning skate. “Any time you go against a player of (McDavid’s) caliber, you have to make sure you’re ready,” Matthews said. “It gets pretty tiring chasing him around all night. He can absolutely fly out there. “I’ve had better days. The (illness kicked in) a little bit towards the end, but any time you play on a pretty big stage like this with a lot of hype around this game, there’s no excuse. You have to go out there and play.” Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086052 Toronto Maple Leafs

Leafs Locker: No signs of sulking from Leafs' Nylander

Lance Hornby

Maple Leafs forward William Nylander has lost some of his scoring touch these past weeks, but not his unflappable demeanor. While no doubt grumpy with his fourth-line status, on the only unit head coach Mike Babcock had not re-arranged heading into play Thursday in Edmonton, Nylander showed no signs of sulking at the morning skate. “The past few games I’ve been creating chances and that’s what’s most important,” said Nylander, who indeed has assists in three straight games, but only one goal since Oct. 21. “(Babcock) wants me to have the puck more and make more plays. Maybe it was loss of confidence for a little bit, not playing the way you can, working hard. If you work hard, that (good) stuff comes naturally.” The advice from his NHL father Michael has been just as succinct. “Work hard and you’ll get out of it,” Nylander said his dad relayed to him from Sweden. “Whenever he can (counsel) he does, but it’s tough with the time difference back home. He tries whenever he can.” Babcock’s praise for the compete level of the other three right wingers says a lot about where he thinks Nylander can improve. But it’s not the first time the staff has tried prodding him and he eventually responds. Even with Matt Martin as his winger, as Nylander echoed MitchMarner’s praise that the rough-hewn Martin is more skilled than people think. “He makes great plays,” Nylander said. “He’s an underrated passer for sure.” BEST WESTERN The Leafs came west on Sunday evening, two nights ahead of their first game in Calgary and most have seen a benefit as the trip hits the stretch run. “That first practice seemed like one of the hardest of the year,” defenceman Jake Gardiner said. “With the travel and the (higher) altitude, I’m glad we came early for sure.” James van Riemsdyk has been around the league awhile and can sense the thinner air in cities such as Calgary and Denver when he exerts. “I don’t know what the science is, because I’ve also heard the second and third days are the hardest to adjust to altitude. So who knows, but for me, I like getting out here and acclimated to the time change and some other stuff.” The Leafs might skip their scheduled Friday workout in Vancouver, but with a 4 p.m. start on Saturday for TV purposes, won’t likely have time for a pre-game skate. PLAY LIKE A BRO Many people in Edmonton equate any long injury to goalie Cam Talbot as another sign a playoff spot is in danger. Not Laurent Brossoit, who made the first of what he hopes is a string of starts after Talbot went on IR as of Thursday with an upper-body injury. “You never want to see a teammate go down, but in my position as a backup, you are looking for an opportunity,” B.C. native Brossoit said. Before facing the Leafs, Brossoit had yet to win this season (0-3-1) with an .881 save percentage, though his last two starts weren’t bad. NickEllis is up from Bakersfield of the AHL while Talbot recovers. KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT Oilers coach Todd McLellan was fortunate enough to have both Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid at the World Cup for the North American squad in 2016. “An honour. Remarkable athletes,” McLellan said. “Their competitive spirit and their fire to be elite is exceptional. We knew Connor had that in him, and Auston, in that short month, you could see it just oozing out of him. He wanted to play as one of the top guys.” Initially projected at the young guns’ 13th forward, the then-unknown Matthews was soon playing with McDavid and Mark Scheifele. Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086053 Toronto Maple Leafs He took a lot of counsel from Jim before making his next move, signing with the Oilers, a decision that delighted the whole family as Edmonton and Vancouver play so often. Matt Benning's Toronto connection runs deep “(Jim) has been a little bit distant from us because of his job and the time change and he’s always busy,” Matt said. “But we have a lot of family reunions to talk hockey.” Lance Hornby Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.01.2017

EDMONTON — It’s the beginning of the Benning weekend for the Maple Leafs. Toronto’s connection to the well-known Edmonton hockey family began in 1981, when defenceman Jim Benning was the Maple Leafs’ first-round pick and it continued through the 1990s when younger brother Brian faced them many times after Jim retired. Now, Brian’s son Matt is getting his shot, his third game against the Leafs on Thursday night with a rematch in two weeks when the Oilers visit the Air Canada Centre. Jim, the Vancouver Canucks’ general manager, will see his one-time team on Saturday as Toronto’s road trip ends. All three Bennings are defencemen. “Uncle Jim talked about how exciting it was for him in Toronto, him being so young,” Matt said before Thursday’s Leafs-Oilers match. “I played my first NHL game in Toronto last year. It was an exciting time, my parents were there and knowing my uncle had played there, it was a dream come true. “That’s a big market and it’s pretty crazy, but it worked out for (Jim). He would share a lot of his experiences around the league with me.” As a draft pick in 1981, the GM’s second tenure with the Leafs, Jim went sixth overall in a strong class of blueliners that included Al MacInnis, James Patrick, Steve Smith, Garth Butcher, Joe Cirella and Randy Moeller. Benning’s development as a Leaf was not very smooth as the former Portland Winter Hawk was put right on the front lines of an often dysfunctional Toronto team. After a few years, he was traded to Vancouver, where four more NHL years followed, by which time another Benning was regularly in battle with the Leafs. Brian also came the Portland route and was taken 26th overall by St. Louis in 1984, right after the Leafs plucked defenceman Todd Gill. Brian faced the Leafs twice in playoffs in ’86 and ’87 in the midst of their many Norris Division wars, while seeing time with the Canadian national team in its pre-NHL form. Add to the Benning lineage grandfather Elmer, a Western Hockey League scout who was famous for driving a 1995 Toyota Camry throughout the Prairies on behalf of the Montreal Canadiens. The former fireman, who recommended Carey Price to the Habs among other WHLers, put one million kilometres on the car as of this year. Elmer did find time to help Matt’s game, too, giving the 23-year-old quite a diverse support group. “Growing up, (Brian) would harp on me all the time, ‘Just to do this and that,” Benning told Derek van Diest of the Edmonton Sun in a recent interview. “At the time, I thought he was being hard on me, but now I understand what kind of game I should be playing. “He knows when I make a mistake, he lets me know about it, but mostly, he kind of sits in the dark (at the arena) and if I need to ask him any questions, he’s there for me.” Before the Leafs came to town, Benning had a two-point game against Arizona. The Tuesday performance was a good sign as the 23-year-old has experienced some rough patches this year, as have many Oilers with such high expectations and low returns thus far. “You’re always trying to help out offensively and protect your net,” Benning said. “I think we’ve all done a great job lately.” Coach Todd McLellan is encouraged, too. “He got off to a slow start, which can happen to second-year players,” McLellan said. “I don’t say they underestimate the return factor, but Matt lost some confidence. He’s done a tremendous job of rebuilding it and so we are really comfortable with putting him on the ice.” While his father and uncle played junior, Matt crossed the continent and came through Northeastern University. The school was in an NCAA hockey hotbed well known to Jim, who got his start in the hockey operations side scouting for the Boston Bruins. That was the team that took Matt mid-round in 2012, but he didn’t sign and became a free agent. 1086054 Toronto Maple Leafs

Maple Leafs' Matthews misses skate but expects to play versus Oilers

Lance Hornby

EDMONTON — Auston Matthews skipped the morning skate to fight a cold, but the sight of Oilers back-up goalie Laurent Brossoit might warm up him and few Maple Leaf shooters on Thursday night. Brossoit, yet to win this year (0-3-1) with an .881 save percentage, is Edmonton’s de facto No. 1 for the next two weeks or so after Cam Talbot went on injured reserve with an upper body issue that flared up the past few days. The 24-year-old Brossoit has never faced the Leafs, but will see the full house coming at him as leading scorer Matthews is unlikely to be slowed by the sniffles. Matthews must first get by Oilers captain Connor McDavid, whom he could draw head-to-head depending on Oilers coach Todd McLellan’s plans. Otherwise, Leafs coach Mike Babcock will utilize the peskier Nazem Kadri on McDavid’s projected line with Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi. “He’s obviously gifted, he skates really well so you have to run into him as much as you can,” Kadri said of McDavid. “The most important thing is to force him to play defence. “I don’t think players like that want to play in their own zone, they want the puck as much as possible. If we control possession by winning face- offs and 50/50 battles, I think we can make an impact there.” The chirpy Kadri says he’ll attempt a little verbal sparring, too, but doubts McDavid will fall for it. “Everybody really tries to get after him, but if he gave everybody the time of day, he’s be throwing himself off his own game. He knows what he’s doing.” The play of William Nylander will also be evaluated closely on Thursday. While Babcock has changed forward combinations frequently the past few games, Nylander has been parked on the fourth line. The coach’s praise for the work ethic of the other three right wingers says a lot about where he thinks the offence-oriented Nylander can improve. “The last few games I’ve been creating chances and that’s what’s most important,” said Nylander, who has assists in three straight games but only one goal since Oct. 21. “(Babcock) wants me to have the puck more and make more plays. Maybe it was loss of confidence for a little bit, not playing the way you can, working hard. If you work hard, that (good) stuff comes naturally.” You could sense the disappointment around the Oilers’ room Thursday morning as the news about Talbot was released. Brossoit has a chance to make his mark. His last two starts weren’t bad, despite the losses. “You never want to see a teammate go down, but in my position as a back-up, you are looking for an opportunity,” said Brossoi, a native of B.C. Frederik Andersen starts for the Leafs after a light night in Tuesday’s win over Calgary. A win would be his 48th as a Leaf, tying him with Jacques Plante for 19th in team history. Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086055 Toronto Maple Leafs Normally the coach loses in these scenarios, where the GM has only been in place for 2.5 years. But this is far from a normal situation.

And Chiarelli's fingerprints are all over this lineup's issues. Mirtle: In the battle of Canadian rebuilds, the Maple Leafs have slipped past the Oilers Injuries are obviously bad luck, but they're also inevitable. And what the injuries are doing in Edmonton is highlighting how ill-prepared the Oilers

were for any wrong turn. The organization knew, for example, that they By James Mirtle were thin on depth in goal and that Laurent Brossoit probably wouldn't be able to handle significant minutes. But they didn't claim Calvin Pickard on waivers from Vegas early on and are now left with little choice but to cross their fingers that they can somehow survive without Talbot for EDMONTON — This was a bizarre, insane mess of a hockey game, one however long he's out. that gave fans their money's worth and drove the coaches on both benches nuts. Even after playing him in an absurd 73 games last season, they failed to find him help. It was really great theatre, two young, exciting teams at opposite ends of the NHL standings going at each other. There's a similar story at other positions, when you look down the lineup. If the Leafs ran into injuries, they have the top team in the AHL to recall It was what you wanted out of a Leafs-Oilers game, at least if you were in from, a 16-5-0 Marlies club that is loaded with NHL-calibre options — the seats. including Pickard, who they acquired for a song in order to be the fourth “I thought the game was probably exciting for the fans, but it wasn't very goalie in the organization. exciting for me,” Mike Babcock grumped afterward. “In the end, we found Bakersfield, Edmonton's affiliate, meanwhile, is one of the lowest scoring, a way to win a game and that's what you've got to do on the road. talent bereft teams in the minors, with only maybe Ethan Bear, Caleb Sometimes they're ugly, but you find a way to win.” Jones and Nick Ellis, eventually, coming to help. It was also yet another absolute anchor for the already reeling Oilers to In that sense, the Oilers are what they are — a near-finished product, absorb, one they didn't particularly deserve. They were the better team one expected to win in 2018. for long stretches, after an ugly start put them in a 3-1 hole at the end of the first. The Leafs? They still have help coming — and a window to win that could widen next season and beyond. This loss hurt more than most. And not just because Kris Russell one- timed it into his own net with a minute to play in a tie game. Some of the supporting pieces Chiarelli has put in place in Edmonton are being forced into roles over their heads. Russell, for one, had to play A team desperate for hope didn't get even a single point. Despite more than 24 minutes on Thursday, including plenty against Auston pounding 45 shots on Frederik Andersen. Despite a Herculean effort Matthews. from their fourth line, including big man Jujhar Khaira's impressive turn. Despite battling back, with their backup in net and Adam Larsson a late Had the Leafs' young star not been fighting a cold, the result could have scratch with a lingering injury. far been uglier than it was. (As it was, Matthews had a goal and an assist in 18 minutes.) One wonders where the Leafs would be right now without two of their top four D and their starting goalie, the excuses they'd have to no-show in a “I've had better days,” Matthews said of trying to play head-to-head game like this. against Connor McDavid through his illness. “It's tough… It gets pretty tiring chasing him around all night. He can absolutely fly out there.” In the face of even more adversity in a season full of it, Edmonton showed up. Even their opponents knew it. He can — and he made linemates Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi (who had seven shots on goal) look good all night in doing so. But then again “They did a great job,” Nazem Kadri said. “They earned themselves at the contrast was unmistakable when the Leafs' fourth line hopped over least a point on that one and came up a little bit short. Tough bounce. But the boards with Nylander on it. Both Dominic Moore and Matt Martin that's the way it's going for us right now.” scored goals, part of a weird renaissance from the bottom three forwards It is. The Leafs are winning all kinds of games that it doesn't seem they driven by how much depth Babcock has to work with night to night. deserve. They have enough firepower that they can find ways to pull out And then Toronto's power play was able to pick apart the worst PK in the points even when they aren't the better team. That's their skill advantage league, scoring two pivotal goals with the second unit on the ice. over most teams in the league right now, even with Mitch Marner and William Nylander taking turns on the fourth line. Incredibly, it's only been 2.5 years since the Oilers won the draft lottery and landed McDavid. At that point, it appeared Edmonton was finally But it's also the way it's going for the Oilers right now. Anything that can going to ascend after nearly a decade in the NHL's basement, with the go wrong — and that can highlight the depth issues on the roster — is worst record in the salary cap era of any team. At the very least, they going wrong. Missing Cam Talbot for a couple weeks (or more) may be were going to get better. the final nail in a coffin that's almost sealed right now, on Dec. 1. Toronto, meanwhile, had landed Babcock but appeared destined for Consider that Edmonton has the third-worst record in the NHL, a 69-point some dark years, with everyone in the organization preaching patience. pace that would be one of the largest year-over-year drops in league history from last season's charmed 103-point campaign. Few imagined we would be here, this quickly, in the winter of 2017, with the Leafs one of the top teams in the league and the Oilers mired in In order to get to 94 points — the playoff cutoff in the West last year — another debate over who's going to get the walk the plank. the Oilers will need to go 36-20-0 over their final 56 games, winning nearly twice as many games as they lose, posting the equivalent of a In some ways, Toronto got ahead simply by going slow. They haven't 105-point pace the rest of the way. pushed out any young talent for win-now pieces. They haven't made any huge mistakes. Realistically, they're probably done for already. They also haven't had to commit to any monster contracts for their young Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports stars, which is another area Chiarelli has gotten himself in trouble. Maybe This isn't all puck luck. Even if the Oilers didn't deserve to lose the way that's coming — but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like the Leafs will they did Thursday, they've earned this slap in the face in the standings. squeeze Nylander and Marner, getting bargain contracts out of them just They've earned a reckoning, after trading so much talent away to get as they did with Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. bigger and grittier at the expense of skill. But in Edmonton, with McDavid's entry-level deal set to run out in what I only touched down here in Edmonton for 48 hours, but it was certainly appears to be a playoff-less year, some hard truths are on the ice every enough to take the temperature of the market. Even after an overtime win night. over the sad-sack Coyotes, the overriding discussion in town is whether Todd McLellan or Peter Chiarelli should be fired if the season continues to circle the drain. And it's unmistakable how the Leafs have found a way to not diminish their roster in the hopes of finding a quick fix. They haven't chased fool's gold to the bottom of the well.

Maybe you can argue the Oilers deserved a better fate on this night, given how well they played. But it's hard to look up and down that lineup and say the same for their season.

Toronto has zipped past them in the standings, seemingly overnight, and has more help on the way.

Edmonton? They're the ones going through the pain that Babcock talked about so often two years ago. And it's not the kind of heartache that typically pays off in the end.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017

1086056 Vegas Golden Knights second game of back-to-backs, including a 4-2 win at Arizona on Saturday in the most recent instance.

Wild’s Jason Zucker feels ‘little weird’ facing hometown team Golden Knights LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.01.2017

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal November 30, 2017 - 3:49 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Jason Zucker arrived at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday morning for the Minnesota Wild’s pregame skate and something felt different. “It feels a little weird being able to say that we’re playing Vegas,” the forward said. “I definitely never thought this day would come, but it’s pretty exciting knowing that they do (have a team) and that they’re doing well.” Zucker, who leads the Wild in goals this season, grew up in Las Vegas and is Nevada’s lone NHL player. The 25-year-old spends his summers in the valley and remains closely connected to the local hockey community. “Every summer I’m back there, I try to do something with the kids there and try to grow hockey in any way I can,” Zucker said. “It’s been a lot of fun for me to be able to say I’m from there and go back there and spend my summers.” Thursday’s game had an extra layer of intrigue for Zucker, who said his parents, Scott and Natalie, are season ticket holders for the Golden Knights. Jason Zucker was asked which team they were going to root for Thursday and laughed before giving his response. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ll have to ask them that question.” The Knights activated defenseman Luca Sbisa from the injured-reserve list prior to Thursday’s game and placed forwards David Perron and William Carrier on IR. Sbisa missed the past seven games with a lower-body injury. Perron (upper body), tied for third on the team in scoring with 19 points, was injured Nov. 24 against San Jose. Carrier suffered an undisclosed injury Saturday against Arizona. Neither player made the road trip, and both are expected to miss at least one week, according to the team. Defenseman Brayden McNabb was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July but decided against testing the open market. McNabb, who this week signed a four-year extension through the 2021- 22 season, said he is happy with the Knights and enjoys living in Las Vegas. “Coming in getting drafted, you’re unsure about the city,” the 26-year-old said. “But being here, it’s been great, from the top down. It’s a good place to play, it’s a good place to live and I’m happy to be here.” The Knights will host a holiday Toy Drive prior to the Dec. 12 game against Carolina at T-Mobile Arena. Fans can bring a new and unwrapped toy that will be donated to CASA Foundation, which supports children in foster care in Clark County. Three storylines: 1. Flying high. Winnipeg (15-6-4) sits second in the Central Division and is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games despite losing 3-2 in overtime at Colorado on Wednesday. The Jets are 8-2-1 at Bell MTS Place and haven’t lost at home since Nov. 4. SHORT DESCRIPTION (Las Vegas Review-Journal) 2. Revenge factor. The Golden Knights thumped Winnipeg 5-2 on Nov. 10 at T-Mobile Arena, chasing goaltender Connor Hellebuyck after the second period. “We are going to have to make some adjustments next time we play them,” Jets forward Blake Wheeler said after the teams’ first meeting. 3. Quick turnaround. The Knights planned to travel across the border after Thursday’s game at Minnesota and will need to quickly find their legs against a talented Winnipeg team. The Knights are 2-2 in the 1086057 Vegas Golden Knights “Luckily, we don’t have too much time to think about it,” defenseman Luca Sbisa said. “I think we played a really smart road game. We just didn’t get the results.” Golden Knights falter in final period for 4-2 loss at Minnesota LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.01.2017 By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal November 30, 2017 - 7:44 PM Updated November 30, 2017 - 10:44 PM

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The puck has bounced the Golden Knights’ way on several occasions this season. But their “puck luck” ran out on Thursday. The Knights were on the wrong side of two unfortunate bounces in the third period and hit the post three times in a 4-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild at Xcel Energy Center before a sellout crowd of 19,084. Eric Staal scored the go-ahead goal with 7:55 remaining and added an empty-netter for Minnesota, as the Knights (15-8-1) dropped their second straight game and fell two points behind first-place Los Angeles in the Pacific Division. “They hit one post that went in, and we hit three that didn’t go in,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “(Minnesota) played a good game. It was two teams I thought competed real hard, and they got some bounces and I thought that’s why they won the game.” Brayden McNabb and Jonathan Marchessault scored 1:57 apart early in the third period to put the Knights up 2-1, but the lead vanished less than a minute later. Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin drove a shot from the point, and the puck deflected off McNabb’s stick while he was tied up with Nino Niederreiter to even the score at the 5:27 mark. “We had a good start (in the third period) and the one goes off my stick and in,” McNabb said. “It’s tough. I thought we played well.” Staal then gave Minnesota (12-10-3) the lead when he pounced on a loose puck in the slot. Wild defenseman Matt Dumba was able to hold the zone and ripped a shot from the right wing. But the puck hit Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland in the hand and fell right to Staal, leaving goalie Malcolm Subban stranded. “It’s tough. You want to reward guys for blocking shots,” Subban said. “I love the fact that these guys are willing to block shots for me. Obviously, it’s a tough balance. “I thought I could have stayed up and been a little more patient on it when it got to the net. I think I went down too early, and I think it cost us the game. It’s tough to lose like that.” Subban finished with 28 saves, including a sprawling stop on Niederreiter to keep the game tied at 1 early in the third period. “Nothing he could do on those goals,” Gallant said. “He made some great saves and kept us in that hockey game. I thought he played a great game.” Reilly Smith had a golden chance with four minutes left for the Knights, but Wild defenseman Ryan Murphy poked the puck away before Smith could get his shot away. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk also robbed Marchessault from a steep angle in the final minute with a sprawling stick save. “It was a game of inches, honestly,” Knights forward Alex Tuch said. “It just kind of went their way. I thought that overall we played a pretty strong game, especially defensively.” McNabb, who signed a four-year, $10 million contract extension on Wednesday, broke a 102:44 scoring drought for the Knights when he stepped into a drop pass from Stefan Matteau and ripped a shot past Dubnyk (29 saves) early in the third. Marchessault then put the Knights ahead at the 4:39 mark with his ninth goal, beating Dubnyk high to the glove side. The bad luck for the Knights began early as Brendan Leipsic hit the post less than two minutes in. James Neal and Matteau hit the post in the second period for the Knights, who finish their two-game road trip Friday at Winnipeg. 1086058 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights face Wild tonight with newly inked McNabb

Sam Morris/Las Vegas News Bureau

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb (3) congratulates Vegas Golden Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury (29) after the Knights home opener Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2017, at the T-Mobile Arena. The Knights won 5-2 to extend their winning streak to 3-0. The Vegas Golden Knights will take the ice tonight in St. Paul to take on the Minnesota Wild, and defenseman Brayden McNabb will do so with a brand new contract. McNabb agreed to a 4-year, $10 million deal Wednesday to remain with the Golden Knights through the 2021-22 season. “McNabb has performed very well for us, has been a big part of our success and is at the right age to lock him up,” Golden Knights general manager George McPhee said. “He’s got a lot of room for growth.” The 27-year-old defenseman leads Vegas in hits (56) and blocked shots (52) and has averaged 19:30 of ice time this season. “He is a very good defensive defenseman,” McPhee said. “He’s got a long stick, and is good with his stick. He’s locked down some of the top opposing players for us, and we hope he’s here for the rest of his career.” McNabb joins Reilly Smith as the only players the Golden Knights have under contract through the 2021-22 season. Tonight, the player McNabb, and the rest of the Golden Knights’ defense, will be tasked at corralling is Las Vegas-raised Jason Zucker. Zucker, who lived in Las Vegas until he was 11, leads the Wild with 13 goals on the season. The Golden Knights should get a boost defensively tonight, as Luca Sbisa returns to the lineup. He missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury but was activated from the injured reserve today and is expected to play. The Wild will be desperate to get a win, as they sit at the bottom of the Central Division standings but are only two points behind Dallas and Chicago for fourth. Special teams will be key in the game, as the Wild are fourth in the NHL with a 24.3 power play percentage and 11th with an 82 penalty kill percentage.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086059 Washington Capitals

Nathan Walker’s feel-good story as first Australian in NHL takes a turn, waived by Capitals

By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 30 at 12:32 PM

Forward Nathan Walker has been placed on waivers, and the Washington Capitals intend to send him down to their American Hockey League affiliate in Hershey if he clears. Walker has played in just seven games all season, and his last appearance was two weeks ago. Walker is the second player the Capitals have waived this week — defenseman Aaron Ness cleared waivers Wednesday and was assigned to Hershey — and Washington will likely have to continue its roster maneuvering as it gets healthier. Defenseman Christian Djoos will be activated off injured reserve Thursday and play against the Los Angeles Kings, and forward Andre Burakovsky is on schedule to play sometime in the next three weeks. Burakovsky had surgery on his left thumb last month. Once Burakovsky is healthy, the Capitals will be out of long-term injured reserve salary-cap relief because his $3 million cap hit will be back on the books. Even with Walker waived, Washington would have to clear roughly another $90,000 in salary-cap space, so it’s likely another forward will be waived or reassigned to the AHL once Burakovsky is healthy. Tyler Graovac has played in just four games all season, but he’ll be in the lineup for a second straight game Thursday. Brett Connolly is the healthy scratch again. The two players who are waivers-exempt are forward Jakub Vrana and defenseman Madison Bowey. “When Andre gets back, I’m looking for him in the top-nine [forward corps], so that’s going to force someone down,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “There’s competition there, so that’s what you want. You want internal competition for ice time, and that’s what’s being created.” Walker’s arrival in the NHL was a feel-good story at the start of the season. He became the first Australian to play in an NHL game, and he scored a goal in his debut. But Walker hadn’t played in two straight games since the first week of the season. The Capitals will learn Friday at noon whether Walker cleared waivers or another team swiped him. “We looked at it with people getting healthy and that Nate wasn’t getting in the lineup,” Trotz said. “You can only build your game on the ice, so he’s going to see if he clears waivers. He’s got to play. He’s a good young man, but he’s still got to build his game. … “Message to him was I’ve known many a players who have been up and down, many a times. Keep developing, keep getting better. That’s the message you want. I said to him, everybody knows he’s a real terrific person. You’ve got to make sure your game is — you’re on top of your game and playing lots and getting better all the time. I think we didn’t get him enough games, plain and simple.” Djoos has missed the past six games with a suspected concussion, but Trotz said Thursday morning that he has been cleared to play and will be in the lineup against the Kings. Fellow rookie Bowey is also in, meaning veteran Taylor Chorney will be the healthy scratch. Before Djoos was injured at Nashville earlier this month, he was playing 14:42 per game and had two goals with one assist. Connolly will be a healthy scratch for a second straight game as Graovac is expected to play third-line left wing beside center Lars Eller. “He’s a big body, and I thought he was skating better,” Trotz said of Graovac. “He was getting involved. I think for him, it was as much how much he’s played well as it is that I need to give him a couple games to get established with our group. I know he’s got another level; I talked to him yesterday about what I’m looking for, trying to give him a vision for what I think will be best for his game.” Home sweet home Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the Capitals are 7-1-0 at Capital One Arena in November and are one home win shy of posting the second-most home wins in a calendar month in team history. Washington is also one home win away from tying the record for home wins in November in team history (eight). The Capitals’ seven home wins in November are the most in the NHL.

Washington Post LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086060 Washington Capitals Los Angeles responded before the first period expired; Gaborik got behind the Capitals’ defensemen with his speed, and while Holtby stopped Gaborik’s first shot, the rebound went off Washington forward Gone in nine seconds: Kings’ burst leaves Caps at a loss Tyler Graovac and over Holtby’s shoulder before trickling into the net. Then less than two minutes into the second period, Kuznetsov scored again. First, he set up Jakub Vrana for a point-blank chance that was By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 30 at 10:03 PM saved by Quick. Fifteen seconds later, on the same shift, Kuznetsov carried the puck into the offensive zone, pumped the brakes in the right faceoff circle, waited as three bodies surrounded Quick and his sightlines and then shot the puck past him for a 2-1 lead. Braden Holtby looked up at the video board as he does after every goal he allows. But this one caused a shake of the head. Nine seconds later, The game would unravel less than nine minutes later. Holtby was again looking up at the board, goal light lit behind him, and there went the Capitals’ night. “I don’t think it’s a bad game for us,” Kuznetsov said. “It’s a bad result, yeah, but we can learn a lot, and we can take a lot of those moments we Washington’s three-game winning streak was snapped Thursday night in have. We used a lot of [defensemen] shots, and we have some the 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, a competitive game that turned on opportunities. We just have to score. That’s about it. They scored, and one sequence and two mistakes. we did not. We will be better for sure.” “It’s a game of mistakes,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “They capitalized on one more than we did, and we’re sitting here with a loss.” Washington Post LOADED: 12.01.2017 Perhaps it’s too soon to tell whether the Capitals (14-11-1) have turned the corner on their rocky season after a good month and an even better last week, but even in defeat the team seems to have stabilized some of its inconsistency. Washington often has followed good showings with poor ones, baffling fans and themselves with how the same team could look so different from one game to the next. On Thursday night, the Capitals played fairly well for much of the game but were ultimately doomed by a few key miscues against one of the top teams in the Western Conference. “They’re such a good team,” Kings defenseman Drew Doughty said of the Capitals. “They’re a really good team. They’re so hard to play against. I’ve never been so tired in my whole entire life. I felt like I spent the entire game in my own zone playing against that [Alex] Ovechkin line. But it was a great battle.” [Nathan Walker’s feel-good story as first Australian in NHL takes a turn, waived by Capitals] After Washington took a 2-1 lead early into the second period, the Kings flipped the game on its head. Holtby attempted to pass a puck up the boards, but it went instead to the Kings’ Kurtis MacDermid. His shot was tipped by Jonny Brodzinski for the game-tying goal. “It was just a miscommunication kind of thing,” Holtby said. “A team like that, they take away your defensive options, so you kind of try and wait to get to that when you’re on the wall. I don’t know if I just misread if our winger was playing center or we didn’t have a winger back or whatever. It was just one of those plays we can look at. It wasn’t a flubbed pass or anything — I put it where I wanted to put it — just a little crossed up and caught me on a deflection coming back.” On the next shift, the Kings got the puck off the faceoff, and with rookie Madison Bowey caught out of position, Trevor Lewis sprung Jussi Jokinen for a partial breakaway on Holtby. Jokinen slid the puck through Holtby’s legs for his first goal of the season and a 3-2 lead just nine seconds after Brodzinski tied it. “The read wasn’t the correct one at the right time of the game,” Bowey said. “That happens, but obviously that stuff, I’ve got to get that out of my game, and it definitely did end up costing us the game here, the two points. So that’s something that I have to put behind me, and tomorrow’s a new day.” The Capitals put 10 shots on goaltender Jonathan Quick in the third period and even had a power play, but they weren’t able to generate an equalizer. Quick made 27 saves, the best player on a night the Kings got two goals from their fourth line. Marian Gaborik and Tyler Toffoli added empty-net goals in the last minute. The Capitals’ season got a jolt last week when they reeled off three straight wins against quality opponents, including a back-to-back set against the league-best Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. But with four days off before this game, there were concerns about maintaining that momentum. This was the opener of a five-game stretch at Capital One Arena, and four of those games are against some of the league’s stingiest teams. The Kings were ranked second in the NHL with a 2.28 goals against average , but it took the Capitals less than five minutes to open up the scoring thanks to the Evgeny Kuznetsov show. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov picked off a pass in the neutral zone, passing it over to Kuznetsov, who got a mini-breakaway through the middle of the ice. He beat Quick 4:04 into the game for a 1-0 lead. 1086061 Washington Capitals

Capitals place Nathan Walker on waivers

By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Thursday, November 30, 2017

The Washington Capitals placed forward Nathan Walker on waivers, in hopes to assign him to Hershey. Walker, 23, was the first Australian-born player to appear in the NHL, making his debut Oct. 7 against the Montreal Canadiens. But the forward failed to get significant ice time going forward, appearing in just six other games. In November, Walker played just three games. The move was made Thursday in order to get Walker more playing time. “We looked at it with people getting healthy and that Nate wasn’t getting in the lineup,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said. “They’re not doing him any favors. You can only build your game on the ice, so he’s going to see if he clears waivers. He’s gotta play. He’s a good young man, but he’s still got to build his game.” The Capitals hope Walker clears waivers, but teams have 24 hours to place a claim. If he clears, Walker will join the Hershey Bears, the Capitals’ American Hockey League affiliate. Walker has scored one goal this season. The Capitals also loaned defenseman Aaron Ness to Hershey and activated Christian Djoos (upper body) off injured reserve.

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Kings strike quickly in 5-2 victory over Capitals

By Matthew Paras - The Washington Times - Thursday, November 30, 2017

Nine seconds. Nine seconds was all the time it took for the Los Angeles Kings to spoil the Capitals’ opening of a five-game homestand Thursday, all the time needed to score two goals on back-to-back shifts in a 5-2 win at Capital One Arena. The goals were sudden and surprising. In the second period, Kings forward Jonny Brodzinski scored off shortly after the Capitals committed a turnover in their own defensive zone. Goaltender Braden Holtby overshot a pass to Dmitry Orlov and MacDermid fired from the top of the key to tie the game at 2. On the next face-off, the Kings recovered and found forward Jussi Jokinen in space — who beat Holtby on a backhand move. Before the game, Capitals coach Barry Trotz praised the Kings for being one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, saying they had to bring their A-game “for sure.” Overall, the consistency wasn’t there as the Kings forced bad turnovers. When Trotz mixed up his lines last week, his goal was to get more production out of his top six forwards. The move reunited Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin, but also provided a spark for Evgeny Kuznetsov. Alongside T.J. Oshie and Jakub Vrana, Kuznetsov’s been able to find enough space to be the playmaker the Capitals envisioned when they signed him to an eight-year, $62.4 million contract extension in the offseason. Kuznetsov scored both of the Capitals’ goals, first putting Washington on the board after converting on a breakaway with an excellent pass from Orlov. The Capitals took a lead just four minutes into the game. But it didn’t last for long. Holtby lost track of the puck and Kings forward Marian Gaborik was there for a goal off the rebound, which also seemed to deflect off Capitals forward Tyler Graovac. Kuznetsov, though, answered for the Capitals again. Shortly into the second period, Kuznetsov raced down the ice and delivered a perfect pass to linemate Jakub Vrana in front of the net. Vrana, though, couldn’t place it and the puck went back in transition. After another Kings turnover, Kuznetsov soon faced the same scenario again. But the 25-year-old forward reversed course — this time keeping the puck and firing one past Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick for his eighth goal of the season. In the third period, Washington failed to convert on a power play. They sent an extra attacker with under 1:30 to go, but the extra man didn’t help. The Kings added a fourth goal with 42.1 seconds left on an Gaborik empty netter. The Kings scored another empty netter with three seconds remaining.

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National Christmas Tree Ceremony could affect your trip to Thursday's Caps game

By J.J. Regan November 30, 2017 10:26 AM

If you are planning on driving to the Capitals-Kings game on Thursday, you may want to leave early. The National Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony will also take place on Thursday. For the event, the Metropolitan Police Department will close several streets in the city. Plan for extra time if you plan to drive to the game. Otherwise, you may spend your night looking at the National Christmas Tree instead of watching the hockey game.

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Nathan Walker waived by Caps, appears to be Hershey bound

By Tarik El-Bashir November 30, 2017 11:22 AM

Seven weeks after making hockey history, Nathan Walker was waived by the Caps on Thursday with the intention of sending him to Hershey. If the 23-year-old winger clears waivers, he’ll rejoin the Bears, the AHL team for whom he played the past four seasons. Walker made Washington’s opening night roster and then, after sitting out the season opener, became the first Australian to suit up in an NHL game when he made his debut against Montreal on Oct. 7. He even scored in that game, thanks to a Devante Smith-Pelly shot deflecting in off of him. Walker, however, was unable to become a mainstay in Coach Barry Trotz’s lineup. He appeared in just seven of the Caps’ 25 games and played in back-to-back contests only once. Over the past nine games, in fact, Walker suited up just once. And, as Trotz said, there’s only one way to get better. “You can only build your game on the ice, so [we're] going to see if he clears waivers,” Trotz said after the morning skate. “He's gotta play. He's a good young man, but he's still got to build his game.” Teams have until noon on Friday to put a claim in on Walker, who had a goal, no assists and four shots on net.

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Tarik's 3 Stars: Kings, Quick crown Caps

By Tarik El-Bashir November 30, 2017 9:57 PM

The Caps, fresh after four days off, got the strong start they were seeking thanks to a goal from Evgeny Kuznetsov just 4:04 into Thursday’s game. But Kuzy and Co. failed to close the deal. The Kings’ fourth line struck twice in the span of nine seconds midway through the second period, and Jonathan Quick took it from there, locking down a 5-2 victory for the visitors. The defeat halted the Caps’ winning streak at three games and spoiled the start of a season-long five game homestand for Washington. Tarik’s three stars of the night: 1-Jonathan Quick, Kings The veteran Los Angeles netminder was the difference in this game, outdueling Braden Holtby, whose giveaway led to the Kings’ second goal. Quick made a highlight reel pad stop on Jakub Vrana in the first period, but he saved his best for the final frame. With about eight minutes remaining and the Kings clinging to a 3-2 lead, Quick, already down in the splits, dived back to thwart Christian Djoos with his arm. 2-Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals Kuzy registered his second two-goal game of the season, tallying in the first and second periods. On his first goal, he controlled a pass from Dmitry Orlov and put a nice move on Quick. On the second, No. 92 made a crafty play. He raced into the zone with speed, slammed on the brakes at the top of the circle, waited for traffic to develop in front of Quick and sniped the puck past the netminder’s blocker. Kuznetsov now has eight goals in 26 games. He didn’t get his eighth goal until Jan. 26th last season. 3-Dmitry Orlov, Capitals Orlov set up Kuznetsov’s first goal by picking off an errant pass in the neutral zone and then making a decisive, accurate pass to Kuzy on the fly. The assist was Orlov’s 100th of his career. No. 9 now has helpers in three of the last four games. He also skated 24:21.

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Tarik's 3 Stars: Kings, Quick crown Caps

By Tarik El-Bashir November 30, 2017 9:57 PM

The Caps, fresh after four days off, got the strong start they were seeking thanks to a goal from Evgeny Kuznetsov just 4:04 into Thursday’s game. But Kuzy and Co. failed to close the deal. The Kings’ fourth line struck twice in the span of nine seconds midway through the second period, and Jonathan Quick took it from there, locking down a 5-2 victory for the visitors. The defeat halted the Caps’ winning streak at three games and spoiled the start of a season-long five game homestand for Washington. Tarik’s three stars of the night: 1-Jonathan Quick, Kings The veteran Los Angeles netminder was the difference in this game, outdueling Braden Holtby, whose giveaway led to the Kings’ second goal. Quick made a highlight reel pad stop on Jakub Vrana in the first period, but he saved his best for the final frame. With about eight minutes remaining and the Kings clinging to a 3-2 lead, Quick, already down in the splits, dived back to thwart Christian Djoos with his arm. 2-Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals Kuzy registered his second two-goal game of the season, tallying in the first and second periods. On his first goal, he controlled a pass from Dmitry Orlov and put a nice move on Quick. On the second, No. 92 made a crafty play. He raced into the zone with speed, slammed on the brakes at the top of the circle, waited for traffic to develop in front of Quick and sniped the puck past the netminder’s blocker. Kuznetsov now has eight goals in 26 games. He didn’t get his eighth goal until Jan. 26th last season. 3-Dmitry Orlov, Capitals Orlov set up Kuznetsov’s first goal by picking off an errant pass in the neutral zone and then making a decisive, accurate pass to Kuzy on the fly. The assist was Orlov’s 100th of his career. No. 9 now has helpers in three of the last four games. He also skated 24:21.

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3 reasons why the Caps lost to the Kings

By J.J. Regan November 30, 2017 10:35 PM

The Caps saw their three-game win streak snapped on Thursday in a 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. It was a game in which Washington led 1- 0 and 2-1, but they were unable to close out the Kings. Here's why. 9 seconds in the second period In a span of just a few seconds, the Caps went from leading 2-1 to down 3-2. In the second period, Braden Holtby retrieved the puck behind the net, but did not clear it and instead hit it off the wall to the blue line where Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid was able to pounce on it. MacDermid shot the puck quickly and it deflected off of Johnny Brodzinski and through the five-hole of Holtby. After the ensuing faceoff, Jussi Jokinen managed to sneak his way behind Madison Bowey who was caught out of position. A pass from Trevor Lewis sprung Jokinen who beat Holtby through the five-hole again. Two goals from the Kings and it came in a span of just nine seconds. That is tough swing for anyone to overcome. As mentioned above, Jokinen was able to sneak behind Bowey for the Kings' third goal of the game, but that was not the first time the Caps defense lost track of someone. In the first period, the Caps had possession of the puck in the offensive zone, but when it looked like the Kings may gain the puck on a battle along the boards, Marion Gaborik did not hesitate. He was up near the blue line and decided to gamble as he made his way up ice and behind Brooks Orpik who looked like he had no idea Gaborik was behind him. Gaborik took the pass, again from Lewis, and was off to the races. Holtby made the initial save, but the rebound bounced off of Tyler Graovac and over the shoulder of Holtby. Of Los Angeles' three goals, two of them were the result of a forward getting in behind the defense. Quick is one of those goalies who sparks a lot of debate. Some people think he's the best goalie in the NHL. Others think he is too inconsistent and makes simple saves look harder than they need to be. Wherever you stand on him, he was certainly on his game Thursday. Quick made 27 saves including a handful of brilliant stops that ultimately kept the Kings ahead. One moment in particular stood out in the third period when he made a diving stop on Christian Djoos to prevent the late, game-tying goal.

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TONIGHT: Golden Knights at Jets, 7 p.m. TV: TSN3; Radio: TSN 1290

By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 12/1/2017 3:00 AM | Comments: 0

ABOUT THE KNIGHTS — C William Karlsson, acquired via the NHL Expansion Draft from the Columbus Blue Jackets, has been a real find for the Golden Knights. He led the club in scoring with 13 goals and 22 points in 23 games heading into Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild at the Xcel Energy Center. Karlsson centres the club’s top line, which also includes Reilly Smith and Jonathan Marchessault. Marchessault was second with 21 points while Smith, David Perron and James Neal were tied with 19 points apiece. Neal, a former Nashville Predators, had 12 goals. — Winnipeggers Cody Eakin and Brendan Leipsic have been playing on the third forward unit with Oscar Lindberg. Eakin had three goals and 10 points in 23 games while Leipsic had seven assists in 15 outings. — Vegas has a large contingent on injured reserve, including G Marc- Andre Fleury (concussion), G Oscar Dansk (lower body), RW David Perron (upper body), D Clayton Stoner (undisclosed). C Will Carrier (upper body) is considered day-to-day. — The Knights were shut out for the first time Tuesday, blanked 3-0 on home ice by the Dallas Stars.

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.01.2017 1086069 Winnipeg Jets These comments go on and on and are probably from the same fans who said "Let him rot" last year when he didn’t sign a contract in the pre- season. Thoughts of parade not scoffed at That’s a tough crowd, but their "evidence" is lacking in substance. To suggest he’d lessen his trade value (if that’s what he wanted) by not By: Scott Campbell trying or caring would be counter-intuitive to his goals. Posted: 11/30/2017 9:52 PM | Comments: 0 I don’t know what’s in Trouba’s head, but that doesn’t make sense. 8. The Jets are running out one of the league’s best power-play units, which matches expectations with this talented group. John Woods / The Canadian Press Files

Winnipeg Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba is being criticized by some Jets fans who only Switching up designs on bringing the puck up the ice has helped them seem interested in calling out every little detail they don’t like about his gain easier access to the opposition zone — and they’ve been able to game.

find the right seams once they get there. John Woods / The Canadian Press Files Having multiple triggermen doesn’t hurt. Winnipeg Jets defenceman Jacob Trouba is being criticized by some However, I wonder if more teams will try pressuring them, such as in San Jets fans who only seem interested in calling out every little detail they Jose during Saturday’s 4-0 loss to the Sharks or against Colorado. don’t like about his game. The Sharks pushed the Jets to spots where it was easy to apply pressure As the Winnipeg Jets soar near the top of the National Hockey League — and obviously succeeded, scoring a short-handed goal to top it off. standings, I thought I’d throw out some thoughts that come to mind If I was facing the Jets, I’d go after them and force them to make a regarding the team and league: sequence of passes under pressure, rather than stand around waiting 1. I figure it’ll be Christmas before I’ll know whether the Jets are a just a until they find the holes they need. playoff team — or a team that can do some serious damage come 9. The Jets, meanwhile, are one of those passive penalty-killing teams. playoff time. I’ve said it a few times here — allowing the opposition to blast away while However, I can’t help but look back and fondly remember what it was like keeping the initial shots out of the highest-danger areas is a dangerous to hoist the Avco Cup in 1979 with the Jets. A game in its own right. similar parade through Portage and Main is not being scoffed at My problem with it is they’re depending on always getting the right anymore, due to the Jets’ current performance and their legitimate hopes bounce on the rebound and ensuring there’s no effective deflection while for the future. throwing themselves in front of shots. 2. What followed that parade was the Jets 1.0’s entry into the NHL, which They had a stretch of good bounces. But lately, not so much — leaving happened that summer as their greedy owners stripped the Jets of many them sitting 23rd in the NHL after Wednesday’s games. key players from that championship team. Maybe head coach Paul Maurice is going to unshackle them a bit as they I remember a poll of NHL scouts that rated that WHA club very highly as move forward. far as where they’d finish in the league if the team had been kept together. The way the Jets have handled adversity this year has been impressive and the hills and valleys in a season are expected. 3. That WHA-NHL agreement was called a merger, but when I look at what the Vegas Golden Knights had to choose from in their expansion Thankfully, folding their tent and crumbling before us appears to be a draft it shows how far the NHL has come. Paying half a billion dollars for thing of the past. a franchise deserves a decent club, and they got that. Chosen ninth overall by the NHL’s St. Louis Blues and first overall by the I’m still a bit skeptical as to how long they can sustain their current WHA’s Houston Aeros in 1977, Scott Campbell has now been drafted by success, but so far it’s one heck of a story. the Winnipeg Free Press to play a new style of game. 4. Social media has its characters, and the Golden Knights have a brash, edgy Twitter account that entertains yet can push some people the wrong way. That’s pretty much the staple of enterprising accounts and while not Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.01.2017 the norm, I kind of enjoy it most days. 5. The Jets had some problems dealing with another quick-skating team in Wednesday’s 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche. This isn’t new — it’s happened a few times this year. While the Jets have a few players who can get to top speed in a couple of steps, there are plenty who need more time to get rolling. I often hear "the Jets are off a bit" when encountering this style of club — sometimes the opponent is just quicker overall. The Jets had some good spurts through the game, but were definitely a bit behind getting to pucks and position far too often. 6. Jets defenceman Ben Chiarot pasted Jets nemesis Corey Perry of the Anaheim Ducks with a butt-end to the chin last Friday. This resulted in a Go Fund Me campaign launched by Jets fan, and Twitter favourite, Kyle Klatt. This was intended to "supposedly" pay Chiarot’s fine from the NHL (US$3,763.44) for his stick work. What it meant was that the money would go to Winnipeg’s Christmas Cheer Fund in Chiarot’s name. The initial concept was fuelled by Jets fans’ hatred of Perry, but developed into a terrific fundraiser to help children in need. At last count, the fund was above $4,400. 7. There are some fans who seem to look for any little thing Jacob Trouba does wrong and then immediately go after him for it. "Trouba doesn’t want to play here, you can see it by his body language." "Trouba doesn’t want it, he obviously wants out." "He didn’t celebrate enough on that goal, he doesn’t care." 1086070 Winnipeg Jets "It doesn't feel good right now," he said. "It's a game where I thought we probably had the two points but found a way to get one, so that's big. We can use this game to learn a lesson, I guess." Look how much you've grown! Jets a lot different now, first coach Noel Winning is the prime objective but the Jets have developed a knack for says collecting points even when they don't play a perfect game. "We like the way we've started, for sure," said defenceman Josh By: Mike Sawatzky Morrissey. "I think at this point in the year we still have a long ways to go. I know where we want to get to, and the goals we have as a group. We Posted: 11/30/2017 1:52 PM | Comments: 3 have to be continually getting better every day. "Obviously, you want the two points but you found a way to grind a greasy road game into a chance to win." DENVER — He was their coach for their first 2 1/2 seasons in Winnipeg, but Claude Noel says the Jets are almost unrecognizable to him now. Left-winger Nikolaj Ehlers insisted the Avs are a much better team than they are given credit for. "I enjoy watching them play because I know some of the players there, but it's funny, I was looking at the roster to see how many guys were "It's never easy playing down here," he said. "They're a tough team to there when I was there and there's only (seven) left from 2014," said play against. They're skilled (and) they're fast but I think we played a Noel, who currently serves as a pro scout for the New Jersey Devils. good game. We played hard, we got pucks deep. We tried to work them "There are (other) people that were in the organization, but weren't with down low and got some good chances out of it. Offensively, we did what the big club." we could to win this game." During Noel's ill-fated final campaign with the Jets, a 19-year-old Jacob The Jets had the day off Thursday before they host the Vegas Golden Trouba was breaking into the NHL while a 20-year-old Mark Scheifele Knights Friday and the Ottawa Senators Sunday. was also earning his first real playing time in the bigs. A lot has changed since. Did Noel have any clue the Jets would be taking some bold steps toward Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.01.2017 becoming an elite team in 2017-18? "You wouldn't be able to see that far because you don't know about the drafts and the young players," he said. "If I was with them all seven years, I could see the progression, but (the team) in my time spent there and the team now is two different teams. I think they've done a wonderful job drafting and being specific about what they're looking for. They've got smart players and a smart team. They've done a good job there." "I think they've done a wonderful job drafting and being specific about what they're looking for. They've got smart players and a smart team." -Claude Noel Noel, who is based in Phoenix and regularly scouts 19 teams in the NHL and AHL for the Devils, is constantly reminded that players are not close to being the finished product when they are first drafted. "What I find really interesting is the maturation," he said. "Like, when I watch Scheifele play, he plays like a man now. He was young when I was there. We sent him back to junior twice and he came in the third year, the year I got let go. So he was just trying to get his feet wet, he wasn't as strong. Now he's a really good player." Captain Blake Wheeler, meanwhile, might be Noel's favourite test case. "When he came to us — he was in Atlanta for half a season — he came to us and he was a real good impact player but you've got to give him a lot of credit, he's really changed his game," Noel said. "I'm sure if you asked him, he's been given a lot more responsibility. He had a lot of responsibility when I was there as well, because he was one of our better players. "Where he's done really well is you can see his leadership and I can see some of the effects he has on other players. He now plays like a real power forward but he also has a lot of speed and a lot of skill and you seldom see him take nights off. He's a consistent player and what I see the most in him is I see him driving the team." Wednesday's 3-2 overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche improved Winnipeg's record to 15-6-4, good for second place in the NHL's Western Conference, one point behind the St. Louis Blues, their Central Division rivals. Providing both teams continue with their current pace, a home-and-home series between the Blues and Jets on Dec. 16 and 17 should be an epic battle. "Right now, you can't pay too much attention to the standings because they're gonna change and hopefully, we can keep winning." -Bryan Little "I think we've gotta circle (those dates) on our calendar, playing those guys," said Winnipeg centre Bryan Little. "But right now, you can't pay too much attention to the standings because they're gonna change and hopefully, we can keep winning." Little, who scored the go-ahead goal against the Avs four minutes into the third period, wasn't happy about the blown lead. 1086071 Winnipeg Jets found a way to grind a greasy road game into a chance to win. We’ve just got to keep going here.”

With 15 games in the next 31 days, the Jets realize they can’t afford Point totals rising for Jets: November brought more good than bad many letdowns if they want to remain near the top of the standings. “We’re all happy with the start we’re having. The biggest thing is not Ken Wiebe getting complacent and not being satisfied with what we’ve done because there’s a lot of hockey left,” said Jets centre Bryan Little. “A lot November 30, 2017 2:16 PM CST of things can happen. Stuff happens, injuries, anything can happen. We know that every game is important right now. I’m sure we’re going to put this one behind us pretty quick and move on to the next one, which is what we’ve been doing all year.” If there’s one thing the Winnipeg Jets have proven during the first two months of the NHL season, it’s that it’s not always going to look pretty. To call it an outright benching would be a bit of an exaggeration. And that’s probably a good thing. But it didn’t go unnoticed that when Winnipeg Jets head coach Paul Maurice shortened his bench during the third period of Wednesday’s 3-2 Sure, there are going to be nights when the offence is clicking on all overtime loss to the Colorado Avalanche, Patrik Laine skipped a few cylinders and the Jets produce five goals in a period against the shifts out of his normal rotation as he was replaced by Mathieu Perreault Pittsburgh Penguins. on the second line with Bryan Little and Nikolaj Ehlers. Or after falling behind, they might just find a way to score seven Perreault, who has five goals and seven points in eight games since unanswered goals against the Minnesota Wild. returning from a 12-game absence, had more jump than Laine did on this But there are also nights like Wednesday in Denver, when creating night and Maurice didn’t hesitate to make the move. offence just didn’t come easily for the Jets and grinding it out is going to Having said that, he wasn’t really in the mood to give an expansive be required. answer on what went into the decision following Wednesday’s game. Instead of letting their frustration get the better of them, the Jets found a “We were going to go to three (lines) and I didn’t want to leave way to get the go-ahead goal but were unable to hold the lead, ultimately (Perreault) on the bench,” said Maurice. falling 3-2 in overtime in a strange ending that saw Avalanche centre Nathan MacKinnon score not once, but twice during the extra period Laine was limited to only one shot on goal and four shot attempts and (though the first one was wiped out by an offside call). finished the game with 17 shifts (seven in the first period, five in the second period and five in the third) for 13:37 of ice time, including 3:31 Depending on your point of view, the Jets were either incredibly lucky to on the power play. leave the Pepsi Center with a single point — or a bit unfortunate for not hanging onto the lead for the final eight minutes and change. It was the second lowest time on ice for Laine, who played only 13:20 against the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 31. The reality is that the Jets probably got what they deserved. The second-year winger has 11 goals and 17 points in 25 games this Though the effort wasn’t lacking, the Jets looked like a team that was season. running on fumes. The Jets flew home from Denver on Thursday and open a two-game The mind was willing, but the legs simply weren’t there. homestand against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday at Bell MTS Passes weren’t as crisp as normal and during the few times the Jets Place. were able to sustain any offensive pressure, the finish wasn’t there.

Defensively, at least at even strength, the Jets were pretty solid – limiting Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.01.2017 the Avalanche to 23 shots on goal overall, with not an abundance of high-danger scoring chances allowed. But the penalty kill surrendered a pair of goals in five opportunities, though one of those was MacKinnon’s shot that caromed in off the pants of Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey. Special teams were a definite factor in Wednesday’s result, since the Jets went zero-for-four with the man-advantage and weren’t in synch for most of those situations. The Jets power play has been a weapon for them and a team is not going to score each and every game, but this was one of those nights when they needed one of the units to get something going to give them a boost and that simply didn’t happen. As the Jets get set to welcome the Vegas Golden Knights to town on Friday, you can be sure many of the players will be looking to atone from a poor showing in Sin City on Nov. 10. You can bet Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s had this game circled on his calendar, as that was the only time this season he’s been pulled from a start. Hellebuyck gave up five goals on 23 shots on goal that night and he’s going to be feeling a little extra motivation on Friday after allowing the tying goal to Nikita Zadorov that he felt he should have stopped. Hellebuyck has given up two or fewer goals in 13 of 18 starts this season and he’s shown a lot of maturity in bouncing back from what he’s deemed as subpar showings. By going 15-6-4 through the first two months of the NHL season, the Jets have put themselves in prime position, but the journey is still in its infancy. “At this point in the year, we still have a long ways to go for where we want to get to and the goals we have as a group,” said Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey. “We need to continue to be getting better every day and some of that is in a game like (Wednesday’s), where it’s not looking that pretty. Obviously, you want the two points but at the same time, you 1086072 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks Game Day: Hoping to finish on a Music City high note

Patrick Johnston Patrick Johnston More from Patrick Johnston November 30, 2017 10:26 AM PST

One more game on the Canucks’ latest big eastern road swing and it’s in Nashville (5 p.m. PT, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet 650). Here are some points to ponder ahead of tonight’s tilt.. Rinne’s hot. Markstrom is not. Canucks’ Coach Travis Green sure sounded like he was going back to Markstrom on Wednesday, following Tuesday’s 5-2 shellacking of netminder Anders Nilsson by the Islanders. If the Canucks are going to pursue playoff dreams, they need goaltending of the sort Rinne’s been giving Nashville. It’s been a long time away. Yes, these guys are professionals, but after three consecutive losses, can the Canucks find the right focus and battle their way to a point, like they did in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia last week? Remember those wins? They seem an age ago, even if they were on this road trip. Four. The Canucks now have four goals from defencemen. It may feel like a tired talking point, but on a team desperate for goals, they need scoring from wherever it can be found. There are guys on the Canucks’ blue-line who you’d think can score. The Canucks are now letting their defencemen get further up the ice. The goals have to come, surely. Goldy or JV18? Jake Virtanen got more ice time than usual Tuesday but seemed to do far less. There were poor decisions with the puck and shots wired from too far out. Will Travis Green stick with him — or go with Nikolay Goldobin, who’s watched the action from the press box since being called up on the weekend? Nashville has eight wins in the last 10 games. They’re playing well enough offensively, but it’s Pekka Rinne who’s been the story. After the offence led the way for the first half of this recent run, the story has flipped to him: he’s posted a .946 save percentage over his last five games. If you’re into ice time, don’t be No. 5 or 6 on the Nashville blue-line as you never play. The Preds ride the trio of Josi/Subban/Ekholm to the tune of almost 25 minutes a night each, throw another 20 minutes to Alexei Emelin and then leave the leftovers for their other defencemen.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086073 Vancouver Canucks returned from an arduous rehab, his stride returned and his effectiveness on a shutdown line with Brandon Sutter was amazing.

But when the pain came back, the future suddenly didn’t look as bright. Canucks winger Derek Dorsett’s hockey career over after injury setback Dr. Bill Regan could only confirm was his colleague had determined. Dorsett was done. Ben Kuzma “His pre-existing conditions, combined with the recent surgery and the risks associated with continuing to play led to a recommendation that November 30, 2017 2:37 PM PST Derek seriously consider not playing again,” said Dr. Regan.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 That’s the emotional rollercoaster that Derek Dorsett was riding when he examined by Dr. Robert Watkins on Monday in Los Angeles. The same surgeon who performed a cervical procedure on the Vancouver Canucks winger on Dec. 5, gave him the bad news after the 30-year-old veteran had recently complained of neck and back stiffness. “The latest evaluation of Derek’s neck revealed that he’s sustained a cervical disc herniation adjacent and separate to his previous fusion,” said Dr. Watkins. “Given his current condition and the long-term, significant health risks, I advised Derek not to return to play.” It hit Dorsett like a punch to the face. “I’m devastated by the news,” said Dorsett. “It will take a long time for this to truly sink in. As hard as it was to hear, Dr. Watkins’ diagnosis is definitive. There is no grey area, and it gives me clarity to move forward. “I have a healthy young family and a long life of opportunities ahead of me. Hockey taught me a lot and it will help me be successful in whatever I choose to do in the future. “I still have so many thoughts to share and people to thank for all of their support,” continued Dorsett. “What I can say for certain right now is that I left it all out on the ice. I gave my heart and soul to the teams I played for and never backed down from a challenge, including this one. I am proud of the way I played. It made me successful and a good teammate. Most of all I am truly honoured and grateful to have lived the NHL dream.” Dorsett practised for 10 minutes in Philadelphia on Nov. 20 and Canucks coach Travis Green said the winger had told him that there was no particular incident that caused discomfort. Dorsett fought twice this season — he accumulated two instigator penalties and was one shy of a two-game suspension — and also had 39 hits to go with his surprising start that included seven goals in 20 games. Dorsett was a seventh-round pick in 2009 by Columbus. The pugnacious plugger was on pace to easily eclipse a career-high 12 goals with the Blue Jackets in the 2011-12 season. He finishes his career with 127 points (51-76) and 1,314 penalty minutes in 515 regular-season games. He also appeared in 43 playoff games. “Derek overcame the odds to make the NHL and play over 500 games,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning. “He’s an example of what you can accomplish when you persevere. He is a great teammate, a terrific role model and leader for younger players. “This is truly unfortunate news for Derek, his family and our team. We will be there every step of the way to support him, his wife Ali and his family as they take the next steps in their lives.” Ed Willes and Paul Chapman talk about the retirement of Canucks enforcer Derek Dorsett in this week’s Province Sports podcast. Listen here: When Dorsett absorbed a hit from big defenceman Brayden McNabb on Oct.22, 2016 in Los Angeles, it brought a different kind of sensation. “It really snowballed when I had that hit,” recalled Dorsett. “I kind of gave him the cold shoulder and then I felt a pop. I wasn’t really sure where it was but my arm went numb. I was able to rehab it and then I had another stinger and each time it was less impact and the numbing sensation in my arm would stay longer.” Dorsett started feeling more discomfort in a Nov. 17, 2016 game in Arizona. He wasn’t even hit that hard but would last just three shifts before calling it a night and a season. “It was a push on the hips and not even that hard,” said Dorsett. “I just whiplashed back, the nerve flared and my arm went numb. That was the fourth incident within a month and that’s when we decided to do something about it.” The C5 and C6 vertebrae were fused in the December procedure, bone spurs were addressed and a building disc was removed and replaced by a plastic spacer and bone marrow from Dorsett’s hip. When Dorsett 1086074 Vancouver Canucks returned from an arduous rehab, his stride returned and his effectiveness on a shutdown line with Brandon Sutter was amazing.

But when the pain came back, the future suddenly didn’t look as bright. Kuzma: Dorsett 'devastated' by news that health risks have ended career Dr. Bill Regan could only confirm was his colleague had determined. Dorsett was done. Ben Kuzma “His pre-existing conditions, combined with the recent surgery and the risks associated with continuing to play led to a recommendation that November 30, 2017 4:38 PM PST Derek seriously consider not playing again,” said Dr. Regan.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Hoping for the best and fearing the worst. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 That’s the emotional rollercoaster that Derek Dorsett was riding when he examined by Dr. Robert Watkins on Monday in Los Angeles. The same surgeon who performed a cervical procedure on the Vancouver Canucks winger on Dec. 5, gave him the bad news after the 30-year-old veteran had recently complained of neck and back stiffness. “The latest evaluation of Derek’s neck revealed that he’s sustained a cervical disc herniation adjacent and separate to his previous fusion,” said Dr. Watkins. “Given his current condition and the long-term, significant health risks, I advised Derek not to return to play.” It hit Dorsett like a punch to the face. “I’m devastated by the news,” said Dorsett. “It will take a long time for this to truly sink in. As hard as it was to hear, Dr. Watkins’ diagnosis is definitive. There is no grey area, and it gives me clarity to move forward. “I have a healthy young family and a long life of opportunities ahead of me. Hockey taught me a lot and it will help me be successful in whatever I choose to do in the future. “I still have so many thoughts to share and people to thank for all of their support,” continued Dorsett. “What I can say for certain right now is that I left it all out on the ice. I gave my heart and soul to the teams I played for and never backed down from a challenge, including this one. I am proud of the way I played. It made me successful and a good teammate. Most of all I am truly honoured and grateful to have lived the NHL dream.” Dorsett practised for 10 minutes in Philadelphia on Nov. 20 and Canucks coach Travis Green said the winger had told him that there was no particular incident that caused discomfort. Dorsett fought twice this season — he accumulated two instigator penalties and was one shy of a two-game suspension — and also had 39 hits to go with his surprising start that included seven goals in 20 games. Dorsett was a seventh-round pick in 2009 by Columbus. The pugnacious plugger was on pace to easily eclipse a career-high 12 goals with the Blue Jackets in the 2011-12 season. He finishes his career with 127 points (51-76) and 1,314 penalty minutes in 515 regular-season games. He also appeared in 43 playoff games. “Derek overcame the odds to make the NHL and play over 500 games,” said Canucks general manager Jim Benning. “He’s an example of what you can accomplish when you persevere. He is a great teammate, a terrific role model and leader for younger players. “This is truly unfortunate news for Derek, his family and our team. We will be there every step of the way to support him, his wife Ali and his family as they take the next steps in their lives.” Ed Willes and Paul Chapman talk about the retirement of Canucks enforcer Derek Dorsett in this week’s Province Sports podcast. Listen here: When Dorsett absorbed a hit from big defenceman Brayden McNabb on Oct.22, 2016 in Los Angeles, it brought a different kind of sensation. “It really snowballed when I had that hit,” recalled Dorsett. “I kind of gave him the cold shoulder and then I felt a pop. I wasn’t really sure where it was but my arm went numb. I was able to rehab it and then I had another stinger and each time it was less impact and the numbing sensation in my arm would stay longer.” Dorsett started feeling more discomfort in a Nov. 17, 2016 game in Arizona. He wasn’t even hit that hard but would last just three shifts before calling it a night and a season. “It was a push on the hips and not even that hard,” said Dorsett. “I just whiplashed back, the nerve flared and my arm went numb. That was the fourth incident within a month and that’s when we decided to do something about it.” The C5 and C6 vertebrae were fused in the December procedure, bone spurs were addressed and a building disc was removed and replaced by a plastic spacer and bone marrow from Dorsett’s hip. When Dorsett 1086075 Vancouver Canucks “He meant the world to me. There was a lot of 1-on-1 time. We talked about everything from the game to life away from the rink. You don’t get that with every team.” Kuzma: Canucks salute heart, hard work, hilarity as 'Dorse' forced to Henrik and Daniel Sedin have always preached getting better every day. retire They had to remind rookies to embrace that mantra. They never had to worry about Dorsett. It’s why the career-ending news hit the twins hard. Ben Kuzma Canucks winger Derek Dorsett with young Carlee Vasquez at a Rogers Arena suite party for B.C. Children’s Hospital patients last season. November 30, 2017 2:51 PM PST Dorsett was recovering at the time from cervical disc herniation surgery performed last December.

Canucks winger Derek Dorsett with young Carlee Vasquez at a Rogers Arena suite party for B.C. Childrenâ™s Hospital patients last season. Dorsett was recovering at the time from cervical disc herniation surgery NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Everybody has a good Derek Dorsett story. performed last December. Malcolm Parry / PNG Files That’s why the revelation of his recent career-ending cervical disc “I found out a few days ago from him and your heart drops,” said Daniel. herniation — adjacent to and separate from the fusion procedure that the “You take a lot of things for granted that you’re going to play each and Vancouver Canucks’ winger underwent Dec. 5 — was greeted by a every night and then you hear the news. It’s tough. But family comes first range of emotions Thursday. and that’s the way he’s looking at it. After all, it took Dr. Robert Watkins to tell Dorsett what his coaches and “He brought it every night and showed what it is to be a professional in players couldn’t. this league. He was old school and you looked forward to seeing him. Taking the stick out of a player’s hands is the hardest thing to do and Always had a smile on his face and also had a good story.” prying it away from the pitbull winger was going to require a resolute Added Henrik: “It’s been a tough couple of days. He was a great medical message. After a Monday examination in Los Angeles from the example. Never the most talented player, but he fought for everything he same surgeon who performed the original operation, he got it. got and made it ahead of guys more talented than him. That was Dorse.” Dorsett was told his playing days are over, but his life isn’t. Travis Green was hopeful after Dorsett left a Nov. 20 practice in He could stay in the game if he chooses because who wouldn’t want him Philadelphia after 10 minutes. He sought a medical opinion on recurring as a coach. His dad owns a construction company in Calgary and Dorsett neck and back stiffness the previous week to 10 days, but reality of the is intrigued by real estate. He and his wife, Allison, have two young boys damage showed how he was willing to play through anything to benefit in Dylan, who turns three next month, and Ethan, who is nearly 18 the team. months old. “He has played hockey his whole life and when your career is cut short, It’s why voices cracked and then laughter erupted as current and former it’s a big thing,” said the Canucks’ coach. “But I’m not shocked. With that teammates saluted the 30-year-old. type of injury, we knew there was a chance this might happen. We spoke today and those aren’t easy conversations. As good as the seventh-round pick of 2009 was in a demanding and physically challenging role as an undersized deterrent and willing pugilist, “We also talked to the team. It’s important that they take a moment and he was also a mentor, jokester and voice of reason. think of Dorse. He was a courageous player and represented a lot about what we talked about as an organization.” No cliches. Just a few well-timed F-bombs.

Ed Willes and Paul Chapman talk about the retirement of Canucks enforcer Derek Dorsett in this week’s Province Sports podcast. Listen Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 here: His guiding hand is why Bo Horvat, Troy Stecher, Ben Hutton and Jake Virtanen got a quick read on what it takes to play and stay in the National Hockey League. Dorsett’s determination to foster an all-inclusive environment resonated with fresh-faced rookies. They knew the Kindersley, Sask., native by reputation but came to know the player and the person. And with it came some shock value because you never knew what he would do. Ryan Johansen was a rookie with the Columbus Blue Jackets and aligned with Dorsett in the 2011-12 season. He saw how Dorsett, who had a career-high 12 goals that season, was at his agitating best. “It was the leadership and professionalism,” recalled the Predators’ centre. “I can’t say enough good things about him and this is devastating news. It’s tough to digest, but he’s got a beautiful family.” It didn’t take long for Johansen to break into a grin when he recalled how Dorsett would change momentum or settle a score. “In my first year, he and (Zac) Rinaldo in Philly were going for the most penalty minutes and we were out of the playoffs,” said Johansen. “He comes up to me with about five minutes left in the game and says: ‘I need 10 penalty minutes right here to get No. 1 in the league, so I want you to go in front of the net and start a scrum because I’m coming in hot,’ ” chuckled Johansen. Dorsett would finish with 235 minutes, three more than Rinaldo. Mission accomplished. “He was such a competitor,” summed up Johansen. “Fun to play with and not fun to play against.” Hutton knew that when the Canucks weren’t playing well Dorsett would stand up and say something in the room. And the message was always direct and directed at everyone. “He always had my back,” said Hutton. “There were a couple of times where I really got smoked and the next shift he’d be out there fighting their guy or running guys and telling them to back off. 1086076 Vancouver Canucks Riding with a new linemate in Goldobin, Brock, Bo, and Goldy still looked pretty good through two periods.

Although penalties impacted their ice time, when they did ride together, The Provies: Daniel Sedin joins 'The Club,' Boesermania runs wild on Goldobin held his own. you, and Vanek is the Dean Malenko of the NHL With the Preds up 1-0 in the second, Boeser decided to give Elliotte Friedman a preview of what to look forward to with a goal: Wyatt Arndt When is the last time we’ve seen a Canucks rookie drag the puck November 30, 2017 10:42 PM PST through the slot like that and pop a goal in like that? I mean, aside from Boeser last week. The news of Derek Dorsett having to retire from the NHL due to injury Then the third period arrived. was the big story this morning. Brock Time as we call it now. It hit his teammates hard, and Dorsett harder, as they tried to come to Friedman might want to watch this period specifically. terms with one of their brothers having to leave a hockey career early, not on his own terms. Boeser tries to feed Danny for his 1,000th point early on, but he just misses. Upon hearing news like that, it’s not hard to imagine that the Canucks were fired up for the game against the Predators. Boeser, though, is undeterred. Not only did they want to show they were a better team than the one that If there is one thing we know about The Flow, it’s that not much slows showed up against the Islanders, but also to win one for Derek Dorsett. him down, except maybe hats. A sentimental gesture to leave everything out on the ice for their fallen So it was no surprise when he sets up Danny later, and this time Dank comrade, just the way he would have played it. gets the goal: And man alive, if you wanted to watch a game based after Dorsett’s The best part about this goal is how much respect the Predators are career, this would have been it. giving to Boeser’s shot. The Canucks looked sloppy at times. At one point it looked like the Boeser is not at the greatest angle in the world. It’s an angle even Vanek Predators were going to run away with this one. might not shoot at (OK, he would). But the Canucks, drawing on their inner Dorsett, put their mouthguards Yet he is perceived as the biggest threat on the ice by the Preds (which, in, and settled in for a fight. to be fair, he might be). They weren’t going to let this one get away. Boeser, realizing the coverage coming his way, draws in two Predators before dishing off to Danny in the slot for the goal. Anders Nilsson fought for every single save tonight. You want to watch a gritty effort in net? Keep this game on the PVR and watch Nilsson battle Just like Coach Vanek drew it up. his ass off to keep that puck out. Not done there, Boeser decided “why not get the game winner”, and… You want to see a rookie step up, yet again, to put the team on his back? Brock Boeser has you covered. This might have been the best game of One, that is every breakaway goal you’ve ever scored in EA NHL series. his career. Two, Goldobin suckering in two Predators to open up room for Boeser You want to see another rookie make the most of his season debut? was glorious. Nikolay Goldobin’s silky mitts came up huge in the third period. It’s true, Goldobin’s passing might be the best part of his game, which is You want to sit back and watch a Canucks legend get a milestone? good news for Boeser. Danny Sedin is there for you.* This showing by Boeser was against a red-hot Predators team, in the *Please note none of this was possible if you were a Shaw customer third period. Yes, it was one of the most exciting games of the season, and one of Again, it might seem like a lot of love being shown Boeser’s way right those games that you can build on if you’re a Canucks fan. now, but the guy deserves every minute of it right now. A glimpse of the past meeting the future. Just another chapter in the long list of Sedin snubs. A chance to see some light at the end of the tunnel. Something we’ve become used to on the west coast. At times it felt like the Canucks were barely holding on. Enough will be written about the glory of the Sedins and Daniel’s accomplishment in the next few days that I didn’t want to push the word There were giveaways much like the Islanders game, forcing Nilsson to count tonight ranting and raving about their status in hockey history. make big saves. Needless to say, they are once-in-a-lifetime players and all of the If it wasn’t Nilsson making the save, it was a Canuck forward or d-man celebrations the Twins earn down the stretch are incredibly well jumping on the puck like it was a live grenade. deserved. It felt like the Predators’ speed and active blueline were going to be too Just to talk a bit more about Goldobin’s game, but he looked like he much for Vancouver. belonged in the NHL. But when the third period started, it was slower than the first two periods. Sure, it was one game, but he was smart with the puck, and was very crafty at trying to feather passes through tight seams. The Canucks began finding holes in the Nashville zone. Corsi wise, the Bo, Brock and Goldy line was tops for the team. Goldy hit Soon, before you knew it, Boeser had arrived, and Nashville could do 79% Corsi at evens to lead everyone. nothing about it. Just go back to Goldy suckering in the two Predators to open up the pass At first, it looked like Nashville had shut Boeser down. for Boeser, and that alone should buy him another game. They targeted him with some hits early on, and they seemed to be fully Sven Baertschi might need to get a storage locker for his stuff in the aware that Brock is someone you need to cover. Killer B house if this keeps up. No more sneaking in through the back door of anonymity; he is fully Ten-Minute Jake had a strong start to the game, going out for his doctor- required to log in with a non guest account now in the NHL. prescribed two hits a period: Brock, though, didn’t worry. But Virtanen was also doing some questionable things in his own end, He never seems to worry about too much. like dropping the puck in his feet in the slot: Jake struggled in his own zone for a lot of the night. It wasn’t a banner Again, I now just assume it was the right play to do, and I bet somewhere night by any means, but he was at least better than he was against the in his long history, Vanek has a highlight-reel goal off a goalie passing Islanders. him the puck in front of the net. Virtanen did show flashes of his offensive skill, like when he had a strong They could ask people to pay $5 a month for an iso cam on Tommy Gun drive to the net: and I would be the first in line to buy it. He also had a Mason Raymond special where he brought the puck into Everything the guy does is fascinating to me. the zone with speed, raced around the net, then fell down. A birdwatching show narrated and hosted by Tommy Gun? I’m down! Now, an interesting debate is to be had on how Goldobin got to play with two of the best players on the team, and 10-Minute Jake has had to play Playing defence in his own zone? Boom, lumberjack chop to tie up his with more grind-oriented linemates. guy and cause a giveaway. We saw this with Schroeder back in the day when he was playing with The best play of the game? When Vanek somehow found the turbo Sestito, in that some people suggest you need to show what you can do button and blew by PK Subban to beat out an icing call. no matter where you are in the lineup. It was like Vanek ran over a mushroom on the ice and started speeding And to be fair, there is some truth to that. You can’t just go snag a hat away. trick playing with Gretzky then claim you’ve arrived in the NHL and Thomas Vanek has a move for every situation. He IS the Dean Malenko demand millions. of the NHL. Pulling the ol’ Anson Carter routine, for the local readers. Day one fantasy strategies always included trading away Vanek at the But the idea put forth was that Goldobin is an offensive player, so you put deadline, but the more I watch him play, the more I’d be fine with the him in a position to succeed. Canucks keeping him around. Pairing him with Horvat and Boeser: What better position for a player to BEST TROY FROM RICHMOND succeed than that? Checking in with Troy and there he goes down No. 3 road. Now, if Jake isn’t ever being put in that kind of offensive position, does The finish wasn’t there, but Stecher’s ability to read the ice and find open that mean the Canucks don’t envision top-six offence from him? lanes is the thing you can hope leads to more goals from the Or do they just think Jake isn’t a fit with Brock and Bo? beleaguered Canucks back end. Which again, to be fair, Goldobin’s hockey IQ matches up quite well A shot that even Tanev would think was soft. when playing with a shooter. Also, that was an amazingly early slide attempt to block the shot by the Jake’s passing is questionable at the best of times. Predators. He’s that guy in beer league who fires a slap pass to you when you’re a Edler’s eyebrow twitched and then whoop, there goes a Predator, sliding foot away from him. across the ice. And Travis Green did put Jake with the Twins for a while, so you could I can’t stop watching it. argue he did have his shot with offence. It’s like he was sent back in time to stop one shot. Green’s approach to this is obviously by design, and it’s a fascinating He knew what shot he had to stop and when. topic to digest. That was his moment to shine. One we shall obviously talk about more and more the longer Goldobin stays on the pro roster. But then he panicked and went down too early. Also, 10-Minute Jake ended up with 9:17 of ice time, but we can round DJ MDZ was following along with his guy, when suddenly there was that up to 10. another guy behind him. BEST OF TOMMY GUN Now, he has a couple of choices, none of which should be, “Let up on the guy driving to the net” but MDZ chose… I’ve been defending Sam Gagner’s start to the season for a while now, but … Mr Tmart isn’t wrong. “Let up on the guy driving to the net.” Look, I was right there with you, pitchforks in hand, when the Canucks It’s like a Choose Your Own Adventure book where you go to the wrong signed Vanek. page and wish you could go back but don’t because it’s against the spirit of the books. It just seemed like they kept signing more and more players, leaving no room for the younger guys. I did like his one handed defensive “I tried” flick followed up by a slash, though. Pre-season rolled around, and Vanek looked like he could give two effs about playing hockey. Horvat on the penalty kill will be a healthy debate for the foreseeable future, and it struck again tonight, as Horvat’s unit got burned for a PK Then the season started, and all of a sudden we started realizing Vanek goal: might be the smartest guy in the room. Yes, it was a killer shot, and there is not much you can do to defend a Take tonight’s game for instance. shot like that. On one shift alone, Vanek set up Baertschi for a good chance, dangled in But it is another case of Horvat following the play a little too much and towards the net, dropping the puck between his own legs to make a giving up a lot of room to the opposition by loading up one side of the ice. move, and then took the most ridiculous Vanek shot of all time: BEST TIME WARP I mean, Vanek shooting from there is amazing. Behind the net, just loads up the wrister and tries a bank shot, because why not? Hey, remember when for like two weeks in September these slashing penalties were called, then they went away? The thing is, it probably was the best play on the ice. That’s how much I trust Vanek’s decision-making now. Well one of them came back out of nowhere today. He could pitchfork his stick into the crowd and start playing air guitar at Can’t wait for one of those calls to randomly occur in a playoff Game 7. centre ice and I would assume he had a good reason for doing it. “It’s in the rule books!” they’ll claim, as we listen to Eminem lyrics about Later in the first period, Vanek even did a beaver tail, trying to get Rinne knowing why they call it windowpane. to pass him the puck. BEST EARNING ANOTHER START Why would that fool anyone? Why would Vanek clap his stick like that? After the Islanders game I was surprised to see Nilsson get the start, but it’s nice that Green gave him a shot to recover from the Island beat down. It wasn’t the most technically perfect game of Nilsson’s life, but as stated in the opening paragraph, he battled all night long and put on a hell of a performance. Was it enough to get the Toronto start? For my money, it was. Derek Dorsett’s hockey career has come to a close, after it was revealed he had sustained more damage to his recently repaired neck this season. When a professional athlete leaves the game, the best case scenario is for it to be on their terms. Either the game passed them by and they couldn’t keep up any longer, or they lost the passion for the game. Usually in those cases you can see the end coming, you can mentally prepare yourself for the transition away from hockey. When a career is halted due to injury, it just feels so sudden. It feels like something was taken away from the player. Andrew Alberts didn’t get to leave on his terms. Now neither will Derek Dorsett. As with any player in the salary cap era, usage and contract value was of course a well debated topic for Dorsett in Canucks Nation. The one thing nobody ever debated, though, was his heart or effort. There were simply no shifts off for Dorsett. Whether it was throwing a hit, or trying to defend his teammates with a fight, or driving hard to the net to score, Dorsett was all in, all the time. He was the co-worker who never took a day off from work, even when he had the flu, and made you feel bad about that time you called in sick because you wanted to play Grand Theft Auto all night. And while it’s an unfortunate way for a career to end, the positive you take away from it is that Dorsett is putting his health and family first. The one thing you hope for any player is that they can leave the game of hockey physically and mentally intact. He is being forced away from the game he loves, yes, but he will have a family waiting for him. He will have friends he made in the game for life. It won’t be an easy time for Derek Dorsett, but the universal praise from the hockey community shows the impact he had on the game, his teams and his teammates. Now is not the time to try and win online debates over this news, to try and use it as a platform for your brand. Now is simply the time to say “Thank you” to Derek Dorsett for his time in Vancouver and wish him nothing but the best in his future endeavours. Everyone will have their own best Dorsett memory, but for my money, when you pull off a fake shot and go top shelf, that’s the king. That is a street hockey with your brother move right there. Glorious. I hope when they do a special about the Sedins’ career, they don’t forget the peanut butter finger. Never forget the peanut butter fingers. “The Sedins are pointing fingers now! Well normally they only use those fingers to lick the peanut butter off of their bread, what are they doing pointing fingers!”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086077 Vancouver Canucks Not only did the decision force Goldobin to adjust in going head-to-head at times against the Predators’ top line, he didn’t look out of place.

Pace wasn’t going to be a problem. Decision making was. He started on Canucks Post Game: Daniel does it his way, Boeser's best, Green day, the left side and then switched to his off wing. On an early scoring Dorsett drama, Turris tales chance at the left hash marks, he dropped the puck to Ben Hutton instead of shooting from the prime spot. Chalk that up to nerves. He looked calm setting up Boeser. Ben Kuzma “He’s got a good mind for the game offensively,” said Green. “He made November 30, 2017 10:00 PM PST good, subtle plays and hung on to the puck to buy a little time. He’s good at slowing it down when he has to and he managed the puck well.”

Said Goldobin: “It feels great. I had fresh legs and we had a good start. I NASHVILLE, Tenn. —Points to ponder in a 5-3 victory over the Predators wasn’t nervous at all and I just tried to stay calm. I’m just trying not to on Thursday in which the Canucks paid the right respect to Derek worry too much and this means the coach trusts me a little bit and he Dorsett, Daniel Sedin made his milestone memorable, Nikolay Goldobin wants to see what I can do.” looked like an NHL player and Brock Boeser played like a Calder Trophy favourite: As for Baertschi, he had one assist and no shots in his previous four outings and nothing gets a player’s attention more than a demotion. He Daniel Sedin could have been a big deal on Hockey Night in Canada on nearly made it 3-3 on a third-period power play. Saturday afternoon. Last season, Jim Benning thought his club was easier to play against The Toronto Maple Leafs were coming to town and the Canucks’ left- when Dorsett and Erik Gudbranson had their respective seasons cut winger would have been the subject of endless panel debate about his short by surgery. With Dorsett forced call it a career following a recent greatness and he probably would have been an After Hours guest — cervical disc herniation, there’s a void. plateau or no plateau. The Canucks’ GM said he doesn’t plan on finding a Dorsett type of player But Daniel did it his way Thursday. and expects the return of Gudbranson next week will help improve team toughness. The real test will come in January when the Canucks play five He got an assist to get to 999 career points and then scored the tying road games in eight days. If teams take a run-at-them tact, he may not goal before Boeser won it. He couldn’t have drawn it up any better. He have a choice. didn’t want to talk about getting to the magical mark and wanted to get it over with, but getting to 1,000 points — and then 1,001 on an empty-net “I don’t think we’re going to address it right now,” said Benning, who has assist — against a tough club in a big win to end a tough six-game trip 46 organization players under contract, four under the league limit. made his day. “We’re not going to go out and acquire a similar player, it’s up to others to play better.” “I said it before that it would be great to get it and for it to be a goal and in a huge win for us, and both happened today,” said Daniel, who got to Being forced out of the game means Dorsett will be paid what’s 1,000 points by beating Preds goalie Pekka Rinne from the slot. “For me, remaining on his contract extension, US$2.65 million this season and the it was top shelf, but it hit his stick and went five-hole. next. The Canucks can use his cap space on long-term injury relief. “He’s a good goalie and it doesn’t matter where you aim it, it feels like Derek and the kids he’s going to stop it. I’m just happy it’s over.” You didn’t have to press to get the younger and more impressionable Well, it’s not over. The Canucks will acknowledge the feat Saturday and players to talk about Dorsett on Thursday morning. The cervical disc everybody should be on their feet. herniation that ended his NHL career hit everybody hard. Here’s what they said: Said Boeser: “Being out there for Daniel’s goal was really cool. The smile on his face gives you goosebumps down your whole body and I had Troy Stecher chills. It was a special moment.” “Tough news. You never want to see something like that happen, but Added Travis Green: “Talking about Dorse this morning, this was a real obviously it’s for the better. He’s got two young kids and a wife and family nice response from our team tonight. This was a good test for us and I to look after. liked that we were playing Nashville. We needed a response and we got it. And to see Daniel get that milestone was special.” “As young guys, we looked up to him and his rehab process was pretty inspiring and to see the way he came back and the effect he had on this You can’t teach this stuff. team. A big loss for us. Boeser knew his compete level had to be higher and it was. But what the “Definitely a mentor in that aspect. And you could have a good time with winger did on his first goal was something you could draw up on a him in the locker-room and joke around. You might feel intimidated whiteboard but seldom execute. because he’s one of those guys who kept it loose. But when things needed to be said, he said them and that’s one thing I’d like to be like Boeser had to first buy time and space to get into scoring position in the one day. high slot after taking a feed from Bo Horvat. He moved to his left and went to the toe-drag, before unloading a wrist shot that went between the “He’s not the biggest guy, but he put his body on the line. And not just legs of defenceman Roman Josi and beat Rinne to the blocker side. fighting. He was straight line and direct and finished every check. And no visor.” He also got Rinne moving, which was the final part of the play because the stopper couldn’t pick up the puck quickly. “We all have Dorse in our heads and we’re going to play the rest of the year for him. He had a great start and put his heart on the line. You knew “I thought he (Josi) was going to bite a little more, but he didn’t and I just what you were going to get from him every night. tried to get it through at that point and it went through his legs and hit the net,” shrugged Boeser. “He once told me to go out there and grab someone and then I don’t and he just does it himself. This (injury) is the only thing that would take him If that wasn’t enough, on the winner he calmly out-waited Rinne with a out because if he had a broken hand, he’d still be playing. slick backhand-to-forehand move after being sent in by Goldobin. It was his third two-goal game of the trip and his 13 goals lead the club and all “And he’s fun to be around. When I came in at 19, he loved giving young NHL rookies. guys a hard time, that’s just how he is. And I love that about him. He treated us like family and treated me like his little brother — that was Travis Green placed the right bets. pretty funny. Looking for something to stimulate his club, he placed the recalled “He brought a lot of smiles to a lot of faces and was always lighting up Goldobin on the top line with Horvat and Boeser and dropped the the dressing room.” suddenly ineffective Sven Baertschi to an alignment with Sam Gagner and Thomas Vanek. Bo Horvat It sent the right message. It gave Goldobin an opportunity, it gave the fan “I learned a lot. To play hard every single night and he did that in practice base something to get excited about and gave Baertschi a motivational and games. We talked about that and even about life and what he’s nudge and Gagner a chance to be a playmaker in the middle. thinking. For a young guy to be sitting beside him on the plane meant a lot. As long as I know, he’ll still be chirping and he’ll be missed because he brought a lot.” David Poile is elated with the Kyle Turris acquisition. And he should be. However, the Predators’ GM wouldn’t be doing his job if he wasn’t in the Matt Duchene sweepstakes. And he wouldn’t be doing his job if he didn’t learn from last spring in how imperative it is to have a one-two punch down the middle. In Ryan Johansen and Turris. he now has that. So, no matter what post- season road the Predators travel, they look primed for another shot at a Stanley Cup title. And when a three-team Nov. 5 swap between Ottawa, Nashville and Colorado landed Turris in Music City, it struck a sweet note. “We really felt we had a need with losing Mike Fisher,” said Poile. “We actually have five centres and we have the flexibility to push guys to the wing and Kyle has been a really good fit. He makes his linemates better and allowed our first line to get better matchups. “And we saw that in the playoffs. In Chicago, it was (Jonathan) Toews and (Artem) Anisimov, in Anaheim it was (Ryan) Getzlaf and (Ryan) Kesler. In Pittsburgh it was (Sidney) Crosby and (Evgeni) Malkin. And by the end, we weren’t matching up very well at all.” As a pending unrestricted free agent, Turris was on Poile’s radar and the six-year, US$36 million extension speaks to his long-term commitment to the 28-year-old New Westminster native. “I was involved in trying to get Duchene and thought something might happen at the draft and then the summer was quiet,” added Poile. “We get into training camp and it heated up again with Kyle and that he might not sign. “I tried to do a direct deal with Ottawa but couldn’t do that and we got into a three-team deal. Kyle is a very efficient player and a complete 200-foot player and there aren’t a lot of those guys.” Peter Laviolette can be short and blunt and not a quote machine. However, the Predators’ coach couldn’t say enough about the impact that Turris has made in 11 games with his seven points (2-5) and complete game. “He’s just a smart two-way player,” said Laviolette. “He comes into a good situation and there’s a lot of support around him. The depth of adding him is important for us and he can score goals, but he can make plays. “A perfect example of that was finding Roman Josi on a power-play goal in our last game. It came off a faceoff and he was getting pinned off just inside the blue-line. He didn’t have a lot of options but delivered it right on the tape and Roman buried it.” For his part, Turris has found a hockey home and home to move into next month. He’s playing a more manageable 17 minutes, two less than in Ottawa. “A real fun group and welcoming guys and they made me feel comfortable right away,” said Turris. “Negotiations on the extension front with Ottawa weren’t really happening. You put two and two together and it came together pretty quick, but it’s still a shock. But it’s very exciting.” “Joey (Ryan Johansen) is such a good player and I’m just trying to take some pressure off him because it (first-line centre) is such a tough role,” added Turris. “For me, I want to be an all-around player and play offence, but you have to take pride in your defensive game at this level. “You can’t be a one-sided player unless you’re elite.”

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086078 Vancouver Canucks Boeser had to first buy time and space to get into scoring position in the high slot after taking a feed from Horvat. He moved to his left and went to the toe-drag before unloading a wrist shot that went between the legs of Canucks 5, Predators 3 – What We Learned: The daily double, Daniel defenceman Roman Josi and beat Rinne to the blocker side. hits plateau, Boeser at his best He also got Rinne moving, which was the final part of the play because the stopper couldn’t pick up the puck quickly. Ben Kuzma “I thought he (Josi) was going to bite a little more, but he didn’t and I just tried to get it through at that point and it went through his legs and hit the November 30, 2017 9:34 PM PST net,” said Boeser, who had three two-goal games on this trip. “And being out there for Daniel’s 1,000th was really cool. The smile on his face gives you goosebumps down your whole body and I had chills. It NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Emotionally invested or emotionally spent. was a special moment.” There was no middle ground Thursday for the Vancouver Canucks. Not Last season, Jim Benning thought his club was easier to play against on a day when the NHL club announced that Derek Dorsett’s career was when Dorsett and Erik Gudbranson had their respective seasons cut over after a Monday examination in Los Angeles revealed he sustained a short by surgery. With Dorsett forced to call it a career, there’s a void. recent cervical disc herniation. The Canucks’ general manager said he doesn’t plan on finding a Dorsett And not on a night when the Nashville Predators, the league’s hottest type of player and expects the return of Gudbranson next week will help club in November, was primed to push its home-ice win streak to seven team toughness. The real test will come in January when the Canucks games and send the Canucks home packing. But the visitors refused to play five road games in eight days. If teams take a run-at-them tact, he go quietly into the night. may not have a choice. There was an early emotional push and then the expected pushback by the Predators. And then the 999th career point by Daniel Sedin was followed by his 1,000th, just in case there wasn’t enough on a drama- Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.01.2017 filled day. The winger fittingly scored from the slot in the third period to make it 3-3 and then got to 1,001 with an assist on an empty-net goal by Loui Eriksson, who scored twice on this memorable night. “Derek was on everybody’s mind before the game and the only way we can honour him is to play hard every night — that’s the way he played,” said Daniel. “I said it before that it would be great to get it (1,000 points) and for it to be a goal and in a huge win for us and both happened today. “This was a good lesson for us. If every guy digs down deep, we’re hard to beat.” And if that wasn’t enough, Brock Boeser’s backhand-to-forehand deke of Pekka Rinne, his second goal of the night and team-leading 13th, made for a magical winner on a mystical night. Here’s what we learned as the Canucks won 5-3 to finish 3-2-1 on this telling road trip: Vancouver Canuck Brock Boeser, centre, celebrates with Nikolay Goldobin, left, and Bo Horvat after Boeser scores the go-ahead goal against the Predators in the third period of Thursday’s NHL game in Nashville, Tenn. Travis Green placed the right bets. Looking for something to stimulate his club, he put the recalled Nikolay Goldobin on the top line with Bo Horvat and Boeser and dropped the suddenly ineffective Sven Baertschi to an alignment with Sam Gagner and Thomas Vanek. It sent the right message. It gave Goldobin an opportunity, it gave the fan base something to get excited about, and gave Baertschi a motivational nudge and Gagner a chance to be a playmaker in the middle. Not only did the decision force Goldobin to adjust when up against the Predators’ top line, he didn’t look out of place. Pace wasn’t going to be a problem. Decision making was. He started on the left side and then switched to his off wing. On an early scoring chance at the left hash marks, he dropped the puck to Ben Hutton instead of shooting from the prime spot. Chalk that up to nerves. “He’s got a good mind for the game offensively,” said Green. “He made good, subtle plays and hung on to the puck to buy a little time. He’s good at slowing it down when he has to and he managed the puck well.” Said Goldobin, who sprung Boeser on his second goal: “It feels great. I had fresh legs and we had a good start. I wasn’t nervous at all and I just tried to stay calm. I’m just trying not to worry too much and this means the coach trusts me a little bit and he wants to see what I can do.” As for Baertschi, he had one assist and no shots in his previous four outings and nothing gets a player’s attention more than a demotion. He nearly tied it up on a third-period power play. You can’t teach this stuff. Boeser knew his compete level had to be higher and it was. But what the winger did on his first goal of the game was something you could draw up on a whiteboard but seldom execute. 1086079 Websites To which I followed up, just to be clear, was Tavares leaning toward waiting until after the season to decide?

“Well, I don’t want to say that that’s what is ultimately going to happen. The Athletic / LeBrun: With Islanders cruising, John Tavares in no rush to But for sure when you’re playing, you put so much focus into playing on a look ahead to free agency daily basis and so much goes into that,” Tavares said. “I don’t want to be thinking too much about what possibly can happen when I just want, in fairness to the group, to go out there every night, play as hard as I can By Pierre LeBrun 19 hours ago and have 100 percent energy and focus on that. There will be times throughout the season when things will be communicated through me and the organization and trying to move things forward. UNIONDALE, N.Y. — It was Mathew Barzal that brought me to Long “At the same time, I don’t want to get too involved in what gets talked Island this week, and you’ll see a story on the New York Islanders’ about because I don’t think it’s healthy for the situation. I think it’s best to electrifying rookie Friday morning here on The Athletic. keep things internal. But everything has been great so far. We’ve got off to a good start to the season and that’s exciting. We want to continue But one can’t venture into these parts and not also ask the man wearing that. I want to accomplish something special with this group.’’ the 'C' about his future plans, right? I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t. Take a tour of the Islanders’ impressive practice facility and you can see So yes, John Tavares saw me coming a mile away, as gracious as ever that the players have it good, their own chefs cooking up meals in their as I eventually asked him about his pending unrestricted free agency. comfortable lounge, and every amenity possible all over the facility there And one thing remains clear: he wants to take as much time as it takes for them from hot tubs to workout rooms. until he feels ready to make a decision. But it’s the game-day rink that lurks over all of this, of course. The “I think anybody, whether it’s a hockey player or any big life decision … Islanders future in Brooklyn at the Barclays Center is uncertain. Can when you consider all the factors that are involved, I think you want to Islanders ownership make the rumored Belmont project a reality? No take your time and be diligent,” Tavares said Wednesday. “I think that’s question that’s a major factor in Tavares’ final decision. He will want as my personality anyways. I’ve always stated how much I enjoy it here and much clarity and certainty as possible on that before he decides his how well I’ve always been treated. We just want to have more success. future. Coming into the year, I never felt any pressure to have to sign right away, “I think that’s the way any player would approach it. Everything will get I have a year left on my contract, just keep communication open with factored in,” Tavares said. “I’m not going to say it’s the No. 1 or it’s myself and the organization. ultimately going to make the decision, obviously you want to know where “Once the season starts, I think it’s a lot easier, you just focus on playing you’re going to play and ownership’s been tremendous trying to be clear- every day. You get so involved in the day-to-day process of being better cut not just to me but to all of our players, all the guys’ families, everyone and trying to be at our best; me personally trying to play to the level I that’s involved with the Islanders, our fan base, not just myself. I know want to play at to help this team get to the playoffs. It’s been good so far, how hungry and anxious they are to hopefully get the project at just keep trucking along.’’ Belmont.’’ The Isles are indeed trucking along at 15-7-2 and look very much like a I’ve said this before and I still feel it after talking to Tavares on playoff team. That is Tavares’ No. 1 priority and focus at this point. And Wednesday, it just seems like he’s a guy that’s going to look at every with each victory and the sense the team has a chance to do something, excuse to stay rather than look at every reason to leave. Which doesn’t surely that can only help the organization’s cause in re-signing their necessarily mean he’s definitely staying put, but it does at least tell you captain. something. My gut feeling all along during the Stamkos free-agent year was that he would re-sign, although clearly, the Bolts captain was a In an ideal world, the Isles would have signed their franchise player to an tortured soul for much of that season. extension this past summer. But they fully understand and respect Tavares’ desire to wait and think things through. All you know with Tavares is that he’s a sharp guy who, along with one of the game’s top agents in Brisson, will make a well-thought-out decision “That’s his right, that’s his right,’’ Islanders GM Garth Snow said. “For us, after examining every possible angle. we obviously drafted him, we think the world of him, and we want him to retire an Islander. The question remains, when exactly will that be? “But he’s earned this right. It’s a big decision for anyone.’’ Money won’t be an issue if and when Tavares is ready to negotiate. But The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 as far as anyone can tell, there hasn’t been any numbers exchanged. “John has been focused on the season,’’ his agent Pat Brisson of CAA Sports said. “We will discuss the future at the appropriate time.’’ Brisson has kept the lines of communication open and clear with Islanders ownership and management. All the Isles can do is wait. The Tampa Bay Lightning lived this two seasons ago with Steven Stamkos. He didn’t re-sign with the Bolts until June 29, 48 hours before he became an official UFA, and not before he met with the likes of Toronto, Montreal, Buffalo and San Jose before ultimately deciding to stay put. Stamkos and Tavares have talked about their respective situations, especially during the in September 2016 when things were still fresh on the Stamkos end of things. “I think everyone’s situation is unique in its own way, different factors involved,” Tavares said of the Stamkos comparison. “In some ways, obviously, it is similar. The way the game is now, I think the business side of it, too, these opportunities don’t always present themselves … I just think it’s important to take your time. “I also think once we got into the season, to a certain extent, I said I was open to anything and any situation in terms of talking whenever a decision is made; throughout the season, after the season, or whenever it comes,” Tavares added. “But at the same time I don’t think it’s fair to the group, the guys in here, putting too much emphasis on it. Once the season starts, you put some of the thoughts and looking into the future, you park it to the side and focus on how you can help this team as best you can. We have a fun group in here and you want to accomplish something special.’’ 1086080 Websites At the world juniors, they've medalled in six of the last 10 years, including winning gold in 2012. Amazingly, Sweden has not lost a game in the round-robin portion of the tournament since Dec. 31, 2006. The Athletic / Grassroots to Gold: Sweden uses innovative thinking to “There were a lot of people who pushed and helped with youth and junior tackle development, challenges development,” said Boustedt. “That's not a problem in Sweden to get people together and today I think everyone is thinking the same way. We have other challenges in Swedish hockey but not in development.” By Sunaya Sapurji 20 hours ago As a child growing up in Kristianstad, Maple Leafs first-round pick Timothy Liljegren remembers just how bad his club team was — in fact, he believes playing for bad team helped him as a defenceman. He Like many good ideas, Sweden's revamped development system was surmises from about ages four to 15, he was on the end of many losing borne out of failure and chaos. At the start of the new millennium its games. program was lagging. Sure, they were still producing NHLers, but overall, growth was stunted. “When you're a little kid you still want to compete,” said the 18-year-old. “I played on a pretty bad team when I was growing up. We lost a lot, but A proud hockey nation, the Swedish Association decided that really made me want to win more.” they needed an overhaul. They tasked Tommy Boustedt with the job of turning the program around. Now, for kids under-13 in Sweden, there are no standings. Scores are kept during the games, but at the end of it there's no written record of He had been coaching Frolunda when he got a call from the federation wins or losses — it's immaterial. There are no individual stats kept for the asking him to leave the bench behind and join them working on hockey regular season or for tournaments at the U13 level. They play games, but development instead. Boustedt, who had been a successful coach in the there are no tryouts and no real “leagues” as such for those ages. The then-Swedish Elite League, was in the prime of his career. He wasn't focus is more on skill development and less on wins and losses. The really interested. rule, implemented last year, to stop stats and standings for younger age groups has been very controversial. The more he thought about it though, the more the idea appealed to him. Instead of helping players on one team reach their potential, he could “It's been a tough discussion back home,” said Toronto defenceman help players in an entire country. He joined the Swedish Ice Hockey Calle Rosen of the change. “The kids are keeping track of their records Association in 2002 as their director of youth development. themselves so why not just have a normal standings? Let them compete. But I guess it depends how young you are. The coaches I had during my The first thing he did was assemble everyone involved with Swedish time when I was a junior and when I was younger they always let every hockey for a deep analysis session to figure out what was failing in the guy play and I think that's what made hockey so fun, too. That was a big system. Long story short: It was a complete mess. part.” “The problems were at many levels,” said Boustedt. “The recruitment For the Swedish Ice Hockey Federation, the goal now is to not only bring wasn't good enough. We weren't retaining enough players to create good new people to the game, but to retain the players they do have — for life. programs. We had a lack of development programs for players. Our And that means doing things a little differently. coaching education wasn't good enough and that's because we weren't producing enough good education materials. The player development “Children should be children, not young adults,” said Anders Larsson, the program wasn't even in print so it was different in different areas of president of the Swedish federation in an interview with daily newspaper Sweden — everyone was running their own program.” Dagens Nyheter, when the new rules were introduced in 2016. The proof came the following year at the 2003 world junior The numbers for Sweden's “Tre Kronor Hockey School” which is the championships in Halifax. The Swedes went 1-4 in the round robin and national program geared toward kids are continuing to grow. Their were forced to play in the relegation round. They finished eighth and numbers from 2016 show that there were 34,500 children between ages survived, but the result was an embarrassing wake-up call heard across five and 10 registered in the program — an increase of 2,500 from the the country. previous year. “Everyone saw the problems,” said Boustedt, who now serves as the “Hockey used to be like a pyramid, you'd have many players in the general secretary of the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. “We always beginning, but in the end you'd parse it down to a few at the top,” said had the knowledge about what was important if you wanted to develop Boustedt. “We've tried to go from this pyramid to more like a rectangle, players but we didn't co-operate in Swedish hockey. The big difference so the kids who start playing at seven, we want them to be enrolled in from 15 years ago is that we started to co-operate. We are a small hockey for a lifetime not only for 15 years or something. country worldwide so to be successful and have a little chance to compete with the big countries … we need to be more efficient because “In our system it's not even one per cent that become elite players — it's we don't have the (enrollment) numbers like the big countries. The best a very small amount. So our activities aren't only for the ones that make it way to be efficient is to work together.” an elite career, it's mostly for the others — the other 99 per cent.” Expecting resistance or egos to get in the way, Boustedt said he was That means coming up with low-cost ideas to keep the game affordable surprised at how easily everyone came on board to deal with the issues. and putting extra resources into education, particularly helping to educate The fact that he had already built connections thanks to his work as an parents about hockey. They've started programs specifically to help analyst on Swedish TV along with his 20-year career as a coach only parents navigate the minor hockey minefield. helped matters. “When the kids are practising you can have the parents in the cafeteria “I think that's why they asked me to do this because I knew everyone in and you can have a workshop with things like this once a week,” said hockey in Sweden,” said Boustedt. “When you have a big network it's Boustedt. “The parents are there anyways so give them a hot dog and a much easier to sell ideas. The big thing was getting everyone together — cup of coffee and then you have a person come in and talk, following the we had about 150 people in this big project to develop Swedish hockey federation program, so they can have a discussion.” — so everyone who had something to say about hockey was in it. If you're in it from the start and you feel like you're making a difference to And since Sweden is relatively small, geographically, it's much easier to the outcome then you won't work against it when it becomes reality. have coaches and instructors visiting clubs. In fact, Sweden, like their Finnish neighbours, have federation appointed instructors in different “That was the trick to do it.” regions going out to clubs instead of the other way around. The trick turned into a full-blown magic act. They put everyone on the “Education is the key to solving so many of our problems,” said Boustedt. same page, using their resources to invest in hiring and educating coaches who in turn were able to better instruct their players. They took Andreas Johnsson spent a week going back and forth trying to figure out ideas from other countries, honed them and then incorporated them with his future. The big decision was whether to leave Sweden after two years their own into their development system. They put their new curriculum in the SHL playing for Frolunda, his hometown team, or to head to North writing — breaking it down by age — with focus on on-ice, off-ice and America to join the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League. mental training. “I knew that if I played well I would get a good role back home and I was Sweden, for its 64,000 registered players and 9.8 million population, has still playing with pros — older guys — and it's a hard league,” said since been punching above its weight. Ten per cent of the active players Johnsson. “If I came over (to North America) I wouldn't know what to in the NHL are Swedes. At last year's NHL draft 27 Swedes were taken, expect. So in my case I felt like I needed another year to develop on the a far cry from the 15 taken a decade before. ice and off the ice, too. I felt like that would be easier for me to do back home — you're secure, you have your family, your home. I had already played on the same team for two years so I felt I needed one more year. “But you take a guy like Liljegren who is so mature, he can play already With other guys maybe they feel mature and they feel ready to leave here now and that's great for him. I think all depends on where you come everything. from and which club you're on back home in Sweden and just what type of guy you are.” “I really had to think about it.” Sweden's development program is strong enough that players are in the Leaving home is a hard decision to make and the Swedish Ice Hockey position to choose. In fact, Sweden has become a destination for players Association is trying to make it even harder. The Swedes have always from smaller countries to land in order to develop further at the junior or taken a protectionist approach with their young players. pro level. Even Liljegren appreciates how playing in Sweden prepared “We have too many players in North America, but at the same time it's him for his first year of pro at 18. good because we know we're doing good stuff with our youth and junior “I think Sweden has great leagues — both the Allsvenskan and the SHL development,” said Boustedt. — the Allsvenskan is pretty much like the AHL as a development league In the past, they've done battle with the Canadian Hockey League to try so I think it's good for young players to take that next step. That was what and keep their young stars at home. Now they've turned their sights on I did last year (moving to Allsvenskan). Hockey in Sweden is growing and the American Hockey League. it's a good place to be.” Like everyone else in Europe, Sweden uses the club model where In 2015, the Swedish Ice Hockey Association commissioned a report players can join a team as a kid and then spend the next 10 or so years called “Hockey 2025” with the goal of trying to look at ways to bring new moving all the way up through that club's system. The problem of players people to the game. leaving Swedish clubs early is twofold: Firstly, if a player leaves for a The influx of immigrants — particularly refugees — has made it critical for league like the CHL and is subsequently drafted by an NHL team, the the country to expand the game beyond the generational Swede. It has CHL club gets the NHL development fee for the player. The Swedish one of the highest rates of immigration in Europe taking in 163,000 club, despite their investment, gets nothing. immigrants in 2016, according to Statistics Sweden. And those clubs are essentially run as not-for-profits because team Hockey in Sweden has also predominantly been a sport for the white “owners” are its members. male demographic, so the report looked at ways to expand their typical “In North America people own teams and they have an interest in making enrollment base. money in the end,” said Boustedt. “In Sweden no clubs or the federation “Hockey 2025 was aimed at getting more people from other cultures and are making any money because it's against our rules if you run a club. If women into hockey,” said Boustedt. “We've tried to create new programs you invest in a club in Sweden — you can buy shares, but they're directing people coming to Sweden — refugees for instance from Syria maximized to 49 per cent — the other 51 per cent must be owned by the — and tried to present hockey to them and invite them to try out hockey.” members. So at the end of year, you don't need to make a profit; you shouldn't make a profit. The money goes back into the development and They've started programs catered to both groups. In order to get kids programs for the club. involved, the Swedish federation sent out personalized letters to parents with children between the ages of six and eight living near a hockey club “That's the big reason we are more into our development system than or an arena. The invites were designed to look like Mats Sundin's No. 13 you are in North America.” Tre Kronor jersey — but instead of his name on the back, it was replaced Secondly, the end goal of many of these clubs is to develop players for with the name of the child. The text was translated into six different their own teams in either the Allsvenskan (Division I) or SHL (top pro languages. According to Boustedt, some 300,000 invitations to try league). Players leaving early hinders clubs from benefiting from their hockey were sent out last year to parents. own development system. One of the teams that has found success in bringing more women and “It's like if the Maple Leafs have a hockey school for kids and then an immigrants to the game has been Gothenburg HC. The team started a under-8 team, an under-9 team all the way up,” explains Boustedt. “If the program designed specifically for girls in the Gothenburg suburb of Maple Leafs pay for all of this and then when the players are ready to Angered — which has a high immigrant population. play for the Toronto Maple Leafs at the ACC, well no, they leave to play Jan Mellgren, who is the sports chief at Gothenburg HC, said more in the U.S. for the New York Rangers instead — why should the Maple needs to be done financially if Sweden wants to grow the game Leafs pay for all this? That's the problem for our clubs today and also for particularly with people new to Sweden without the means to pay for our federation because many of the players leave too early.” hockey. According to the Swedish Ice Hockey Association's annual report for “The (Swedish) association is helping us with letters to mail to children in 2016, Sweden received the equivalent of roughly $8 million (Cnd.) in Angered,” said Mellgren. “They're helping us with jerseys and some transfer payments from the NHL. Boustedt and other federation members (education materials), but I think in this type of area they need to do met with NHL general managers last March in Boca Raton, Fla., to more. They need to do more for women's hockey, too. discuss the issue of players leaving early. He said the meeting was productive and that many NHL general managers understood their “Women's hockey is a big focus, but the culture of hockey clubs is the problem. At the end of the day, though, the NHL is still a business. male norm and it's difficult to break through that wall of the male norms. All the systems are prepared and built to educate male hockey players “Many NHL clubs need young players for their American Hockey League for the NHL and national teams and so on. … At the club level I don't affiliate teams and some clubs think they develop better in North America think they are so happy about this focus on women's hockey because it than in our Swedish league and on our men's national team,” said takes away ice time. We need more arenas in Sweden.” Boustedt. “The problem for us is we need to have money put in for all this development for those clubs and the federation and then we have to be And the arena issue is a complex one in Sweden. At present, there are able to use the players in Swedish hockey.” 356 indoor rinks and 136 outdoor ones. Based on their growing numbers, their ice is being maxed out. At present, the NHL has an agreement with the Swedish federation to keep more of their players at home. The agreement only allows for first- “Our rinks are full,” said Boustedt. “Our biggest challenge today is to round draft picks to go to the AHL if drafted from Swedish teams have more hockey rinks and in Sweden almost every rink is owned by (Europeans drafted from CHL clubs are bound by the CHL-NHL the community and paid for by tax money. And if all these new people agreement). So a second-round pick from a Swedish team would have to are coming you need more schools, you need more daycare centres, continue playing in the SHL until they played more than 260 SHL games hospitals and all these things which also use tax money. — or more likely — renegotiated their contract in order to leave. “Me as a hockey person, I see that hospitals and schools and daycare And, for the most part, staying home doesn't seem to be a problem. centres are more important than to build hockey rinks. And that's the biggest challenge today. If we don't get more rinks we can't grow Rosen believes staying in Sweden helped him become a better player. anymore. It's hard to create a good setup because you need lots of ice “For me, it was the best thing,” said Rosen. “I stayed in Sweden until I time if you want to become a good player. If there are too many boys and was 23. I played junior and then I played two years in (Allsvenskan) just girls it's impossible to have enough ice time.” to get my ice time and I was playing with men. Playing in a men's league It's not just hockey that has this problem, but other sports as well. The it's so much different from junior hockey, so in that way, it was really problem for hockey, however, is a chicken-egg scenario — politicians good for me because I had two years in (Allsvenskan) and two years in don't want to fund arenas to serve a niche demographic, but at the same (the SHL). After that, that's when I felt, 'OK now it's time to move over time it's hard to introduce new immigrants and women to hockey if you here.' don't have the ice time. “If we're only good at developing elite players (politicians) aren't interested,” said Boustedt. “Swedish politicians are interested in heath care matters and improving quality of life (through sports).” So it's become a tough balancing act for the federation to manage. “We are experts at the elite level but it's tough at the other end to get new people into hockey and to retain them.” But considering where Sweden has come since the early 2000s with their hockey program, it's only a matter of time before they figure it out. Boustedt is already working on it: “We have to think new.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086081 Websites The particulars We can see who is at fault at a player level by looking at shot and expected goals rates for each guy on the roster and comparing them to The Athletic / The Flames defensive woes are real, and they're team average rates over the last couple of seasons. spectacular This table includes Corsi against per sixty rates (CA/60) and expected goals against rates (XGA/60) for the Flames most common forward By Kent Wilson 18 hours ago skaters this year. The latter two columns show the difference between the team's average CA/60 and the player's personal CA/60 for each season in question (this year and last year, respectively). Negative numbers in these columns are good because we are talking about shots The Calgary Flames are currently a chaos hockey club. They generate a against (fewer is better). lot and give up a lot. Their game south of the red line is often hurried, panicked, and marked by uncertainty. From the data, the bifurcation of the Flames' roster is clear. The top-six rotation including the Monahan and Backlund lines are allowing shots at Tuesday's 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs featured a handful of rates below the team's average CA rate this year. Everyone below that unforced errors in the Flames' defensive end, an all-too-common theme group is getting lit up. to the season so far. This past summer, GM Brad Treliving went all-in on rebuilding the club's blueline in a bid to strengthen Calgary's defensive The recently formed Mark Jankowski line including Jaromir Jagr and Sam depth, an area that appeared to be a clear weakness last season. The Bennett has begun to sink rapidly after an encouraging start. They still gambit hasn't paid off. generate more shots and chances than their brethren on the fourth line, but they have also begun to surrender more than them as well. The Flames are winning more than they are losing to date, but only marginally. They have a negative goal differential and boast one of the There isn't much to be said about Calgary's fourth line. It's been bad worst penalty kills in the league. If the club really has designs on a deep forever, and the addition of Curtis Lazar to the group hasn't helped playoff run, they'll need to diagnose and fix their on-going struggles in anything. Matt Stajan, Troy Brouwer, and Kris Versteeg are starting to their own end. see time catch up to them, resulting in a group that is both permissive in terms of allowing shots and punchless in terms of generating shots. To In context say the Flames are getting nothing from the fourth line is actually optimistic. In reality, they are getting less than nothing most nights. First, let's establish that Calgary's defensive woes are legitimate and our perception isn't being skewed by a spate of bad performances in Detroit, The far right column compares each player's current CA/60 rate versus Dallas, and against Toronto. the club's average CA/60 from last year. It shows that only Backlund, Tkachuk, and Gaudreau have improved relative to last season, while The Flames currently sit 23rd in the league in terms of goals against per Monahan, Micheal Ferland, and Micheal Frolik have run in place. The game (3.17). That is despite Mike Smith standing on his head for a bottom-six, in contrast, is somehow much worse. portion of the season and sporting an even strength save percentage of .928. As expected, only the Giordano pairing is above the team average here. Hamonic, after bottoming out recently, has seen his CA/60 and CF% rate In terms of shot attempts and expected goals against, the Flames are improve slightly over the last few games, to the degree that he has 19th (57.41 CA/60) and 15th (2.32 XGA/60), respectively. Not terrible nominally passed the still struggling TJ Brodie. Brett Kulak started out numbers, but fairly disappointing rates given what the team has invested really well, but his numbers have suffered the more he has played. Stone in its blueline. and Matt Bartkowski tend to get outplayed most nights (especially if they We can put these numbers in further context by comparing them to play together), although they have better XGA rates than the second pair, Calgary's last couple of seasons. The goal, after all, was to improve the which suggests Brodie and Hamonic have been more permissive when it defence by retaining Michael Stone and trading for Travis Hamonic. comes to quality chances Here's how the club is doing at five-on-five relative to the last two years We can see here that no one on the back-end is better this year relative (all numbers via Corsica Hockey): to last year in terms of denying shot attempts at even strength. The Gio Treliving noted in the summer that he was worried about goal scoring this pairing hasn't really changed, while everyone else is below water. season, but it's the Flames offence that is currently floating the team. The We'll skip the blow-by-blow detail for the PKers, since everyone's sample 2017-18 Flames have the best Corsi (CF%) and expected goals ratios size so far this year is pretty small, and it's hard to take anything away on (XGF%) of the last three years, but only because the offence is an individual level yet. All we know for certain there is the team in general generating way more shots and chances than previously — almost eight needs to improve. A lot. more shot attempts per 60 minutes compared to the last two seasons. A look at these results shows how badly many of Treliving's gambles I have highlighted the concerning numbers on the other side of the puck. have gone so far. The additions of Stone, Bartkowski, Hamonic, Lazar, The Flames' shot attempt suppression has dropped by almost five shots and Jagr over the last 12 months were designed to firm up an obvious per 60 relative to last season, and is, in fact, worse than the 2015-16 weakness at the bottom of the rotation, but nothing has helped. The Flames — a team that finished with 77 points and fired coach Bob opposite is true, in fact — everyone outside of the core players has Hartley. Calgary's current expected goals against rate isn't meaningfully somehow taken a step backward. different than that squad either. Remember, too, that the team last year took almost three months to find its legs under the new coaching staff, so The other bet that has gone south is Bennett. The team was banking on having the current club trail them by five shots per 60 is concerning. him becoming a worthwhile NHLer this season, which would have diversified the attack up front and given the team three capable forward This is even uglier than the even strength results. The Flames' total shots units. Instead, Bennett has regressed to the degree that his viability as against while down a man have jumped by 16.5 shots per 60 over last an everyday NHLer is now in question. year (!), resulting in a significant bump to their actual and expected goals against rates as well. At this point, it may also make sense to question if Brodie is ever going to re-discover his form. Since moving to the left side and leaving his The fact that the current penalty kill is significantly worse than the 2015- partnership with Giordano, Brodie's defensive play has been inconsistent 16 version is instructive. That team finished with some of the worst PK at best. Both he and Hamonic have visibly struggled on the bad side of results in the league as well and was considered one of the main reasons the puck this year, and Hamonic will become the fourth partner in two for the Hartley firing. years that is apparently “dragging Brodie down.” This isn't impossible I added the total goals against for emphasis. Last year, the Flames given his partners have included Deryk Engelland, Dennis Wideman, surrendered 49 goals on the PK (recall they were one of the most Stone, and now a potentially broken Hamonic, but one begins to wonder penalized teams in the league). This season, they have already given up if Brodie is also part of the problem. He certainly doesn't look as steady 22 goals, which puts them on pace to surrender 75 over the course of 82 and dependable as he did a few years ago on the right side. games. That would be 20 more goals than the lousy 2015-16 Flames. There are encouraging nuggets buried in the data, of course — the Yuck. Flames top-end is facing hard minutes and quality competition and A portion of that number can be attributed to the club's PK save rate, thriving. If the team can somehow sort out the dog's breakfast below their which is down around 85 per cent. That said, the true concern is the rate core guys, they could become a contender. at which the team is allowing shots and chances while down a man. The question remains, how do they do that? Treliving is entering year two Again, the objective given the off-season activities was to improve these of his quest to fill in the gaps on the roster, and things have only gotten various measures, but they've completely gone the other way. worse. Some of his bets were good — Jagr and Versteeg, for instance. Some of them weren't — Stone, Bartkowski, and Lazar were long shots to provide meaningful help given their careers. Hamonic was a high risk, high reward gamble that seems to be going sideways. Throw in the Brouwer contract, the Stajan deal (which wasn't signed by Treliving), and Bennett's unfortunate de-evolution, and the Flames bottom-end of the roster has turned into a dumping ground of floundering kids, doddering vets, and failed experiments. From a roster construction perspective, it's becoming increasingly difficult to determine who is at fault for what or how to improve things. Disentangling the passengers from the anchors amongst the depth players seems like a fool's errand — no matter how Glen Gulutzan mixes and matches the support guys, they almost always come out on the wrong side of the shot, chance, and goal count. There are two primary options open to Gulutzan and Treliving: First, break up the core players and spread them more liberally throughout the lineup. While this would dilute the concentration of quality players at the top of the roster, it will also dilute the concentration of lousy players at the bottom. The risk here is undermining the strength of the team without seeing enough of a boost elsewhere to compensate. The other option is to start making drastic changes to the parts that aren't working. That can mean anything from making trades to waiving guys and giving other players in the organization a chance. Andrew Mangiapane, Rasmus Andersson, and Marek Hrivik are all players who have excelled on the farm, for instance. In terms of systemic issues, it's curious to see the team struggle to execute a system under the same set of coaches and expectations, just a season removed from highly improved defensive results. We've noted in this space recently that the club seems to have trouble controlling gaps through the neutral zone, is far too lax when it comes to denying zone entries, and is frequently failing to execute clean exits and breakouts. The most recent defeat at the hands of the Maple Leafs highlighted one of the team's most frustrating failings this year — the inability to manage the puck just inside their own blueline. Time and time again, the Flames high forwards in the zone are turned back by pinching defenders. This often leads to turnovers that result in high-quality chances against or sustained offensive zone forays. This means that any opposing team that applies speed and pressure on the forecheck can force the Flames into sub-optimal plays. In addition, Calgary's untidy puck management through the neutral zone means their transition can be neutered by highly structured, trapping clubs. On the PK, Calgary can't seem to effectively pressure the puck carrier or deny entries at the blueline. Opposition teams enter the Flames' zone at will and set-up their formation with ease. Once in formation, they are typically able to fire with ease from the blueline and top of the circle, or feed cross-ice passes through the Flames defenders. Calgary's defensemen around the net are frequently outnumbered. Rebounds are rarely cleared efficiently. Are these struggles due to a change in systems that are causing confusion? Or is this mix of players just suddenly unable to execute Gulutzan's system effectively? It's hard to say at this juncture. The numbers are discouraging, but the good news is there is still time to turn things around. By the end November last year, the Flames were giving up 57.12 CA/60. Through the rest of the year, they dropped that to 52.23 CA/60. That means it's possible to improve things drastically in season. We also know this team and coaching staff is capable of better outcomes. If they can clean up their play in the defensive zone while maintaining the gains they have made in terms of generating shots and chances, the Flames can still become a heavy hitter in the West. Otherwise, they will continue to limp along, with a roster that is half contender, half bottom feeder.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086082 Websites work, but there isn’t much grassroots hockey so you’d have to come with a long-term plan like they did with Dallas when they moved here.”

Though the Seattle Thunderbirds have done well in terms of attendance The Athletic / What makes Seattle an appealing NHL market? within the scope of Western Hockey League, the dearth of local ice rinks in which kids can play is one area that has hamstrung the community’s ability to grow the base. By Katie Strang 19 hours ago One local hockey mom, whose daughters ages 8, 5 and 3 all play the sport, gave an impassioned testimony at the November 16 public hearing in front of the Seattle City Council's Select Committee on Civic Arenas to John Barr grew up in Oakland, California, before the San Jose Sharks that end. She explained what bringing an NHL team to Seattle would arrived in the Bay Area. Hockey was not part of the local lexicon at the mean for her daughters: time, though he became hooked later in life. At age 31, he moved to Seattle for a job with and became entrenched in the local “Hockey is life in our home and we travel overr nine hours three times per hockey community. week for ice. And we do it for the love of hockey. The sport alone has given them drive, strength, grit, and built their self-esteem and character Now 44, Barr leads the NHL to Seattle grassroots movement and even and has empowered them to do anything. They are the future of hockey has business cards printed that feature his official title as “Chief and watching it grow firsthand, I know we need more ice. I am, of course, Instigator” (his primary gig is working as a business consultant). in full support of the arena at Seattle Center because having an NHL team means having more resources like ice sheets, as we desperately Barr concedes that Seattle is not a traditionalist market — “it’s no need. I've watched my girls make history in Washington playing hockey Michigan, no Minnesota, Boston or Canada,” he said — but that interest and an arena here means continuing that success, so they can continue in the sport is growing rapidly with the city’s ever-changing population. paving the way for their future and everyone behind them.” Transplants from all over the country, recruited to work for corporate behemoths like Amazon, Microsoft and Boeing, have settled in Seattle, Andrew Cole, who runs the Greater Seattle Hockey League, said the and with them have come strong hockey allegiances. GSHL has about 1,800 participants playing on 85 teams weekly in its adult recreational league, open to all skill levels. He estimates there are “It’s fertile, if you will, to adopt hockey. And, in the meantime, the city’s roughly 25-30 sheets of ice in the state, though the GSHL currently only growing like gangbusters,” Barr told The Athletic in a recent telephone uses seven of those. conversation. “It’s one of the fastest-growing cities in the nation. And with that, people are moving here for jobs. There’s also the money, the people “I have a theory that there are another 10,000-20,000 people in the area who can afford to go to games. The biggest thing we need is an arena, who know how to play but presently don’t due to the high cost, so finally we have OVG.” inconvenient rink locations and late ice times,” Cole told The Athletic via email. , headed up by , has agreed to privately finance the renovation of Seattle’s KeyArena, the former home of the Cole, who was raised in Connecticut and moved to Seattle in 1990 at age Seattle SuperSonics. Earlier this month, the Seattle City Council’s Select 25, doesn't have anything beyond anecdotal evidence to back that up but Committee on Civic Arenas voted 5-0 in favor of OVG’s revised said it's a “daily occurrence,” to hear people express their desire to play, Memorandum of Understanding. The MOU's framework proposes a $600 only to gripe about the impediments — that games are too late, too far million rehabilitation of the building that would nearly double its size of and too expensive. 368,000 square feet and seat 17,100 for hockey. The full city council will vote on Dec. 4, but there is little reason to think it will not pass. According to USA Hockey, participation in youth hockey has risen 42 percent over a 10-year span, but the total number is still just 436 in Yet, you can hear the caution in Barr’s voice when he’s asked to assess Seattle. (This is based on the zip code range of 98101 through 98199- the upcoming vote — the wariness that comes from years of dashed 9999, according to USA Hockey). At the end of the 2016-17 season, hopes and disappointment. He doesn’t want to count on anything before there were 9,248 registered players in the state of Washington, 4,350 of it happens, nor does he want to scuttle any progress by getting ahead of which were age 18 or younger (youth players). For comparison: Texas himself. had 14,636 registered players, 5,940 of which were age 18 or younger (youth players). Still, it’s hard for him not to interpret recent developments as encouraging. Cole thinks a hockey team in Seattle would have a huge impact on youth participation in hockey. “I don’t want to jinx anything,” he said. “But things are looking really positive.” “What I think will happen is it will be popular, it will sell out, people will go and there will be plenty of interest,” Cole explained. “And now, that dad Barr’s optimism is buoyed by Leiweke’s leading role with the Oak View from Minnesota or Boston or Wisconsin who didn't sign his kid up for Group. Leiweke, a former executive with both Maple Leaf Sports and hockey, all of a sudden the kid will say 'Dad, that was awesome.' I see, Entertainment and Anschutz Entertainment Group, has longstanding ties by virtue of it being part of the culture, part of the mainstream, people with both the NHL and NBA and ample experience in running a team. will be wanting to do it.” “No one gives me more confidence than Tim Leiweke,” Barr said. “He As it stands, Seattle's youth hockey community is small but fervent. knows what he’s doing, he knows how to get arena deals done and he Further cultivating that base and energizing them will be vital in terms of knows how to run a team. … That’s what I’m really excited for.” establishing a fan base that will be self-sustaining. Leiweke’s leadership, both in terms of outfitting an arena fit for hockey “There’s some interest, but when you’re talking about filling the whole and attracting ownership, could be a huge coup in a burgeoning market. building, you have to come planning on introducing it to people,” Farwell Sources told The Athletic that both billionaire banker said. and producer Jerry Bruckheimer are interested in being a part of Seattle’s push for a team, though a spokesperson for each declined to Farwell’s Thunderbirds now play at the ShoWare Center, a 6,125- comment on this story. capacity building in Kent, but played in KeyArena until 2009. He understands well the absolute necessity of a new building, considering Proponents of hockey in Seattle point to the success of the city's Major how poorly that arena was configured for hockey. League Soccer franchise, the Seattle Sounders FC, as evidence that a new team can carve out a foothold in the local landscape, and quickly. “Oh, it was awful. They redid it for the basketball. The seats pointed Since the team began playing in 2009, the Sounders have experienced toward where center court was and so even our good seats didn’t face tremendous growth — a 38% increase in yearly attendance averages the ice; you were turned kinda sideways. Outside from a few on the end from 2009 (30,897) to 2016 (42,636). This season, the Sounders rank for the hockey purists, there were no good seats for hockey at all,” second in attendance with an average of 43,666 and have recorded 164 Farwell said. consecutive home sellouts at CenturyLink Field. “A third of the rink, the upper tier in the one end, was on the goal line. We Additionally, the city is no stranger to hockey. could only go blueline to blueline in a horseshoe that could even see the ice. That big gaping hole at the end was just wide open. Even those ones Russ Farwell, president and general manager of the Western Hockey were not pointed at the ice surface. It was a really bad, bad hockey League’s Seattle Thunderbirds, predicts the league can succeed in building, is what it was.” Seattle, if done correctly. There’s one thing still nagging at Barr when it comes to Seattle’s chances “It’s a little bit complicated, but I think if they had a good solid ownership of landing an NHL team. that comes with a long-term plan there’s no reason it couldn’t do well here,” Farwell said. “The reason the NHL wants it so bad is it should “I just hope we act quick enough,” he said. “I’ve been at this six years and when I started no one ever thought of Vegas,” Barr said of the league’s latest expansion franchise. “My thing is, who knows? Somebody could come out of nowhere. I’ve known the arena issues with Houston for awhile but they always make me nervous because it’s a big market and, under the right circumstance, I could totally see the NHL going there.” Sources have indicated, however, that while Houston is appealing for myriad reasons — a turnkey option at the Toyota Center, an owner with deep pockets, plus a booming population and significant corporate dollars — the Texas outpost would make most sense as a relocation option. The league has vocalized concern about arena issues for the Arizona Coyotes, Calgary Flames, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders, which means that having Houston dangling as a possibility could serve as both leverage and insurance. Seattle, however, seems a more natural option should the league seek to expand, and considering the windfall the last time around — expansion fees — it would be surprising if it did not. Barr hopes this is how Seattle obtains a team, not via relocation. He’s long been an advocate for hockey in the desert and makes a habit of pointing out to his rabid Maple Leaf fan friends that their star player, Auston Matthews, would not be there had the Coyotes not fostered a love for hockey in Arizona. No matter how much that franchise is struggling — and there have been reports about mounting financial concerns — he doesn’t want to see any fan base robbed of its team. “I don’t care if it's 4,000 fans,” Barr said. “It’s still 4,000 people that are getting their heart broken.” That’s one reason Barr has seldom spoken in terms beyond that of cautious optimism. He’s been through this before and doesn’t want to get his hopes up. Even the question of potential names for a Seattle team makes him leery. “I generally try to stay away from the name game because it’s like figuring out where you’re going to spend your money if you win the lottery, right?” he said. “Let’s win the lottery first and then we’ll worry about that second.” For the record, he thinks the Metropolitans, the Totems and the Chiefs (if the latter was approved by local tribes) would be the top options from which to choose. But he doesn’t want to chance scuttling the city’s chances by initiating a more nuanced debate just yet. So when will he finally feel comfortable allowing himself to dream that the NHL in Seattle will become a reality? “On opening night when they drop the puck.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086083 Websites Rogers Place, with 55-per-cent possession. Those numbers fall to 25 goals, 88 points and 53-per-cent possession on the road.

At least some of that damage on the road is coming against the weaker The Athletic / Mirtle: How do you solve a problem like Connor McDavid? links on opponents. The Leafs look to take a depth approach There has been some interesting discussion around the Oilers all season about lineup construction and what makes the most sense given their By James Mirtle Nov 30, 2017 lineup. This piece from Young Willis delved nicely into the argument for spreading out your talent on multiple lines, as Edmonton is now attempting of late. EDMONTON — Mike Babcock's line blender has been on ice crush You don't have to look further than the Penguins, who have won the last lately. He has held down the button, full puree, and there's no sign of two Stanley Cups, for a good example of a team splitting up its offensive letting up. stars — with Crosby, Malkin and Kessel on different lines — and giving their opponents fits. So when the Maple Leafs players walked into the Oilers' new hockey palace on Wednesday afternoon for practice and saw they were skating (That's how you get Roman Polak playing big minutes and a 35 per cent with altogether different folks yet again, few were surprised. Corsi against Malkin, for example, in the 2016 Stanley Cup final. That's how you win a championship, in the salary cap slash parity era.) This is the new normal. The reality is not many teams have enough depth to counter a legitimate “It's different every day pretty much,” Tyler Bozak said. “They change a three-line approach. There's always going to be at least one rotation that lot during the game, too… It could change in the first period. Second. gets exposes. Third. Or you could stay together a couple months. I guess you just never know.” And it's way harder on the road. With that in mind, it would be foolish to read too much into the Leafs line So if there's a method to Babcock's madness in Edmonton with his latest combinations. changes, it's this: Yet here we are, doing just that, for reasons we'll delve into below. 1. Defensively, it bolsters their weakest points, by giving Bozak a pair of strong two-way wingers in Marleau and Brown. Even if McLellan targets Here are the four combinations Babcock threw together at Wednesday's them with McDavid, they should be okay. practice along with the total minutes those combinations have played together this season (in brackets): 2. McLellan likely keeps McDavid away from Kadri given what happened last time, which means you can have JVR on that line and take Hyman-Matthews-Marner (30.6) advantage of Kadri's offence more. As much as Kadri has become a shutdown option, he remains a dangerous scoring option. JvR-Kadri-Komarov (1.5) 3. Matthews and Marner present a big time offensive threat that the Marleau-Bozak-Brown (0.1) Oilers will have to respect, likely with their top D pair. Martin-Moore-Nylander (9.9) 4. The fourth line is a wild card with Nylander on it. They were very good So, in 1,225 minutes of 5-on-5 hockey, these lines have been together against an injured Calgary team that lacked depth on its fourth line, for about 3 per cent of it — or an average of a minute and a half a game. mostly because Nylander can make plays on his own. Most of that has been when Marner has been shifted up with Matthews in The reality in facing Edmonton right now is if you can neutralize McDavid, order for Babcock to throw Nylander in the doghouse midgame. you stand a good chance of winning. The Oilers' record when he doesn't produce a point is 1-5-1 — with their lone win coming against the So, why, after one of the Leafs' best games of the season, would Coyotes earlier this week. Babcock toss together a bunch of combinations we've rarely seen against a dynamic offensive team like Edmonton? Babcock, for his part, doesn't seem particularly concerned which of his top centres — Matthews or Kadri — gets the McDavid assignment. Either he doesn't want to show Oilers coach Todd McLellan his hand. Or, more likely, he is thinking about how to counter a team that is (a) relying “Either or,” Babcock said. “It doesn't much matter. They're both going to on one player for a lot of its offence and (b) has split its three top get on the ice. We'll see how the game goes. The score determines so weapons — McDavid, Draisaitl and The Nuge — onto three separate much of what happens as far as match-ups go.” lines. In other words, if the Oilers are down, McDavid will play more — The thing is that line combinations and matching are simple at home. potentially a lot more — and some of this chess match stuff we're talking You often get what you're looking for — or at the very least your second about goes out the window. choice. Same if the Leafs are down early — although Matthews still doesn't look So when McDavid and company roll into Toronto — as they will in 10 like he's at 100 per cent after that suspected back injury kept him out for days for their only appearance of the year — Babcock can build a four games. defensive line around Komarov-Kadri-Brown to drive Edmonton's best Hopefully, just for the spectacle, we get more of McDavid versus player nuts. Matthews than we have in the past. Matthews has only played two It worked wonders last time. games against Edmonton in his career given they're an out-of-conference team. In his 36 minutes of ice time against the Oilers, less than 12 But, in Thursday's game, McLellan gets to make that call. Without an (11:49) were head-to-head with McDavid. No goals were scored by either obvious shutdown trio like the Leafs have, he can go a number of team with those two on the ice. different directions against the Leafs. (They've probably spent more time on the ice on the same team than If you look at some of the big games McDavid has had at home this year, against one another, if we include the World Cup in the fall of 2016.) the coach has taken advantage of that flexibility. Instead of pushing for a defensive match-up — and being cautious — he has taken advantage of Thursday could certainly add to the number of minutes they've faced one the possibilities on offence. another. Babcock can play the match-up game as much as he wants, but he has to know his top young star will need to outperform Edmonton's Two weeks ago against Vegas, it was a three-point night for McDavid, captain to give them a good chance to win. some of which came at the expense of the Golden Knights' depth lines and third D pair. He isn't shying away from that. And it may well be what decides the outcome of the game. Two weeks before that, McDavid had another three-point night against the Devils and again two of the goals against were scored with the likes Should be interesting. of Dalton Prout on the ice.

There are more examples — but those will suffice for this comparison. The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 It's early, but McDavid's home-road splits are shaping up to be different than previous years. He is scoring at a 41-goal and 109-point pace at 1086084 Websites Injuries are obviously bad luck, but they're also inevitable. And what the injuries are doing in Edmonton is highlighting how ill-prepared the Oilers were for any wrong turn. The organization knew, for example, that they The Athletic / Mirtle: In the battle of Canadian rebuilds, the Maple Leafs were thin on depth in goal and that Laurent Brossoit probably wouldn't be have slipped past the Oilers able to handle significant minutes. But they didn't claim Calvin Pickard on waivers from Vegas early on and are now left with little choice but to cross their fingers that they can somehow survive without Talbot for however long he's out. By James Mirtle 3 hours ago Even after playing him in an absurd 73 games last season, they failed to find him help. EDMONTON — This was a bizarre, insane mess of a hockey game, one There's a similar story at other positions, when you look down the lineup. that gave fans their money's worth and drove the coaches on both If the Leafs ran into injuries, they have the top team in the AHL to recall benches nuts. from, a 16-5-0 Marlies club that is loaded with NHL-calibre options — including Pickard, who they acquired for a song in order to be the fourth It was really great theatre, two young, exciting teams at opposite ends of goalie in the organization. the NHL standings going at each other. Bakersfield, Edmonton's affiliate, meanwhile, is one of the lowest scoring, It was what you wanted out of a Leafs-Oilers game, at least if you were in talent bereft teams in the minors, with only maybe Ethan Bear, Caleb the seats. Jones and Nick Ellis, eventually, coming to help. “I thought the game was probably exciting for the fans, but it wasn't very In that sense, the Oilers are what they are — a near-finished product, exciting for me,” Mike Babcock grumped afterward. “In the end, we found one expected to win in 2018. a way to win a game and that's what you've got to do on the road. Sometimes they're ugly, but you find a way to win.” The Leafs? They still have help coming — and a window to win that could widen next season and beyond. It was also yet another absolute anchor for the already reeling Oilers to absorb, one they didn't particularly deserve. They were the better team Some of the supporting pieces Chiarelli has put in place in Edmonton are for long stretches, after an ugly start put them in a 3-1 hole at the end of being forced into roles over their heads. Russell, for one, had to play the first. more than 24 minutes on Thursday, including plenty against Auston Matthews. This loss hurt more than most. And not just because Kris Russell one- timed it into his own net with a minute to play in a tie game. Had the Leafs' young star not been fighting a cold, the result could have far been uglier than it was. (As it was, Matthews had a goal and an assist A team desperate for hope didn't get even a single point. Despite in 18 minutes.) pounding 45 shots on Frederik Andersen. Despite a Herculean effort from their fourth line, including big man Jujhar Khaira's impressive turn. “I've had better days,” Matthews said of trying to play head-to-head Despite battling back, with their backup in net and Adam Larsson a late against Connor McDavid through his illness. “It's tough… It gets pretty scratch with a lingering injury. tiring chasing him around all night. He can absolutely fly out there.” One wonders where the Leafs would be right now without two of their top He can — and he made linemates Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi (who four D and their starting goalie, the excuses they'd have to no-show in a had seven shots on goal) look good all night in doing so. But then again game like this. the contrast was unmistakable when the Leafs' fourth line hopped over the boards with Nylander on it. Both Dominic Moore and Matt Martin In the face of even more adversity in a season full of it, Edmonton scored goals, part of a weird renaissance from the bottom three forwards showed up. Even their opponents knew it. driven by how much depth Babcock has to work with night to night. “They did a great job,” Nazem Kadri said. “They earned themselves at And then Toronto's power play was able to pick apart the worst PK in the least a point on that one and came up a little bit short. Tough bounce. But league, scoring two pivotal goals with the second unit on the ice. that's the way it's going for us right now.” Incredibly, it's only been 2.5 years since the Oilers won the draft lottery It is. The Leafs are winning all kinds of games that it doesn't seem they and landed McDavid. At that point, it appeared Edmonton was finally deserve. They have enough firepower that they can find ways to pull out going to ascend after nearly a decade in the NHL's basement, with the points even when they aren't the better team. That's their skill advantage worst record in the salary cap era of any team. At the very least, they over most teams in the league right now, even with Mitch Marner and were going to get better. William Nylander taking turns on the fourth line. Toronto, meanwhile, had landed Babcock but appeared destined for But it's also the way it's going for the Oilers right now. Anything that can some dark years, with everyone in the organization preaching patience. go wrong — and that can highlight the depth issues on the roster — is going wrong. Missing Cam Talbot for a couple weeks (or more) may be Few imagined we would be here, this quickly, in the winter of 2017, with the final nail in a coffin that's almost sealed right now, on Dec. 1. the Leafs one of the top teams in the league and the Oilers mired in another debate over who's going to get the walk the plank. Consider that Edmonton has the third-worst record in the NHL, a 69-point pace that would be one of the largest year-over-year drops in league In some ways, Toronto got ahead simply by going slow. They haven't history from last season's charmed 103-point campaign. pushed out any young talent for win-now pieces. They haven't made any huge mistakes. In order to get to 94 points — the playoff cutoff in the West last year — the Oilers will need to go 36-20-0 over their final 56 games, winning They also haven't had to commit to any monster contracts for their young nearly twice as many games as they lose, posting the equivalent of a stars, which is another area Chiarelli has gotten himself in trouble. Maybe 105-point pace the rest of the way. that's coming — but it doesn't feel like it. It feels like the Leafs will squeeze Nylander and Marner, getting bargain contracts out of them just Realistically, they're probably done for already. as they did with Zach Hyman and Connor Brown. Perry Nelson-USA TODAY Sports But in Edmonton, with McDavid's entry-level deal set to run out in what This isn't all puck luck. Even if the Oilers didn't deserve to lose the way appears to be a playoff-less year, some hard truths are on the ice every they did Thursday, they've earned this slap in the face in the standings. night. They've earned a reckoning, after trading so much talent away to get And it's unmistakable how the Leafs have found a way to not diminish bigger and grittier at the expense of skill. their roster in the hopes of finding a quick fix. They haven't chased fool's I only touched down here in Edmonton for 48 hours, but it was certainly gold to the bottom of the well. enough to take the temperature of the market. Even after an overtime win Maybe you can argue the Oilers deserved a better fate on this night, over the sad-sack Coyotes, the overriding discussion in town is whether given how well they played. But it's hard to look up and down that lineup Todd McLellan or Peter Chiarelli should be fired if the season continues and say the same for their season. to circle the drain. Toronto has zipped past them in the standings, seemingly overnight, and Normally the coach loses in these scenarios, where the GM has only has more help on the way. been in place for 2.5 years. But this is far from a normal situation. And Chiarelli's fingerprints are all over this lineup's issues. Edmonton? They're the ones going through the pain that Babcock talked about so often two years ago. And it's not the kind of heartache that typically pays off in the end.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086085 Websites World Junior camp for Finland where he’s always one of his team’s best players, if not the very best. He’s a smart two-way forward with fine speed and enough vision in his game to create chances. Talvitie hasn’t The Athletic / Pronman: Biggest risers from the 2017 NHL Draft played professionally in Finland yet — not due to anything negative about him as a player, so don’t let that bias your perception of him — but simply because he’s preserving his amateur status to go and play at Penn State next season. I expect he’ll be an important part of Finland’s U20 team By Corey Pronman 21 hours ago this winter and has looked better than your typical sixth-round pick. Robert Thomas, C, St. Louis (20th overall) Last week, a reader asked me in my mailbag who are the most When I go around OHL rinks and ask people who the best player in the noticeable risers from the 2017 NHL Draft in the first few months of the league is, some will mention players such as Owen Tippett (Florida), Nick season. I decided this was worth blowing up into a column. The most Suzuki (Vegas) and fellow Blues prospect Jordan Kyrou, but Thomas is obvious candidate for this is Eeli Tolvanen over in the KHL. I’ve written also in the mix. Thomas may not have risen so much that he’s blown by about Nashville’s 30th-overall pick many times the past few months, so fellow 1999 OHL players Tippett and Suzuki, but given how much his I’m not going to spill more digital ink on him, I think readers get the point. game has progressed the past few months, he’s right in that conversation Instead, I’m going to touch on some other players. with those top 13 picks. He should be an important part of Canada’s World Junior team, as a good do everything type of center. Sebastian Aho, D, New York Islanders (139th overall) Aleksi Heponiemi, C, Florida (40th overall) and Tyler Steenbergen, LW, As of this writing, Aho is the youngest defenseman in the top 10 in AHL Arizona (128th overall) shots on goal. He’s played well in all situations for Bridgeport. He’s a fairly mobile defenseman with good hockey sense and shows a lot of I figured it made sense to talk about these two players together given above-average traits, except for his size. Longtime readers know I’ve they’ve played together all season and have been the most important been a fan of his for years. He was ignored at the NHL level up until last parts of the clear best line in the CHL. Heponiemi's point production is summer at the draft, but given his success in the AHL, it would be hard to among the best ever in the WHL by a 19-year-old, and Steenbergen is imagine him being thought of so lowly if teams were given a mulligan. scoring goals at a rate that has plausibly raised the scenario of him going after Ray Ferraro's record of 108 in a season. Drake Batherson, C, Ottawa (121st overall) I rank Heponiemi higher, due to his really high-grade hockey sense and Batherson is one of the top risers in the CHL this season. A player who skill level, and between the two of them, I think he drives a bit more of the was drafted in his second draft-eligible season, there are alarm bells that chances. But Steenbergen also has elite attributes in his speed and shot, go off in my head about getting too excited over a 19-year-old offense not to mention a fairly good skill level. These two have been the driving spike in the QMJHL. One major difference between Batherson and the force on arguably the top team in major junior, and the way they usual profile of guys who worry me — such as Francis Perron (also an embarrass defensemen and goalies nightly are persuasive arguments Ottawa prospect) and Conor Garland (Arizona) who dominated the Q at that they should have been picked higher. older ages — is that, like them, he’s a highly skilled player but unlike them, he has a 6-foot-2 frame. I’ve been impressed whenever I’ve watched Drake this season, and his tools such as his plus vision, good hands and ability to win battles give me confidence in his NHL projection. The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 The main issue is his skating, not his size or lack of skill. You can improve a guy’s footspeed, it’s harder to make a player taller or inject talent into them. Filip Chytil, C, New York Rangers (21st overall) Chytil was strong in the NHL preseason for the Rangers, but he’s been quite good since being sent down to Hartford. He’s playing significant minutes and making an impact for his club. Here are the recent top U19 forwards who have played in the AHL, sorted by shots per game: Chytil’s performance isn’t at David Pastrnak/William Nylander level, but he isn’t too far behind and has shown in a group of mostly early first- round picks — which he was not — that he’s right there in that peer group. His shot per game rate leads his AHL team, despite him being the youngest player in the league and by far the youngest of that peer group of 18 year olds mentioned above. He has the tools to succeed with his speed and skill, but it’s his IQ that has impressed me at this level, which I previously didn’t see as this good. Chytil would likely go top 10-15 in a redraft as it stands now. Max Gildon, D, Florida (66th overall) Gildon’s season has been a lot better than you’d have expected even for a player pick around the 60s, and he has put himself in the conversation for the U.S. World Junior team as an underage player, according to a source. He’s been one of the more dynamic underclassmen defenders in the country. He skates well for a player his size, moves the puck well and has a quality point shot. His defensive decisions aren’t great, but he still pushed the play forward. A look at some recent top 18-year-old defensemen in the NCAA, in varying conferences, sorted by shots per game, shows that Gildon is playing at a notably high level: Igor Shvyryov, C, Colorado (125th overall) I mentioned Shvyryov in last week’s column looking at every team's farm system. I don’t have much to add other than he’s the kind of guy who slid under the radar due to not having much international experience prior to a few weeks ago, with his last appearance for Russia coming nearly two years ago. He’s definitely a player you give kudos to a scout for, but a player with his size, skill and numbers last season in the MHL shouldn’t have been overlooked, including by me. Aarne Talvitie, C, New Jersey (160th overall) Talvitie doesn’t have elite offensive talent, but whenever I’ve watched him, he’s been noticeable, whether at the U18 last season or at the 1086086 Websites At this moment — and in Hakstol's defense, the season is far from finished — I'd be hesitant to give him a fourth year as head coach based on his results thus far, if I was in Hextall's position. The Athletic / Evaluating Dave Hakstol's status as head coach: What However, there is a difference between being skeptical of whether should the Flyers do next? Hakstol is the right coach for the Flyers moving forward, and believing that he needs to be fired immediately, in the middle of the season as a reaction to a losing streak. The latter is where I draw the line. By Charlie O'Connor 11 hours ago While Hextall's comments understandably may came off as tone-deaf to frustrated fans, the general manager really isn't wrong in his unpopular belief that the team was not playing poorly, at least over the first eight The question that bubbled below the surface of every conversation games of the losing streak. During the 17-day period that made up the surrounding the Philadelphia Flyers over the past two weeks finally burst first eight losses, the Flyers were driving play at 5-on-5 (they held a out into the open for all to see on Tuesday night, during a listless 3-1 loss 53.3% adjusted Corsi For Percentage, which ranked fifth in the NHL over to the San Jose Sharks that ended with fans' chants of “Fire Hakstol!” that span) and were holding their own in all-situations Expected Goals, echoing throughout the Wells Fargo Center. It was no real surprise; a with a passable 50.75% adjusted xG. Hextall's comment that a 5-4, 0.500 demand for change is a predictable reaction to watching your team lose record was truly deserved by the Flyers does find support in the nine straight games and get thoroughly dominated on home ice in the numbers. final defeat. The hard truth is that single game outcomes are highly subject to random There have been takes in recent days from national media pundits variance, or luck. There's a reason why it's exceedingly difficult for even essentially scolding fans for calling for head coach Dave Hakstol's ouster, complex mathematical models to predict wins and losses on a nightly usually implying that this is another example of Philadelphia being a basis. And sometimes, luck — both good and bad — can last a very long demanding sports town and lacking the patience that would exist time. Look at the 2013-14 Colorado Avalanche, which rode it to a division elsewhere. title before the facade holding up a flawed roster crumbled in subsequent years, culminating with the escape of Patrick Roy and the worst post- Frankly, that's totally unfair. The Flyers are a spend-to-the-cap team with lockout season ever by an NHL team. If we agree that sometimes a two of the 16 highest-paid players in hockey, both who are easily clearing legitimately terrible team can sustain “good luck” over a seven-month a point-per-game pace at the moment. Clubs with that kind of talent are period, it's not crazy to accept that a decent team can be hit with expected to be competitive at the very least. The coach of the team — supremely bad luck over a two-week stretch. who had no NHL track record prior to being hired — led the Flyers to a first-round playoff exit in Year 1, a playoff-less season in Year 2 and now Of course, the loss to the San Jose Sharks in no way, shape or form can a nine-game losing streak in Year 3. That trajectory, combined with the be attributed to bad luck. Outside of the first five minutes of the game, it expectations accompanying a roster such as this, would have Hakstol on was horrific hockey played by the Flyers. the hot seat in any city, not just Philadelphia. This raises an intriguing question. Why did Hextall emerge after a game General manager Ron Hextall backed his coach forcefully twice this in which his club finally did deliver a showing as ugly as its record, and week — first immediately after Tuesday's loss in the Flyers' locker room, claim with a straight face that the team isn't playing poorly? That and again the next day in a one-on-one discussion with NBC Sports explanation would have been far more justifiable in the wake of the Philadelphia's Philly Sports Talk show. The overarching points that Pittsburgh loss the night before, a defeat that truly did feel like a Murphy's Hextall made were that he continues to trust that the players and Law game. coaches will pull out of this losing streak, and that a coaching change is not necessary. The “Fire Hakstol” chants surely played a role in the general manager's decision to publicly do damage control. But my guess is that by going For the record, I concur with Hextall … at least in the here and now. public, Hextall's intent was less to send a message to the fans, and more to direct one at the players themselves. I say this as someone who is far from convinced that Dave Hakstol is the long-term answer at head coach for the Philadelphia Flyers. The team's Hextall is correct that the Flyers' quality of play over the first eight games offensive zone passing and shooting tendencies under the third-year of the losing streak wasn't worthy of a coaching change. However, the coach have done little to help them score goals, which has been a team's performance in the ninth game absolutely was. I suspect Hextall lingering problem over the past two seasons. Even accounting for some went out there on Tuesday and Wednesday to try and stop that level of adjustments in that area this season, only the Flyers' top line is effort by his team from becoming the new normal. He did it in two ways: flourishing, with the rest of the forward corps struggling to live up to first, via positive reinforcement by stating confidence in the players' talent preseason expectations. And that's still an improvement over last year, and abilities, but more importantly, by making it clear that Hextall is not when only Sean Couturier scored at an above-average rate at 5-on-5 prepared to address the problem for the players by firing the coach. among Philadelphia regulars. In publicly stating that Hakstol's job is safe, Hextall's message to the In addition, I don't buy the case that Hakstol has undoubtedly done a players was that they can't spin their wheels in wait for a new voice to fantastic job developing the Flyers' young talent, as Hextall argued on show up and change things. They need to fix these issues themselves, Wednesday. Couturier's jump from middle-six scorer to legitimate top within the current structure created by this coaching staff. liner is a feather in Hakstol's cap, without a doubt. But beyond him? Travis Konecny has stagnated in Year 2, to the point that some have It's obvious that Hextall likes and respects Hakstol, and certainly is not theorized a demotion to the AHL would be best for him. Ivan Provorov eager to pull the plug on his hand-picked “outside-the-box” coaching hire. remains the same “good by the eye test, mediocre by stats” player he I believe Hextall's comments over Tuesday and Wednesday were his was in his rookie year, which likely means that either he's not progressing preemptive attempts to save a coach that he still feels is the right man for as his talent implies he can or that the coach is not putting him in the job, before the situation became truly untenable. positions to produce the results he's capable of, or a combination of the two. Shayne Gostisbehere's past year-and-a-half can be charitably And let's be honest with ourselves: this situation could quickly become described as “up-and-down,” both by stats and via the eye test. Scott untenable. Right now, the Sharks game is a one-game anomaly, which Laughton, Taylor Leier and Jordan Weal have developed well during can reasonably be chalked up to being the second game of a road/home Hakstol's tenure, to be sure, but most of that process occurred in the back-to-back at the end of a five-games-in-eight-days stretch against a AHL, not with the big club under Hakstol's eye. very tough opponent. But if that quality of play recurs against Boston on Saturday? Or lingers into the Western Conference road trip next week? Hextall noted yesterday that “Hak does a lot of things behind the scenes Then the “we are not playing poorly” statement from Hextall no longer for young players” and I'm obviously not in position to question that. He holds water. It's not difficult to imagine a scenario where the players, tired very well might be fantastic at handling young players behind closed of hearing that they're doing lots of things right while watching the losses doors. All I can do is evaluate the results, and I don't see clear evidence pile up, simply lose faith in the system and the coach as a whole. If that that all of this development is manifesting itself positively as of yet. happens — and the on-ice product should make it very clear if it has — an immediate firing becomes a necessity, for no other reason than the The team's overall results have dramatically dipped as well, even beyond young talent on the roster will not be helped by “developing” in such an this nine-game skid. Since the conclusion of the Flyers' ten-game winning environment. streak on December 17 of 2016, the team has a 28-33-14 record, a timespan just seven contests short of a full season. That's a 0.373 But in my opinion, a midseason coaching change for this team should winning percentage in what is becoming an increasingly large sample remain a last resort. Generally, a team fires a coach in December or size. January if the front office had high expectations for that season and is looking to salvage things — think the John Stevens-for-Peter Laviolette move in 2009, or the Mike Johnston-for-Mike Sullivan switch in Pittsburgh. I'm not sure what the Flyers would be trying to salvage here. At best, this was always looking like a bubble playoff team, with an absolute best-case scenario being a second-round exit. Right now, HockeyViz.com has Philadelphia's playoff odds at 25 percent, and considering Toronto earned the second wild-card spot in the East with a 40-27-15 record last year, the Flyers would have to go 32-17-8 the rest of the way to match that. Which doesn't seem likely, even with a “better” coach. Assuming the Flyers don't totally fall off the rails in the coming days and weeks, I'm not sure what benefit an immediate firing of Hakstol provides aside from satisfying the bloodlust of fans desperate to see his head on a plate. The team would almost certainly replace him with an internal interim coach, likely one of Scott Gordon, Gord Murphy, Kris Knoblauch or Ian Laperriere. Gordon already failed once in the NHL, Murphy has never been a head coach at any level, Knoblauch (the most intriguing of the options) is only 25 games into his first season as a member of an NHL coaching staff, and Laperriere's record as steward of the Flyers' penalty kill has been underwhelming to say the least. There's no obvious savior in this group, and even if an interim coach does succeed, there's no guarantee he's not just being fueled by luck finally swinging in the Flyers' favor. If the Flyers stabilize in the coming weeks and go back to being the around-0.500 club they were prior to the losing streak, I'd stick it out with Hakstol through the end of the year. Maybe the team bands together under their coach and goes on a late-season run like it did in 2015-16, solidifying his job security. And if the head coach and team do not show obvious signs of improvement beyond mere mediocrity the rest of the way, I'd let Hakstol go in April and begin a full coaching search. There will be more viable external candidates available then vs. now, and Hextall will also have a better read on whether the most attractive internal option (Knoblauch) might be ready for a promotion. The x-factor here, of course, is how the Flyers look over the next few games. If things are going to truly fall apart, it will happen soon, with the Sharks game a preview of the sloppy, uninspired play that could be to come. In that scenario, a midseason removal of Dave Hakstol as coach will have to happen. But until the team reaches the point where that Sharks game is a nightly occurrence, I agree with Hextall that staying the course is the best move.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086087 Websites “It’s a hard league and it’s supposed to be a hard league. The best league in the world is supposed to be hard, and if you want to be a guy who becomes a star, it’s about heart and soul and digging in and getting Sportsnet.ca / William Nylander showing time on Maple Leafs’ fourth line better.” won’t last long There have been signs of that during this swing through Alberta despite the severely curtailed minutes. Chris Johnston Nylander admits that he’s struggled with his confidence at times and grown frustrated when the offence dried up. It doesn’t hurt that he has @reporterchris people to lean on – both here with the team and back home, where his father watches games as often as possible. November 30, 2017, 11:59 PM Now the points are coming and so are the victories.

Surely, the minutes are soon to follow. EDMONTON – Michael Nylander told his son to stick with it.

Watching the Toronto Maple Leafs from a continent away, the former NHLer saw signs that William was about to emerge from the desert. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 “You’ll get out of it,” he urged his boy, who was dropped to the fourth line and saw a career-low in ice time during Tuesday’s game in Calgary. Nylander didn’t play much more against the Edmonton Oilers, but he made the most of his 11:12 on Thursday night – delivering a goal and two assists in a wild 6-4 victory. His stay on the fourth line with Matt Martin and Dominic Moore shouldn’t be long. In fact, it should probably be over by the time the puck drops Saturday in Vancouver. The 21-year-old has endured some tough love here, but suddenly has six points to show for his last four games. “It was only a matter of time for him,” said teammate Nazem Kadri. “He’s got all the skill in the world. He wants to be good, he works hard and I think as a young guy it’s just … handling those slumps can be difficult at times. “But with his skill the puck’s going to go in the net, and with that shot – great shot. Great screens. All around great plays.” There was unmistakeable solace on his face when he beat Laurent Brossoit bar-down late in the second period. That gave the Leafs a 4-3 lead after they’d been dominated in the frame and frittered away a 3-1 advantage. It was just Nylander’s second goal in the last 19 games and he smiled while banging the glass in unison with the mob of Leafs fans at Rogers Place. “Probably a little relief, for sure,” he said. “It’s always nice to score.” An underrated aspect of Toronto’s 17-9-1 start is the fact Nylander and Mitch Marner have both struggled at times to build on their impressive rookie campaigns. The team is now one point behind Tampa Bay for first place in the Atlantic Division and doesn’t yet have everyone hitting full stride. The first two months of the season have seen Nylander, Marner and Connor Brown all spend time playing right wing on the fourth line. It’s a far cry from last year, when they were each firmly entrenched in the top- nine and experienced very little line juggling. “Everyone got to play 16 minutes whether they played good or not – they were kids; they were trying to get involved in the league – and that’s what we did,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “But, you know, on all the good teams you coach we’ve had players all over and you do what you’ve got to do to win that night. “So whoever’s playing good gets to play.” In a game featuring Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid, we got a reminder from Nylander that there are other skilled young players worth the price of admission. The game wasn’t even three minutes old before he found Matthews with a cross-ice pass on the power play. He then forced a turnover in the offensive zone and triggered one of the nicer fourth-line goals you’re bound to see. It went Nylander to Moore to Martin and Toronto had a 3-1 lead after just 13 minutes. We should all hope to “struggle” like the silky Swede. He lost the coveted spot beside Matthews and still sits at 20 points after 27 games – putting him on pace to match the 61 he registered as a rookie. He’s trending upwards, too. “So if you look at it today, he’s going to have more points than he had last year,” said Babcock. “I don’t know what it’s all about. Just play hard and work hard and you’re a really talented player. The league is really hard. Your first year no one knows who you are and after that they know who you are. If you want to be a star, you’ve got to dig in and become an everydayer. 1086088 Websites 10 games since returning from a knee injury. And defenceman Alex Edler had one of his best games of the season, stapling Predators’ Viktor Arvidsson with a hard check along the boards about 15 seconds after the Sportsnet.ca / Canucks overwhelm Predators by channelling their inner opening faceoff. Dorsett It was obvious then this was no ordinary game for the Canucks, coming at the end of an extraordinary day. Iain MacIntyre “Talking about Dorse this morning and how unfortunate it was, it was a real nice response from our team tonight,” Canucks coach Travis Green @imacSportsnet said. “Put the Dorsett situation aside and what he means to our group; we talked about that this was a good test for us. I liked that we were November 30, 2017, 10:57 PM playing Nashville tonight — one of the hottest teams in the league right now. We needed a response. We got it.”

Back in Vancouver, maybe even Derek Dorsett was able to smile. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An awful day ended beautifully for the Vancouver Canucks. The National Hockey League team, gutted by confirmation in the morning Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 that winger Derek Dorsett’s career was over at age 30 due to back injuries, channelled all their emotion into beating the powerful Nashville Predators on Thursday night. They did it by Daniel Sedin scoring the tying goal for his 1,000th point in the NHL, which made him only the second Canuck after his brother, Henrik, to reach that milestone. They did it with a gorgeous winner from 20-year-old rookie Brock Boeser, set up by Nikolay Goldobin in his first NHL game this season. They did it by scoring three times in the third period, at the end of a six- game road trip, to erase a 3-2 deficit and beat a Nashville team that had been 10-1-1 at home and 12-1-1 in its last 14 games. The Canucks did all of this by playing with the intensity and conviction that allowed Dorsett to build a 10-year career by physically battling opponents who were bigger and more talented. It’s hard to imagine all those conflicting emotions cursing through one team in one day. But that’s part of the wonder of sports, isn’t it? “It’s been an up-and-down day for us with the news of Dorse and then Danny reaching 1,000 points,” Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson summarzied. “I think it was the hockey gods on our side and it was almost meant for us to have two points.” It was an up-and-down night for Nilsson, who looked leaky on two of the three Predators goals that beat him in the second period, but was then bulletproof in the third. Twice pucks clanged off the iron behind Nilsson when the Canucks trailed 3-2. Hockey gods. “I think we all were a little more emotional today,” Boeser said after his two-goal, three-point game raised his total to 13 goals and 25 points in 23 games. “It was heartbreaking for everyone in the room. (Dorsett) was a leader to me and he was a really good role model, so it’s heartbreaking. But we wanted to come out here tonight and play this game for him. Keep playing the rest of the season for him.” “One of the ways we can honour Derek is to play hard,” Daniel Sedin said. “He deserves that. He played that way each and every night.” After getting his 999th point on a second-period assist, Sedin hit 1,000 with a power-play goal that tied the game 3-3 at 10:22 of the third period. It was followed less than four minutes later by Boeser’s winner as the Calder Trophy candidate badly fooled Rinne on a deke after a nice setup by Goldobin on a 2-on-1. Sedin’s shot rattled through Rinne’s pads. “In my head it went in top shelf,” Daniel said, smiling. “But it hit one of their guys’ sticks and went five-hole. I don’t think it would have beaten him if it didn’t hit his stick. I wanted it to be a goal in a big win, and we got both. I’m extremely proud of the group. To be a part of this group, it’s amazing.” When Henrik reached his 1,000th point with a goal last January against old friend Roberto Luongo, Canucks players streamed off the bench to celebrate in Vancouver. The home crowd gave him an extended standing ovation. Thursday’s milestone was greeted with a simple PA announcement in Nashville that was lost amid the Predators’ push to win the game. But all the Canucks players knew what it meant. “I’m very excited for him, very happy,” Nilsson said. “I’m happy I was able to be a part of it. I’ve been watching the Sedins ever since I was a teenager. It was fun to be a part of this.” It was a big night for the Swedish Canucks. The Sedins’ linemate, Loui Eriksson, scored twice, including an empty-netter, and has 10 points in 1086089 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens looking to trade defenceman Brandon Davidson

Eric Engels November 30, 2017, 5:58 PM

The Montreal Canadiens have made defenceman Brandon Davidson available to trade and have sent an email to all other NHL teams indicating so, a source has told Sportsnet. Davidson, 26, has been a healthy scratch for the past three games and has appeared in 13 contests this season. He has one assist, nine penalty minutes and a minus-three rating. With Davidson available, it’s most likely Victor Mete is with Habs at least until WJC camp opens. — Eric Engels (@EricEngels) November 30, 2017 Davidson was originally acquired from the Edmonton Oilers on Feb. 28 for forward David Desharnais.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086090 Websites “I’m feeling for him right now,” said Toronto’s Nazem Kadri. “They did a great job, they earned themselves at least a point in that one, and came up a little bit short. Tough bounce.” Sportsnet.ca / Oilers return the favour by standing up for Russell after It summed up the Oilers season, really. gaffe And alas, gave the digital world another reason to rag on Russell.

In case they’d run out of ammo. Mark Spector

@sportsnetspec Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 December 1, 2017, 1:30 AM

EDMONTON — Kris Russell gets lost in today’s National Hockey League, a throw-back, 1980’s, blood ‘n’ guts defenceman who dies on the table for the numbers surgeons in 2017. The analytics folks? They can’t stand the poor guy, whose intangible attributes are unquantifiable, and certainly no match for the Fancy Stats his game spits out. But his teammates? There is a special place in the hearts of hockey players for guys who do what Kris Russell does, and they’d fight a mad bull for him. The way his dad did during all those Central Alberta summers as a bullfighter — formerly called rodeo clowns — saving cowboys’ bacon every weekend, driving the dusty roads out of out of little Caroline, Alta. “He’s a guy you would go to war for. He does everything for us,” said Connor McDavid, moments after Russell’s own-goal had turned a fabulous game into heartbreak, and to the Toronto Maple Leafs by a 6-4 score. “He throws himself in shooting lanes where most guys would be diving to get out of the way. He puts himself in harm’s way.” Your chances of finding a Marquay McDaniel (the Calgary Stampeders player who callously blamed a teammate who’d made a key Grey Cup fumble) in the Oilers room after Thursday’s crippling turn of events were less than nil. Point the finger of blame at Russell? Not among hockey men who see for themselves the selfless game Russell plays, a 667-game career of covering others’ mistakes, blocking shots with whatever body part is handy. He’d had a fantastic game, scoring a key goal, adding an assist, playing 24:10 in the sudden absence of defenceman Adam Larsson, a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Four blocked shots, four hits, four shots on goal — the Corsi guys might even have liked him on this night, until he spun and wired a shot five-hole on Laurent Brossoit that broke a 4-4 tie with 1:05 to play. “It was a bounce,” said Russell, who was there in his stall when the media entered post-game, even though he looked he wanted to vomit. “I turned to try and battle it out and obviously you know what happened.” Russell is a veteran. Hang around this league long enough, something like this will happen to you. But on this night, when a struggling Oilers club had clawed back from 2-0 and 3-1 first-period deficits, this type of ending just gutted the guy. “I’m pretty frustrated with the way it ended,” he said, at a loss for words to describe the disappointment. “I don’t know what you want me to say? You know what happened at the end.” This was one of those games when Russell’s attributes were overt enough that even his toughest critics might see some value. His usual subtle, unquantifiable game was augmented by a couple of points and some steady zone exits, a third-pairing guy shining on a night when the two fourth lines combined for five goals. “He does so many good things for us, you can’t fault a guy for making a mistake like that,” said Brossoit, called into duty for the next two weeks at least, with Cam Talbot going on injured reserve. Russell’s blast perfectly beat Brossoit from about 15 feet, a real shame when the young backup had played so well after being absolutely bombarded by the Leafs in the first period. “I didn’t see it on a Toronto stick, but at the same time I could have been a little sharper, could have been a bit more ready, especially with a minute left,” said Brossoit. “I could have been more intense to make sure we closed it out and got it to overtime.” Count Brossoit as another guy lining up to take a bullet for Russell. Even his opponents took time to send sympathies. 1086091 Websites As for Price, the fact he’s back to his old self is an enormous boon for Montreal. Julien, though, believes some good signs were there before the all-world goalie’s return. Sportsnet.ca / Unlikely contributions push undermanned Canadiens back “I thought the confidence started coming around before Carey came to even back,” he said. “We played a lot better, but when Carey comes in, it’s another added element. The confidence level certainty takes another jolt in the right direction.” Ryan Dixon The Canadiens must surely like the path they’ve been on recently. @dixononsports Couple their success with the spiraling of some Atlantic rivals — Detroit has now dropped six straight, while Ottawa is winless in seven — and the December 1, 2017, 12:15 AM path to a playoff spot that seemed extremely unlikely even a week ago has never been clearer.

“It can’t stop [here],” said Gallagher. “We play [Detroit] the next game [on DETROIT — The Montreal Canadiens are back to even. And the fact Saturday in Montreal] and it’s just as important as it was tonight. The they got there with two key skaters sidelined speaks volumes about the position we’re in right now, we can’t afford to get complacent. We players, from top to bottom, who were in the lineup. understand that.” The Canadiens won a season-high fourth consecutive game on Thursday That’s never been easier to believe. night, downing the Detroit Red Wings 6-3 at Little Caesars Arena. With a pair of No. 1’s — centre Jonathan Drouin and defenceman Shea Weber — absent due to injury, the Canadiens got production from go-to guys and AHL callups alike. And, as has been the case in their previous three Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 triumphs, they also received more of the spectacular goaltending they expect from Carey Price. Since returning from a suspected knee injury on Saturday night, Price has .962 save percentage in four outings. The victory moves Montreal’s record to 12-12-3 on the season, which is saying something considering the club was 1-6-1 after eight contests this year. Beyond getting them back to .500, the Canadiens’ latest two points also slides them into the post-season spot that comes with being placed third in the Atlantic Division. (Though it should be noted they’ve played four more games than the fourth-place Boston Bruins). “We know it’s going to take more than being even if you want to be in the playoffs,” said Claude Julien, who earned his 100th career victory as Montreal’s coach. “It’s a fresh start in a certain way [and] hopefully we can continue to move forward and get on the positive side of the wins and losses.” There were definitely all kinds of things to like against Detroit. Give Montreal a pass on its sluggish first period — the team was playing 24 hours after defeating the Ottawa Senators — and it was basically a letter- perfect performance. Brendan Gallagher padded his team goal-scoring lead with a pair of tip- ins. Daniel Carr, after getting summoned from the AHL’s Laval Rocket for his first NHL tilt this season, assisted on the game-opening tally. Charles Hudon, who’s been snake-bitten much of the year, hit pay dirt for this third goal of the season. Top dogs Alex Galchenyuk and Max Pacioretty also sniped. Andrew Shaw, after setting up the game-winner on Wednesday, got the crucial go-ahead marker when he roofed a second- period breakaway shot over Jimmy Howard’s glove. And Jacob de la Rose, an unlikely pinch-hitter for Drouin as the No. 1 pivot, picked up his first NHL point since Feb. 15, 2016. How’s that for varied contributions on an evening when Weber missed his sixth straight game with a lower-body injury and Drouin didn’t make the trip after apparently re-aggravating a lower-body injury versus the Sens? “I like the character we showed,” said Julien. “It would have been easy after the first to say, ‘We haven’t got it tonight.’ But we weren’t going to be denied. Our guys went out, worked hard and got rewarded with a good win.” Given he’s gone nearly two years without showing up on an NHL scoresheet, de la Rose was certainly the poster boy for production from unlikely sources. He’s nobody’s idea of a top pivot. For a night, though, he faked it just fine. “When guys like [Drouin] go down, someone has to step in and I thought he played a solid two-way game,” Galchenyuk said of his centre. One guy who’s had it going through thick and thin this season is Gallagher. He opened the scoring just 4:10 into the action on Thursday by tipping a waist-high shot by Pacioretty, then re-directed a Jeff Petry blast in the third to give Montreal a comfortable three-goal cushion. The nasty hummingbird of a right winger — after consecutive years in which he missed significant time thanks to hands broken by slap shots — is on pace for a career-best 36 goals. “He’s playing great for us,” said Galchenyuk. “Since the start of the year, he’s been our best forward in my mind.” 1086092 Websites 10 games since returning from a knee injury. And defenceman Alex Edler had one of his best games of the season, stapling Predators’ Viktor Arvidsson with a hard check along the boards about 15 seconds after the Sportsnet.ca / Canucks overwhelm Predators by channelling their inner opening faceoff. Dorsett It was obvious then this was no ordinary game for the Canucks, coming at the end of an extraordinary day. Iain MacIntyre “Talking about Dorse this morning and how unfortunate it was, it was a real nice response from our team tonight,” Canucks coach Travis Green @imacSportsnet said. “Put the Dorsett situation aside and what he means to our group; we talked about that this was a good test for us. I liked that we were November 30, 2017, 10:57 PM playing Nashville tonight — one of the hottest teams in the league right now. We needed a response. We got it.”

Back in Vancouver, maybe even Derek Dorsett was able to smile. NASHVILLE, Tenn. – An awful day ended beautifully for the Vancouver Canucks. The National Hockey League team, gutted by confirmation in the morning Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 that winger Derek Dorsett’s career was over at age 30 due to back injuries, channelled all their emotion into beating the powerful Nashville Predators on Thursday night. They did it by Daniel Sedin scoring the tying goal for his 1,000th point in the NHL, which made him only the second Canuck after his brother, Henrik, to reach that milestone. They did it with a gorgeous winner from 20-year-old rookie Brock Boeser, set up by Nikolay Goldobin in his first NHL game this season. They did it by scoring three times in the third period, at the end of a six- game road trip, to erase a 3-2 deficit and beat a Nashville team that had been 10-1-1 at home and 12-1-1 in its last 14 games. The Canucks did all of this by playing with the intensity and conviction that allowed Dorsett to build a 10-year career by physically battling opponents who were bigger and more talented. It’s hard to imagine all those conflicting emotions cursing through one team in one day. But that’s part of the wonder of sports, isn’t it? “It’s been an up-and-down day for us with the news of Dorse and then Danny reaching 1,000 points,” Canucks goalie Anders Nilsson summarzied. “I think it was the hockey gods on our side and it was almost meant for us to have two points.” It was an up-and-down night for Nilsson, who looked leaky on two of the three Predators goals that beat him in the second period, but was then bulletproof in the third. Twice pucks clanged off the iron behind Nilsson when the Canucks trailed 3-2. Hockey gods. “I think we all were a little more emotional today,” Boeser said after his two-goal, three-point game raised his total to 13 goals and 25 points in 23 games. “It was heartbreaking for everyone in the room. (Dorsett) was a leader to me and he was a really good role model, so it’s heartbreaking. But we wanted to come out here tonight and play this game for him. Keep playing the rest of the season for him.” “One of the ways we can honour Derek is to play hard,” Daniel Sedin said. “He deserves that. He played that way each and every night.” After getting his 999th point on a second-period assist, Sedin hit 1,000 with a power-play goal that tied the game 3-3 at 10:22 of the third period. It was followed less than four minutes later by Boeser’s winner as the Calder Trophy candidate badly fooled Rinne on a deke after a nice setup by Goldobin on a 2-on-1. Sedin’s shot rattled through Rinne’s pads. “In my head it went in top shelf,” Daniel said, smiling. “But it hit one of their guys’ sticks and went five-hole. I don’t think it would have beaten him if it didn’t hit his stick. I wanted it to be a goal in a big win, and we got both. I’m extremely proud of the group. To be a part of this group, it’s amazing.” When Henrik reached his 1,000th point with a goal last January against old friend Roberto Luongo, Canucks players streamed off the bench to celebrate in Vancouver. The home crowd gave him an extended standing ovation. Thursday’s milestone was greeted with a simple PA announcement in Nashville that was lost amid the Predators’ push to win the game. But all the Canucks players knew what it meant. “I’m very excited for him, very happy,” Nilsson said. “I’m happy I was able to be a part of it. I’ve been watching the Sedins ever since I was a teenager. It was fun to be a part of this.” It was a big night for the Swedish Canucks. The Sedins’ linemate, Loui Eriksson, scored twice, including an empty-netter, and has 10 points in 1086093 Websites his career was over was almost too much to process for Canucks players.

"It’s tough to wrap your head around," defenceman Chris Tanev said. "I Sportsnet.ca / Dorsett’s retirement leaves Canucks teammates with can only imagine how hard it is for him right now. He would do anything emotional hole for his teammates. You see how he treats his friends, how he is with his family and his kids. He was a guy everyone loved to have around. This is terrible news." Iain MacIntyre "It’s almost your worst fear – that you don’t get to walk away from the @imacSportsnet game on your own terms," defenceman Erik Gudbranson said. "It’s a tough sport, and he played the game the right way. (But retiring) is the November 30, 2017, 12:41 PM right thing to do; your health is first and foremost. He’s got a beautiful young family. It’s tough because he’s a huge part of this team, a huge

part of this locker room. But once the dust settles, he’s going to do just NASHVILLE, Tenn. – You know the game, so often joyful, can turn as fine. He’s going to be a very successful human being." cruel as the business, and so you try never to take any of it for granted. After his triumphant return to the Canucks in October, Dorsett talked You tell yourself that any shift gone horribly wrong could be your last in about learning to love hockey again after he had resented the game for the National Hockey League, and you try to be ready. You tell yourself what it had done to him. He had never been happier playing in NHL, and that one day it will be your career that ends, and it may not be your was grateful to be able to play at all. choice. But Dorsett’s decision to accept the advice of his surgeon, Dr. Robert And all that telling and reasoning still probably did not come close to Watkins, and the Canucks’ medical team led by Dr. Bill Regan, is proof preparing Derek Dorsett for the devastating medical news, stark and that he has his priorities in order – that there are things far more merciless, that he will never play another NHL game. Never sit in the important to him than hockey. dressing room again as a full member of the Vancouver Canucks, never Dorsett and his wife, Allison, have two sons. Dylan turns three next carve another turn on the ice or feel the weight of the puck on his stick, month, and little brother Ethan is 1½. Derek’s 31st birthday is Dec. 20. never score another goal and get mobbed by teammates. Never hear the road of the crowd. In time, hopefully, Dorsett may see the 20 NHL games he played this season as a kind of victory lap for his will and spirit, something he will It is just over. remember with fondness, rather than as a cruel false start to the rest of "I talked to Dorse this morning and it was tough to fight back tears," his career. Canucks defenceman Michael Del Zotto said after a morning skate in As Allison Dorsett told Sportsnet last month, Derek’s dad, Dean, taught Nashville. "I played with him in New York, so I’ve known him a long time. all his children an alphabet of four Ds: determination, dedication, desire Just talking about him among ourselves (with teammates) it was and discipline. Derek will now direct those values to other things, emotional. including the construction business in which he has partnered with his "From the time you are five years old, your life is hockey. You dream of father and brothers. playing in the NHL and you practise and play, and then you get ready for The business is expanding in the Vernon, B.C., area. your next game. You get some time off in the summer and you do things with your family and friends, but then you’re thinking about training and "I’m always going to be a guy who’s prepared for after hockey," Dorsett getting ready for another season. Hockey is all you’ve known. What is he, told me in October. "I’m not going to be a guy who just sits around. I 30 years old? He’s still young. It’s not easy." come from a very entrepreneurial family, a hard-working family that’s had a lot of success in business. That’s something I’ll be involved in once I’m Canucks veteran Daniel Sedin said: "For anyone who plays, hockey is done playing, whether it’s two years or another five years." such a big part of your life. To have that ripped away… it’s tough." He got 10 more games. Canucks players love Dorsett. And it wasn’t just the standing up for teammates or even the hockey, Del Zotto said. It was everything about the undersized, unpretentious winger from Kindersley, Sask., who built an NHL career because his heart was bigger than his body. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 And in the end, his body could not keep up. One year after undergoing cervical-fusion surgery to replace a damaged disc, Dorsett’s doctors in Los Angeles last week discovered another herniated disc near the rebuilt section of his back and told him he shouldn’t play again. And that was that. Dorsett contacted several teammates the last couple of days to tell them he can’t play anymore, and the Canucks officially announced the end of his career in a press release this morning. The 189th-overall draft pick from 2006 played 10 years and 515 games in the NHL. And this season, after a health scare in which Dorsett had worried about his quality of life, he played some of the best hockey of his career. He scored six times in Vancouver’s first 10 games, playing an elevated role as a shutdown forward deployed against the opposition’s best players. "It’s amazing what you can do when you feel healthy," Dorsett said a month ago. His comeback from spinal surgery became an early rallying point in the dressing room as the Canucks surprised everyone by starting 6-3-1. Teammates were elated for him. Now they’re in mourning. When Dorsett flew home last week from the Canucks’ six-game road trip, which ends Thursday night against the Nashville Predators, there was obvious concern for the player after he experienced stiffness in his upper back. But there was a strong hope that it might be a more-or-less natural consequence after so serious a surgery, and that a little rest and rehab could be all Dorsett needed. The announcement just nine days later that 1086094 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Oilers’ Brossoit in the spotlight with Talbot out ‘at least two weeks’

Mark Spector @sportsnetspec November 30, 2017, 3:34 PM

EDMONTON — Laurent Brossoit’s nickname is “L.B.,” and as of Thursday morning the weight was squarely on the backup goalie’s shoulders, when the Edmonton Oilers put Cam Talbot on injured reserve with an undisclosed upper body injury. “In Detroit he tweaked something up top, and we didn’t think anything of it,” said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan. “Obviously he’s on I.R. now, and we don’t think he’ll be available for at least two weeks, and it could be longer.” Cue Brossoit, who gets thrust into the brightest possible spotlight Thursday night with Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in town. It will be Brossoit’s fourth start of the 2017-18 season, and the just the 14th of his young NHL career. “I feel great,” he said after the morning skate. “You never want to see a teammate go down, but in my position as a backup you’re looking for opportunity. I just want to build on that.” There is never a good time for your No. 1 goalie to go down with an injury, but the change does greet both goalies at a pretty good time in their season. Talbot had begun to right his game, but still sports a miserable save percentage of .903. He’s been the busiest goaltender in the NHL dating back to the beginning of last season, and could perhaps use a couple of weeks to refresh, watch some film, and recapture his game. Meanwhile, Brossoit is coming off two excellent starts. He allowed two goals in a 3-1 loss at Buffalo this past Friday, and was excellent in a 2-1 shootout loss at Washington on Nov 12. “We believe in L.B., and he’s given us some really, really strong performances this year,” said centre Leon Draisaitl, who added the Oilers won’t change their game with the backup taking the reins for a couple of weeks. “There’s nothing to change. He’s an NHL goalie. We’re not going to change anything.” McLellan agreed. “Well, I know I’m not going to walk into the locker room and create a situation that may not exist by telling the team, ‘Hey we’ve got to protect this guy.’ He’s a very capable goaltender,” the coach said. “We’ll try and provide him with offensive support and defensive support. Same as we try to do for Cam.” Talbot led the NHL in starts (73), shots faced (2,117) and minutes played (4,294) last season. And with the Oilers’ playoff chances already diminished, the opportunities to toss Brossoit a few more starts weren’t as available as the team had planned at the start of the season. But the job is Brossoit’s Thursday against Toronto, Saturday in Calgary, and four days later when Philadelphia comes to town — at least. He’s looking forward to his opportunity, and even admits to being a tad nervous. “It’s the NHL, it’s always going to be intimidating,” said Brossoit, 24. “I don’t think there are many guys in the league who don’t get nervous before games. It’s dealing with the nerves, and learning how to deal with that is the big thing I think I’ve learned to manage now.” Nick Ellis was called up from Bakersfield to backup up Brossoit. The former Providence college goaler has yet to log his first minute in the NHL.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086095 Websites rebounds, and unforeseen bounces, a harmless shot can often lead to good things. The reason we typically use raw shot attempts as a proxy for possession is because they provide us with a larger sample to Sportsnet.ca / How poor shot quality has contributed to the Oilers’ analyze, but also because they have a strong positive relationship with miserable start future goals and, in turn, winning. It seems overly simplistic, but all of those shots get lumped together because over the long haul these sorts of things tend to even out, and Dimitri Filipovic aside from the extreme outliers there tends to be a relatively narrow range of true shooting talent that most shooters fall into. The problem @DimFilipovic here is the Oilers might just be one of those extreme cases we need to adjust expectations for, because there’s a vast gap in conversion rates November 30, 2017, 2:10 PM between forwards and defencemen.

Partly due to where they’re shooting from (with defenders traditionally Through the first quarter of the NHL season, the Oilers have been the near the point) and actual ability with the puck, defencemen get both a hockey equivalent of a train wreck. It’s been ugly to watch, but there’s significantly smaller chunk of their attempts through to the target and something about the nature in which it’s played out that’s also made it beat the goaltender less when it does get there. Here’s the difference almost impossible to look away. between the two when it comes to shooting the puck during the since the start of 2012: When things go wrong, especially to the degree in which they have for Edmonton this year, the natural tendency is to look around and try to find At the risk of turning this into yet another installment of the heated shot a scapegoat. There’s certainly been no shortage of that here already. quality vs. shot quantity debate, I do think there’s something worth considering here. Or at least I’d like to believe there is, because it First came Connor McDavid, the team’s (read: league’s) best player, scratches a creative itch and opens the door for all sorts of possibilities. when his defensive play and decision-making with the puck were called into question. Then the attention shifted to the unit as a whole, when Players and teams aren’t deviously ‘gaming Corsi’, and any suggestion to concerns were raised about their effort level and willingness to compete. the contrary is patently false. As is the annual tradition of pointing to a The team’s seemingly infallible architect has begrudgingly started to take team outperforming their shot metrics as proof that analytics don’t have a some of the heat himself. As has the local media and the role their place in this sport. regular interactions with the talent plays in all of this. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t more layers to this discussion. Not This drama has undoubtedly made for an entertaining soap opera, but it’s everything is created equal, so shots, the players taking them and the also diverted the attention away from what’s actually happening on the areas of the ice they come from matter. Coaches and the systems they’re ice, and how the team differs from the one that finally got to the playoffs employing from an Xs and Os perspective make a tangible difference. It’s for the first time in a decade last season. a player’s league and talent will win out more often than not, but maybe there are subtle tactical adjustments that can either elevate or submarine What’s particularly interesting is that even though the composition of the a team. team isn’t all that different – aside from one notable name – the results have been, particularly at five-on-five: All of that is what makes a team like the Los Angeles Kings such an interesting story, considering their struggles to turn shots into goals over The dip in performance at both ends of the ice has been jarring. the years, and how they’re finding more success now after all the noise Defensively, the loss of Andrej Sekera due to injury has been a massive they made about it over the summer. Or teams like the Golden Knights factor as it’s thrown their pairings into the blender and forced players into and Devils, who shouldn’t be nearly as effective offensively as they’ve roles for which they’re not best suited. been based on the talent they have on paper, but are somehow fifth and seventh in five-on-five offence for the year. That’s only been compounded by Cam Talbot’s shaky play, as he seems to be succumbing to the insane workload that’s been put on his plate and Or, conversely, a team on the other end of the extreme like the Flyers, is now on the injured reserve, which will force him to miss at least the who should be better and more productive than they are, but are now next two games. He’s started 108 of the team’s past 120 games since going on a second straight year of misguidedly prioritizing what they’re the start of last season (including the playoffs), and it’s showed. Out of doing in the offensive zone. Or the Sharks, who have relied far too much the 59 qualified goalies with at least five games played this year, Talbot on Brent Burns bombing shots from the point, and aren’t looking so hot is 36th in five-on-five save percentage and 46th overall. now that he’s come back down to earth. As big of an issue as those numbers have been, at least it’s reasonably For the sake of transparency the Islanders, Blues, and Lightning are all easy to explain when you look at his workload. There’s something about top-10 in the league in shots from the defence and are still second, third, that which makes it easier to rationalize. and fourth in goals per hour. And the Red Wings, who are getting a higher percentage of their shots from the forwards than anyone in the It’s been tougher to reconcile the struggles that have plagued the Oilers league aren’t exactly running up the score on their opponents. This just on the other end of the ice when they’ve had the puck. The Oilers are goes to show that there isn’t only one way to succeed in this league, third in shot attempts, sixth in shots on goal, but 26th in conversion rate, which is all part of the fun. which shows up in the large discrepancy between their expected and actual goals scored. Whenever a team statistically profiles in this way the In the Oilers’ case, they’re eventually going to start scoring more goals natural inclination is to believe there’s poor puck luck at play and that based on the sheer volume of looks they’re getting and the fact they still positive regression is on the horizon. have a bunch of talented offensive players who should be able to elevate the baseline level of performance for the team as a whole. There’s no denying there’s some truth to that here, too, and it’d be foolish to dismiss it after everything we’ve seen and learned over the years. But There’s reason to feel confident about that. But will that amount to digging into the Oilers’ case, there’s an even more troublesome, deep- enough goals to drag them out of the position they find themselves in and rooted issue that’s been eating away at all those opportunities they’ve back into playoff contention? That is a more loaded question, and one had, which possibly explains why the Oilers have been so bizarrely inept that’ll ultimately be decided by whether they’re able to find a way to start on offence. tilting the odds in their favour by finding a happier marriage between the quantity and quality of shots they’re taking. The rate at which they’ve fired shots is encouraging, but an alarmingly high percentage of them have come from the players you don’t necessarily want to be the ones pulling the trigger this often: Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 It’s a strange development for the Oilers, since their defencemen were taking just 35.35 per cent of the shot attempts last year, far closer to the usual league average (which has hovered just north of 33 per cent in recent years). It’s tough to discern how much of that is on the players and the decisions they’re making on the ice, how much is just the random nature of hockey, and how much is actually the byproduct of the system McLellan wants his team to play. On the one hand, you want to get the puck on net as often as possible because you never know what it could lead to next. With screens, 1086096 Websites tiny nine-game sample, has not had a positive effect on the group. Rumours are circulating about the Senators’ ownership stability and questions surround their arena plans downtown. Sportsnet.ca / 6 reasonable reactions to Drew Doughty’s free agency And Karlsson does not look like quite the fearless, game-changing comments superstar he was prior to doctors removing half his ankle bone. He has zero points and is a minus-8 during this seven-game slump. (He’s still pretty good, though.) Luke Fox This club probably isn’t thrilled to read Doughty saying, “I don’t know if @lukefoxjukebox he’s going to re-sign with Ottawa.” That quote was picked up by the Ottawa Sun. November 30, 2017, 1:45 PM Point blank, the Sens are a budget team that was unsure they could afford Kyle Turris. Mark Stone is due a hefty raise this summer as a restricted free agent, and his price appears to be escalating with every Drew Doughty opened up a can of worms (again) this week when he told shift. Craig Custance of The Athletic that he has been pondering his impending free agency. Under Dorion, Karlsson watched his ideal D partner, Marc Methot, leave in the expansion draft when he could’ve (should’ve) been protected. One Doughty said he believes he should earn more than P.K. Subban; that he can only wonder what effect the departure of Daniel Alfredsson has had and fellow 2019 UFA Erik Karlsson will discuss their approach to the on Karlsson’s view of his franchise. Alfredsson is Karlsson’s mentor and open market, and he opened up about how much he loves Toronto served as best man at his wedding. Maple Leafs coach Mike Babcock. Juicy stuff, all of it. It’s certain Ottawa wants to lock up Karlsson ASAP, but Doughty’s Honest? Harmless? Flirtatious? Insulting? Strategic? Disruptive? interview reminds us that we don’t know if the feeling is mutual. There are several viewpoints from which to unpack Doughty’s comments. 4. P.K. Subban probably didn’t enjoy having his name mentioned like Here are six reasonable reactions. this. 1. The Kings absolutely do not need this nonsense. Likely unintentionally, Doughty may have thrown a little jab at Nashville’s P.K. Subban, who currently holds the highest cap hit for defencemen at During a radio appearance on Sportsnet 590 The Fan Thursday, player- $9 million. turned-analyst Nick Kypreos said he was baffled by the timing of Doughty’s comments, 19 months away from when he can hit the open “Right now, I guess [me and Karlsson] would be gauging off what P.K. market. makes,” Doughty told Custance. “I think both of us deserve quite a bit more than that.” “Didn’t we do this earlier in the year? Then he downplayed it, and he stirs it back up again. I don’t get the timing of this article for him personally. It’s Zing. a huge distraction,” Kypreos told Sportsnet’s Starting Lineup (listen Doughty’s right. The cap will be higher in 2019 than in 2014, when below). “I suppose someone will get to him and downplay it again.” Subban signed his deal. Subban’s Norris also came in a lockout- Doughty won two championships in three years with Los Angeles, but his shortened season, and he hasn’t won a Cup (yet). Kings have won just one playoff game in the past three springs. In If Jack Eichel can land $10 million per year, how much do you pay a response, they overhauled their front office and bench this past summer. proven winner who can give you 25 or 30 minutes a night? New general manager Rob Blake has professed faith in a core he Doughty has been a fixture on Team Canada’s top pairing while Subban believes can win another Cup. New head coach John Stevens has taken has either been (a) passed over by the national squad or (b) healthy- the reins off Doughty and other blue-liners, encouraging them to jump in scratched by Mike Babcock. the rush more than his predecessor Darryl Sutter ever did. Still, how rare is it for a hockey player to openly say he deserves to be The Kings are tied for first in the Pacific Division while Doughty is on paid more than one of his peers? Answer: super rare. pace for his most productive season ever — 60 points is within grasp. 5. He’s just being honest: Toronto is awesome. How do you feel today if you’re Stevens, Dustin Brown or Anze Kopitar, and your team’s engine is openly flirting with other teams as you’re “It always entered your mind. Being a kid from Ontario, who wouldn’t striving to get back to greatness? want to play for the Toronto Maple Leafs?” another decorated defenceman, Paul Coffey, told Sportsnet 590 The Fan’s Starting Lineup 2. Doughty is giving us an unfiltered peek behind the curtain. Thursday. One of the most interesting tidbits of the Custance piece is that Doughty And Coffey was talking about a then-mediocre Leafs squad that, in his said he’d be reaching out to Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson, also a UFA in 2019, heyday, was hamstrung by a budget. to discuss their asking price. Traditionally, basketball players have been much more open about these inter-player dialogues than hockey players, Today’s Leafs have stable, shrewd management. They invest in all the but that doesn’t mean NHLers don’t talk. bells and whistles the cap will allow. They have some kid named Auston Matthews, who leads a group of young players that should make Toronto “What he’s saying isn’t out of the ordinary,” Kypreos said. “That stuff relevant into Doughty’s dotage. They also possess an ageless veteran happens all the time, but you certainly don’t mention it publicly a year and nemesis Doughty respects in Patrick Marleau and a head coach he trusts a half away.” and has won gold medal with. Boston’s David Pastrnak did very well for himself as an RFA this past “Why can’t Toronto win a Cup in the next year or so?” Coffey said. “Why summer. On July 1, his tight friend William Nylander will be in a similar not?” situation with Toronto. Pastrnak was in a chatty, jovial mood a few weeks ago after a Bruins skate in Toronto. When colleague Chris Johnston Now, the London, ON–born Doughty was not a Leafs fan growing up. He asked him if he’d given Nylander advice on how to handle free-agency rode with Wayne Gretzky and L.A, but he does return to Ontario in the negotiations, you could see the wheels turning. off-season and is a Toronto Blue Jays fan. With his confidence, he would have no trouble handling the extra scrutiny that comes with a hockey- It’s only natural for friends to help each other, but it wasn’t a topic obsessed Canadian market. Pastrnak was eager to dive into with recorders running. Hey, if you want a bidding war, poke Toronto. Consider that Doughty and Karlsson are both represented by Newport Sports Management, and it’s only logical they would exchange info. If 6. Let’s not get carried away. This is just Drew being Drew. you’re about to ink the biggest financial windfall of your life, would you not do all the research possible? As a hockey writer and hockey fan, Doughty is a gift. 3. This is the last thing the Ottawa Senators need right now. We often whine about how hockey players are more prone to leaning on clichés than some of their counterparts in other sports. Then along Ottawa is reeling. comes a guy who spews quotes we can chew on. The Senators are beginning a gruelling road trip and they’ve lost seven Imagine: You’re 27. You’ve won every major trophy and medal a kid can straight. GM Pierre Dorion made a splashy, aggressive trade that over a dream of, most of them twice. You live on the beach in a community surrounded by friends and play a fun sport every day. You have millions in the bank and more millions on the horizon. What’s stopping you from speaking your mind and answering fair questions from a good reporter honestly? Doughty may be ruffling feathers by speaking more unfiltered than most athletes, but he’s only voicing his own opinion and giving us a glimpse into his thought process. He’s not trashing anybody. Remember, Anze Kopitar always loved L.A. and wanted to remain there, too. But he knew his worth, drove a hard bargain, and earned an $80- million deal with free agency in sight. Kopitar says he’ll talk to Doughty about his free agency when the time is right. Doughty has leverage, he’s using it, and he’s got nothing to lose. Good for him for injecting the sport with a little personality and a lot to debate.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086097 Websites fact Edmonton boasts the league’s worst penalty kill. Toronto is now 3- for-13 in their last five games on the power play.

At home it would be Nazem Kadri getting the matchup against reigning TSN.CA / Leafs get a little help from a foe, hold on for victory Hart Trophy winner Connor McDavid, but on Oilers’ turf it was Matthews’ line with Zach Hyman and Connor Brown tasked with containing Edmonton’s top line. Matthews’ crew had done a fine job against the By Kristen Shilton Calgary Flames’ best forwards in Tuesday’s 4-1 win. While that unit started well against McDavid, Milan Lucic and Jesse Puljujarvi, they eventually had trouble keeping up, just like the rest of the Leafs. McDavid’s line had a quiet first period as they were held to just one shot

on goal, but they had more jump in the next 40 minutes and took The Maple Leafs got one more lucky break than the Oilers on Thursday advantages of their opportunities. In the second period, McDavid busted night, and it was all they needed to secure a 6-4 victory in Edmonton. In a five-game scoring slump right after Ron Hainsey was taken out of the the dying minutes of the third period in a tie game, Oilers defenceman play by a shot off the leg from Lucic. That allowed McDavid easier net- Kris Russell fired an own-goal into his net that broke the stalemate and front access to tip in Russell’s point shot. Hainsey didn’t look like himself handed the Leafs their second straight win to improve to 17-9-1 on the when he returned for the third period and was caught chasing McDavid a season, one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning who lead the Eastern couple times in the defensive zone, but the Oilers captain and his line did Conference standings. no further damage. By the end, McDavid’s line had sent 14 shots on Andersen compared to five by Matthews’ line on Broissoit, and the Oilers’ TAKEAWAYS trio had the better of their Leafs’ counterparts at 56 per cent possession. It ain’t over till it’s over – even if you’re playing the third-worst team in the league that has yet to win consecutive games at home this season. That’s the lesson Toronto saw play out over an entertaining 60-minute TSN.CA LOADED: 12.01.2017 contest that went back and forth to the game’s final minute. The Leafs were completely dominant in the first period, peppering Laurent Brossoit (elevated to starter after Cam Talbot was placed on IR Thursday morning) with shots and dancing around Edmonton’s disorganized defence. The Leafs entered the second period with a 3-1 lead and a 15- 13 advantage in shots, but the Oilers had regrouped and by the end of the middle frame the Leafs were only up a 4-3 score. Toronto got sloppy in its own end, getting lackadaisical with the puck. The Jake Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev blueline pairing had particular trouble in front of Frederik Andersen during the second period, turning the puck over and looking disoriented as the whole team began struggling to counter Edmonton’s speed. After giving up two goals to the Leafs on five shots, Brossoit really settled into his crease and came up with a string of terrific stops to give the Oilers a fighting chance. Edmonton outshot the Leafs in the second and third periods, and bested them in puck possession at 60 per cent through the final 40 minutes. While they were the better team down the stretch, Edmonton was done in by Russell’s own-goal with 1:05 left in the third period. It was the defenceman who had tied the game 4-4 early in the third, and with the clock winding down he tried to bank the puck off the end boards when he fired it directly into Brossoit’s net to hand the Leafs a victory (Patrick Marleau was credited with the winning goal). Brossoit turned aside 30 of 35 shots from the Leafs, while Andersen stopped 41 of 45. Fourth-line fun At even strength on Thursday, the fourth lines for both teams were their most productive offensive units. For the Leafs, Dominic Moore and Matt Martin contributed tallies in Toronto’s three-goal first period, while Mark Letestu and Zack Kassian scored in the first and second period, respectively, for Edmonton, then Russell tied the game early in the third period while the fourth line was out once again. The production from Toronto’s bottom line has been greater than it was a year ago thanks to the revolving door of talent they’ve had joining them on right wing, namely William Nylander and Mitch Marner. Martin played all 82 games last season on the fourth line and posted just nine points; this season he already has eight points in 24 games. Meanwhile, Moore has had an underrated start to his second go-around with the Leafs. When he signed as a free agent during the off-season, Moore didn’t expect he would first be sharing the Leafs’ fourth-line centre job with Eric Fehr, and then be a healthy scratch in several games as Marleau was slotted at centre. But the 37-year-old Thornhill, Ont., product has still put up four goals and five assists in 18 games while averaging just over nine minutes of ice time per game. Toronto’s fourth line of Martin, Moore and Nylander finished with six shots on goal and plus-4. Matthews missed the Leafs’ morning skate on Thursday as he battles a cold, but he looked no worse for wear by the puck drop. Toronto got an early power-play chance and the sophomore had his team on the board in a hurry with his first goal in five games, aided by great puck movement from fellow second-year Nylander with the setup. The man-advantage marker was Matthews’ second of the season, his first since Oct. 11 and he finished the game with the goal and an assist. Later in the second period, a bad boarding penalty by Eric Gryba taken just seconds after Edmonton tied the game opened the door for Nylander to give the Leafs back their lead. He needed just seven seconds of power-play time to tally his second goal in 19 games, and second of the year with the extra man. Nylander had already posted two assists through the game’s first 38 minutes to amass the first three-point game of his season. Finishing a perfect 2-for-2 on the power play, it was the second time in 13 games that unit has scored multiple goals, and they were no doubt helped by the 1086098 Websites "It's the NHL, it's always going to be intimidating," he admitted. "I don't think there's many guys in the league that don't get nervous before games, so it's about dealing with the nerves and learning how to do that TSN.CA / Rielly: Shutting down McDavid ‘about as big as it gets’ is a big thing I've been able to manage now." Edmonton is the only team in the league that hasn't got a win from its backup goalie. By Mark Masters Meanwhile, Leafs starter Frederik Andersen is 8-0-1 in his career against the Oilers with a .927 save percentage in those games. TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes Oilers Ice Chips: Talbot placed on IR, Brossoit to start against Leafs from Maple Leafs practices and game-day skates. The Maple Leafs and the Oilers skated Thursday morning in Edmonton. The Oilers have placed Cam Talbot on the IR after an MRI revealed damage to a previous injury he suffered this season. That means Laurent While Auston Matthews vs. Connor McDavid is the headline act, a couple Brossoit will start in goal tonight when they host the Maple Leafs. Ryan of Maple Leafs are hoping to steal the show tonight in Edmonton. Rishaug has more from Edmonton. Defenceman Morgan Rielly may see the most of No. 97 tonight alongside partner Ron Hainsey. Nylander's confidence level ‘fine’ "He's one of the best skaters in the world," Rielly said of his former World After experimenting with some new looks at Wednesday's practice, Cup of Hockey teammate. "On top of that, he's got good skill, good vision Babcock reverted to the combinations from Tuesday's game at the and good linemates, so as far as challenges go this is about as big as it morning skate. The one constant in the last two days has been William gets ... He's very good at creating gaps and using his speed to take you Nylander on the fourth line with Dominic Moore and Matt Martin. wide, he can cut inside ... we're going to have to do a job tonight." Nylander has just one goal in 18 games. What's his confidence level at? Leafs Ice Chips: Rielly eager to measure himself against McDavid "It's fine," he insisted. "The last few games I've been creating chances, Morgan Rielly will likely see the most of Connor McDavid tonight when so I think that's what's important for sure." the Maple Leafs visit Edmonton, and as Mark Masters explains the Leafs' What's the message from Babcock? defenceman is eager to measure himself against one of the league's top offensive threats. "I think he wants me to have the puck more and make more plays. That's one thing he wants." Nazem Kadri outduelled McDavid last year in a game in Toronto, scoring the OT winner while keeping the Oilers phenom off the scoresheet in his Nylander has an assist in three straight games, but has only registered first NHL game in his hometown. three shots in those games. On Tuesday in Calgary he played just 10:16, his ice-time lowest total of the season. "You got to run into him as much as you can," Kadri said of his game plan. "And the most important thing is, just try and force him to play Last year, Nylander also started the game in Edmonton on the fourth line defence. I don't think players like that want to play in their own zone. before setting up a Matthews goal on a bump-up shift following a penalty They want the puck as much as possible, but if we can control kill. possession by winning faceoffs, winning 50-50 battles we can make an impact." Kadri likes to trash talk. Does McDavid engage much? TSN.CA LOADED: 12.01.2017 "Ahhh, a little bit. I mean, I don’t think too, too much. Everybody tries to get after him and if he would give everyone the time of day he would be throwing himself off his own game." Matthews misses skate; McDavid feeling better Matthews and McDavid will be in the spotlight as they meet for the third time in the NHL. Both are goalless in five games and have recently dealt with health issues. McDavid lost some weight as he battled an illness this month. "He's through it now," said Oilers head coach Todd McLellan. "The medication, all that type of stuff, has done its job. He's beginning to put some weight back on, his energy level is going back up." Matthews missed Toronto's morning skate. Head coach Mike Babcock said the centre has a cold and will be good to go tonight. With Matthews rounding back into form after an injury absence, the stage is set for the two stars to put on a show. "All great players do it right all the time," Babcock noted. "That's what they are. They've got an elite drive-train so they're dying to play against the best and they want to be in the big moments. That's what great players are." Matthews and McDavid did not meet with the media on Thursday morning. Both did lengthy sessions with reporters on Wednesday. Mark Masters, Craig Button and Ryan Rishaug look at the health issues both team will be dealing with tonight, whether Morgan Rielly can contain Connor McDavid and why a few Leafs should be looking to break out of their scoring slumps. Oilers starting goaltender Cam Talbot will miss at least two weeks with an upper-body injury, opening the door for Laurent Brossoit to make his seventh appearance of the season. He's still looking for his first win of the year and will be in tough against the high-flying Leafs. "They're skilled, they're young, they're fast and they can score, so it's my job to make sure that they don't," Brossoit said. The 24-year-old Port Alberni, B.C., product will be making his 14th career NHL start. Are the days of being intimidated by this big stage over with? 1086099 Websites He's gone from a potential Hart Trophy candidate to just a really good defenceman. And when you make an honest assessment of the Senators blueline in the post-Methot era, they simply need Karlsson to be out-of- TSN.CA / How much blame does Boucher deserve for Sens’ slump? this-world on a consistent basis. So when your best player is limited by his recovery from an injury and your goaltending is below average, it makes it pretty difficult to be a By Ian Mendes successful head coach at this level. Of course, there are some things within Boucher’s control that he should take ownership for – not the least of which is the struggling power play. By now, everyone is familiar with Guy Boucher’s first tenure as a head Boucher had a reputation for being a special teams guru when he was coach in the National Hockey League. hired by Dorion in the spring of 2016, but we’ve yet to see Ottawa’s power play produce any sustained productivity in more than 100 regular- After taking the Tampa Bay Lightning to Game 7 of the 2010-11 Eastern season games. On too many occasions – like on Wednesday night in Conference final in his first season with the club, Boucher struggled in his Montreal – it ends up draining all the momentum and life out of the team. sophomore season behind the bench. And when the Lightning stumbled out of the gate during the lockout-shortened 2012-13 campaign, Boucher In 105 games as head coach, the Senators power play is operating at a was relieved from his duties by general manager Steve Yzerman. paltry 16.7 per cent – the 27th-ranked unit in the league over that time frame. When you have talent like Karlsson, Brassard, Duchene, Bobby Now there is a genuine concern amongst the fan base in Ottawa that the Ryan, Mike Hoffman and Mark Stone to play with, at some point Senators are going down the same path with Boucher in his second stint responsibility for the bad power play should fall on the coach’s shoulders. as an NHL head coach. The script is so eerily similar it also includes a one-goal loss in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference final against the This isn’t an issue with inadequate talent; there is a systemic problem eventual Stanley Cup champion. with the way this group is setting up and executing with the man- advantage. For the record, the Lightning’s power play in Boucher’s In the last few days, the phone lines at TSN 1200 have been lit up with second season with the team was ranked 25th in the league – as special callers demanding that the coach be fired because they’ve seen this act teams were another contributing factor to Tampa’s struggles. before. Ottawa’s stagnant power play makes the decision to not dress Thomas So the question needs to be asked: Are the Senators becoming the Chabot even more perplexing. Albeit in a very limited sample size, Lightning 2.0 under Guy Boucher? Chabot has looked comfortable running the power play from the point. The answer is yes – but maybe not for the reasons you might think. Considering the Senators unit looks stale and predictable these days, an added wild-card element like Chabot certainly couldn’t hurt. The theory held by a lot of fans is that Boucher’s system became dull and boring in Tampa and the Lightning players – unhappy to have their Boucher also deserves scrutiny for his reluctance to play the young creativity stifled – essentially tuned out the coach. players a little bit more. His penchant for favouring older players hasn’t necessarily worked out in the first two months of this season, particularly The casual hockey fan automatically thinks of Chris Pronger and the on the back end. Philadelphia Flyers refusing to break the puck out of their own zone in a game against the Lightning in Boucher’s second season. For many, the Player deployment and the power play are two things that Boucher can moment serves as the perfect microcosm for the Boucher tenure in control and for that, he should be held fully accountable for Ottawa’s slow Tampa Bay. start. But a closer look reveals that Steven Stamkos had the best offensive But there are a myriad of factors beyond his control – with goaltending season of his career under Boucher in 2011-12, hitting the 60-goal and Karlsson’s status leading the way – that mitigate the amount of plateau. The Lightning had a top-10 offence in the league that season, blame that should be laid at Boucher’s feet. If the Senators were getting with a lineup that featured five 20-goal scorers. better goaltending and Karlsson is playing at close to 100 per cent, I’m not even sure there is a discussion to be had about Boucher’s abilities So if scoring wasn’t the problem for the Lightning in Boucher’s second behind the bench. season, what ended up torpedoing their season? Besides, the Senators have made so many coaching changes over the The answer – as is often the case in the NHL – was goaltending. past decade, they simply can’t fire another head coach and expect all of their issues to disappear. In the Senators world, the definition of insanity In his second season in the NHL, Boucher’s goalies provided him with a should be defined as firing your head coach over and over again and putrid .893 save percentage. The duties were almost evenly split expecting different results. between Dwyane Roloson (.886 save percentage) and Mathieu Garon (.901 save percentage). Despite playing the alleged air-tight defensive By now, we should know that Boucher deserves some of the blame for system that Boucher preached, the Lightning finished dead last in the the Senators recent woes – but certainly not the lion’s share of it. NHL in goals against during the 2011-12 campaign.

As you look at Ottawa’s goaltending so far this season, Boucher must be having flashbacks to Tampa, as his netminders have only provided him TSN.CA LOADED: 12.01.2017 with a .899 save percentage. Craig Anderson has had a rough start to the season, playing well below his career average. Teams that have save percentages hovering around the .900-mark are usually in line for a lottery pick at the end of the season. But since general manager Pierre Dorion has pushed all of his chips into the middle of the table in the past 18 months with the acquisitions of players like Matt Duchene, Derick Brassard and Alex Burrows, there can’t be any talk of a lottery pick in this market. Especially when you consider the Avalanche now own Ottawa’s 2018 first-round pick after the Duchene trade – though Dorion wisely protected it in case it becomes a top-10 selection. The goaltending in Ottawa should receive a significant portion of the blame for the slow start to the season and for that reason, Boucher should avoid some of the criticism being lobbed his way. Ask Paul Maurice how much better he looks as a coach, now that Connor Hellebuyck is giving the Winnipeg Jets a .926 save percentage to start the season. Boucher also can’t control the health of Erik Karlsson, who just simply hasn’t looked as explosive as he did before his off-season surgery. This isn’t to say Karlsson can’t or won’t return to that form, but more than a quarter way into this campaign, it’s safe to say that Ottawa’s most dynamic player isn’t quite playing up to his potential. 1086100 Websites on what we know today, it’s hard to see the 4F/1D combination dying out anytime soon.

TSN.CA / A look at the NHL’s shift in power-play structure TSN.CA LOADED: 12.01.2017

By Travis Yost

The National Hockey League is a competitive environment. When a team finds an edge, they try to keep it private. When other teams find out what that edge is, they steal it. And, in some cases, they improve upon it. One of the trends in the modern era is a shift in power-play structure. For many years, head coaches opted for a three forwards/two defencemen combination. The two defenders would act as puck movers and occasional shooters, but most of the grunt work and scoring came from the trio of forwards. Once in a blue moon, a team would experiment with a four forwards/one defenceman setup. The logic behind it was reasonably straightforward – the team’s fourth-most talented forward was a better playmaker and/or goal scorer than the team’s second-best defenceman. But, there was always a question as to whether marginal offensive gains would offset the defensive risk the team incurred with at least one forward playing out of position. This experimentation allowed for researchers in both the public and private domain to investigate the feasibility of a 4F/1D combination. Was it actually an improvement on goal-scoring, or was it an ill-fated decision by coaches that put their team at needless risk? (That question has long been answered – the 4F/1D combination produced about 1.2 additional goals per-60 minutes.) Teams, for the most part, have responded favourably. We’ve seen a pretty drastic change in deployment in just a handful of years. Look, for a moment, at league medians for forward power-play minutes as a percentage of total power-play minutes. Nine years ago, teams gave about 67 per cent of their available ice time to forwards. In 2017-18? That number is close to 74 per cent. That’s a pretty big climb. And the upward trend, which really started in 2014-15, appears indicative of a few new teams each year abandoning old-school methodology. This year is particularly noteworthy, though. As noted earlier, the median team is giving out about 74 per cent of their ice time to forwards. If you figure 80 per cent is indicative of a league that’s unilaterally adapted a change in philosophy – well, we aren’t too far off. That raises the question: Which teams have driven the change upwards, and which teams are the laggards? The gray cells indicate teams that were above the 2017-18 high-water mark in a given season. It’s another way to visualize the shift at a league level, but it also helps isolate which teams started the trend, and which teams are the biggest buyers in 2017-18. As for the trendsetters, I think it’s fair to point at Edmonton and Washington. Edmonton’s had mixed power-play results over the years, but no team has been better than scoring goals in power-play situations than the Capitals. Some of that is the beauty of having Alex Ovechkin on your first unit, but some of it is also about putting players in a position to succeed. There are a number of teams that I’d consider truly aggressive and committed to 4F/1D – most prominently that list would include Tampa Bay, Colorado, Carolina, Toronto, and Edmonton, though there are more than a dozen teams who are using this grouping on a regular basis. The opposite end of the spectrum includes two teams I would genuinely consider holdouts in Anaheim and Minnesota. For what it is worth, the Ducks’ most common power-play unit this season was backed by Brandon Montour and Sami Vatanen. In Minnesota, it’s Ryan Suter and Jared Spurgeon. One note that’s important to conclude with: A team may have a very real qualitative reason for why they have stuck with a 3F/2D combination. The biggest argument would be that their team talent is heavily skewed towards the defensive side, and that the coach does believe the team’s second-best defender is a better overall weapon than the team’s fourth forward. Minnesota could be a great example of this – despite using a more traditional combination, they possess one of the league’s most productive power-play units, converting on 24.3 per cent of chances. Nevertheless, these teams are clearly in the minority. It’ll be interesting to continue monitoring this trend as the league continues to adjust. Based 1086101 Websites

USA TODAY / Canucks forward Derek Dorsett retires because of neck injury

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 1:12 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 3:27 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017

Vancouver Canucks forward Derek Dorsett, a player known for his high energy physical play, has been told that he shouldn’t play anymore because of health risks. Dorsett. 30, is suffering from cervical disc herniation, and was evaluated by famed sports injury surgeon, Dr. Robert Watkins. "I’m devastated by the news,” Dorsett said in a retirement statement released by the team. “It will take a long time for this to truly sink in. As hard as it was to hear, Dr. Watkins’ diagnosis is definitive. There is no grey area, and it gives me clarity to move forward.” Through the Canucks, Watkins said the herniation is “adjacent and separate” to his previous fusion. Watkins had performed cervical disc surgery on Dorsett in 2016. "Given his current condition and the long-term significant health risk, I advised Derek not to return to play,” Watkins said. With seven goals in the first 20 games, Dorsett was on a pace for his best NHL season. In his 515-game NHL career, the most goals he ever scored in a season was 12. "He’s an example of what you can accomplish if you persevere,” Vancouver general manager Jim Benning said. Dorsett said he leaves the game proud of the way he played. "What I can say for certain is that I left it all out on the ice,” Dorsett said. “I gave my heart and soul to the teams I played for and never backed down from a challenge, including this one. It made me successful and a good teammate. Most of all I am truly honored and grateful to have lived the NHL dream.”

USA TODAY LOADED: 12.01.2017 1086102 Websites

USA TODAY / Sami Vatanen trade cements Devils GM Ray Shero's reputation as dealmaker

Kevin Allen, USA TODAY Sports Published 12:58 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017 | Updated 1:16 p.m. ET Nov. 30, 2017

The New Jersey Devils’ trade for Sami Vatanen can be viewed as the second part of the deal they made in 2016 to land top scorer Taylor Hall. To acquire Hall, the Devils surrendered young top pairing defenseman Adam Larsson. That created a significant hole that Devils general manager Ray Shero filled Thursday by picking up Vatanen for proven scorer Adam Henrique, forward Joseph Blandisi and a 2018 three-round pick. The Devils will also get a third-round pick back from Anaheim if Henrique re-signs there. When New Jersey ownership hired Shero in 2015 they hoped that his aggressive, yet calculated, management style would expedite the rebuilding in New Jersey. Two years later it appears the hiring of Shero was the correct decision as Vatanen, 26, joins a 14-6-4 Devils team that has serious aspirations of being a contender. The Vatanen deal could be as important as the Hall swap because Vatanen is a two-way defender who can log 21-25 minutes per game. He can be an offensive contributor and measure up defensively against the league’s top players. He's young enough to be a factor for many years to come. Vatanen is 5-10, and given his size, puck-handling ability and overall game, he might remind New Jersey fans just a little of former New Jersey player Brian Rafalski. What we know for sure is that Vatanen can stabilize the Devils’ defense for a cost that the Devils can afford to pay. Henrique has four goals this season, but he netted a total of 50 over the two previous seasons. The Devils gave up quality to obtain quality. This is also the correct move for the Ducks because it addresses their need for more scoring. Currently, the Ducks are playing without Rickard Rakell, Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler because of injuries and Patrick Eaves because of Guillain-Barre syndrome. This could be a deal that helps both teams significantly. Henrique will be a 20-goal scorer for Anaheim. Vatanen was expendable because the Ducks are deep on defense. It was no secret that Vatanen would be dealt. The Devils could part with Henrique, 27, because of the rapid development of young forwards Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt. Brian Gibbons has also been a big surprise up front with 11 goals in 24 games. The Devils feel as if they have enough goals. As of this morning, the Devils were tied for eighth in the league in goal scoring and were 19th in goals against. This is the perfect trade for the Devils and cements Shero’s reputation as a strong dealmaker. In an era when general managers complain about how difficult it is to make a trade, Shero has managed to trade for an elite scorer and a premium defenseman over the last 18 months. His deal last summer for Marcus Johannson could also be significant, although his injury has delayed a complete analysis of how he fits with the Devils. But the latest trade does make it clear that the Devils have turned a corner on their rebuilding journey. Shero may not have received enough credit for how quickly the Devils have turned around this team. The hockey world has rightfully exalted the Toronto Maple Leafs for their expedited rebuilding effort. But hasn’t Shero’s work in New Jersey been just as impressive?

USA TODAY LOADED: 12.01.2017