SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/20/2021 1206059 Ducks’ reflects after milestone victory 1206085 Here's how long the Detroit Red Wings expect to be 1206060 Eight things that stood out in Jamie Drysdale’s fantastic without their most important player NHL debut for the Ducks 1206086 Inside Detroit Red Wings' secret of recent success vs. top teams: 'Being predictable' 1206087 out, but Red Wings unsure 1206061 Coyotes allow 3 unanswered goals in loss to for how long Ducks 1206088 for Robby Fabbri has provided Red Wings tremendous value 1206089 Robby Fabbri’s hat trick lifts Red Wings, who lose 1206062 Next two Bruins games are postponed after four more Jonathan Bernier to injury players enter COVID protocol 1206090 Is time running out for Red Wings’ Tyler Bertuzzi to return 1206063 Bruins’ next two games postponed due to outbreak this ? 1206064 Boston Bruins Forced To Postpone Games Due to COVID 1206091 The best comparables for the Red Wings’ top 2021 trade Protocols deadline candidates 1206065 Boston Bruins’ Frederic Felled With Lower Body Injury Oilers 1206092 Wins pile up as commit to changing 1206066 Sabres' game Saturday postponed as 4 more Bruins enter image Covid-19 protocols 1206093 JONES: Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Edmonton 1206067 Sources: Sabres on the verge of trading goalie Jonas Oilers' Rocket McDavid Johansson 1206094 Lowetide: Where does fit on the Oilers, now 1206068 Charlie Mendola is latest departure from Sabres' hockey and in the future? operations department 1206069 News of latest COVID-19 postponement leaves Sabres with ‘some nerves in the room’ 1206095 How the Florida Panthers improved their defense to become an unlikely Cup contender 1206070 SNAPSHOTS: Flames Giordano leads charge in 4-3 victory in 1206096 Kings lose to streaking Golden Knights, who get two goals 1206071 Flames stars adjusting to new identity under Sutter from Max Pacioretty 1206097 Kings again struggle to solve one of division’s top teams 1206098 Durable, versatile Adrian Kempe invaluable to Kings 1206072 What do the Hurricanes want — or need — as the NHL 1206099 FINAL – KINGS 2, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 – IAFALLO, trade deadline approaches? ROY, MCLELLAN 1206073 Carolina Hurricanes midseason superlatives: The MVP, 1206100 GAME THREAD – KINGS VS. GOLDEN KNIGHTS, 3/19 biggest surprise, most underrated, best dressed and more 1206101 3/19 PREVIEW – PROJECTED LINEUPS, PLUS BROWN UPDATE, AMADIO, MAATTA & HANDLING VEGAS’ SPEED 1206074 Blackhawks’ Pius Suter learning to adapt to differences 1206102 FIRST HALF RECAP – KINGS 12-10-6, 3 PTS OUT OF between European and NHL hockey PLAYOFF SPOT AT HALFWAY MARK 1206075 Strome's return should help backsliding Blackhawks 1206076 Q&A: on Blackhawks development, PWHPA, ownership and 1206103 Gameday preview: Wild at Colorado more 1206104 Wild looks to learn from rout; Matt Dumba injury 'better than it looked' 1206077 5 takeaways from the Avalanche’s 5-1 win over Minnesota Canadiens 1206078 Avalanche are reportedly close to acquiring goaltender 1206105 J.T. Miller’s unassisted overtime secures Canucks a Jonas Johansson from Buffalo 3-2 victory over Canadiens 1206079 Avs fourth line continues to provide the ‘spark 1206106 Canadiens can't break overtime curse, losing 3-2 at home to Canucks 1206107 Stu Cowan: Canadiens get their money's worth from crafty 1206080 Takeaways from Jackets' OT win in Carolina include sniper Toffoli Jones emergence, Korpisalo sorcery 1206108 Canadiens Game Day: Same old story as Habs lose again 1206081 What a rush: ' OT goal, Joonas Korpisalo's in overtime saves lead Blue Jackets over Hurricanes 1206109 Canucks at Canadiens: Five things you should know 1206082 In four straight games versus Hurricanes, Blue Jackets 1206110 Basu and Godin: Canadiens should embrace OT chaos, need a playoff intensity Phillip Danault’s premonition and more 1206083 Tortorella looking at Jones, Werenski, Savard, Gavrikov to continue moving in right direction 1206111 If the Predators trade Mattias Ekholm, which team would provide the best return? 1206084 Frustrated by wasted opportunities, Stars must quickly find a solution ahead of tough stretch 1206112 Devils’ Scott Wedgewood’s odd season keeps getting 1206142 Minor league report: Penguins beaten by Crunch weirder | 5 observations from win over Penguins 1206143 Jared McCann wants to be 'a difference' at center for the 1206113 Grading the NJ Devils players as they reach the Penguins midseason mark 1206144 Penguins' Lower Hill redevelopment minority workforce 1206114 Behind the Devils’ Buy Black program: ‘What our company plan approved stands for’ 1206145 Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin sidelined on 'week- 1206115 Kyle Palmieri considering his options as trade deadline to-week' basis looms over extension talk with Devils 1206146 Mark Madden: Alex Ovechkin's milestone goal recalls memories of Phil Esposito's greatness 1206147 Brian Burke on Evgeni Malkin's 'surge,' 's 1206116 Islanders looking for that voice to replace captain Anders and tremendous tales of St. Patrick's Day Lee 1206148 Penguins forward Jason Zucker skating again, as he 1206117 Islanders-Boston game on Tuesday postponed as multiple rehabs from injury Bruins enter COVID-19 protocol 1206149 With Evgeni Malkin out 'week-to-week,' Jared McCann 1206118 Who is Anatolii Golyshev? 5 things to know about the takes center ice Islanders’ next import 1206150 Evgeni Malkin out 'week-to-week' with lower-body injury 1206119 Islanders Sign Anatolii Golyshev to One-Year Dea 1206152 From The Point: Why the Penguins will likely be quiet 1206120 New York Islanders Game with Boston Postponed Due to around the trade deadline COVID-19 Protocols 1206153 Malkin Out Week To Week; McCann Ready To Step In 1206121 Sebastian Aho Has Shown More Offense Than Defense 1206155 Penguins REALLY Need Help Now; Not Built for This Thus Far For Isles 1206156 San Jose Sharks blow third period lead, lose to St. Louis 1206122 Same Rangers lineup brought very different result this Blues in a shootout time 1206157 Will Patrick Marleau break Gordie Howe’s games played 1206123 Alex Ovechkin does in Rangers after bruising hit record with the Sharks? 1206124 Brett Howden’s offensive jolt spurred by surprise Rangers 1206158 Tarasenko, Blues edge Sharks 2-1 in shootout to stop skid scratch 1206159 Despite record, Boughner says Sharks are hard team to 1206125 Capitals beat Rangers on two late goals from Alex play Ovechkin 1206160 Sharks second-half preview: It’s time to play the young 1206126 Capitals' eligible to return from suspension guys Saturday vs. Rangers 1206161 Evander Kane to bankruptcy court: Lenders’ argument 1206127 Rangers' Brett Howden calls healthy scratch vs. Bruins a violates U.S. ban on slavery 'good jolt' 1206162 Game Notes #28: Binnington Stretches Out Toe, Blues 1206128 Rangers handle their chaos just fine, but gimmes to Top Sharks 2-1 in Shootout Capitals star Alex Ovechkin prove too much to overcome 1206163 Puck drop is 6 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it on NBC 1206129 Rangers midseason review: What’s worked? What hasn’t? Sports Bay Area, FOX Sports Midwest, or NHL.tv. Assessing Mika Zibanejad, , the goalies, more St Louis Blues NHL 1206164 Blues end skid with 2-1 shootout win over Sharks 1206130 NFL coming out of pandemic as the big winner 1206165 Blues notebook: 'Can do' Schwartz returns to lineup 1206166 (Updated) Blues Game Day: Schwartz is back after missing 15 games 1206131 SNAPSHOTS: Anton Forsberg is ready to suit up for 1206167 Blues end skid with 2-1 shootout win vs. Sharks ... Erik Brannstrom just needs time to d 1206132 Senators' GM Pierre Dorion says goaltender Joey Daccord likely won't be back this season 1206168 Lightning rookie Ross Colton capitalizes on playing 1206133 Senators GM Pierre Dorion speaks: 10 takeaways, from opportunities the latest on Logan Brown to ‘development by failure’ 1206169 Lightning midseason thoughts: Andrei Vasilevskiy for 1206134 A roster of all-traded Senators players vs. the current league MVP, most improved player and more team: Who would win? 1206135 Sell, stand, buy or go all-in: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher’s trade deadline history and what it means for 2021 1206170 Mark Giordano scores winner, Flames down Maple Leafs 4-3 1206171 Toronto takes on Calgary on 3-game losing streak 1206136 Flyers hope Oskar Lindblom’s breakout game is a sign of 1206172 Maple Leafs find no break from their losing ways, have things to come. dropped six of seven games 1206137 Carter Hart has become one of the Flyers’ biggest 1206173 Mark Giordano leads the way as Flames down Maple concerns. Who expected that? Leafs 4-3 1206138 Will Flyers bid to fill Matt Niskanen’s skates at trade 1206174 to make Leafs debut against Flames deadline? 1206175 Frederik Andersen’s battles, with his confidence and with 1206139 5 things we learned from Thursday night’s Flyers 4-3 win injuries, will likely determine how much fight the M over New York Islanders 1206176 Andersen struggles, Maple Leafs lose to Flames 1206140 After Flyers' F grade at MSG, Lindblom helps team pass 1206177 KOSHAN: Give Campbell a chance to keep it going if all season's biggest test yet goes well in rematch with Flames 1206141 Sell, stand, buy or go all-in: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher’s 1206178 TRAIKOS: What are the Maple Leafs looking for in a trade deadline history and what it means for 2021 top-six winger? Now's the time to find out 1206179 'LET OUR GAME SLIP A BIT': Maple Leafs aim to protect the North in Calgary series 1206180 Maple Leafs report cards: Frederik Andersen doesn’t make the saves Toronto needs in loss 1206181 How long should the Maple Leafs keep waiting on Alex Kerfoot’s potential? 1206182 Mirtle: How the Maple Leafs can trade for a big money player despite minimal cap space Canucks Websites 1206203 Tom Mayenknecht: NFL media rights continue to 1206211 The Athletic / Duhatschek notebook: Midseason NHL command big dollars awards, superlatives, surprises and more 1206204 The Skate: The playoff slope is still steep as EP40 goes to 1206212 The Athletic / NHL power rankings: No surprises at top or LTIR bottom of The Athletic’s first weekly edition 1206205 Canucks 3, Canadiens 2 (OT): Not all about the goalie for 1206213 The Athletic / ‘That’s my real name’: Alexis Lafrenière, Tim once Stützle, Nils Höglander and the importance of acc 1206206 Canucks' Tanner Pearson out for four weeks 1206214 The Athletic / DGB Grab Bag: The 1996 1206207 Canucks Game Night: Keeping up a winning Hab-it Final, fake .500 and top secret details of the ESPN deal 1206208 The Armies: Jimothy Timothy Miller powers Canucks to 1206215 .ca / As questions hover over Leafs' crease, victory over Canadiens Campbell has golden opportunity 1206209 Canucks No. 1 prospect Vasili Podkolzin is Vancouver’s 1206216 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' overtime strategy proven NHL-ready power forward unviable in loss to Canucks 1206210 ‘That’s my real name’: Alexis Lafrenière, Tim Stützle, Nils 1206217 Sportsnet.ca / NHL's Top 12 UFAs of 2021: Latest Höglander and the importance of accents and umlaut rumours, reports 1206218 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' season looking up after complete road win over Canadiens 1206183 Golden Knights win 5th straight, end 1st half in 1st place 1206219 Sportsnet.ca / Flames' selfless play vs. Leafs puts 1206184 starting for Golden Knights emphasis on team's growing confidence 1206185 Golden Knights trying to fit more fans into T-Mobile Arena 1206220 Sportsnet.ca / NHL Rookie Notebook: Ducks' Drysdale 1206186 William Karlsson in lineup after false positive test dominant in NHL debut 1206187 After false-positive COVID test, Karlsson helps Golden 1206221 Sportsnet.ca / Jets confident in ability to regroup after Knights beat Kings off-night for top guns vs. Oilers 1206188 Pandemic Times Create Busy Times For Vegas Golden 1206222 Sportsnet.ca / McDavid giving Oilers a 'cheat code' with Knights; Final From LA — Knights 4 Kings 2, With Goalie evolution into complete superstar Lehn 1206223 TSN.CA / Andersen’s struggles continue; Flames hand 1206189 Golden Knights Applying For Increased Attendance Leafs third straight loss Capacity For Home Games In April; Proof Of Vaccination 1206224 TSN.CA / Sutter wants Calgary's top-end talent to emulate Under ‘complete’ Leafs stars 1206190 William Karlsson scores historic goal after false-positive 1206225 TSN.CA / Simmonds returns, Galchenyuk debuts as Leafs test face Flames 1206191 Robin Lehner sheds rust in first start since concussion 1206192 Max Pacioretty Scores Twice In Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 Win 1206200 Jets could be allowed live fans 1206201 FRIESER BURNS: Jets' best defence could be more offence - and more thoughts 1206193 Alex Ovechkin puts Capitals on his back late, scores twice 1206202 POT-COMMITTED: Ekholm trade the one to make for to beat Rangers, 2-1 Jets' GM Cheveldayoff 1206194 Tom Wilson set to return for the Capitals on Saturday after seven-game suspension 1206195 Ovechkin saves Caps' winning streak with 2 goals in the SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 3rd 1206196 Ovechkin's evolution as a scorer was on display vs. Rangers 1206197 Chara had a breakaway and it was nearly the greatest goal ever 1206198 In wake of suspension, Tom Wilson vows to adapt his game 1206199 Capitals’ Tom Wilson, nearing end of suspension, vows to adjust: ‘I’ve got to be in the lineup’ 1206059 Anaheim Ducks Chad Kilger (18 years, 316 days) was the youngest in 1995-96.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.20.2021

Ducks’ Ryan Miller reflects after milestone victory

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 11:24 a.m. | UPDATED: March 19, 2021 at 4:11 p.m.

Ryan Miller spoke late Thursday night like a man who has seen plenty from behind his goaltender’s over 790 games in 18 seasons in the NHL with the Ducks, Buffalo Sabres, St. Louis Blues and .

His tone was measured, as usual, but there was excitement in his voice.

Teenagers Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras ignited a rally that propelled the Ducks to a 3-2 overtime victory at Honda Center, giving Miller his 390th career win, breaking a tie with Dominik Hasek for 14th place on the NHL’s all-time list.

No U.S.-born goalie has won more games than Miller, 40, who talked recently about the long shadow Hasek cast in Buffalo and how it was difficult at first to avoid it and to move into the light as the Sabres’ new standout goaltender. In time, Miller cast his own long shadows there and elsewhere. Not that he would admit to it, mind you.

That’s not his style.

“I’m pretty skinny,” he joked. “It’s not much of a shadow.”

Adopting a more serious tone, he addressed his milestone victory and what it means to him. He did his best to put it into perspective after making 23 saves in place of injured starter John Gibson, who was placed on injured reserve Thursday.

“I’m just trying to enjoy playing,” Miller said. “I think the evaluation of what I’ve done on the ice I can get into more later. I just want to keep being in the moment right now, if that makes sense. I’m proud to be an American player and I hope I have set a standard because I’m proud of the way I’ve played in my career.

“I think it’s more of just trying to hold onto this moment right now and keep having fun on the ice and trying to help the boys win some games because it’s a lot of fun. Honestly, we’ve gone through some tough stretches this year, but we felt good about tonight. Hopefully, it’s something we can pull some confidence from.”

The postgame conversation with reporters began with Miller’s assessment of the play of the youngest Ducks – the 18-year-old Drysdale, who had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut, and Zegras, 19, who scored his first NHL goal. Their goals were only 2:29 apart.

“He has a nice way of playing hockey,” Miller said of Drysdale. “He’s moving his feet, which gives him some separation, which gives him time. I thought he was close to the play. That gave him the ability to be on the defensive side of things, too. All in all, I thought it was a good look for him.”

Zegras and Miller have been teammates for a little longer. Thursday’s game was Zegras’ 11th after his Feb. 21 recall from the Ducks’ AHL team, the . Miller has had a longer, closer look at Zegras’ play with the Ducks.

“So, ‘Z’ has been coming on for a while now,” Miller said, using Zegras’ nickname. “It was really good to see him come through with a highly skilled play down the middle of the ice. … He’s been close on a lot of nights. It was big for him and his confidence.”

FACTS AND FIGURES

Drysdale and Zegras scored 2:29 apart in the second period Thursday, making them the youngest set of teammates in league history to score their first NHL goals in less than 2:30, according to research by the Ducks’ crack media relations department.

Drysdale is only the third defenseman 18 or younger in league history to record a goal and an assist in his debut, joining Ray Bourque of the Boston Bruins in 1979-80 and Petr Svoboda of the in 1984-85. Drysdale (18 years, 344 days) also is the second-youngest player in Ducks history to score in his debut. 1206060 Anaheim Ducks “I was talking with some of the coaches and whatnot,” he said. “They were just kind of almost giving me hints. I thought I had a chance at getting in.”

Eight things that stood out in Jamie Drysdale’s fantastic NHL debut for Hours later, everything changed. the Ducks “And then Dallas called me the night before the game and just said, ‘Hey, you’re going in tomorrow, kid,’” Drysdale said. “It was just a really exciting moment for me. Right when I got off the call, I called my parents. Let By Eric Stephens Mar 19, 2021 them know. It was just a really exciting time for me. I was pretty quick to tell my family and all my buddies because of how important this is.”

The solo lap ANAHEIM, Calif. — When he took the ice Thursday for the solo lap that often proceeds a player’s NHL debut, Jamie Drysdale floated around the As is customary, Drysdale was sent out first and alone by his teammates Honda Center ice in a special shamrock green Ducks jersey to for their warmup skate. It is the moment that players – and, we cannot commemorate St. Patrick’s Day. forget, their family members – have dedicated years toward achieving. The Ducks documented Drysdale’s walk down the tunnel. Over the course of his first game, the 18-year-old defenseman, the Ducks’ No. 6 overall pick last year, seemed to continue to float over “There was definitely nerves,” Drysdale said. “It was my first game so a that ice against the Arizona Coyotes. He brought more than good luck to lot of nerves. Mostly excitement. It’s a really exciting time for me and my a team that hasn’t had, earned or, if we’re getting real here, deserved family. It was just really nice to get out there. I was joking with (Zegras) much of it. And he just might be special. on the way here. I was just saying, if I don’t fall on my solo lap, then it’s a win.” One game does not make for a good week, month, season or career, so Drysdale’s terrific NHL debut in the Ducks’ 3-2 win should be viewed As he lined up on the Anaheim blue line for the national anthem, primarily as just that —one game. It’s too early to fall into the temptation Drysdale was grabbed by Getzlaf, the Ducks’ captain, for a quick word. to predict future stardom for the young defenseman and how he could one day anchor their blue line. “I’m pretty sure he just said, ‘Let’s go kid.’ Something as simple as that goes a long way,” Drysdale said. “It’s Ryan Getzlaf saying that to you. I But when he scored 12 minutes into the second period to get Anaheim grew up watching him, whether it was here with the Ducks or at the on the board and then, in a little more than a bathroom break later, Olympics. Standing on that blue line next to a guy like that is pretty cool. started the play that became Trevor Zegras’ first NHL goal, the Ducks’ Just something as simple as that, I think, just gives you some confidence. fan base, which has been aching for glowing moments in this trying I really appreciate that. Everyone on the team has been great to me so season, got a glimpse of the future. The two prized prospects – their top far.” picks in the 2019 and 2020 drafts, respectively – powered a comeback from two goals down with their first NHL markers just 2:29 apart. The poise

Adam Henrique ended the Ducks’ four-game losing streak with his Over his 18 minutes and 26 seconds on the ice, Drysdale never was out overtime strike. Ryan Miller got his 390th career win to move him past of sorts. Not when Lawson Crouse caught him with a solid hit behind his the legendary Dominik Hasek on the all-time NHL goaltender wins list. net. Not when other Coyotes forecheckers closed in on him. Ryan Getzlaf got his 700th career assist and moved closer to the 1,000- In fact, Drysdale looked in complete control at times. He kept the puck in point milestone. the Arizona zone when there were opportunities to do so. He knew when But Drysdale was the game’s first star, and its second star was Zegras. to retreat and guard against a Coyote breaking free when defense The two keys to a franchise renewal. partner Ben Hutton was the one to stay up at the Arizona blue line. He could recognize a line change in progress and zip a long stretch pass to “It definitely felt good to be back out there with Jamie,” Zegras said. “We Troy Terry for a potential defense-to-offense quick transition play. spent some time together (in the AHL with) San Diego. He just makes the game easier for the guys around him.” It didn’t lead to anything. But there will be many other times when a recognition play like that might pay off. At 18 years and 344 days, Drysdale became the fifth-youngest player to suit up for the Ducks, the fourth 18-year-old to score in his NHL debut “I thought he was really moving his feet,” Miller said. “He was in and out and the third to register two or more points in his first game. And it of the play. We talked about how he wanted to play in the offensive zone, seemed only fitting that he and Zegras would score their first goals in the and he fit in really nicely to that.” same game, making them the first teammates in NHL history to do that in Like many curious to see Drysdale’s debut, TSN analyst Craig Button under 2:30. watched the game, and the former NHL general manager and longtime “He came in like he had been there for a very long time,” Ducks coach scouting expert used the word “precocious” and said Drysdale’s poise said. “He closed like we’ve seen him close in San Diego. and calm “allows him to be so settled in his play.” He moved the puck fast and hard like we’ve seen. He got shots through. “Never rushed because his mind allows him to be two and three steps He was a very, very confident young man. A really, really good first ahead,” Button said. “In control and has a 360-degree awareness showing at this level. playing. Plays the game on his terms.” “All the people at home should be very, very happy with that draft pick The skating and the job that our scouts and management have put into that young man.” Drysdale’s skating isn’t the only reason he was long considered the top defenseman in the draft last October. But it is a dominant trait. He is in Here are eight things from Drysdale’s debut that stood out. constant motion and the strides back and forth or side to side appear to The phone call be effortless.

Drysdale previously had been called up from the San Diego Gulls to the And that skating isn’t just about eating up open ice when it is there. It is Ducks’ taxi squad. Playing at the AHL level hadn’t been much of a also about closing down on forwards, which he did while engaging Phil problem. He had four goals and six assists in 14 games, getting valuable Kessel in the neutral zone and forcing the offensive-minded Arizona pro experience that he wouldn’t have received if the Hockey sniper to dump the puck into the offensive zone instead of carrying it in to League was in action as usual. But the taxi-squad experiences were create some potential zone time. intended simply to have him around the club for practices and to recover “When you think about checking, the other team has the puck and we’ve from taking a puck to the mouth during a Gulls game. got to get the puck back,” Eakins said. “There’s all these different ways. It served as preparation for Thursday. Drysdale practiced on Wednesday Some guys on your team have great sticks. And other guys are going to with the Ducks. There was something different about this workout. go in there and be physical and separate them. But what Jamie does is he uses his feet. He’s so confident with his feet that he’s able to get up, close the gap, cut off the guy’s arms and suddenly he has the puck. And there hasn’t been a whole lot of physicality to the play. But he’s able to separate the guy from the puck quickly, get his stick in there. He’s got it. That apprenticeship can take years, but Jamie is well ahead of that And he doesn’t screw around with it. That puck’s going north right away. timeline. A quarterback coming into the NFL has to learn that the He rarely slows the game down. windows are tighter and your margins for success are tighter and your margin for error is greater. Same for a young defenseman. “A lot of that goes into that young man’s game. He’s obviously put a lot of thought into it. I think he’s had some great mentorship here in his past. “Jamie gets it and his first goal exemplifies so much of that. Highly And he’s obviously a very good student of the game.” efficient game and his game had that, but you will see that he has great consistency in his play and can make the game look incredibly easy.” As the game moved on, Drysdale didn’t just hang out at the blue line. He moved up into the circles and all around the offensive zone. He spotted The assist teammates and made cross-ice passes. Hutton played off him well, keeping things simpler and playing his best game in a long while. On his very next shift, Drysdale tried to handle a pass from Max Comtois on his backhand at the point but had the puck skip off his stick. It forced Drysdale finished with six attempts, three of which forced saves him to retrieve it in the neutral zone. But he didn’t pass to Hutton or even from Coyotes goalie Adin Hill. drop the puck for him. Instead, he made a simple play to the more dangerous Terry as the right winger circled around so he could make an “He has a nice way of playing hockey,” Miller said. “He’s moving his feet, entry into the offensive zone. which gives him some separation and gives him time. I thought that he was close to the play. That gave him the ability to be on the defensive Terry took it from there, fending off Crouse and then backing up two side of things too. All in all, I thought a good look for him.” Coyotes. Zegras pounced on their puck-focused defending and cut in behind them. Terry found him with a nice pass between the two, and The goal Zegras held the puck while Hill committed and then lifted it over the On an extended, grinding shift in the Arizona zone against the Coyotes’ goalie in a skilled, all-in-one-motion finish. fourth line in the second period, Drysdale fired a one-timer that was The first player to meet the delirious Zegras was Drysdale. The blocked by John Hayden. Getzlaf got the puck in the corner without much connection between Terry and Zegras was highlight material. But what contesting from the tired Coyotes and pushed it back to Rickard Rakell, are the chances of that happening if Drysdale hadn’t remained calm after who moved it along to Drysdale at the top right corner of the zone. mishandling the puck? Drysdale displayed his skating ability throughout this shift, as he had the puck multiple times in different areas. “If he was nervous today, I don’t think anybody who was watching or anybody on the ice or on the other team knew it,” Zegras said. “All game, After the pass from Rakell, Drysdale laterally worked the blue line and moving his feet, making great plays. (There’s) no advice I could have sized up Hayden. His head was up the entire time, cradling the puck and gave him that would have helped him in any way. He was kind of all on making slight head and shoulder movements to freeze Hayden for the his own.” moment when he would see a clear shooting lane. And shoot he did. The aftermath The puck flew past Hayden and skipped off Alex Goligoski, who couldn’t knock it down. Max Jones was stationed in front of Hill for a tip try. At When the Ducks returned to their dressing room and got settled in after first, it appeared that Jones might have gotten his stick on it and initially their ninth win in 31 tries, they realized Drysdale wasn’t in there as he the goal was awarded to Jones and Drysdale had his first NHL point. was doing a postgame interview with broadcast partner Fox Sports Prime Ticket. They decied to pull a fast one on the young rookie. During the second intermission, a scoring change gave the goal to Drysdale, since Jones did not get a piece of the shot. When asked what Drysdale’s debut brought to the team, when smiles haven’t been nearly as plentiful as in other seasons, Eakins offered three “I had no idea to be honest,” Drysdale said. “I thought Jonesy got that for letters: F, U and N. sure. I remember in the third period, I got back to the bench and Shatty (Kevin Shattenkirk) was like, ‘Good job, kid. Attaboy.’ And I was like, “Fun,” the coach repeated. “That’s what he brought tonight. The guys ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘Yeah, that was your goal.’ It was were so excited that he was in the lineup. I know he went through the pretty cool to hear that. Definitely a special one.” rituals of the warmup here. There was lots of fun through the evening. The players wanted him to read out the opening lineup and not give him Zegras, who was sitting beside Drysdale in a postgame interview the heads-up on it. They had some fun with him after the game. That’s session, chuckled at the thought of the two scoring in the same game. what youth brings.

“I think it’s pretty funny,” he said. “I actually didn’t know Jamie scored “It’s no different than your kids. I go home. My kids keep me young. until two minutes ago. Which makes it that much better. But, yeah, pretty Jamie and Z and these guys – especially Jamie tonight. The guys were cool.” excited for hi

The presence The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 On that goal, it was striking the way Drysdale coolly walked the blue line, saw the moment when he could elude a defender and waited for the moment when he could get his shot all the way to the net and past the goalie. It is a skill that many defensemen never pick up or simply don’t have in their arsenal. At 18, Drysdale already has it.

“When I see defensemen do that, there’s a skill level there,” Eakins said. “But you’ve got to think of the confidence that you have in yourself. That you’re walking laterally across a blue line and just three or four inches one way or the other might put the play offside. And you’re under pressure and you’re cool as a cucumber.

“Those are things that make these players like Jamie high picks. A real, real good first night for him. Just a solid, solid night. A good building block for him. We’ll see where it goes.”

Eakins said the elements Drysdale put on display made it “very clear why he was our No. 1 pick.” In a season in which few moves have paid off for the Ducks, Drysdale’s call-up and subsequent performance had to warm the hearts of Eakins and general manager Bob Murray, two former defensemen who logged over 1,000 games either at various pro levels (Eakins) or in the NHL (Murray).

“He has learned what it takes defensemen years to learn,” Button said. “And that is what not to do. Young, dynamic defensemen come into the league and believe they can do the same things they did at lower levels. 1206061 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes allow 3 unanswered goals in overtime loss to Ducks

BY ASSOCIATED PRESS | MARCH 18, 2021 AT 10:43 PM

UPDATED: MARCH 18, 2021 AT 11:40 PM

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Adam Henrique scored a power-play goal 43 seconds into overtime, Jamie Drysdale had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut and the Anaheim Ducks rallied from an early two-goal deficit and beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on Thursday night.

Trevor Zegras scored his first career goal, Ryan Miller made 23 saves and the Ducks ended a four-game losing streak.

Henrique scored on a sharp-angle one-timer on a pass from Kevin Shattenkirk to complete the comeback for Anaheim, which trailed 2-0 midway through the first period.

Conor Garland and Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes, who dropped their fifth straight game. Adin Hill made 28 saves.

“It was really frustrating. What is that, five in a row? That’s frustrating in and of itself,” Garland said.

Zegras, who was drafted ninth overall in 2019, used an impressive bit of skill for his first goal. He faked a shot to the near post as he charged in on net and got Hill to commit before pulling the puck back to his right and flicking it in at the edge of the crease to tie it at 2-all at 14:30 of the second period.

With the arrival of Drysdale, the sixth overall pick in the 2020 draft, representing another step in Anaheim’s rebuild, it was the youth movement that sparked the Ducks’ offense. Drysdale’s shot from the point deflected off a Coyote player and got the Ducks within 2-1 at 12:01. He picked up the secondary assist on Zegras’ goal.

Drysdale is the third NHL defenseman younger than 19 with multiple points in his debut, joining Ray Bourque and Petr Svoboda.

The Coyotes scored twice in the first period, matching their offensive production during the previous four games. Garland put Arizona ahead 1:13 into the game, burying Nick Schmaltz’s pass for his ninth goal. Keller made it 2-0 at 7:07, sneaking a wrist shot from the left circle in at the short side off Garland’s feed.

“We want to find a way to get that third goal as a line and kind of deliver that knockout punch. I mean, three goals is hard to come back in the NHL so we have to find a way to get one. We get two early and just couldn’t find a way to get another one so it stings,” Garland said.

UP NEXT

The Coyotes and Ducks will play again in Anaheim on Saturday.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206062 Boston Bruins So what already was a daunting, compressed schedule could become a virtual straitjacket. The revised schedule, with a May 8 endpoint, would mean averaging one game every 1.6 days. For a team already with an abundance of injured players, it portends to be an exhausting, potentially Next two Bruins games are postponed after four more players enter dangerous back half of the season. COVID protocol An NHL spokesman said the league has built some “wiggle room” into the schedule and can accommodate games being played the week of May 9-15. That likely would mean delaying the start of the playoffs, By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated March 19, 2021, 1:58 p.m. currently in the books for May 11.

The Bruins had their schedule impacted by COVID-related BUFFALO — The Bruins on Friday became the latest NHL team to trip postponements earlier this season, but not because any of their players and fall amid the league’s ongoing treacherous tap dance around the or staff members were placed in protocol. coronavirus pandemic. They have had three players — Charlie Coyle, Jake DeBrusk, and Kuraly And, oh, what a trip. — sit one game because of positive tests. In the cases of Coyle and DeBrusk, they returned immediately after their results were deemed false The NHL announced that five Bruins — including elite goal scorer David positives. Pastrnak — officially were unavailable after being placed in COVID-19 protocol. Other clubs, including the Sabres, haven’t been as fortunate. The Stars, Devils, and Sabres all have endured protracted lockdowns. Three other forwards — Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci, and Craig Smith — also joined the list, along with fellow forward Sean Kuraly, who entered The Sabres skated here at KeyBank Center for an hour Friday morning into protocol Thursday after testing positive. under , their newly named interim coach. It was close contact with Devils players earlier this season that led the Sabres to The lengthy list of “unavailables” led the NHL to postpone the Bruins’ endure a protracted shutdown. next two games — Saturday’s matinee here with the Sabres and Tuesday’s match against the Islanders at TD Garden. “So there’s definitely some nerves in the room,” said 20-year-old Sabres center Dylan Cozens. “We don’t want to get shut down again. We are just Being placed in protocol does not necessarily mean a player has tested hoping that it didn’t transmit to any of us, but we’re just kind of taking it positive for the virus or is experiencing symptoms. A player can land on day-by-day right now.” the list for a variety of reasons, including having close contact with a teammate or staff member who has tested positive or is displaying “A lot goes through your mind because of six weeks ago,” said Granato, symptoms. reflecting on the club’s earlier lockdown. “We don’t have a lot of information yet, so that still goes through your mind. It puts you in wait- All of the Boston players in protocol, other than Kuraly, played Thursday and-see, and no one likes to go through that. It is a challenge.” vs. the Sabres. Krejci, who centered a line with DeBrusk and Smith, picked up a season-high three assists. DeBrusk and Smith each scored a Boston Globe LOADED: 03.20.2021 goal.

It’s possible all three of those players tested positive. It’s also possible that only, say, one tested positive but all three were rendered “unavailable” because they are linemates and therefore spend considerable time next to one another, including sitting shoulder-to- shoulder on the bench between shifts.

Tuesday’s Bruins-Islanders game was to be the first this season with fans allowed inside TD Garden; some 2,100 spectators were expected in the Causeway Street arena, in keeping with the state’s 12 percent capacity limit for large gatherings.

Per standing agreement between the league and the players’ union, the Bruins will be shut down at least through Tuesday. If no more players test positive over the weekend and into early next week, they will be back on the ice for practice Wednesday and back in action Thursday vs. the Islanders at the Garden.

However, if the positives start to pile up, the shutdown could be extended. It’s also possible, though unlikely, that any positive tests Friday prove to be false, which would improve the chances of a Wednesday restart.

The Bruins, who were packed up here by early afternoon Friday for the trip back home, issued no statement pertaining to the pause and did not make a team member available to the media here.

A team media relations representative, in a series of text exchanges with a Globe reporter, said the Bruins were adhering to guidance from NHL headquarters in New York. There could be a statement Saturday.

Tuesday’s game was to kick off an unprecedented eight-game homestand at TD Garden. It could still be eight games, but only if Tuesday’s game is rescheduled prior to the Bruins’ next road game April 6 in Philadelphia.

According to TD Garden spokeswoman Tricia McCorkle, Tuesday’s postponement does not alter the Garden’s plan to reopen to fans at the earliest opportunity, which would be Thursday, if nothing changes.

Now 16-8-4 following Thursday night’s 4-1 win over the Sabres, the Bruins have completed the first half of their 56-game schedule. If the Saturday and Tuesday games are rescheduled, the Black and Gold will play their remaining 28 games across 45 days, wrapping up on May 8. 1206063 Boston Bruins two-goal on February 28, he was held out of the next game — a 2-1 shootout loss to the Capitals — for what turned out to be a false positive test result. The same was true for DeBrusk, who snapped a long scoreless streak with a goal against the Rangers on March 11, only to be Bruins’ next two games postponed due to outbreak a scratch for the next game — a woeful loss to the Rangers on March 13.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.20.2021 By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 2:07 p.m. | UPDATED: March 19, 2021 at 6:11 p.m.

The Bruins’ 2021 season took another detour on Friday when the NHL announced that four additional Bruins entered the league’s COVID protocol list, postponing their next two games.

Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci, Craig Smith and David Pastrnak were added to the list on Friday. Sean Kuraly had tested positive on Thursday and all the players and team personnel were re-tested in the middle of the day, with the negative results allowing Thursday’s game to continue, coach Bruce Cassidy said prior to Thursday’s game.

DeBrusk had been placed on the list last Saturday, March 13 but had subsequently produced enough negative tests to be reinstated and he only missed that one game against the Rangers.

All the players added to the list on Friday figured prominently in the B’s 4- 1 win on Thursday. DeBrusk, Krejci and Smith formed the team’s second line against the Sabres. DeBrusk and Smith scored goals while Krejci produced three assists in the game. Pastrnak also scored his team- leading 14th goal.

The B’s had planned to practice in Buffalo on Friday, but that was scrapped with the news of the new players being placed on the list. A player can land on the list because of a positive test, close contact with an infected peson and/or COVID symptoms. The team’s media availability was also canceled.

The B’s were scheduled to play in Buffalo on Saturday and the New York Islanders on Tuesday at the Garden, which was set to be the first game where fans would have been allowed in the building in more than a year.

The Bruins have been playing in front of a limited number of fans on the road since Madison Square Garden opened its doors on Feb. 26. Fans were present at both games in Pittsburgh and Thursday’s contest in Buffalo.

Pending test results in the coming days, the B’s will be allowed to re- open their Brighton practice facilities on Wednesday.

A release from the league said: “The Bruins organization has, and will continue to follow all the recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies.”

The Bruins have been on the road since flying to Pittsburgh last Sunday and flew to Buffalo after Tuesday’s game in Pittsburgh, with a day off for players on Wednesday.

The B’s had two players previously enter the COVID protocol list earlier this month, Charlie Coyle and DeBrusk. Like DeBrusk, Coyle was deemed, after subsequent testing, to have produced a false positive and missed one game.

Other teams have continued playing with as many or more players on the protocols list but in those cases — most notably in that of the Washington Capitals, who had four players caught breaking protocols by socializing in a hotel room — the league was confident that there was no danger of an outbreak. The league does not yet have the same confidence in the Bruins’ case that a further outbreak could be stopped without the shutdown measure it has taken.

Presuming the B’s are allowed to resume play on Thursday against the Islanders, they will have to play 28 games in 45 days, unless the league pushes out the B’s May 8 end-of-season date.

From a purely hockey standpoint, the B’s have been finding it hard to gain traction in their injury-marred season over the past month-plus. When they beat the lowly Sabres on Thursday, it was the first time since February 10 and 12 that they had won consecutive games. And while that of futility has been mostly due to the aforementioned injuries and inconsistent performances, the COVID situation that still looms over all facets of our lives hasn’t helped. Coyle has been struggling to get his offense going all season and, after it looked like he broke out of it with a 1206064 Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins Forced To Postpone Games Due to COVID Protocols

Published 13 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Joe Haggerty

After avoiding any kind of Bruins-related issues for most of the year, it looks like the Boston Bruins are finally going to be forced to deal with their own internal brush with COVID-19.

The NHL announced on Friday that the Boston Bruins will have to postpone two games, tomorrow night’s road date vs. the Buffalo Sabres, and Tuesday’s home date vs. the New York Islanders after four B’s players had to enter the NHL’s COVID Protocols on Friday. It was later confirmed that Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci, Craig Smith and David Pastrnak were the four additional Bruins players added to the NHL’s COVID Protocol list. The Bruins will basically have to shut things down until at least Wednesday, when they could begin practicing again based on the COVID-19 test results in the coming days.

One of the unfortunate developments here: The March 23 home game vs. the Islanders was supposed to be the first game at TD Garden where a small number of Bruins fans were going to be allowed back into the building.

Per the press release from the NHL, the decision was made by the League’s, NHLPA’s and Club’s medical groups. The Bruins’ organization has, and will continue to follow, all recommended guidelines aimed at protecting the health and safety of its Players, staff and community at large as set by the NHL, local, state and national agencies.

The Bruins took a 4-1 win over the Sabres on Thursday night in a game that was eventually played even after Sean Kuraly had to enter into COVID-19 protocols earlier on Thursday, and a member of the Buffalo Sabres staff also had to do the same thing. Both teams scrapped their morning skate on Thursday after the test results and the there was question as to whether the game was even going to be played prior to Friday’s news that there appears to be a mini outbreak on the Bruins.

If the Bruins can resume playing next Thursday, they will be facing a schedule where they play their remaining 28 games in 45 days unless the NHL A) permanently cancels games or B) extends the regular season to allow for teams to play postponed games. That would make for an extremely difficult path for the fourth place Boston Bruins to play their best hockey in the second half of the season.

The Bruins were initially supposed to hold a 2 pm practice in Buffalo at the KeyBank Center and both Bruce Cassidy and some players were expected to be available to speak with the media, but that’s been put on hold given the latest COVID Protocol development. There will be no Bruins media availability on Friday as the organization assesses the situation.

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206065 Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins’ Frederic Felled With Lower Body Injury

Published 19 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Joe Haggerty

The Boston Bruins continue to lose muscle, size and strength seemingly by the day as rugged forward Trent Frederic was knocked out of Thursday night’s game with a lower body injury.

The 22-year-old Frederic blocked a shot in the first period of the 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres at First Niagara Center and had to leave the game after just 5:28 of ice time with a plus-1 rating. It sounded like the Bruins might be without him for a short period of time, but the good news was that X-Rays taken in Buffalo came back negative.

“He blocked a shot, lower body. It was late in the first and he wasn’t feeling right afterward. The X-ray was negative, so that’s a positive,” said Bruce Cassidy. “I think that’s one we’ll have to list as day-to-day for the next couple of days and see how it goes. If it doesn’t get better in the next couple of days, then we may need to take the next step and have an MRI in Boston to see if it isn’t anything more than a bruise.”

It’s bad timing for Frederic as he was coming off a game where he scored a goal in Pittsburgh and has begun to put together his offensive game to go along with the rugged, physical style that he brings to the Boston Bruins bench. With Kevan Miller, Brandon Carlo, Jeremy Lauzon, Jared Tinordi and now Frederic all injured and on the shelf, the Boston Bruins are missing nearly all their big, strong and physical players with just Nick Ritchie still healthy and throwing his weight around.

It’s something the Bruins are acutely aware of as they’re righting the ship for their overall game with two straight wins in Pittsburgh and Buffalo.

“You’ve got to change the way you play a little bit and you’ve got to have more foot speed. I think you see that with our lineup with Karson Kuhlman and Oskar Steen going in because they’re a little quicker,” said Cassidy. “We want to have some size and we want to be tough to play against, and some of those guys on the back end deliver that for us. The good news with those guys is that some of them are skating and not too far off. As for Frederic, we don’t know so let’s not take him out of the lineup too quick.”

Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206066 Buffalo Sabres Cozens, who previously tested positive for Covid-19 and was asymptomatic. “So, there is definitely some nerves in the room. We don’t want to get shut down again. That was not fun to have to quarantine and go through. I mean, we’re just hoping that it didn’t transmit to any of us. Sabres' game Saturday postponed as 4 more Bruins enter Covid-19 But we’re just kind of taking it day by day right now.” protocols Any in-game transmission Thursday would raise significant questions about the process to determine if competition is safe after one team has a player or staff member test positive on a game day. Lance Lysowski Mar 19, 2021 Updated 4 hrs ago People outside of these NHL teams could also be impacted, including

bus drivers, hospitality workers at hotels, arena staff, etc. Erie County Don Granato stepped off the KeyBank Center ice Friday afternoon to Executive Mark Poloncarz, who tweeted his disgust in the aftermath of learn that his second game as interim coach of the Buffalo Sabres will the series against New Jersey, reacted to this latest development Friday have to wait. on by saying, “After the last fiasco, this can’t be good.”

The game scheduled for Saturday against Boston in KeyBank Center Buffalo News LOADED: 03.20.2021 was postponed because four additional Bruins players -- forwards David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Craig Smith and Jake DeBrusk -- entered the ’s Covid-19 protocols Friday morning. The Sabres did not have anyone placed on the protocol list Friday.

A player can be added to the protocol list for an unconfirmed positive test, a positive test or because he is deemed a high-risk close contact.

The Sabres played the Bruins on Thursday night in Buffalo, and neither team held a morning skate out of an abundance of caution because each side had a possible Covid-19 case.

A Sabres hockey staff member entered the NHL’s protocol, and Bruins forward Sean Kuraly landed on the protocol list hours before puck drop. Both teams conducted contact tracing and rapid testing, the results of which led medical experts and the NHL to decide the game was safe to play.

The news of the latest postponement was alarming to Granato and his players, as this is the Sabres’ second encounter with the virus this season. Nine players entered the protocols following a two-game series against the New Jersey Devils on Jan. 30-31. Former coach Ralph Krueger tested positive for Covid-19 and most Sabres on the list also tested positive. This led to the postponement of six Sabres games.

Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen was bedridden while enduring multiple symptoms. The outbreak occurred after a Devils player entered the protocols before each of the two games, and it led the NHL to enhance its in-arena protocols, including the removal of Plexiglass behind the benches.

“A lot goes through your mind because of six weeks ago,” Granato said after his first practice as interim coach. “We don’t have a lot of information yet, so that still goes through your mind. It puts you in a wait- and-see, and nobody likes that. It is challenging.”

The Bruins canceled their scheduled practice in LECOM Harborcenter on Friday and their next two games, including Saturday in Buffalo, were postponed. The Bruins did not plan to make any of their players or coach Bruce Cassidy available to speak to the media.

The game scheduled for Saturday was supposed to be the Sabres' first this season with 10% capacity in KeyBank Center. Refunds will be issued for tickets purchased. The team cannot provide immediate refunds for the mandatory Covid-19 tests to attend the game.

The Sabres, though, are compensating fans by providing single-game ticket vouchers for the 2021-22 season. For example, a fan who purchased two tickets to the game Saturday will be given two free tickets to a game next season. Approximately 700 front-line workers attended the Sabres’ 4-1 loss to the Bruins on Thursday.

Granato planned to meet with General Manager and other members of Sabres hockey operations Friday afternoon to plot next steps. Any plan is contingent on what the team learns from the NHL. The Sabres won't practice Saturday out of an abundance of caution, and their next scheduled game is Monday against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden.

This latest calamity occurred less than 72 hours after Krueger was fired as coach and amid the Sabres' 13-game winless streak. The delay will give Granato more time to prepare for his second game leading the Buffalo bench, but there is a sense of uneasiness as he and his players await word on what’s next.

“From what I think, I don’t see how it’s really much of a different situation than what happened with New Jersey,” said Sabres forward Dylan 1206067 Buffalo Sabres

Sources: Sabres on the verge of trading goalie Jonas Johansson

Lance Lysowski Mar 19, 2021 Updated 9 hrs ago

Kevyn Adams is closing in on his first midseason trade as the Buffalo Sabres’ general manager.

Goalie Jonas Johansson was held out of practice Friday in KeyBank Center as the Sabres are deep in trade talks involving the 25-year-old, multiple sources told The Buffalo News. NHL Network’s Kevin Weekes reported the Colorado Avalanche are the team that is close to acquiring Johansson.

Sources say the completion of a trade was delayed because the Sabres were waiting to hear how they will be impacted by the news that their opponent Thursday, the Boston Bruins, had four players added to the NHL's Covid protocol list Friday.

Johansson is a former third-round draft choice and has appeared in seven games for the Sabres this season. However, he will become an unrestricted free agent this summer if he does not log 21 NHL appearances of at least 30 minutes.

The Sabres would move on from Johansson because prospect Ukko- Pekka Luukkoknen is playing with the .

The trade would leave Carter Hutton and Dustin Tokarski as the Sabres' two healthy goalies on the roster. Michael Houser was signed to a one- year, $700,000 contract on Friday. Houser has been the Rochester Americans' primary backup since Tokarski was assigned to the taxi squad last month. Houser must clear before he can be assigned to Rochester or the taxi squad.

Houser, 28, has not appeared in more than one game in a season since 2015-16. He would likely be a placeholder on the taxi squad until Linus Ullmark is able to return from a lower-body injury that’s kept him out of the lineup since Feb. 25.

Luukkonen did not practice with the Amerks on Friday, but he is expected to be available to coach Seth Appert following the weekend. Rochester’s season has been on hold after three players tested positive for Covid-19.

Johansson, a third-round draft choice in 2013, had a .884 save percentage and 3.79 goals-against in seven games, including six starts. He has appeared in 95 minor-league games, including 41 with the Amerks.

Johansson's 2018-19 season was cut short by a knee injury. He was named an American Hockey League all-star in 2019-20, finishing with a .921 save percentage in 22 games for the Amerks.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206068 Buffalo Sabres

Charlie Mendola is latest departure from Sabres' hockey operations department

Lance Lysowski Mar 19, 2021 Updated 10 hrs ago

One of Kevyn Adams’ first hires as the Buffalo Sabres’ general manager has already left the team.

Charlie Mendola, who joined the team as director of hockey strategy in November, is no longer with the Sabres, sources confirmed.

The 47-year-old East Amherst native previously worked as assistant general manager at LECOM Harborcenter, where he was tasked with implementing hockey programming for the rink and the Academy of Hockey.

Mendola has also been executive director of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres’ Under-20 team in the Ontario Junior Hockey League, and at times, worked as an on-ice coach for the Academy of Hockey.

This creates another vacancy in the Sabres’ hockey operations department, which was gutted by 22 firings in June, including General Manager Jason Botterill.

Since taking charge of the department, Adams has made several appointments, including the promotion of Jeremiah Crowe to director of scouting and director of analytics Jason Nightingale stepped into a prominent role in the scouting department. Matt Ellis, previously director at the Academy of Hockey, joined the Sabres as director of player development.

Adams hired two scouts, and former NHL defenseman Dan Girardi was brought on as a development coach. However, Ellis and Girardi are now interim assistant coaches on Don Granato’s staff with the Sabres. This has left only one full-time development coach in the department, Seamus Kotyk. In addition to overseeing prospect development, Ellis has also run on-ice skill sessions with the Sabres' taxi squad and players who are out of the lineup.

Additionally, the Sabres do not have scouts based in Finland, Russia, the or the . Owner ’s plan post-Botterill was for the hockey operations department to rely on video scouting and analytics. The department, though, has not hired any full-time employees in analytics, and video scouting isn’t an effective method to scout most junior leagues in Europe, particularly Finland and Russia.

Adams might be receiving help soon, as he revealed to the media following Ralph Krueger’s firing on Wednesday that the Sabres are seeking an assistant general manager. Industry sources told The Buffalo News that Jason Karmanos, a longtime assistant general manager under Jim Rutherford in Pittsburgh and Carolina, is atop Adams’ list of candidates. The Sabres have received permission from the Penguins to interview Karmanos, who was dismissed in October. Rutherford has since resigned as Penguins general manager.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206069 Buffalo Sabres The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021

News of latest COVID-19 postponement leaves Sabres with ‘some nerves in the room’

By John Vogl Mar 19, 2021

BUFFALO, N.Y. — In the best-case scenario, the Sabres will have their seventh game postponed by COVID-19.

The worst case is they’ll be shut down again.

The NHL has postponed Saturday’s home game against Boston because of an increasing number of Bruins entering COVID-19 protocols. The Bruins had one player join the list before Thursday’s meeting between the teams, but the total swelled to five Friday. The league has closed the Bruins’ training facility until at least Tuesday.

If this sounds familiar, it should.

The Sabres played New Jersey at the end of January despite the Devils having a player enter protocols. Then another joined. Then the Sabres had nine players and coach Ralph Krueger go into protocols. It forced a two-week shutdown in February.

The Sabres are waiting to see if they’ll have positive tests, more games postponed and get their doors locked, or if this is just a one-game thing.

“A lot goes through your mind because of six weeks ago,” interim coach Don Granato said after Friday’s practice. “We don’t have a lot of information yet, so that still goes through your mind. It puts you in a wait- and-see, and nobody likes that. It is challenging.”

The intrigue started when the Sabres and Bruins canceled their morning skates Thursday, which put their game that night in doubt. Buffalo had a hockey staffer enter protocols while Bruins forward Sean Kuraly went on the NHL list.

After rapid testing results showed no further positives, the league and medical teams gave the go-ahead to the game.

But while the Sabres were practicing Friday at KeyBank Center, the NHL announced the Bruins were being shut down because four more players entered protocols. A source says they have been deemed close contacts of Kuraly, though it’s not clear why that wouldn’t have been the case Thursday, too.

“I don’t see how it’s really much of a different situation than what happened with New Jersey,” said Sabres forward Dylan Cozens, who was a confirmed positive for COVID-19 after the Devils series. “There is definitely some nerves in the room. Like, we don’t want to get shut down again. That was not fun to have to quarantine and go through.

“We’re just hoping that it didn’t transmit to any of us, but we’re just kind of taking it day by day right now.”

Regardless, the Sabres will not play Saturday. They may not even practice.

“We are making a decision on that,” Granato said. “We may take a day to wait it out, which I think we’re leaning that way.”

In a season of chaos in Buffalo, it’s not surprising there’s another layer to the story.

The Sabres were set to welcome the ticket-buying public for the first time Saturday. To attend, fans had to purchase tickets and present a negative PCR test within 72 hours of puck drop. New York State put the testing stipulation in place.

The tickets for the postponed game are refundable through the Sabres, but the patrons are out the $64 cost of the PCR test, which was handled by an outside company.

The Sabres are doing their best to make things right with the fans who went through the effort to attend Saturday’s game. They aren’t refunding the test money, but they are including a free ticket to a game next season along with the refund for Saturday’s game.

It’s just another wild chapter in a season to forget. 1206070 Calgary Flames The Flames were anxious to put Wednesday’s blowout loss to the Edmonton Oilers in their rearview mirror and there was a lot to be positive about early on at an empty , with Tkachuk scoring just 79 seconds after the anthems, Ryan capitalizing after a SNAPSHOTS: Flames captain Giordano leads charge in 4-3 victory in heads-up feed from Rasmus Andersson and Tanev picking the top shelf. Toronto The Maple Leafs also scored a pair in the opening frame, though, with Jason Spezza and Alex Kerfoot doing the honours.

Wes Gilbertson When Mitch Marner tied it up early in the second, it was fair to wonder if the Flames were ignoring Sutter’s warning about trading offensive Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 4 hours ago chances with a top team.

Apparently not. His goal on the power-play stood as the game-winner. Giordano restored the lead, then played a huge part in ensuring they His guts on the penalty-kill helped to preserve it. didn’t fritter it away.

Several of the Calgary Flames’ leadership sorts made important The Flames, now improved to 15-13-3, and Maple Leafs will rematch in contributions in Friday’s measuring-stick matchup against the top troupe one of Saturday’s early dates on Hockey Night in (5 p.m. in the NHL’s North Division, but none had more of an impact than captain MT/Sportsnet). Mark Giordano in this 4-3 road victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. “I think we all know we can be a lot better but at the same time, we got With the score deadlocked in the second period, he wired a slap-shot the win,” Tkachuk said after Friday’s triumph. “But now let’s forget about from the point for the go-ahead marker on the man-advantage. it and move on to tomorrow. We know we have a lot better and we know that if we want to go very far and make this dream a reality, we have to Then, with the Flames twice penalized in the third as they tried to close it be a lot better. But anytime you win, it’s nice.” out, the 37-year-old defenceman provided a hat-trick of key blocks — one off the stick of and two fired by Maurice ‘Rocket’ AROUND THE BOARDS Richard Trophy frontrunner . Sutter’s post-game assessment? “I thought we played really well,” he “In those kills, he was the fearless leader, willing to get in front of shots,” said. “I thought we checked well. We gave up very few odd-man rushes. praised Flames centre and fellow shorthanded staffer Derek Ryan, who Obviously they’re going to get scoring chances on their power-play and was squirming in the sin-bin when Giordano twice denied Matthews. “He off their cycle with the skill they have, but overall, it was not a track-meet was great for us. He was amped up and I thought he brought his A game. game at all. I think we have a team that can play together and if we just That’s kind of what we’ve talked about in the dressing room is everyone eliminate little mistakes in our game and stay out of the penalty box, we trying to be anywhere from two to five percent better. And I think he was can play with them. So we did” … Thanks to that second-period strike, probably more than that tonight. Giordano upped his career count to 50 power-play goals. In Calgary’s franchise lore, there are only two blue-liners who have tickled more twine “He was our leader and helped us gut out those two points.” on the man-advantage — Al MacInnis (102) and Gary Suter (54) … Maple Leafs defenceman Justin Holl — a big dude at 6-foot-4 and 210 lb. Flames coach , not always an easy guy to impress, was — cranked wee Gaudreau into the boards in front of the penalty boxes. equally complimentary of Giordano’s performance in a hard-fought Gaudreau doesn’t get levelled very often, but this was a biggie. Rookie victory over the Maple Leafs. rearguard Juuso Valimaki immediately rushed to Gaudreau’s defence, “I think he made those big plays at big times,” said Sutter, who was earning a two-minute minor for roughing, and then Tkachuk tussled with general manager at the Saddledome when Giordano was signed way- Holl at his earliest opportunity. “I don’t think a lot of guys liked the hit, back-when as an undrafted junior and has so far posted a 4-1 record in whether it was clean or whether it was dirty,” Tkachuk said. “(Gaudreau) the early stages of his second stint as Calgary’s bench boss. “The goal is is a guy that we know guys aren’t going to take runs at” … The Flames obviously a big play. But also, he played heavy minutes and he did a fired just 18 shots on net, leaving Maple Leafs backstop Frederik great job.” Andersen with a cringe-worthy .778 save percentage in this one.

You’re not going to knock off the high-flying Maple Leafs with just one OFF THE GLASS guy going, and plenty of Flames followed Giordano’s lead Friday. Sutter made it clear upon arrival that he needed more out of his middle- finally snapped out of his eight-game goal-scoring funk men. It’s not all about offence, but Mikael Backlund and Elias Lindholm and then dropped his mitts to avenge a hit on . have certainly responded. Both are currently riding four-game point- sprees and it’s worth noting they each earned an assist Friday by winning Chris Tanev buried one of his own from the blue-line and his defence an offensive-zone faceoff. The new boss will appreciate that … Tkachuk partner, Noah Hanifin, was rock-solid despite appearing to be in some snapped out of his goal-scoring dry-spell with a bit of help from Maple discomfort after getting twisted up with two opponents. Leafs defenceman , who deflected this wrister past his Stalwart netminder Jacob Markstrom made a desperate, diving save on own masked man … The Flames made a switch to their third defence Matthews with just over seven minutes remaining, the best of his 24 pairing, with Nikita Nesterov returning from a three-game sit-out as a stops. healthy scratch and Oliver Kylington coming out of the lineup. On his first shift, Nesterov earned an assist on Tkachuk’s tally. In front of him, the Flames racked up 29 blocked shots. Giordano was credited with five … and we are pretty sure the stats-crew missed a Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.20.2021 couple.

Asked to choose what he was more proud of, his game-winning one- timer or those game-saving blocks, he didn’t hesitate — just like when he was extending a leg or otherwise sacrificing his body as Matthews loaded up for a howitzer. (Matthews, with a league-leading 21 goals already this season, was skunked on this night.)

“Definitely the penalty-kill for me,” Giordano replied. “They both feel good, not gonna lie. But that’s a pretty good power-play over there and they have some elite players who make plays and I thought we did a good job of limiting and obviously not letting them get one and trying to block when we could and get in lanes when we could.”

When your captain is doing that, you don’t have much choice. 1206071 Calgary Flames “(Gaudreau and Monahan) are high-end, skilled players and they’ve done that in the past,” Sutter said Friday. “I think it’s just a little bit more shot volume, shot quality, pace-of-game, 200-foot game. It’s not pond hockey.

Flames stars adjusting to new identity under Sutter “Again, I said that because of this division. Look at the Toronto Maple Leafs … They play a complete game and their top players have made that adjustment to play a complete game. You have to emulate those teams to have success here.” Daniel Austin Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.20.2021 Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 7 hours ago •

TORONTO, ON - MARCH 19: #17 of the Calgary Flames skates with the puck against Alex Galchenyuk #12 ofthe Toronto Maple Leafs during an NHL game at Scotiabank Arena on March 19, 2021 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan insist that Darryl Sutter isn’t asking them to do anything all that different from what they’ve always done.

If there are opportunities to use their skill to create opportunities on the rush, they’ll still take them.

If there aren’t, though, it seems that the Calgary Flames head coach would prefer that they get the puck deep in their opponent’s zone. Limit turnovers. Fight for the puck down low and keep possession.

It’s nothing the Flames stars haven’t done a million times in their NHL careers. Dump-and-chase isn’t exactly a new strategy, even if it’s not what Gaudreau and Monahan have historically been known for.

“Whether I’m comfortable with it or not, that’s our team. That’s our system right now and you need to adapt,” Gaudreau said Friday morning. “Doesn’t matter what coach you’re playing for, you need to follow his instructions and make sure you’re playing the right way and playing the way he wants to play.”

The Flames often talk about playing the “right” way. That seems to mean a lot of things. It means staying out of the penalty box. It means skating hard and fast. It means avoiding turnovers.

Since Sutter has taken over from Geoff Ward, the system the Flames are using hasn’t changed all that dramatically. There just seems to be more of an emphasis on doing the things that will help this specific group of players competes with the rest of the teams in the North Division.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that the Flames are trying to stifle the creativity of guys like Monahan and Gaudreau, though, they say.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward tries to avoid a check from Calgary Flames defenceman Rasmus Andersson during the first period at Scotiabank Arena.

“I think we’re just trying to limit turnovers, play quicker and get pucks in behind. I mean, we’re trying to generate (offence) and hold pucks in their end,” Monahan said. “If you get chances off the rush, you’re going to take it, but if they’re not there you’ve got to continue to play the right way and try to drive and create offence that way. That’s something we’re going to continue to do here.”

Through four games under Sutter’s tutelage, Gaudreau has scored once and Monahan has scored twice. They’ve been paired with Brett Ritchie, whose size and ability to fight for pucks in the corner has been an asset when they’ve dumped-and-chased.

In general, that seems to be the approach that Sutter wants their line — and the team as a whole — to employ, although that doesn’t mean that they are being asked to turn down opportunities to carry the puck over the blueline and work a little magic on occasion.

Since arriving back in Calgary, though, Sutter has said several times that the Flames lack the “firepower” to play a run-and-gun style against teams like the Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs. That wasn’t meant as a knock on Gaudreau and Monahan, the Flames’ most dangerous offensive weapons.

The Flames can beat those teams, but playing a little more conservatively will go a long way towards achieving that goal. And Sutter, historically, is known as a coach for whom accountability counts. Every player on the team knows already that they’re expected to buy-in, including the stars. 1206072 Carolina Hurricanes

What do the Hurricanes want — or need — as the NHL trade deadline approaches?

BY CHIP ALEXANDER

MARCH 19, 2021 12:24 PM

The NHL trade winds are stirring as the April 12 trade deadline approaches, but head coach Rod Brind’Amour offered up an opinion this week: “I like our team right now. I don’t know why we would be looking at too much.”

Canes General Manager Don Waddell said Wednesday that he’s always actively looking for ways to improve the team but that salary-cap considerations must be considered, with the NHL cap to remain flat next year.

“We have a little cap space but not a lot of cap space,” Waddell said.

Waddell said once goaltender Petr Mrazek is healthy and playing, the Canes would carry all three goalies — and Alex Nedeljkovic are the other two — on the roster, which also will eat some cap space.

One name that popped up recently in connection with Carolina was former Canes captain Eric Staal, now with the Buffalo Sabres. Jordan and Eric Staal once envisioned leading the Canes back into Stanley Cup contention after Jordan Staal was traded to Carolina from Pittsburgh in June 2012.

That didn’t happen.

Brind’Amour was asked about an Eric Staal return in roundabout fashion on a Zoom media call this week. Staal’s name was not mentioned, and the NHL frowns on comments made about players under contract to other teams, but Brind’Amour handled it well enough.

“That’s a question that’s probably for further up the chain than me, but I think we know he’s an awesome person,” Brind’Amour said of Staal, his former teammate who succeeded him as captain.

Injuries have been tough on the Canes this season, with Mrazek missing a chunk of time due to thumb surgery, and prime setup man Teuvo Teravainen.

Mrazek, who shut out the Wings 3-0 in the season opener, played four games before dislocating a thumb and needing surgery. Teravainen has had issues with COVID-19 and then a concussion, missing 15 games.

More recently., center Vincent Trocheck has been sidelined with an upper-body injury. Best guess: sore ribs after taking a cross-check March 9 against Nashville. He has been out the past three games and Waddell said his status is “week to week.”

If the injuries continue — forward Warren Foegele left Tuesday’s game with an upper-body issue — that could change the trade equation and there could be moves.

The Canes could look to add a veteran forward at the right price. The goaltending situation might have to be addressed.

But the Canes are 20-7-1, and have 41 points midway through the season. If they can match that in the second half, and start having more fans allowed in PNC Arena, and make the playoffs again ... who knows what comes next?

News Observer LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206073 Carolina Hurricanes It was expected that he’d bounce back somewhat this season after a few frustrating years of battling the aftermath of a severely broken fibula. But I think the hockey world may have forgotten just how good he is when healthy, and we were getting a daily reminder this season before a new, Carolina Hurricanes midseason superlatives: The MVP, biggest surprise, upper-body injury took him out of the lineup. Trocheck was making most underrated, best dressed and more difficult net-front plays look easy, and he was often a difference-maker in games the Corsi Canes of years past would have dropped.

It’s such a shame he’s sidelined again, but at least it’s not an aggravation By Sara Civian Mar 19, 2021 of the leg injury, and he might be able to make a return this season. He — and the hockey world as a whole — deserve a happier ending for him.

I may or may not be looking like Will Hunting at that MIT chalkboard Mr. Congeniality: Steven Lorentz trying to figure out when exactly “midseason” is in 2020-21, but according As Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said, “you root for guys” like to my calculations, we’re just about there. Steve Lorentz. His undying positivity off the ice and effort on it have The Canes have cooled off a bit with two straight losses after an eight- helped give the team perspective while playing through a season of game winning streak, but they’re still tied for second in the Central with unprecedented protocols and restrictions. 42 points and a 20-7-2 record — and that’s only two points behind the Comeback of the year: Nino Niederreiter No. 1 Lightning. Life is good in Canes Land, and there’s a real chance we’ll see a deep playoff run. But halfway through the season, how are the Niederreiter has returned to his post-trade form in 2020-21, with 13 goals players doing on an individual basis? and a three-way tie for the Hurricanes’ scoring lead. He’s always been streaky in terms of production, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing It’s time for The Athletic’s third annual Hurricanes midseason when he’s on at all the perfect times. That first season with the Canes, he superlatives. was producing at an insane rate during a tough playoff push, and now Best all-around: Jordan Staal he’s turned it on again, with points in all four games during Trocheck’s absence. This one was an unusually tough call this season because so many Hurricanes are contributing above what was expected. But Staal has You’ll take that timing any day. remained a nightmare to play against and a menace on the faceoff dot, Most likely to get traded to Duke: Morgan Geekie all while rediscovering the scoring touch he had in his younger years. He has 10 goals and 22 points in 26 games on top winning 58.8 of his The only person who enjoys scoring in March more than Christian faceoffs (a pretty ridiculous number considering the amount he takes). Laettner might be Morgan Geekie.

The captain has been stepping up in ways no one asked him to, and Geekie apparently has an inherent ability to get called up and score a you’ve seen that trickle down throughout the lineup. few goals on various March evenings. In his NHL debut on March 8, 2020, he scored two, and this season, playing his first game in a month, I asked Sebastian Aho what has changed about Staal from last season. he scored two again on March 11. When asked if this was a coincidence, “Absolutely nothing,” he said, without hesitation. “The only difference is he said his dad’s birthday is in March. So shoutout to Mr. Geekie. he shows up on the scoresheet. He’s always been the same guy. He Every night I think to myself, “Why aren’t more people talking about works hard. He’s the leader on and off the ice. He takes huge draws. He Martin Necas?” kills penalties. He’s been good on the power play every time I play with him. So just the difference is he’s producing more points, but he’s always And then I remember it is literally my job to talk about Martin Necas and been the same player to me. He’s always been a great player. I knew this is a me problem. that he was capable of that. I played with him a lot my second year. I felt it was such an easy game for me. I think I had breakaways every game The man is a walking highlight reel who has completely changed the because he defends so well. He just lets you do your own thing out complexion of the Hurricanes’ power play. It doesn’t matter what unit he’s there.” on, but Brind’Amour is going to have a tough time taking him off the first unit based on how effective he is there. “He’s got a lot to be confident about,” Alex Nedeljkovic offered. “He’s been a great player for a long time in this league. He’s won a Stanley I could watch Necas’ zone entries all day. Give him a centimeter, and he Cup. He’s played with some great players. He’s off to a really (good) will take a mile, hence his two overtime goals this season. Every shift is start, and he’s just building off of that every game. You see it in practice. dangerous. He’s passing the puck hard. It’s crisp. He’s always the hardest worker. So much is going on with the Hurricanes right now, plus they have so He’s putting the puck in the net. He’s letting it rip. It’s every day. It’s not many defensemen. Bean’s first real season in the NHL shouldn’t be like this is on game days, he just decides he’s going to show up and ignored, though. He has a goal and 10 points in 19 games — third work. This is an everyday thing, and it’s not really that big of a surprise.” among Hurricanes defensemen. He’s second among NHL rookie So while you could make a case for several other Hurricanes for MVP or defensemen in assists and points, and he leads all rookie blueliners in best all-around, Staal started it and has kept it going. He’s quietly set a both power-play assists (four) and power-play points (five). standard for the team by just doing the dang thing every day. He has certainly made the Seattle expansion draft protection This year’s hard name you’d better learn how to pronounce: Alex conversation interesting … Nedeljkovic Unsung hero: Sebastian Aho Folks, it looks like Nedeljkovic might finally be here to stay. He’s forced Are you seeing a theme of depth here yet? With three Canes having 13 himself into not only the Hurricanes’ backup conversation but also the goals and six having at least eight, it’s been fun to watch some of the starter conversation with a 6-2-2 record, 2.16 goals-against average and less usual subjects step up. .926 save percentage. He leads all rookie in save percentage, and among NHL goalies with at least five starts in 2020-21, But there’s also something to be said about consistency, and just he ranks third in save percentage and tied for fifth in GAA. because we expect Aho to be one of the team’s leading scorers at this point doesn’t mean we shouldn’t celebrate it. Including the playoffs, Aho I don’t know what the Hurricanes will do when Petr Mrazek returns from has 202 points in his past 201 games. His two goals Thursday put him at injury, but Nedeljkovic more than deserves a chance to stay in an NHL 133 regular-season career goals, third among players from the 2015 draft net, and you should remember his name. behind only Connor McDavid (180) and (139). Biggest surprise: Vincent Trocheck The Hurricanes’ youth movement has blossomed around Aho, and we Is it fair to call Trocheck, who is tied for the team lead in goals with 13 should appreciate his nightly contributions even though they’ve become and was tied for the lead in points with 24 before his injury, a surprise? the norm. The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206074 Chicago Blackhawks “But we’ve got to be pleased with how he’s adjusted to that role. [He has] been a big part of the success we’ve been able to have.”

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.20.2021 Blackhawks’ Pius Suter learning to adapt to differences between European and NHL hockey

By Ben Pope Mar 19, 2021, 6:14pm CDT

Dressed in a light blue shirt, dark jacket and round glasses before Thursday’s game, Blackhawks center Pius Suter looked like a doppelganger of his coach, Jeremy Colliton.

Suter and Colliton have similar minds, too. Like Colliton, for whom the traits are essential to his job, Suter has shown himself in interviews to be an astute, perceptive hockey analyst and player.

“He is an intelligent player,” Colliton said Friday. “It’s nice to work with those guys who, when you have a conversation about their game, are on the same wavelength with you.”

In his first NHL season after more than five years in the Swiss league, Suter has proved to be another smart pickup by the Hawks’ European scouting staff, tallying a respectable 13 points in 31 games while being deployed all over the lineup.

He wasn’t exactly an unknown commodity in Switzerland, earning league MVP honors in 2019-20 after scoring 53 points in 50 games. But only certain players are able to successfully make the Atlantic leap, no matter how successful they are in Europe, because the styles of hockey played on the two continents are significantly different.

The difference in rink size is well known. NHL rinks are 200 feet long and 85 feet wide, whereas European and Olympic rinks are slightly shorter (197 feet long) but substantially wider (98 feet wide).

The effects of that size difference are more nuanced, though. With less horizontal space available, carrying the puck into the offensive zone is more difficult in the NHL. But exiting the defensive zone with possession is also more difficult, making forechecking more effective. All told, that makes dump-ins more common than carry-ins in North America — even though the opposite is true in Europe.

Suter’s intelligence has allowed him to gradually adapt to that major tactical change.

“It’s a bit different game because of the size: it’s more chipping, more board battles,” he said. “You have to work on it a little bit and [I’m] getting used to it, that’s all.

“[To] just chip it down, you have to realize it’s a good play, too. You’re going to get it back. In Europe, you don’t chip as much; you try to carry it in all the time . . . Sometimes [dump-ins are] the right play to do.”

Suter has also noticed a number of things “on the referee’s side” that are enforced differently in the NHL.

Not being allowed to change lines after icings or when goalies cover the puck on shots from beyond the red line were two initially startling rule differences. He discovered faceoffs are officiated less strictly, too.

“You get to use your skates way more” during NHL faceoffs, he said. “You don’t necessarily have to go for the puck. Sometimes you can just tie up [your opponent]. Some guys kind of box you out. You couldn’t do that at home. It was [about] stick quickness, just getting the stick in and trying to get it back. That’s just an interpretation of the rules.”

Those faceoff differences have been tougher for Suter than the dump- ins. Like most of the Hawks’ centers, he has struggled on draws, winning just 43.1% of his 341 this season.

But the fact Suter has even played center consistently this season is impressive in itself. To make the Europe-to-North America jump is challenging; to immediately handle a center’s diverse responsibilities demonstrates a great mind for hockey.

“It is an adjustment, but he’s done very well,” Colliton said. “I don’t think we necessarily expected him to jump in and play top-six minutes as a centerman. Coming into this season, with [ and Kirby Dach] out . . . we wanted to try him at center in camp and early on. 1206075 Chicago Blackhawks

Strome's return should help backsliding Blackhawks

John Dietz

Updated3/19/2021 2:45 PM

One of the big storylines from the Blackhawks' 4-2 loss to Tampa Bay Thursday was the Lightning attempting to bait Connor Murphy into fighting.

Murphy, who crunched Erik Cernak and was given a match penalty March 7, elected not to drop the gloves because he didn't want to sit in the box for five minutes.

Somewhat lost amid the drama was that returned to the lineup for the first time in a month. Strome scored the Hawks' second goal by jamming the puck past Andrei Vasilevskiy at 18:45 of the first period.

Strome's return should be a boost for the Hawks, who have dropped five of six and face Tampa Bay again Saturday. Strome was having an uneven season before entering concussion protocol Feb. 22, but he came back with a vengeance, putting 4 shots on goal and winning 4 of 7 faceoffs in nearly 17.5 minutes.

"It was nice to get back out there with the guys," Strome said. "I'm feeling a lot better."

It's not clear when Strome suffered his second concussion in as many seasons, but he was experiencing headaches and playing through them for at least a couple of games.

"It was headaches at the beginning, then started to not feel like myself," Strome said. "There's so many different reasons for headaches, so it's not like a specific thing where you can say, 'Oh, it's a headache or concussion.' It's a weird injury for sure. ...

"Great training staff here. A lot of people (are) looking out for my best interests, so I really appreciate that and they had no problem when I told them what was going on."

Strome was used as a winger against the Lightning, with Mattias Janmark and Ryan Carpenter (center) as his linemates. In mid-January, Strome told us how happy he was to be back at center and that he feels more comfortable in that role.

This was his first game action after a long absence, however, so it's not surprising coach Jeremy Colliton would ease the 24-year-old back in. The Hawks also are trying to develop a roster full of players who can play all over the ice.

"We want to have a lot of players who are capable of playing center," Colliton said Friday. "That fits how we want to play the game -- sharing the load defensively, faceoffs, whatever it may be.

"He was really good last night; very good performance. He skated well, made a lot of plays, work ethic away from the puck was excellent. And now we look for him to follow it up."

As for where Strome fits in the long term? That remains to be seen.

"Don't know," Colliton said. "He's still a young player. He hasn't played a lot of wing. We're giving him the opportunity there for now, but that could change."

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206076 Chicago Blackhawks I think for me, it’s the resources the players need in order to be successful. I think oftentimes women in sport are dealt a nearly impossible hand that doesn’t allow them to be successful. They’re asked to juggle multiple jobs. They’re asked to eat not like professional athletes. Q&A: Kendall Coyne Schofield on Blackhawks development, PWHPA, They’re not able to sleep like professional athletes. They don’t have the Chicago Red Stars ownership and more recovery mechanisms that they need in order to be successful professional athletes. And so I think I see my voice coming in knowing

the things that they need in order to be successful and trying to eliminate By Scott Powers Mar 19, 2021 some of those challenges that they have to deal with on a regular basis because I live them, I know them, I get them. And ultimately, without changing those, the product doesn’t improve, the product doesn’t increase. If the product doesn’t increase, other things don’t increase, like The energy? Kendall Coyne Schofield has plenty of that. investments and support and resources and TV deals and everything in “I think you can tell that by now,” Coyne Schofield said by phone on a between and the growth of the game and the bottom line. I think for me recent morning. “Definitely.” that’s something I’m very passionate about because I live it. And Michael as well, he lives it on the other side. So for both of us, we’re able to The time? That’s a different story. balance our thoughts. I’m more so I know what we don’t have, and he Coyne Schofield’s schedule is normally packed, but it was really packed knows what he does have. And so how can we balance those out and in recent weeks. She played in the Professional Women’s Hockey bring them to the table when it comes to the Chicago Red Stars? Players Association (PWHPA) Dream Gap Tour, making stops in New I know it’s probably one thing at a time for you, but does this open up the York City and Chicago. She and her husband, Michael Schofield, were possibility of you having involvement in a women’s hockey team at some named as part of a new ownership group of the Chicago Red Stars, a point? Would that interest you? professional women’s soccer team. She hosted “NHL Now” on the NHL Network on International Women’s Day. She also had her job duties with I would love that. Absolutely. the Blackhawks as a player development coach and youth hockey growth What are the hurdles in doing something like that at this point? specialist. Plus, she had interview requests, like this one. I think women’s professional hockey needs an infrastructure. They need (These answers have been lightly edited for clarity and length.) a skeleton that allows investors and owners in the current league to want What have these last few weeks been like? to come forth and support and provide and build, like we know it should be built. They’ve been exciting, overwhelming and progressing. I think when we look at everything that’s happened over the last two weeks — playing in The Blackhawks obviously supported this past tour, but it felt like there Madison Square Garden, coming back to the Chicago at the United was more than just hosting the games. Did you feel the support from the Center with the PWHPA. You know, there was history made in both organization? buildings, one being the first women’s hockey game ever be played at Oh, my goodness, yes. I mean, I feel it in the work I do every day, so this Madison Square Garden, and then two, the first nationally televised was no surprise to me. But when I hear my teammates walk in the locker women’s professional hockey game at the United Center. And I think a room, and they comment that the locker room is set up like it was for a lot of progress was made, a lot of visibility was had. And I think there Blackhawks game with our jerseys hanging, our socks facing right, our were moments that help project this game forward that we saw in the last skates out and everything set up in a locker room with tape and towels two weeks. and gum and mints and warm-up areas and equipment to cool down, You throw in the TV stuff, you throw in the Red Stars announcement, you bikes, those little things … I explained it to a lot of people, but those were throw in media requests — it had to be taxing at points. eye-opening things to a lot of women in professional hockey. We’re not used to that. And so it’s making these players aware that this is an I love it, I love what I do. Any opportunity I get to promote, advance and expectation, this is a standard, and that was 100 percent felt when we support women in sports, women’s sports in general, I love it. It’s what I came into Chicago, I was here, so I didn’t come in, I was here. When the do. And so I do have to balance a lot, but at the same time, it’s nothing I PWHPA came into Chicago, the standard was the exact same as if the can’t handle. And when the opportunities present themselves, I see them Blackhawks were in town and they had a game. And we were treated, we in a way that’s going to have a greater impact than me. And that’s what’s were fed, we were housed. Everything was the exact same as if we were important with everything that I do, whether it’s coaching, whether it’s the Chicago Blackhawks, that’s how we were treated, and that’s the playing, whether it’s being an owner, whatever the case may be, there’s standard that needs to continue to be set everywhere we go. a greater purpose than myself. And that’s what’s important in everything I do. And I’m proud that the organization that I represent and that I work for is continuing to set that standard how women in professional hockey should How did the Red Stars opportunity come about? be treated. It was no surprise to me because I know how I’m treated Yeah, (Red Stars majority owner) Arnim (Whisler) reached out to me within this organization. I know how I’m supported. There’s a reason I around the winter of 2020 about the opportunity. And it was actually was hired to do the job I do, and I’m supported in doing it. So when it crazy how it came about because Michael and I had a conversation, we came to women’s professional hockey coming into town, the support and would love to be owners one day, we’d love to have a seat at that table. treatment was no different than if we had a Blackhawks sweater on that And especially in women’s sports because we live two vastly different night. lives in pro sports, and we know we can be change-makers to close that When it comes to just playing, is that the fun part? I know you enjoy gap and in the different worlds that we live in professional sports. And so doing all this. But it feels like so much responsibility and obligation that we had that conversation, I swear, I felt like our house was bugged, it when you finally get to be a player, is that a different feeling for you now? was like a week later Arnim called. And I was like, you won’t believe this, I called my husband because he was in Charlotte because he was still I definitely enjoy it. Sometimes I think about all the work that went into with the Panthers at the time, and I was in Chicago, and I was like, you whether it’s that game or that moment and really making sure we enjoy wouldn’t believe this, like Arnim called from the Chicago Red Stars. those three periods of hockey. Even just given the last year, like the last game we played with the national team was February 2020, and before And it was a no-brainer. For us, it was just a matter of making sure we that, you know, we didn’t play until you saw us at Madison Square had the capital, but more importantly, we were able to exercise our voice Garden two weeks ago. So I’m not gonna lie, I woke up after those two and our concerns and our impact that is important to us being two local games feeling like I was a little bit older than I was. I didn’t know if my hip people that have been fans of the Red Stars since its infancy and grew flexors wanted to work anymore. up 15 minutes away from the home of the Red Stars. We knew that this was a no-brainer to be able to be in this position and know that we can But at the same time, it’s been a long year in general, but I think it goes have an impact and an influence that’s going to change the game and back to when we get to play the game, we know we’re playing with such this team forever. And ultimately, it’s not only going to change the sport, a bigger purpose than a win and a loss. We know we are changing the it’s going to transcend into what I hope for hockey as well. landscape of women’s professional hockey game by game, stride by stride. And that in itself makes playing so enjoyable and so worthy It’s important to have your voice heard. What do you hope is done? because we look and see all these young girls every single day and I want to be able to look at them in the eye and say there’s a place for you They’ve been great. They both want to get better. They both want to to make a living in this game professionally. And that’s what we’re doing, learn. They both know that they have a path to develop their game to get that’s where we’re changing. So they don’t have to manage a lot of the to that next level, to really take that next step and they’re sponges. I think things that we’re managing right now. So, yes, it’s exciting when we get as a player development coach, that’s what you want to work with. You to play. want to work with coachable players, players that want to get better, that are eager to get better, and both those guys are. So it’s been nice to be It felt like there was more attention around both women’s leagues this able to get on the ice with them because we can’t with our other time around, and the tours. As a whole, are you seeing growth? prospects. But I think we’ve made a lot of progress with them with the Yeah, I think the support that I’ve seen lately that has really opened the film work we’ve been doing, trying to throw different things at them eyes of many has been because of the vocal support from the players in versus just let’s put some clips together and go through them. We’ve the NHL. You see them wearing PWHPA hoodies, you see them as a been trying to kind of change things up and keep it interesting. It’s really part of our stick in the ground campaign. You see them watching our forced us to be creative given the situation of the pandemic. game on Saturday, and posting things on social media of what they’re How’s it been for you? Has there been any transition or anything you’ve watching, just like we do on a regular basis a lot more than they do had to adjust in your teaching or how you go about this? What’s that because they don’t have the opportunity to watch us as much as we have process been like? to watch them. If they did, I know they would 100 percent be watching in between their games just like we’re watching in between ours. So I think I think the one thing that I noticed early on is to assume that the player the support that we’ve seen from the NHL players has really pushed the knows nothing and start breaking it down from there. Because I narrative. And I think the players are really starting to understand and remember I was writing a drill on the board, and I’m like, oh, they’ve all see that there’s not a path forward for women in professional hockey if done this, they know this drill, like it’s an awesome drill, it’s fun, everyone they want to try and make a living doing it. And they know the knows what to do. And then I realized, “Maybe you could have explained opportunities that they have as men, and a lot of them are starting to see it a little bit more thoroughly,” and I didn’t, and there were a lot of that this opportunity doesn’t exist for women, and why is that. And they questions afterwards from a few guys, where it was like a great learning want to be a part of that change. They want to be a part of that experience for me to explain it as thoroughly as possible even if you think conversation. And I think that’s what’s really starting to help push what majority of the group knows what you’re trying to describe or explain or we’re trying to create. coach or teach. And so that was something early on. But other than that, I think what a lot of people assume or might not think is that the players I think in order for a league to be successful, we need the largest respect me as their coach. I felt that since Day 1. I’ve come into stakeholders in this game to be a part of that. And those stakeholders Rockford, and (IceHogs coach) Derek King and (assistant coach) Anders include the National Hockey League, they include USA Hockey, Hockey Sorensen (said), let me know what you think, what you want to do here, Canada, and they also include the NHL clubs. I think we have made so what do you see. And so it’s been awesome to jump right into the job and much progress with the NHL clubs, you know, the New York Rangers, have that respect and be able to coach these players right away. the Chicago Blackhawks being two of those this year. And that doesn’t exclude the eight clubs that supported us last year. So we have made so In your role as hockey growth specialist, has that been challenging in the much progress at the club level. And I think what’s so important about past year with the pandemic? that is the infrastructure that these clubs provide that we cannot replicate in the women’s game without their support. We don’t have the Yeah, so most recently, we are in our third week of the CCM Get in the infrastructure that these clubs have had for 100-plus years or however Game program, which was open to 60 kids because of the number long the clubs have been around. We don’t have that to mimic. So when restrictions. But this was an introductory level program for girls who have we come in and they support us like their team, the game grows, we’re never played hockey before. And the girls got head to toe a set of gear supported, we’re promoted and it’s a successful event. from CCM, they got a USA Hockey membership, and the ice and coaching was all covered by CCM. So we weren’t sure where the Now that you’ve had some time in the player development position, numbers would go, and it makes me so happy to see that there were what’s that experience been like so far? over 200 girls that registered for this. And it just shows the need. It shows the growth. To continue to make hockey accessible and affordable is so It’s been awesome. I love it. I love every second of it. Honestly, I think it’s important for the work that we do. And we’re proud to work with CCM, made me a better player too because I haven’t been playing much. I’ve proud to work with Chicago Blackhawks obviously, but then to be able to been able to watch a lot of hockey and I’m watching a lot of hockey of our do this together and put this together has just been awesome. So I was prospects and breaking down film with them. I’m not gonna lie, the first on the ice for the first week, I missed the last two weeks because I was game back in New York, I was like thinking how I would code my own playing, so I’m excited to get back on the ice with the kids. And it’s so game and how I’d rip myself apart if I was watching myself play. Or if I rewarding to me because it takes me back to why I started playing the make a mistake, I’m like, oh, that’s not gonna look good on film because game, and it’s because I love it. And to instill that love into these kids and I’ve been watching so much film. to build our Blackhawks fan base and to keep growing the girls’ game at But to be honest, it’s been so much fun. I remember a conversation with the rapid rate it’s growing — it’s the fastest-growing sport in the United (Blackhawks senior vice president of hockey operations) Al MacIsaac, States right now — and so we go to keep implementing programs that and he said you’re gonna love this job. And I didn’t know what really to fulfill these opportunities. That’s really exciting. expect, if I was going to love it right away, and he was 100 percent right. And then from there, we plan to launch the Golden Coynes program, There hasn’t been a day that I haven’t loved what I do in player which was put on pause because of the pandemic. The hope is to take development. Being able to work with our prospects remotely, and you these girls and then also give them an opportunity to continue to play, so know, unfortunately, we can’t be with them in person, but working with it’s not just five weeks and then that’s it. We want to continue to keep them remotely, getting to know them, watching a lot of their games, and these kids in the game because that’s something that’s really then being able to get on the ice in Rockford has been an awesome challenging. We’re still working on all that stuff, and then also we’re experience. It’s been such a joy. It’s been such a joy to get to know the gonna have our Blackhawks youth hockey camps for boys and girls this players, to work with the players, to see things the way I see things and summer, but those dates haven’t been released. So still at it with the apply it. It’s been awesome. youth hockey growth specialist side. That’s kind of the update there.

Who are you working with? It’s unsigned players too then? When I talked to Billie Jean King, she had mentioned how you two had So I’ve been working with our prospects who are not signed, and then in many conversations about growing the game for women and girls, but Rockford, I work with the team. But down there is (Michal) Teply and also she felt that it was important to you that more people of color got the (Chad) Yetman, so they were (unsigned) prospects and then we linked opportunity to play hockey. For you, is that a priority as well to make the and then they were, but still working with them as well. But the unsigned game more diverse? forward prospects. Absolutely, I think when you look at the growth of the girls and women’s IceHogs forward Chad Yetman is one of the Blackhawks prospects game and the push that all major stakeholders had behind the game well Kendall Coyne Schofield is closely working with this season. (Todd over 20 years ago when the inauguration of women’s hockey made its Reicher / Rockford IceHogs) debut in the Olympics, there was this surge of getting girls in the game, trying to support the girls’ game, creating girls’ programs. Really that hard What’s it been like working with Yetman and Teply? push, which has led a lot of us to be in the position that we’re in today. That same push needs to be had to get people of color into this game, to make sure people of color know that they’re welcomed in this game, there’s a place for them in this game. But to be honest, there’s not many people that they see who look like them in this game. So we need to continue to build that pipeline so that people of color know that they belong in this sport. And so that’s extremely important in the work that we do, that I do as youth hockey growth specialist, as well as all of the community programs that we put together in our area in fan development with the Blackhawks. So, yes, 100 percent. Something like this CCM Get in the Game program, it’s been so awesome to see how diverse of a group of girls that we do have. I love that, and we need to keep building upon that.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206077 Colorado Avalanche Denver Post: LOADED: 03.20.2021

5 takeaways from the Avalanche’s 5-1 win over Minnesota

By MIKE CHAMBERS PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 6:11 a.m. | UPDATED: March 19, 2021 at 7:42 p.m.

In dominating fashion, the Avalanche on Thursday night leapfrogged Minnesota for second place in the West Divison by dismantling the Wild 5-1 at Arena.

Colorado, now at the halfway point of their 56-game season, outshot the Wild 55-20 in extending its winning streak to a season-high five games.

Minnesota saw its five-game winning streak snapped. The teams meet Saturday afternoon to conclude their two-game set at Ball Arena.

Five takeaways

Shots galore. The Avs are often compared to the Stanley Cup-winning teams of 1996 and 2001 because they are approaching or breaking club records. Colorado’s 55 shots on Thursday are the second-most in team history behind the 57 produced March 3, 1996, against the San Jose Sharks.

The Avs’ plus-35 shot differential is a new club record and most in the NHL this season.

Colorado held its opponents to fewer than 30 shots for the 18th straight game; the previous record was 14 by the 2000-01 team.

In their last six games, the Avs have outshot their opponents by a whopping 259-116 (plus-143). They lead the league in average shots- allowed at 24.7.

Winning percentage. The Avalanche (18-8-2) has a winning percentage of .679, third-highest at the midpoint of the season in club annals. The 2000-01 team was at .720 (26-8-7) through a normal 82-game season and coach Patrick Roy’s first team in 2013-14 was at .683 (26-11-14).

All-star goalie. If there was an NHL All-Star game this season, Philipp Grubauer would be in the lineup. The Avalanche goalie leads the NHL with a 1.82 goals-against average and he won for the 17th time in 24 appearances. He is second in wins to Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (19) and one shy of his career-high, reached in each of the last two seasons.

Grubauer is fifth in save percentage at .925, despite leading the league in time on ice among goalies (1,420:06).

Mikko magic. Right winger Mikko Rantanen had two goals and two assists for his second straight multi-point game and third in the last four. He has nine points (four goals) in his last four games and his 16 goals are tied for fifth in the league.

“Mikko is an amazing player and has been for a long time,” linemate Nathan MacKinnon said of Rantanen.

Rantanen, MacKinnon and left wing Gabe Landeskog combined for 10 points. The latter two each had a goal and two assists.

Landeskog, the Avs’ 28-year-old captain, played in his 659th career NHL game to tie Cody McLeod for fourth in Avalanche history. Only Milan Hejduk (1,020), Joe Sakic (870) and Adam Foote (760) have played more games in an Avs sweater.

“It does make me feel a little bit old,” Landeskog said. “You try to prepare for every game, try to put the work in, and all of a sudden the time flies by. It’s crazy, I guess, when you think about it. Fivers (McLeod) was here for a long time and I played with him for a long time.”

Young reinforcements. Defensemen Cale Makar, 22, and Bo Byram, 19, returned to the lineup after missing the last 10 and nine games, respectively, to upper-body injuries.

Both played well. Makar logged 19:13 and Byram 15:58. Makar is a Norris Trophy candidate and Byram could follow in that elite direction. The future is now for the Avs, and Makar and Byram are big pieces of that. 1206078 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche are reportedly close to acquiring goaltender Jonas Johansson from Buffalo

By Aarif Deen - March 19, 2021

Goaltending help could reportedly be on the way.

The Avalanche are closing in on a deal for goaltender Jonas Johansson from the Buffalo Sabres, Kevin Weekes of NHL Network says. Johansson, 25, is winless (0-5-1) in six starts for the NHL-worst Sabres this season.

Johansson was held off the ice for Friday’s practice with the Sabres as trade talks began to heat up. Buffalo’s coach Don Granato said he was instructed to hold him from practicing but that he had not been traded at that point.

Born in Gavle, SWE, Johansson was drafted 61st overall by Buffalo in 2014. He has just one win in 11 NHL starts. His most successful professional campaign was in 2019-20 with the Rochester Americans of the American Hockey League.

Johansson was 14-4-3 with a .921 save percentage, a 2.28 goals-against average and recorded two .

The Avalanche have been without their backup goalie Pavel Francouz since the third game of the season. Francouz, who is out long term, has yet to suit up for Colorado in 2021.

Without Francouz, the Avs have used starter Philipp Grubauer 23 times over the first 28 games. Avs coach Jared Bednar said in training camp that he was looking for a 60-40 split between Grubauer and Francouz but Grubauer has been relied on to play more than expected.

Hunter Miska, the Avs’ third-string goalie, has started five games for Colorado but has been unreliable. The goaltender is 1-1-2 in five starts. In his most recent game Tuesday, which was recorded as a no-decision, Miska surrendered four goals to the Anaheim Ducks on just seven shots before being replaced by Grubauer. The Avs went on to win that game 8- 4.

Sakic has been in search of goaltending help for Grubauer for a while but that search heated up after recent games from Miska.

More to come. milehighsports.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206079 Colorado Avalanche While the stats are impressive, where the Avs fourth line really stands out is in a metric that isn’t necessarily measurable or tangible: They lead the team in spark and energy.

Avs fourth line continues to provide the ‘spark Colorado hockey now LOADED: 03.20.2021

’Published 18 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Scott MacDonald

The records speak for themselves. The Wild are 15-2 and the Avs are now 16-3-1.

Those are the records when each team scores first. There’s a clear correlation between potting that opening goal, setting the tone, and then winning. It was part of the game plan heading into Thursday night’s game, which Avs head coach Jared Bednar a “good measuring stick for our hockey team to see where we stand.”

“You know, I think that the start was going to be real important,” Bednar said after Thursday’s 5-1 win over Minnesota. “Minny’s a strong starting hockey team, and I think they’re 10-1 in their last 30 days when they score first, and I believe that we were 9-1. So that first goal was an important one. And I thought our guys came out hungry and skating and in attack-mode trying to get it.”

They did get it, and it was the Avalanche who would strike first, netting that ever-important first goal roughly 10 minutes into the game.

“I think that might have been one of our better periods of the season, and we came out and we had no passengers. Everybody was going and all four lines were kind of rolling over the bench,” said Avs captain Gabe Landeskog.

It was part of two-goal first period, one in which the Avs outshot the Wild by a 25-6 margin, the largest shot differential by Colorado in a single period since 1997.

It was the exact start the Avalanche needed against a Minnesota team that came in red-hot as winners of their last five straight. The consensus on the night: It started with the energy the Avs fourth line brought during the first shift of the game.

“It starts with the jump that we have off the get go, and tonight Belly’s line with Calvy and OC had a great first shift, and we just tried to follow that and just fed off of that,” Landeskog added. “I think as a group we’re figuring out how we have to play to be successful.”

Mikko Rantanen, who’s two-goal, four-point night moved him into the NHL’s top-10 (fifth in goals scored), agreed with Landeskog.

March Madness!

“Right from the start, first shift of the game, Belly’s line, they played 40 seconds in the O-zone and every line followed that. We need that good start,” he said.

It’s the fourth line’s job, on any team, to bring that energy. That was coach Bednar’s thinking heading into Thursday night’s uber-important matchup against a Minnesota Wild team they’d hope to leapfrog in the West Division standings. It was a gut feeling Bednar had when filling out the night’s starting lineup card.

“It’s just a gut-call that I made when I was filling out the lineup card and trying to get them going,” Bednar said after the game. “We start the MacKinnon line a lot. And sometimes, you know, it’s just nice to have a different line out there and see if you can get sort of a quick energy shift to kind of get our guys going.

“We’ve started Belly’s line a couple times and had some real good results, just trying to get a spark. I think the guys get excited for a different line to start every once in a while, because normally we’re starting our big boys.”

That Avs fourth line helped set the tone—and precedent—early, and they never took their foot off the gas. Their five combined takeaways were more than the rest of Colorado’s other three lines combined. And their combined 10 minutes of total short-handed time were crucial as well.

Their 51.8 percent combined average Corsi For is impressive. The fourth-line trio are among the top-four on the team in fewest goals allowed, and are top-five among the group in fewest shots allowed. 1206080 Columbus Blue Jackets After posting back-to-back two-point games last week, Domi showed off his hands and vision again on Stenlund’s tying goal, taking a pass from Bjorkstrand between his legs and quickly sending a backhand feed to Stenlund, who was in perfect position to bang home a one-timer. Takeaways from Jackets' OT win in Carolina include Jones emergence, Korpisalo sorcery It was Domi’s fifth point in the past four games (two goals, three assists).

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021

Brian Hedger

Blue Jackets defenseman Seth Jones was much more visible on the attack in a 3-2 overtime win over Carolina on Thursday, when he scored twice to snap a 19-game goal-less streak.

The Blue Jackets’ imperfections are improving, but they’re still around.

There are still stretches when they get hemmed into their own end of the ice for too long. There are times when they can’t set up in the opposing team’s zone, and can’t get to the middle third of the ice once they do.

Those are problems, but the Blue Jackets are proving they can still be competitive despite them, as they did Thursday in a 3-2 overtime victory on the road to start a four-game set against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Seth Jones scored two goals, including the winner with 51 seconds left in overtime, and Joonas Korpisalo made some fantastic stops in a 25-save victory at PNC Arena.

“We haven’t played a perfect game this year and it never is perfect,” Jones said. “I thought we found a great way to win.”

Here are some takeaways:

Melting the ice

Jones is capable of putting pucks in the net, but one of the NHL's top two-way defensemen is just as concerned about keeping them out of his team’s net. Regardless, Jones hadn’t scored a goal in 19 games by the time he swatted home the rebound of Oliver Bjorkstrand’s shot with 5:49 let in the first period.

Jones’ winning goal, his third this season, was indicative of the improvement the Blue Jackets have made in recent games in transitioning to offense more cleanly. It’s no coincidence that has coincided with stronger play from Jones and his defense partner, Zach Werenski.

“I was up in the play quite a bit, trying to be aggressive,” Jones said. “I want to get that in my game a little bit more moving forward for this team.”

Another dazzler

Korpisalo made another incredible save with his goalie stick, which prevented the Hurricanes from extending a 2-1 lead in the second period.

Moments after Sebastian Aho gave Carolina a 2-1 lead on a power play with 7:40 left in the second, the Hurricanes got another great scoring chance when a shot from the point by Hadyn Fleury ricocheted off Werenski directly to Warren Foegele for a quick shot.

Korpisalo dove, stopped Foegele’s shot in mid-air with his stick and quickly covered the puck. The stunned look on Foegele’s face said it all.

Surprise scorer

Kevin Stenlund was slated as a healthy scratch, but was pressed into the lineup after Mikhail Grigorenko came down with what the team called a “non-COVID illness.”

Stenlund made the most of his second chance, tying the score 2-2 with 2:10 left in the second period, just four seconds after a Columbus power play expired. He finished with five shots in 11:23 of ice time.

“It didn’t bother me that much,” Stenlund said of being informed by coach John Tortorella that he would play. “I got my nap in, (got) some food.”

Staying hot

After struggling through the first half of the season, is now living up to the expectations the Blue Jackets had after acquiring him from Montreal for Josh Anderson. 1206081 Columbus Blue Jackets Four seconds after the Blue Jackets’ only power play ended, Stenlund one-timed a pass from Max Domi past Nedeljkovic on the short side.

“It was a big goal, because to go into the third tied 2-2 is a little different," What a rush: Seth Jones' OT goal, Joonas Korpisalo's saves lead Blue said Stenlund, who was supposed to be a healthy scratch until Mikhail Jackets over Hurricanes Grigorenko became sick earlier in the day. "Obviously, it’s a big boost for the confidence."

That goal also led to a flipped script in the third, when the Blue Jackets Brian Hedger outshot Carolina 6-4 and used a stifling defensive effort to force overtime.

"(That's) an important couple minutes of the game, in where 'Korpi' keeps us there and we end up being tied at the end of the second period," Seth Jones had the game on his stick with time winding down in overtime Tortorella said. "Fortunate to be (tied) there and then I thought we played Thursday night at PNC Arena in Raleigh, N.C. a much better third period.” The Blue Jackets' top defenseman had already snapped a 19-game goal Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021 drought, got a front-row view of Joonas Korpisalo's latest diving stick save and also watched his goalie make four more big stops in 3-on-3 OT, in the fourth straight game that lasted longer than three periods for Columbus.

It was time to get a win, for Korpisalo and the Blue Jackets, and Jones delivered with 51 seconds left to play. His wrist shot off a 2-on-1 rush zipped under the crossbar on the far side and handed the Blue Jackets a 3-2 overtime win to start a four-game set against the Hurricanes.

"We needed someone to take control of the game for us," Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella said. "I thought (Jones) stood up and said, ‘I’m gonna be the guy tonight.’ It’s one of the better games I’ve seen him play since he’s been here, at an important time.”

The victory also rewarded Korpisalo for an outstanding effort in net, which included four saves in OT to keep the game alive. The first was 23 seconds into the extra period – a save off a point-blank tip by Carolina’s Jaccob Slavin – and Korpisalo then had to stop Martin Necas’ backhand off a breakaway with 1:53 left.

He also made another diving stick save to thwart a backside off a deflected shot in the second, which kept the Hurricanes within a goal at 2-1.

“I don’t think about it too much," Korpisalo said of his growing highlight reel. "It’s a split-second play and my job is to prevent the puck (from going) in. Just get something in front. That’s it.”

It was a measure of sweet revenge for Korpisalo, who improved to 2-2-0 this season against the Hurricanes, who’d scored a combined 11 goals on 51 shots against him in the previous two games.

Nedeljkovic made 25 saves for the Hurricanes, who got their goals from Sebastian Aho in the second period to overcome a 1-0 deficit.

Jones and Kevin Stenlund scored in regulation for the Blue Jackets (12- 12-7), who capitalized on the Chicago Blackhawks’s 4-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday to pull within two points of fourth place in the Central Division.

The Hurricanes (20-7-2), who are winless in their past two games after an eight-game winning streak, pulled even for second in the division with the Florida Panthers – who lost, 2-1, to the Nashville Predators.

Nashville is four points back of Columbus in one fewer game played, the Dallas Stars – who lost 3-2 in Detroit – are six points back in five less games while the Blue Jackets and Blackhawks have played the same amount in a simmering chase for the division’s final playoff spot.

“This is a very important series, a four-game segment for us," Jones said. "We know how good of a team Carolina is and what they’ve shown this year. We wanted to come out and play with a presence, play with a purpose. It wasn’t a perfect hockey game for us, but at the end of the day we got two points.”

Jones’ first goal ended a 19-game drought for the Jackets’ star defenseman, who now has three for the season. Aho countered with his first of the game 51 seconds into the second, tying it 1-1, and he also capped a power play with 7:40 left to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 lead.

Two shifts later, Korpisalo kept it 2-1 with his desperation stick save, denying Carolina’s Warren Foegele from outside the left post. Korpisalo’s diving effort just put the blade of his paddle on the puck to knock it down and he quickly covered it for a stoppage.

That cleared the way for Stenlund to tie it 2-2 with 2:10 left in the second. 1206082 Columbus Blue Jackets The Jackets placed forward Emil Bemstrom on injured reserve Thursday after he suffered a lower-body injury in Wednesday’s practice. Forwards Mikhail Grigorenko, Stefan Matteau and Ryan MacInnis were recalled from the taxi squad. In four straight games versus Hurricanes, Blue Jackets need a playoff intensity The team said Bemstrom is expected to miss one week.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021

Jacob Myers

The Blue Jackets are 1-2 against Carolina this season heading into a pivotal four-game stretch. They beat the Hurricanes on Feb. 8, helped by a goal from Scott Harrington (4), but were outscored 13-8 in the other two games.

There are plenty of reasons for skepticism about the Blue Jackets' ability to resurrect a season that hasn’t lived up to anyone’s standards through 30 of 56 games.

It’s fitting, then, that any hope of the Jackets making the postseason likely will sway significantly in a four-game stretch against the Carolina Hurricanes that began Thursday in Raleigh. The Jackets believe they must deliver the type of playoff intensity they’ll need though the end of the regular season.

“It’s a very important week for us coming up,” defenseman Seth Jones said Wednesday. “We want to go in there and play hard, play together and play with confidence and try to get a few wins.”

After Thursday’s game, the Jackets and Hurricanes will meet three more times in the next seven days. It marks the only time this season — and likely ever in a regular season — the Jackets will play this many games in a row against the same opponent.

In the scheduling oddity that is the 2020-21 season, back-to-back games have created a tension between teams that at times has stuck a similar feeling to the competitive hatred that can fester between teams in a playoff series. Similarly, Jackets games against Tampa Bay have become tense affairs based on the teams’ postseason history the past two years.

“When you play a team four times within a week or a week and half, you remember some plays and it just gets you in that frame of mind where they might get one on you or vice versa, and nobody’s wanting to give an inch,” Columbus captain Nick Foligno said. “That’s kind of how this season’s gone.”

The Jackets and Hurricanes are in different positions, but likely view this next week as a flashpoint in their seasons.

Entering Thursday night four points behind Chicago for the final playoff spot in the Central Division, the Jackets can’t afford a major setback. The Hurricanes — one point behind Tampa Bay and Florida — surely see this as an opportunity to take the lead in the division.

There shouldn’t be any shortage of intensity with those stakes, which could only amplify each game.

However, Foligno said the Jackets don’t have the luxury of looking at parts of the schedule that might be more important than others.

“We’re just trying to make sure we’re coming into a real good start to our first one,” he said. “But fully knowing the type of team they are and have been for a little while here, you have to be at your best in every facet of the game to have a chance to beat these guys. They’re a good, well- coached, hardworking team.”

The last time the Jackets played the Hurricanes, they were out-skated and outworked the in a 7-3 loss in Raleigh. Foligno believes the Jackets are a better team now, and there’s some truth to that assessment. They have exited their own zone better in recent games and are creating more in the offensive end, but the Hurricanes will certainly test just how much the Jackets have improved.

“Carolina has definitely developed a reputation of being a great forechecking team and being relentless on pucks and having good sticks and having good special teams on both sides of the puck,” Jones said. “I think it's going to be a great challenge for us.”

Bemstrom hurt 1206083 Columbus Blue Jackets improving. I think our coverages — overall, we’ve cut down chances in our end zone of late here. We got to continue to work at it.”

This and that Tortorella looking at Jones, Werenski, Savard, Gavrikov to continue The Blue Jackets announced center Alexandre Texier was held out of moving in right direction Wednesday’s practice due to an illness and he will miss the next two games at Carolina, per the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Tortorella said the illness was not COVID-19. ... Jacob Myers The Jackets also sent forward Mikhail Grigorenko to the taxi squad. Forwards Stefan Matteau and Rayn MacInnis practiced Wednesday on the fourth line with Eric Robinson. Blue Jackets defensemen Zach Werenski (8) and Seth Jones (3), here discussing strategy during a break in a February game, are playing with Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021 more consistency in recent games, according to coach John Tortorella.

It’s no secret the Blue Jackets are at their best when their top two pairs of defensemen — Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, and David Savard and Vladislav Gavrikov — are playing like the best top-four defensemen on any team in the NHL.

Before Gavrikov moved back to the second pair with Savard in Columbus’ last game, on Sunday against Dallas, the Jackets’ defense didn’t look like what fans have come to expect from a team that prides itself on taking care of its own zone.

But there were positive signs that coach John Tortorella is holding onto heading into Thursday’s game at Carolina.

“It’s been a lot more consistent,” Tortorella said after Sunday’s shootout loss to the Stars. “We’ve decided over the past couple games to put them back together and just try to figure it out.”

Part of the Jackets’ poor play on defense has been their penalty kill. They rank 28th of 31 NHL teams in penalty-kill percentage (72.9%) and have allowed three power-play goals in three games against Carolina this season.

Tortorella liked what he saw in a critical penalty kill in Sunday’s loss to the Stars that helped push the game to a shootout and earn a point for Columbus, but assistant coach Brad Shaw informed him that penalty kill actually wasn’t that good.

The important thing was — and all that matters right now as the Jackets chase points to keep them afloat in the playoff chase — that the puck stayed out of the net. Their success with on the penalty kill hinges on the top four defensemen.

"That’s a big part of our defensemen’s role,” Tortorella said Wednesday of the penalty kill. “For a team that isn’t scoring a bunch from game to game, penalty killing is a very important part of trying to stay competitive.”

Jones, Werenski and Savard have had their struggles for most of the year but have begun to play better recently. Tortorella said he has seen similar improvement from Gavrikov, who topped 20 minutes of ice time for the first time in seven games last Saturday against Dallas.

Michael Arace: Blue Jackets face make-or-break week in Central race

The last time the Jackets played Carolina, their inability to get out of their own zone was exposed. Since that 7-3 loss on Feb. 15, the Jackets have made progress in that area, and it has led to more scoring chances, though not as many goals as they would like.

“I think as a D core we’re getting better and better each game,” Jones said. “I think we’re using each other a lot better. I can only speak for me and Z, I think we’ve done a lot better job in recent games of coming out clean, looking for each other, and we both want to play in the offensive zone so we’re able to get there more, get more shots on net and create more plays.”

Getting any kind of consistent production from Patrik Laine, Max Domi and others would lift some of the pressure from the top-four defensemen, but that’s the Jackets' bread and butter.

Jones said they’ve been better at getting a defenseman or the low forward to the puck in the corner first, which can start the transition out of their zone.

Progress is there, but it’s even more vital now in the second half of the season.

“Those four guys are so important to this club,” Tortorella said. “It's still not consistently at the standard that it needs to be, but they've been 1206084 Dallas Stars

Frustrated by wasted opportunities, Stars must quickly find a solution ahead of tough stretch

By Matthew DeFranks7:59 PM on Mar 19, 2021 CDT

The Stars are just like Stars fans.

Players and coaches are tired of seemingly outplaying the opposition just to emerge with yet another loss. They’re tired of early deficits and late comebacks. They’re tired of saying the same things over and over after games they could have won.

“I feel like we keep saying ‘We’re playing the right way, we’re doing the right things, we’re doing a lot of the right stuff that we want to do,’ we’re just not getting the results,” Jason Dickinson said. “It’s disappointing every night when that happens.”

On Thursday night, the Stars entered another game into that category, when they lost 3-2 to cellar-dwelling Detroit. Robby Fabbri scored a hat trick for the Red Wings as a pair of third-period goals were not enough to snag a point in Detroit.

After the game, Stars coach Rick Bowness said Dallas didn’t need to make wholesale changes to their game since the chances were still being created, just left unfinished. When Detroit received a gift of a scoring chance, they capitalized. When Dallas had an opportunity, it was wasted, a familiar story this year and last year and in 2018-19.

Picking up points against the Red Wings is important, obviously, for its effect in the Central Division standings. But it also takes on a greater significance given the Stars’ upcoming schedule.

In a jam-packed remaining schedule that features 30 games in 52 days, the Stars’ next stretch is a tough one. After playing the Predators on Sunday, Dallas will host Cup contenders Tampa Bay and Florida for four total games.

“It’s not so much the grind as it is these close games that we’re not winning enough of, and playing well enough to win,” Bowness said. “We keep saying the same thing after ‘Well, we played well enough to win, but we didn’t.’ I know everyone’s tired of hearing it, and we’re all frustrated from that.”

Looking at Otter: Bowness said he would reveal the team’s goaltending decision Saturday morning, and reflected on the four straight starts rookie goaltender Jake Oettinger has made in the last week.

“I think it’s been very productive for his growth and for his future,” Bowness said. “He’s played very well, and No. 1 goalies in this league, that’s what they do. They have to learn to play four in six, and deal with it all. That’s part of his growth. He’ll learn from this experience and that’ll help him down the road when he becomes the No. 1 eventually here.”

Oettinger has a .902 save percentage and 2.62 goals against average in those four games. Anton Khudobin has not played since March 11 against Chicago. Although Bowness has started Oettinger in both games of a back-to-back previously, it’s likely that Oettinger and Khudobin split the pair on Saturday at Detroit and Sunday at home vs. Nashville.

Feel the madness: Like many workplaces across America, the Stars players also have a March Madness bracket pool amongst themselves. Dickinson said he has Gonzaga winning the title, while Jamie Benn has Baylor. Benn said Radek Faksa is a threat to win, as he’s finished in the top three the last couple years.

Bowness said the coaching staff does not participate since they already have plenty on their plates.

“I couldn’t tell you one team you can select for the bracket,” Bowness said.

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.20.2021

1206085 Detroit Red Wings

Here's how long the Detroit Red Wings expect to be without their most important player

HELENE ST. JAMES

The Detroit Red Wings consider Jonathan Bernier day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

That sounds relatively optimistic given he left the ice needing help from two teammates. He didn’t practice Friday, and coach Jeff Blashill said, “my gut is yes,” when asked if Bernier will, at the very least, miss Saturday’s game against the Dallas Stars at Little Caesars Arena. The Wings recalled goaltender Calvin Pickard under emergency conditions late Friday evening.

“Right now it’s day to day,” Blashill said. “I don’t know if that stretches into a week or weeks. It’s all based on the healing process. I can’t tell you how long that is going to be.

“He’s been evaluated and I would just say it’s one of those injuries that could heal quickly, could take longer. We’re just not sure.”

Thomas Greiss earned his second victory in 18 games when he finished Thursday’s 3-2 victory over the Stars. Bernier was hurt late in the second period. He was reaching for a puck when teammate Patrik Nemeth came crashing in. Bernier was helped off the ice, flanked by Dylan Larkin and Vladislav Namestnikov.

“To see a goalie stay down in discomfort — they are in such a vulnerable position when they are down and somebody falls on top of them,” Larkin said. “You never want to see that happen. He has been such an important player for us, our best player the past couple seasons. He means a lot to us.

“We are hoping he’s OK. We still don’t know.”

The Wings went 1-5-1 when Bernier missed two weeks with an upper- body injury after being run over in the crease by Anthony Mantha on Jan. 28, also against the Stars. Bernier has been the Wings’ MVP, posting a .918 save percentage and 2.78 goals-against average with an 8-6-0 record in 17 appearances (16 starts). Greiss has struggled, recording a .883 save percentage and 3.46 GAA and 2-11-4 record.

The only other goaltender in the system who has played with the Wings this season is Pickard. He subbed in Feb. 3 against the Lightning, allowing two goals on 21 shots in 54:08. Greiss was pulled from that game after allowing three goals on six shots in 5:36.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206086 Detroit Red Wings same mindset — everyday we’ve come to the rink and worked on our identity and the way we have to play each and every night. That’s what good teams do — they bring the same game every night. We’re doing a great job of that right now. We’re happy but not satisfied.” Inside Detroit Red Wings' secret of recent success vs. top teams: 'Being predictable' Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.20.2021

HELENE ST. JAMES

The Detroit Red Wings are having fun, their hard work finally paying off with good results.

They are poised to build what would be their first three-game winning streak of the season when they host the Dallas Stars on Saturday, buoyed by a sizzling line. Robby Fabbri, Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha combined for five points in Thursday’s 3-2 victory over the Stars, part of a recent productive stretch.

“We’re really close off the ice and we’re trying to convert that onto the ice,” Fabbri said. “That starts with work ethic and being predictable to each other, and that comes with playing games together and getting used to each other.

"We are clicking and having fun right now and that’s the biggest thing.”

Fabbri, 25, looked like he’d be a fit in the rebuild soon after general manager Steve Yzerman traded for him in November 2019. Fabbri scored twice in his first game as a Wing.

“He competes hard, he can score,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Those are two things that he does well. I think he’s always been a guy that, from the very first day we got him, he showed us he can score on one shot. Some guys need tons of shots to score, some have the ability to do it in one, and he does it in different ways. And then he brings a good edge and really competes hard.”

Fabbri is good around the net, and good at getting open. Tuesday against the Hurricanes, he finished an end-to-end setup by Larkin. Larkin set up Fabbri’s third goal Thursday off the rush, and Mantha used his big stride to set up the first goal.

Fabbri’s natural hat trick gave him a team-leading nine goals. Since his debut Nov. 8, 2019, he leads the Wings with 23 goals and ranks second behind Larkin with 46 points.

To his credit, Fabbri plays with a grit that belies his 5-foot-10, 190-pound frame. That was an important early conversation Blashill had with Fabbri, who’d missed significant time while with the Blues.

“He had gone through such struggles with injuries prior to him coming to us,” Blashill said, “and one of the conversations we had was that for him to be an effective player, he has got to make sure that he is very, very competitive, that he is winning those battles. He doesn’t have the biggest body, he’s not super fast, so he’s got to make up for those things with his competitiveness, and he’s done that on a pretty consistent basis.

“I have a ton of respect for the way he plays, ton of respect for how hard he goes to those areas. He knows that’s what allows him to be successful, and he does it.”

Fabbri recalled being “very excited,” about the trade.

“It’s been great ever since I’ve been here and it just keeps getting better and better. As the team is jelling here, it’s been a lot of fun. We are trying to get this rebuild started and we’re taking some big steps here. The biggest thing is consistency and we’ve been showing it and we have to keep it going.”

TAKING DOWN THE TOP DOGS: Wings playing how 'real hockey teams have to play.'

CENTRAL MISERY INDEX: Who's the 1-seed at the halfway mark?

This has been another tough season for the Wings, who even with a recent 3-1-1 stretch remain at the bottom of the Central Division. Through pandemic protocols and injuries, the Wings generally played hard but didn’t have the manpower to win. Having beaten elite teams in the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes in the week before this series with the Stars is a nice reprieve.

“It’s refreshing to get some results after the work we’ve been putting in,” Fabbri said. “Since I’ve been here for a year and a half, it’s been the 1206087 Detroit Red Wings Cholowski, 23, the Wings’ 2016 first-round draft pick, began the season on the taxi squad before being assigned to Grand Rapids.

In 11 games with the Griffins, Cholowski has three goals and five assists. Goaltender Jonathan Bernier out, but Red Wings unsure for how long Cholowski practiced with the Wings on Friday, and was worked into the power play drills.

TED KULFAN “The reports have been really good,” Blashill said of his discussions with Griffins’ staff about Cholowski. “He’s done a good, solid job down there on a pretty consistent basis, and that’s a key.

Detroit — The Red Wings are going to be without goaltender Jonathan “He’s improved himself defensively at ending plays, whether it be with his Bernier for days, or longer. stick or his body, whether it be on the rush or defensive zone. He’s done a solid job on the power play, he moves the puck, moves the puck well.” That’s the picture coach Jeff Blashill laid out during Friday’s call with media, implying Bernier’s lower-body injury suffered in Thursday’s victory Cholowski’s potential on the power play always has excited the Wings. over Dallas is a bit hazy. Blashill wants to see Cholowski carry over the AHL success to the NHL.

“I would just say it’s day to day until I know more,” Blashill said. “I don’t “He’s played with more confidence and moxie down there and he needs know if that day to day stretches into a week, or weeks. It’s all based on to carry that over into the NHL,” Blashill said. the healing process and I just can’t tell you how long that’s going to be. Fabbri on fire “He’s had (medical) tests and he’s been evaluated, and I would just say it’s one of those injuries that could heal quickly or could take longer. Robby Fabbri’s three goals Thursday gave him a team-leading nine – in only 22 games. “We’re just not sure.” Fabbri missed time in January because of COVID-19, and it took him Bernier was lunging for a loose puck to the side of the net when Dallas several games to get back his strength and conditioning. forward Denis Gurianov and Wings defenseman Patrik Nemeth crashed atop Bernier during the resulting collision. But overall, few players have been as productive offensively.

Bernier lay on the ice temporarily, then had to be helped off the ice, not “He competes hard,” Blashill said. “The very first day we got him he putting any pressure on his right leg. showed us he can score (two goals in Fabbri’s debut last season) on one shot. Some guys need tons of shots to score, and some guys have the Losing Bernier for any period of time would be a costly blow for the ability to score on one shot. He does it different ways. Wings. “He brings a good edge and competes hard. When Robby is playing his With a 8-6-0 record, a 2.78 goals-against average and a .918 save best, he’s super-competitive.” percentage, Bernier has arguably been the Wings’ most valuable player — as he was for the majority of last season. Stars at Red Wings

Bernier, 32, is also an unrestricted free agent this summer, and his ► Faceoff: 7 p.m. Saturday, Little Caesars Arena, Detroit situation heading into the upcoming April 12 trade deadline is a key issue ► TV/radio: Fox Sports Detroit/97.1 FM for the Wings. ► Outlook: The Red Wings (10-17-4) and Stars (9-10-7) conclude a two- With several playoff contenders seeking a boost in their goaltending, game series. … The Wings are 1-1-1 against Dallas. … This will end a Bernier’s availability has been speculated upon. six-game Wings’ homestand. Will this lower-body injury, and how long Bernier will be out, put a dent Detroit News LOADED: 03.20.2021 into trade talks?

Thomas Greiss took over for Bernier, earned the victory, and will likely get the start Saturday against Dallas.

Greiss (2-11-4, 3.46 GAA, .883 SVS) has struggled in his first season with the Wings after arriving in free agency.

But Blashill believes Greiss can turn things around.

“He’s a pretty strong, mentally tough type of person,” Blashill said. “I’d love to get him into a game where we don’t give up a whole lot of Grade A opportunities. He’s tried to get his game back in order and he’s gotten into games where it’s been difficult games for goaltenders, so that hasn’t helped him.

“It was unfortunate he got a ton of games when we had a bunch of guys out in that stretch (in January) there and our roster wasn’t as strong as it is today. That hurt him a little bit.

“But we have a lot of confidence in Thomas and he’s done it for a long time (in the NHL) and been through the ebbs and flows of a season. He’s know how to handle types of things.

“From an expectation standpoint, it’s stop the ones he’s supposed to stop and make a big save at a critical moment. That’s what winning goaltending does. So hopefully we can play good defense in front of him. It’s a real good team we’re playing against (Dallas, on Saturday) and a team that had us on our heels, so we’ll need good goaltending from him.”'

Cholowski promoted

The Wings reassigned defenseman Dennis Cholowski to their taxi squad Friday, with the expectation Cholowski will be in the lineup Saturday against Dallas. 1206088 Detroit Red Wings

Trade for Robby Fabbri has provided Red Wings tremendous value

Updated Mar 19, 2021; Posted Mar 19, 2021

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – Steve Yzerman made several low-risk moves during his first year as Detroit Red Wings general manager, seeking undervalued players whose careers had stalled without relinquishing much.

His acquisition of Robby Fabbri has been by far the most fruitful. The Red Wings acquired a skilled player who has provided much-needed offense. Fabbri went from the defending Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues to what was the worst team in the NHL last season but has benefited from the opportunity he wouldn’t have received with his former club.

Fabbri, playing on the top line with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha the past several games, scored all three goals Thursday in Detroit’s 3-2 victory over Dallas.

It was his second career hat trick – his first since Dec. 28, 2016, when he played for the Blues – and gives him a team-leading nine goals in only 22 games.

“He competes hard, he can score,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “Very first day we got him he showed us he can score on one shot. Some guys need tons of shots to score, some guys have the ability to score on one shot. He does it different ways. And he brings a good edge and competes hard. When Robby is playing his best, he’s super-competitive.”

Fabbri has battled back from two serious knee injuries while in St. Louis, which selected him in the first round in 2014 (No. 21).

He has 23 goals and 46 points in 74 games over parts of two seasons in Detroit. Jacob de la Rose, the expendable fourth-line center the Red Wings gave up in return, has one goal and six points in 43 games with the Blues.

Fabbri said he was “very excited” when he was traded.

“I’d never been traded before, but I didn’t know that was going to be the feeling, being excited to come to this group,” Fabbri said. “It’s been great ever since I’ve been here. It’s been a lot of fun.”

After starting the season as the second-line center, Fabbri has returned to the wing, where he has developed chemistry with Dylan Larkin and Anthony Mantha.

“We’re really close off the ice, we’re trying to convert that on the ice,” Fabbri said. “That starts with work ethic and being predictable to each other and that comes with playing games together and getting used to each other.

“We’re clicking right now and having fun.”

Mantha made a drop pass to set up his first goal. Larkin, after fanning on a breakaway, passed him the puck for his third goal.

“I was yelling to him, ‘All you, all you!’ " Fabbri said. “I wanted him to go, he had more of the speed. I wanted him to go in and not pass up a chance to try to get me a hat trick. In the end, it worked out.”

Despite his size (5-10, 190), Fabbri plays with an edge, frequently playing the body against bigger players.

“One of the conversations we had was for him to be an effective player he’s got to make sure he’s competitive, he’s in those battles and he’s winning those battles,” Blashill said. “He doesn’t have the biggest body, he’s not super-fast. He’s got to make up for those things with his competitiveness, and he’s done that on a pretty consistent basis. Ton of respect for the way he plays, ton of respect for how hard he goes to those areas. He knows that’s what allows him to be successful.”

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206089 Detroit Red Wings

Robby Fabbri’s hat trick lifts Red Wings, who lose Jonathan Bernier to injury

Updated Mar 18, 11:47 PM; Posted Mar 18, 10:08 PM

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – The Detroit Red Wings have won back-to-back games for only the second time this season but lost their most valuable player in the process.

Jonathan Bernier kept his team in the game for nearly 40 minutes Thursday before suffering a lower-body injury late in the second period.

Thomas Greiss relieved him and the Red Wings, behind Robby Fabbri’s second career hat trick, defeated the Dallas Stars 3-2 at Little Caesars Arena.

The Red Wings (10-18-4) are 3-1-1 on this six-game homestand that followed a four-day break. The Stars fell to 9-10-7.

Fabbri now leads the Red Wings with nine goals in only 22 games.

Bernier was injured with 1:28 remaining in the second period. He was sprawled out and reaching for a loose puck behind the net when teammate Patrik Nemeth, battling with a Stars player, fell on top of him.

Bernier was down for a couple of minutes and attended to by trainer Piet Van Zant before being helped off the ice. Bernier also was injured in a game against Dallas on Jan. 28 when Anthony Mantha collided with him in the net.

The Red Wings were leading 2-0 at the time, as Bernier had made 22 saves. Greiss stopped 16-of-18 shots the rest of the way. Dallas outshot Detroit 40-21. Greiss, the goalie of record, improved to 2-11-4.

Fabbri capped the hat trick at 9:05 of the third period, making it 3-0. He cleaned up at the net front after Jake Oettinger stopped a shot from Dylan Larkin.

Roope Hintz scored just 25 seconds later to get the Stars back in the game.

After pulling Oettinger for the extra skater, Jason Dickson scored with 1:20 remaining to make it a one-goal game.

The Red Wings held on to win consecutively for the first time since Feb. 25-27.

Fabbri opened the scoring at 14:00 of the first period, taking a drop pass from Mantha and beating Oettinger with a wrist shot from the high slot.

Fabbri scored again at 6:36 of the second, firing a shot from the right face-off circle off the rush that fluttered past Oettinger.

These teams meet again at LCA on Saturday (7 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit).

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206090 Detroit Red Wings

Is time running out for Red Wings’ Tyler Bertuzzi to return this season?

Updated Mar 18, 12:18 PM; Posted Mar 18, 12:18 PM

By Ansar Khan

Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi has been out for seven weeks, hasn’t practiced with the team during that time and isn’t due back anytime soon.

Will he return this season, which has only seven weeks remaining? Will he need surgery?

The team isn’t certain, but coach Jeff Blashill said Thursday the organization will do what is best for Bertuzzi in the long term.

“Everything is on the table,” Blashill said. “We’ll have to take it day by day. Obviously, Tyler is a big piece for our team. He’s in the prime of his career right now and it’s really unfortunate. I feel bad for Tyler. I feel bad for our hockey team. We’re a better team with him.”

Bertuzzi will miss his 22nd game tonight when the Red Wings (9-17-4) face the Dallas Stars (9-9-7) at Little Caesars Arena (7:30, Fox Sports Detroit).

The club has said it is an upper-body injury but not a concussion. If it were his shoulder, arm or hand he likely would be skating daily. Instead, he has been on the ice only intermittently, by himself or with other injured players.

“He’s not skating right now,” Blashill said. “That certainly doesn’t make him close at all. The first step is to skate over a longer period of time than what he’s done. He’s kind of gone in spurts of two or three days and then has kind of come off it. He’s a ways out.”

Blashill said Bertuzzi needs to build strength by skating on his own for 4- 5 days before joining the team for practice.

Asked if surgery is a possibility, Blashill said, “We’ve got great medical people, they look at everything and make the decision on a day-to-day basis on what’s best for the player. They’ll continue to do that.”

The Red Wings won’t bring Bertuzzi back unless they are certain he won’t reaggravate the injury.

“If there’s a significant risk to further injury by coming back we’ll never put a player back in the game,” Blashill said. “Then it comes down to can you play like you’re 100 percent?”

Bertuzzi, 25, was the team’s most effective player early in the season, with five goals and two assists in nine games.

Blashill said right wing Bobby Ryan (upper-body injury) will sit out tonight for the second game in a row. They are hopeful he can return Saturday.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206091 Detroit Red Wings The trade(s): In 2014, Calgary trades Stempniak to Pittsburgh for 2014 third-round pick; in 2015 the Rangers trade Stempniak to Winnipeg for Carl Klingberg

The best comparables for the Red Wings’ top 2021 trade deadline Can it work in 2021? Admittedly, the “veteran depth winger with solid candidates production” could have had approximately a thousand potential comparables

But here’s why I chose Stempniak. In the 2013-14 season, after putting By Max Bultman Mar 19, 2021 up 23 points in 52 games, he fetched a third-round pick at the deadline. The next year, after putting up 18 points in 53 games, all the Rangers got

for him was an AHLer who was playing in Europe by the following As the NHL trade deadline draws near, the annual question of what top season. trade candidates might yield in return is back in full force. That range is significant — and it’s for the same exact player, with similar What’s a middle-six scoring winger worth in a deadline deal? How about production, just one year apart. a matchup fourth-line center? A veteran goaltender? A third-pair That really drives home how much prices at the deadline depend on the defenseman? The Red Wings have all of the above to offer this year. motivation of the buyer and the market as a whole. While the unusual nature of this season could have all kinds of effects on Gagner this season has nine points in 23 games, which is closer to 2013- how busy the April 12 deadline is (and what prices buyers are willing to 14 Stempniak. His on-ice expected goals for percentage (which was 51 pay), the unsatisfying answer is that, no matter what year it is, these percent entering Thursday’s game) is closer to 2014-15 Stempniak-level things so often come down to how badly the contending team wants that (interestingly, Stempniak was better in that category in 2014-15, the year player. But half the fun of the deadline is in the “what ifs.” So while trade he drew the worse return). And his ice time, at about 14 and a half value is still in the eye of the (would-be) beholder, we can still take a minutes per night, splits the difference between the two Stempniak swing at approximating that value by looking at similar deadline deals in seasons, but is closer to the low end (Stempniak was playing more than recent memory, just to get a ballpark. 19 minutes per game before the trade in 2014 and just 12 before the deal Here are the best trade deadline comparables I could come up with for in 2015). some of the Red Wings’ top candidates to move. (And if I’ve missed a The lesson? It’s best to think of Gagner’s trade value as a spectrum, with better comparable for these players, I trust you’ll let me know in the widely different potential outcomes. But the most likely one this season comments.) would be on the lower end of that range. Bobby Ryan Marc Staal The profile: Middle-six scoring winger with significant pedigree, in the The profile: Veteran defenseman with 100 games of playoff experience back half of his career The comparable: Johnny Oduya, 2017 The comparable: Thomas Vanek, 2017 The trade: Dallas trades Oduya to Chicago for Mark McNeill, 2018 The trade: Red Wings trade Vanek to Florida for 2017 third-round pick, conditional fourth-round pick Dylan McIlrath Can it work in 2021? Probably not in the same way this one did. Can it work in 2021? Quite possibly On the surface, the profile similarities make some sense, right down to In 2017, Vanek was a highly-pedigreed offensive winger who could bring Dallas retaining salary on Oduya, as Detroit would surely need to with a veteran scoring boost to a contender’s top nine. He was 33, on a one- Staal’s big $5.7 million ticket. year deal in Detroit after being bought out the previous summer, and was having a productive season on his new team when the deadline rolled But there’s one crucial difference: the team trading for Oduya in 2017 around. (Chicago) had won two Cups with him already. That’s a level of comfort and familiarity that just won’t be matched with Staal, considering that his Sound familiar? Ryan just turned 34, is playing on a one-year contract in former team, the Rangers, gave Detroit a second-round pick to take him Detroit after being bought out in Ottawa, and is among the Red Wings’ last offseason. Not to mention that New York is drifting out of the playoff leading scorers. He was a second-overall pick who can still make plays race. and score goals in a contender’s top nine and brings a compelling off-ice intangible factor. It’s certainly not impossible Staal could move, especially with retained salary. But the return Oduya fetched was in part a product of The return Vanek got in 2017 — a third-round pick and a 24-year old circumstance. defenseman (McIlrath, who has grown into an AHL mainstay in Grand Rapids) — would be a nice get for Ryan. But whether Detroit can fetch Luke Glendening that may come down to two questions. The profile: Well-regarded defensive center and faceoff wizard The first surrounds how broad the trade market will be this year, when it may be harder for fringe playoff teams to justify going all-in. Florida The comparable: Michal Handzus, 2013 actually ended up missing the playoffs in that 2016-17 season, finishing The trade: San Jose traded Handzus to Chicago for 2013 fourth-round just two points above the Red Wings. It’s hard to see a team facing the pick playoff bubble this year pushing in chips, but a third-round pick isn’t really a big trade. And, a bona fide contender (like, say, Toronto) could Can it work in 2021? Yes, and Detroit can arguably do better. certainly use him too. Handzus and Glendening are different in stature (Handzus is 6-foot-5), The second is about Ryan’s production. For all their peripheral but the comparison in terms of dominant faceoff men who have strong similarities, Vanek had 38 points in 48 games at the time of the trade. defensive reputations fits like a glove. And there are a few reasons to Ryan currently has 13 in 28. think Detroit could get a bit more than the Sharks did in 2013, which was also a shortened season. For that reason, the reasonable expectation for a Ryan return may end up being lower than Vanek got. But there’s a lot of similarities here, and First, Handzus was older at the time of the trade (36). Glendening will Ryan only makes $1 million. turn 32 in late April. Second, Glendening has provided more offense this year than Handzus did in 2012-13, when he had just two points in 28 Sam Gagner games at the time of the trade. Glendening has nine in 29 games this The profile: Steady veteran depth winger with solid production year. And third, this trade serves as a good precedent for buyers to target (and sellers to tout) because it went perfectly for both Handzus and The comparable: , 2014 or 2015 Chicago. The Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup after adding Handzus, and Handzus’ individual underlying impact numbers shot up after the trade. That should be a big part of the Red Wings’ pitch in any Glendening It’s not a perfect comparison, considering Mantha’s 2019-20 scoring pace discussions over the next month: this is a player who could get better on was that of a true high-end first-line winger. But there are real similarities. a good team, and who can help the franchise acquiring him win a Cup, just like Handzus did in Chicago. Here’s the thing, though. At the time of the Tatar trade, the deal made sense for the Red Wings in part because of how long a rebuild process I imagine readers will want to also see the name “Paul Gaustad” Detroit was entering. Tatar, at age 27, was not going to be around by the somewhere in this section, considering Buffalo traded Gaustad and a time Detroit was even approaching the playoffs again. And while it’s fourth-round pick to Nashville for a first-rounder in 2012. And while that frankly not clear whether Detroit will seriously contend before Mantha’s kind of return is not even remotely likely to happen in this case, it does current deal is up either, there’s a pretty substantial difference in reinforce that there’s a spectrum for all of these players and no “value” is prioritizing this type of return at the start of a rebuild versus squarely in set in stone. the middle of one.

Jonathan Bernier The first- and second-round picks Detroit got from Vegas became Joe Veleno and Robert Mastrosimone. The third-rounder hasn’t been picked The profile: The goalie yet. But, three years out, that still gives us a pretty good idea for what the The comparable: Michal Neuvirth, 2015 Red Wings received.

The trade: Sabres trade Neuvirth to the Islanders for goaltender Chad Veleno may well become a solid middle-six NHL forward, and Johnson, 2016 third-round pick Mastrosimone has a skill set that gives him a real chance to play in the NHL down the line. But odds are good that if Detroit made this same kind Can it work in 2021? To be determined. of trade involving Mantha, getting the same picks in return, it would simply lengthen the rebuild while likely bringing back middle-six upside This, predictably, was the hardest comparable to find from the whole from the late first and late second rounds. bunch. It makes sense: there are the fewest goalies of any position in the league, you can only play one at a time, and so there simply aren’t as At the very beginning of a rebuild, when farm systems badly need many goalie trades as there are at other positions. prospects of all kinds, that return is worth it for a 27-year-old winger. But right now, the Red Wings have solid prospect depth. What they need are There is a recent example of a big goalie trade, with Robin Lehner high-end players. And Mantha, who was exactly that when healthy last moving from Chicago to Vegas last year for a second-round pick, season, is still probably more likely to deliver that kind of play for Detroit prospect Slava Demin and goalie Malcolm Subban. But Lehner was than picks in that late-first and late-second-round range would be. coming off a top-three Vezina finish the year before. That’s too ambitious for Bernier. Now, if that first-round pick wound up in the lottery, that may be a different story. But by April 12, it should be pretty clear where a So, instead, there’s Neuvirth. It’s not a perfect comp: Neuvirth was contending team’s pick will land. And it’s much more likely to be in the younger than Bernier, and less proven in terms of workload. It’s also mid- to late-twenties than it is to be even in the teens. difficult to account for how important Bernier has been to the Red Wings. He’s been their rock for the past two seasons. That doesn’t make Mantha untouchable, by any means. But it is a key consideration in any discussion surrounding the 6-foot-5 winger’s future In fact, if Detroit got this kind of offer for Bernier in the next three weeks, in Detroit. it would be hard to fault the Red Wings for saying no if they think they can re-sign him. The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 But the lack of comparables between the Lehner range and the Neuvirth range is instructive in its own right. Deals involving goalies can be awfully hard to predict.

And all of this comes with the caveat that Bernier left Thursday night’s game early, not putting any weight on his right leg as he left the ice. Obviously, if he’s out for any meaningful amount of time, it would affect the odds he’s in play at the deadline.

Anthony Mantha

The profile: Young scoring winger with term

The comparable: Tomas Tatar, 2018

The trade: Red Wings trade Tatar to Vegas for 2018 first-round pick, 2019 second-round pick, 2021 third-round pick

Can it work in 2021? Maybe, but would the Red Wings really want it to?

On a list otherwise made up of pending UFAs, Mantha is included simply because the first 30 comments would have asked about him if he weren’t. Unlike the other names on this list, he’s not set to hit free agency this summer. He has three more years left on his contract, and he’s young enough to still be a significant piece when the Red Wings are battling for the playoffs again. I don’t think it’s likely he gets moved in the next month.

But, after Craig Custance and Eric Duhatschek reported that there’s a belief Steve Yzerman could listen on one of his young forwards, we might as well flesh out the possibility. And the easy comparison will be a familiar one.

In 2018, Tatar was in the first year of a four-year, $5.3 million AAV contract at age 27. He had scored between 45 and 56 points for each of the three preceding seasons but had slipped to just under a half-point per game that season at the 2018 trade deadline.

Mantha, meanwhile, is in the first year of a four-year, $5.7 million AAV contract at age 26. He had back-to-back 48-point seasons from 2017 through 2019 (one was injury-shortened) and had 38 points in 43 games in 2019-20. In 2021, he’s hovering right around a half-point per game. 1206092 Edmonton Oilers “Because everyone wants to win,” said 23-year-old defenceman Ethan Bear. “You can’t just go out and score five goals every time and give up five or six, as well. You have to play a tight, defensive game.

Wins pile up as Edmonton Oilers commit to changing image “A lot of guys figured it out and we’re working together as a team, lifting each other and we’re trying to grow. That’s a good sign. With the playoffs coming, you have to be ready and we’re building up to that.”

Robert Tychkowski The goalies are also holding up their end of the deal. A tandem that was heavily maligned in the off-season is giving them a chance to win most Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 2 hours ago nights.

Mike Smith is 10-3 with two shutouts and a .920 save percentage while The Calgary Flames' Matthew Tkachuk is tackled by Edmonton Oilers Koskinen, though occasionally prone to the odd leaky goal, posted save defenceman Ethan Bear at Scotiabank Saddledome on March 17, 2021. percentages of .960, .929, .929, .977 and .952 in five of his last six starts.

Remember when people were concerned that having to focus more on But, as they’ll be quick to tell you, it’s a lot easier to be a goalie on a team defence in a system might handcuff Connor McDavid’s that is committed to the neutral and defensive zones. generational talents? “We played a really solid game all over the ice, there weren’t a lot of odd- Well, crisis averted. man rushes,” said Koskinen, who stopped 24 of 25 shots in the 2-1 win over Winnipeg. In conjunction the Edmonton Oilers playing some of their staunchest defence in forever, McDavid is also generating the highest production “It helps. It’s easy when you see the shots and guys making good blocks. totals of his entire career. He’s on a staggering 1.75 points-per-game It makes everything easier.” while at the same time setting an example with his 200-foot game. Any anyone who thinks playing sound, structured hockey is not as much “What I like most about him this year is he’s come in with a really fun as a free wheeling, offence-first attack hasn’t looked at the standings. determined mindset to defend well,” said Tippett, after McDavid scored The Oilers are 17-7-0 in their last 24 and can confirm firsthand that two goals and then was out there in the final seconds to preserve a 2-1 winning is a lot of fun. win Thursday over the Winnipeg Jets. “Absolutely,” said Bear. “Winning is everything.” “Our whole coaching staff talks about it every day, how much he’s dug into playing a really winning style of game. He’s a solid, dependable Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.20.2021 player in our own zone and he doesn’t get enough credit for that.

“The ability for him to play in critical situations, not just offensively, but defensively, is coming out in his game and it’s helping our team win.”

It’s not just McDavid. The Oilers, from to bottom, are making a more concerted effort to be smarter and harder in all three areas of the ice. Long considered to be skilled and reckless — always susceptible to an easy counter-punch — they’re reinventing themselves as a team that can lock you down just as well as it can light you up.

Aside from that three-game, 13-goal glitch against the Maple Leafs, the Oilers allowed just 41 goals in their last 19 games (2.15 a game) and held their opponents to two or fewer goals in 14 of them.

They scored 73.

It’s a work in progress, and there are going to be the usual mistakes, breakdowns and just plain bad nights that plague every team (see: three- game, 13-goal glitch against Toronto), but if the commitment is there, a team will always have that base to rely on.

“It’s always a main focus for us,” said McDavid. “I know it doesn’t always look like that, but we’re always talking about trying to limit chances, limit mistakes and keep the puck out of our net.

“It’s such a big part of the game. Offence comes however it does, whether it’s the power play or whatever, but keeping the puck out has to be a full team effort.”

A lot of coaches have tried to bring out this side of the Oilers for a long time with very little success, but the team is buying in hard now. Part of that comes from maturity and experience, painful lessons learned over years of being a bottom-third team in the NHL, and part is a coach whose messaging is relentless.

“It’s all about winning,” said Tippett. “To win, you have to be able to defend. You can’t win in the playoffs if you can’t defend.

“It’s recognized that we have to be a good defending team, a good five- on-five team, if we’re going to have a chance to be successful in the playoffs. That’s not me saying it, it’s the players recognizing it and doing it. When Connor and Leon (Draisaitl) are buying into it …”

That Connor and Leon are buying into it certainly helps, but seeing that it works has the greatest impact, especially on younger players. And once it becomes part of a team’s innate culture, everyone who walks through the dressing-room door soon falls in line. 1206093 Edmonton Oilers On the same post-game interview session, I also pushed coach Dave Tippett’s buttons on McDavid’s production since the Toronto series and the value of impending unrestricted free agent Nugent-Hopkins.

JONES: Ladies and gentlemen, introducing the Edmonton Oilers' Rocket “Connor’s game has been really solid all year. Even in the Toronto McDavid games. He didn’t get on the score sheet but if you look at the chances he was creating and stuff, there was still a lot to like about his game,” said Tippett. “McDavid was predominantly a playmaker in the past, but this year, ranks second in the league in shots-on-goal and I’m betting a lot of Terry Jones kids are going to start working on no-look shots now. Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 15 hours ago “When he capitalizes, people notice that. His offensive abilities and different ways to create offence is off the charts. But what I like most about him this year is that he’s come in with a real determined mindset to Calgary Flames' Noah Hanifin collides with Connor McDavid of the defend well and be a real good, solid player in our own end. Edmonton Oilers in Calgary on March 15, 2021. “Our coaching staff talks about it every day, how much he’s dug into Connor McDavid doesn’t have a nickname yet. playing a real winning-style game.

He’s not ‘Mr. Hockey,’ like Gordie Howe, ‘The Great One,’ like Wayne “I think there was some criticism in the summer towards him and Draisaitl Gretzky, ‘Golden Jet,’ like Bobby Hull or ‘Gr8’ . But that I didn’t think was warranted, but he’s taken it to heart and become a maybe he’s on the verge of getting his own tag now. much better 200-foot player. The things he now does defensively in our own zone, he doesn’t get enough credit for that. His ability to play in Introducing: Connor ‘Rocket’ McDavid. critical situations, not just offensively, is helping our team win. With his explosive speed, it certainly fits. “Nuge is just a real smart player. Nuge does a lot of things that probably But if No. 97 was to continue to rocket up the tables and claim the go unnoticed by probably a lot of people but end up really helping our Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard Trophy from Auston Matthews as the NHL’s top team,” said Tippett. goal scorer, that might do it. With Rocket McDavid, it’s impossible not to notice. McDavid didn’t put his name on the trophy Thursday night, but he most Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.20.2021 certainly put his name on the game, scoring both Edmonton goals in a 2- 1 win over the Winnipeg Jets that moved the Oilers into a tie with the Toronto Maple Leafs with 40-points for first place (the Leafs have three games in hand) in the Canadian division standings.

No. 97 has come from well off the pace to reach 20 goals so far in this coronavirus-shortened season, now only one back of Matthews.

Two weeks ago, McDavid went three consecutive games against Toronto without a point, only the third time it has happened in his career. Edmonton lost all three games in the visit by the Leafs and fell 10-points back of the division leaders.

For a week or two before the series, commentators east of Manitoba were conceding Matthews the Hart Trophy over McDavid.

Not any more.

Since the Maple Leafs left town, McDavid has points in all eight games the Oilers have played. He’s scored six goals and 12 assists for 18 of them in that span.

With 23 games to go this season, he leads the league in assists with 38, points with 58 and is only one goal back of leading in goals, too.

As of Thursday, he became the favourite to win the Hart, Art Ross, and the Rocket Richard.

McDavid is now nine points ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl, the winner of last year’s Ross, Hart and Lindsay.

McDavid is now 22 points ahead of Matthews in the scoring race, rolling along at 1.76 points per game. That projects to 98.56 for the shortened season. He has a serious shot at 100 points for the 56-game schedule.

After the win over Winnipeg, I asked McDavid, who spent a stretch of the summer training with Matthews in Arizona, if they’d developed the kind of relationship and rapport that might allow him to be able to have a little fun with Matthews and text him mentioning he’s only one goal back now.

“Uh … no,” said McDavid. “I think winning games are more important to both of us and doing whatever we can. Obviously, he’s having a tremendous year trying to do that and scoring lots of goals. I’m just trying to do my thing out there.”

Both of McDavid’s goals involved using Ryan Nugent-Hopkins as a decoy for a goalmouth pass and featured a no-look component of never looking at the net or goaltender. It’s become a relatively new weapon in his already considerable arsenal.

“First and foremost, Nuge does just about everything out there. He kills penalties. He’s a big part of the power play. He’s a great five-on-five player. On both those goals, he made a huge impact. If he’s not there, they don’t go in. Obviously, he’s a great player and fun to play with.” 1206094 Edmonton Oilers This leaves Kassian as the odd man out, despite the fact that his sample is minuscule.

Puljujarvi is winning the job with McDavid in real time, and that’s bad Lowetide: Where does Zack Kassian fit on the Oilers, now and in the news for Kassian. But does Kassian have value as a No. 3 or No. 4 right future? winger who can slide up and offer replacement level (or better) production if required?

No more enforcer? By Allan Mitchell Mar 19, 2021 A small but important tweak in roster usage has taken place under Tippett during his time in Edmonton. It might be because McDavid, 24, is getting a little older or maybe a policeman on his line wasn’t needed in Zack Kassian is back and healthy, with a point Thursday night to give him the first place. Whatever the cause, the Oilers seem content to run the one in each of his two games since returning from a month-plus out of captain out at five-on-five without a winger who can step in and dole out the lineup with an upper-body injury. So is he ready to start manning his punishment if an opponent crosses a line. one-time spot on Connor McDavid’s right wing again? It’s an important point to note, especially considering the riches (Milan Kassian is a rare NHL player. Possessing a power forward’s size (6-foot- Lucic’s contract, for example) that were spent to find an enforcer who 3, 211 pounds) and an enforcer’s heart, he is also a fast train with could skate with McDavid. The Oilers eventually found him (Patrick enough scoring ability to plug into a skill line. Per 82 games since the Maroon) but couldn’t afford to pay him, ironically partly due to the Lucic beginning of the 2018-19 season, he is averaging 17 goals and 35 contract. points. That isn’t strong production for a top-six winger, but there are things that have made him useful on McDavid’s line in the past. His I think we can safely say that an enforcer is no longer a necessity on the ability to retrieve and pass the puck and serve as an enforcer, plus the line, although having Kassian on a depth line may offer some security. line’s track record of outscoring opponents five-on-five with Kassian, make that an option. What does that do? It opens up possibilities for pure skill on both sides of the world’s best centre. That pushes Kassian down the depth chart. So should they slide him back onto the top line? Does Kassian offer coach Dave Tippett a chance to carry a plug-and-play replacement for Shot and goal differential one of the skill wingers in case of injury or slump? Or is the “enforcer on Playing on McDavid’s line offers some challenges for Kassian, who often McDavid’s line” idea no longer necessary? Let’s have a look. can be spotted making defensive mistakes. Although the big winger has The competition many gifts, marking his man effectively isn’t one of them. During the seasons when Kassian has been paired most often with the captain So far in the 2020-21 season, the captain has been deployed with three (2018-19 through now), the duo has had significant success. In fact, the main right wingers. Based on their performances, Kassian is going to numbers show McDavid-Kassian on ice together at five-on-five has been have a difficult time regaining his spot alongside McDavid. These more successful in actual goal share than McDavid without Kassian: numbers are each winger with McDavid at five-on-five and courtesy Natural Stat Trick: McDavid with Kassian

Kailer Yamamoto 1,166

126:21 3.70

1.90 48.0

3.32 48.4

62.8 52.9

71.4 McDavid without Kassian

Jesse Puljujarvi 1,805

264:04 3.42

1.14 51.9

1.82 50.5

54.8 52.3

51.7 Goals per 60 and goal differential have been slightly higher at five-on-five since the fall of 2018 (via Natural Stat Trick) with McDavid-Kassian. Zack Kassian That’s despite losing the shot share and trailing in expected goals. Part of it is luck, and part of it comes from McDavid playing with unproven or 74:31 lesser talents in other situations. 0.00 That’s why the Puljujarvi numbers above, and those provided by 1.61 Yamamoto, are exciting developments for the Oilers. The current management group and coaches seem more determined to find quality 51.3 wingers who have pure skill for McDavid (and Leon Draisaitl), and the result is an even more-impressive offence. 50.0 Which gives us our answer on Kassian’s future with Edmonton. The goals and points per 60 minutes are for each individual winger, the shot and goal differentials reflecting the success of the line. Ideally, you’d What does it all mean? like 200-plus minutes before making any kind of conclusion. Jesse Puljujarvi is at almost 250 minutes with 97 and has delivered quality Kassian’s relationship with Oilers fans has changed since 2015. He was across the board. Specifically, his goals per 60 and shot differentials a sympathetic figure on arrival, personal issues impacting his career in a while on the No. 1 line are very encouraging. major way. He was at a possible crossroads, and he worked hard to re- establish himself as a legit NHL player. His chief competition appears to be diminutive winger Kailer Yamamoto, who has been absolute fire in a small sample with McDavid. You may Oilers fans have been on his side all along, but then he signed a new recall that Yamamoto’s first two training camps saw him alongside contract just before COVID-19 ravaged revenue leaguewide. A four-year, McDavid and won him a pair of regular-season auditions (although he $12.8 million contract would have been considered an overpay at any wasn’t ready). Perhaps that is an idea worth pursuing. time, but the timing of the deal (signed January 2020) meant it was one of the last contracts of the pre-pandemic era.

It stands out in the crowd, and fans are aware of the low return on investment since the new deal was signed. Just over one year after the ink dried, Kassian is a depth winger whose contract is an extreme overpay.

The way forward appears to be clear for Kassian: a depth role as a two- way winger who provides rugged play and some offence.

He scored against the Calgary Flames on his return Wednesday night.

Confirmation came Thursday night, when Yamamoto was unable to play. Kassian lined up with Gaetan Haas and on the No. 4 line and played just 4:05 in the first period. He spent all of 10 seconds on the ice with McDavid in the opening frame.

In the second period, he moved up for 40 seconds with the Draisaitl line, and midway through the frame took a pass from Tyson Barrie in the neutral zone and sent a short pass to a racing McDavid, who would cash in a second later for his second goal of the game.

At the end of the game against Winnipeg, Kassian’s line counted one assist, 12:24 (all at five-on-five) time on ice, one takeaway and four hits. The closest he came to trouble was getting off an opposition player too slowly after a pileup, drawing the ire of several nearby Winnipeg players. He played over 10 minutes with Haas and less than a minute with Draisaitl and McDavid.

Kassian is a depth winger with a contract that is too much by plenty, but he has a track record that suggests he has greater utility than the average bottom-six forward. The Oilers have found younger, more talented wingers and don’t have the same need for an enforcer on the top line.

Chances are he’ll see time with the big guns, but Kassian is unlikely to see the big minutes of 2018-19 and 2019-20 with McDavid. The Oilers are drafting and developing superior replacements.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206095 Florida Panthers

How the Florida Panthers improved their defense to become an unlikely Cup contender

BY DAVID WILSON

MARCH 19, 2021 03:28 PM

The crowd at the BB&T Center rose with each successive body- sacrificing, goal-saving play Noel Acciari made for the Florida Panthers in the waning minutes of the first period Thursday against the Nashville Predators.

He tumbled to his right and flipped onto the ice as he blocked one slap shot from the point. He got up and slid back to his left to block another. When the Nashville Predators moved the puck down to the left side near the faceoff circle, Acciari followed and blocked another shot with his body. By the time his shift was over, Acciari was covered in bruises, the fans were in a frenzy and the Predators’ 5-on-3 chance was over. The Panthers killed off another power play — part of a 3-for-3 penalty-killing effort — in a week full of outstanding short-handed efforts.

“From looking at it on the bench, it gives you a lot of energy,” forward Alex Wennberg said. “Killing that penalty everyone gets an extra push.”

In the moment, the kill was massive, even though Florida (19-6-4) wound up losing 2-1. Less than three minutes after the power play ended, All- Star left wing Jonathan Huberdeau the Panthers’ lone goal to open the game.

The Panthers killed off two more power plays in the final two periods and are now 11 for 11 on the penalty kill in their last three games, 16 for 17 in their last five and 23 for 26 in their eight. They’ll try to continue their streak Saturday when they host Nashville (13-16-1) for the second game of a two-game series in Sunrise at 2 p.m.

Florida now ranks No. 12 in the NHL in goals allowed per game and is up to No. 14 in penalty-kill percentage. Its defensive turnaround, right now, is being fueled by its short-handed excellence.

“Every time we’re jumping over the boards,” star defenseman Aaron Ekblad said Monday, “we’re a little bit more excited to be out there and make a difference, and change the momentum of the game.”

On Thursday, the Panthers only allowed three power-play shots on goal and none came from in front of the net. In a win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Monday, Florida held the Blackhawks to seven power- play shots and only two in front of the net.

Chicago has the third-best power play in the league, in terms of percentage, and the Panthers held the Blackhawks to 0 for 8 with the extra man in two games this week.

“Everyone’s playing for each other, and we have those plays that make a difference,” Wennberg said. “Not giving any big opportunities kind of helps to win games, and that’s pretty much what this league is all about.”

Florida has the No. 3 offense in goals per game and No. 2 in shots per game, but the Panthers also had a top-five offense last year. Their biggest difference has been on defense, where they’ve jumped from the bottom five into the middle of the pack to become perhaps the best team in the league with more than half of the season over.

While the number of shots allowed are similar to last year, Florida has significantly limited the opponents’ quality of shots. After opponents lived around their net last season, the Panthers are taking away those clean looks in their second season in Joel Quenneville’s system.

“There’s some more familiarity with it. I think there’s more predictability in the forwards knowing their responsibility, the cohesiveness of the lines, working together and all three forwards doing the right things,” the coach said. “It seems like more five guys are in the picture and all doing their thing, and disrupting and trying to kill plays. But we’ve been cleaner and neater in our own zone.”

Miami Herald LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206096 Los Angeles Kings

Kings lose to streaking Golden Knights, who get two goals from Max Pacioretty

By DAN GREENSPAN ASSOCIATED PRESS

MARCH 19, 2021 10:01 PM PT

William Karlsson had the winning goal, Max Pacioretty scored twice, and the Vegas Golden Knights beat the Kings 4-2 on Friday night at Staples Center.

Robin Lehner made 23 saves as the Golden Knights (21-6-1) won their fifth straight. It was the first start for Lehner since Feb. 7 because of a concussion.

Alex Iafallo and Trevor Moore scored for the Kings (12-11-6), who have dropped three of four. made 29 saves.

Karlsson put Vegas back in front 3-2 with 4:45 left in the second period by tipping Jonathan Marchessault’s shot from the point. Karlsson played after recording a false positive for COVID-19 earlier in the day.

Highlights from the Kings’ 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night at Staples Center.

William Carrier scored his first goal of the season to make it 4-2, deflecting Nicolas Hague’s shot at 10:34 of the third.

Moore tied the score at 2 for the Kings at 6:18 of the second, redirecting Matt Roy’s shot from the blue line in.

Pacioretty got his third and fourth goals during a five-game point streak to spot the Golden Knights a 2-1 lead after the first. He buried a one-timer from the slot at 10:17 off a centering pass by Mark Stone.

Pacioretty’s second goal, his 16th of the season, wasn’t quite as clear cut. A lengthy video review by the NHL’s situation room was required to determine the puck crossed the line while in Quick’s glove off Pacioretty’s backhand at 12:53.

The Kings' Alex Iafallo (19) celebrates his goal with teammates during the first period March 19, 2021.

The Kings pulled back a goal with 17.2 seconds left in the first when a charging Iafallo chipped in the rebound of Anze Kopitar’s shot to make it 2-1.

Karlsson became the second player in the Golden Knights’ brief history to reach 200 points, getting there in his 255th game. Marchessault leads the franchise with 202 points, but Karlsson leads his linemate in all-time goals with 89.

The Kings and Golden Knights will play again in Los Angeles on Sunday.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206097 Los Angeles Kings Four quick passes and a low-flying point shot knotted the score. It was Moore deflecting home the shot by defenseman Matt Roy to tie the score 6:18 into the middle period.

Kings again struggle to solve one of division’s top teams But that footing proved fleeting when Vegas reclaimed the lead with a tip- in goal of its own. Off a clean faceoff win in the Kings’ zone, the Golden Knights had Martinez and Jonathan Marchessault switch positions. Marchessault zipped a shot from the left point that was tipped in front of By ANDREW KNOLL | Quick by Karlsson with 4:45 left in the period. PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 10:07 p.m. | UPDATED: March 19, 2021 Karlsson had been on the COVID-19 protocol-related absence list earlier at 11:12 p.m. in the day, but he was reinstated as a result of a false positive test in time to net the game-winning goal.

For all their progress this season, the Kings have won just three of 14 The Kings were plagued by turnovers, with 10 of their 12 giveaways games against the top three teams in their division, their latest setback a coming in the first period. 4-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in which they twice trailed by On the Golden Knights’ first goal, winger Dustin Brown got the puck off of multiple goals on Friday night at Staples Center. Martinez, but his errant pass eluded Roy behind the net. It ended up on Vegas extended its lead atop the West Division to five points and the stick of right winger Mark Stone, whose touch pass to Pacioretty was matched second-place Colorado’s five-game winning streak. The Kings, redirected past Quick just after the midway mark of the first period. who have dropped three of their last four games, now sit five points A giveaway by defenseman Kurtis MacDermid and another of Brown’s behind the St. Louis Blues for the fourth and final playoff spot after St. efforts to secure a loose puck going for naught allowed Stone to keep the Louis beat the San Jose Sharks in overtime Friday. play alive prior to Vegas’ second goal. A deflected, flailing, hopping pass “We need those type of games, we’ve got to win those ones,” winger was controlled by Pacioretty at the last instant to put a backhand shot on Alex Iafallo said. “I feel like we had some good moments but we had net. some bad moments that we’ve got to fix.” At first glance, Pacioretty’s bid appeared to be denied by Quick’s glove. The Kings have excelled on special teams, but the game was But Quick was so deep in his net that the puck crossed the goal line as it overwhelmingly played at even strength with just one power play for the entered the webbing of his glove, which caused a video review by the Kings. While the Kings took away the rush chances, long passes and league office in Toronto to award Pacioretty his 16th goal of the season. pretty plays from Vegas, for the most part, Vegas managed to score all The Kings were undaunted by Vegas finding some speed in their game four goals from fewer than 10 feet away from the Kings’ goal. and putting up a pair of goals. “We were very poor in about 40 square feet of ice in front of our net,” They halved the Vegas advantage with 18 seconds left in the period. Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “At the other end, it took a lot more to Defenseman Drew Doughty heaved a stretch pass from a defensive- penetrate that area.” zone faceoff dot to the opposite blue line to send center Anze Kopitar Iafallo and forward Trevor Moore scored for the Kings. Jonathan Quick ahead with speed. He aimed for Lehner’s far pad, and Kopitar’s shot made his first appearance since March 6 when he sustained an upper- produced a rebound for Iafallo, who pounced on it for his seventh goal of body injury and made 29 saves. the season.

Left winger Max Pacioretty scored twice for Vegas, center William “We took a punch or two to the face and then we got ourselves off the Karlsson had what proved to be the decisive goal and William Carrier mat and we continued to battle,” McLellan said. had the other one. Former Kings defenseman Alec Martinez notched a "We're a better team than we played tonight… I think we showed them pair of assists. Robin Lehner returned from an even longer layoff than too much respect and disrespected what we're capable of doing." Quick’s. He last played Feb. 7, against the Kings, and missed nearly six weeks with a concussion before returning with 23 saves. Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.20.2021 With 14:15 left in the game, winger Alex Tuch nearly cushioned Vegas’ advantage with a wraparound attempt that caught Quick out of position. The outstretched stick of defenseman Sean Walker prevented a goal. Soon after, the Kings drew the first Vegas penalty of the night, putting the power play that has buoyed the Kings offensively this season on the ice.

The Golden Knights’ penalty kill, ranked fourth in the NHL entering the game, rose to the occasion.

“Having one power play is tough but we’ve got to make sure we score or at least give our team momentum,” Iafallo said.

Center Anze Kopitar’s scoring chance went wide of the net at even strength moments later, and the Kings generated some excitement off the rush with their second line but to no avail.

Those missed opportunities proved costly when Vegas won another race to the puck before defenseman Nicholas Hague ripped a shot from the left point that caromed off Carrier, giving Quick little chance as the puck’s trajectory changed abruptly. Carrier’s goal effectively sealed the game for the Golden Knights with 9:26 to play.

The Kings dressed seven defensemen and 11 forwards as opposed to the more common 12-6 alignment, and shortened their bench to three forward lines late.

“We were only missing one forward but we were missing more than one when you consider the dressed guys that didn’t play very well,” McLellan said, after earlier critiquing flatly the play of Gabe Vilardi.

In the second period, the Kings had a solid pushback and were able to draw even after trailing early. 1206098 Los Angeles Kings If Amadio clears waivers unclaimed by another team, he could either be assigned to the Kings’ American Hockey League affiliate in Ontario or the Kings’ taxi squad.

Durable, versatile Adrian Kempe invaluable to Kings SUTTER IGNITING FLAMES

Darryl Sutter, who coached the Kings to Stanley Cup championships in 2012 and 2014, has quickly lent his corrective touch to the Flames in his By ANDREW KNOLL |PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 8:25 p.m. | second coaching stint in Calgary. UPDATED: March 19, 2021 at 8:47 p.m. Sutter was hired ahead of back-to-back games, which the Flames lost. But after his first practice in charge of the team – which ended with a bag skate – the Flames have won four of their last five games, vaulting them Though his recent scoring streak had become a scoreless stretch of back into the playoff picture in the North Division. commensurate length, Adrian Kempe has continued to progress while providing value and versatility to the Kings this season. When Sutter was hired, Flames winger Milan Lucic, who played for Sutter as a King, had two words of advice for the Flames and their followers: The 24-year-old forward has played in all situations for the Kings, “Buckle up.” averaging more time on ice short-handed than all but two Kings forwards, Anze Kopitar and Alex Iafallo. He has also provided positional versatility He added that Sutter’s demanding style of coaching was justified when it by moving around the lineup seamlessly, slotting into all three forward produces results like he has, including five trips to the conference finals. positions and also providing a threat all over the offensive zone for the top power-play unit. Even their only loss in that stretch, a 7-3 slip against the rival Edmonton Oilers, was classic Sutter as he let goalie Jakob Markstrom battle “Players that have those tools in their toolkit, the ability to play in different through all 60 minutes. Sutter has never been keen on pulling his goalie positions at different times and still have success, they’re very valuable. on a rough night during his stints in Chicago, Calgary and Los Angeles. Adrian’s become that for us,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “He’s played on the right, (on the) left, played in the middle and he’s played Sutter came within one win – and perhaps one centimeter, given the with various linemates. I guess you could consider him on the back end close call on Game 6’s would-have-been Cup-winning goal – of capturing on the power play as well.” a championship with Calgary in 2004.

In two previous games against the Vegas Golden Knights, both of which “I’m not interested in coaching 31 teams. I’m not interested in coaching were losses, Kempe notched a goal and an assist. just to coach,” Sutter said. “I’m coaching strictly to win a Stanley Cup and that’s it. Nothing else.” Kempe was a player that McLellan appeared to pay particular attention to last season, at times giving him a long rope to work with and at others Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.20.2021 pulling his card. He was a healthy scratch for a November 2019 game against Minnesota.

That was the only game Kempe missed all season, and he’s missed just three games in total over his three full seasons with the Kings. His durability has added to his value, as he has been able to patch leaks and plug holes. This season has been hectic and heavy on roster moves as a result of COVID-19 protocols, the shuffling of substantial portions of a young roster and the usual pitfalls of injuries and underperformance.

“I’m happy if I can help on any line I play on. We’ve had some guys out and somebody needs to fill a spot,” Kempe said. “I’m just trying to play my game, no matter what line I’m on and whoever I’m playing with.”

Kempe, once believed to be the most promising prospect in the Kings’ system, now finds himself as an established veteran who has made strides to better define and further refine his game. He emphasized improving the accuracy of his shot and the speed of his release, and that has paid off. His 11 goals in 28 games have him poised to surpass his career-best season of 16 goals (over 81 games) in 2017-18.

In addition to his scoring prowess and increased comfort on the wings, Kempe has been an integral part of the Kings’ sharp improvement on the power play. His ability to facilitate clean entries and establish possession was well-known, but this season his puck movement has been more purposeful and his mobility has been an important factor in giving the Kings a less predictable, more dynamic power play.

Rather than read off his linemates, he has settled into what McLellan has described as the “alpha” role on his lines of late, while also contributing on special teams.

“The fact that he can take all of that on and have the type of year he’s having speaks to his maturity level right now and how far he’s come,” McLellan said.

AMADIO ON WAIVERS

Forward Michael Amadio, a popular teammate and one of the few right- handed faceoff options for the Kings, was placed on waivers Friday.

Amadio, 24, had two points in 20 games this season and has been a healthy scratch in four of the Kings’ last seven games. With Jaret Anderson-Dolan and Dustin Brown back in the lineup as well as the imminent return of Martin Frk, the Kings’ roster was becoming crowded at forward. 1206099 Los Angeles Kings Like usual, we take a punch or two to the face and then we get ourselves off the mat and we continue to battle. That’s in our game, that’s in our DNA, but that’s a moral victory. I think we’re a better team than we played tonight, I think we showed them a little too much respect and FINAL – KINGS 2, GOLDEN KNIGHTS 4 – IAFALLO, ROY, MCLELLAN disrespected what we’re capable of doing. There’s things that we have to improve on, we’ll work on it tomorrow, and hopefully we’ll have a better

[game] on Sunday. BY ZACH DOOLEY On if tonight’s game felt more lopsided than the score MARCH 19, 20210 Well, I look at the four goals they ended up with and they happened in and around our paint. We were very poor in about 40 square feet of ice in front of our net. Whether it was tip-ins, deflections, pass outs from below The LA Kings corrected many of the issues that plagued them earlier this the goal line, just loose, sloppy…at the other end, it took a lot to season against Vegas, but found themselves with too many turnovers in penetrate that area. They played tighter, harder, heavier in that area. their own end, leading to goals against, in a 4-2 defeat against the With that being said, we got some good saves from Quickie when we Golden Knights. needed them, we played hard enough and long enough to stay in the game, but just loose enough to lose it. Let’s put it this way, this doesn’t Max Pacioretty struck twice in a span of less than three minutes, his match the first game in Colorado, where we would have absolutely stolen division-leading 15th and 16th goals of the season, to put the visitors it, but the better team won tonight. We were the second-best team for ahead by a pair in the opening period. Both plays began with the puck on sure. a Kings stick that did not clear the zone, eventually resulting in a goal for 67 in white. On the goals against tonight coming down to individual mistakes

Starting down another multi-goal deficit, the Kings got a response late in Yupp, faceoff coverage was horrendous. Clearly went through it before the first, as Alex Iafallo crashed the net and buried an Anze Kopitar the game. Responsibilities, and some responsibilities for certain positions rebound to cut it to a one-goal game at the intermission. haven’t changed in a year and a half since we’ve been here. It’s time to understand what you need to do in those situations and get them done. After a back-and-forth start to the middle stanza, forward Trevor Moore It’s unacceptable if you’re giving that up right now. The others, turnover scored for the second straight game, as he redirected a Matt Roy shot on the fourth goal, get it off your tape and move it, let’s get going. I can from the right point past Robin Lehner, to even the game at two. Moore go through a bunch of different plays through the night, but the individual now has five points from his last six games played, and continues to always makes the mistake, the team usually pays for it. That’s how the thrive on a line alongside Carl Grundstrom and Jaret Anderson-Dolan. game goes. No one’s perfect and it’s a tough game to play when you’re After Vegas got a goal late in the second period, a William Karlson under pressure. deflection, following a won offensive zone faceoff, the teams played a McLellan added that the 11F / 7D alignment was a coaches decision, not deadlocked opening half of the third period, with the best chances for the an injury-related decision. home team coming on a mid-period power play. The Golden Knights, however, re-gained their two-goal lead soon thereafter on another Notes – redirected goal, this from William Carrier, to pull ahead 4-2. – Anze Kopitar now has points in nine of his last ten games, the last nine Of the four goals allowed, three came off the sticks of Kings players, games the Kings have scored a goal in. Kopitar’s helper was his 27th of while the other, as McLellan addresses below, came off of faceoff the season, moving him into sole possession of fifth in the NHL this coverage in the defensive zone. Much better tonight from the Kings than season. in the games in Vegas back in early-February, but some things to clean up as well. – With a first-period assist, Drew Doughty now has 10 points (3-7-10) from his last nine games played. The assist was his 25th point of the Hear from Iafallo, Matt Roy and McLellan after tonight’s game. season, ranking sixth amongst defensemen this season.

Alex Iafallo – With his first-period goal, forward Alex Iafallo now has points in three straight games, and four points over his last four games played (2-2-4). Matt Roy – Forward Trevor Moore scored for the second consecutive game, and On how the team played defensively tonight now has five points (2-3-5) from his last six games played. I mean, I think we could have done a better job. They’re a good team and – Goaltender Jonathan Quick returned to action for the first time since they make a lot of skilled plays down low, but I think as a team, we could March 6. Quick, who missed five games in that stretch due to injury, have done better with ending some plays and getting some sticks on made 29 saves on 33 shots. some of those passes. – The Kings were perfect on the penalty kill for the sixth-straight game, On handling Vegas’ rush better than the team did in the game on the killing off both of Vegas’ power-play chances. This season, the Kings are road 70-for-83 on the penalty kill, ranking sixth in the NHL in PK percentage It’s something that we talked about before the game, they’re a good team (84.3%). They have only allowed 13 opponent power-play tallies this off the rush, so we wanted to make sure that we had our guys, we were year, tied for the fourth-least in the league. sorting things out. For the most part, I think we did a decent job of that The Kings are scheduled to return to the ice tomorrow morning at 11 AM tonight. at Toyota Sports Performance Center. On his assist tonight, and getting more pucks towards the net from the LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.20.2021 blueline

The d-core as a whole, we need to find a way to start producing offensively. I think we’re all trying to get pucks to the net somehow, or shoot them wide and hopefully get a tip, start creating something off of those.

On if tonight’s game can be a lesson for the group

I think every game can be a lesson, win or lose. I think we came out a little slow there, and next game we’re going to come out with a little more fire hopefully and go from there.

Todd McLellan

On what he was most encouraged with from tonight’s game 1206100 Los Angeles Kings

GAME THREAD – KINGS VS. GOLDEN KNIGHTS, 3/19

BY ZACH DOOLEY

MARCH 19, 20210 COMMENTSGAME THREADS

Los Angeles Kings 2, Vegas Golden Knights 4

FINAL

Game Previews: LA Kings Insider – NHL.com – Vegas Golden Knights

Fox Sports Live Stream

Pre-Game Live Show (Call-In 877-KINGS20)

SOG: LAK – 25 VGK – 33

PP: LAK – 0/1 VGK – 0/2

First Period

1. VGK – Max Pacioretty (15) – (Mark Stone) – 10:17

2. VGK – Max Pacioretty (16) – (Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez) – 12:53

3. LAK – Alex Iafallo (7) – (Anze Kopitar, Drew Doughty) – 19:42

Second Period

4. LAK – Trevor Moore (4) – (Matt Roy, Tobias Bjornfot) – 6:18

5. VGK – William Karlsson (7) – (Jonathan Marchessault, Alec Martinez) – 14:15

Third Period

6. VGK – William Carrier (1) – (Nicolas Hague, Reilly Smith) – 10:34

Los Angeles Kings (12-10-6) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (20-6-1)

Friday, March 19, 2021 – 7:00 p.m. PT

STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA

Referees: #36 Dean Morton, #42 Corey Syvret

Linesmen: #58 Ryan Gibbons, #67 Travis Gawryletz

Fox Sports West, Fox Sports Go, LA Kings Audio Network

LAK Starters: G Jonathan Quick, D Mikey Anderson, Drew Doughty, F Alex Iafallo, Anze Kopitar, Dustin Brown

LAK Scratches: Michael Amadio, Matt Luff, Austin Wagner

VGK Starters: G Robin Lehner, D Shea Theodore, Alec Martinez, F Max Pacioretty, Chandler Stephenson, Mark Stone

VGK Scratches: Nick Holden, Keegan Kolesar

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206101 Los Angeles Kings average. If he does get the start between the pipes, it would be the first time in his professional career that he has made four consecutive starts.

If it is Quick who goes, however, he has faced the Golden Knights nine 3/19 PREVIEW – PROJECTED LINEUPS, PLUS BROWN UPDATE, times in his NHL career, posting a 4-4-1 record, a .898 save percentage AMADIO, MAATTA & HANDLING VEGAS’ SPEED and a 3.41 goals against average. Quick started once earlier this season against Vegas, and was pulled early in the second period, but it would be tough to pin much of that on him, with all four goals coming on odd-man rushes against. BY ZACH DOOLEY GOLDEN KNIGHTS VITALS: Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has posted MARCH 19, 20210 the NHL’s best save percentage so far this season at .933, as he also leads the NHL with four shutouts, while his 1.87 goals against average ranks second best. Fleury has been the goaltender of record for the WHO: Los Angeles Kings (12-10-6) vs. Vegas Golden Knights (20-6-1) Golden Knights in 16 of their last 17 games, as Robin Lehner has been out of the lineup with a concussion. WHAT: NHL REGULAR SEASON GAME In his lone start of the season against the Kings, Fleury made 27 saves WHEN: Friday, March 19 @ 7:00 PM Pacific on 29 shots to earn the victory. In his NHL career, the 36-year-old WHERE: STAPLES Center – Los Angeles, CA goaltender is 10-6-4 versus the Kings, with a .921 save percentage and a 2.40 goals against average. HOW TO FOLLOW: Video: Fox Sports West – AUDIO – iHeart Radio Lehner recently returned to the team, as a backup, and tonight’s Vegas – TWITTER: @DooleyLAK netminder is still unknown at this time. TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights tonight for the first time this season. The teams open a two-game set this Here’s how Vegas lined up in their most recent game on Wednesday – evening, that continues on Sunday afternoon at STAPLES Center. Pacioretty – Glass – Stone

HEAD-TO-HEAD: Forwards Anze Kopitar (1-1-2), Austin Wagner (1-1-2), Marchessault – Karlsson – Smith Dustin Brown (1-1-2) and Adrian Kempe (1-1-2) lead the Kings this season with two points apiece against the Golden Knights. Brown had a Jurco – Roy – Kolesar multi-point game on February 5, while the other three collected a point in Carrier – Nosek – Reaves both games in Nevada in early-February. For Vegas, forward Max Pacioretty leads all skaters with four points (0-4-4) from two games Martinez – Theodore played, while forward Chandler Stephenson has two goals from two games played. McNabb – Coghlan

KINGS VITALS: Following yesterday’s full-team practice, the Kings held Hague – Whitecloud an optional morning skate at Toyota Sports Performance Center. The Fleury Kings had all skaters on the ice, with the exception of Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty. Lehner

Brown is the team’s lone question mark entering tonight’s action. Brown Per Peter de Boer this morning, forwards Chandler Stephensen and Alex missed Sunday’s game in Colorado and Wednesday’s game versus St. Tuch are game-time decisions, after both players missed Wednesday’s Louis with an upper-body injury, skated with the team each of the last game. three days, but did not skate in today’s optional morning skate. McLellan said this morning that there’s a good chance that Brown is back in the The last time the Kings faced Vegas, the speed of the Golden Knights in lineup tonight. transition and on the attack overwhelmed the Kings early, as they conceded four goals in the first 21:35. The Kings handled that element Brown’s availability for tonight is crucial to projecting how the Kings will much better in their second matchup, two days later, but the first time out line up. Yesterday, Brown was one of six forwards in gray jerseys, with was an adjustment for a Kings lineup featured four rookie defensemen. Jeff Carter skating with the forwards in white. With McLellan’s quote regarding keeping the Grundstrom – Anderson-Dolan – Moore line Vegas has that speed, but as Todd McLellan pointed out, tonight’s together, something like the following makes sense, assuming Brown is opponent has the ability to play the game, and have success, in a variety in. of different ways. It’ll be up to the Kings to find a way to make it work, with four of their next six games coming versus the division leaders. Iafallo – Kopitar – Brown “I think Vegas can play fast or slow – They can grind it out in the corners, Athanasiou – Vilardi – Kempe and in front of the net, but their bread and butter is getting four guys up in the rush and skating through the neutral zone with some pace,” McLellan Wagner – Lizotte – Carter said. “They defend well, and there’s not really a weakness in their game. Grundstrom – Anderson-Dolan – Moore That’s why they’re the top win percentage team in the league right now, at this time. It’s a good challenge for us, at this time, we’re looking Anderson – Doughty forward to it, it’s our job to steal as many points as we can from them.”

Bjornfot – Roy Roster Moves

Maatta – Walker The Kings made a roster move earlier today, with forward Michael Amadio placed on waivers. This was the first move involving waivers Petersen / Quick made by the Kings since February 6, when they re-claimed Troy As always though, we wait for the song. Grosenick from Edmonton.

Jonathan Quick returned to the lineup as the team’s backup goaltender Amadio has appeared in 20 games with the Kings so far this season, on Wednesday. Quick had been out of the lineup since he suffered an totaling two assists. In his NHL career, Amadio has played 168 games upper-body injury against St. Louis back on March 6 at STAPLES with the Kings since he broke into the league during the 2017-18 season Center. Now that Quick is back as an option for the Kings, expect to see and has totaled 39 points (16-23-39). he and Cal Petersen resume their goaltending tandem, especially as the Todd McLellan offered this on Amadio’s situation earlier this morning – Kings play three games in their next four days. “It was a decision the organization made. It gives us a little bit of flexibility In terms of tonight, if Petersen gets the nod, he has excellent career with the roster as a number of players started getting healthier. You look numbers against the Golden Knights. From four career appearances, at JAD coming back into the lineup, Quick, Brown. Not that all of them Petersen is 2-1-0, with a .929 save percentage and a 2.47 goals against were on IR, but Marty Frk is also starting to skate. It gives us some flexibility.” Being placed on waivers is really not indicative of anything at this point. Today’s move does not mean that anything necessarily needs to happen, but it gives the Kings additional flexibility if they want or need it down the road. If he is not claimed by another NHL team, Amadio could remain on the active roster, he could be assigned to the taxi squad or the AHL’s , and we won’t know exactly what will happen until at the earliest, tomorrow morning.

What Happened In Vegas, We Hope Stays In Vegas

What a lame headline, Zach.

Anyways, the Kings dropped both games at T-Mobile Arena, one by a more convincing margin (5-2) and one that was much closer (4-3). One constant from the 120 minutes of hockey was the speed that the Golden Knights play with, and how they use their personnel to create odd-man situations in their favor.

As McLellan noted earlier, Vegas likes to get extra bodies into the rush, which typically means activating one of their defensemen. There are two schools of thought at defending that, one taken by the Kings defensemen, and another taken by their forwards.

Talking with Olli Maatta, he believes the answer is more based in aggression than playing more conservatively. When he explained why, it made too much sense.

“As a defenseman, you want to keep your gap, you don’t want to give them time,” Maatta said. “If they have time, that’s when they can pull up and wait for the defensemen to join. I think for us, if we can play in their faces, we can cut some of those plays off and go the other way, and I think that’s when we’re at our best.”

Adrian Kempe talked about a need for the forwards to do a better job at covering in the offensive zone, when a defenseman makes a pinch.

Knowing that Vegas likes to go the other way, quickly in transition, and knowing that in-opportune pinches were an issue in the first two games, being mindful of the responsibilities on the forwards is something on Kempe’s mind.

“Definitely in the o-zone, we want to activate our D as much as possible, and it’s our responsibility as forwards to cover for them,” Kempe said. “I think, the last couple of games against Vegas, we didn’t do a very good job, especially early in the game, I think we figured it out a little bit later. If they want to come as hard as possible, if we can keep pucks alive in the o-zone, make sure that we pinch when we have a good chance. If we do so, we need the forwards to cover for sure.”

March Maatness

Maatta’s full interview from this morning is below. Maatta spoke about his return to the lineup, after battling a viral illness in Colorado, as well as his pairing with Sean Walker, and the development of Tobias Bjornfot.

Game Thread is next!

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206102 Los Angeles Kings – Drew Doughty: While playing against the other team’s top players each night, Doughty has also thrived offensively, with his 24 points ranking sixth most in the NHL amongst defensemen. Doughty’s seven goals are tied for fourth, while his five power-play goals and 15 power-play points FIRST HALF RECAP – KINGS 12-10-6, 3 PTS OUT OF PLAYOFF are second most amongst blueliners. SPOT AT HALFWAY MARK Solid Goaltending

– The goaltending tandem of Cal Petersen and Jonathan Quick has kept BY ZACH DOOLEY the Kings in nearly every game this season, even games in which the team has been outplayed. If you’re looking for one parallel between the MARCH 19, 20210 hot streak the Kings ended on last season, and the way the team has played this season, it’s the strong goaltending.

“The most important thing right now is we’re in the mix. We’re there, At .915, the Kings hold the NHL’s sixth-best save percentage as a team. we’re swinging with the big boys. We’ve earned the right to be respected Petersen ranks amongst the NHL’s league-leaders in save percentage around the league, I know teams describe us as hard to play against, and this season, while Quick, minus just a couple of starts that have skewed structured, and those are compliments we’re happy to receive, yet with his numbers, seems to be operating back to form. The tandem split has respect, comes responsibility and the games are just harder. We don’t worked so far, and will be crucial down the stretch with Quick now see a lot of backup goaltenders anymore, we see the number ones healthy again. starting against us. I think individuals are growing as we move forward. Strong Special Teams There’s still a lot of learning to do – there’s skill development and then there’s game management. The skill part I think we’re getting, the game – We touched on the special teams element here, but the Kings rank management for some of our younger players is still coming. They’ve got inside the NHL’s Top 10 in both power play and penalty kill this season, to understand where we are in a game, and what we need to do, and one of just three teams that can say that. that’s all part of experience. For the most part, it’s been a positive first half.” – In terms of power-play goals scored, just three teams have more than LA’s 26, while just three teams have allowed fewer than the 13 the Kings That is how Kings Head Coach Todd McLellan described where he feels have surrendered. The Kings current PP% of 25.7% would be their his team is at, with now half of the 2020-21 NHL season in the books. highest in a season since 1980. With Wednesday’s 4-1 victory over St. Louis, we have officially reached the 28-game mark of the season, the halfway point in the shortened 3 To Improve On campaign, and the Kings sit two games over .500 at 12-10-6. Point, Not Points At Home By many standards, the Kings have surpassed the expectations of those – The Kings have won just 5 of 12 games on home ice, but also have the outside world had set up for them. Many had the Kings battling to get points from nine of 12 home games, for a 5-3-4 record in total) out of the basement so far this season in the West Division, likely fighting it out in the Battle of California for the right to finish sixth. That was not, – Looking at some of the defeats, the Kings held third-period leads in four however, the expectations inside the walls here in LA. of those seven games, conceding two-goal leads against Minnesota in the first two games of the season, and goals in the final two minutes in The Kings, internally, had a goal of making the postseason. Many games against St. Louis and San Jose. scoffed, some laughed, but the team has put itself in a position to make a run down the stretch. It’s far from a guarantee, there’s nothing set in – The three regulation defeats included two one-goal losses, and a two- stone, but the Kings are in the hunt, and that’s exactly where you need to goal loss with an empty netter. The Kings have been in every single be with less than 30 games left on the calendar. game at home, and converting more of those types of games into victories will be key with 16 of the final 28 games at home in the second The season has featured several ups and downs. Some people wrote the half. season off at the end of a five-game losing streak, which occurred with several lineup regulars missing due to a variety of different reasons. Possession Figures Things were turned around with a six-game winning streak, as the narrative of a group of veterans with a championship-pedigree gelling – How much emphasis do you put on advanced stats, and which ones do well with a group of young, exciting, up-and-coming players formed the you put the most stock in? The Kings rank towards the middle of the NHL core of a team that was turning some heads on a national level. in terms of Corsi, though last season, they were in the NHL’s Top-5.

Ever since, the Kings have floated perhaps in between those two – Additionally, however the Kings rank in the league’s bottom five in extremes, but have found themselves firmly out of the bottom of the terms of percentage of scoring chances and high-danger chances for. division, though with some work yet to do to reach the Top 4. – Despite those figures, the Kings rank right around the 50/50 mark in So far, the Kings have nearly finished their scheduled games against terms of goals scored and conceded in those two categories (-1 and +3 both Minnesota and St. Louis, playing 14 of a combined 16 head-to-head respectively). So, while the team has allowed more of those types of matchups. On the other hand, they still have six games remaining versus opportunities than they have had, it has not resulted in more goals both Vegas and San Jose, as well as five games apiece versus Anaheim against. and Arizona. Slow Starters

Here’s a look at some of the statistics the Kings have posted through – Despite yesterday’s three-goal output in the first period, the Kings have their first half of season, as well as some observations. been one of the slowest starting teams in the NHL. The Kings have 3 To Look Back On conceded the second-most goals in the NHL in first periods this season, while their 19 goals scored are the seventh-fewest in the NHL. Veteran Scoring – How’s this for your leaders being your leaders? – With a -13 goal differential in the opening period, the Kings rank fourth – Anze Kopitar: At the time of this article, forward Anze Kopitar is tied for to last in the league in that statistic. Additionally, the Kings have scored eighth in the NHL in scoring, and is tied atop the West Division in points. the first goal in just 10 of the 28 games played this season, though they Kopitar’s 26 assists are fifth-most in the NHL, and lead all West-Division have posted a 9-1-0 record in those games. The Kings have also earned players. In terms of power-play points, Kopitar’s 20 trail just Edmonton’s a point nine times this season when conceding the game’s first goal, tied Connor McDavid, while his 17 power-play assists lead all skaters for fourth-most in the league. The moral of the story – scoring the first leaguewide. goal results in a lot more wins for than against!

– Dustin Brown: Though he has missed the last two games with an When at their best, the Kings have shown an ability to string together upper-body injury, Brown continues to lead the Kings in scoring, with his games and wins. When everyone available to them is available, the team 13 goals this season tied for 15th in the NHL, and tied for third-most in has found more success than it has failures. With just Dustin Brown the West Division. Brown’s seven power-play goals are tied for fifth in the currently out of the lineup, and his status being just day-to-day, rather NHL, and are two more than any other player in the West Division. than longer-term, the Kings look to keep things going with a mostly in-tact group.

Remaining on the schedule the Kings have the following breakdown of games –

St. Louis (1H, 0A)

Minnesota (1H, 0A)

Vegas (4H, 2A)

Colorado (2H, 2A)

San Jose (2H, 4A)

Anaheim (3H, 2A)

Arizona (3H, 2A)

The Kings will play 16 of their final 28 games on home ice at STAPLES Center, and 16 of their 28 games against teams currently behind them in the West Division standings. These games might just be the keys to making a push for the postseason.

The games against the teams in front of them are extremely important – frankly, at this stage in the season, every game is important – but just two games remain on the calendar against the teams in third and fourth place in the West Division. Those games won’t mean what they should if you don’t take care of business against the teams below you. The Kings will have plenty of opportunities in the second half of the season to try and earn points against their in-state rivals, in games that will shape the team’s fate down the stretch.

The second half of the season starts out with a bang tonight, as the Kings host the Vegas Golden Knights for the first time this season. Vegas won both meetings on the strip in early-February, and the currently top- seeded Golden Knights will present a challenging matchup for the Kings over the next three days.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206103 Minnesota Wild

Gameday preview: Wild at Colorado

MARCH 19, 2021 — 5:50PM

Sarah McLellan

8 p.m. at Colorado • FSN, 100.3-FM

Kahkonen on win streak; so are Avs

Preview: Before returning home, the Wild will face the Avalanche one more time in a matinee matchup. D Matt Dumba is doubtful to play after suffering a lower-body injury Thursday in the 5-1 loss. D Carson Soucy will return after sitting out Thursday to serve a one-game suspension for charging. The win Thursday was Colorado's fifth in a row.

Players to WATCH: Wild G Kaapo Kahkonen is on a nine-game winning streak; only four rookies in NHL history have gone on longer win streaks. RW Mats Zuccarello's assist Thursday extended his point streak to five games. … Avalanche RW Mikko Rantanen is coming off a four-point effort that included two goals. G Philipp Grubauer has allowed just three goals during his five-game win streak.

Numbers: Kahkonen has 233 saves on 246 shots during his win streak. C Victor Rask has two goals in his past three games. … Rantanen, C Nathan MacKinnon and LW Gabriel Landeskog have combined for 21 points during Colorado's win streak. MacKinnon has 36 points in 35 career games vs. the Wild.

Injuries: Wild Fs Marcus Johansson (upper body), Marcus Foligno (lower body) and Kyle Rau (upper body) are out. Avalanche G Pavel Francouz (lower body) and Ds (upper body) and Conor Timmins (upper body) are out.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206104 Minnesota Wild "You're not going to get the results every night, but every single night we have to have the same result as far as how we play the game and how we want to approach it to start and then how we start the game and how we have to have that energy level in order to do what we do as a hockey Wild looks to learn from rout; Matt Dumba injury 'better than it looked' club," Evason said.

"We did not do that here [Thursday], but we have absolutely complete faith that the group will rebound and do what needs to be done." By Sarah McLellan MARCH 19, 2021 — 11:32PM Star Tribune LOADED: 03.20.2021

DENVER – Wild coach Dean Evason's message to his team Thursday night after a 5-1 debacle at Colorado made it clear that what had just taken place had to be a one-off.

"You have to have a short-term memory after a game like that," said goaltender , who made a career-high 50 saves on an eye- popping 55 shots.

But before the players got a chance to redeem themselves in the rematch Saturday afternoon at Ball Arena, they had to relive the rout during a video session Friday evening.

"We can put it to bed, but yet we can learn from what happened," Evason said. "They played extremely well. We played extremely poorly, and the best thing is we can get right back at it."

As forgettable as the performance was from the Wild's perspective, the team couldn't completely dismiss it, not when the action was littered with breakdowns that require attention.

That was featured in the presentation players watched Friday, with most of the issues concentrated in the Wild's zone, where the team struggled to alleviate the Avalanche's pressure because players kept turning pucks over.

"They possess the puck better than anybody in the National Hockey League in the offensive zone, and we allowed that to happen by not getting it the heck out of there," Evason said.

Colorado's top line, in particular, made the Wild pay for those miscues. Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen racked up 10 points, including four goals, and had 15 total shots.

"Great chemistry as a line, great players individually and they do special things," said defenseman , who was with the Avalanche before the Wild acquired him in a trade earlier this season. "Like Mikko's goal in the third period. [He] knocks it out of the air into space to himself, backhand short-side elbow. It's a great play. That being said, it is defendable."

By that point, the Wild was playing shorthanded since defenseman Matt Dumba left in the second period after crashing feet-first into the boards. Dumba had to be helped off the ice and wasn't putting weight on his right leg.

Evason said Dumba is dealing with a lower-body injury and called Dumba doubtful to play Saturday. If he's unavailable, the Wild plans to keep Brad Hunt in the lineup and add Carson Soucy, who's eligible to return after serving a one-game charging suspension on Thursday. Goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, who's on a nine-game win streak, will get the start.

"It's better than it looked," Evason said of Dumba's injury.

But the Wild's defensive presence wasn't the only problem.

At the other end, the team's forecheck fizzled — making extended zone time almost impossible — and the Wild put just 20 shots on net, which tied its lowest output for a game this season.

Better defending should help the team's offense, since cleaner exits and smoother transitions through the neutral zone can set the Wild up to attack with poise and numbers.

What could also make a difference, however, has nothing to do with X's and O's and technical structure.

The Wild didn't have its usual spunk and was out-hustled to pucks, a departure from the attentiveness that's led to so much of this season's success.

Rediscovering that mentality might be most important in determining whether the outcome Thursday really is a one-time occurrence. 1206105 Montreal Canadiens “It’s easy to get impatient but I think we’ve done a good job of staying with it and putting a good game in front of us more nights than not.”

Prior to the contest, the Canadiens honoured long-time equipment J.T. Miller’s unassisted overtime goal secures Canucks a 3-2 victory over manager Pierre Gervais, who recently appeared in his 3,000th NHL Canadiens game.

Allen and Perry combined to stake Montreal to a 1-0 first-period lead.

THE CANADIAN PRESS Perry opened the scoring on the power play at 4:15. After Jeff Petry’s shot from the point hit the post, Perry knocked the rebound past Demko PUBLISHED MARCH 19, 2021 for his sixth of the season.

UPDATED MARCH 20, 2021 Allen, appearing in his 300th career NHL game, was solid throughout the frame as Vancouver outshot Montreal 11-8.

But Gaudette pulled Vancouver even at 2:25 of the second. He For J.T. Miller and the Vancouver Canucks, sometimes it’s better to be a redirected Antoine Roussel’s centring attempt past Allen for his fourth of little lucky than good. the year, Miller scored 2:01 into overtime as Vancouver defeated Montreal 3-2 for Hoglander gave Vancouver its first lead of the game, deflecting the puck its fourth straight victory Friday night. Miller notched his ninth of the past Allen at 6:37, his sixth of the season. season unassisted moments after Canadiens forward Josh Anderson failed to convert a breakaway attempt. Vancouver was minus forward Tanner Pearson (lower-body injury). He was hurt in the third period Wednesday against Ottawa and is expected Miller drove down the left side, cut across the front of the net and put a to be out at least four weeks. backhand shot past Montreal goaltender to give Vancouver its seventh win in eight contests. Pearson has 11 points (six goals, five assists) in 33 games this season. Forward Jimmy Vesey made his debut with Vancouver after being “It was not really textbook,” Miller said. “I was on the ice for a really long claimed off waivers from Toronto on Wednesday. time but I wasn’t really doing a whole lot … I still felt fresh. Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.20.2021 “It’s one of those things I knew I was going against a forward, then when I got by the first guy it’s a heat-of-the-moment move that doesn’t happen very often. I was pretty lucky to get it by and obviously it was a big goal for us but that’s not going to happen too often.”

Nick Suzuki forced overtime with a power-play goal at 19:03 of the third, his sixth. He scored with Montreal on a two-man advantage as Allen, who stopped 25 shots, was on the bench.

“It wasn’t like a deflating goal,” Miller said. “They had a six-on-four with some of the best shooters in the league up top.

“We weren’t deflated by it obviously. It takes more than 60 (minutes) sometimes and we knew we had to have a good start. It was kind of a weird start to overtime, they had the puck and were swinging around a lot so you just had to stay with it and bear down when you get an opportunity.”

Adam Gaudette and Nils Hoglander scored in regulation for Vancouver (16-16-2). stopped 29 shots for his eighth win in nine starts.

“It was a good team effort right from the drop of the puck,” Canucks head coach Travis Green said. “The team checked well, we just played a good road game.

“That’s the type of hockey we need to play to have success and we’ve been talking about it for a long time now. It’s nice to get the win.”

Corey Perry had the other goal for Montreal (13-8-9), which fell to 0-6 this season in overtime and has lost four-of-five contests overall. The Canadiens were coming off 4-3 overtime loss to Winnipeg on Wednesday to cap a six-game road trip (2-2-2).

Dominique Ducharme, Montreal’s interim head coach, feels his team’s overtime woes are mental.

“Obviously at one point it’s mental but what we need is to bury one and get that over with,” he said. “We do that tonight, probably everyone’s talking about what a character team we are coming back and tying the game.

“Our guys, for sure they think about it when the time comes. I’m sure a guy like Andy going on a breakaway, he’s probably putting more pressure on himself thinking, ‘I’m going to end it this time.’ Yeah, that’s apart of it but we have to stick with it and next time we’ll get it.”

Montreal opened a six-game homestand with its first contest at the since a 7-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on March 6. The Canadiens will host Vancouver again Saturday night.

“It’s a really fine line between winning and losing,” Miller said. “We’re playing the right way and if we believe in our game and have faith in our system and play the right way, most nights we’re going to get the results. 1206106 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens can't break overtime curse, losing 3-2 at home to Canucks

Herb Zurkowsky • Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 6 hours ago •

Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen stretches to make a toe save against Canucks' Brandon Sutter during first-period action at the Bell Centre Friday night.

Nobody can quite explain it, but the prevailing wisdom in the NHL is most teams struggle when they return home after lengthy road trips.

The Canadiens were back at the Bell Centre Friday night following a six- game trip and, on cue, lost 3-2 in overtime to the Vancouver Canucks. It was Montreal’s second consecutive defeat and the ninth time it has lost in overtime or a shootout this season.

The Canadiens now have a 5-5-2 record at home. It’s the worst home-ice record in the all-Canadian North Division.

J.T. Miller scored the winner at 2:01 of overtime, seconds after Josh Anderson missed the net on a breakaway.

With the victory, the Canucks pulled to within one point of fourth-place Montreal, although the Canadiens have played four fewer games. The Canadiens’ record is now 13-8-9, while Vancouver improved to 16-16-2.

Corey Perry opened the scoring for the Canadiens before Adam Gaudette and Nils Hoglander scored for the visitors. Nick Suzuki sent the game into overtime with a power-play goal at 19:03 of the third period.

The Canadiens wasted little time opening the scoring, Perry scoring a power-play goal at 4:15 of the first period.

The veteran forward was in his customary spot on the lip of the crease, converting Jeff Petry’s shot that bounced off the post. It was Perry’s sixth goal this season, but his first with the man advantage.

The Canadiens nearly took a two-goal lead while short-handed, but Thatcher Demko denied Joel Armia, who had a two-on-one break with Phillip Danault.

At the other end, Jake Allen — playing his 300th career game, but his first since March 11 — was doing a thorough job of keeping the visitors at bay.

In the 11th minute of the period, he darted his left pad out, making a stretch save on Brandon Sutter. About five minutes later, Allen stopped a Zack MacEwen deflection off Tyler Myers’s shot from the point.

Tyler Toffoli, already with eight goals this season against the Canucks, had two scoring opportunities late in the period. He was open in the slot, but his shot went over the crossbar. Then, in the final minute, he was set up by Nick Suzuki, but failed to control a bouncing puck.

Allen’s came to an abrupt end early in the second period, when Vancouver scored on its first shot of the period.

Montreal defenceman Alexander Romanov was caught up ice, creating an opening. Gaudette got behind Armia and redirected a cross-ice pass at 2:25 for his fourth goal this season.

Slightly more than four minutes later, the Canucks took their first lead of the game on Hoglander’s sixth goal this season. Hoglander tipped Nate Schmidt’s shot from the point past a screened Allen.

The two quick scores provided the visitors with some life. As the period progressed, Vancouver became more aggressive, taking over the momentum and dictating the pace by sending bodies to the net.

The Canucks nearly took a 3-1 lead in the 10th minute of the period, Jake Virtanen sending a rebound off the post.

Before the game, Pierre Gervais, the Canadiens’ indefatigable veteran equipment manager, was honoured during a ceremony for having worked his 3,000th career game earlier this month, at Vancouver.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206107 Montreal Canadiens having good timing coming in, finding the open space. Scoring goals different ways, stealing pucks because he’s got a good stick. When you score that many goals, you cannot be just scoring one way and that’s what he does. He’s finding ways because he’s smart.” Stu Cowan: Canadiens get their money's worth from crafty sniper Toffoli Toffoli’s goal late in the third period of Wednesday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Winnipeg Jets was a perfect example of how he finds ways to score. Toffoli was in a group of players battling for the puck in the corner of the Stu Cowan • Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 11 hours ago • Winnipeg zone. He then snuck away from that scrum, going behind the Jets’ net before quietly finding open ice just to the right of goalie Connor Hellebuyck. Corey Perry spotted Toffoli and gave him a perfect pass for Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey holds on to Montreal the goal. Canadiens right-wing Tyler Toffoli in Montreal on March 6, 2021. “I think it’s always kind of been one of my strengths is just finding that The Canadiens’ Tyler Toffoli is turning out to be one of the best bargains open space and being able to find the quiet area and get open and in the NHL this season. create opportunities,” Toffoli said. “That was just one of those things and Pears made a great play and we were fortunate to get a point out of that Heading into Friday night’s game against the Vancouver Canucks at the game.” Bell Centre, Toffoli had 18 goals in 29 games. The only two players in the NHL with more goals than Toffoli were the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Auston The Canadiens are certainly getting a bang for their bucks out of Toffoli. Matthews (21) and the Edmonton Oilers’ Connor McDavid (20). Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 Matthews has a US$11.64-million salary-cap hit this season with a total salary of US$15.9 million, while McDavid has a US$12.5-million salary- cap hit with a total salary of US$14 million. Toffoli’s salary-cap hit is US$4.25 million with a total salary of US$3.25 million.

Toffoli, 28, became an unrestricted free agent after splitting last season between the Los Angeles Kings and the Canucks, scoring 24 goals in 68 games. The Canucks were tight against the NHL salary cap and couldn’t afford to re-sign Toffoli, but probably wish they had. In his first seven games against the Canucks this season, Toffoli scored eight goals and added five assists.

Toffoli said there were a few teams interested in him as a free agent, but he was looking for a long-term deal. Since breaking into the NHL in the 2012-13 season with the Kings, he never had more than a three-year contract. Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin offered him a four-year, US$17- million deal and Toffoli accepted, even though it was a pay cut from his previous three-year contract, which averaged US$4.6 million per season. His current deal averages US$4.25 million.

“Speaking with my agent, with Pat Brisson, our discussion early on was I really wanted the most term I could possibly get,” Toffoli said after signing with the Canadiens. “Throughout my career, I’ve always done two-, three-year deals. So being able to get a little more term I think was a little more important for myself and for my family.”

Brisson is a close friend of Bergevin’s and helped sell Toffoli and his wife on coming to Montreal. Toffoli met his wife, Cat Belanger, when he was with the Kings. She works in broadcast and entertainment for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Talking to Pat, growing up in Montreal he kind of gave me the rundown on how well he thought that I would fit in in the city and how much we would enjoy it,” Toffoli said.

Toffoli’s career-high for goals is the 31 he scored for Los Angeles in 2015-16, two years after being part of a Stanley Cup team in L.A. Heading into Friday’s game, he was on pace to score 51 goals if this was a regular 82-game NHL season. He was on pace to score 35 goals in this condensed 56-game season.

The last player to have a 50-goal season with the Canadiens was Stéphane Richer, who scored 50 in 1987-88 and 51 in 1989-90. The last Canadiens player to lead the NHL in goals at the end of a season was Guy Lafleur when he scored 60 in 1977-78.

When Canadiens defenceman Jeff Petry was with the Edmonton Oilers, he played against Toffoli a lot and knows how good his hands are with the puck.

“He pushes the puck out so well and then has the ability to pull it in tight and step around you,” Petry said. “So I think as a defender you have to be on your toes. He’s very deceptive. So I think that makes it difficult for guys to defend. He has the ability to put the puck in the net.”

Toffoli isn’t the fastest skater, but Canadiens head coach Dominique Ducharme said it’s his hockey sense and strong hands that help make him such a good goal-scorer.

“He doesn’t over-handle the puck,” Ducharme said. “When he has it on his stick, it sticks to it. You combine that with a good shot. But his vision, hockey sense … he puts himself in situations to receive the puck, to be 1206108 Montreal Canadiens The Canadiens need to start getting goals from some different players. Drouin, while leading the Canadiens with 18 assists, has no goals in the

last 12 games and only one in the last 24. Canadiens Game Day: Same old story as Habs lose again in overtime Tatar has no goals in the last 11 games and only one in the last 15.

Danault has two goals in the last six games, but they are his only two Stu Cowan • Publishing date:Mar 20, 2021 • 4 hours ago goals this season.

Byron has no goals in the last seven games and only one in the last 14.

When the Canadiens won the Stanley Cup in 1993 they had 10 Joel Armia has no goals in the last seven games and only one in the last consecutive victories in overtime games, which still seems like an 11. impossible feat even though it actually happened. Jake Evans hasn’t scored a goal in the last 23 games he has played. This season, the Canadiens have lost nine consecutive games in Standings getting tight overtime or a shootout following Friday night’s 3-2 OT loss to the Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre. The Canadiens are now 0-6 in The Canadiens now have a 13-8-9 record — including 5-5-2 at the Bell OT and 0-3 in shootouts. Centre — and are in fourth place in the all-Canadian North Division. The Canadiens are only one point ahead of the fifth-place Canucks (16-16-2) That also seems like an impossible feat even though it has happened. but hold four games in hand. They are two points ahead of the sixth- You have to think just from basic odds that the Canadiens will eventually place Calgary Flames (15-13-3), who beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 win an OT game this season even if coach Dominique Ducharme keeps Friday night. The Leafs are 1-6-0 in their last seven games. putting forwards Phillip Danault and Paul Byron out to start the extra “If we get in these situations again coming down the stretch something’s period, as he did yet again Friday night, along with defenceman Jeff got to change,” Suzuki said about the OT losses. “I don’t know if we’re in Petry. Danault and Byron have two goals each this season and Byron our heads about it. Andy had that breakaway, which was really close, has been placed on waivers twice. and (they) came down and went around me. Everyone has to do better in Ducharme’s OT strategy revolves around winning the opening faceoff overtime to get those wins.” and having the Canadiens control the puck — even when it means The Canadiens now have a 5-0-3 record against the Canucks this constantly circling back toward their own end — hoping to tire out the season and have outscored them 36-22. In games against teams other opposing team and waiting for a break. than the Canucks, the Canadiens have a 8-8-6 record and have been The Canadiens did take control of the puck off the opening faceoff and outscored 61-59. Danault, Byron and Petry had gone to the bench and there were three The Canucks are 8-2-0 in their last 10 games. Montreal forwards on the ice when Josh Anderson got a breakaway 1:51 into OT but fired the puck over the net. The Canucks went back the other “They’re playing better hockey and I think no matter who we’re playing at way and J.T. Miller stick-handled around Tomas Tatar and Nick Suzuki this point it’s focused on our game,” Petry said after the Canadiens’ before beating goalie Jake Allen for the winning goal at 2:01 of OT. morning skate Friday in Brossard. “We have the same approach, it doesn’t matter what team we’re playing. There’s still things that we need At this point you have to think it would be worth having Ducharme roll the to improve on and things that we’ve put into place that we need to dice and start OT with three offensive players to see what happens. execute. So I think no matter who we’re playing, it’s Vancouver tonight, Maybe send a message to his team that he’s trying to win right away but our focus is on the style of play in our game. When we execute our instead of playing not to lose. game plan we can beat any team on any given night. So that’s our “We’re always playing to win and the guys know that,” Ducharme said focus.” after the game. “I don’t need to send them a message … they know that. Not much help for Allen “You got to look at everyone’s strength and I think our offensive guys are Allen, who made 25 saves Friday night, and is now winless in his last six smart, good hands and so on,” Ducharme added. “They don’t beat guys starts (0-2-4). with pure speed. They build things together. So do I want (Tyler) Toffoli, (Jonathan) Drouin and let’s say, whatever, Anderson starting and not The Canadiens have only scored nine goals in those six games with having the puck and having to defend and waste their energy there Allen in net. His last win was on Feb. 6, when the Canadiens beat the before they finally get the puck and they need to change? So I thought Senators 2-1 in Ottawa. everything was fine and we get the breakaway. And then from there it’s overtime and we got beat on the next play. So I don’t think it comes from Allen now has a 4-3-4 record this season with a 2.34 goals-against the way we started.” average and a .920 save percentage.

Maybe not, but the ending continues to be the same for the Canadiens in “He’s playing great,” Tatar said about Allen. “When he had a chance (to OT. play) usually they were back-to-backs and those are not easy. You kind of feel it and he always gave us a chance to win a game. I feel bad for It might be time to try something new. him, but he’s been great again today and he gave us a chance. He played great, so hopefully next one we’ll battle and win one for him.” Suzuki ends scoring slump had started the previous three games and will be back in Corey Perry and Suzuki scored for the Canadiens and it was the sixth goal for the Canadiens Saturday night when they play the Canucks again goal of the season for each of them. (7 p.m., CBC, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). Price has a Both goals were scored on the power play and Suzuki’s goal came at 9-5-5 record with a 2.66 GAA and a .907 save percentage. 19:03 of the third period with Allen on the bench, setting up a six-on-four Working with Armia situation. There are reasons why Armia was selected in the first round (16th For Suzuki it was his first goal in 10 games. overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft by the Buffalo Sabres. “I think I’ve been trying to find my confidence again,” he said. “I think At 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, Armia has size, strength, speed, is hard to today included and the two Winnipeg games I thought I was playing take the puck off and has a good shot. He also has a good stick and is better, getting a few more chances. But it’s a tough league. There’s good able to steal pucks. That’s why he was ranked fourth among European players on the other team and when those chances come you got to skaters by NHL Central Scouting heading into the 2011 draft. really bear down and execute and make plays. Today I thought I was executing pretty well.” But Armia hasn’t been able to put it all together at the NHL level and the most goals the 27-year-old has scored in a season is 16 in 58 games last Toffoli (18), Brendan Gallagher (11), Anderson (11) and Petry (11) have year with the Canadiens. This season he has five goals in 23 games. scored 54 per cent of the Canadiens’ 95 goals this season. No one else has more than six goals. Armia has become a bit of a pet project for Ducharme, who has said the Free agents (6): Ben Chiarot, Charlie Lindgren, Xavier Ouellet, Corey Finnish right-winger has elite-level skills. Perry, Tyler Toffoli, Michael Frolik.

“I just had a talk with him before coming up here,” Ducharme said after Trades (13): Jake Allen, Josh Anderson, Joel Armia, Joel Edmundson, Friday’s morning skate. “I really believe in him. He’s got great potential. I Phillip Danault, Jonathan Drouin, Brett Kulak, Jeff Petry, Nick Suzuki, think when his feet are moving, when he’s active, when he’s dynamic Tomas Tatar, Shea Weber, Laurent Dauphin, Gustav Olofsson. he’s one of the strongest players we have to handle the puck and protect the puck. You put that with a really solid shot. Obviously, we’re working Waivers (1): Paul Byron. with him, we’re giving him guidelines, trying to help him out on things. It’s Montreal Canadiens right-wing Corey Perry scores a goal on Calgary about also being consistent. We believe in him and we’ll see in the next Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom during the third period at few games how he handles that.” Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary on March 11, 2021.

Armia had one shot on goal in 12:20 of ice time Friday night and finished Stu Cowan: Time for Canadiens to start stringing wins together the game minus-1. Winnipeg Jets defenceman Josh Morrissey holds on to Montreal Some stats Canadiens right-wing Tyler Toffoli in Montreal on March 6, 2021.

The Canadiens outshot the Canucks 31-28, outhit them 27-11 and won What’s next? 66 per cent of the faceoffs. The Canadiens will play the Canucks again Saturday night at the Bell The Canadiens went 2-for-4 on the power play, while the Canucks went Centre (7 p.m., CBC, CITY, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). 0-for-2. Next week, the Edmonton Oilers will be at the Bell Centre for three Petry led the Canadiens in ice time with 23:04, followed by Shea Weber games against the Canadiens on Monday (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 (21:04) and Joel Edmundson (20:20). Anderson and Toffoli led the Radio, 98.5 FM), Wednesday (7:30 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 forwards with 20:07 of ice time each, while Drouin was next with 18:53. FM) and Friday (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). After a Suzuki and Drouin had four shots each, followed by Tatar with three. rare Saturday off, the Canadiens will then wrap up their six-game Alexander Romanov had five hits, followed by Anderson with four. homestand next Sunday against the Ottawa Senators (7 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 FM). Danault went 14-6 on faceoffs (70 per cent), Jesperi Kotkaniemi went 5-2 (71 per cent), Suzuki went 10-6 (63 per cent) and Evans went 2-2 (50 per Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 cent).

Burke joins Habs for first time

Sean Burke, the Canadiens’ new director of goaltending, was on the ice with the team for the first time Friday morning in Brossard since replacing the fired Stéphane Waite on March 2.

Because of COVID-19 protocols, Burke had to quarantine for 14 days after arriving in Montreal from his home in Arizona. While he was in quarantine Burke worked with Price and Allen on video conferences, while Marco Marciano worked with the goalies on the ice. Marciano is the goalie coach for the AHL’s .

Price has a 3-1-2 record in the six games he has played since Waite was fired while allowing only 12 goals.

“I’m not the biggest goalie expert,” Ducharme said when asked about Price’s recent play. “I think that position is so technical. But I can see patience, a little bit less movement. So he doesn’t need to be moving as much in net. I think with Carey’s size and athletic abilities he’s always in good position to be making those saves.”

Petry said Price seems to be tracking the puck better now than he was during his struggles earlier in the season, which ended up costing Waite his job.

” I think everybody knows that when he’s doing that everything looks effortless and calm and that style that he plays is contagious,” Petry said. “When you see your goalie making those saves seem effortless it’s good for all of us to see and it kind of calms everything down on the back end.”

Un premier entraînement officiel pour Sean Burke avec l'équipe.

Olofsson joins taxi squad

The Canadiens announced Friday morning that they have called up defenceman Gustav Olofsson from the AHL’s Laval Rocket and he has joined the team’s taxi squad.

In 10 games with the Rocket this season, the 26-year-old Olofsson has 1-4-5 totals and is plus-3. The Canadiens acquired the 6-foot-2, 199- pounder from the Minnesota Wild on Oct. 3, 2018 in exchange for forward William Bitten. Olofsson is a left-hand shot.

In 59 career NHL games, including three with the Canadiens last season, Olofsson has 0-11-11 totals. The Wild selected him in the second round (46th overall) of the 2013 NHL Draft.

How the Habs were built

Here’s a breakdown of how the Canadiens roster was built:

Drafted players (7): Jake Evans, Brendan Gallagher, Jesperi Kotkaniemi, Artturi Lehkonen, Victor Mete, Alexander Romanov, Carey Price. 1206109 Montreal Canadiens

Canucks at Canadiens: Five things you should know

Herb Zurkowsky • Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 22 hours ago

Here are five things you should know about the Canucks-Canadiens game Friday at the Bell Centre (7 p.m., TSN2, RDS, TSN Radio 690, 98.5 FM).

The matchup: If it seems like forever since the Canadiens played a home game, that’s almost the case. Montreal hasn’t used its own dressing room since March 6, when it pasted Winnipeg 7-1. The Canadiens then embarked on a six-game road trip, taking them to Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg for two games each. They completed the excursion with a 2-2-2 record, taking six of a possible 12 points. The Canucks are in the midst of a four-game road trip and are coming off successive 3-2 victories at Ottawa, in overtime and a shootout, respectively. Montreal sits fourth in the North Division, with a 13-8-8 record for 34 points, only two points ahead of Vancouver, although the Canadiens have played four fewer games.

Home cooking? Maybe not: These two games against the Canucks, Friday and Saturday, mark the start of a six-game homestand for Montreal. The Canadiens then have three games against Edmonton next week, starting Monday, before concluding with a game March 28 against Ottawa. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the Canadiens will benefit from playing at home, where they’ve struggled this season. Montreal’s 5- 5-1 record at the Bell Centre, incredibly, is the worst in the division.

How do you like him so far? When veteran forward Corey Perry signed a one-year contract with Montreal, the bar was set low, as evidenced by the US$750,000 deal he merited. He was expected to be nothing more than a depth player and started the season on the taxi squad. But Perry has played in each of the last 12 games. His combination of size, ability to go to the front of the net, experience and savvy have been invaluable. Perry assisted on Tyler Toffoli’s tying goal Wednesday against the Jets with 1:25 remaining in the third period and he has produced five goals despite playing limited minutes on the fourth line. Only three Canadiens forwards have more goals — Toffoli (18), along with Brendan Gallagher and Josh Anderson (11 each).

The opposition: Thatcher Demko’s hot play has carried the Canucks back into the playoff race. Vancouver is on a 7-2 run, and a big reason is the play of goaltender Demko. In his first season as an NHL starter, he has a 7-1 record this month along with a .951 save percentage. He made 44 saves on Monday against the Senators and, while facing a more modest 32 shots Wednesday, that included a breakaway stop on Brady Tkachuk with 12 seconds remaining in overtime. Demko then stopped all four Ottawa shooters he faced in the shootout before Adam Gaudette scored the first shootout goal of his career.

This and that: The Canadiens will be without defenceman Ben Chiarot for at least six weeks with a fractured hand. … Vancouver lost winger Tanner Pearson on Wednesday, apparently with an ankle injury. … The Canucks claimed forward Jimmy Vesey on waivers this week from Toronto, but he didn’t dress Wednesday after the team was unable to update his work visa in time. … In both games at Ottawa, the Canucks squandered 2-0 leads against a last-place team. The Canadiens, conversely, erased deficits of 2-0 and 3-1 against the Jets in their last game. … Had the Canadiens won just half of the eight games they’ve lost in overtime or shootouts, they’d be tied for second with Edmonton and Winnipeg. Instead, the Canucks and Calgary are breathing down their necks.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206110 Montreal Canadiens 3:22 is Byron, followed closely by Suzuki at 3:20 and Jonathan Drouin at 3:10.

Byron has started two of the four overtimes under Ducharme, Danault Basu and Godin: Canadiens should embrace OT chaos, Phillip Danault’s has started three, Kotkaniemi two and Joel Armia one. Petry has started premonition and more every one and seven of the eight the Canadiens have played this season. Suzuki, Josh Anderson, Tyler Toffoli, Brendan Gallagher, Tomas Tatar and Drouin — six of the top seven point scorers on the Canadiens — have not started overtime once under Ducharme. By Arpon Basu and Marc Antoine Godin Mar 19, 2021 The data would suggest that more often than not, overtime is not decided

by the team that wins the opening faceoff but by the team that has its Overtime hockey is not hockey. best players on the ice as often as possible.

The amount of space on the ice, the lack of puck pressure — everything The Canadiens’ top three goal scorers among forwards are Anderson, about playing three-on-three is different from hockey in so many Toffoli and Gallagher; between them, they have scored 40 of the fundamental ways. Canadiens’ 93 goals this season, or 43 percent. And yet, Anderson (2:36) is seventh on the team in overtime ice time under Ducharme, The one way it is the same is that skill wins out in the end. It is not a Toffoli is eighth (2:11) and Gallagher is 10th (1:25). tactical game. It is a skill game. Coaches have little influence on the outcome, ultimately, other than the players they decide to put on the ice. This is madness. Stop overthinking it. Overtime is not hockey. Forget the Once that happens, it is in the players’ hands. opening faceoff. It’s not that important. Put your best players on the ice.

This fundamental truth about overtime hockey seems to be something Danault’s role is just what he feared it would be Dominique Ducharme refuses to accept. And before him, Claude Julien Danault has been subject to criticism this season, but more than that, seemed unable to accept it, as well. he’s subjected himself to a ton of undue pressure based on his The Canadiens have reached overtime in eight of their 29 games this circumstances. season — a whopping 27.6 percent — and they have yet to score an He was worried about his role changing too drastically, and though he overtime goal or win in the shootout. They have lost all eight of those would never admit it, that happening in a contract year only added to that games, and it is impossible not to get the impression it is because the concern. He wanted to build off what he had created with Tomas Tatar Canadiens are overthinking something that doesn’t require that much and Brendan Gallagher over the past two seasons, and that simply hasn’t thought. happened. “I think we attacked at the right time, we got a good chance,” Ducharme Which is what made it interesting to hear from Danault at exactly the said after the Canadiens lost in overtime on Wednesday in Winnipeg, midseason mark Tuesday, speaking not long after Marc Bergevin, the when Phillip Danault, Paul Byron and Jeff Petry started the overtime. “We man who will ultimately decide whether the Canadiens will try to bring got the puck back and I think it was there that we panicked a bit. We him back for next season. should have maintained control. We had them where we wanted them. It had been almost a minute that they were on the ice. We were starting to Danault was asked how he would evaluate the first half of his season, make a change. I think the mental side, there’s a bit of panic once the considering what an important year it was for his career. His answer was play sets in. Just needed a bit more patience.” fascinating.

We had them where we wanted them? Seriously? “I would say every year is important for my career, always,” Danault said, with a sly grin. Look at the list of players in the NHL who have scored overtime goals this season. Do you see many “two-way” forwards on there? Players on It was almost an acknowledgment that he wasn’t being 100 percent the fourth line? Not a whole lot, right? sincere.

The problem, it seems, at least with Ducharme, is that his focus is on “No matter whether it’s a contract year or not, it will always be extremely countering, on winning that initial faceoff with Danault, getting a quick important to me,” he continued, his face more serious now. “No doubt, I change and coming at the opponent with three of his best forwards. But would love to chip in even more. I’m never satisfied with my own only after winning that initial faceoff. performance. I think I’ve been solid defensively, but honestly, in my game, I create chances game after game. Danault has started three of the four overtimes the Canadiens have played under Ducharme, and he won the initial faceoff once. In eight “Last year I would tell you I created as many chances but maybe we got overtime periods this season, the Canadiens have won the opening a few more bounces and a few more offensive situations too, offensive faceoff twice. And guess what? Winning the opening faceoff did not make zone faceoffs. Right now, 95 percent of the time I start in my zone.” a difference. The Canadiens lost anyway. OK. Lots to unpack there. Through the first 68 games that ended in overtime in the NHL this season, the average length of time that passed before a goal was scored First off, last season, with Danault on the ice at five-on-five, the was 2:31. There were 13 out of those 68 games that ended in the first Canadiens were credited with 2.98 expected goals for per 60 minutes of minute — two of them involved the Canadiens — which means that in 55 ice time, according to Natural Stat Trick. This season, that number is of those overtime periods, or 80.8 percent of them, the game was slightly down, to 2.82, but the big difference is last season Danault was decided well after the opening faceoff was a factor. Even if you were to third on the Canadiens with that number, and this season he is ninth. But say the opening faceoff somehow had an impact in the second minute of his basic premise that he is creating as many chances as before is not overtime, another 17 overtime games have ended then, which still leaves far off the mark. 38 of the 68 having lasted more than two minutes. The bigger part came at the end, with Danault saying that 95 percent of Any team would want to start the overtime period with possession of the the time he is starting in his zone. That is obviously an exaggeration, but puck, but when that desire cripples your personnel decisions — when it is nonetheless interesting to note how much this has changed since you place an overblown level of importance on that somewhat random Ducharme took over as coach. This season under Julien, Danault started event that begins the period — then you have a problem. Danault has 44.12 percent of his five-on-five shifts in the offensive zone, which was won 50.5 percent of his faceoffs this season. Jesperi Kotkaniemi is at third lowest on the team behind his linemate Tatar and Jake Evans. 50.4 percent and Nick Suzuki is at 44.8 percent. So, based on those Since Ducharme took over, Danault is down to 31.33 percent, the lowest numbers, out of 100 overtime periods, the difference between Danault mark on the team by a considerable margin (Tatar is next at 36.54). and Suzuki would be starting with the puck five more times. The Back in the offseason, this was the one thing Danault made clear he did difference between Danault and Kotkaniemi would be essentially nil. not want, to be seen strictly as a defensive player. It is exactly what he The Canadiens have played exactly 11:00 in overtime since Ducharme has become under Ducharme. But this is what makes how Danault has took over as coach, and Petry leads the team in ice time with 6:47 over performed as of late so admirable. He is playing his best hockey of the that span, well over half. No problem there. But the leading forward at season, largely because he has left those things that were handcuffing Bergevin, on the other hand, has shown a willingness in the past to give him mentally behind and is simply playing hockey. up those picks to improve his team when it’s competitive. So it wouldn’t be a matter of principle in his case. It is more so the salary-cap It comes at a perfect time for the Canadiens, because no matter his role, constraints that will hamper his ability to add a rental this season. At Danault is an important player for them. They need him, and if he can least, that’s what he said Tuesday. keep it up over the second half of the season — if he can stop thinking so much — they have a much better chance of meeting the high “The problem when you’re at the salary cap is you have no flexibility,” he expectations that have been placed upon them. said. “By trading away picks or prospects, you’re taking on cap hits and you’re not losing any. So it’s going to be impossible to do that.” Bergevin’s North Division colleagues prepare for the deadline It’s interesting to note that Treliving did not mention salary-cap General managers around the NHL have been holding their midseason constraints in expressing his hesitation to move before the deadline. Per media briefings, which essentially turned into trade deadline briefings CapFriendly, Calgary’s cap situation is almost identical to the because of the way the schedule works this season. Canadiens’. Treliving also said that a traditional hockey trade is So, we decided to listen in on the GMs of the Edmonton Oilers, Winnipeg something that is more geared to the offseason, an opinion that is not Jets and Calgary Flames, the Canadiens’ three primary playoff shared by all his colleagues this year. competitors, since their decisions to be active and improve before the “If you can find that deal that you like, and it fits, then I think you just do it deadline will have a direct impact on the Canadiens. whenever,” Cheveldayoff said.

In doing so, it was easy to see which teams plan on being more “There’s lots of guys that are talking, ‘I need money in and money out,’ so aggressive and which, like the Canadiens, were sounding more cautious if you have an opportunity to make that kind of trade where it’s cap ahead of the April 12 deadline. neutral or something like that, those are things that are being discussed “If I do do something at the deadline, it won’t be for depth. We’ve got as well,” he later added. depth,” said Oilers GM , who is just as capped out as the What the three general managers are saying is a proper reflection of Canadiens right now. “It would be to try to bring in a player that’s going to where their teams are in the standings. The Oilers and Jets are battling have a bigger impact on the team.” for second in the North Division and seem more open to doing something The Oilers are one of many teams this season that are using long-term significant to improve their teams. The Flames, for now at least, are injured reserve (LTIR) for cap relief. Defenceman Oscar Klefbom was hesitant because they are not in a playoff spot and must catch the placed on LTIR on the first day of the season, which shapes what the Canadiens. Oilers can do at the deadline. Bergevin, therefore, should not be idle because he should be motivated “When you go into long-term injury, it in effect sets your cap that day, and to not only improve his team’s chances in the playoffs but also fend off then we don’t accrue any space,” Holland said. “So we are dollar in, the Flames so his team can even make the playoffs. dollar out from the first day of the season until the last day of the Caufield: No reason to wait, flat cap or not season.” NHL commissioner Gary Bettman warned the salary cap should remain The Canadiens have thus far chosen not to place Ben Chiarot on LTIR, flat for the next four years. In that context, knowing he will likely have his not only because he is expected to return before the end of the season, hands tied from a cap perspective for a while, should Bergevin try to but also because they want to continue accruing cap space by shuttling delay Cole Caufield’s jump to the professional ranks for a year so that he players back and forth to the taxi squad as long as possible. also delays the start of his entry-level contract?

“Is it going to be difficult to do a deal? Much, much more difficult than in That might seem logical, in theory, but in practical terms, it doesn’t really the past,” Holland said, echoing what many of his colleagues around the work. The precedent in these cases is firmly established with college league have said. players: They finish their season in the NCAA, and they make the jump to The Oilers GM anticipates many of the trades ahead of the deadline will the pros that same year, burning a year off their entry-level by playing a again involve players who have size and playoff experience. Bergevin, game or two. who clearly built his team with the playoffs in mind by adding both size The Canadiens did it for Ryan Poehling, so how could they justify not and playoff experience in the offseason, might consider that he’s already doing it for Caufield? Good luck explaining that to Pat Brisson. done the work he would otherwise look to do before the deadline. But that line of thinking would ignore somewhat what the Canadiens have Considering the season Caufield is having with the Wisconsin Badgers, shown him so far this season. one when he is the clubhouse leader to win the Hobey Baker as the NCAA player of the year, it would be fair to have some doubts as to Like Bergevin, Flames GM Brad Treliving is not giving the impression he whether he would be willing to sign an AHL contract right now. will be overly aggressive at the deadline. He told our colleague Hailey Salvian that the mandatory 14-day quarantine should encourage This is especially true this year because of how much later the NHL Canadian teams to move early, but the uncertainty of his team in the season ends coupled with the possibility the Badgers season might end standings makes decisions more difficult to make that far in advance. soon (by losing in the Big Ten final to Minnesota, Wisconsin will be a lower seed in the NCAA Tournament). “The good news is, we don’t have to wait long between games,” Treliving said. “There’s lots of games happening. And so your position can change “If you burn a year for 23 or 24 games, compared to one or two games, almost on a weekly basis significantly, especially in today’s format, where that’s a big difference because at least you can evaluate him,” Bergevin everybody you’re chasing and those that are chasing you, you’re playing said. “So it’s not the end of the world.” them all the time.” If Bergevin makes that evaluation and considers Caufield will be able to What’s become clear is that the quarantine won’t stop Jets GM Kevin survive at five-on-five — he mentioned Tuesday how much Caufield’s Cheveldayoff, who already showed he’s willing to wait through it when he game away from the puck improved this season — nothing should stop acquired Pierre-Luc Dubois, but also because if he needed to wait 14 him from giving him a tryout with the Canadiens and making Caufield his days for a new acquisition to be available, he has players waiting in the primary deadline acquisition. Especially since at $925,000, the cap hit wings to bridge the gap like forward Jansen Harkins and defenceman would not be an issue here. Ville Heinola. The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 According to Treliving, the trade deadline this year will be more favourable to acquiring rentals than usual since the salary cap will remain flat for years and there is an expansion draft looming around the corner. A rental player, he noted, has no impact on either of those fronts. That doesn’t mean Treliving is in love with rental trades.

“I’m not a big fan of giving up second-round picks and first-round picks for somebody that could be with you for a short period of time,” he said. 1206111 Nashville Predators could immediately contribute. Perhaps that would put the Canadiens over the top in the Ekholm sweepstakes.

Vingan’s thoughts: You had Poile at “Northeastern.” The 1971 graduate If the Predators trade Mattias Ekholm, which team would provide the best has plenty of school pride and is not shy about acquiring fellow Huskies. return? The Canadiens have an excellent farm system. Harris and Struble have a lot of potential, as does swift-skating Swedish defenseman Mattias Norlinder. Tuch, the brother of Vegas Golden Knights forward Alex Tuch, By Adam Vingan Mar 19, 2021 was an unanimous selection to the all-rookie team this month.

The inclusion of Lehkonen, 25, for cap purposes is interesting. He has a By now, you probably have heard Mattias Ekholm’s name mentioned reputation for being a strong defensive forward, but interim Canadiens once or twice in trade rumors. (Hell, even he is aware of the situation.) coach Dominique Ducharme has been scratching him. What about The veteran Predators defenseman, according to Sportnet’s Elliotte defenseman Victor Mete? The 22-year-old, who has 178 games of NHL Friedman, “is the belle of the trading ball.” It seems like a foregone experience, has been in and out of the Canadiens’ lineup, but Ekholm’s conclusion that Ekholm will be traded by the April 12 deadline. departure would create an opening for him here.

A bidding war for Ekholm’s services appears to be developing. It is Lehkonen, Mete, one of the aforementioned prospects and a first-round believed that the Predators are seeking a return package similar to the pick would be a considerable haul. One issue, though, is that pending one that the Los Angeles Kings received for defenseman Jake Muzzin in restricted free agents Lehkonen and Mete are eligible for the Seattle January 2019 — a first-round pick and two quality prospects. expansion draft. (Defenseman Sean Durzi and forward Carl Grundstrom, who went from Artturi Lehkonen (Jean-Yves Ahern/USA Today) the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Kings in the deal, were second-round picks.) Philadelphia Flyers

Teams that have been connected to Ekholm include the Boston Bruins, Charlie O’Connor’s proposal: 2021 first-round pick, forward Jay O’Brien Montreal Canadiens, Philadelphia Flyers and Winnipeg Jets. The and defenseman Egor Zamula reporters who cover those teams for The Athletic submitted realistic trade proposals, which I evaluated. O’Connor’s rationale: The Flyers understand that if they want to acquire a player of Ekholm’s quality, they’re going to have to relinquish a first-round Boston Bruins pick. I do not envision that holding up a potential deal, as long as GM Chuck Fletcher believes that this team is worthy of the investment. Fluto Shinzawa’s proposal: 2021 first-round pick, center John Beecher and defenseman Urho Vaakanainen If Fletcher does decide that the Flyers are playing well enough to justify a big move, then I suspect the negotiations will come down to prospects. I Shinzawa’s rationale: The pick could be in the teens if the Bruins miss do not see the Flyers including 2019 first-round defenseman Cam York, the playoffs. but maybe they would cave on Zamula. Add Ekholm to a defensive corps The 22-year-old Vaakanainen, who has averaged 18:38 of ice time in that already includes , Travis Sanheim, Philippe Myers and eight games this season and does not require expansion protection, is maybe York in the near future, and suddenly Zamula might not be in the developing into a defensive NHL defenseman with an emphasis on stick long-term plans. positioning and hockey sense. At 6-foot-1 and 185 pounds, Vaakanainen O’Brien was drafted by the previous regime and has rehabilitated his is not physical. stock to a degree after a strong season at BU. He comes with first-round Beecher, listed at 6-3 and 209 pounds, is a left-shot center with size and cache (No. 19 in 2018) and real upside. A Zamula/O’Brien package speed. The 2019 first-rounder is a sophomore at Michigan, where he has would make it clear that the Flyers are for real in negotiations. four goals and eight points in 16 games. He projects to be a second- or Vingan’s thoughts: The 6-3, left-handed Zamula, 20, projects as a third-line center. second-pairing defenseman, according to Wheeler. O’Brien, 21, is a solid Vingan’s thoughts: The Bruins’ prospect pool is the worst in the NHL, prospect, but the Predators might try to aim higher. according to The Athletic’s Scott Wheeler. Beecher is the team’s No. 2 As O’Connor recently wrote, “If you want to shop at the top of the market, prospect. Vaakanainen is No. 7. sometimes you have to give up high-quality prospects.” Ekholm is the In this case, roster players might have to be involved. Forward Jake most sought-after player on that market, so the Flyers would have to be DeBrusk, 24, scored 27 goals two seasons ago, but he could need a open to the idea of trading top forward prospects such as Morgan Frost, change of scenery. DeBrusk, who scored his first NHL goal against the 21, or Tyson Foerster, 19. Among B-level prospects, 18-year-old forward Predators, has a $3.675 million cap hit through 2022, when he will be a Zayde Wisdom, who leads the with 10 points in restricted free agent with arbitration rights. 12 games, is enticing.

“Ekholm for DeBrusk would be a great deal for the Bruins,” a league Jay O’Brien (Jerome Miron/USA Today) executive told The Athletic’s Craig Custance. “And I’d rather have Winnipeg Jets DeBrusk than a late first-round pick.” Murat Ates’ proposal: 2021 first-round pick, defensemen Sami Niku and Montreal Canadiens Leon Gawanke Marc Antoine Godin’s proposal: 2021 first-round pick, forwards Artturi Ates’ rationale: Niku, 24, was the AHL’s defenseman of the year in 2018 Lehkonen and Luke Tuch and defenseman Jayden Struble after posting 54 points in 76 games. He tends to tear it up in the minor Godin’s rationale: Canadiens general manager Marc Bergevin would leagues, but he has appeared in just six games this season for the have to be prepared to part with his first-round pick and two prospects veteran-laden Jets. Niku had 14 points in 18 games for the Manitoba equivalent to Durzi and Grundstrom. Would second-round picks Struble, Moose last season, but he played fewer NHL games than Anthony Bitetto a sophomore at Northeastern, and Tuch, a freshman at Boston University and Luca Sbisa. Go figure. who spent two years in the USA Hockey National Team Development Although Gawanke, 21, is not as well known or quick on his skates as Program, do the trick? Would Bergevin have to offer defenseman Jordan Niku, he was Manitoba’s power-play quarterback last season, producing Harris, also at Northeastern, instead of Struble? 26 points in 48 games. Gawanke is an elite minor-league distributor at a The Predators will get a ton of offers on Ekholm, so adding Lehkonen, young age. who has a $2.4 million cap hit, to the trade is vital. The Canadiens would The first-round pick is a given. need to add him to make the money work, but he would not simply be a salary dump. Bergevin would have to hope that Predators GM David Vingan’s thoughts: Niku is an intriguing prospect, but the Jets have other Poile would consider Lehkonen a useful player under team control who promising players who could be more appealing to the Predators. Top defensive prospects Ville Heinola, 20, and Dylan Samberg, 22, should be on top of the Predators’ wish list.

Gargantuan 22-year-old defenseman , who is listed at 6-7 and 228 pounds, could also be worth considering. Stanley is raw, but he is an intimidating presence who could eventually replace some of what would be lost by trading Ekholm.

Another option is 21-year-old forward Kristian Vesalainen, who had 30 points in 60 AHL games last season. He could develop into a middle-six winger at the NHL level.

A package of Stanley, Vesalainen and a first-round pick would be a Muzzin-like return for Ekholm.

Verdict

Godin’s and O’Connor’s proposals come closest to meeting the Predators’ needs. The Canadiens and Flyers have deep organizational depth.

It came down to Lehkonen, who, according to The Athletic’s Arpon Basu, “is a highly useful forward who can kill penalties at an elite level and brings a ton of speed and energy to the lineup.”

Montreal’s Lehkonen is young enough to factor into the Predators’ long- term plans and help them now. Throw in either Harris or Struble and Tuch with that first-round pick, and you have yourself a deal.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206112 New Jersey Devils go on Thursday. The fact he was on the ice at all on Thursday is a sign he’s dealing with a short-term issue.

Bastian left Thursday’s game after one shift in the second period, where Devils’ Scott Wedgewood’s odd season keeps getting weirder | 5 he took a hard hit and appeared shaken up as he skated to the bench observations from win over Penguins and down the tunnel. Ruff didn’t have any further information on his status.

Outside of Nico Hischier’s leg and head injuries, the Devils have been Updated Mar 19, 2021; Posted Mar 19, 2021 relatively healthy this season. Entering Thursday, they had only 23 man- games lost this season. Now they’re dealing with a handful of injured By Chris Ryan players.

Andreas Johnsson, Nikita Gusev show some signs of life The Devils finally met the Pittsburgh Penguins for the first time this The Devils need Andreas Johnsson and Nikita Gusev to get going. Both season on Thursday, when they earned a 3-2 regulation victory at have struggled to produce, and they’ve been stuck toward the bottom of Prudential Center in Newark. the lineup — or in Gusev’s case, as an occasional healthy scratch — in Jack Hughes, P.K. Subban and Travis Zajac all scored to give the Devils recent weeks. a 3-0 lead, and Scott Wedgewood finished with 40 saves after Mackenzie Thursday was a step in the right direction. Blackwood was a late scratch due to an injury suffered in warmups. While lines were constantly shuffled as the Devils played with 11 Here are some takeaways from the first of eight meetings with the forwards following Bastian’s injury, the two had some noticeable impact Penguins this season. on the offensive end. Wedgewood’s start was yet another curveball in his odd season Gusev in particular looked sharp. He skated free down the middle of the In what has already an odd season across the NHL by every standard, ice toward the net on two separate rushes with the puck on the outside, Wedgewood’s season has been even weirder. but it never got to him either attack.

He signed with the Devils during the offseason to serve as the team’s “I liked both their games. I know that the the bigger bodies have given us third-string goalie. ’s retirement during training camp some puck possession and make us hard to play against,” Ruff said. “I immediately pushed him into the backup role. think they both have to use what their biggest tool is, and along with using their biggest tool, you’ve got to compete at a high level, and I think His first start came unexpectedly when Blackwood went on the COVID- their compete has gotten better.” 19 list prior to the Devils’ fourth game. After having an unclear path to playing time just a couple weeks earlier, Wedgewood started five straight Jack Hughes gets a chance in a new spot games. Trailing by two goals in the closing minutes, the Penguins pulled goalie He then went more than a month without playing a game between the Tristan Jarry for a last-ditch effort to tie the game. When opponents skate team’s COVID-19 pause and the arrival of Aaron Dell. When he got 6-on-5 against the Devils, that’s traditionally Zajac’s time to shine. The another shot last week, he posted a shutout against the Boston Bruins team’s best defensive center typically takes those shifts. and was rewarded with another start. While Zajac did get some ice time at 5-on-6 late in the game, so did Less than 30 minutes before Thursday’s game, he got his latest Hughes. curveball, with Blackwood deemed unable to play. Hughes was on the ice for nearly two minutes after the Penguins pulled “Any given night could be a goalie pull or a potential injury, and this is Jarry. Three icings played a role in that long shift, but Ruff wanted to give kind of the way the league goes and the way life kind of is for us,” Hughes a chance to play in a key defensive situation, even if it meant Wedgewood said. “But I got into my normal after warmup routine, got matching up with and the Penguins’ top offensive players. some food in me, got my drinks that I wouldn’t have prepared if I was “That’s part of his growth,” Ruff said. “So a little bit of reward. I thought he backing up and then got out there.” was digging in and when I see a player digging in and in shot lanes and In warmups, backups typically don’t get much action. The starting goalie wanting to defend — because you know you have to defend — you’ll find gets the vast majority of the reps to prepare for the game. After them on the ice usually.” Blackwood left the ice, Wedgewood said he saw maybe 10 shots, and Hughes led the way offensively on Thursday, too, scoring the Devils’ when he got back to the locker room, he got the nod saying he was opening goal and picking up an assist on Subban’s power-play goal. starting. After the Devils snapped an 11-game home losing streak on Tuesday, Wedgewood is now 3-3-3 in his nine starts this season, where he’s they’ve now notched back-to-back home regulation wins. The Devils will posted a 2.52 GAA and .920 save percentage. The Devils signed hit the midpoint of the season with Saturday’s rematch against the Crawford in the offseason to be a reliable backup for Blackwood this Penguins, and Hughes said they want to continue establishing a home- season, and after he was thrown into that role, Wedgewood has provided ice advantage. just that. “Every point we got and every win we get this huge, especially those “You got to give him a lot of credit, because it’s one thing to go in a game regulation wins,” Hughes said. “That was a big one for us tonight and we where the main goalie has played three or four and you know you’re were in a horrendous stretch at home, so it’s nice to be able to piece two going in,” head coach Lindy Ruff said. “But to be ready and be called wins together at home and hopefully we can get another one on Saturday upon when you’re not the starter and you basically have 15 minutes to to finish the homes stand.” prepare yourself mentally and give your team a good game, he gave us a real good game.” Mikhail Maltsev keeps showing he belongs

Injury updates on Blackwood, Bastian, Zacha Based on the Devils’ roster construction entering training camp, several rookies were going to get chances in NHL roles this season. Some of the Ruff didn’t have any substantial injury updates yet on Blackwood, Pavel potential names were obvious, like Ty Smith or Michael McLeod. Zacha or Nathan Bastian. Mikhail Maltsev wasn’t among the initial rookies to make the team out of He did say Blackwood had an upper body injury, and while it was camp, but he’s gotten his chance as the season progressed, and he something that he aggravated in warmups, Ruff said it might have doesn’t look like someone who will be giving up his spot in the lineup stemmed from something he was already dealing with prior to then. anytime soon. Zacha briefly participated in Thursday’s morning skate but was unable to Maltsev led the Devils with six shots on Thursday. He played 16:37, and finish, so he was held out of the lineup. He suffered his injury when he he won seven of his 14 face-offs. took a slash during Tuesday’s win over the Buffalo Sabres. Zacha returned to that game after a temporary absence, but he wasn’t able to Ruff has given his rookies various chances up and down the lineup over the course of the season, and now that Maltsev has played in every game since Feb. 28, he clearly has the trust of his coach.

“There was a lot to like about his game, his puck protection,” Ruff said. “And the fact that they were around the net and got that number shots is a good thing. I’d like to see more of our lines get involved the way (Maltsev’s) did.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206113 New Jersey Devils minutes. Not bad for a 22-year old without an NHL point before this season.

Ty Smith: B+ Grading the NJ Devils players as they reach the midseason mark Smith started off white hot in January with a point in his first five career games. He pushed himself toward the front of the line in the race for the Calder Trophy as the league's rookie of the year, but things have cooled Robert Aitken Jr. off. Nobody expected Smith's pace to remain that high, but what has increased is the team's reliance upon him. Smith's continued Sean Farrell development in the second half will be a big storyline for the Devils.

Nate Bastian: B The Devils reach the halfway point of their schedule this weekend, a We will see how serious Bastian's injury ends up, but this would be a big schedule that was shortened due to the pandemic and halted because of blow to the team if it ends up being serious. Bastian was the unheralded a COVID outbreak. part of the energetic fourth line that included Wood and Michael McLeod They remain near the bottom of the East Division standings, but have earlier this season. He leads the team in hits and uses his physical play shown flashes of effectiveness among some of the league's best. to add another element to the Devils. His plus-3 rating makes him versatile enough to fit in well with any line. Here are grades on the performances of each impact player, as well as coach Lindy Ruff and the special teams, through the first 27 games. Dmitry Kulikov: B

Players that have only appeared in a handful of games received grades Kulikov ranks second on the team in Corsi, a stat that measures shot of Incomplete, including Nick Merkley and the injured Nico Hischier.: attempt differential while at even strength. For a contract of $1.15 million, it was a solid signing for GM Tom Fitzgerald in the offseason. Kulikov has Scott Wedgewood: A shown enough to deserve a contract similar to the three-year, nearly $13 million deal he earned from Winnipeg a few years ago. His play in the Wedgewood has been a bright spot in net for the Devils when they have second half could drive the price higher for the 30-year old in free needed a boost. He was not even expected on the roster in training agency. camp, but Corey Crawford's retirement and Mackenzie Blackwood's placement in COVID protocol gave Wedgewood a chance to shine. A 3- Jesper Bratt: B- 3-3 record doesn't tell the story of Wedgewood's role, especially after nearly a three-year wait from his last start. The only two shutouts for Not signing a contract until January made things difficult for Bratt to get Devils goalies this season belong to the 28-year old. started. The COVID shutdown didn't help matters either. He has 11 assists in 21 games in an attempt to make up for lost time. Bratt has also WEDGEWOOD:As the Devils give Scott Wedgewood another start in been capable of getting more physical as the season has moved on. The goal, will this trend continue? scoring that has been there in past years won't be there, but Bratt is finding other ways to be productive in 2021. Damon Severson: A- Yegor Sharangovich: B- Severson was awarded an 'A' on his jersey this season and continues to handle a lot of ice time, even as the time between games decreases. He Sharangovich shined in training camp and gave the Devils a thrilling is the skater most frequently on the ice, passing 600 total minutes victory with an overtime winner in January for his first NHL goal. The rest Thursday night. If you're a fan of analytics, Severson scores among the of the league is taking notice of Sharangovich, who seems to be growing best on the team in goals allowed per 60 minutes. The minus-4 in plus- into an important part of the Devils' offensive efforts. His speed and minus sounds bad, but quite good considering how heavily he's been scoring ability makes him someone you must account for on the ice. relied upon. Travis Zajac: B- Miles Wood: A- Zajac had a hard start to the season, and that continued when COVID Wood has entered a new phase in his career, and at age 25, there's still protocol delayed his 1,000th career game for the Devils for a month. The plenty of time for him to grow. He led a productive fourth line that gave a Devils are clearly rebuilding with young stars, and the 35-year old Zajac lot of energy at times. Wood has been moved around and is productive is one of the few to withstand the overhaul. His game recently has been wherever. Wood has three of the team's 11 power play goals, one of the boosted by the youth surrounding him, and you have to wonder if this lowest totals for a team this season. On a team with three alternate stretch makes him more valuable to teams needing a veteran boost captains already, Wood might as well be considered to have an invisible before the deadline. 'A' on his jersey. Mikhail Maltsev - C+ Pavel Zacha: A- Maltsev made his NHL debut in January in the last game before the You hope the recent injury isn't severe, because Zacha is on pace to set COVID shutdown. He has scored four goals since the team has returned a new career high in points with a team-leading 17 in 26 games played. A to the ice and has carved out a comfortable spot on the fourth line 10-game points streak that started before the COVID shutdown and alongside Gusev and Bastian. It'll be intriguing to see how much more lasted through the month of February fueled the Devils offense, Maltsev can develop and how much more responsibility he's going to sometimes singlehandedly. Zacha is also the leader on the team in earn in the second half. faceoff wins, but his possession of the puck is the lone knock on his season. Mike McLeod: C+

Jack Hughes: B+ McLeod has already played more minutes this season than in either of his first two seasons with the Devils. McLeod has become sort of Hughes has taken a huge step forward in his second season. The Devils forgotten with other young Devils taking their strides this season, but have relied upon him to drive the top line in some tough matchups in the McLeod will have taken some of the largest steps on the team. He is East Division. The thing that is keeping Hughes out of the A area is his being trusted more on faceoffs, and his improvement there will lead to struggles with faceoffs. That has limited the effectiveness of the 19-year more opportunity for the 22-year old. old, especially in the defensive zone. It will be the biggest aspect of his game to work on as the season moves on. Kyle Palmieri: C+

Janne Kuokkanen: B+ Palmieri has just felt snakebitten all season long and you'd hope that it would end up evening itself out. He was expected to be a scoring leader, Kuokkanen embodies the spirit of this team as a young player getting a particularly on the power play. Palmieri has just four goals on the season chance to grow and taking advantage of his opportunity. He has been and none have come with a man advantage. The name of this fan one of the hottest players on the team recently and has five goals and favorite will come up frequently between now and the April 12 trade seven assists through 22 games. Take away the limited play by Nick deadline. Merkley, and Kuokkanen leads the Devils in even-strength points per 60 P.K. Subban: C Taking a penalty and allowing a goal right after has been the calling card of deflating Devils losses. It has gotten much better with just two power Subban has been among the most scrutinized players, but his season play goals allowed in the last 21 opportunities by opponents. That still really isn't as terrible as you'd believe. He leads the team in blocks, and leads to a penalty kill percentage just over 70 percent, among the three only Ty Smith has a higher amount of point shares among skaters on the worst in the league. The Devils have now allowed 24 goals when down a team. The $9 million price tag sticks out on this team and the number of man despite the opportunities being fewer than the league average. goals allowed while on the ice is a concern. Subban will be seen as a failure for this season, and the superstar is tough enough on himself that Bergen Record LOADED: 03.20.2021 he'd agree.

Matt Tennyson: C

Tennyson only has 10 games played through Thursday, so he almost deserves an incomplete grade for his shuffling back and forth from the taxi squad and Binghamton. He has not been afraid to be physical in his limited playing time with five blocks and 17 hits. There's a logjam of defensemen, but Tennyson has shown himself to be somewhat explosive when given chances this season.

MacKenzie Blackwood: C-

Blackwood's season has basically been three seasons in one. He started among the best goalies in the league in his first few starts. But Blackwood entering COVID protocol was a turning point for the team. He admitted it took him some time to get back to his normal self. Blackwood is still not where he was back in January, but he's climbing back into old form. Don't give up on the 24-year old just yet.

Ryan Murray: D+

Murray came over from Columbus in an offseason trade, and the former second overall pick has been unspectacular. There was hope that he could create a top-tier defensive unit with Subban and Severson, but Murray has been relegated to third-line duty. There's not really one statistic that shows Murray's struggles, but there's also nothing that jumps off the page.

Andreas Johnnson: D

Johnsson was a big offseason acquisition that would provide a boost to the offense. With just seven total points, the experiment hasn't worked. The three-goal comeback in Washington back on March 9 was a defining game to show the team's unwavering spirit. Johnnson did not play during the comeback at all. He has only passed 20 shifts in a game once since March 7, which shows that the team's confidence in him is still not too strong.

Nikita Gusev: D-

There's no sugarcoating it. Gusev being a healthy scratch at times while on a $4.5 million salary (third-most on the team) says it all. Gusev's -12 plus-minus rating is the worst on the team. Gusev makes up more than five percent of the team's cap space and he has a partial no-trade clause. Has Gusev played his last game for the Devils already, or will things change between now and the deadline?

Sami Vatanen: D-

Fans were excited when Vatanen returned in January on a $2 million deal, but it has been tough sledding for the 29-year old. He has just three points to his name this year, though his numbers in a small sample size haven't been far off from past seasons. The real reason for his low grade has been for the huge disparity in shots allowed while he is on the ice.

Coach Lindy Ruff: A-

Ruff has been the veteran presence on the bench this Devils team has needed. The second youngest team in the NHL entering the season, inconvenient injuries and a COVID shutdown have forced one of the greatest coaches in league history to shuffle up lines and cycle players from Binghamton and the taxi squad just to get fresh legs on the ice. A tight schedule and a lack of practice time has been difficult, but Ruff has gotten a lot of heart from his players. He has every reason to make excuses, but refuses to do so.

Power Play: D-

The special teams has been a focus for Ruff and the Devils when the team is capable of actually practicing. The scoring ability for the team with a man advantage was pretty bad, but it has improved recently. The Devils have a power play goal in three straight games after a combined 0-for-22 across the previous eight games. This would have been an F even a week ago and a failing grade is far from out of reach.

Penalty Kill: F 1206114 New Jersey Devils announced in August 2020. That announcement also called for the hiring of a chief diversity and impact officer. In September, David Gould, who had been the executive director of the Sixers Youth Foundation, was hired. Behind the Devils’ Buy Black program: ‘What our company stands for’ Devils president Jake Reynolds said the role was created to push the organization forward both internally and externally when it came to diversity and inclusion. That was the ideal that Gould said he took to By Sean Shapiro Mar 19, 2021 heart with this post.

“It’s important to think about and ask, ‘What is the role of a professional A few months ago, Florence Dennis didn’t know the New Jersey Devils sports team and franchise in the fight against racial injustice?'” Gould even existed. Now her company, Flows Tasty Treats, is an official partner said. “We believe if that we are going to live and do our piece, it’s about with the NHL franchise through at least the end of the 2021-22 season. how do we bake that commitment into the DNA of our operations and how we work every day?” Dennis was in Ghana when she got an email about an application for the Devil’s Buy Black program, which the team introduced in January. Gould said that started internally for the franchise with hard conversations in the summer of 2020 after George Floyd’s death in May, “All I saw was Buy Black and since I was in Ghana the time difference when Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on Floyd’s kneck for was huge, so I stayed up all night to finish the application,” Dennis said. more than eight minutes during an arrest. Gould said he’s focused on “After that, I didn’t think much about it, until I got back to the U.S. a few education and conversations within the company while making sure that days later and had an email and they were saying they wanted to do an hiring processes for both the Devils and 76ers are reaching out to a more interview and I was a finalist. Once I got off the phone, that’s when I had diverse candidate pool. to Google the New Jersey Devils.” “We are also putting together programs on how do we build a more Flows Tasty Treats is a snack company that Dennis started in 2012. Her inclusive workplace,” Gould said. “And then we really want to make sure flagship product is a toasted corn and peanut mix snack — a traditional we are messaging this externally. Because we know if we are going to be snack in Ghana. Initially, she was able to sell the product in African a leader in attracting diverse talent to our industry and to our sport, we grocery stores in New Jersey with at-home production. She now rents a need to make sure that diverse talent knows we are a company that facility in Newark and has expanded distribution to a handful of values them and their experience. We need to be celebrating that and ShopRites in New Jersey and New York. not for patting on ourselves on the back, but so people know this is what our company stands for and we can be a leader in that way.” “2020 was a big year for us. We had huge growth in sales and suddenly we felt like we really had something,” Dennis said. “That’s the time I Gould and Reynolds said the Devils have focused on examining their really felt like the company was catching fire and was growing, and we partnerships in Newark and across the state, which is how the Buy Black really started engaging with more providers and that’s when I really could program was conceived. Reynolds said that the events of 2020 were an look and say, ‘This can be big.'” accelerant for sports franchises to jump into D&I endeavors like this, noting the importance of establishing long-term goals the organization Dennis’ goal is to introduce a snack fixture of Ghanaian culture to the can check itself against in the future. American market while donating part of her proceeds to educational efforts in Ghana. She said partnering with the Devils through the Buy “For us so much of this is understanding the impact that we can really Black program is an opportunity to grow her company even further. She have,” Reynolds said. “Like with the Buy Black program, how can we envisions a $1 million valuation someday. help drive their business and promote them in our community. And that’s going to give us a benchmark, and we are going to commit to this in the The partnership allows Dennis to work with the Devils’ marketing, long haul, can we quantify growth and impact for businesses we partner advertising, and legal departments for both advice and to exchange with. And then, on top of that, so much of this is going to be learning and ideas. The Devils are also providing in-game exposure, both in-person adjusting and finding the best way to continue impacts in our efforts so and on digital platforms, and the team’s graphics and marketing groups we are holding ourselves accountable.” are helping to create custom content for Flows Tasty Treats. The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 “What they are offering us is marketing value I could never pay for,” Dennis said. “The visibility they are giving us, it’s huge.”

The same thing is happening with Newark Paper Company, which was the other partner selected by the Devils from a pool of more than 100 applicants for the Buy Black program.

Newark Paper Company is a cooperative started in 2020. It’s an office supply and janitorial supply distribution company that has leaned heavily on providing local products and delivery, specifically with cleaning supplies and personal protective equipment during the pandemic.

“When coronavirus hit, we were about to open our doors,” co-owner Loyd Wilson said. “And when people were getting turned away or limited by big stores, that’s when Newark Paper Company stepped up. We knew we had the things people needed and could help keep them safe, so we were ready to step up.”

Like Dennis, Wilson found out about the Devils’ Buy Black program through an email and said working with the only pro sports team in Newark holds significant value.

“I’m real big on keeping your word. For all purposes, the Devils organization is a man of the word,” Wilson said. “They put out this big press release in the state’s largest city and didn’t just say things. They went out and were willing to actually do something, and with this partnership, I feel like I have a big brother. It’s like if I ran into the house crying, but my big brother is gonna come outside with me and have my back. So now I have more of a fighting chance against some of the bigger companies in our area of expertise.”

The Buy Black program is a key part of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment’s (the parent company of the Devils and Philadelphia 76ers) action plan and $20 million commitment to racial equity that it 1206115 New Jersey Devils summer? Is this going to be a reset for teams? When did the five, six, seven-year deals come into play, and are we now down to, ‘Hey, we love you, but the term is three to four years?’ I’m not saying that it is for this, but I just don’t know which way the league is actually going to go. Kyle Palmieri considering his options as trade deadline looms over extension talk with Devils “I don’t have a crystal ball, and Father Time comes for everyone differently. Those are all questions I have, and I think they’re legitimate questions.”

By Corey Masisak Mar 19, 2021 Before the pandemic, predicting Palmieri’s potential value on the open market was relatively simple. There are seven wings who are currently

29 or older and scored between 125-140 goals since 2015. Palmieri, with Certainty is a word that has defined Kyle Palmieri’s tenure with the New 132, is one of them. Jersey Devils. Four of the other six — Anders Lee, Evander Kane, Max Pacioretty and He’s been been a trusted player in all situations and one of the most James van Riemsdyk — have a contract with an average annual value of consistent goal scorers in the league during his five-plus seasons in New $7 million. The other two — T.J. Oshie and — signed Jersey. Coaches love Palmieri’s all-around effort and attention to detail. eight- and seven-year contracts at just below $6 million per year.

That’s part of the reason why everything that has happened this season, Bartlett cited two others, Chris Kreider (117 goals) and Brendan and what looms, has been a significant challenge for Palmieri. He hasn’t Gallagher (115), along with Kane and Pacioretty. Kreider signed for $6.5 been producing at the consistent level he’s accustomed to. And then million per season two weeks before the league shutdown last year. there’s the uncertainty that comes with being in the final year of his Gallagher signed for $6.5 million in October on an extension that kicks in contract, three weeks from the NHL trade deadline, and a player in high next season. demand. “If this were an arbitration case, it would be done,” Bartlett said. “I don’t “Obviously, it weighs on you a lot,” Palmieri said. “I think you do your best think that’s a surprise. I don’t think it would be a surprise to the Devils. to prepare yourself. I’m not a big social media guy. I try to stay off it as They’re very bright guys and look at the same things we do. much as possible. But I think when you are uncertain about your future, “I think it’s more of a decision for them of, ‘Do we want to do this?’ Has and you’ve spent a long time and have been happy to be here and proud the market terribly shifted since COVID? I think Gallagher was the first to be here, the uncertainty definitely weighs on you a little bit. I went into post-apocalyptic deal, so I don’t think so. Jordan Binnington’s deal — (six the season and knew those kinds of challenges were going to exist and years, $36 million, signed last week) — I don’t think it’s too far off from tried to prepare myself for them. Coming in and being a positive influence what other goalies got previously, so I don’t think so. But I’m not the one on this team, working hard and having a smile on your face and being a writing the check.” good example is the small stuff you can control. The Devils have lots of cap space for next season and even more the “A lot of that other stuff is way outside my control. I don’t know what the following year. They have also been in rebuilding mode since 2015 — next day or week or month or six months is going to hold for me. But I Palmieri was the first player Ray Shero acquired after replacing Lou think my mindset going into every day is trying to find a way to get better Lamoriello as GM. New Jersey has not signed a pending UFA before the and help this team and help my teammates become better hockey deadline in the past five seasons, trading nearly all of them away to players and human beings. That’s something that you go in and there’s a collect more assets for the rebuild. little checklist on your day of things you can control. And I guess my easiest way to cope with the uncertainty is just to focus on those little Fitzgerald has said on multiple occasions since replacing Shero the things. And I think the rest of the stuff will find its way of taking care of development of Hischier and Hughes would tell him what the timeline is. itself.” Hughes is much improved this season, and looks like a potential No. 1 center. Hischier has only played in five games because of two injuries Palmieri’s agent, Brian Bartlett, said he and Devils general manager Tom and contracting COVID-19. The team started well, but quickly drifted out Fitzgerald have had “more theoretical in nature” conversations about a of playoff contention after being shutdown for two weeks following a new contract for his client. COVID-19 outbreak. They’re talking, just in broad strokes. “We’ve got to figure out where are we going to be at?” Fitzgerald said. “It’s very high level, but there have been some conversations,” Bartlett “We’ve got some young kids coming, but we do need to have some said. “Fitzy is a pretty good communicator and we’ve had a good, open stabilizers around them. I’m not one to think, ‘Oh, (Dawson) Mercer and line of communication.” (Alexander) Holtz and (Tyce) Thompson are going to come in and absolutely play top line right wing minutes right away.’ I’m not that dumb. Palmieri is in the final season of a five-year, $23.25 million contract he I played in the league. It takes a while. You have to have bridges. That’s signed in July 2016 as a restricted free agent, one year after being traded how I’m thinking about it.” from Anaheim to New Jersey. He has scored at least 24 goals in each of his five seasons with the Devils — one of only eight players around the Given that Fitzgerald mentioned term a couple of times, here’s a league to do so over that time. breakdown of the age for those comparable players when their contracts kicked in and the term: He’s been an assistant captain, is active in a community where he grew up playing youth hockey, and has served as a mentor for the franchise’s Cam Atkinson prized young forwards, Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes. 29 “I don’t think there is any doubt that we want to keep him,” Fitzgerald 7 said. “Everybody in our organization loves Kyle Palmieri, respects what he’s done for this organization over the past five, six years. I wouldn’t be Brendan Gallagher talking to (Bartlett) if I didn’t think that. I wouldn’t even waste my breath. 29 “I’m as transparent as they come. I never want to be a guy who people feels like I dance around questions. I would love nothing better than to 6 have Kyle Palmieri be part of our group.” Evander Kane Palmieri is proud to play for the Devils. Fitzgerald wants to keep him. 27 This should be simple, right? 7 If this were 2019, or even early 2020, it might have been. Chris Kreider “The big question is the market, and the flat cap, and what is the future?” Fitzgerald said. “Is it what we saw this (past) summer? Is it going to 29 continue like that for UFAs, anyway? Those are the questions I’m asking myself and I’m asking Brian. Do we think it will be a mirror image of this 7 Anders Lee His coach watched all of his 25 goals from last season earlier this week to compare the chances he was converting last year with the ones he’s 29 creating this year.

7 “He’s had some of the same opportunities that haven’t gone in,” Lindy T.J. Oshie Ruff said. “You can look at how hard he’s battling to stay around the net… he’s doing a lot of good things that should lead to goals.” 31 Palmieri has had more time to Watch video this year, particularly given 8 the protocols when the team is on the road. He has worked with Prodigy Hockey for the past couple of years. He sits down with Brian Keane, the Max Pacioretty company’s founder, a couple of times per month for a Zoom call to go 31 over video.

4 “I think there are definitely opportunities that you watch in video and you say, ‘OK, I could have done this,’ but a lot of the scoring chances are James van Riemsdyk there,” Palmieri said. “And I don’t know whether that makes it more frustrating or less frustrating.” 29 Palmieri had his own battle with COVID-19 during the team’s breakout. 5 He’s dealt with the frustration of losing, and not producing at the level he Kyle Palmieri expects to.

30 It’s been a trying season, with a lot of uncertainty. There might be a life- altering decision coming soon, too. ??? “We’ve got three weeks left, and sometimes these things can go down to And here is a future projection for Palmieri from The Athletic’s Dom the wire,” Fitzgerald said of the negotiations. “My No. 1 objective here is Luszczyszyn in his story analyzing the NHL’s top trade targets. to see if there’s a deal to be made between the Devils and Kyle Palmieri, and then either move forward together or figure out what the next step How soon will a Hischier- and Hughes-led team be ready to compete for is.” a playoff spot and eventually contend for the Stanley Cup? That could play a big role in this negotiation. The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 “It’s definitely not a daily thing,” Palmieri responded when asked about negotiation updates he receives from Bartlett. “Right now, to get tied up in every little conversation, I think would just be a distraction and a bit of an energy suck.

“Everyone gets super antsy around the trade deadline when things start happening, but we’re going through something like nine games in 16 nights. It’s too much hockey and my focus is on being the best player and teammate for the New Jersey Devils.”

Bartlett said there is no deadline for a deal on their end, and that not getting one done before April 12 would not preclude his client from signing one after that (if Palmieri is not traded). He added Palmieri is not opposed to playing through a rebuild, and isn’t feeling antsy about needing a shot at the Cup right now.

“It’s also Kyle’s one chance to explore free agency in his prime, too,” Bartlett said. “It’s a tricky one. You can’t just sign on for anything because you want to be part of the rebuild. It needs to be a fair number that I think is not a mystery.”

If the Devils and Palmieri don’t come to an agreement on a new deal before the trade deadline, he could be one of the most sought-after forwards on the market.

Palmieri’s current deal includes an eight-team no-trade clause, which Bartlett said was updated in September before the start of this season. Would he consider waiving it for the right situation?

“I think so,” Palmieri said, without specifying whether he’d waive it to join a Canadian team, and undergo the mandatory two-week quarantine. “At the end of the day, you look at it, especially with COVID and everything that’s gone on this season, really you want to go somewhere that someone wants you and believes in you. It’s only a couple of months. Right now, I haven’t focused on it. Nobody’s asked me anything about it yet. My focus is just coming to the rink and preparing myself to play and help this team win games.”

Part of that focus will be directed at trying to regain his scoring touch. Palmieri has four goals and 13 points in 26 games.

His per-82 game averages over the previous five years with the Devils are 29.8 goals and 56.2 points. His pace this year is 12.6 goals and 41 points.

Palmieri is averaging more shot attempts per game (4.96) this year than he has over the past five years (4.85). His shots on goal (2.5) are almost the same (2.7). The problem is his shooting percentage this year is just 6.5 percent, well below the previous lowest mark of his career (9.5 percent, in 2013-14 with Anaheim) and less than half his 13.1 percent success rate over the past five years. 1206116 New York Islanders

Islanders looking for that voice to replace captain Anders Lee

By Andrew Gross

Updated March 19, 2021 6:18 PM

Many times, Anders Lee knew something needed to be said. So, the captain would say something, either collectively to his teammates or one- on-one.

Friday was one of those moments for the Islanders, who have lost two straight heading into the middle match of a three-game series with the Flyers on Saturday night at .

But Lee, of course, is not available having suffered a season-ending torn anterior cruciate ligament. The Islanders needed another voice.

Coach Barry Trotz wants that to be one of the players. But, on Friday, he spoke up.

"Leesy is such a great leader, he drags everybody," Trotz said after Friday’s practice at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow. "One of the things that they have to do is understand, collectively, someone has to fill that void.

"Usually, Leesy is the guy that would say, ‘OK, boys, center around here,’" Trotz added. "I think everybody looks at each other, ‘OK, who’s going to take that role?’ It’s going to have to be a collective group. I took center stage today to try and get that going. Hopefully, we’re better tomorrow. We have to be because we weren’t very good last night."

The Flyers won, 4-3, on Thursday night with 1,391 season-ticket holders at the Coliseum for the first time. But it was somewhat of a deceptive score. The Islanders were lousy the first two periods, spotting the Flyers a three-goal lead. The third period was much better as the Islanders tied the game at 3.

But a little over three minutes after rookie Oliver Wahlstrom’s equalizer, a bad icing by defenseman Scott Mayfield and poor defensive coverage led to Oskar Lindblom’s winner at 17:38.

Lee’s off-ice leadership is certainly missed but so is his on-ice presence.

Mathew Barzal’s line with has struggled without Lee, even with rookie Kieffer Bellows scoring three goals. And second-line left wing Anthony Beauvillier has gone seven games without a point and nine without a goal.

"When players are streaky, they’re probably their worst enemies," Trotz said. "They get in their own head a little bit. They think probably more about the result than the process. When those players aren’t getting results, they’re not going to those hard areas enough."

Notes & quotes: The Islanders announced Anatolii Golyshev, 26, had agreed to a one-year, two-way deal for this season after eight seasons in the KHL. The 5-7, 187-pound forward had 109 goals and 220 points — both franchise records — in 403 games with Yekaterinburg Avtomobilist, which terminated his contract on Tuesday to allow him to move on to North America…Defenseman Noah Dobson remained on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list for the sixth straight day.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206117 New York Islanders

Islanders-Boston game on Tuesday postponed as multiple Bruins enter COVID-19 protocol

By Andrew Gross

Updated March 19, 2021 5:43 PM

The Islanders’ game in Boston on Tuesday has been postponed as the Bruins now have five players on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list, the league announced on Friday.

The Bruins’ Jake DeBrusk, David Krejci, David Pastrnak and Craig Smith joined Sean Kuraly on the league’s protocol list on Friday.

The Islanders are still scheduled to play at Boston on Thursday but that game, too, may be in jeopardy. However, the NHL announced the Bruins were expected to be able to re-open their practice facility on Wednesday.

So, for now, the NHL has just postponed two of the Bruins’ games, including Saturday in Buffalo.

The Islanders also had two games against the Sabres postponed on Feb. 2-4 when that team was dealing with a COVID-19 outbreak.

9 outbreak.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206118 New York Islanders Pearn coached hundreds of NHLers across 21 years as an NHL assistant. When he thinks of the NHLer he most likens to Golyshev, you might have to do some HockeyDB digging to find out who it is.

Who is Anatolii Golyshev? 5 things to know about the Islanders’ next “He reminds me a lot of Andreas Dackell, who we had in Ottawa,” Pearn import said. “Dackell had a similar build, he was a European player who we drafted as an overage player and came over in his 20s and he played a couple years on our top line with Shawn MacEachern and Alexei Yashin. He was kind of the conscience of that line — a smart player who didn’t By Arthur Staple Mar 19, 2021 gamble much, knew where to be on the ice, had some skill. And he played a long time in the NHL, mostly as a bottom-six player.”

There was far more fanfare surrounding the last Islanders draft pick who Dackell did play eight seasons with the Senators and Canadiens from left the KHL to sign, but then again, Ilya Sorokin has long been touted as 1996 to 2004, then another eight in his native . Golyshev has the Isles’ goalie of the future. Now that he’s here, having won six straight gotten some power-play time, but he also kills penalties and is a smart starts after a rocky beginning to his NHL career, fans can start to see forward. At 26, he may not be looking to spend a decade in the NHL, but what the fuss was all about. being older could help the transition on the ice, especially if he can jump right into this season. There will be another ex-KHLer joining the Islanders soon. Anatolii Golyshev, the 95th pick of the 2016 draft, terminated his contract with He’s signed but may not be here for a little while Avtomobilist, the KHL club he’d played for the last eight years. He signed Golyshev’s deal with the Islanders is pretty standard, a one-year entry- a one-year entry-level contract to join the Islanders on Friday, though it’s level contract. What’s not standard is how his cap hit for this season is not quite as simple as putting pen to paper in a pandemic. calculated – a player that signs a one-year deal after the start of the Whereas Sorokin garnered loads of attention and praise for his play in season has a higher cap hit than would normally be if the contract were the KHL, Golyshev has been a bit more of an unknown quantity. Here’s signed before the season. what you need to know about this 26-year-old winger who could be an So Golyshev may end up with a contract worth somewhere around Islander before the season is done: $800,000 on the NHL end of the deal but have a cap hit over $1 million, He has the skill to play up and down the lineup which could impact the Islanders the rest of the way.

Golyshev’s numbers have never been eye-popping — his best season There’s also the world at large that may impact Golyshev’s arrival. Now with Avto was 2015-16 when he had 25 goals and 44 points and got that he’s signed, he can obtain a work visa, but there is still the matter of noticed enough by the Isles scouting staff to be drafted as a 21-year-old actually getting said visa during a pandemic, flying in from Russia, — but that’s recently due in part to his ability to move around the lineup. quarantining on Long Island until he passes four COVID tests and getting on the ice. “We started him this season with (Pavel) Datsyuk, but we pretty quickly moved him off that line to balance our forwards out a bit,” said Perry So he’s signed, which is a good start. But it could be a few weeks before Pearn, the longtime NHL assistant coach (Senators, Rangers, Jets, he’s part of the Islanders and even more time before he gets a chance to Canucks, Canadiens) who joined Bill Peters’ staff in Yekaterinburg to be on the roster or in the lineup, depending on what the Isles’ cap coach Avto this season. “This league is a bit deceptive — to put up big situation looks like closer to the April 12 trade deadline. numbers, you have to be exceptional and you have to play with the right The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 people. Anatoli has the skill to play with players like Datsyuk, but we needed him elsewhere and he has the ability to do that, too.”

Golyshev’s squad made the KHL playoffs, as it has for all but one of his eight seasons there, but Avto is not considered a top-tier club and it bowed out in the East quarterfinals in five games to Avangard, the team coached for the last several years by Bob Hartley. Golyshev missed the last two games with an injury, but Pearn said it wasn’t serious and Golyshev would be ready to play whenever he arrives in the States.

He’s a little guy but plays big

Now, this clip from four years ago isn’t to indicate Golyshev is a dirty player, even though this hit on longtime European player Vaclav Nedorost caused a bad injury and a bit of a ruckus on the ice. But Golyshev is listed at 5-foot-7 and 187 pounds, so the thought that he could be pushed around in the NHL might be a bit dispelled by seeing a hit like this.

“He’s not a big guy, but he certainly plays big,” Pearn said. “He doesn’t shy away from contact and he’s a good enough skater that I think the tempo of the NHL won’t be a problem for him. The size of NHL defensemen is not what it is over here on the whole, so that may be a challenge. But he’s willing to stick his nose in.”

The transition to a smaller ice surface isn’t a big issue

It was for Sorokin, who had to adjust to new angles and much more traffic in front of him than he was accustomed to in the KHL. But for Golyshev, Pearn doesn’t foresee a big problem.

“He’s probably a better small-space player than he is an open-ice player, for me,” Pearn said. “He’s small and quick and that usually translates well to the smaller ice surface. A lot of people back in North America may not know this, but we’ve got maybe one-third of the rinks here that aren’t international size. Some are hybrid, some are close to North American rinks. So he’s been on those sized rinks for a while now.”

His closest NHL comparable is a guy you’ve probably never heard of 1206119 New York Islanders

Islanders Sign Anatolii Golyshev to One-Year Dea

Published 12 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Christian Arnold

Anatolii Golyshev is on his way.

The New York Islanders Russian prospect was signed to a one-year, two-way deal by the Islanders on Friday, the team announced. Golyshev terminated his contract with his KHL club Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg earlier this week.

The 26-year-old forward was Avtomobilist’s all-time leading goal scorer with 109 goals and the franchise points leader with 220 in 403 games with the KHL club. Anatolii Golyshev was drafted by the Islanders 95th overall during the 2016 NHL Draft.

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello hinted that Golyshev could be coming over to Long Island during a media conference call on Tuesday. Lamoriello did express that getting Golyshev over to the could be a process considering the current state of the world.

“You always want to get (a deal) done as quick as you possibly can,” Lamoriello said on Tuesday. “This is certainly a different era as far as a year goes in regards to quarantine and types of protocol and COVID. So there are lots of extenuating circumstances that will go into any and every decision that is made.”

The Islanders will have the option to have Golyshev play in the AHL once he clears all the quarantine protocols to enter North America. It would not be a surprise either if the Russian forward found himself in the NHL lineup at some point this year.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206120 New York Islanders

New York Islanders Game with Boston Postponed Due to COVID-19 Protocols

Published 14 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Christian Arnold

The New York Islanders will get an extra day of rest next week.

The NHL announced on Friday that they had postponed two of the Boston Bruins’ upcoming games, which included their meeting with the Islanders on Tuesday in Beantown. Boston had four additional players go into COVID-19 protocols, a league press release said.

Tuesday’s game was to be the first of two games in Boston for the Islanders. The league appeared to be operating on the assumption that Boston’s schedule would only be impacted for those two games.

The NHL said that, pending test results, Boston’s practice facility could reopen on Wednesday.

The New York Islanders have had several schedule changes this season, including a very pronounced one in the beginning of February when the Buffalo Sabres suffered a COVID-19 outbreak canceling two games that had been scheduled between the two teams.

It’s unclear if the Islanders’ meeting with Boston Thursday will be impacted by the postponement. The Islanders have a pretty compacted schedule next week with five games over a six-day span.

That obviously changes with Friday’s news.

The Islanders have been dealing with a COVID-19 protocol issue themselves this past week. Noah Dobson has been on the COVID protocol list since Sunday and has missed three straight games because of it.

Sebastian Aho took Dobson’s spot on the blue line while the young defenseman has been sidelined.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206121 New York Islanders back, he held onto the forward and was called for it. The Islanders had allowed two power-play goals already up to this point, and a third would have been the dagger.

Sebastian Aho Has Shown More Offense Than Defense Thus Far For The Islanders struggling penalty kill came up when they had to and got Isles Aho off the hook in that particular instance. Still, it didn’t change the fact that it was not an intelligent play by Aho.

The difference between the AHL and the NHL is massive, particularly the Published 13 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Stefen Rosner speed of the game. In his own zone, Aho has seemed overwhelmed and struggled with the physical aspect of playing defense against the very

best, but he also has struggled with the mental side of the game. New York Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho had not played in an This has led to three turnovers in three games, one of them being the NHL game since March 18th of 2018. But that all changed this week major mistake above in the video. when Noah Dobson made his way onto the NHL’s COVID List Sunday. With Noah Dobson still off the roster, Sebastian Aho needs to make the Aho suited up for that game and has remained in the lineup in Dobson’s most of his opportunities. He seems to be able to handle the offensive absence, which has gone on now for three straight games. side of the puck, and even though he has played alongside the So far the young defenseman has given us some signs where his defensive-minded Andy Greene, Aho still needs to be stronger in his own development is at the moment, but overall the jury is still out. However, zone. given the defensive-minded system that head coach Barry Trotz has NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 instilled here, I do not think Aho is ready to be an everyday NHL player on the island.

But let’s start with the positives so far in his game.

One thing we have seen over his three games is that the Swedish defenseman has an offensive mind. Whether he is at the point or deep in the offensive zone, his initial instinct is to get a shot on goal. Thus far, in limited minutes, averaging 13:07 per game, Aho has picked up a goal and an assist. In Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, he showcased the shot accuracy that he has in his arsenal.

You cannot place that shot in a more perfect spot, and this was a goal the Islanders desperately needed on Thursday at that point in the game. For a team where hesitation happens more often than not, this is what you want to see when a shooting lane becomes available.

Aho also made an intelligent move here by waiting for the opportune time to jump in on the play.

Besides the offensive awareness, Sebastian Aho has also displayed strong skating ability. He has often broken away from opposing defensemen along the boards or, like on the goal above, used his skating to create time and space. This was evident early on Thursday, as Aho came around the end boards with speed and tried to wrap the puck in on Philadelphia Flyers netminder Carter Hart. Without the puck, Aho still uses his legs, as he won a few puck races.

Unfortunately, these positives do not outweigh the negative aspects of his game.

For starters, Aho stands at just 5’10, which means that he is undersized at the NHL level. He cannot play a style like a Ryan Pulock, who can use his 6’2 frame to body off opposing forwards.

Because of this, Aho has struggled in his own zone thus far. He has been overmatched, particularly against Philadelphia, in which he was on the rink for two goals against and committed two turnovers. While the goals were not specifically due to his wrongdoing, it was all about the communication in his own zone, which was rather lackluster.

On Sunday, his first game of the season, Aho played real strong despite one lousy turnover. That turnover came during the second period in the defensive zone. Aho picked up the puck off to the right side of Ilya Sorokin, but New Jersey Devils forward Janne Kuakkonen quickly collapsed on him.

Feeling the pressure, Aho tried to throw a backhand pass to , who was skating out of the Islanders zone toward the left-side boards. But the soft pass was picked-off, and Yegor Sharangovich eventually scored on that shift.

In his own zone, Sebastian Aho is not thinking at a quick enough rate just yet. I’m not saying he does not have the ability to do so, but it will probably take some time, given how long it has been since he has played in the NHL.

And not being able to think quickly has led to him taking penalties on occasion.

In the third period of Tuesday’s game, Aho was bodied off the puck by Washington Capitals’ forward Richard Panik. As he tried to win the puck 1206122 New York Rangers

Same Rangers lineup brought very different result this time

By Mollie WalkerMarch 20, 2021 | 1:48am | Updated

The Rangers rolled Friday night with the same lineup they used for Wednesday’s dominant win over the Flyers, but the result was a heartbreaking 2-1 loss in Washington.

On Wednesday, head coach David Quinn and his coaching staff were unavailable after entering COVID-19 protocol just before the game, so the crew simply deployed the game plan that was laid out for them, which led to the historic 9-0 win.

Acting head coach Kris Knoblauch and Wolf Pack associate coach Gord Murphy, as well as associate general manager , followed Quinn’s instructions again on Friday — this time against the Capitals.

“It’s Quinn’s and his coaching staff’s [decisions],” Knoblauch said before his second game behind the Rangers’ bench. “It might have been a little bit different if we had lost [on Wednesday]. Ultimately, it would be his decision, but if we had lost and things didn’t go well, I’m sure we would have communicated that, ‘How did you feel? Any changes? Do you think somebody wasn’t going?’

“Then we’d probably talk and discuss lineup changes. Obviously, with the way things went the other night, we’re not going to change anything.”

With the same lineup as Wednesday, forward Julien Gauthier was in street clothes for the second consecutive night.

Knoblauch added that there were very minimal changes implemented following the team’s offensive explosion at the Garden two days earlier, which Flyers coach Alain Vigneault, former Rangers head man, described as “embarrassing.”

The second-year Wolf Pack coach noted that the only difference for the Rangers will be their opponent. He also mentioned that he has a better feel for the players.

“What they prove, what kind of role they’re suited for, whether it’s a defensive zone, faceoff left side or offensive zone draw, who can recover after the power play, kind of the flow of the lines,” Knoblauch said. “I think I have a better feel for that.”

Goaltender Igor Shesterkin skated Friday morning, but is still considered day-to-day with a groin strain. Friday’s game was the eighth straight for which Shesterkin was unavailable.

Knoblauch said Thursday that the 25-year-old Russian netminder was a possibility for the second game in Washington on Saturday.

Alexandar Georgiev, in his second straight start Friday, let up two goals to Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin in the span of 3:09 in the second- half of the third period. Both of Ovechkin’s goals came from the same spot in front of the Rangers’ crease after a bouncing puck popped right onto his stick.

“Kind of déjà vu on that second goal, pretty identical,” Chris Kreider said. “Tough rotation there and getting pucks and bodies to the net, that’s a recipe for scoring goals so something that we could probably do a little bit more of tonight but we certainly didn’t overlook that.”

“Kind of déjà vu on hat second goal, pretty identical,” Chris Kreider said. “Tough rotation there and getting pucks and bodies to the net, that’s a recipe for scoring goals so something that we could probably do a little bit more of tonight but we certainly didn’t overlook that.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206123 New York Rangers “Ovechkin’s a goal scorer, he’s obviously known for those pretty goals from the outside but he does a good job of getting to the net and getting his big body there and was able to pot those two obviously very similar goals on both,” Kreider said. “It’s something we get to go back and look Alex Ovechkin does in Rangers after bruising hit at and remedy going into [Saturday’s rematch].”

New York Post LOADED: 03.20.2021 By Mollie WalkerMarch 19, 2021 | 10:19pm | Updated

Rangers defenseman , bruised and bloodied as always, stepped up and bodied Alex Ovechkin harder than the Capitals star has probably been hit in the last decade, knocking him down and breaking his stick in the second period of Friday night’s matchup in Washington.

So Ovechkin naturally turned around and found a way to score two goals in the second-half of the third period, single-handedly willing his team to a 2-1 win over the Rangers.

The Blueshirts held a 1-0 lead until 13:18 remained in the third period, but the 35-year-old Ovechkin found himself in the right spot at the right time — and he buried two goals from the same spot in the span of in 3:09 to flip the script.

It was the Capitals’ first win over the Rangers in their three meetings this season and it extended their winning streak to seven games.

“He’s a Hall of Famer, he’s always finding ways to score goals,” the Rangers’ acting head coach, Kris Knoblauch, said of Ovechkin after the loss, which dropped the Blueshirts to 12-13-4.

“As for the hit, I thought Lindgren made a tremendous play, it was clean,” Knoblauch said. “I haven’t seen the video of it yet but I didn’t think there was any issues, it’s just their team standing up for their star player. That’s what Lindy does, it wasn’t targeting a star player, he wasn’t headhunting, he just was playing the way Lindy does. In my opinion, it was a good clean hit.”

Said Ovechkin, who is 174 goals away from Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL record: “It was a great hit, obviously. He hit my stick. It got broken. It was good hockey, it’s hockey.”

Washington has outscored its opponents 29-14 during its current tear through the East Division, but the Capitals’ toughest matchup over that span was most certainly the Blueshirts.

From top to bottom, the Rangers are figuring out how to be hard to play against.

If Wednesday’s historic 9-0 win over the Flyers was a fluke, the Rangers followed it up with a strong road effort against the first-place team in the East.

“It’s tough to stomach because we felt like we played really well, I mean, we played a really good road game,” Chris Kreider said. “They jump on two big opportunities during the third, it was close throughout. You have to limit chances from very good offensive teams so definitely a lot of good takeaways.”

The Rangers are having an offensive resurgence, and it can be traced back to when star winger Artemi Panarin returned to the lineup last week following an extended leave of absence due to a political hit piece from Russia.

After scoring a power-play goal in the first period Friday night, Panarin now has at least one point in each game since his return to the lineup on March 13. He has three goals and four assists, for seven points, in the Rangers’ last four games.

The Rangers have done more than just settle into an offensive groove. They have a newfound tenacity, spirit and will to win. Maybe the disappointment of a sluggish start to the season has caught up with them, or their top guns are just finding their games at the same time, but this is not the same team that showed up on opening night in January.

The Rangers, led by the Wolf Pack coaching crew for the second straight night with the Blueshirts’ staff in COVID-19 protocol, held Washington to fewer than 10 shots on goal in each period. After facing a mere five shots in the first period, and then six in the middle frame, the two goals from Ovechkin spoiled the Rangers’ efforts.

Ultimately, Washington was outshot 33-18 and still managed to pull out the win. 1206124 New York Rangers

Brett Howden’s offensive jolt spurred by surprise Rangers scratch

By Mollie WalkerMarch 19, 2021 | 2:48pm | Updated

Brett Howden admitted he started to get too comfortable after the first 161 games of his Rangers career.

So when he was a healthy scratch for the first time since the Lightning traded him to New York in the Rangers’ 4-0 victory over the Bruins on March 13, the center looked at it as an opportunity for him to reset.

“For me, just sitting out that game and being able to watch from up top and kind of focus on my game and be prepared for the next one,” Howden said Thursday. “It was a good jolt for me and for me to really find my game and work hard.

“I just want to move on from it and keep trying to be better.”

The 22-year-old came out in the following two games and had a revitalized offensive grit, which was essentially nonexistent through the first 25 matchups of the 2020-21 season. He’s now riding a two-game assist streak into the Rangers’ matchup against the Capitals on Friday.

Brett Howden skates in a game against the Capitals.

The Rangers don’t value Howden for his offensive contributions, which is a good thing considering he hasn’t scored a goal since Feb. 28 2020. The Rangers regard Howden as a top-four penalty-killing forward who can take faceoffs.

Howden has played a major role in the Blueshirts’ stellar penalty kill this season (85.9 percent), which has the third-highest efficiency rating in the NHL. However, his offensive production over his three seasons has significantly regressed.

After scoring six goals and dishing 17 assists for 23 points in his rookie season in 2018-19, Howden upped his goal total to nine but had just 10 assists for 19 points last year. Through 27 games this season, he’s registered four assists – only one of which was a primary helper.

There’s been a lineup competition among the bottom six forwards between Colin Blackwell, Julien Gauthier, Brendan Lemieux and Kevin Rooney. And now that Howden recognizes he’s in that mix, it’s given him some added motivation. Looking ahead, all five of the aforementioned players are eligible to be exposed in this summer’s Seattle Kraken expansion draft, with only one likely to be protected.

“I think during the games everybody is just focusing on the task at hand and doing your job,” he said. “If you’re worrying about all the other little things, then you can’t play the best to your ability and your mind is not in the right spot. Those decisions aren’t up to us, those are coach’s decisions, and for us, anybody that gets put in we’re just trying to be ready to go and trying to win a game.”

There’s an argument to be made that Howden might’ve benefitted from starting the season in Hartford, but with the AHL season delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t really an option. Howden has played in enough NHL games to lose his waivers-exempt status, so no one should expect the Rangers to put him on the taxi squad or send him down to the Wolf Pack.

With a cap hit of $863,333 on the final year of his entry-level contract, Howden likely wouldn’t get through waivers. But the Rangers have been high on Howden and what he brings to the lineup. Turning up the offensive production will increase his value and probability of continuing his career in New York.

“I think I am a power forward, center or wing, I can play both,” Howden said of what he brings to the Rangers. “I bring energy and grit and try to make plays out there.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206125 New York Rangers "I think that is the overarching theme of the season: Chaos," he said. "Every day it seems like something else. The schedule’s obviously been wacky, and with everything going on in the world, it’s a true test of character, because it’s something new every day. Capitals beat Rangers on two late goals from Alex Ovechkin "So I’m really proud of how our group’s handled it and how our group’s competed over the last two games. At this point, we’re almost not surprised. It’s something new every day. I think it’s brought us closer By Neil Best together as a group, and it’s given us plenty of opportunities to face Updated March 20, 2021 12:18 AM adversity and try to overcome it."

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.20.2021

Chris Kreider said it was "tough to stomach," a queasiness familiar to 16 seasons’ worth of Alex Ovechkin’s NHL opponents.

But this one hurt a little extra for the Rangers, who played a brilliant defensive game for 53 minutes Friday night against the Russian superstar and his powerful Capitals teammates at Capital One Arena in Washington.

As is often the case against Ovechkin, it was not enough.

He scored two goals on rebounds from close range, the first to tie it with 6:42 remaining in the third period and the second to put the Capitals ahead with 3:33 left. The 2-1 victory gave the Capitals a seven-game winning streak.

Ovechkin extended his goal-scoring streak to five games and has 720 regular-season goals.

"He’s a Hall of Famer," Rangers interim coach Kris Knoblauch said after suffering his first loss in place of David Quinn, who along with the rest of his staff has missed the past two games because of COVID-19 protocols.

In Knoblauch’s first game, the Rangers beat the Flyers, 9-0, on Wednesday, and it appeared they would make him 2-0. They smothered the Capitals for most of the game — Washington finished with only 18 shots on goal — and seemed poised for a 1-0 victory.

Artemi Panarin gave the Rangers the lead with a power-play goal at 16:42 of the first period off a nifty feed from Ryan Strome, who had gathered a rebound of ’s shot that banged off the post.

The goal gave Panarin seven points — three goals and four assists — in the four games since he returned from a personal leave.

The biggest drama between then and Ovechkin’s grand finale came in the second period when Ryan Lindgren took a puck to the face while sitting on the bench, briefly went to the dressing room for repairs, then returned.

Shortly thereafter, he leveled Ovechkin with a crushing body check that seemed to rattle Ovechkin, whose stick broke.

For the rest of the period, Capitals players jawed at Lindgren, although it was not clear why, because the hit seemed legal.

"That’s NHL hockey," Kreider said. "It’s a physical game. It’s a man’s game whenever you play against them."

Said Knoblauch, "I thought Lindy made a tremendous play. It was clean."

Ovechkin did not retaliate and said he had no problem with Lindgren, calling it a "great hit." But he got his revenge nonetheless.

He tied it when he put home a puck that had bounced off teammate Evgeny Kuznetsov and trickled in front of goalie Alexandar Georgiev.

Then Ovechkin did it again, putting in another loose puck, this time off a rebound he controlled with his skate. "Sometimes you have to get those really gritty ones," he said.

The Rangers had been 10-1-2 when leading entering the third period. Now they are 10-2-2.

"It was close throughout," Kreider said. "We were able to limit chances from a very good offensive team, so definitely a lot of good takeaways."

The Rangers (12-13-4) will get another crack at Ovie and the Capitals (20-6-4) on Saturday night, with Knoblauch again behind the bench.

Kreider, who has been with the Rangers since 2012, said the coaching situation is just the latest plot twist in a strange season. 1206126 New York Rangers

Capitals' Tom Wilson eligible to return from suspension Saturday vs. Rangers

By Neil Best

Updated March 19, 2021 8:32 PM

Tom Wilson of the Capitals is eligible to return from his seven-game suspension when Washington hosts the Rangers on Saturday night.

Before the teams met on Friday, he spoke to reporters for the first time since the March 5 hit on the Bruins’ Brandon Carlo that led the NHL to punish him for boarding.

"I obviously digested it after the first couple days," he said, "but as of late I’m just trying to get focused on myself, making sure I’m ready when the team has me back."

Wilson, who has seven goals, 10 assists and 25 penalty minutes this season, added, ""It’s one of those situations where obviously you kind of hoped it didn’t happen for a number of different reasons. But it is what it is, and I’ve just got to control the future."

The suspension was Wilson’s fifth in his career but first since early in the 2018-19 season. He was not penalized at the time of the hit on Carlo.

"I have to continue to adjust," he said. "I think the game is always adapting year-to-year. At the end of the day, it can’t happen. I can’t be missing seven games. I can’t be missing one game. I’ve got to be in the lineup."

The Capitals won their first six games without Wilson, who called himself a "proud teammate" for how his colleagues responded to his absence.

Outside of the Washington area, the hit on Carlo, who was hospitalized overnight, made Wilson an even more unpopular player than he already was.

"Social media is a scary place right now on a number of different levels — hockey, the world," he said. "It’s not a nice place. It’s not a friendly place. People feel like they can say whatever they want.

"It’s nothing new to me. That’s been there throughout my whole career, so I’m not going to sit here and say it bothered me a ton."

Notes & quotes: G Igor Shesterkin skated Friday morning and remains day-to-day. Alexandar Georgiev started in goal, with Keith Kinkaid as his backup . . . There were no lineup changes from Wednesday’s 9-0 victory over the Flyers. "Obviously, with the way things went the other night, we’re not going to change anything," interim coach Kris Knoblauch said . . . Knoblauch said having one game under his belt helped him entering Friday night. "I think I have a better feel for the players on the bench, what they provide, what role they’re suited for," he said.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206127 New York Rangers Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.20.2021

Rangers' Brett Howden calls healthy scratch vs. Bruins a 'good jolt'

By Colin Stephenson

Updated March 19, 2021 4:57 PM

When Brett Howden was left out of the lineup last Saturday in the Rangers’ 4-0 win over the Bruins in Boston, it was the first time in his three-year NHL career that the 22-year-old center had missed a game as a healthy scratch.

He was back in the lineup Monday, when the Rangers faced the Philadelphia Flyers at the Garden, and he earned an assist in the 5-4 overtime loss. He earned another assist in Wednesday's 9-0 win over the Flyers, and entered Friday’s game in Washington against the Capitals with four assists on the season.

Howden, who will turn 23 on March 29, said he viewed sitting out last Saturday — and ending his consecutive games played streak at 113 — as something of a "reset’’ for himself.

"I think there comes a time when you don't even realize it, and you're getting a ‘comfortable’ factor that that creeps in,’’ he said. "And I think, for me, just sitting out that game and being able to watch from up top, and kind of focusing in on my game, and being prepared for the next one… was just a good jolt for me to really find my game.’’

What is that game, exactly, though?

"I think I'm a power forward, center or wing,’’ he said. "I can play both. I bring energy and grit, and try to make plays out there.’’

He’s not afraid to drop the gloves, either. He has fought once this season, stepping in when Pittsburgh’s Kasperi Kapanen tried to get at Rangers defenseman Adam Fox, and punishing the Penguins forward.

The 6-3, 200-pound Howden has been a fixture in the lineup since making the team out of training camp as a 20-year-old in 2018. A first round pick (27th overall) in the 2016 draft by the Tampa Bay Lightning, he was traded to the Rangers at the 2018 trade deadline, as part of the return package (along with Libor Hajek) in the Ryan McDonagh-J.T. Miller deal.

That fall, he made the Rangers out of training camp, beating out Lias Andersson to be the fourth-line center. He scored six goals, with 17 assists, in 66 games that season, and last season he had nine goals and 10 assists in 70 games.

But this year, Howden had no goals through his first 27 games. And with the emergence of 27-year-olds Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell — as well as the impending arrival of 2018 first-round pick Vitali Kravtsov — there is more competition now for lineup spots among the forwards. In the two games against Philadelphia, Howden shifted to right wing, as Rooney centered the fourth line.

When Filip Chytil (hand), Kaapo Kakko (COVID-19) and Artemi Panarin (leave) returned to action over the past couple of weeks, coach David Quinn began to rotate some of his bottom six forwards out of the lineup. Phillip DiGiuseppe, Blackwell, Brendan Lemieux, Howden and Julien Gauthier all took turns sitting out.

DiGiuseppe being on the team’s COVID-19 list has eased the glut of forwards for the moment, but things still are a little unsettled among the bottom three lines. And they will become even more complicated when Kravtsov completes his quarantine and joins the team sometime next week.

Howden said the increased competition has not put look-over-your- shoulder pressure on the players in the bottom six.

"No, I think during the games, everybody's just focusing on the task at hand, and doing your job,’’ he said. "If you're worrying about all the other little things, then you can't play the best of your ability, and your mind's not in the right spot. Those decisions aren't up to us. Those are coaches’ decisions. And for us, anybody that gets put in, we're just trying to be ready to go and try to win a game.’’ 1206128 New York Rangers season and a pair this season. Let’s remember where the two franchises have been — worlds apart — since Quinn was hired in 2018.

So he lost to the Capitals 2-1 from his couch this time. Rangers handle their chaos just fine, but gimmes to Capitals star Alex “It’s Quinn and his coaching staff,” Knoblauch said about the lineup and Ovechkin prove too much to overcome plan for D.C. “It might be a little different if we had lost (Wednesday), but ultimately it would be his decision. If we had lost and things hadn’t gone well, I’m sure we would have communicated that, ‘How did you feel, any By Rick Carpiniello Mar 19, 2021 changes, do you think somebody wasn’t going?’ then we probably would have discussed any lineup changes. Obviously, with the way things went

the other night, we’re not going to change anything.” What the Rangers have done the past two games, the way they’ve A day of practice nevertheless helped Knoblauch and Murphy prepare, compartmentalized all the stuff swirling around them — things that have and they’ll coach at least the Saturday rematch with the Caps before the been, really, orbiting them all season — is fairly remarkable. Rangers return home to play Buffalo on Monday. Yeah, they lost Friday in Washington 2-1 on two late goals by Alex “I think I have a better feel of the players on the bench,” Knoblauch said, Ovechkin, who is only the greatest scorer of his generation (and would “what they provide, kind of what role they’re suited for, whether it’s a be in most generations, but not all). defensive-zone draw left side, or offensive-zone draw, who can recover If you’re being honest, the Rangers probably played harder and better in after the power play, kind of the flow of the lines. I think I have a better this game — against a legit contender playing at a high level (winners of feel for that. The first game, the end of the first, I thought, geez, he hasn’t seven in a row and 10 of 11) — than they did in the 9-0 win against a been playing, or I wish I would have gone back with him. I think that part I team that didn’t even need to shower two nights earlier. They allowed have a better understanding. But there’s so many aspects that it would Washington 18 shots on goal. take a while.”

“It’s tough to stomach because we feel like we played pretty well,” Chris So Knoblauch was behind the bench for a sublime 9-0 win against Kreider said. Philadelphia and an even better game, albeit a late, gut-kick of a loss in Washington. The Rangers ought to feel that way. And the Rangers, who have had to deal with the Tony DeAngelo and But to perform in back-to-back games after the latest bit of gut-punching Panarin sagas, and COVID-19, and key injuries, and so many other they’ve taken, well, it’s like pushing a boulder up a hill. And they keep issues we’ve talked about ad nauseam, just keep on going. Moving pushing it. ahead. Like chaos is their control.

“I think that is the overriding theme to the season, is chaos,” Kreider said. Thoughts “Every day it feels like something else. The schedule is obviously a bit wacky, and with everything going on in the world, it’s a true test of 1. Alexandar Georgiev started again, coming off a shutout, albeit a fairly character, because there’s something new every single day. I’m really comfortable one. There was nothing comfortable about the start of this proud of how our group’s handled it, of how our group has competed game, and obviously much discomfort late. over the last two games. 2. In the first 10 minutes, the Rangers defended but created little and “I mean, at this point, we’re almost not surprised. It’s something new wasted a few opportunities, including a two-on-one, Alexis Lafrenière to every day. So I think it’s brought us closer together as a group, and it’s Kaapo Kakko, the elevated pass unable to be handled by Kakko. given us plenty of opportunities to face adversity and try to overcome it.” Brendan Smith, playing his 500th NHL game, had their only shot of the first 10 minutes. Caps goalie Vitek Vanecek robbed Jacob Trouba on a So Wednesday, during the day, four of the Rangers coaches, including back-door redirection in the middle of the period, and the tide began to head coach David Quinn and assistants Jacques Martin, David Oliver turn a bit. The Caps would have one shot on Georgiev in the last 13 and Greg Brown, went on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list. They all minutes of the first period. Trouba was joining the play, and I mean way watched the two games from, I presume, their couches, while Hartford up in the play, more than usual early on. coach Kris Knoblauch and his assistant, Gord Murphy, along with Rangers associate GM (and Hartford GM) Chris Drury, manned the 3. The Rangers didn’t ice the puck until 12:57. The other night it was :09. bench and handled the one practice between games. And they won 9-0. So you do the math.

Of course, the Twitter wiseguys wanted Knoblauch to take over 4. Daily Bread: Late first, Brett Howden drew a penalty to Nick Backstrom permanently for Quinn (some apparently blame Quinn for being a meanie — an extremely soft and questionable call by the trail referee. On the to their favorite players). power play, after a wrist shot cranked off the post by Adam Fox, Ryan Strome set up Panarin for a one-timer that went in off of Vanecek’s The thing with the whole coaching scenario is this: Quinn has coached . Panarin has 3-4-7 in the four games since he returned from his both games, set the lineups, done the pre-scouting, dictated strategy, leave of absence. Strome, who won 61.1 percent of his eight faceoffs, etc. And Knoblauch will be the first to tell you that. has 17 points in his last 15 games.

He said there were minimal changes from game to game, only because 5. In the opening moments of the second, a puck deflected, and guess the teams were (we’ll say vastly) different. who it hit, and where. It’s really not a guess. One of these betting sites probably had odds on it. It hit Ryan Lindgren right in the nose, and he “All the changes are from Quinny and his coaching staff,” Knoblauch went off for stitches. Because of course he did. Pucks go to his face like said. “These aren’t things Murph and myself are implementing. We’re just moths to a streetlight. He returned shortly. I’d be in the hospital for a following through the game plan. Whether things went well or not last couple of nights, minimum. game, I think they had a game plan on how they want to play against Washington, and we’re trying to fulfill that.” 6. It reminded me of when I met Lindgren’s mother, Jennifer, last season and asked her whether she cringes or gets surprised when her boy gets For the record, Quinn in his three years has given Washington more than his face bruised, battered and bloodied. “My God, not at all,” she said. it probably bargained for. “Not at all. Me or my husband are not surprised by that. That’s just so This season, the Rangers were 2-0 against the Capitals before Friday, him.” and they were in control Friday. Before the final 6:42, Ovechkin had one 7. Knoblauch had Lindgren in Hartford at the start of last season, before goal, zero assists and nothing on the power play. (Artemi Panarin, the rookie was recalled. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Ryan,” Knoblauch meanwhile, had six points in the two-plus meetings.) said. “He plays so hard. I think he’s very valuable to the D group. Foxy Since Quinn arrived, in order, here is how the Rangers have done and Lindy have a lot of chemistry together. You really notice how well against Washington: Losses by 4-3, 5-3, 6-5, 3-2, 5-2 (two of those one- they move the puck. I think that’s something that’s really taken off with goal losses, one in OT in D.C., after the white-flag trade deadline in Lindy since we had him in Hartford. He’s good at moving the puck and 2019), then wins by 4-1 and 6-5 (the Mika Zibanejad five-goal game) last making the next play, and he was always a solid player and competitor. But right now, his all-around game has really taken off, and I think a lot of it has to do with his chemistry with Foxy. He’s a smart hockey player.”

8. Vanecek absolutely robbed Strome on a break-in pass from Fox, and quickly Lindgren, in open ice, flat-out rocked Ovechkin, who spent the game to that point hacking Lindgren every chance he got. You kind of get the feeling opposing forwards for some reason don’t like Lindgren, who seems like a nice enough fellow.

9. Anyway, it seemed the Capitals became ultra-distracted, whining, particularly Brenden Dillon, at Lindgren and following him around the rink. Not for nothing, but (A) Ovechkin can take care of himself and certainly isn’t going to be bothered by a hit; he’s one of the great hitters in the game himself and (B) the Capitals employ the filthiest player on the planet.

10. Speaking of Teflon Tom Wilson, he is eligible to return from his seven-game suspension for the rematch Saturday. Poor guy.

11. Meanwhile, the Rangers were outplaying the Capitals, defending the heck out of the middle of their defensive zone, outshooting Washington 11-6 in the second period … but still leading only 1-0, mostly because they missed the net a ton (20 times, officially, for the first two). And Georgiev out of nowhere (or out of Benoit Allaire’s Zoom session) suddenly had five consecutive shutout periods.

12. In the first minute of the third, Dillon got toasted by Zibanejad, who was in alone, and hooked him off the puck. Clearly, it could have been a penalty shot. But our fine, fine NHL officials were using the Friday Night in D.C. Rulebook. So the Rangers went to the power play and Vanecek quickly had to make big stops on Fox and Strome.

13. The Rangers wasted a gift power play late in the third, and you just knew they were smoking in the dynamite shed at that point, up 1-0. Sure enough, a Justin Schultz shot hit one of the Capitals in front and bounced right to Ovechkin, who only scored his 719th career goal. 1-1. The Great Eight has goals in five straight. That was against the Rangers’ fourth line.

14. Three minutes later, John Carlson fired one from outside the left dot, and Georgiev kicked it out into the slot … where Ovechkin kicked it to his skate and, let loose by Lindgren and Fox, easily put the rebound into the empty side. He’s now tied with Kreider with 14 goals this season. 2-1 with 3:33 left. That was also against the Rangers’ fourth line. Ugh.

15. “The first goal, there was just an issue of sorting out who’s first man back and then … a little slow to react and it allows the puck to go to the point easily,” Knoblauch said. “Goal scorers, they find ways to score goals, and usually it’s around the net. I think it was a small mistake, but ultimately you can’t keep them off the score sheet every time.”

16. Zibane-jectory: It was nowhere near as dynamic as his record-tying game Wednesday when he had three goals and three assists in the second period, but I think we saw more of the real Zibanejad again. And that’s a whole bunch of games in a row. I wonder what the outcome might have been if he’d been awarded that penalty shot.

17. Because some of you have asked, Hartford assistant GM and former assistant coach Pat Boller is coaching the Wolf Pack, who lost to Bridgeport 4-3 Thursday.

18. I was reading where Bruce Boudreau (former Caps coach now doing TV) was equating the Lindgren hit with Ovechkin winning the game, which is nonsense — Ovechkin was doing nothing until he got to the net for two gimme putts. Boudreau said that when he was coaching other teams, he would tell them not to hit Ovechkin and wake him up. To let him sleep. Yeah, right. If memory serves, Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh and Marc Staal (not to mention Kevin Klein and others) frequently mixed it up with Ovechkin and had some success in a few playoff series against “All Series, Baby!” Ovechkin.

My 3 Rangers stars

1. Ryan Strome

2. Ryan Lindgren

3. Artemi Panarin

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206129 New York Rangers “disapproved” to “outright hated” list at some point. It comes with the territory. Some/many/most Rangers fans have to dislike the coach and/or a scapegoat defenseman. I get it. Some who do, have rational reasons. Some don’t. Rangers midseason review: What’s worked? What hasn’t? Assessing Mika Zibanejad, David Quinn, the goalies, more But … Quinn was hired to teach and develop, and he has certainly done that – with a hands-on, person-to-person approach with each player, the likes of which we haven’t seen here in decades.

By Rick Carpiniello Mar 19, 2021 You want to blame him for the slow starts to the careers of Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière? OK. But that’s hardly fair, especially since Kakko

has shown so much growth this year. You want to blame him for the Vitali This New York Rangers season isn’t about — cannot be about — wins, Kravtsov mess last season? I think that’s absurd. losses and loser points. It isn’t about making the playoffs or even about Quinn certainly has helped develop Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Chytil, staying in the race. K’Andre Miller, Igor Shesterkin, Pavel Buchnevich and even the It’s about development and progress and improvement. enigmatic Julien Gauthier. You can add in DeAngelo before his self- destruct. Quinn has helped turn Colin Blackwell into an NHL player. This is how the team will be judged. How the season will be judged. How There’s a ton of progress right there. the coaching staff will be judged. You can’t at the same time argue that he had little to do with Fox’s, As far as the record goes, well we predicted bumpy followed by more Lindgren’s and Miller’s success but that Kakko’s and Lafrenière’s bumpy, and that is exactly what we’ve gotten from the Rangers in the first struggles are his fault. half — though some of the adversity and flat-out bizarreness wasn’t on anybody’s radar. David Quinn with Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad. (Charles LeClaire / USA Today) The inconsistency, well, it had to be expected. Brett Howden has stalled, for sure, as a player. Hájek has come along “Unfortunately we’ve been shooting ourselves in the foot a little bit early slowly but is indeed coming along. Kravtsov and Nils Lundkvist are likely in games and are kind of chasing,” Ryan Strome said last week. “That’s a the next in line to arrive, or it could be a Morgan Barron at some point tough recipe for success in the NHL.” after the trade deadline.

Alas, the Rangers have bundles of metaphorical skates filled with Again, Quinn was hired to teach and develop — not necessarily to win. If metaphorical bullet holes. the wheels come completely off, maybe he’s in danger after the season. And when the rebuild turns the corner, he may not be the guy. We have You could argue that, given Tony DeAngelo’s dismissal, Artemi Panarin’s no way of knowing that now. But to think he’s going anywhere before the leave of absence, Filip Chytil’s injury, Mika Zibanejad’s scoring drought dust settles on this season, with the progress the organization has made, (he had all of three goals before Wednesday’s explosion after scoring 41 is ridiculous. in 57 games last year) and that neither goalie could stop a for portions of the season — not to mention the extreme youth and the entire Defensive structure coaching staff now being on the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol list — the Rangers may have actually overachieved thus far. This needed to be fixed, and to a great extent, it has been, despite the inexperience on defense. They enter the second half exactly at NHL-.500 (12-12-4, which is actually 12-16). For comps, we had to signify three different midseason The Rangers ranked 23rd in goals against (3.14 per game) and 30th in points last year because of what the pandemic did to the season. So last shots allowed (34.0 per) last season. This season, they’re 11th in goals year, after the same 28 games, the Rangers were 14-11-3. After 41 against (2.68), despite shoddy goaltending, and eighth in shots allowed games, which should have been the actual midseason point, they were (28.6). When you break down chances — and everybody does it 19-18-4. And after 35 games, which retroactively became the midseason differently — the Rangers’ staff’s stats show dramatic improvement. point when the season ended after 70 games, they were 17-14-4. So not It’s certainly not just the six defensemen on a given night. The forwards, a lot of difference, despite all of those aforementioned factors, plus the so guilty of flying the defensive zone and handling the puck in the neutral departures of , Jesper Fast and Marc Staal. zone like a hand grenade for years, are buying in, too. There have been house-of-cards moments — Jenga collapses like last Perhaps some of the stability comes from losing the skittish decision- week’s three straight losses by a combined 13-3 — and there have been making of Brady Skjei and DeAngelo. Some of it certainly needs to be dreadful-start games. But by and large, the Rangers have competed, and credited to assistant coach Jacques Martin. they’ve certainly defended. The Rangers stray sometimes, often within games, from period to period. Will it be enough, even if Zibanejad now takes off offensively and the Their downfall is almost always caused by their carelessness with the goalies begin to make the routine saves and a few above-average stops puck rather than chaos in defensive-zone coverage. Their defensemen each night? Probably not. But, again, that’s not what this season is are also spending much more time on their skates and less doing snow- about. angels to put themselves out of position. The Rangers are still a very young team, the youngest in the league, There really have not been many easy dunks around the net or rebound having used 10 players age 23 and under. They have had two goals. Still, though, there are far too many breakaways and two-on-ones. defensemen make their NHL debuts (one of them a regular on a top Those are usually the fault of turnovers in or around the neutral zone. pair), two sophomores on their best pair, and Libor Hájek, who has never played close to a full season but is technically not a rookie. They’ve seen improvement on the first pair — with Miller making his pro debut alongside Jacob Trouba, who has been miles better without Skjei So overall, what do we make of the first half of this truncated season? and in his second season with the team — and on the second and best Here’s how it breaks down: pair of Fox and Lindgren. What has worked? By and large, it’s been a grand step in the right direction. Coaching Penalty killing I know. I know. There is a portion of the fan base that is hardly enamored This is along the same lines as the overall defensive uptick and also has with David Quinn and the job he’s done. I also know that I’ve covered this a lot to do with the hiring of Martin, who replaced Lindy Ruff when he left team since it was coached by Fred Shero, and every single coach in that for New Jersey. time (the list goes: Shero, Craig Patrick, Herb Brooks, Patrick again, Ted Sator, Tom Webster, Phil Esposito, Michel Bergeron, Espo again, Roger Last season, the Rangers fell off the cliff in this department after a decent Neilson, Ron Smith, , Colin Campbell, John Muckler, John start. They ended up at 77.4 percent kill efficiency, ranked 23rd. This Tortorella, Ron Low, Bryan Trottier, Glen Sather, Tom Renney, Tortorella season, to date, the unit is fourth in the NHL at 85.9 percent. They have again, Alain Vigneault and Quinn … exhale) was somewhere on the fans’ killed 65 of the last 72 opposition power plays (90.3 percent) and allowed Lost faceoffs, an issue in every zone all season every season with this just 90 shots in those 72 opportunities. team, are certainly more problematic now. It seems the Rangers start an inordinate number of power plays with their first unit chasing the puck The Rangers pressure the puck more and force opposition power plays into their defensive zone and regrouping, a clock and momentum eater. to move it quickly. By remaining on their skates, the back-door plays are Not what you’re looking for. fewer and far between, and it seems they are also paying more attention to the net-front opponent. They have — and not nearly enough NHL Goaltending teams do this — tried to remove the Alex Ovechkin Office option by having a man cheat to the left circle, and it’s been effective. This sure as hell was not foreseen to be an issue. It sure as hell is one.

The Rangers, with the departures of Fast and Staal (and Skjei), The Rangers have gotten what they’ve deserved most nights. But it’s found/discovered some new penalty killers, too, in Buchnevich and pretty rare, isn’t it, that a team doesn’t occasionally get a fate worse or occasionally Chris Kreider. Certainly Kevin Rooney and Howden have better? I mean, have the Rangers stolen a win at any point yet? Have been effective. they been outplayed but managed to get a point, or two points?

Now, if they could win some faceoffs … No, they haven’t.

What hasn’t worked? This makes you think and, if possible, appreciate even more the entire Henrik Lundqvist era. The offense Lundqvist’s time was up, no doubt, especially given his age and his Well, at least until that sublime seven-goal second period Wednesday. contract. It just appeared that the Rangers had two better options in Shesterkin, who burst onto the scene in January 2020, and Alexandar The Rangers scored more than their share in 2019-20, with 3.33 goals Georgiev, who was better than Lundqvist in the second half of 2018-19 per game to rank fifth in the NHL, despite an unwillingness to shoot (31.1 and for pretty much most of 2019-20. shots on goal per game, 20th in the league). This season – and remember these totals are inflated by the back-to-back games in which The figuring was that Shesterkin would be the heir to Lundqvist’s throne they scored 13 goals against the defenseless Flyers — they’re at 3.00 and Georgiev would be a 1 and 1A. They would at least be a very goals per (15th) and 29.5 shots on goal (20th). dependable tandem.

The easiest assessment, and not at all an unfair one, starts and ends It hasn’t worked out that way at all. Georgiev’s struggles — after he shut with Zibanejad’s inexplicable troubles. And if it’s at all due to his bout with out the then-woeful Islanders in his first start — are eye-popping, with COVID-19 during training camp, then indeed, there’s an explanation. soft goals galore. Perhaps, you could ask, it has spiraled since his postgame altercation that got DeAngelo the boot? Either way, he was You take away a player who was the hottest in the NHL when it “paused” hooked from his two starts prior to Wednesday’s shutout, and taxi- last season — a player who was scoring on a ridiculous 0.719 goals-per- squadder Keith Kinkaid started two in a row (one of those a shutout of game rate and had lifted himself into the conversation as one of the elite Boston, one a 5-4 overtime loss to Philadelphia). two-way centers in the game — and what have you got? Shesterkin continues to rehab a minor groin strain, which, no matter how You also take away one of the best offensive defensemen in the NHL in minor, can’t be a minor deal to a goalie who relies on his explosiveness. DeAngelo after six games (albeit with just one assist, after going for 15 And, really, he was prone to some softies too earlier in the season. goals and 53 points in 68 games last season), and those are two mega- weapons missing. For another 11 games, Panarin sat out with an injury Now there is the question about his ability to stay healthy, after being and a personal leave of absence, a massive hole in the lineup. injured three times last season (one of them in a car crash, one in the play-in series) and now again in a 27-game career. The Rangers would love more, and surely expected at least a bit more, from Kakko and Lafrenière, who have combined for six goals and 12 The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 points (Kakko missed seven games, too).

And so you have it. A team that’s pretty good on the bottom six but missing far too much by too many at the top. The other top-three forwards — Buchnevich, Strome and Kreider — have been producing recently, but none are putting up big numbers and the latter two had their early-season droughts.

Zibanejad had been trending upward slowly even before Wednesday, and Panarin and Chytil are back. You’d think that will mean an uptick in offense. We’ll see.

The power play

For all the same reasons, the man-advantage unit has fallen off big-time. The Rangers miss DeAngelo as their quarterback here, for sure. He was the best they had in terms of transporting the puck up ice and entering the zone.

Fox has done a better than good job in his place, but without the numbers. He figures to be a great point man in his career.

The Rangers still get fancy and slow in their setup, trying for the perfect play rather than the simple — and proven, time and again, effective — shots and bodies to the net.

The perfect play looks great when it happens. When the Rangers make one, as they sometimes do, they tend to get even prettier for a while. I certainly think volume is a better approach, especially with a stud net- front guy like Kreider. The power play also falls into a comfort zone on the perimeter, which sure makes things easy on the many structured opponents’ PK boxes, not to mention their goalies.

The alignment of Zibanejad in the high slot, and the repeated forced passes to him, have stalled the power play frequently. His inability to get off that previously lethal one-timer with any velocity or accuracy is a hindrance. Buchnevich, good as he’s been, won’t shoot it on the power play — and he’s got a great shot. 1206130 NHL The news was greeted in Canada like some sort of national windfall. In particular, Rogers was delighted that it is now paying roughly the same amount for TV rights as its U.S. counterpart (to reach a potential audience one-tenth the size). NFL coming out of pandemic as the big winner The deal is neither national nor a windfall. The NHL is only Canadian once it steps north of the border. At customs, it slips on a lumber jacket, cracks a Molson Brador and hangs a bunch of “eh’s” on its sentences. If Cathal Kelly the NHL sat next to you at a bar, you’d move.

In actuality, the NHL is a hipster American. It’s based in New York, Because they are community-owned, the Green Bay Packers’ books are vacations in Cape Cod and really, really wants to be liked by the cool open to the public. kids in Los Angeles. It covets what LeBron James has – to be invited to buy a slice of the Boston Red Sox just because you are an international Last year, Green Bay’s share of the NFL’s revenue distribution was phenomenon, a crossover meta-star. The NHL might not kill, but it would US$296-million. That revenue is largely drawn from TV contracts and certainly maim to find itself invited to those sorts of parties. divvied evenly among all 32 clubs. The new ESPN deal proves how difficult, verging on impossible, that goal Meanwhile, the NFL’s salary cap is headed down because of pandemic has become. pressures. It’ll be US$182-million next season. ESPN (through its parent company, Disney) will pay US$2.7-billion So before an NFL team takes the field, before it sells a parking space, annually for its new deal. That gets it Monday Night Football, a prints a ticket or pours a beer, it is more than a hundred million bucks in crack at the Super Bowl starting in five years time and a few more games the black. on ABC. It’s 23 or 24 days of live programming a year.

And that was on the old TV contracts. This week, the league signed a By contrast, the NHL deal gives ESPN hundreds and hundreds of new tranche of deals. They reportedly total US$105-billion over 11 years. games, including , to be aired across multiple platforms. Amazon is so desperate to get in on the action it is giving the league a billion bucks a year to stream Thursday Night Football, the property none The NHL deal is ESPN’s lab rat. It’s using it to test the new strain of of the other suitors wanted to get stuck with. That’s in the neighbourhood televisual sports entertainment. And it will get all this for 15 cents on the of US$65-million a game for the likes of Jacksonville vs. Detroit. dollar for what it paid the NFL.

When numbers like this get tossed around, commentators like to say It’s enough money to live on, but it isn’t anywhere near enough to grow. things such as “unprecedented.” But this is all extremely precedented. Not when you’re speaking in modern sports terms. That’s the macro reason club valuations are slipping. It’s becoming clear that while the For most of a generation, the sports business has been tidal. The tide NHL is a corporate unicorn, its horn is short and stubby and doesn’t have came in and never went back out. It just kept rising. much magic left in it. In the process, it floated all boats. Some boats floated higher than others. What remains to be determined is whether the NHL keeps the pack up But the real nugget, club valuations, only went one way. It didn’t much front in sight, or begins getting lapped. matter which sport you decided to plant your flag in. The only trick was jumping on the chance to buy. There is a very possible world in which the next few years of NHL reporting is centred on devolution and ownership retrenchment, rather For instance, the Sacramento Kings. Tech mogul Vivek Ranadive bought than the constant expansion talk we’d got used to. Once you get going a majority share in the club in 2013. That deal valued the NBA franchise the wrong way, things can get out of hand quickly. And there are no new at about US$500-million. TV deals coming up to rescue the league from any further downturn. At the time, the Kings were the most cursed team in the NBA, playing in It used to be said how tough a business hockey is. It wasn’t. For a good its worst arena, servicing the least major-league city in the United States stretch, hockey was the among the easiest businesses in the world. But and possibly the universe. There are no distressed assets in the major it’s going to toughen up soon. leagues, but the Kings were pretty close. Why leash yourself to this pig? Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.20.2021 Ranadive’s answer: money. He said he expected the club to be worth “billions of dollars” in the near future. People laughed at him. The Kings’ current value – US$1.8-billion and headed north.

Are you fading a bit after that blizzard of numbers? Yeah, me too. That’s the reason you and I aren’t rich – we share the peasantry’s low tolerance for math.

But once you’ve achieved a certain level, math no longer matters. Your money finds more money. Again, I’m not sure how. If I knew, I wouldn’t tell you.

For a while there, sports was a fixed slot machine. All you had to do was wangle your way into the casino and you were guaranteed a jackpot.

Not quite as much any more. For the first time in a long time, we can begin speaking of winners and losers in the business of sport.

If the NFL has won the pandemic, the NHL is fading at the back. We say there are four major leagues in North America. Financially, it’s more like three majors and one major-minor. The past year cemented that.

For the first time since the turn of the century, according to Forbes, the average value of an NHL franchise fell.

It’s only down 2 per cent on average, but it’s the direction that matters, not the amount. The NHL missed a gear going up the COVID-19 hill. Once you start rolling backward, it’s hard to get going forward again.

Then the NHL re-upped its U.S. TV deals. ESPN will replace NBC as its major partner. The money got better. NBC paid US$200-million annually for exclusive rights. ESPN will pay in the neighbourhood of US$400- million for a shared package. 1206131 Ottawa Senators No, he wasn’t expecting this when he signed with the Oilers originally. “A lot of things have happened in the world and the rules have changed

throughout the season with COVID-19. The third goalie has been more SNAPSHOTS: Anton Forsberg is ready to suit up for Belleville Senators important than ever. I’m just happy to be here right now,” Forsberg said. ... Erik Brannstrom just needs time to develop Yes, he’s on a one-way deal that pays him $700,000 this season, but Forsberg has a family back in Winnipeg that has to make its way to Ottawa. Bruce Garrioch “For myself, it’s the same thing over-and-over, I come to a new team, I Publishing date: Mar 19, 2021 get to practice and I get to see all the guys,” Forsberg said. “It’s been worse for the family, moving around and following me. My son has been

in pre-school and now he has to move to Ottawa with my wife. Now, we As the skate got under way Friday at the Canadian Tire Centre, Filip have to get new friends, which is even tougher, with all the Gustavsson was the first one out of the dressing room and spent some circumstances. time near the middle of the ice having a chat with goalie coach Pierre “It’s hard for them than it’s for me.” Groulx. HITTING THE ICE A few minutes later, there was a welcome visitor to complete the trio when Anton Forsberg made an appearance wearing a blue pair of pads. The good news for Forsberg is he’ll get a chance to play in Ottawa immediately. Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forserg from today’s skate, his first with the team. He will suit up Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. for Belleville against the Laval Rocket at home. The Senators won’t throw him into the net in the Picked up on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets Wednesday, Forsberg NHL when he hasn’t played a game at any level in nearly a year. Getting wasn’t supposed to join the club for a week after undergoing four COVID- the chance to play in the AHL will be a good tuneup in case he’s called 19 tests, but when Joey Daccord went down Wednesday night against on to play with the Senators. the Vancouver Canucks with what Postmedia has confirmed is high ankle sprain, the decision was made to charter a private jet to bring the 28- “It’ll be nice,” Forsberg said. “It’s going to be fun too because it’s been year-old to Ottawa Thursday afternoon. awhile since I played a game. It’s been a long road with a lot of practices and a lot of shots. It’s not the same as playing a game so it’s going to be The Senators are already without top goaltender Matt Murray (upper nice to be back in there.” body) and Marcus Hogberg (lower). Both skated Friday before the Senators held practice, but it doesn’t appear either are close to a return. He may have moved around a lot but he was a sight for sore eyes for the It wouldn’t be surprising to see Gustavsson make his first NHL start Senators. Monday against Calgary but coach D.J. Smith wasn’t tipping his hand. “When you get this thin and you’re turning to the kids like (Gustavsson) “I’m not set on anything yet,” said Smith on his daily Zoom call. “We’ll you don’t want to be in a position where you’re ruining guys careers by make that decision after practice Sunday. We have a little bit of an idea putting them in a bad situation,” Smith said. “A guy like Forsberg who has but we’ll see what happens.” been in the league and played is capable of coming in and giving us a good game.” While Forsberg was thinking of making the drive to Ottawa from Winnipeg to avoid having to go through the quarantine procedure, that BRANNSTROM NEEDS TIME would have taken 24 hours (depending on the weather conditions) and he still would’ve been forced to self-isolate for a week. Erik Brannstrom will also spend the weekend with Belleville and maybe that’s what he needs. Owner Eugene Melnyk had no problem getting a charter to get Forsberg here and available. The 21-year-old Brannstrom was a healthy scratch for the club’s last four games because Christian Wolanin has returned to the lineup and with the General manager Pierre Dorion consulted NHL deputy commissioner Bill exception of the odd mistake has played well. Daly during the game Wednesday to see what the best course of action would be to take. The Senators club doctors also spoke with their For those who think Brannstrom should be handed a spot because of his counterparts with the Jets to make sure that Forsberg continued go age, Dorion made it clear Friday that it may be best for him to follow in through testing until a decision could be made. the footsteps of winger Drake Batherson.

“If we chartered a plane, because he was going from a bubble to a “Where Drake was last year is where is this year,” said Dorion. “We gave bubble, and he wasn’t in contact with anyone in Canada, we were told he Drake 23 games last year and he showed us at times he could be an could just join our team immediately,” Dorion said Friday on TSN 1200. NHL player and at times he showed us he wasn’t ready. It’s the same “We went ahead and did that and we’re happy he’s on the ice with us situation with Erik.” today. Dorion and Smith have stated several times young players won’t be “It’s an added expense, I went to (Melnyk) and he said, ‘Just get it done’ rushed. There is feeling in some circles of social media that players like and the reply I got from him was ‘That’s great’ when we knew that we Brannstrom should be just allowed to play even if they’re struggling. That could get it done.” won’t be the case.

This hasn’t been an easy year for Forsberg. “Both guys (Brannstrom and Batherson) are extremely talented,” Dorion said. “We’re not going to dispute that fact. Erik has offensive IQ. He He signed with the Edmonton Oilers in October, was picked up off passes the puck well, he shoots it well and he can transition with speed, waivers by the Carolina Hurricanes Jan. 12 and claimed by the Jets on brains and hands. Jan. 15. He’s been on the taxi squad of the Jets since then and hasn’t even had the chance to play a game yet in the NHL this season. “Where Drake was last year with his play away from the puck, it’s the same for Erik Brannstrom. It’s his play in his own end that has to be Forsberg, who started his career with the Columbus Blue after being better. He’s going to go down there and, I’m sure, at some point we’ll call selected No. 188 overall in 2011, also spent time with the Chicago him back up and we just feel he needs a bit more time. We don’t want to Blackhawks. He had two years with the Hurricanes, but didn’t actually rush these guys when they’re not playing well.” report to them when they picked him in January because they had planned to waive him to send him to the taxi squad. Wolanin has helped his own cause.

The Jets had lost Eric Comrie and that’s where Forsberg has been since. “He given us some really good hockey,” Dorion said. “Right now, He was happy to get the chance to skate. Christian is playing better than Erik, but we believe that he’ll be a really good NHL defenceman, definitely in our top four as we move forward. He “I’ll do anything to not have to go through the quarantine again,” said just needs more time.” Forsberg, who has attended a goalie school in Sweden with Hogberg. “I’ve gone through it a couple of times now.” DEADLINE APPROACHING As suggested in this space earlier this week, it could be a quiet deadline for the Senators.

Yes, the Senators have nine unrestricted free agents, but making moves could be difficult with COVID-19 protocols, quarantine rules and the number of sellers with the deadline set for April 12 at 3 p.m. ET.

“There’s a lot of checking in going on but as you can see there’s not a lot of transactions,” said Dorion. “The feeling I get, and I’m one of the guys that talks to a lot of teams, and contrary to other years a lot of guys are calling me, I’d predict it’s going to be a fairly quiet deadline. Not just for the Senators, but for the whole NHL.

“Just because of the landscape of everything. It’s a buyer’s market rather than a seller’s market. In talking to my colleagues, I get the feeling we’re not going to see as many trades as we have in the past.”

THE LAST WORDS

Centre Colin White, who didn’t finish Wednesday’s game because of an upper body injury, started the skate Friday in a blue non-contact jersey and completed taking part in all the drills with a regular red sweater on. The expectation is with this break in the schedule that will allow White to suit up for the game. Centre Artem Anisimov wasn’t on the ice for the fourth straight day with an undisclosed ailment … The Senators are try to use this break to work on areas they want to improve. Yes, they did work on the power play and the penalty killing, but Smith badly wants this team to play better defensively in the final 24 games. The players will have Saturday off before returning to skate Sunday. “We worked a little bit today on out and keeping guys out of the front of our net,” Smith said. “We’ve just got to continue to compete. These are areas you don’t get a ton of time to work and we’ll try to touch on them again Sunday.” … With four draft picks — Shane Pinto, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Jake Sanderson and Tyler Kleven — at the University of North Dakota, the Senators will be keeping a close eye on their progress at the NCAA regional tourney next weekend in Duluth, Minn. Pinto and Bernard- Docker are both expected to sign with the Senators and join the club once the season ends while Sanderson, the No. 5 overall pick in the draft, will most certainly be offered the opportunity to turn pro. Kleven has another year left in school. Dorion said he’s spoken to the advisors for all four but has told them to focus on having success at UND. “I texted all four of them two days ago. I said the NHL will be here for a long time, focus on one thing and that’s winning the NCAA championship,” said Dorion. “We want winners in our organization.” Dorion said Bernard- Docker, who’s sidelined with an injury, should be ready to play next week.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206132 Ottawa Senators “Murray had a good day today,” said Dorion. As for Hogberg, his injury is coming along slower than expected, but he’ll

suit up for the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville in the next couple of week Senators' GM Pierre Dorion says goaltender Joey Daccord likely won't be because he hasn’t played in over a month. back this season “Hogberg knows he’s going to do a conditioning stint in Belleville by the end of the month,” Dorion added.

Bruce Garrioch Naturally, this is bad news for Daccord who was getting a chance to make steps in his development. He was expected to spend the year in Publishing date: Mar 19, 2021 the AHL and, all of a sudden, he took over the crease in Ottawa. A No. 199 overall pick in the seventh round in 2015, the Boston native will have

to focus on getting ready for next year. The Ottawa Senators and their faithful have seen the last of Joey “It really is (tough News). He gives us a chance to win every night,” said Daccord this season. coach D.J. Smith. “His energy level was infectious throughout the room As Postmedia reported first Friday, Daccord has a high ankle sprain and and just his compete level is so high and it was just so high I think it the timetable on those are difficult to predict because in some cases the matched our group.” recovery time can be worse than a break. The Senators will have an off-day Saturday and will be back on the Helped off the ice with a left leg injury in the third period of the club’s 3-2 Sunday to prepare for the two-games series vs. Calgary. overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks Wednesday night, Daccord’s season is likely over, less than a week after he secured his first NHL victory. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.20.2021 Senators’ general manager Pierre Dorion, speaking to TSN 1200 Friday morning while the club was on the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre, indicated while the club’s medical staff needs a few more days to make a final assessment it’s doubtful the 24-year-old Daccord will play again this season.

“Daccord is going to be out long-term. He’s out for awhile,” said Dorion.

There was some good news on the goaltending front Friday when Anton Forsberg suited up for his first skate with the club at the Canadian Tire Centre. Picked up on waivers from the Winnipeg Jets Wednesday, the Senators made the decision to charter Forsberg to Ottawa when Daccord suffered the injury.

Since Forsberg took a charter, he didn’t have to go through COVID-19 quarantine because as Dorion noted he’s going from a bubble in Winnipeg to a bubble in Ottawa. He will be able to dress Monday when the Senators face the Calgary Flames at home but it wouldn’t be any surprise to see Filip Gustavsson make the start.

The Senators had to turn to Daccord last Sunday night to make the start before facing the Toronto Maple Leafs at home. Matt Murray was scheduled to be in the net, but told Daccord just before warmup got under way there was an injury issue and he may have to start. He made eight appearances in the club’s net

It didn’t take Daccord long to win the hearts of Ottawa fans. He made 33 stops in the club’s 4-3 victory over the Leafs and then another 25 stops in a 3-2 overtime loss Monday night to the Canucks. Daccord was injured moving across the crease and he didn’t look good leaving the ice.

Many thought it was a knee injury because of the way Daccord went down, the only good news is that with a high ankle sprain he’s not going to require surgery to make a recovery. Given the fact there’s only six weeks left in the season, it would be tough for Daccord to get back on the ice before the year wraps up May 8.

Daccord gave an emotional post-game interview after the victory over the Leafs and he did give the club a chance to win in all three appearances. Gustavsson saw his first NHL action when Daccord wasn’t able to continue. The final timeline hasn’t been set but the news isn’t good.

“Let’s just say it’s awhile,” said Dorion. “I don’t want to put a timeline on it but there’s a good chance and there was a timeline I was given, but sometimes you just have to wait a few days for the swelling to go down. It’s most likely the season.”

In eight appearances this season with the Senators, Daccord posted a 1- 3-1 record, has a 3.27 goals-against average and an .897 save- percentage. He was called up from the club’s AHL affiliate in Belleville when Marcus Hogberg went down in Feb. 18 with an undisclosed lower body injury on Feb. 18 against the Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Daccord’s role here became even more important last Sunday when Murray wasn’t able to suit up because of an undisclosed upper body injury. He was on the ice for the first time since he left the warmup Sunday and there’s no timetable for his return but as reported by Postmedia Thursday he’s listed as week-to-week. 1206133 Ottawa Senators him back up. But we just feel like he needs a bit more time. We don’t want to rush these guys when they’re not playing well.”

It was clear from the general manager’s comments that the Senators Senators GM Pierre Dorion speaks: 10 takeaways, from the latest on believe Mike Reilly and Christian Wolanin are better options behind Logan Brown to ‘development by failure’ Chabot on the left side right now. But it was also evident that there has not been a shift in the assessment of Brannstrom as a crucial part of this team down the road.

By Ian Mendes “Right now, (Wolanin) is playing better than Erik. But Erik will be a really good NHL defenceman — definitely in our top four,” Dorion said. “He just Mar 19, 2021 needs some time.”

Patience was the operative theme for Dorion on Friday — and it was best Pierre Dorion has been rather quiet on the media front recently. exemplified by his comments about the 21-year-old Brannstrom.

The Senators general manager has not done a full press conference or 3. Joey Daccord is likely done for the season availability with members of the media since the season started more Fans were holding out hope that Joey Daccord’s injury would play out than two months ago. The only time you see him is when the television like Colin White’s injury in Edmonton did a couple of weeks ago, where cameras cut to his reaction to a goal or a missed tripping call against an apparent catastrophic injury was avoided. Thomas Chabot. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, as Daccord is likely done for the On Friday morning, however, he made a surprise appearance on TSN remainder of the season with the lower-body injury he suffered 1200’s “In the Box” midday show. Wednesday night. The club is waiting for the swelling to subside before it His 20-minute interview included plenty of interesting nuggets for can get a proper diagnosis. Senators fans. “It’s going to be long term here. He’s going to be out for a while,” Dorion So I decided to rank them in order of importance. Here are the 10 most said. “I don’t want to put a timeline on it, but it looks like it might be the interesting things to come from Dorion’s radio appearance: season.”

1. Logan Brown was this close to playing on a line with Tim Stützle and Daccord had instantly become a fan favourite, and his injury certainly Drake Batherson in March makes the goaltending situation down the stretch more intriguing. Maybe it will allow Marcus Hogberg to reclaim his status as the team’s backup “We know Logan is talented. We know his offensive upside. We want him for next season. to be successful,” Dorion said. “Once he’s healthy, he’ll definitely get his chance again.” 4. Speaking of which, what’s up with the other goalies?

It’s a quote that could easily be from 2018, 2019 or 2020. But that’s what Dorion provided injury updates on Matt Murray and Hogberg. Dorion said Friday in regard to 23-year-old Logan Brown. At this stage of the game, Murray is being listed as out on a week-to- It’s a repetitive and predictable cycle in Ottawa. week basis with an upper-body injury. Hogberg’s ailment will likely keep him out a little longer, but the club hopes he can get a conditioning stint The general manager praises the upside of Brown. But through injury or in Belleville by the end of the month. other circumstance, the player doesn’t get a crack with the NHL club. That means Anton Forsberg, who was claimed off waivers this week, But here’s the interesting plot twist: The general manager added that if could be ready for some NHL action. He’ll suit up for Belleville on Brown weren’t suffering from an injury, he would have been recalled to Saturday after the club chartered a plane for him to travel to Ottawa while the NHL team and played on a line with Tim Stützle and Drake abiding by the NHL’s quarantine rules. Batherson. That’s a line combination many fans have been clamouring for, and it almost came to fruition if not for Brown’s most recent injury. Forsberg and Filip Gustavsson will likely be Ottawa’s duo available to play Monday against Calgary. Brown likely won’t play for Belleville this weekend, and he will need a few games in the AHL, but Dorion reiterated the desire to give him NHL Even before the rash of injuries, the goaltending situation has been games this season. problematic for the Senators this season. They rank 31st in the NHL in save percentage (.877) and goals-against average (3.86) “Give him that 10-game segment to show what he can do,” Dorion said. “Night in and night out, give him 12 to 15 or 10 to 15 minutes. And “Goaltending needs to be more consistent. It can’t be a night where we’re definitely get some power-play time.” great and then another night where every second or third shot is going in,” Dorion said. “We still have a lot of faith in Matt. I thought of late, he If the Senators give Logan Brown a 10-game audition this season playing found a bit more consistency, but I think he knows he has to be better.” between Stützle and Batherson, it will make the final stretch super compelling for fans. It’s hard to think of a bigger audition. 5. The update on the UND players

2. Erik Brannstrom is back in the AHL. What does that mean? Speculation has been ramping up that the Senators will be trying to sign all three of their highly touted prospects from the University of North This was supposed to be Erik Brannstrom’s breakout season, but as we Dakota. close in on the 35-game mark, the talented defenceman is back in the AHL. Dorion was understandably tight-lipped about the situation, saying only that he sent a text message to Jake Sanderson, Jacob Bernard-Docker Brannstrom was demoted Thursday after he was a healthy scratch in four and Shane Pinto a couple of days ago. consecutive games. Dorion was adamant that the development plan with Brannstrom is similar to what the Senators experienced with Batherson His message to the players? last season. “The NHL will be here for a long time. Focus on one thing: Winning the In the 2019-20 campaign, Batherson played only 23 games in the NHL NCAA. We want winners in our organization.” and wasn’t able to earn the trust of head coach D.J. Smith. This season, Dorion evaded the question about the status of the players by simply Batherson looks like a completely different player — one filled with poise referencing his text to the players and saying, “That’s the best political and confidence — and played north of 19 minutes in each of the team’s answer I can give you.” extra-time losses to Vancouver this week. Dorion added that Bernard-Docker, who suffered an injury when he lost “Where Drake was last year is where Erik is this year. I think it’s the his balance and crashed into the boards last week, should be ready for same situation. Where Drake was last year with his play away from the the regional portion of the NCAA Tournament next week. puck, it’s the same thing with Erik Brannstrom,” Dorion said. “It’s his play in his own end has to be better. At some point in time, I’m sure we’ll bring At one point in his answer, Dorion did acknowledge that Sanderson, Bernard-Docker and Pinto “are close to the NHL.” It seems like a forgone conclusion that Bernard-Docker and Pinto will be coming out, but if the Two months into the season, the Senators are in 30th place overall with Senators can also persuade Sanderson to turn pro, it will be one of the just 10 wins in 33 games. biggest storylines of the next few months in Ottawa. “It’s a year where there has been some development by failure. This is a 6. What about other unsigned prospects in the system? growing year,” Dorion said Friday. “We’re learning to win. We’re learning to play the right way.” Dorion said the club expects to sign goalie Mads Sogaard to his entry- level deal after his season wraps up in Denmark. That comment is not quite a 180-degree turn from his preseason statement, but it is interesting to hear the general manager call this “a “We have talked contract, and he will join Belleville,” Dorion said. growing year” two months after he talked of “a huge step forward.”

Dorion added that he’s hopeful to sign Roby Jarventie, Viktor Lodin and Dorion added, “Overall, we’re really happy with our progress of our Eric Engstand to pro contracts and have them play in Belleville next younger players. And I think that’s key for us where we want to be next season, as well. year.”

The club also signed Angus Crookshank to an entry-level deal this week, At some point, the “next year” mantra is going to wear thin in this market. and Dorion said it was clear the 21-year-old had nothing left to This team eventually has to take a giant step forward in the standings. accomplish at the NCAA level after a dominant junior campaign in New Hampshire.

The AHL roster slowly seems to be taking shape for next fall, which is The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 good news for Belleville, which currently has a 2-8-0 record.

7. Does Dorion believe Stützle will be a centre for this team?

An excellent question asked by TSN 1200 host Steve Lloyd during this interview was where the general manager eventually sees Stützle playing. There is a belief the 19-year-old will eventually shift over from left wing to become a centreman.

“He can probably play any of the three forward positions,” Dorion said. “At a certain point in time, D.J. will try him (at centre). Let’s not put a definite answer on that. When you’re smart like him, anywhere.”

Dorion felt like Stützle’s brief cameo at centre two weeks ago against Edmonton “seemed to be a lot for him,” so it’s uncertain how much more we’ll see Stützle in the middle down the stretch. In any event, the organization believes Stützle can drive a line from either position.

But the fact Dorion seemed noncommittal was interesting.

8. Dorion predicts a quiet trade deadline

Dorion knows all about the frenzied action around the trade deadline, but the general manager does not believe there will be significant transactions this season.

“I predict we’ll see a fairly quiet trade deadline, not just for the Senators but for the entire NHL, just because of the landscape for everything,” Dorion said. “It’s a buyer’s market compared to a seller’s market. Things can change quickly, but in talking to my counterparts, I get the feeling we’re not going to see as many trades as we have in the past.”

The two pending unrestricted free agents who have been mentioned the most in trade chatter are Reilly and Ryan Dzingel, and neither is expected to fetch a massive return on the open market.

9. So why did they cut Filip Chlapik loose?

A lot of eyebrows were raised when the Senators placed Filip Chlapik on unconditional waivers last month for the purpose of terminating his contract.

Chlapik subsequently signed a professional contract in the Finnish Elite League and has now appeared in five games for the Lahit Pelicans. Dorion shed some light on the situation, saying Chlapik was unhappy with the potential of spending the season on the taxi squad.

“People don’t know the underlying facts about certain situations. Filip was having no fun playing hockey in North America,” Dorion explained. “He asked for his outright release. As much as it’s a competitive environment we try and create, at times you have to think about people and their mental health. These aren’t easy decisions, but that’s why we made that decision.”

There is obviously more beneath the surface, but kudos to the organization if it placed a priority on Chlapik’s mental health.

10. What’s Dorion’s midseason assessment?

Before the season, Dorion suggested the Senators were ready to climb out of the basement of the NHL standings. In each of the past three seasons, the club has finished no higher than 30th overall.

“We’ve got to take a huge step forward,” Dorion said on Jan. 14, the day before the Senators played their first regular-season game. 1206134 Ottawa Senators Luszczyszyn has given each player a GSVA (Game Score Value Add), which is basically a metric that translates into a win-value for each player. As you’ll see below, Mark Stone is the runaway leader using this measuring tool. A roster of all-traded Senators players vs. the current team: Who would win? Here is a look at your ex-Senators team:

The salary cap hit for this team comes in at 79.1 million, just shy of the upper limit. There are some big-ticket contracts in the likes of Karlsson, By Ian Mendes Stone and Duchene and a handful of players who come in north of the $5 million mark like Nick Foligno, Mika Zibanejad, Jakob Silfverberg and Mar 19, 2021 Pageau.

But how good would they be if they were actually together? One of the great questions asked by every fan base is “what if?” According to Luszczyszyn, if this team was together for a full 82-game Fans in Ottawa have no shortage of queries that start with that two-word NHL regular season, they would be a 91-point team. That puts them in phrase. line to be a playoff bubble team, so at least Ottawa fans don’t have to worry that they gradually let an elite Stanley Cup juggernaut walk out the What if we didn’t trade Mark Stone? door.

What if we had a downtown arena? In many ways, it’s fitting they’re a playoff bubble team because that would probably characterize the Karlsson and Stone era in Ottawa, What if Tie Domi had better balance? where the team was pretty good but never quite elite. (I’ll patiently wait Sometimes, the “what if” game can be exhausting, causing endless grief for someone to drop into the comments section with a “BUT THEY GOT for passionate fans. And it certainly feels like the “what if” question pops TO WITHIN A GOAL OF THE CUP FINAL!”) up more in Ottawa than in most markets. The irony here is that Luszczyszyn feels like this ex-Ottawa team is being No NHL franchise has watched more high-profile, marquee players walk held up by … wait for it … problems on the blue line. It’s a familiar chorus out the door over the past few seasons than the Senators. Captains like that we’ve heard in Ottawa, so maybe it’s refreshing to hear that the team Jason Spezza and Erik Karlsson. Potential captains like Stone and Jean- comprised of ex-Senators is also facing an uphill battle on the back end. Gabriel Pageau. Fan favourites like Kyle Turris and Mark Borowiecki. With all of that in mind, let’s break down each of the positions, starting Add in a quick, revolving door visit from and we’ve got a with the forwards. pretty good list of high-profile players who have left Ottawa in a short Line 1: Mike Hoffman-Mika Zibanejad-Mark Stone window of time. What stings about this line is there is nothing the Senators have in their So I was thinking it was time to add a new “what if” question for us to lineup right now to show for these departures. The Senators had a bona ponder: What if all the active players the Senators have gotten rid of over fide, legitimate first line and now there is nothing here at the NHL level. the past few years were on the same team right now? Erik Brannstrom is in the AHL this weekend and he was supposed to be Could we even fit them all under the salary cap? the main piece coming back in the Stone trade. Would they be a Stanley Cup contender? You can *maybe* make an argument that the Senators flipped their And how would they stack up if we pitted them head-to-head against the return for Zibanejad (Derick Brassard) into Jacob Bernard-Docker and current edition of the Senators? Filip Gustavsson. But Gustavsson only made his NHL debut on Wednesday because the three goalies ahead of him on the depth chart I wanted to answer all three of these questions in this column. But before were injured this week. Of course that happened to be the same night we delve into the roster construction, there are a couple of background Zibanejad exploded for six points against the Flyers because the hockey notes on how I assembled the team comprised of ex-Sens players. gods have a twisted sense of humour.

1. They had to fit in below the NHL’s $81.5 million salary cap. That meant Also, as part of the recent CBA that was signed in the summer of 2020, a couple of players had to be left off the roster to make this work. For we are no longer allowed to talk about the Mike Hoffman trade in Ottawa. example, I wanted to put Ian Cole on the blue line for two reasons: Line 2: Anthony Duclair-J-G Pageau-Jakob Silfverberg a) He would significantly bolster the blue line. I think this would be a fun line to watch and the level of irony seeing b) It would be hilarious to have a guy who never played a game for Silfverberg and Bobby Ryan on the same team seems about right. Ottawa on the ex-Sens squad. Duclair’s one-year, $1.7 million deal with the Florida Panthers really But alas, Cole’s $4.25 million cap hit was a bit too much to squeeze in helps with the roster flexibility, as he’s the lowest-paid member of this there. So I put Frederik Claesson and his $700,000 salary on the squad top-six group by a healthy margin. instead. I also left off the likes of Curtis Lazar, Derick Brassard, Tyler Line 3: Nick Foligno-Matt Duchene-Alex Chiasson Ennis and Vladislav Namestnikov and some other players. But if fans would rather use a different roster deployment to squeeze in Cole — or Matt Duchene’s enormous contract hit of $8 million almost left him off this someone else — I’d love to hear about it in the comments section below. team, but I still think he brings enough to the table to warrant a spot. But at this stage, I would be giving more minutes to Pageau, which is why I 2. These had to be players Ottawa either traded or chose to cut ties with have Duchene in my No. 3 spot. And there’s no doubt in my mind that the themselves as an organization. Anthony Duclair was included because 33-year-old Foligno would be in the running to be the captain of this the Senators chose not to qualify him last summer and their actions led team. directly to him becoming an unrestricted free agent. Same with Bobby Ryan, whose contract was bought out last fall which also made him an Line 4: Kyle Turris-Jason Spezza-Bobby Ryan unrestricted free agent. The only glaring omission from the team below is This line would be the unquestioned fan favourite, right? And the internal Zdeno Chara and I opted to leave him out because he left Ottawa as a dynamic on this line would be fascinating to observe. free agent — even though I believe the team wanted him back. I don’t believe Chara belongs on this team of active Sens castaways because Turris and Spezza can talk about the time they teamed up for that his situation was completely unique and he walked out the door for highlight reel goal in Winnipeg. nothing in the prime of his career. Spezza and Ryan can talk about that one season where they were OK, now that I’ve upset you with these arbitrary rules of engagement, teammates but never played together. let’s move along to the unveiling of the roster. And then Turris and Ryan can avoid talking about that time they fought With the assistance of our analytics guru Dom Luszczyszyn, we put each other in a Nashville-Ottawa game. together the following starting lineup for the team of ex-Sens players. Defence pair No. 1: Bowen Byram-Erik Karlsson

It’s hard to stomach this pairing, because it really feels like, “What could have been?” in many ways. Byram was selected fourth overall by the Avalanche with the first-round pick they got from Ottawa for Duchene. I know the Senators’ blue line future looks bright, but it could have been even more dangerous if Byram was in the mix. Maybe that would have allowed them to take a high-end forward with the No. 5 overall pick in 2020 instead of Jake Sanderson.

As for Karlsson, his decline over the past 24 months is well-documented, but there’s no denying his place in Ottawa history. What’s fascinating is that even with the decline, Karlsson has a higher GSVA rating than any defenceman on either roster.

Defence pair No. 2: Mark Borowiecki-Dylan DeMelo

If there was a fan favourite for the defence pairings, this would be the one. These two actually played together for long stretches in Ottawa and logged over 365 minutes together last season. Their underlying numbers were pretty good, including a shot percentage that was in their favour at 53.24 SF% (197 SF, 173 SA). In case anybody is wondering why Borowiecki is on the roster when he walked out as a free agent, I admit I took a small liberty with this one. But the Senators were absolutely going to trade him at the deadline last year before he suffered a season-ending injury. The writing was on the wall for him and only an injury prevented him from being discarded by the club.

Defence Pair No. 3: Frederik Claesson-Cody Ceci

I know Sens fans would be happy to see Ceci finally slotted into the third pairing, but he’s actually enjoying a solid season for the Penguins this year. Again, this is where I wanted to put Ian Cole, but Claesson’s salary fits much better here even though he’s only appeared in a handful of games for San Jose this season.

Goaltending tandem: Robin Lehner-

Trust me, I thought about putting Chris Driedger in here, because the Senators opted to cut ties with him back in 2018 and made him a free agent when he was just 24. But even though he’s had a lot of success in Florida, he’s only played 27 NHL games and I didn’t feel like that was enough of a sample to give me confidence in goal. Meanwhile, Robin Lehner and Ben Bishop have both been Vezina finalists and they come in

The salary cap for this game-day roster comes in at about $58 million — a full $20 million shy of the team we assembled above.

This chart clearly illustrates the value and importance of Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot, as they are significantly ahead of their teammates at their respective positions. And this also shows the goaltending issues the Senators have had so far this season.

So how would these teams fare if they squared off against each other?

Luszczyszyn ran the simulation and the team comprised of ex-Senators players would beat this current Ottawa roster about 64 percent of the time. That means if they played each other exclusively over an 82-game season, the ex-Sens team would have 104 points and the current Ottawa team would have 60 points.

That’s a fairly big discrepancy, but a year from now, this might be a totally different equation.

Not too many players on that ex-Sens team are trending in an upward direction, with many players on the back-nine of their NHL careers. The current edition of the Senators, however, has a number of players with growth potential.

But I can’t help but wonder what if we combined the best elements from these two rosters to create one dominant team?

They would probably be a playoff contender right now. Maybe even an elite team.

And that’s truly a painful “what if” question to ponder, because it felt like that opportunity was sitting right there.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206135 Ottawa Senators tenured player in an attempt to add more of a puck-moving element to his team’s back end. As for the Stolarz-for-Talbot trade, it was meant in large part to gauge Talbot, a pending unrestricted free agent, as a tandem partner for Carter Hart in 2019-20 (and potentially beyond). Sell, stand, buy or go all-in: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher’s trade deadline history and what it means for 2021 Cam Talbot during his brief stint with the Flyers. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)

If the 2020-21 Flyers do collapse, selling could become Fletcher’s By Charlie O'Connor primary focus over the next few weeks. If these three seasons are any indication, “selling” for Fletcher doesn’t only mean trading expiring Mar 19, 2021 contracts for draft picks (though the Belanger deal certainly qualified as such). It can include traditional “hockey trades” as well.

What kind of trades can we expect from Chuck Fletcher? It’s perhaps the The “stand pat” years key question occupying the minds of Philadelphia Flyers fans right now, Season: 2010-11 and it promises to remain so in the days and weeks leading up to the NHL’s April 12 trade deadline. • Deadline standings position: Tied for 8th in the West

The Flyers, of course, find themselves in a strange sort of middle ground • Trades: none at the moment. They entered this season with expectations of Stanley Cup contention but currently sit on the playoff bubble in a fiercely Season: 2015-16 contested East Division and have yet to approach the level of consistent • Deadline standings position: Tied for 8th in the West, tied for the final dominance that vaulted them into the top tier of NHL clubs late last wild-card spot season. • Trade: Niklas Backstrom and a sixth-rounder for David Jones One school of thought is that Fletcher should aggressively attempt to improve this struggling team now, regardless of its current place in the Season: 2017-18 standings. A competing view — especially popular after the team dropped a 9-0 decision to the New York Rangers on Wednesday — is • Deadline standings position: 4th in the West, 3rd in the Central that the Flyers have simply not played well enough to justify sacrificing • Trade: Mike Reilly for a fifth-rounder high-end assets for short-term improvements, especially with the expansion draft looming this summer to complicate the situation. Both This is likely the nightmare scenario for fans desperate to see the Flyers arguments have their merits. make a big move in the coming weeks. And it’s not difficult to recognize at least some parallels between these situations and the one facing the In the end, it’s Fletcher’s opinion on the right path that matters, and for Flyers right now. now, it’s in his best interest to keep his cards close to his chest. But Fletcher isn’t a new general manager; he has an 11-season track record In 2010-11 and 2015-16, Fletcher’s Wild clubs were in the playoff mix but — with the Wild from 2009 to 2018, and with the Flyers since — when it precariously so. Fletcher’s response was to ultimately sit out the “buy” comes to calling the shots at trade deadlines. A look at his past portion of the trade deadline. Neither club was a lock to make the tendencies can shed light on what we’ll see from him this season. postseason — his 2011 team missed, the 2016 club made it — and, more importantly, neither seemed likely to make a ton of noise even if So is Fletcher an aggressive trade deadline GM? A conservative one? they did. And what circumstances have led him to lean toward one side over the other? Here’s what Fletcher’s history tells us (trades featuring only AHL This Flyers team is far deeper and more talented than the 2010-11 Wild, players excluded): and they’re not in the midst of turmoil like the 2015-16 Wild were — two weeks before the deadline, Fletcher fired head coach Mike Yeo after the The selling/revamping years team lost 13 of 14 games. But Philadelphia is currently out of a playoff 2009-10 spot, and there’s no guarantee it will be in one come April 12. Perhaps Fletcher will see this team just as he saw those two: not worthy of short- • Deadline standings position: 13th in the West term investment given the required cost.

• Trade: Eric Belanger for a second-round pick, Kim Johnsson and Nick The 2017-18 Wild club was a bit different and doesn’t work as a direct Leddy for Cam Barker comparable to these Flyers. That team was solidly in the Western Conference playoff mix but was low on tradable assets, especially after 2011-12 Fletcher made it clear he was hesitant to put its 2018 first-rounder on the • Deadline standings position: 13th in the West table after trading away its 2017 first away at the previous deadline. (More on that later.) The Flyers, on the other hand, are stocked with draft • Trades: Marek Zidlicky for picks and players, Nick Schultz for Tom picks and have so many quality prospects that it’s hard to imagine them Gilbert, Greg Zanon for Steven Kampfer, and Casey Wellman for Erik all fitting on the NHL roster. Christensen and a conditional seventh-rounder But those 2010-11 and 2015-16 teams stand as examples of Fletcher’s 2018-19 approach on teams he didn’t want to go all-in on but also didn’t want to gut for draft picks. It’s not an impossible outcome this season. • Deadline standings position: 11th in the East, 6th in the Metropolitan The “buy but don’t splurge” years • Trades: Wayne Simmonds for Ryan Hartman and a fourth-round pick, and for and , Season: 2013-14 and for Cam Talbot • Deadline standings position: 7th in the West, top wild-card team Fletcher’s Minnesota clubs were usually in playoff contention, but at the start of his tenure, the on-ice results were pretty rough. In 2009-10 and • Trades: Two second-rounders and Torrey Mitchell for and 2011-12, specifically, the Wild were serious long shots at the deadline to Cody McCormick, and a fourth-rounder for make the postseason, which helps shed light on how Fletcher has Season: 2014-15 approached traditional “sell” situations. • Deadline standings position: 7th in the West, second wild-card team What stands out about Fletcher’s approach to selling years is that he didn’t limit himself to auctioning players. The 2010 Cam Barker trade • Trades: A second-rounder for Chris Stewart, a third-rounder for Sean proved to be a disaster — and Fletcher has openly noted that he’s Bergenheim, and Justin Falk and a sixth-rounder for learned from the mistake — but it definitely qualified as a “shake-it-up” trade, meant to position his club for the future rather than just help them Season: 2019-20 win in the short term. The same could be said for the 2012 swap of • Deadline standings position: 5th in the East, 3rd in the Metropolitan Schultz and Gilbert, which saw Fletcher ship out the Wild’s longest- • Trades: A fourth-rounder and Kyle Criscuolo for Derek Grant, and a Looking at the 20 NHL-centric trades that Fletcher has made within a fifth-rounder for Nate Thompson month of the trade deadline in his career, they’ve come on average 4.1 days before the deadline itself. And even that’s probably inflated, since A playoff scrap with Carey Price was one of the more memorable the average includes the Johnsson/Leddy-Barker trade (19 days before moments from Derek Grant’s time with the Flyers. (Dan Hamilton / USA the deadline), the Folin-Weise trade (16 days) and the Talbot trade (10 Today) days). When looking solely at traditional “buying” trades, six of the nine Ah, the middle ground. deals came on deadline day itself, and the before-deadline average is 1.1 days. In all three cases, including his first “real” trade deadline with the Flyers, Fletcher clearly deemed his teams worthy of an infusion of outside talent Now, none of this is to say that Fletcher couldn’t make his move earlier — just not at the cost of a first-round pick or a top prospect. this year. But four weeks before the deadline, the selling market has not yet fully emerged, and the few sellers who have are asking for dream To be clear: It’s not like Fletcher didn’t spend assets at these deadlines. packages, essentially an “early tax” to convince them to pass on waiting Though his 2020 haul with the Flyers was fairly conservative, his out the market and missing on a possible bidding war. shopping in 2014 and 2015 was pretty clearly in the immediate next tier down after the true prizes. In both cases, he shipped out second- As for the types of contracts Fletcher tends to target, it should come as rounders — three in total — third-rounders and fourth-rounders, and little surprise that the bulk of his buying at deadlines has been of the they’re not exactly insignificant picks. That said, players such as Stewart, rental variety. In fact, out of his 11 deadline purchases that didn’t qualify Moulson, Bergenheim and Bryzgalov were supporting roster additions, as hockey trades or selling trades, Pominville was the only acquisition not potential needle-movers. not on an expiring contract.

It’s worth noting that in these three situations, Fletcher’s club was solidly Part of this is likely due to the inherent nature of the trade deadlines — in playoff contention but also in the bottom half of the conference most sellers are looking to jettison their soon-to-be UFAs — but it also standings at the time of the deadline. In other words, his teams were in speaks to a potential preference on Fletcher’s part to use the deadline for that middle ground as well, which likely played a role in his decision to temporary fixes, not long-term solutions. At least, when he’s in buy- buy but not break the bank. mode, that is.

Another important takeaway: In all three instances, Fletcher balanced his Final thoughts unwillingness to pay top-of-market prices with the sheer volume of his Fletcher’s track record as an NHL general manager provides no shortage purchases. So if Fletcher believes the Flyers are worthy of investment at of hints regarding his trade-deadline tendencies. He’s sold, he’s stood the 2021 deadline but not quite deserving of a Mattias Ekholm pursuit (or pat, he’s bought at mid-tier prices and he’s shopped at the top of the a similar prize that would require a first-round pick and/or top prospect in market. It’s clear his deadline approach adapts to the circumstances at return), don’t be shocked if he instead makes two or three moderate buys hand, and the better his team is performing in the standings, the more to address perceived needs further down the roster. aggressive he becomes.

The “all-in” years What isn’t so clear is exactly what those circumstances will be for the Season: 2012-13 2020-21 Flyers come early April.

• Deadline standings position: Tied for 3rd in the West A full-fledged collapse could push Fletcher to not only ship out expiring contracts but also potentially make a few player-for-player deals with an • Trades: A first-rounder, a second-rounder, Matt Hackett and Johan eye toward 2021-22. Continued mediocrity could see him turn to either a Larsson for Jason Pominville and a fourth-rounder stand-pat approach or, at most, conservative shopping. If the Flyers do show signs of playing up to their on-paper potential, though, Fletcher has Season: 2016-17 been willing in the past to go all-in on a team racking up the wins. • Deadline standings position: 1st in the West, 1st in the Central Historically, Fletcher has let team performance dictate his deadline • Trades: A first-rounder, a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder and aggressiveness. There’s every reason to believe that’s how this deadline Grayson Downing for Martin Hanzal, Ryan White and a fourth-rounder will play out, as well.

And now we get to the two seasons that Fletcher truly pushed his chips to the center of the table. Managing clear contenders, he acted The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 aggressively, shipping out packages for top trade targets: Pominville in 2013 and Hanzal in 2017.

What do these moves tell us?

First, they imply that if the Flyers were to push themselves to the upper portion of the standings by April 12, Fletcher presumably would not sit on his hands. Second, in both cases, the “big” move was the only move, so if the Flyers end up nabbing Ekholm or a similar high-profile name, it very well might be their only acquisition. Finally, the contract situations of Pominville and Hanzal were different. Pominville had one more year left on his contract (and was ultimately re-signed by Fletcher, as well) while Hanzal was a straight rental. In other words, Fletcher has been willing to pay up in either situation if necessary.

That said, right now the Flyers are nowhere near where those Wild teams were in the standings. If Fletcher’s threshold for unequivocal aggressiveness at the deadline is “good team on paper playing very well and near the top of the league table” — well, let’s just say it would take a fantastic run over the next few weeks for this Flyers club to get there.

What else can we learn about Fletcher’s deadline tendencies?

There’s a very vocal contingent of Flyers fans who believe that Fletcher not only should be very active at this upcoming trade deadline, but that he also should make his moves long before April 12. They see a struggling team with clear holes and want Fletcher to act now to fill them.

That group probably shouldn’t get its hopes up. Fletcher’s track record as GM is clear: He tends to wait until very close to the trade deadline to make his moves, especially when he’s looking to buy. 1206136 Philadelphia Flyers Lake Tahoe, a game the NHL forced the Flyers to play even though they were missing six regulars who were on the COVID-19 list.

The Islanders’ game scheduled for Tuesday in Boston has been Flyers hope Oskar Lindblom’s breakout game is a sign of things to come. postponed because the Bruins are now dealing with their own COVID protocols.

Giroux has four goals and two assists over his last six games. ... Sam Carchidi Konecny has 10 points in 10 March games. Before a recent hot streak, he had gone pointless in six straight games. ... The Isles have lost two

straight for the first time in a month. ... Commenting on Thursday’s loss, Left winger Oskar Lindblom, according to his coach, needed a day of Islanders coach Barry Trotz said he “liked the fact that we came back, rest, a day to “reset” his game during his first season back from a but then we shoot ourselves in the foot.” An ill-advised icing by Scott grueling battle with cancer. Mayfield helped set the stage for Lindblom’s winning goal.

The decision could not have worked better.

Looking refreshed, Lindblom had his best game of the season Thursday, Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.20.2021 scoring two goals as he keyed the Flyers’ 4-3 win over the New York Islanders, a stunning turnaround from a 9-0 loss to the Rangers the previous night.

The Islanders had not lost a home game in regulation before Lindblom’s heroics, going 12-0-2 in their first 14 games this year at Nassau Coliseum.

Working hard down low, Lindblom scored the game’s first goal on a rebound and helped set up the second one. After a furious third-period Islanders rally turned a 3-0 deficit into a 3-3 tie, Lindblom took a pass from Travis Konecny (three assists) and whipped home a high-slot shot to win it with 2 minutes, 22 seconds left in regulation.

“That’s my game, and I haven’t been doing that,” Lindblom said about his play down low. “I played great today, but there’s going to be a lot of games coming up. I have to keep doing it. It can’t just be one game.”

The Flyers, who reached the season’s halfway points with a 15-10-3 record, play the host Islanders again on Saturday, then face them Monday at the Wells Fargo Center. They are 3-0 against the Isles this year.

Lindblom, 24, was resting when the Flyers were handed the worst road shutout defeat in franchise history Wednesday in Madison Square Garden, but he felt his teammates’ pain.

“It’s always tough to lose a game like that,” he said, “but we’re professionals and we have to get back on track right away. And our leaders like Claude [Giroux], showed us the way and played great hockey” against the Isles.

It was the second two-goal game of Lindblom’s career, and his first since he returned from battling Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare bone cancer. His first tally Thursday ended a 21-game goal drought.

He was tied with Konecny for the team lead in goals (11) last season when he was diagnosed with the cancer in December 2019.

“I was extremely pleased with the way he played,” coach Alain Vigneault said after Thursday’s victory. “... He was strong on pucks; he looked good. Hopefully it’s the start of something real positive for him.”

For the first time this season, Vigneault put Lindblom on a line with center Giroux and right winger Konecny. They combined for three goals, four assists, and 11 shots.

Expect them to be together for a while.

Giroux called Lindblom a “pretty smart player. When you have a player who’s always in the right position, it makes your job a lot easier.”

The win made the Flyers 15-10-3 for 33 points at the midway point of the 56-game season. They were 16-7-5 for 37 points at the same juncture last year, when they were allowing just 2.64 goals per game -- far below what they are yielding this season (3.46 goals per game, 29th in the NHL).

The Flyers’ record this year has been bolstered by their success against the three New York-area teams: a combined 7-1-1 record. They are 3-0 against the Islanders, 2-1-1 against the Rangers, and 2-0 against the Devils.

Conversely, they have lost all five games against the Bruins, going 0-3-2 against the team three points directly ahead of them for the fourth playoff spot in the East Division. The last loss to Boston was a 7-3 defeat in 1206137 Philadelphia Flyers has he, and now they’re in fifth place in their division and nothing is guaranteed, not even a solid and complete night of competence from Hart.

Carter Hart has become one of the Flyers’ biggest concerns. Who “Definitely needed to make some more saves in the third period,” he said, expected that? “so they didn’t come back at the end of the game. But at the end of the day, got the two points, and it’s something to keep building off of, for all of us.”

Mike Sielski Keep building? The season is half over, and in his last seven games, Carter Hart has stopped just 83% of the shots he has faced. The building

has to begin first, before his team runs out of time. First Michael Dal Colle from the left circle, then Sebastian Aho from the right, and on each shot, on each of the first two Islanders goals Thursday night, Carter Hart seemed as if he had just stood in front of Rick Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.20.2021 Moranis’s laser contraption and shrunk himself smaller than an ant.

The Flyers had been brilliant for two periods at the Nassau Coliseum, had built a three-goal lead, had gone a long way to wiping away the bitter memory of that nine-goal humiliation Wednesday night at Madison Square Garden. And Hart gave Dal Colle a whole mess of net to hit, waving a slow glove hand at a shot he could have stopped and didn’t. And he crouched as Aho flicked a shot off Travis Sanheim’s stick, a shot that sailed over Hart and into the net’s upper corner.

Now the Flyers were hanging their heads. Now they were wondering, What the hell, as they tend to do against the Islanders, and Oliver Wahlstrom’s tying goal, just 34 seconds after Aho scored, was as predictable as it was inexcusable, with leaving him open at the side of the net.

At least that last one wasn’t Hart’s fault, and at least Oskar Lindblom, with his late goal in a 4-3 victory, rescued the Flyers from an embarrassment that would have surpassed Wednesday’s. But the problems that have hounded the Flyers for most of this season were still present and prominent in Thursday’s third period: the shaky defense, the tentative play, the unreliable goaltending worst of all.

Hart’s regression has been the most surprising part of this strange Flyers season. Even as often as his teammates burp up the puck in front of him, no one would have expected an ugly .880 save percentage through his first 19 games. No one would have expected everyone in the organization acknowledging that Hart isn’t in the best place mentally. He has excelled at every level during his climb to the NHL, establishing himself as the best goaltender in the , winning a gold medal for Canada at the World Juniors. Yet at the moment, he’s a shadow of the goalie he was last season, when his .926 postseason save percentage was the primary reason that the Flyers came within one win of the Eastern Conference Finals.

“Just chipping away at things right now,” he said, “getting back to playing my game and trusting the game I’ve built. And I think it’s coming. It’s going in the right direction. Like I said there, I’ve just got to build off it.”

He can think it’s coming. He can hope it’s coming. But the big concern is where it’s at now. During the Flyers telecast on NBC Sports Philadelphia, referenced Hart’s “confidence issues in net,” and as much of a truth teller as Jones can be (and the Flyers allow him to be), the casual manner in which he said it was still jarring. Nobody’s hiding this. Nobody’s soft-pedaling the falloff in Hart’s play.

Coach Alain Vigneault said that Hart is “trying to find his game,” which is the thing coaches say when their goaltenders are struggling, as if Hart’s game had fallen through a hole in his pocket and was lying on the street somewhere between South Philadelphia and Uniondale, N.Y.

“It’s like with anybody who’s going through a challenging moment during whether it be a season or his career. You keep pushing. You keep working. You keep battling,” Vigneault said. “We expect Carter to push and battle, and he’s going to continue to work on his game. You can never forget that Carter’s a very young goaltender, and he’s learning the game. He’s learning the aspect of the toughest position in the game, in my estimation.”

Sure, his youth — he’s still just 22 — and the ragged play of the team’s defensemen are mitigating factors, but they’re not the entire story. In this COVID-revamped season, the Eastern Division is a doozy, with the Bruins and the Capitals and the Islanders and the Penguins, so the Flyers were never going to cruise into the playoffs.

But it was reasonable to expect them to qualify, and Hart’s presence and his presumed improvement were supposed to be decisive factors over some or all of those clubs. Except the Flyers’ defense got worse, and so 1206138 Philadelphia Flyers Just how concerned are the Flyers with Carter Hart’s continuing struggles?

Well, coach Alain Vigneault continues to pull punches most of the time Will Flyers bid to fill Matt Niskanen’s skates at trade deadline? when Hart experiences a bad game.

But it’s clear Vigneault doesn’t have complete confidence in the 22-year- old netminder right now. Wayne Fishflyingfishhockey.com When questioned about Hart’s current state of mind, Vigneault insists he pretty much leaves the goalie alone and lets goaltending instructor Kim Dillabaugh do most of the talking. It’s not exactly a secret the Flyers have missed the services of defenseman Matt Niskanen, who unexpectedly retired at the end of last However, there may come a time when Vigneault has to have a candid season. conversation with Hart and explain to him that he expects more than a 3.70 goals-against average and .880 save percentage. Not only was he a valuable partner to Ivan Provorov on the team’s No. 1 defense tandem but Niskanen was also a calming veteran presence for a The one thing Vigneault doesn’t want to do is overload 35-year-old Brian young backline corps. Elliott’s schedule with so many games in such a short period of time. That’s just a recipe for an injury. The Flyers did sign veteran Erik Gustafsson, but his play has been sporadic and he doesn’t nearly carry the weight Niskanen did in the locker room. Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.20.2021 So in assessing the prospects of the Flyers making a deal on or before the NHL trade deadline on April 12, the search for a possible candidate to replace Niskanen remains at the top of the list.

Back in his days with the Minnesota Wild, Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher wasn’t too shy about making some bold personnel moves.

Depending on the Flyers’ salary cap situation and their positioning in the standings the first couple weeks in April, Fletcher could try to pull the trigger on a deal which would give the Flyers a bit more experience on the blue line.

If the Flyers should continue their inconsistent play — which some say originated after the team’s four-game/six-player pandemic pause — then maybe the Flyers won’t be willing to go after a high-profile veteran and give up young talent in the process.

Should the Flyers get back on track, one defenseman who might fill the bill currently plays for the Nashville Predators.

Mattias Ekholm, a 30-year-old Swede, has the size (6-foot-4, 215 pounds), the speed and the savvy to play alongside someone such as Provorov.

Ekholm has one more year after this one left on his contract, which pays $3,750,000 annually.

In the seasons between 2014-15 and 2018-19, Ekholm amassed a plus- minus figure of plus-82. Through 23 games this season, he has five goals/13 points with a plus-8.

Currently, the Flyers’ team plus-minus has dropped into the red at minus- 7. Almost all playoff-bound teams are in the black (plus numbers), so it would seem to behoove Fletcher to go for some outside help.

The only drawback in such a potential trade might be the asking price. The Predators would probably seek more than draft picks, so for a deal to take place, the Flyers might have to give up some prospects.

Again, it might all depend on where the Flyers rest in the standings come mid-April. That’s about a month from the season’s finish line and Fletcher should have a fairly good idea which direction his team is headed.

Yeo’s name comes up again for coaching hires

Flyers assistant coach Mike Yeo, who formerly guided the Minnesota Wild and St. Louis Blues as a head coach, has been mentioned as a possible hire in both Seattle (home of the expansion Kraken) and Buffalo, where the Sabres just fired Ralph Krueger.

The Flyers would hate to lose Yeo, who helped Philly move all the way up to 11th in the penalty kill rankings last season.

Yeo is said to be a stickler for details and also works well with young players, which would make him a good fit for either of the aforementioned coaching vacancies.

It’s the nature of the business that assistant coaches get promoted to head coaches for other teams, but the Flyers would sure be disappointed to lose either Yeo or their other prominent assistant coach, Michel Therrien.

Back to drawing board for Hart? 1206139 Philadelphia Flyers Monday night against the Rangers. Sean Couturier and Ivan Provorov also turned in much better efforts than Wednesday night.

“It’s always tough when you lose a game like that," Lindblom said. “But 5 things we learned from Thursday night’s Flyers 4-3 win over New York we’re professionals and we have to get back on track right away. Claude Islanders and them showed the way, showed that they’re our leaders."

Leaders come through

Wayne Fishflyingfishhockey.com Hart also credited the Flyers’ veteran leadership for setting the tone in this game.

“Obviously last night was disappointing for all of us," Hart said. “The Oskar Lindblom knows a thing or two about resilience. leadership guys all stepped up, said the right things in the locker room. Actions speak louder than words. That last goal was huge and we’ll carry And so it was only fitting the Flyers’ remarkable left wing led the charge it into Saturday’s game." during Thursday night’s game at Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Fierce forecheck leads the way

Lindblom scored the first of three consecutive Philadelphia goals in the The Flyers’ had one of their best forechecks going in the first two periods second period for a 3-0 lead. and held the high-powered Islanders to just 13 shots in those first 40 minutes. Then, after the Islanders had rallied to tie the score at 3-3 (due in part to some shaky goaltending by Carter Hart) in the third period, Lindblom Lindblom put a shot past Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov at the 2:26 scored again with 2:22 to play and the Flyers skated away with a mark and goals from Giroux (10:04) and Voracek (14:01) followed. character-check 4-3 win. But the Islanders picked up goals at 7:53, 13:53 and 14:27 in the third It was the Islanders’ first regulation-time home-ice loss (12-1-2) this period to set up the dramatic ending. season. Hart unravels in third period Most would agree this was a must-win for the Flyers, who were coming off a humiliating 9-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Wednesday night Hart looked particularly vulnerable in the third period when the Islanders at Madison Square Garden. did generate a dozen shots.

Ironically, Lindblom had been scratched for that game for what coach He’s trying to piece his game back together, although his save Alain Vigneault called a “reset," possibly code for a need to play better. percentage is still hovering around a mediocre .880.

Lindblom, who over the past 15 months has battled through both cancer “Definitely need to make more saves in the third period," he said. “So and COVID-19, might not have taken the criticism to heart but he did they don’t come back in the game. At the end of the day we got the two show a lot of heart in this game, along with his two linemates, Claude points and that’s something to build off of." Giroux and Travis Konecny. Favorable numbers The newly constructed line combined for three of the four goals and a Lindblom recorded his second career two-goal game. His first came at total of seven points, including a goal and an assist by Giroux and three Detroit on Feb. 17, 2019. … Giroux registered his third multipoint game assists from Konecny. of March. He has four goals, two assists for six points in his last six For the sake of team confidence, the Flyers needed this one in the worst games … Konecny picked up his third career three-assist game and 10th way. Letting a three-goal lead slip away in the final period and coming career game with three or more points. away with a loss would have been nothing short of disastrous.

Lindblom looked like his 2018-19 self when he scored 17 goals, then Burlington County Times LOADED: 03.20.2021 followed it up to lead the team in goals with 11 the following season before his career ground to a halt due to the cancer diagnosis in December.

“I was extremely pleased how he played tonight," Vigneault said via media Zoom call. “Not just the fact that he was able to finish and get us the winning goal but he was strong on pucks, he looked good tonight, he was skating.

“So hopefully that’s the start of something real positive for him and our team. He’s such a good player when he’s on top of his game. Maybe that little break got him the mental and physical help that he needed. He came up big for us."

Lindblom said he didn’t require a recharge from a motivation standpoint but rather to re-energize physically.

“I was just trying to feel fresh, feel good out there and today I felt good," he said. “We found a way to win and that’s all that matters. You want to play every game but sometimes you can’t.

“I played great today but there are going to be a lot of games coming up. So I have to keep doing that."

Giroux agreed the Flyers needed this one to get their season headed in the right direction again.

“(A win) not just for last night (at MSG) but if you look at the standings, some teams are playing some good hockey. They’re getting some wins in a row. They’re going ahead in the standings," he said.

“So for us to get this win, especially in regulation, it’s big."

Vigneault made a point of saying how well his leaders played. Jake Voracek scored a big goal, this coming after getting the OT winner on 1206140 Philadelphia Flyers On the Flyers' second goal by Claude Giroux, Lindblom didn't receive an assist but he made the sequence all possible by eating contact along the back boards as he protected the puck.

After Flyers' F grade at MSG, Lindblom helps team pass season's "He was great," Giroux said. "He's a pretty smart player, so when you biggest test yet have a player that's always in good position, it makes your job a lot easier. He helped our team a lot tonight."

• Carter Hart couldn't nail down the 3-0 lead but was able to win by Jordan Hall consecutive starts for the first time since Jan. 28-30.

He was solid through the first 40 minutes but Michael Dal Colle, Sebastian Aho and Oliver Wahlstrom cracked him in the third period as Oskar Lindblom had to helplessly watch as the Flyers were humiliated by New York, of course, didn't go away. Dal Colle's shot was stoppable for nine goals on national television Wednesday night at the world's most Hart, but Aho's goal came on weak coverage by the Flyers and famous arena. Wahlstrom snuck behind Giroux for a backdoor marker to tie it. Lindblom wasn't watching 24 hours later. Instead, he was back in the The 22-year-old finished with 22 saves on 25 shots. lineup Thursday night and delivering his best game of the season as the Flyers held off the Islanders for a 4-3 win at Nassau Veterans Memorial "Just chipping away at things right now, getting back to playing my game Coliseum. and trusting the game that I built and I think it's coming," Hart said. "It's going in the right direction; I've just got to build off of it." The Flyers held the Islanders scoreless over the first two periods. Against the Rangers the night prior, the Flyers were blitzed by nine goals before Islanders goalie Semyon Varlamov stopped 27 shots. the third period started. • Thanks to a big second period, the Flyers held their first second- "I believe we're having some consistency issues in our game," Flyers intermission lead in March. The last time they took an advantage into the head coach Alain Vigneault said pregame Thursday. "Some of our third period was Feb. 28. players are going from a Grade A performance to a C performance; in this league, that's just not good enough. You can't always be at your top Kevin Hayes and Jakub Voracek punctuated the middle frame with a with the demands of every individual game in the schedule, but you can't pretty rush to set the Flyers up with a 3-0 edge at second intermission. have the drop-offs that we are having as a team right now." • Robert Hagg will miss two to four weeks with a shoulder injury and The Flyers went from an F performance Wednesday to a passing grade Shayne Gostisbehere was a healthy scratch for a second straight game Thursday. They coughed up a 3-0 third-period advantage against the (see story). Islanders but played a substantially better game in the first two periods Philippe Myers and Travis Sanheim both played 20-plus minutes and and found a way to win. battled. They weren't perfect but they got back up on the horse after Vigneault and company will take it. being on the ice for six of the Rangers' nine goals Wednesday night.

The Flyers (15-10-3) handed the Islanders their first regulation home loss "I loved the way they redeemed themselves," Vigneault said. "I thought of the season. New York was 12-0-2 and allowing only 1.93 goals per both of them played a much better game." game at home before Thursday night's defeat. • The Flyers' penalty kill is 14 for its last 16. The Islanders won nine of 12 matchups with the Flyers last season, • The Flyers finish their four-game New York road trip Saturday when including the postseason, regular season and preseason. So far, the they face the Islanders again (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). Flyers are 3-0-0 against New York this season. None of the victories have been easy.

Despite the 9-0 embarrassment at Madison Square Garden against the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 Rangers, the Flyers are 2-1-0 in their four-game road swing through New York. A strong finish will further alleviate concern from Wednesday.

"Our captain tonight and his assistants I thought really took the lead," Vigneault said postgame. "Nobody was happy about yesterday — this is a proud group, they're professionals, they're competitors and we laid it all out tonight."

After losing back-to-back overtime games to the Flyers at the end of January, the Islanders (19-8-4) had gone 16-3-2 with an NHL-best 34 points entering Thursday. New York, though, will be without captain Anders Lee (ACL surgery) for the rest of the season.

• Lindblom sure looked reset.

The 24-year-old winger sat last game because Vigneault wanted to give him an opportunity to turn the page both physically and mentally. Lindblom is working his way back to form after beating cancer last July. He was also shut down for two-plus weeks in February because of a bout with COVID-19.

Lindblom answered the bell Thursday with the Flyers in desperate need of energy and a lift.

And character.

Just over three minutes after New York knotted the game, Lindblom snapped an impressive shot right outside the circle to put the Flyers back ahead. Travis Konecny found him for his third assist of the game.

In the second period, Lindblom collected a rebound and flushed it home to give the Flyers a much-needed 1-0 lead. Lindblom, who hadn't scored a goal since scoring a pair over the first two games of the season, let out a healthy pump of his fist. 1206141 Philadelphia Flyers tenured player in an attempt to add more of a puck-moving element to his team’s back end. As for the Stolarz-for-Talbot trade, it was meant in large part to gauge Talbot, a pending unrestricted free agent, as a tandem partner for Carter Hart in 2019-20 (and potentially beyond). Sell, stand, buy or go all-in: Flyers GM Chuck Fletcher’s trade deadline history and what it means for 2021 Cam Talbot during his brief stint with the Flyers. (Eric Hartline / USA Today)

If the 2020-21 Flyers do collapse, selling could become Fletcher’s By Charlie O'Connor primary focus over the next few weeks. If these three seasons are any indication, “selling” for Fletcher doesn’t only mean trading expiring Mar 19, 2021 contracts for draft picks (though the Belanger deal certainly qualified as such). It can include traditional “hockey trades” as well.

What kind of trades can we expect from Chuck Fletcher? It’s perhaps the The “stand pat” years key question occupying the minds of Philadelphia Flyers fans right now, Season: 2010-11 and it promises to remain so in the days and weeks leading up to the NHL’s April 12 trade deadline. • Deadline standings position: Tied for 8th in the West

The Flyers, of course, find themselves in a strange sort of middle ground • Trades: none at the moment. They entered this season with expectations of Stanley Cup contention but currently sit on the playoff bubble in a fiercely Season: 2015-16 contested East Division and have yet to approach the level of consistent • Deadline standings position: Tied for 8th in the West, tied for the final dominance that vaulted them into the top tier of NHL clubs late last wild-card spot season. • Trade: Niklas Backstrom and a sixth-rounder for David Jones One school of thought is that Fletcher should aggressively attempt to improve this struggling team now, regardless of its current place in the Season: 2017-18 standings. A competing view — especially popular after the team dropped a 9-0 decision to the New York Rangers on Wednesday — is • Deadline standings position: 4th in the West, 3rd in the Central that the Flyers have simply not played well enough to justify sacrificing • Trade: Mike Reilly for a fifth-rounder high-end assets for short-term improvements, especially with the expansion draft looming this summer to complicate the situation. Both This is likely the nightmare scenario for fans desperate to see the Flyers arguments have their merits. make a big move in the coming weeks. And it’s not difficult to recognize at least some parallels between these situations and the one facing the In the end, it’s Fletcher’s opinion on the right path that matters, and for Flyers right now. now, it’s in his best interest to keep his cards close to his chest. But Fletcher isn’t a new general manager; he has an 11-season track record In 2010-11 and 2015-16, Fletcher’s Wild clubs were in the playoff mix but — with the Wild from 2009 to 2018, and with the Flyers since — when it precariously so. Fletcher’s response was to ultimately sit out the “buy” comes to calling the shots at trade deadlines. A look at his past portion of the trade deadline. Neither club was a lock to make the tendencies can shed light on what we’ll see from him this season. postseason — his 2011 team missed, the 2016 club made it — and, more importantly, neither seemed likely to make a ton of noise even if So is Fletcher an aggressive trade deadline GM? A conservative one? they did. And what circumstances have led him to lean toward one side over the other? Here’s what Fletcher’s history tells us (trades featuring only AHL This Flyers team is far deeper and more talented than the 2010-11 Wild, players excluded): and they’re not in the midst of turmoil like the 2015-16 Wild were — two weeks before the deadline, Fletcher fired head coach Mike Yeo after the The selling/revamping years team lost 13 of 14 games. But Philadelphia is currently out of a playoff 2009-10 spot, and there’s no guarantee it will be in one come April 12. Perhaps Fletcher will see this team just as he saw those two: not worthy of short- • Deadline standings position: 13th in the West term investment given the required cost.

• Trade: Eric Belanger for a second-round pick, Kim Johnsson and Nick The 2017-18 Wild club was a bit different and doesn’t work as a direct Leddy for Cam Barker comparable to these Flyers. That team was solidly in the Western Conference playoff mix but was low on tradable assets, especially after 2011-12 Fletcher made it clear he was hesitant to put its 2018 first-rounder on the • Deadline standings position: 13th in the West table after trading away its 2017 first away at the previous deadline. (More on that later.) The Flyers, on the other hand, are stocked with draft • Trades: Marek Zidlicky for picks and players, Nick Schultz for Tom picks and have so many quality prospects that it’s hard to imagine them Gilbert, Greg Zanon for Steven Kampfer, and Casey Wellman for Erik all fitting on the NHL roster. Christensen and a conditional seventh-rounder But those 2010-11 and 2015-16 teams stand as examples of Fletcher’s 2018-19 approach on teams he didn’t want to go all-in on but also didn’t want to gut for draft picks. It’s not an impossible outcome this season. • Deadline standings position: 11th in the East, 6th in the Metropolitan The “buy but don’t splurge” years • Trades: Wayne Simmonds for Ryan Hartman and a fourth-round pick, Christian Folin and Dale Weise for Byron Froese and David Schlemko, Season: 2013-14 and Anthony Stolarz for Cam Talbot • Deadline standings position: 7th in the West, top wild-card team Fletcher’s Minnesota clubs were usually in playoff contention, but at the start of his tenure, the on-ice results were pretty rough. In 2009-10 and • Trades: Two second-rounders and Torrey Mitchell for Matt Moulson and 2011-12, specifically, the Wild were serious long shots at the deadline to Cody McCormick, and a fourth-rounder for Ilya Bryzgalov make the postseason, which helps shed light on how Fletcher has Season: 2014-15 approached traditional “sell” situations. • Deadline standings position: 7th in the West, second wild-card team What stands out about Fletcher’s approach to selling years is that he didn’t limit himself to auctioning players. The 2010 Cam Barker trade • Trades: A second-rounder for Chris Stewart, a third-rounder for Sean proved to be a disaster — and Fletcher has openly noted that he’s Bergenheim, and Justin Falk and a sixth-rounder for Jordan Leopold learned from the mistake — but it definitely qualified as a “shake-it-up” trade, meant to position his club for the future rather than just help them Season: 2019-20 win in the short term. The same could be said for the 2012 swap of • Deadline standings position: 5th in the East, 3rd in the Metropolitan Schultz and Gilbert, which saw Fletcher ship out the Wild’s longest- • Trades: A fourth-rounder and Kyle Criscuolo for Derek Grant, and a Looking at the 20 NHL-centric trades that Fletcher has made within a fifth-rounder for Nate Thompson month of the trade deadline in his career, they’ve come on average 4.1 days before the deadline itself. And even that’s probably inflated, since A playoff scrap with Carey Price was one of the more memorable the average includes the Johnsson/Leddy-Barker trade (19 days before moments from Derek Grant’s time with the Flyers. (Dan Hamilton / USA the deadline), the Folin-Weise trade (16 days) and the Talbot trade (10 Today) days). When looking solely at traditional “buying” trades, six of the nine Ah, the middle ground. deals came on deadline day itself, and the before-deadline average is 1.1 days. In all three cases, including his first “real” trade deadline with the Flyers, Fletcher clearly deemed his teams worthy of an infusion of outside talent Now, none of this is to say that Fletcher couldn’t make his move earlier — just not at the cost of a first-round pick or a top prospect. this year. But four weeks before the deadline, the selling market has not yet fully emerged, and the few sellers who have are asking for dream To be clear: It’s not like Fletcher didn’t spend assets at these deadlines. packages, essentially an “early tax” to convince them to pass on waiting Though his 2020 haul with the Flyers was fairly conservative, his out the market and missing on a possible bidding war. shopping in 2014 and 2015 was pretty clearly in the immediate next tier down after the true prizes. In both cases, he shipped out second- As for the types of contracts Fletcher tends to target, it should come as rounders — three in total — third-rounders and fourth-rounders, and little surprise that the bulk of his buying at deadlines has been of the they’re not exactly insignificant picks. That said, players such as Stewart, rental variety. In fact, out of his 11 deadline purchases that didn’t qualify Moulson, Bergenheim and Bryzgalov were supporting roster additions, as hockey trades or selling trades, Pominville was the only acquisition not potential needle-movers. not on an expiring contract.

It’s worth noting that in these three situations, Fletcher’s club was solidly Part of this is likely due to the inherent nature of the trade deadlines — in playoff contention but also in the bottom half of the conference most sellers are looking to jettison their soon-to-be UFAs — but it also standings at the time of the deadline. In other words, his teams were in speaks to a potential preference on Fletcher’s part to use the deadline for that middle ground as well, which likely played a role in his decision to temporary fixes, not long-term solutions. At least, when he’s in buy- buy but not break the bank. mode, that is.

Another important takeaway: In all three instances, Fletcher balanced his Final thoughts unwillingness to pay top-of-market prices with the sheer volume of his Fletcher’s track record as an NHL general manager provides no shortage purchases. So if Fletcher believes the Flyers are worthy of investment at of hints regarding his trade-deadline tendencies. He’s sold, he’s stood the 2021 deadline but not quite deserving of a Mattias Ekholm pursuit (or pat, he’s bought at mid-tier prices and he’s shopped at the top of the a similar prize that would require a first-round pick and/or top prospect in market. It’s clear his deadline approach adapts to the circumstances at return), don’t be shocked if he instead makes two or three moderate buys hand, and the better his team is performing in the standings, the more to address perceived needs further down the roster. aggressive he becomes.

The “all-in” years What isn’t so clear is exactly what those circumstances will be for the Season: 2012-13 2020-21 Flyers come early April.

• Deadline standings position: Tied for 3rd in the West A full-fledged collapse could push Fletcher to not only ship out expiring contracts but also potentially make a few player-for-player deals with an • Trades: A first-rounder, a second-rounder, Matt Hackett and Johan eye toward 2021-22. Continued mediocrity could see him turn to either a Larsson for Jason Pominville and a fourth-rounder stand-pat approach or, at most, conservative shopping. If the Flyers do show signs of playing up to their on-paper potential, though, Fletcher has Season: 2016-17 been willing in the past to go all-in on a team racking up the wins. • Deadline standings position: 1st in the West, 1st in the Central Historically, Fletcher has let team performance dictate his deadline • Trades: A first-rounder, a second-rounder, a fourth-rounder and aggressiveness. There’s every reason to believe that’s how this deadline Grayson Downing for Martin Hanzal, Ryan White and a fourth-rounder will play out, as well.

And now we get to the two seasons that Fletcher truly pushed his chips to the center of the table. Managing clear contenders, he acted The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 aggressively, shipping out packages for top trade targets: Pominville in 2013 and Hanzal in 2017.

What do these moves tell us?

First, they imply that if the Flyers were to push themselves to the upper portion of the standings by April 12, Fletcher presumably would not sit on his hands. Second, in both cases, the “big” move was the only move, so if the Flyers end up nabbing Ekholm or a similar high-profile name, it very well might be their only acquisition. Finally, the contract situations of Pominville and Hanzal were different. Pominville had one more year left on his contract (and was ultimately re-signed by Fletcher, as well) while Hanzal was a straight rental. In other words, Fletcher has been willing to pay up in either situation if necessary.

That said, right now the Flyers are nowhere near where those Wild teams were in the standings. If Fletcher’s threshold for unequivocal aggressiveness at the deadline is “good team on paper playing very well and near the top of the league table” — well, let’s just say it would take a fantastic run over the next few weeks for this Flyers club to get there.

What else can we learn about Fletcher’s deadline tendencies?

There’s a very vocal contingent of Flyers fans who believe that Fletcher not only should be very active at this upcoming trade deadline, but that he also should make his moves long before April 12. They see a struggling team with clear holes and want Fletcher to act now to fill them.

That group probably shouldn’t get its hopes up. Fletcher’s track record as GM is clear: He tends to wait until very close to the trade deadline to make his moves, especially when he’s looking to buy. 1206142 Pittsburgh Penguins

Minor league report: Penguins beaten by Crunch

SETH RORABAUGH

Saturday, March 20, 2021 2:19 a.m.

Goaltender Emil Larmi made eight saves on 12 shots for the Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 5-2 home loss to the at Mohegan Sun Arena in Wilkes-Barre on Friday.

Forwards Drew O’Connor and Tim Schaller each scored goals for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (5-4-2-1).

Highlights:

The Penguins’ next game is a road contest against the rival Lehigh Valley Phantoms on Sunday, 3:05 p.m.

Goaltender Alex D’Orio made 15 saves on 18 shots for the in a 3-2 home loss to the at WesBanco Arena in Wheeling W.Va.

Forwards Garet Hunt and Patrick Watling each scored goals for Wheeling (8-20-5-0).

Highlights:

The Nailers’ next game is a home contest against the Thunder on Saturday, 7:10 p.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206143 Pittsburgh Penguins Not that Sullivan has an abundance of options to turn to at the moment, but he seemed relieved to potentially have McCann at his disposal as he tries to patch together his pockmarked depth chart down the middle.

Jared McCann wants to be 'a difference' at center for the Penguins “He’s a natural center, so he has a comfort level playing there,” Sullivan said.

“He can take faceoffs. He brings a lot of speed. He distributes the puck SETH RORABAUGH well. So the versatility that Jared brings to our team we think is beneficial.” Friday, March 19, 2021 5:45 p.m. “In cases like this, if we run into circumstances where we’re injured at the

center-ice position, he’s a guy that we can put into that circumstance and Jared McCann has done this on more than one occasion. he has a comfort level being there. Jared’s got real good offensive instincts. He can score goals. He’s an important player for us and Heck, he’s done it this month already. certainly, he helps us when he’s in the lineup.”

Being the Pittsburgh Penguins’ second-line center is nothing new to him. In 17 games this season, McCann has 10 points (five goals, five assists). He took on that role March 2 when Sidney Crosby missed a game as a The vast majority of that production has come as a left winger. result of being on the NHL’s list of absences related to covid-19 protocol. But all parties concerned seem confident he can do it at center as well. He did the same thing for much of a two-month span last season while Crosby was sidelined with a core muscle injury. They need him to.

So assuming he steps in as the pivot on the team’s second line for “I’m not going to overthink it too much to be honest with you,” McCann Saturday’s afternoon road game against the New Jersey Devils at the said. “I’m just going to go out there and play my game.” Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., he won’t need much acclimation to the job. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.20.2021 The Penguins have used him like this before.

But they probably haven’t needed him at center this badly before.

With Evgeni Malkin and Teddy Blueger sidelined indefinitely, the Penguins have considerable issues at the center position throughout their lineup.

That was evident during Thursday’s 3-2 road loss to the Devils. After Crosby on the first line, there was a considerable drop-off with journeymen Evan Rodrigues, Mark Jankowski and Frederick Gaudreau throughout the bottom three lines.

McCann, who has missed the past six games because of an undisclosed injury, won’t replace Malkin, one of the NHL’s all-time greats. But he gives the Penguins a better option in that role than what was available Thursday.

Officially considered a “game-time decision” for Saturday, McCann is expected to skate with Kasperi Kapanen and Brandon Tanev on his wings.

“I’m a natural center,” McCann said via video conference.” I’ve been playing the wing a lot this year but I feel like once you play center, you’re able to play every position. Obviously, I’ve got two great linemates to play with, (Kapanen and Tanev). We had some good chemistry already this year.

“We’re going to look to make a difference (Saturday).”

One considerable difference for McCann at the center role compared to his usual deployment on the left wing is defense. Basically, the center has to play more defense than either of the wings for most teams, including the Penguins.

“A center has got to be all over the ice,” McCann said. “You have to be quick. You have to be able to help your (defensemen) if there’s a stall in the corner (of the defensive zone). We like to do the ‘second quick’ a lot. Just trying to help my (defensemen) as much as I possibly can, come back hard for pucks and kind of be able to talk to them and give them a good out.”

A “second quick” is a defensive tactic where a forward goes low into his own defensive zone and offers a close passing option to a defenseman protecting a puck from an opposing forechecker.

McCann seems ready to embrace that portion of his new (but not that new) duties. But will that come at the expense of his offense, most notably his strong shooting acumen?

“There’s obviously a bigger burden of responsibly on the center icemen defensively because they have to play down low for the most part,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “I still think Jared will have the ability to utilize his scoring ability, his shot, his speed through the neutral zone playing the center ice position. I don’t think it’s a drastic change for him offensively.” 1206144 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins' Lower Hill redevelopment minority workforce plan approved

PAUL GUGGENHEIMER

Friday, March 19, 2021 4:50 p.m.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ plan to create more jobs for minorities and women as part of the Lower Hill redevelopment project finally appears to be a reality.

The Penguins and their development partner Buccini Pollin on Thursday announced their minority and women business enterprise participation plan was unanimously approved by the City of Pittsburgh’s independent Equal Opportunity Review Commission (EORC).

It calls for 30% minority business and 15% women’s business participation in the redevelopment of the former Civic Arena site anchored by the proposed 26-story First National Bank tower. The Penguins organization holds development rights to the arena site and says it plans to break ground on the FNB project this summer.

“This is a historic day for the Lower Hill redevelopment project because it is the first independent confirmation that we are achieving our goals for Minority and Women Business Enterprise participation, as we have committed under the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan,” said Penguins president and CEO David Morehouse.

Bomani Howze, vice president of development at Buccini Pollin and a Hill District resident, said the entire Lower Hill development plan has been focused on maximizing opportunities for Black and women-owned businesses.

“At a time when the Hill District and our entire city is recovering from the pandemic, we are building a bridge from the Lower Hill to generate wealth in the community and invest tens of millions of dollars of construction and operation phase contracts for Black and women-owned businesses,” Howze said.

The Lower Hill redevelopment project has been in the works since the Penguins’ former home, the Civic Arena, was demolished in 2012. The Lower Hill was razed in the late 1950s to build the building with the cantilever roof that came to be known as the Igloo.

The Lower Hill minority workforce plan was created to give back the kind of opportunities to minorities and women that were taken away when the Civic Arena was built.

“Our team reached out to hundreds of minority and Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) contractors, and we have already achieved almost 42% participation for minority and women-owned businesses,” Morehouse said. “We now have a detailed plan approved by the independent Equal Opportunity Review Commission for advancing to achieve our overall M/WBE goals for the Lower Hill development.”

However, Hill Community Development Corporation president and CEO Marimba Milliones said the Penguins still have a long way to go toward fulfilling their commitments.

“We’re pleased to hear that the Pens submitted a plan that meets the governmental standard at the EORC. Now all involved parties can turn their attention to improving the other areas of the community reinvestment plan that are sorely lacking,” said Milliones. “It’s important that the same energy is put towards the rest of the project so that they can proceed through the regulatory process and meet the fullness of their commitments.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206145 Pittsburgh Penguins a win, it didn’t happen. But just to get out there for my first game in a while, it feels really good.”

Signed to a one-year, two-way contract, Gaudreau, 27, has been shuffled Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin sidelined on 'week-to-week' basis between the NHL roster, the taxi squad and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton a handful of times this season due to the unique rules the NHL has adopted for roster management during the pandemic.

SETH RORABAUGH “It’s the reality of the season,” Gaudreau said. “It’s obviously different. You’ve just got to take it day by day, really. There’s so many things that Friday, March 19, 2021 3:06 p.m. can happen. One day, you wake up and they send you to Wilkes-Barre and you go play some games there. Then the next day, you’re back on the taxi squad. You don’t really play much, you just practice. Every day Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin will be sidelined on a “week-to-week” no matter what I think is a great opportunity to try to improve. … It’s basis according to coach Mike Sullivan. obviously different than the previous seasons. But, like I said, every day is an opportunity to improve and get better.” Malkin was injured during Tuesday’s 2-1 home loss to the Boston Bruins when he was checked by Bruins defenseman Jarred Tinordi. During the collision, their right knees appeared to make contact. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.20.2021 Appearing in 29 games this season, Malkin is the team’s third-leading scorer with 24 points (eight goals, 16 assists).

He was placed on injured reserve on Thursday, retroactive to Tuesday.

Sullivan declined to offer any kind of specificity on a time frame for a recovery but indicated there is a “strong possibility” Malkin could return before the regular season is completed. The Penguins’ final regular season game is scheduled for May 8.

Prior to his injury, Malkin had an eight-game scoring streak.

“I haven’t had a chance to speak with him personally at this point, but that was one of the things that I reiterated to him in the text that I sent to him was how disappointed I was for him in this circumstance because he’s played so well for us as of late,” Sullivan said. “He’s developed a lot of chemistry with (linemate Kasperi Kapanen). Those guys have been really good for us, and we’re hopeful that we’ll get him back here in a timely fashion, and he’ll be able to continue to build on the progress that they made.”

Notes:

• Sullivan indicated forward Jared McCann and defenseman Mark Friedman each participated in a full-contact capacity during practice at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. on Friday. Sullivan labeled McCann as a “game-time decision” for Saturday’s road game against the New Jersey Devils. Each player is currently on injured reserve due to undisclosed ailments.

• Injured forward Jason Zucker has been skating for two days according to Sullivan. He has been sidelined since suffering an apparent left leg injury Feb. 23. Sullivan labeled his progress as “very encouraging.” Zucker is currently on long-term injured reserve.

In 17 games this season, Zucker has seven points (four goals, three assists).

• The Penguins made a handful of minor transactions geared towards the day-to-day management of their salary cap on Friday.

Forwards Anthony Angello, Colton Sceviour and Radim Zohorna were assigned from the NHL roster to the taxi squad while forward Josh Currie and defenseman Josh Maniscalco were assigned from the taxi squad to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League.

• With Malkin and Teddy Blueger each sidelined due to injuries, forward Frederick Gaudreau made his Penguins debut during Thursday’s 3-2 road loss to the New Jersey Devils.

Primarily deployed at center on the fourth-line, Gaudreau logged 9:05 of ice time on 14 shifts and had two shots while also going 3 for 6 on faceoffs.

Perhaps the more significant metric to him personally is 719.

That’s how many days he went between games at the NHL level.

His previous NHL contest came as a member of the Nashville Predators on March 30, 2019.

A free agent signing by the Penguins this past offseason, Gaudreau expressed gratitude to be back in an NHL lineup.

“It felt good,” Gaudreau said. “It’s been a while. Almost two years now that I have (last) been in this league. Obviously, you want to end up with 1206146 Pittsburgh Penguins Island restaurant when I was, I think, 15. When my mother mildly protested, Esposito jovially said, “Come on, Peg, let the kid live a little!”

I met Esposito since when he came to Pittsburgh in various capacities Mark Madden: Alex Ovechkin's milestone goal recalls memories of Phil with the Tampa Bay Lightning. (Penguins icon Eddie Johnston was Esposito's greatness Esposito’s longtime teammate in Boston, which has been my intro.) Esposito is a terrific guy. He is pure class, not just an all-time great.

When the big, bad Bruins came to Pittsburgh in their heyday, they beat MARK MADDEN up on the Penguins something fierce. But Esposito, and Co. were a spectacle worth seeing, even if the home team was on the losing Friday, March 19, 2021 9:20 a.m. end.

That’s my favorite part of Ovechkin’s 718th goal: Remembering Esposito. Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 718 on Tuesday, passing Phil I can’t wait for No. 895, but for a totally different reason. Esposito for sixth on the NHL’s all-time list. BTW, if Lemieux doesn’t have back problems, cancer and that three-and- I’m glad, because it got Esposito’s name out there again. a-half-year hiatus, he might have scored 900. Esposito took no prisoners. He didn’t seek fights but wasn’t afraid to. He absorbed more punishment than he inflicted. He didn’t shoot 100 mph laser beams, like Ovechkin or Bobby Hull. He didn’t dangle past people, Tribune Review LOADED: 03.20.2021 like Mario Lemieux or Wayne Gretzky.

Esposito got in front of the net and went to work.

That’s where the goals are.

That’s not to imply Esposito was a one-trick pony. He was a sublime passer. He stickhandled well in tight areas. He played both ends, He didn’t have blazing speed, but was a strong skater who took big strides.

But Esposito had no equal down low. Deflections, rebounds, quick wrist shots and deft backhands were his specialties. Garbage goals, some called them, but Esposito piled them up like it was New York City during a sanitation strike.

“Jesus saves, and Esposito scores on the rebound.” That was a popular bumper sticker in Boston during Esposito’s tenure with the Bruins.

Esposito started his career in Chicago and finished it with the New York Rangers, but his glory days were spent in Boston.

The 6-foot-1, 205-pound center played for the Bruins from 1967-75. He helped the Bruins win the Stanley Cup in 1970 and ’72. He set NHL records for goals (76) and points (152) in 1970-71. Those marks stood until Gretzky broke them in 1981-82 and 1980-81, respectively.

When Esposito retired in 1981, he stood second only to Gordie Howe in career goals and points.

But the best Esposito ever played was for his country. He dominated the first meeting between Canadian pros and Russian “amateurs,” the 1972 Summit Series.

Nobody ever has played hockey better than Esposito in that series. Canada trailed three games to one (with one tie) entering the final three contests, all on Moscow ice.

Esposito did everything but storm the Kremlin.

Canada won out to take the series. Esposito assisted on Paul Henderson’s series-winning goal with 34 seconds left in Game 8. Esposito finished with seven goals and six assists in eight games. Canada’s victory was a triumph of the will — primarily Esposito’s.

If Canada loses that series, national pride gets shaken to the core. Henderson was the hero, netting the winner in each of the last three victories. Esposito was Canada’s rock.

Esposito’s televised on-ice speech fending off criticism from Canadian fans and media after Canada lost Game 4 at Vancouver was his nation’s Gettysburg address.

That series belonged to Esposito. He later wrote, “I was never able to play at that level again.”

Esposito wanted it more. He almost always did.

Esposito was one of my favorite players when I was young. I often wore No. 77 (his digits with the Rangers) when I played street hockey.

I met Esposito as a kid because my mother and I knew Greg Polis and his family. Polis was a Penguins player who was later Esposito’s teammate with the Rangers. Esposito bought me my first beer at a Long 1206147 Pittsburgh Penguins Burke also said this of the looming need to soak up all four of the remaining points against the struggling New Jersey Devils over the next two games.

Brian Burke on Evgeni Malkin's 'surge,' Brandon Tanev's penalty and “The teams in front of us have racked up points in the lower end of the tremendous tales of St. Patrick's Day division,” Burke said. “Where every game is a four-point game, you have to do that. You have to get points when you can. You have to get points when you should. Because they are all four-point games.”

TIM BENZ The Penguins lost to the Devils, 3-2, Thursday night.

Friday, March 19, 2021 5:55 a.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.20.2021 New Penguins president of hockey operations Brian Burke was working on St. Patrick’s Day, something the Irishman hates to do.

“My whole career I refused to work on St. Patrick’s Day,” Burke told Josh Getzoff of 105.9 The X on Wednesday. “I usually go to Mass in the morning. Then I go to the pub in the afternoon. And then I go home before the idiots come out.”

Burke was forced to punch the clock on St. Patrick’s Day once in the early 1990s as well.

“My worst St. Patrick’s Day was when I worked for the NHL, and Gary Bettman made me fly the Stanley Cup out to Helsinki,” Burke recalled. “I got there on St. Patrick’s Day, did a press conference that the Winnipeg Jets were holding training camp in Helsinki with Teemu Selänne, then I flew back that afternoon. And I got back to Manhattan at 6 o’clock in the afternoon.”

Speaking as someone who has spent a St. Patrick’s Day or two in New York City, that’s plenty of time.

Plenty … of … time.

One of Burke’s duties this St. Patrick’s Day was to host a half-hour of radio with Getzoff during which they touched on several topics of chief importance to Penguins fans. The most pressing of which right now is the health of center Evgeni Malkin.

Burke was speaking prior to Malkin ending up on long-term injured reserve, so he didn’t provide any clarity on the specifics of Malkin’s injury. Nor did he have a prognosis for a return.

But in his praise of Malkin, one could glean how massive of a loss No. 71 will be, especially in the way Burke sang his praises of late.

Before his first-period injury against Boston on Tuesday, Malkin had registered at least one point in all eight of the team’s games this month.

When Getzoff asked Burke about the main reason for the Penguins’ recent run of improved play, he cited three things:

• The return of defenseman Brian Dumoulin

• Improved goaltending

• Malkin’s “surge”

“Sid has been Sid since I got (to Pittsburgh),” Burke said of his hire last month. “But Geno has really cranked it up. That has given us a two-line attack.”

Burke also had a pointed criticism of Tuesday night’s five-minute major assessed to Brandon Tanev for his hit on Boston’s Jarred Tinordi.

“I thought for sure they were going to rescind the major and stick with a minor penalty,” Burke said. “Although I didn’t think it was (even) a minor penalty. Body contact is a part of this game. And it’s unfortunate (Tinordi) was injured. But that’s a clean hit for me. And I’m baffled that they could review it on their tablets and not get it right.”

Burke insists he’s not looking at the play through black-and-gold glasses since he claims to have told Penguins president David Morehouse that the hit from Washington Capitals’ player Tom Wilson on Penguins forward Mark Jankowski shouldn’t have been suspendable.

“I think it is a clean hit,” Burke said of the Tanev-Tinordi play. “It’s chest- to-chest contact. A good 10 to 12 feet from the boards. It’s not in a dangerous proximity to the boards. There’s no leaving the feet. No elbow. No stick. Clean hit.” 1206148 Pittsburgh Penguins Sullivan explained that there are a number of details that go into this defensive approach and the recent improvements.

“When we track back into our coverage, we track back into the scoring Penguins forward Jason Zucker skating again, as he rehabs from injury area," he said. "We protect the slot. We stop and defend inside out from there. That involves all five players."

"When the puck goes low-to-high, we’ve got to do a better job with our Mike DeFabo box outs and our seals so our goalies have better sight-lines to see the puck. If we can’t box out and there’s already a player in front of the net,

we’ve got to tie up sticks and be in a position to battle for rebounds.” NEWARK, N.J. -- While Evgeni Malkin will be out “week-to-week” with a Softer schedule ahead lower-body injury, the Penguins did share some more encouraging news on the injury front on Friday. If there’s any silver lining for the suddenly injury-stricken Penguins, it's that the schedule is softer the next couple weeks. They play the Devils Jason Zucker skated for the second consecutive day back in Pittsburgh again Saturday at the Prudential Center and Sunday at PPG Paints as he recovers from a lower-body injury that occurred on Feb. 23 in Arena. Washington. On that night, he was skating to the point in the defensive zone when his skate collided with the skate of Capitals defenseman Nick Of their next 18 games, the Penguins play the East Division’s three-worst Jensen. Zucker fell awkwardly in front of the Pittsburgh bench, appearing teams – Devils (seven), Sabres (four) and Rangers (2) – a total of 13 to favor his ankle or leg area. times.

The nature of the injury made it tough for the Penguins to pinpoint any kind of a timeframe for a return. But now, it appears the Penguins could be getting back one of their more-important wingers, possibly before the Post Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 end of the regular season.

Recently, new general manager Ron Hextall told the Post-Gazette that if they can get Zucker back, it will almost be like a trade deadline acquisition to add a spark to the lineup.

Before the injury, Zucker was skating on the Malkin line in a trio that also included Kasperi Kapanen. He logged four goals, three assists and a minus-5 rating in 17 games.

Typically, injured Penguins follow the same path back to game action. First, they skate individually for a period. Then, they rejoin the club in a non-contact jersey. That’s followed by a few full-contact practices before they finally take the final step on game night.

So while Zucker still has plenty of progress to make before he’s back in action, he’s headed down the right path.

In other injury news, Jared McCann centered the second line at practice on Friday. He's a game-time decision for Saturday afternoon's game in Newark. Defenseman Mark Friedman also practiciated in a full-contact capacity. Sullivan said he's making progress from an upper-body injury.

Blue line finally back to full strength

Just as the Penguins’ forward corps enters one of its most-challenging injury stretches, the defense is finally healthy.

John Marino’s return to the lineup on Thursday once again gave the Penguins their full complement of six defensemen from their Game 1 roster.

“It feels good to have everybody back,” veteran defenseman Kris Letang said. “Johnny is obviously a really important player for our team. He plays a lot of minutes in a lot of situations. It’s real good to have him back in our lineup.”

Recently, the Penguins have been doing a much better job of keeping the puck out of their own net. The defensemen deserve some credit. But really, it's a six-man job that includes the defensemen, the goalies and the forwards.

Through their first 10 games of March, the Penguins have allowed just 2 goals per game. That’s a stark turnaround from the first 19 games of the season in which they allowed 3.4 goals per game.

Other than the sheer number of goals allowed, the quality vs. quantity of shots is the biggest difference.

At the start of the year, the Penguins weren’t giving up a large quantity of shots, but they were allowing a great number of high-danger opportunities. Lately, those stats have been flipped. The Penguins are welcoming low-danger shots from the perimeter, while cutting down on the quality of chances.

A recent game against Boston on March 15 was a prime example. The Bruins tallied more than 40 shots. Yet, the Penguins produced more expected goals on 23 shots, according to Hockey Viz, than Boston did with almost twice as many attempts. 1206149 Pittsburgh Penguins He fit so well at center that even once the Penguins emerged on the other side of their injury-ravaged stretch, they decided it was worth giving McCann a chance to center his own line in the playoffs.

With Evgeni Malkin out 'week-to-week,' Jared McCann takes center ice That didn’t end the best. McCann ended up becoming a healthy scratch for one of the four playoff games.

This year, McCann looked as if he had once again found some of the Mike DeFabo scoring touch that was missing at the end of last season. However, adversity instead manifested itself in the form of injuries.

His season to date is a bit of a whirlwind. He tallied two goals through 11 NEWARK, N.J. — For almost three days, the hockey-loving portion of games, missed seven with a lower-body injury, returned to find a hole on Western Pennsylvania held its collective breath when Evgeni Malkin the second line, capitalized on the chance to score three goals in six absorbed a hard hit Tuesday night against Boston. games, and then went out for the next five with an upper-body injury. The Penguins themselves didn’t have a definitive diagnosis until Friday Now, he’s back, he’s healthy and he’s got a golden opportunity ahead of morning. But, after further evaluation, the club is now classifying his him. lower-body injury as “week-to-week.” “Mentally it was very, very tough,” McCann said. “I had just gotten back Considering the fact that just seven weeks remain on the shortened NHL from an injury, to get hurt again was tough. But it was not something I calendar, coach Mike Sullivan was asked if he expects Malkin will be could control. I’m feeling good now and I’m looking forward to the future back before the end of the regular season. The coach said there is a here.” “strong possibility.”

“Obviously, when you lose Geno, it’s a tough loss from our standpoint for everything he brings to our team,” Sullivan said. “But we’re certainly Post Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 encouraged that we’ll get him back hopefully in a timely fashion.”

Malkin’s collision with Boston’s Jarred Tinordi came just as the big Russian was beginning to hit his stride. After a sluggish start to the season, Malkin was in the midst of a surge in which he racked up 17 points in 15 games. Pittsburgh had won 11 games during that span, including six in a row before the streak was snapped and the star injured on Tuesday.

“That was one of the things I reiterated to him in the text I sent him, how disappointed I was for him in this circumstance because he’s played so well for us as of late,” Sullivan said. “He’s developed a lot of chemistry with [Kasperi Kapanen]. Those guys have been really good for us. We’re hopeful that we’ll get him back in a timely fashion and he can continue to build on the progress that they’ve made.”

While in many ways the timing is unfortunate, there may be one slight silver lining.

Just as Malkin exits the lineup, it appears Jared McCann is poised for a return. The 24-year-old Canadian centered the second line at practice on Friday, skating between Brandon Tanev and Kapanen. Officially, the Penguins are calling McCann a “game-time decision” for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Devils.

“I’m ready to step in,” McCann said. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity. Just excited to be out there.”

For McCann, this is a chance to rise to the occasion and help the Penguins weather an injury storm. At the same time, for a player whose position has been changed, redefined and questioned, it may be one of his last opportunities to truly take control of a full-time role in the middle.

From the time he was a kid, McCann played center. And that’s it.

But when McCann was acquired on Feb. 1, 2019, from the Florida Panthers, the Penguins envisioned him using that speed on the wing. He’s bounced back and forth between positions often over the last two- plus years – a malleable puzzle piece that still doesn’t have a clearly defined postion. Both Sullivan and McCann called the forward a “natural center” on Saturday.

“The versatility that Jared brings to our team we think is really beneficial in cases like this,” Sullivan said. “If we run into circumstances where we’re injured at the center-ice position, he’s a guy we can put into that circumstance and he has a comfort level being there.”

The situation was remarkably similar last season, but with the other star center sidelined.

During Sidney Crosby’s absence, McCann was elevated on the depth chart and on the stat sheet. He centered the second line – and did so quite well. Even though he didn’t necessarily play alongside the most talented wingers (hey, remember Alex Galchenyuk?), McCann racked up eight goals and eight assists in 28 games. 1206150 Pittsburgh Penguins

Evgeni Malkin out 'week-to-week' with lower-body injury

Mike DeFabo

NEWARK, N.J. — After further evaluation, the Penguins have determined Evgeni Malkin will be out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury.

With the end of the regular season just seven weeks away, coach Mike Sullivan was asked if he expected Malkin will be back before the postseason. He said there is a “strong possibility.”

“Obviously, when you lose Geno, it’s a tough loss from our standpoint for everything he brings to our team,” Sullivan said. “But we’re certainly encouraged that we’ll get him back hopefully in a timely fashion.”

The injury initially occurred on Tuesday. Malkin, 34, was turning a corner in the offensive zone, when he was rocked by Boston’s 6-foot-6, 220- pound defenseman Jarred Tinordi. The Penguins center slowly made his way to the bench and went into the dressing room. He returned for a single power-play shift, but then went right back into the dressing room.

It looked as if Malkin’s knee collided with Tinordi’s. However, it’s unclear if that was the cause of the injury. The Penguins continued to evaluate their star center into Friday morning before arriving upon a more clear timeframe. Malkin is currently on injured reserve retroactive to March 16.

Malkin was in the midst of a surge in which he racked up 17 points in 15 games. Pittsburgh had won 11 games during that span, including six in a row before the streak was snapped and the star injured on Tuesday.

Sullivan said he played phone tag with Malkin and hasn’t had a chance to speak directly on the phone. But in a text message, the coach shared his disappointment about the timing of the injury.

“That was one of the things I reiterated to him in the text I sent him, how disappointed I was for him in this circumstance because he’s played so well for us as of late,” Sullivan said. “He’s developed a lot of chemistry with [Kasperi Kapanen]. Those guys have been really good for us. We’re hopeful that we’ll get him back in a timely fashion and he can continue to build on the progress that they’ve made.”

All things considered, missing Malkin for a few weeks isn't as bad as it could have been. In more promising injury news, Jason Zucker skated for the second consecutive day on his own in Pittsburgh. That’s the first step for players returning from injury. Previously, new general manager Ron Hextall told the Post-Gazette that if they can get Zucker back, it will almost be like a deadline acquisition to add a spark to the lineup.

With Malkin out, it appears Jared McCann will once again get his shot in the middle. He centered the second line at Friday’s practice, skating between Brandon Tanev and Kapanen. That bumped Thursday’s second-line center, Evan Rodrigues, down to the fourth line.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206151 Pittsburgh Penguins He fit so well at center that even once the Penguins emerged on the other side of their injury-ravaged stretch, they decided it was worth giving McCann a chance to center his own line in the playoffs.

With Evgeni Malkin out 'week-to-week,' Jared McCann takes center ice That didn’t end the best. McCann ended up becoming a healthy scratch for one of the four playoff games.

This year, McCann looked as if he had once again found some of the Mike DeFabo scoring touch that was missing at the end of last season. However, adversity instead manifested itself in the form of injuries.

His season to date is a bit of a whirlwind. He tallied two goals through 11 NEWARK, N.J. — For almost three days, the hockey-loving portion of games, missed seven with a lower-body injury, returned to find a hole on Western Pennsylvania held its collective breath when Evgeni Malkin the second line, capitalized on the chance to score three goals in six absorbed a hard hit Tuesday night against Boston. games, and then went out for the next five with an upper-body injury. The Penguins themselves didn’t have a definitive diagnosis until Friday Now, he’s back, he’s healthy and he’s got a golden opportunity ahead of morning. But, after further evaluation, the club is now classifying his him. lower-body injury as “week-to-week.” “Mentally it was very, very tough,” McCann said. “I had just gotten back Considering the fact that just seven weeks remain on the shortened NHL from an injury, to get hurt again was tough. But it was not something I calendar, coach Mike Sullivan was asked if he expects Malkin will be could control. I’m feeling good now and I’m looking forward to the future back before the end of the regular season. The coach said there is a here.” “strong possibility.”

“Obviously, when you lose Geno, it’s a tough loss from our standpoint for everything he brings to our team,” Sullivan said. “But we’re certainly Post Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 encouraged that we’ll get him back hopefully in a timely fashion.”

Malkin’s collision with Boston’s Jarred Tinordi came just as the big Russian was beginning to hit his stride. After a sluggish start to the season, Malkin was in the midst of a surge in which he racked up 17 points in 15 games. Pittsburgh had won 11 games during that span, including six in a row before the streak was snapped and the star injured on Tuesday.

“That was one of the things I reiterated to him in the text I sent him, how disappointed I was for him in this circumstance because he’s played so well for us as of late,” Sullivan said. “He’s developed a lot of chemistry with [Kasperi Kapanen]. Those guys have been really good for us. We’re hopeful that we’ll get him back in a timely fashion and he can continue to build on the progress that they’ve made.”

While in many ways the timing is unfortunate, there may be one slight silver lining.

Just as Malkin exits the lineup, it appears Jared McCann is poised for a return. The 24-year-old Canadian centered the second line at practice on Friday, skating between Brandon Tanev and Kapanen. Officially, the Penguins are calling McCann a “game-time decision” for Saturday afternoon’s game against the Devils.

“I’m ready to step in,” McCann said. “I’ve been waiting for an opportunity. Just excited to be out there.”

For McCann, this is a chance to rise to the occasion and help the Penguins weather an injury storm. At the same time, for a player whose position has been changed, redefined and questioned, it may be one of his last opportunities to truly take control of a full-time role in the middle.

From the time he was a kid, McCann played center. And that’s it.

But when McCann was acquired on Feb. 1, 2019, from the Florida Panthers, the Penguins envisioned him using that speed on the wing. He’s bounced back and forth between positions often over the last two- plus years – a malleable puzzle piece that still doesn’t have a clearly defined postion. Both Sullivan and McCann called the forward a “natural center” on Saturday.

“The versatility that Jared brings to our team we think is really beneficial in cases like this,” Sullivan said. “If we run into circumstances where we’re injured at the center-ice position, he’s a guy we can put into that circumstance and he has a comfort level being there.”

The situation was remarkably similar last season, but with the other star center sidelined.

During Sidney Crosby’s absence, McCann was elevated on the depth chart and on the stat sheet. He centered the second line – and did so quite well. Even though he didn’t necessarily play alongside the most talented wingers (hey, remember Alex Galchenyuk?), McCann racked up eight goals and eight assists in 28 games. 1206152 Pittsburgh Penguins Burke and Hextall did not inherit a ton in terms of future assets. Their prospect pool lacks top-end talent and they do not have picks in the first, third and fourth rounds of the 2021 draft. And with their top-heavy roster, they don’t have much to offer other teams in a “hockey deal” without From The Point: Why the Penguins will likely be quiet around the trade giving up a guy they really like. deadline “It’s pretty [hard to improve] if they don’t dive into their picks,” Lawton said.

Matt Vensel So the most likely outcome for the Penguins could be that they bring in a player or two for their bottom six. Lawton also thinks they could use

another blue-liner. He mentioned Dallas defenseman Jamie Oleksiak, a The NHL trade deadline is fast approaching. It’s April 12 at 3 p.m. That’s former Penguin, as a potential fit because of his size and his familiarity three weeks from Monday. You can probably go ahead and make other with the team and its scheme. plans for that afternoon. Deadline day figures to be quieter this year in “Do I think they’re going to get a huge impact player? I’d say that’s Pittsburgh and beyond. unlikely,” he said. “So they need a little luck in getting somebody in the In a moment, we’ll get to the Penguins and how their new front-office mid-range that can have a bigger impact by making the whole greater tandem may tackle the trade deadline. But first, let’s dive into the unique than the sum of the parts.” circumstances of 2021 that are expected to lead to less player movement POINT SHOTS than usual this year. • Looking beyond this season, Lawton is “pretty bullish on the Penguins.” The coronavirus pandemic has impacted the NHL in myriad ways. It He raved about Burke, calling him “brilliant” and saying he should prove torpedoed revenues. It significantly altered the league calendar. It to be a great fit with Hextall. “I think that accountability and level of disrupted the routines of players and coaches, both at the rink and at responsibility that Burkie brings is exactly what Ron was probably lacking home. And it forced the NHL to play an intradivision-only schedule due to in Philadelphia,” Lawton explained. “Ron’s a stubborn guy. ... I thought he restrictions at the Canadian border. did an awesome job [as the GM] in Philly. But I also thought it was foolish A year after the pandemic hit North America, Canada still has a 14-day on his part that he got terminated for not maybe moving a little quicker. quarantine in effect for anyone who enters the country. So if, say, And I think he’s learned from that experience and is going to be a better Toronto traded for a player from a U.S.-based team, he would be stuck in GM for it. And I think Burkie is a guy who can bring that out of him.” isolation and kept off the ice for two weeks, building rust, while the Maple • The Malkin injury could turn out to be a back-breaker for the Penguins. Leafs played on without him. After sleepwalking through the first 20 games of the season, Malkin “Maybe in a normal year you could survive 14 days. But not this year, finally emerged and was far and away their most dangerous offensive when you have 10 games in that timespan,” said Brian Lawton, the player in March, putting up 12 points during his eight-game scoring former NHL executive and agent, only slightly exaggerating the streak. An extended absence will put pressure on the likes of Jared schedule’s tightness. McCann and Evan Rodrigues to step into bigger roles. But it will largely be up to Sidney Crosby and his linemates to lug this team through this Quarantine rules are not a significant issue for U.S. teams that do adversity. They will need to score at 5-on-5 pretty much every night. acquire players from Canada. Those guys would be available pretty much right away. But with seven of the NHL’s 31 teams potentially • The loss of Teddy Blueger, who is out “long term,” is also significant. He discouraged from doing business across the border, that is expected to was one of the East Division’s most impactful defensive forwards prior to have a cooling effect on trade deadline activity. his injury. He has a fan in Lawton, who believes the center would be of great interest to the Kraken if the Penguins left him unprotected in July. Some league observers have suggested that the financial losses will also “There’s a lot to like about him. He’s a very underrated player,” he said. contribute to a quiet deadline. But Lawton thinks that concern is “a little “He just has the feel of some of the guys that play in Boston’s bottom six. bit overblown.” He’s really consistent and hard-working. It’s repetitive what you get from him. That’s the kind of guy that coaches love, quite frankly.” “Everybody said there’d be no coaching changes. I’ve seen coaching changes. So some owners are still investing in their clubs,” he said. • As of Friday, a Penguins goalie led the NHL in save percentage since “There’s lots of owners who are doing very well aside from the pandemic. Feb. 11. It was not Tristan Jarry. Stick taps to Casey DeSmith for Cap space is more of an issue.” bouncing back from a challenging 2019-20 to once again quietly be one of the league’s better backups. As of Friday morning, the Penguins and 20 other teams had less than $4 million in projected cap space, per CapFriendly. That’s largely the result THREE STARS of the financial fallout from the pandemic flattening the salary cap ceiling prior to this season. 3. Brandon Tanev: He’s top five in the league in hits. He ranks first among Penguins forwards in blocked shots. And after Thursday’s loss in Lawton said another factor, one not being talked about much in the New Jersey, he had notched eight points in his last eight games. What a media but a major point of frustration for front offices, is the looming season this guy is having. expansion draft. 2. Brian Dumoulin: His stat line since returning to the lineup is NHL teams must submit their protected player list to the Seattle Kraken unremarkable. But check out these numbers for Kris Letang in the first by July 17. It’s already factoring into the calculus for contenders. Do they eight games with his steady partner back — six assists and a plus-7 want to trade future assets for a good player such as Nashville rating. That’s not a coincidence. defenseman Mattias Ekholm, only to turn around and hand him over to the Kraken at the July 21 expansion draft? 1. Jake Guentzel: Entering the weekend, Guentzel had a goal in five of six games. A couple of those were game-winners. And his recent work at Taking all of those headaches into consideration, Lawton expects a the net front on the power play has quieted grumbling about the Patric subdued trade deadline next month, Pittsburgh included. He believes that Hornqvist trade. new president of hockey operations Brian Burke and general manager Ron Hextall will attempt to add their “personal touch” to this team. But FINAL BUZZER seismic changes will have to wait. You can certainly understand why Crosby was flummoxed and a little “It’s almost assuredly close to a zero percentage chance this year with an frustrated after Tanev got tossed from Tuesday’s loss to the Bruins for expansion draft, with a pandemic,” said Lawton, now an analyst for NHL injuring Jarred Tinordi with what was a hard — but legal — open-ice hit. Network. “It seems like it’s a little gray right now,” Crosby said about NHL referees’ enforcement of what are supposed to be black and white rules. For At least publicly, they have signaled that they will take a wait-and-see example, Zach Aston-Reese threw a similar hit up in Buffalo that injured approach as they evaluate first-hand what they have on this roster and Dylan Cozens. That one was actually a little closer to the boards, and yet behind the bench. Losing Evgeni Malkin for a while may not change that. he only received a two-minute minor. This has been a recurring issue If anything, it makes more sense for them to sit tight now and see just what these Penguins are made of. league-wide this year. Maybe Crosby speaking up will prompt the NHL to address it.

Post Gazette LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206153 Pittsburgh Penguins The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021

Malkin Out Week To Week; McCann Ready To Step In

Published 12 hours ago on March 19, 2021

By Shelly Anderson

Saying there is “a strong possibility” that Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin will be back before the end of the season, coach Mike Sullivan on Friday announced that Malkin, one of the team’s keystone centers, is out “week to week” because of an undisclosed injury.

Malkin was hurt in the first period Tuesday when he was hit in the corner by Boston’s Jarred Tinordi and then was evaluated over a few days.

It’s a big blow to the Penguins, who lost that game and their subsequent one Thursday at New Jersey after a six-game winning streak.

“Obviously when you lose ‘Geno’ it’s a tough loss from our standpoint for everything that he brings to our team,” Sullivan said.

Jared McCann centered the second line, Malkin’s normal spot, between wingers Brandon Tanev and Kasperi Kapanen when the Penguins practiced Friday in New Jersey.

McCann has missed the past six games because of an unspecified injury but has been practicing in full capacity this week and has improved to the point that he will be a game-time decision Saturday against the Devils, according to Sullivan.

McCann indicated he expects to return, which could help shore up the thin center position with Malkin and Teddy Blueger on injured reserve.

“He’s a natural center, so he has a comfort level playing there,” Sullivan said of McCann potentially filling in for Malkin, also citing his versatility after he has spent most of this season as a winger when healthy.

McCann, who helped fill in for the team’s other top center, Sidney Crosby, when Crosby was out last season, said he’s ready for the added defensive responsibility of shifting to center.

“I’m not going to overthink it; I’m just going to go out there and play my game,” McCann said. “I’ve got two great linemates to play with in (Kapenen and Tanev). We have some good chemistry together already this year. We’re going to look to make a difference tomorrow.”

Malkin, 34, has eight goals, 26 points in 29 games. But that doesn’t tell the full story.

He had a poor start to the season, playing at self-admittedly significantly less then his normal dominant best. Then he found his legs, his game and a great deal of chemistry with Kapanen.

Going into the game he was hurt, Malkin had an eight-game point streak (four goals, 12 points).

Sullivan tried to reach Malkin to talk to him about the prognosis and underscore how well he had been playing.

“I called him (Thursday). I sent him a text. We played phone tag,” Sullivan said.

“That was one of the things I reiterated in one of the texts I sent him, was how disappointed I was for him in this circumstance because he’s played so well for us as of late, he’s developed a lot of chemistry with (Kapanen) and that we’ll get him back in a timely fashion and he can continue to build on the progress that they’ve made.”

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, the third member of the team’s longtime core, feels for Malkin.

“It must be tough for him,” Letang said. “Maybe people didn’t think he had a great start, but he was certainly a key component of all the wins that we got lately.”

In other injury updates from Sullivan, winger Jason Zucker skated on his own for the second day in a row in Pittsburgh “which is really encouraging from our standpoint. He’s making progress.”

Defenseman Mark Friedman again skated in a full capacity in practice. 1206154 Pittsburgh Penguins Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021

Malkin Out Week To Week; McCann Ready To Step In

Published 12 hours ago on March 19, 2021

By Shelly Anderson

Saying there is “a strong possibility” that Pittsburgh Penguins Evgeni Malkin will be back before the end of the season, coach Mike Sullivan on Friday announced that Malkin, one of the team’s keystone centers, is out “week to week” because of an undisclosed injury.

Malkin was hurt in the first period Tuesday when he was hit in the corner by Boston’s Jarred Tinordi and then was evaluated over a few days.

It’s a big blow to the Penguins, who lost that game and their subsequent one Thursday at New Jersey after a six-game winning streak.

“Obviously when you lose ‘Geno’ it’s a tough loss from our standpoint for everything that he brings to our team,” Sullivan said.

Jared McCann centered the second line, Malkin’s normal spot, between wingers Brandon Tanev and Kasperi Kapanen when the Penguins practiced Friday in New Jersey.

McCann has missed the past six games because of an unspecified injury but has been practicing in full capacity this week and has improved to the point that he will be a game-time decision Saturday against the Devils, according to Sullivan.

McCann indicated he expects to return, which could help shore up the thin center position with Malkin and Teddy Blueger on injured reserve.

“He’s a natural center, so he has a comfort level playing there,” Sullivan said of McCann potentially filling in for Malkin, also citing his versatility after he has spent most of this season as a winger when healthy.

McCann, who helped fill in for the team’s other top center, Sidney Crosby, when Crosby was out last season, said he’s ready for the added defensive responsibility of shifting to center.

“I’m not going to overthink it; I’m just going to go out there and play my game,” McCann said. “I’ve got two great linemates to play with in (Kapenen and Tanev). We have some good chemistry together already this year. We’re going to look to make a difference tomorrow.”

Malkin, 34, has eight goals, 26 points in 29 games. But that doesn’t tell the full story.

He had a poor start to the season, playing at self-admittedly significantly less then his normal dominant best. Then he found his legs, his game and a great deal of chemistry with Kapanen.

Going into the game he was hurt, Malkin had an eight-game point streak (four goals, 12 points).

Sullivan tried to reach Malkin to talk to him about the prognosis and underscore how well he had been playing.

“I called him (Thursday). I sent him a text. We played phone tag,” Sullivan said.

“That was one of the things I reiterated in one of the texts I sent him, was how disappointed I was for him in this circumstance because he’s played so well for us as of late, he’s developed a lot of chemistry with (Kapanen) and that we’ll get him back in a timely fashion and he can continue to build on the progress that they’ve made.”

Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, the third member of the team’s longtime core, feels for Malkin.

“It must be tough for him,” Letang said. “Maybe people didn’t think he had a great start, but he was certainly a key component of all the wins that we got lately.”

In other injury updates from Sullivan, winger Jason Zucker skated on his own for the second day in a row in Pittsburgh “which is really encouraging from our standpoint. He’s making progress.”

Defenseman Mark Friedman again skated in a full capacity in practice. 1206155 Pittsburgh Penguins generate that way … maybe get some second chances. That’s why we shoot the puck. So we’ve got to get to those.”

The fortunate part of the equation is the Penguins still have enough Penguins REALLY Need Help Now; Not Built for This talent, speed, and system to get 42 shots on goal. Even as Evan Rodrigues, who has been a depth forward for most of his career, was pressed into second-line center duty, or Mark Jankowski, who scored seven points last season, was thrust into a third-line role, the Penguins Published 17 hours ago on March 19, 2021 got pucks to the net. By Dan Kingerski It’s the next step that haunted the Penguins.

“You’ve got to shoot the puck, put the puck on the net, and put pucks in The Pittsburgh Penguins probably need help from their GM on the NHL play. (We) to try to create those next play opportunities,” head coach trade market, quickly. The team fired 42 shots at journeyman New Jersey Mike Sulivan said. “And I thought the shot clock is an indication of that. I goalie Scott Wedgewood on Thursday. The goalie, who has spent as thought we put a lot of pucks in play tonight. We had a lot of opportunity much time in the AHL as the NHL over the past five seasons, turned for those next play chances that the net-front or off the rebounds…” aside 40 of the first 41 shots until Bryan Rust slipped one past with four It was a good effort for a team not dressed to get greasy. A little bit of seconds to go. help would go a long way. Don’t be fooled by the 3-2 score. Without centers Evgeni Malkin and PHN has rolled out a few players on the NHL trade market who could Teddy Blueger, the Penguins weren’t in the game. add toughness to the bottom six and dug up a few quality centers, which The Penguins are built on speed, playing on the rush, and being should be available within the Penguins trade budget, too. tenacious but they were not built to grind away in the corners or at the Those players are out there, and the Canadian clubs are moving quickly net front. because the Canadian government is not moving quickly to reduce the Everyone knows an ant can’t move a rubber tree plant. mandatory 14-day quarantine for players acquired from the U.S.

That’s not a knock on the Penguins’ effort, which was respectable for Expect to see the NHL trade block’s game of musical chairs begin most of the game on Thursday. That’s not a knock on their heart, shortly. And when it starts, there will be a feeding frenzy. leadership, coaching, speed, talent, or easily mutable skills of the If the Penguins are in “win now” mode this season, now is the time. They Penguins depth forwards. can’t afford to limp along without Teddy Blueger and Evgeni Malkin for Wait, yes to that last one. three weeks or 10 games or more. Otherwise, the NHL playoffs will go on without them, and there won’t be a prized lottery draft pick waiting for And yes to more players who can play near the crease. them, either. Though the Minnesota Wild, who owns the Penguins first- round pick, would appreciate it. “We had good chances, and I think we’ve got to get to the front of the net a little more,” Penguins winger Jake Guentzel said. “Maybe Perhaps Malkin will return in days, not weeks. Perhaps Blueger will (Wedgewood) saw a little too many of those pucks. So we’ll take the return soon, too, and the Penguins will need to ride out a few-game number of shots, but I think we just got to make sure to make it tougher rough patch. on him next time.“ But if Malkin and-or Blueger aren’t back soon, it’s a red alert time for the Injuries to the Penguins’ second and third-line centers shoved them into Penguins. They’re just not built to win the games as they will be forced to a gritty high-low game in which getting to the net, rebounds, and crease play. battles were the primary source of sustenance. And, who knows, with a little bit of the proper help now, it just might help Ever taken a sports car on an unpaved, rocky road? Only Jeremy them win those games if they get to play in May…or June. Clarkson (Top Gear reference) would do that.

And, that’s a problem the Pittsburgh Penguins’ new front office of Ron Hextall and Brian Burke must fix ASAP or risk losing all of the gains in Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 the standings the team has made in the last three weeks.

We don’t know the injury prognosis of Evgeni Malkin or Teddy Blueger. Neither has been placed on LTIR yet, so that’s a positive sign. It likely means the Penguins are hoping to have both back before the 10-game or 24-day span ends.

However, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan also offered this blunt warning about Malkin’s condition.

“I’d rather not get into the details of the evaluation process,” Sullivan said. “When we have definitive information, we’ll update you.”

I don’t know about you, but if you don’t have enough information 36 hours later, red flags go up. Sure, we can speculate–waiting for swelling to subside, a second opinion, waiting to see how initial treatments fared. All of those and more are plausible explanations.

But not many bring good news.

Sullivan may be forced to be even vaguer in the coming days to protect the Penguins standing on the NHL trade market. Get desperate–get screwed.

That won’t change the fact the Penguins need help if they’re going to play the hard-nosed, gritty game at the net. They needed a bit of help before. Now it’s an all-out red alert.

“I think we need to get in front of him a little bit more and get the rebounds. I think that’s where they won the game (Thursday). Essentially, they they were harder to play against in front of their net than we were,” said. “So I think we tried to shoot a lot and 1206156 San Jose Sharks he allowed four goals on 19 shots in just over 30 minutes of work. The Blues replaced him with Ville Husso, and went on to a 7-6 win.

Both teams started their fourth lines Friday, as Gabriel was on a line with San Jose Sharks blow third period lead, lose to St. Louis Blues in a Patrick Marleau and Donato, and Clifford started the game with Oskar shootout Sundqvist and Sammy Blais.

Nothing happened off the draw between Clifford and Gabriel. Jones finished the first period with 12 saves, including two on the kill after the By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Sharks were assessed another delay of game penalty for too-many-men Area News Group at the 11:59 mark of the first period.

PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 8:54 p.m. | UPDATED: March 19, 2021 The Sharks were given a too-many-men penalty in the third period of at 11:08 p.m. Wednesday’s game with Vegas, which scored with the man advantage and added three more goals later in the period in what turned into a 5-4

Golden Knights win. SAN JOSE — The Sharks need wins right now, especially in regulation Sundqvist was injured with 1:07 left in the first period. With the puck in time against the teams they’re trying to chase down for a playoff spot in front of the Sharks’ net, Clifford’s knee made contact with the back of the West Division. Sundqvist’s leg, and Sundqvist immediately fell to ice and stayed down Nothing of the sort happened Friday night, as the Sharks couldn’t hold a before he was later assisted off the ice. one-goal lead in the third period and went on to lose 2-1 to the St. Louis MILESTONE: The game marked Matt Nieto’s 500th in the NHL game. Blues in a shootout at SAP Center. Nieto was taken 47th overall by the Sharks in the 2011 NHL Draft and Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko both scored in the shootout for became the 17th player drafted that year to reach the milestone. He’s the Blues and only Logan Couture was able to respond for San Jose, also one of only three native Californians to play in 500 games, joining which lost its third straight game. San Francisco-born (1,035 games) and Oakland native Lee Norwood (503). The Sharks could not capitalize on a power-play chance in overtime and also gave up a shorthanded goal to the Blues’ Tyler Bozak at the 6:22 mark of the third period. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.20.2021 The Sharks, in seventh place in the West Division with an 11-13-4 record, play the fourth-place Blues (15-10-5) again Saturday, then host the fifth-place Los Angeles Kings (12-11-6) on Monday and Wednesday.

“It’s very disappointing to give (St. Louis) points,” Couture said. “I thought the first two periods we had a lot of good chances to score. If we hit the net on a few of those we’d be up by more than one. Some of those chances if we bear down on then it’s a 2-0 or 3-0 game, not a 1-0 game.”

St. Louis had lost five straight (0-2-3) before Friday.

“We finally won a game,” Tarasenko said. “This is a really nice feeling. I was missing this. It’s nice to be in the locker room after wins.”

In the second period, Sharks winger Ryan Donato passed up a chance to shoot when he was on a 3-on-1.

He didn’t make the same decision the next time he was in that position later in the period.

Donato came out of the penalty box after he served a bench minor for too-many-men and joined a Sharks’ odd-man rush. He took a drop pass from Marcus Sorensen and fired a wrist shot past Blues goalie Jordan Binnington at the 15:08 mark for his fourth goal of the season and his first since Jan. 26 when he scored against the Minnesota Wild.

“It’s definitely tough, it was a very winnable game,” Donato said. “The good teams in this league find a way to hold the lead and close it. Obviously, there were some good things you could take out of it, but we have another game tomorrow so we can’t get too down.”

The Blues got that goal back with a shorthanded marker at the 6:22 mark of the third period. Killing a penalty to Zach Sanford, Kyle Clifford created a turnover in the Sharks zone and fired a shot that went off Tyler Bozak’s leg and past Martin Jones.

Jones, making just his second start in seven games, had 24 saves through two periods.

The Sharks and Blues last met on March 8 at SAP Center. Couture scored in the third period to tie the game and Evander Kane had the winner in overtime to give the Sharks a 3-2 victory, the first of what would turn into a three-game win streak.

The game began with a fight between Kurtis Gabriel and Clifford, with Gabriel saying later he wanted to right what he felt was Binnington’s wrongdoing for his outburst during the two teams’ Feb. 27 meeting in San Jose.

Binnington was back in net in San Jose for the first time since that incident, which included faking a punch to Erik Karlsson’s face and shoving Devan Dubnyk before he left the ice. Binnington was pulled after 1206157 San Jose Sharks In Oct. 2019, when Marleau returned to Toronto for the first time after he was traded to Carolina, then-Maple Leafs coach said that the forward’s goal was to “break Gordie’s record, I wish him luck with that, I wish him luck every night except when he plays us.” Will Patrick Marleau break Gordie Howe’s games played record with the Sharks? Mike Babcock on Patrick Marleau: "His goal is to break Gordie's record, I wish him luck with that, I wish him luck every night except when he plays us"

By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay At the time, Marleau had played in 1,663 games. Area News Group Marleau later that day responded on social media, using his wife PUBLISHED: March 19, 2021 at 1:04 p.m. | UPDATED: March 19, 2021 Christina’s Twitter account to write, “Quick comment regarding Babcock’s at 2:49 p.m. statement: I don’t think anyone can set out to break a games played record. There are so many things that can happen, and that is not my

goal. My one and only goal is to win a Cup. That’s it. Anything else is just Barring anything unexpected, Patrick Marleau will break Gordie Howe’s gravy. -PM.” NHL record of 1,767 games next month. Quick comment regarding Babcock’s statement: I don’t think anyone can But will Marleau still be with the Sharks then? The NHL trade deadline is set out to break a games played record. There are so many things that April 12 and the Sharks, in their current condition, likely would be sellers can happen, and that is not my goal. My one and only goal is to win a in the market. Cup. That’s it. Anything else is just gravy. -PM

Marleau reiterated Friday morning before the Sharks played the St. Louis Marleau will play his 882nd consecutive game Friday and assuming he Blues, his 1,751st NHL game, that his number one goal is to win the stays in the lineup, will tie Steve Larmer for the fourth-longest streak of all Stanley Cup. Right now, doing that this season with the Sharks is a time when the Sharks play the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. longshot, at best. Entering Friday, San Jose stood in seventh place in the Asked if any pursuit or milestone is more meaningful to him, Marleau West Division and were eight points back of the Blues for the fourth and said, “Winning a Stanley Cup, obviously, was the biggest goal. But other final playoff spot. than that, it’s mainly just playing well each and every night to try and help Assuming he doesn’t miss any games and remains with the Sharks, the team win. It’s the old saying, but that’s the most important thing.” Marleau will break Howe’s record on April 19 when San Jose plays the

Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena. That would be seven days after the NHL trade deadline. San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.20.2021 Clearly, the man nicknamed Mr. Shark would prefer to do it in teal.

“That’d be great,” Marleau said when asked if he wants to break the record in a Sharks jersey. “It would be great if we could get ourselves in a playoff position here and we got to go on a roll with these next few games. Obviously, we’re playing so many games here, it would mean a lot to do it in a Sharks’ jersey.”

Last season with the Sharks out of the mix for a playoff spot, Marleau, wanting another shot at the Cup, worked with Sharks general manager Doug Wilson to try and find the right landing spot. The morning of the Feb. 24, 2020 trade deadline, Marleau was dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional 2021 third-round draft pick. That pick was dealt by Wilson in October to the Wild for Ryan Donato.

Marleau’s production has slipped this season, as he enters Friday with just one goal and four assists in 27 games. But besides being a mentor to younger players, he’s also been a jack of all trades for Sharks coach Bob Boughner.

Marleau spent a lot of time centering the Sharks’ fourth line, which is perhaps part of the reason why his production is down from last year when he had 22 points in 68 games. But he’s also played the wing on the third and fourth lines and has been, at times, on the second power-play unit. He’s averaged just over 13 minutes of ice time per game.

Marleau is the team’s all-time leader in several categories, including games played (1,578), goals (519) and points (1,107).

“I don’t judge him any differently than I would any other player,” Boughner said. “Patty’s still got good legs and I think he’s still got a lot to offer and his strengths can help us.

“It’s maybe a little unfair to Patty, but it’s because he’s a versatile guy and can play center and wing, he’s been shifted around a little bit in the lineup.”

That versatility could be an asset to some teams looking to shore up their depth for the stretch run and the playoffs.

“As a player that’s been around that long and has set so many records, it’s a different role,” Boughner said of Marleau. “He is not necessarily a top-six (forward) anymore, but he’s got to find a way to contribute and help the team in the bottom six.

“There’s many nights he has, there’s been some nights that have just been OK. Moving around in different lines in different positions probably doesn’t help things.” 1206158 San Jose Sharks Sorensen returned to San Jose’s lineup after missing eight games because of an apparent false positive test for the coronavirus. County rules require a one-day quarantine following a positive test even if a player tests negative multiple times after that the way Sorensen did. Tarasenko, Blues edge Sharks 2-1 in shootout to stop skid

San Francisco Chronicle LOADED: 03.20.2021 JOSH DUBOW,

AP Sports Writer

March 19, 2021

Updated: March 19, 2021 9:38 p.m.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Vladimir Tarasenko scored the decisive goal in a shootout and the St. Louis Blues snapped a five-game losing streak by beating the San Jose Sharks 2-1 on Friday night.

“We finally won a game,” Tarasenko said. "This is a really nice feeling. I was missing this. It’s nice to be in the locker room after wins."

It was the first win Tarasenko had played in since Oct. 24, 2019, when he injured his shoulder. He returned for the bubble and played in four losses last summer, then didn't play this season until the start of the five-game losing streak.

Tyler Bozak scored a short-handed goal on his 35th birthday to tie the game in the third period. Jordan Binnington made 30 saves and helped the Blues kill a penalty in overtime.

“We did it the right way,” Binnington said. “We played a very strong game. We were connected out there supporting each other. Tracking in the D-zone was very strong, breakouts were very smooth. We have to build off this and carry it into tomorrow.”

St. Louis won it in the shootout when Brayden Schenn and Tarasenko scored against Martin Jones. Binnington sealed it with a save against Kevin Labanc in the seventh one-goal game in seven meetings this season between the teams.

Ryan Donato scored his first goal in 21 games and Jones made 33 saves for the Sharks, who lost for the second straight game after taking a lead into the third period. They blew a 3-1 lead Wednesday in .

St. Louis Blues center Tyler Bozak, left, celebrates with teammate Kyle Clifford (13) after scoring a goal against the San Jose Sharks during the third period of an NHL hockey game in San Jose, Calif., Friday, March 19, 2021.

“It’s very disappointing to give them points,” captain Logan Couture said. “I thought the first two periods we had a lot of good chances to score. If we hit the net on a few of those we’d be up by more than one. Some of those chances if we bear down on then it’s a 2-0 or 3-0 game, not a 1-0 game.”

The Sharks did get the the game’s first goal late in the second period after killing off their second penalty for too many men on the ice.

Donato came out of the penalty box and joined an odd-man rush. He took a drop pass from Marcus Sorensen, hesitated for a moment and beat Binnington for his first goal since Jan. 26 at Colorado.

The Blues tied it early in the third with a short-handed goal. Kyle Clifford won a battle for the puck behind the net, then skated around the goal and sent a puck in front that deflected off Bozak’s leg and in to make it 1-1.

“For me the bottom line is part of our 60 minutes is special teams as well,” Sharks coach Bob Boughner said. “I thought our PK was solid but our power play wasn’t. We had an opportunity to win it in overtime and didn’t and we gave up a shorty.”

MEDICAL REPORT

The Blues got forward Jaden Schwartz back in the lineup for the first time since he sustained a lower-body injury on Feb. 12 at Arizona. St. Louis then lost another forward to an injury in the first. Oskar Sundqvist had to be helped off the ice after Clifford’s knee hit him in the back of the left leg. Sundqvist stayed down for a few minutes and was unable to put any weight on his left leg when he went back to the locker room. He didn’t return to the game and will undergo an MRI on Saturday. 1206159 San Jose Sharks

Despite record, Boughner says Sharks are hard team to play

BY ALI THANAWALLA

Considering how the Sharks played last season and how they've fared two months into the 2021 NHL season, it wouldn't be surprising if opposing teams were salivating at the thought of playing San Jose.

After all, dating back to the start of last season, the Sharks are 40-49-9 following their 2-1 shootout loss to the St. Louis Blues at SAP Center on Friday night.

But Sharks coach Bob Boughner told reporters after the game that his team is building towards something and it isn't an easy team to play against at the moment.

"So many improvements. There's certain things we identified after about 10 games that we needed to get better at and we've gotten better in every one of those categories," Boughner said on a video conference call. "I'm happy that way. It's maybe not a team that's ready to compete for a Stanley Cup, but it's a team that's getting better by the week. And it's a team that's building on its culture like we talked about, and we're a hard team to play against. I think if you asked anyone around the league in our side, we're a hard team to play against right now and that's what we need."

Defenseman Erik Karlsson, who played 26 minutes Friday, echoed Boughner's sentiment.

"I think we've been played some better hockey lately and using our feet and protecting the puck more and playing with some puck possession makes us tough to play against," Karlsson said. "We've got some big boys on our team. It's unfortunate that we can't find more ways to win games because I think we've done a great job of putting ourselves in positions to be able to win."

It's good that the Sharks have confidence in their abilities, but entering Saturday's rematch against the Blues, San Jose sits in seventh place with an 11-13-4 record, good for 26 points, nine out of a West Division playoff spot.

With all the veteran and battle-tested players on the Sharks roster, they should be better than their record indicates. Instead, they have a losing record in their home barn (3-5-2).

The Sharks might truly believe they are a hard team to play right now, but they need to turn that into some wins if they want to make some news in the playoff race.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206160 San Jose Sharks “When we talk to players, it’s not just me talking to a player,” Boughner said. “If (the forwards) are going through shift tape, I’ll jump in those meetings with John sometimes. Same thing with Rocky and the defense. And (Mike Ricci) as the development coach is in those conversations. Sharks second-half preview: It’s time to play the young guys We sit and talk about things these players need to work on, their strengths, their weaknesses, and go through their games with them.

“We spend a lot of time with these guys, and I think it’s paying off. I think By Kevin Kurz you can see that we’re turning a corner with some of them. Some guys down on the Barracuda are knocking on the door, as well.”

One of more dejecting aspects of the Sharks’ last-place finish in 2019-20 So who might get a chance over the final 28 games of the season? is that their AHL affiliate, the Barracuda, weren’t any better. Just like their The Sharks’ top prospect is still probably Ryan Merkley, the 21st overall parent club, the Barracuda were in the basement of their division with a pick in the 2018 draft. Merkley is playing with Megna to give him a 21-27-7 mark before the league was paused and ultimately never veteran presence and someone to lean on. Megna was once paired with restarted. Vegas’ Shea Theodore when both were on the San Diego Gulls. But while the Sharks are still struggling to win games this season, hitting In 14 games with the Barracuda, Merkley has seven points (1g, 6a). the midway point of the shortened 2021 campaign with a 2-1 shootout Sommer praised the 20-year-old defenseman’s offensive ability but also loss to the Blues on Friday that dropped them to 11-13-4, things are a bit suggested he needs to be more consistent. brighter down on the farm. The Barracuda are a respectable 6-4-4, but more importantly, there are some players there that could end up “There were probably four or five games in a row, if you’re grading on a becoming NHL regulars sooner than later. scale from one to five, he was a four or five every game — (although) his last couple games I’m not sure what’s going on with him, he just looks “We’re ahead of where we were last year, for sure,” coach Roy Sommer like he’s not playing with the same emotion or going back to pucks like he said in a phone interview on Friday afternoon. was,” Sommer said. “But that’s going to happen. You’re going to have The Sharks’ brass has made it known that the Stanley Cup is not the ups and downs, but there was a stretch there he was really good. There’s ultimate goal this season. That is classified as common sense to most no one in our league that we have played against so far that can do what observers, but it’s a rare admission from an organization that has had so he can do offensively with the puck.” much postseason success for the past decade and a half. There is a Two forwards that have both appeared in Sharks games already also priority instead to give the younger prospects a chance to show if they presumably remain high on the prospect depth chart — Joachim are worthy of playing NHL minutes, and whether they should be a part of Blichfeld, who leads the Barracuda in points (12) and goals (9) in 10 the team’s plans for both the immediate future and beyond. games, and Sasha Chmelevski, who has three points (2g, 1a) in eight That wasn’t the case last season. Not only were the players on the games. Barracuda not good enough, but management was likely hesitant to bring Regarding Blichfeld, who is scoreless in five career Sharks games and them to an NHL club that was losing games by the boatload while recently served a two-game suspension for a check to the head of navigating through what was a fractured off-ice culture. Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, Sommer suggested that he’s taking The Barracuda were the youngest team in the AHL last season by a advantage of his chances to use his best asset — his shot. It’s just significant margin. In the offseason, they brought in 27-year-old veteran harder to get open in the NHL. Jaycob Megna to serve as the captain, but perhaps more importantly “He’s played with good players up here. He’s played on the No. 1 (power most of them have another season under their respective belts. In a play unit), and he gets good minutes. And he’s a shooter, so he shoots developmental league like the AHL, that’s vital. more. That’s what he was drafted for. … (In the NHL he’s) not going to “It makes a big difference,” Sommer said. “The American League is get the same minutes as (an Evander) Kane to do what he’s capable of harder than everyone thinks.” doing. So that’s part of it,” said the coach.

The Sharks have dressed 32 players this season despite remaining Sommer praised Chmelevski for having a good training camp, something generally healthy. A few rookies are staking their claim to full-time spots, that Boughner has also mentioned. like winger John Leonard and defenseman Nikolai Knyzhov, while 23- “He smart. Puts himself in good spots,” Sommer said. “I think he’s got to year-old forward Rudolfs Balcers has impressed, too. Others like Noah stop a little more in his own end, but he’s gotten better at that. But Gregor and Alex True apparently haven’t done enough to stick. overall, he’s been pretty good. He looks like he’s had a year under his The message is clear — if you are a young player working hard and belt in the American League.” performing well down on the farm, you’ll get your chance in The Show. And, of course, any discussion about the Sharks these days has to Coach Bob Boughner and general manager Doug Wilson speak involve the goaltending. Neither Martin Jones nor Devan Dubnyk has frequently about which guys look like they deserve a recall, while been consistent enough this season, and the Sharks are again near the Boughner makes the ultimate call when it comes to who plays in the bottom of the league with a .894 team save percentage (25th). Dubnyk games. could end up getting traded before the April 12 deadline, which could “Doug’s been real good; we know the direction the organization is open up a spot for one of the two Barracuda netminders. taking,” Boughner said on Friday morning. “When it comes to lineup While Alexei Melnichuk could be the goalie of the future if he’s able to changes and who’s playing and who’s not, and who needs to go down develop, it’s Josef Korenar who has been the better AHL goalie this and develop a little more and who’s ready — that’s on us, the coaching season after he, too, struggled in 2019-20. Korenar is 3-0-2 with a 2.75 staff. goals-against average and .918 save percentage, while Melnichuk is still “(It depends on) opponents, schedule, how busy we are, who’s fresh, adjusting to the smaller North American ice with a 2-3-2 record, 3.28 who’s not. Those kinds of things all come into play. … I talk to Doug two, goals-against average and .870 save percentage. three times a week. We have one-on-ones and sit down and talk about “Korenar, this year is the best I’ve ever seen him,” Sommer said. “I think the general direction and all our players, but when it comes to the lineup, he’s ready. He looks really good. … He’s seeing pucks, and he looks it’s (up to the coaching staff).” mature, and he’s moving good, good in practice. I really like where his Boughner and assistant coaches Rocky Thompson and John Madden — game is at.” who should be able to join the staff behind the bench shortly, as his And Melnichuk? immigration paperwork gets worked out — all have backgrounds in developmental leagues. Boughner was a coach in the OHL for eight “He’s going through a transition period,” Sommer said. “I wouldn’t say his seasons, Thompson bounced mostly from juniors to the AHL in a game is where it needs to be for North America. … He just needs to play coaching career that now spans more than a decade, while Madden a ton of games. He’s going to be a good one, but he’s just not ready, I spent three seasons in the AHL, too. That helps. don’t think.” What could help the transition from the AHL to the NHL is that the Sharks’ overall team structure has improved dramatically from the start of the season. While their roster probably isn’t deep enough that they’ll be able to win games on a regular basis over the next seven weeks, they’ve at least shown they can hang with some of the better teams in the league like Colorado and Vegas.

“There’s so many improvements,” Boughner said after Friday’s loss, the second straight in which the Sharks have blown a lead after two periods, including Wednesday’s 5-4 defeat in Vegas. “There are certain things we identified after about 10 games that we needed to get better at, and we’ve gotten better in every one of those categories. I’m happy that way. It’s a team that maybe is not ready to contend for a Stanley Cup, but it’s a team that’s getting better by the week. It’s a team that’s building on its culture, like we’ve talked about. And we’re a hard team to play against. I think if you asked anybody around the league … we’re a hard team to play against right now, and that’s what we need.”

A better structure and culture helps ease the transition for a player trying to make the jump from the AHL to the best league in the world.

Erik Karlsson said: “I think that everybody on this team, especially the young guys, have taken huge strides this season. They’ve been getting some opportunities to get in situations to get experience, and I think that everyone as a player has grown. It’s always fun to be a part of that, and you try and help them out as much as you can.”

The rotation to and from the Barracuda is likely to continue at a steady pace, as the Sharks will need to decide who can help a core group that the brass still believes can contend in the near future without a full rebuild. Other players could depart before the trade deadline. Further, Boughner has shown that he’s not afraid to scratch veterans from the lineup if they are overtaken by younger guys, as evidenced by Stefan Noesen’s reassignment to the Barracuda and Marcus Sorensen’s struggle to play regularly.

“It’s very internally competitive,” said Ryan Donato, recently dropped to the fourth line and who snapped a 20-game goal drought on Friday. “Every night you’re going to have the depth players, the younger guys, that want to play be your best players and show up every night.”

Now is the time to give for the Sharks to find out which prospects have made strides, which haven’t, and, ultimately, who belongs.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206161 San Jose Sharks acknowledge they have no lien upon or security interest in any monies due to Mr. Kane from the San Jose Sharks.”

While some of the lenders have alleged Kane was not forthright on his Evander Kane to bankruptcy court: Lenders’ argument violates U.S. ban loan applications, the winger in his own declaration questioned their on slavery ethics. He arranged the loans through Sure Sports LLC, which brokers athlete loans. Kane, who is arbitrating a grievance against the broker, alleged Sure Sports and its CEO Leon McKenzie was essentially in cahoots with his lenders. By Daniel Kaplan “I believed at the time that Sure Sports/McKenzie were acting as a broker Mar 19, 2021 on my behalf and acting in my best interests,” he wrote. “I later learned that at the same time as I was paying fees to Sure Sports for arranging various loans, the lenders were separately paying Sure Sports a fee for San Jose Sharks winger Evander Kane charged his creditors with directing the loans their way. In fact, I am informed and believe, that after seeking to violate the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution’s some of the loans went into default, Sure Sports and Mr. McKenzie prohibition against involuntary servitude in their push to convert his provided advice to the lenders on how to collect on the loans, including bankruptcy case into one that would allow them to garnish his wages for recommending California counsel and suggested that all the lenders years to come. agree on a global approach to collecting, including contacting the Sharks and garnishing my wages. Sure Sports’ conduct forms the basis of a Kane’s Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition, which listed $26.8 million of debts, cross-claim I filed against it in litigation pending in Miami, Florida.” has been highly charged from its inception, preceded by creditor lawsuits and gambling losses. The petition has been followed by lender motions McKenzie did not reply for comment. Sure Sports is listed as a creditor in accusing Kane of being a “dishonest and deceitful individual who the petition. The San Jose bankruptcy court has scheduled a hearing on ‘misrepresents the facts and shades the truth,’” the winger alleged in a the bankruptcy conversion requests later this month. lengthy court filing Thursday night. Kane also wrote that the amount of money left on his seven-year $49 Five lenders, including Zions Bancorp., are seeking to convert the case million contract, signed in 2018, is less than the $29 million the lenders under the bankruptcy code from Chapter 7, which would only force Kane claim because of NHL escrow accounts and COVID-19 salary and game to pay creditors using current assets, to Chapter 11, which would place check losses. He points out his latest check was gross $213,905, but the remaining years of his Sharks contract under their control. after escrow, deferral, payroll deductions such as state and federal income taxes, and other deductions, fell 82 percent to $38,709. “Zions makes it clear in its Motion that the sole reason it seeks conversion to Chapter 11 and appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee is to He also addresses his documented gambling (he lists $1.5 million in ensure that Kane’s future income is property of the bankruptcy estate, for losses in his original petition), which lender Zions used in part to paint whatever period of years the Chapter 11 trustee and creditors deem him as someone who could not handle his financial affairs. appropriate for a bankruptcy plan,” Kane’s motion said. “This violates the Thirteenth Amendment’s prohibition against involuntary servitude and “With respect to my gambling, it has been an issue in my past and it cannot be tolerated by the Court… The Thirteenth Amendment ended would be inaccurate to pretend it has not had a negative effect on my life, involuntary servitude unless convicted of a crime. financially and otherwise,” he wrote in his declaration. “I have undergone and continue to receive personal therapy to deal with it and other matters “While Kane currently intends to continue playing with the Sharks, the and hope that the issue is behind me.” Lenders request that his personal choice be removed from the equation,” the filing added. “Granting the Motion would place a Chapter 11 trustee in charge of Kane’s life. It creates a risk that the Chapter 11 trustee would The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 seek to assume a personal services contract that Kane may wish to reject. It would also result in the Chapter 11 trustee making important decisions about Kane’s future employment, residence, and all of his living expenses. Subjugating Kane, as well as his family, to the whims of a Chapter 11 trustee not only violates the Thirteenth Amendment, but it is also an affront to Kane’s dignity.”

Kane, who is Black, conceded in the filing “some may consider involuntary servitude to be an extreme description of the Debtor’s potential fate,” but pointed to recent bankruptcy cases that made the same comparison. The argument has been made before in bankruptcy cases, though not all found conversion from Chapter 7 to 11 violated the amendment that ended slavery in the United States.

In a 2012 case in Georgia bankruptcy court, Proudfoot Consulting v Gordon, in which the debtor made similar claims, the judge ruled, “The only question before the Court is whether conversion to Chapter 11 alone violates the Thirteenth Amendment. The Court concludes the mere conversion of the case from Chapter 7 to Chapter 11 is not a type of physical or legal coercion constituting involuntary servitude … Conversion simply places the Debtor in another chapter within the Bankruptcy Code, the protection of which the Debtor invoked by voluntarily filing his own petition to facilitate his discharge.”

Schuyler Carroll, a bankruptcy attorney and partner at Loeb & Loeb, said: “There have been some other decisions that relate to this where courts have said the 13th Amendment does bar appointment of a Chapter 11 trustee. So, I think that the creditors, you’re going to have a hard time getting the judge to appoint a trustee here.”

Many of the lenders’ loans to Kane list his playing contract as collateral. But in a declaration attached to the filing, his former tax attorney, John Fiero, wrote that in 2019 he informed the banks that, “I made clear … my belief that any asserted security interests in Mr. Kane’s future wages were invalid and unenforceable. At no point thereafter did any Lender contest my analysis and it is my belief that today all the Lenders 1206162 San Jose Sharks 4 minutes in: So Knyzhov, in position like Leonard was earlier, just doesn’t get enough mustard on pass to Karlsson. Knyxhov had right idea, poor execution. Luckily, Sanford runs into Jones, goalie interference.

Game Notes #28: Binnington Stretches Out Toe, Blues Top Sharks 2-1 in Clifford takes it off Couture’s stick behind net, then off Bozak’s body and Shootout in. Not a good San Jose Sharks PP. Part of messiness was Bortuzzo borderline late hit on Kane. But just borderline, not really that bad. Lethargic PP.

Published 5 hours ago on March 19, 2021 Gabriel called for 10-minute misconduct there, why? Something said to officials? No ensuing PP for Blues, so no harm, no foul, I guess? By Sheng Peng 7 minutes left: Defending Kane intercepts puck up high, but it skips, so

he can’t go on breakaway. Bangs his stick against boards. 6 minutes, Knzyhov has great step-up on Tarasenko in neutral zone, 4 minutes left: Good energy by Sorensen to flag down puck, help keep it forces turnover. Ensuing faceoff, Karlsson blows by forechecking in zone for Vlasic shot. He’s had good, useful wheels tonight. Tarasenko, slings a beaut one-arm pass to Labanc on entry. Ugly: Per SPORTLOGiQ, San Jose Sharks ceded 20 Slot Shots on Net After a couple San Jose Sharks icings, good individual work by Labanc to tonight, All Situations, to Blues in first three periods. Only had seven such win puck up top, get it out. shots themselves. 10 minutes left: Like Leonard’s offensive instincts, as I’ve said many times. Just has good sense of right play at right time. For example, he’s coming off left wall, wants to pass it to Gambrell standing behind net. San Jose Hockey NowLOADED: 03.20.2021 Perfect velocity of pass, hard enough to elude defense, soft enough so Gambrell can easily catch it.

This game marks the halfway point of San Jose season. How many wins do they get rest of season? Call me optimistic, I’ll say 15. The team is OK, better than last year’s, but they won’t have enough for post-season. But enough for Doug Wilson to declare progress during the end-of- season press conference haha.

2 minutes left: Love this Ferraro play, skating behind his own net, toward Burns, Sundqvist between them expecting the pass, Ferraro stops up and reverses, keeping the puck. Sundqvist wipes out.

Big Jones save on Kyrou with seconds left after Karlsson misses slapping out puck in slot. If Dubnyk gets dealt, expect more of Jones and who?

PERIOD 2

That corner to slot aerial pass by Karlsson was gorgeous: Thought he was just okay last three games, but I’ve loved him tonight.

2 minutes in: Good responsibility by Leonard, has a chance to pinch on puck in OZ, but he’s covering for D, looks back, goes back.

3 minutes in: Little plays like this is where Gabriel needs to get better. Chance to get it out, relatively easy pass to Karlsson, but clanks it off Karlsson’s feet. Gabriel skates well and is an intimidating forechecker, but he’s not an asset if he’s gumming up San Jose Sharks’ breakout.

7 minutes in: Good work by Karlsson and Knyzhov, both containing and pinning Schenn. Boughner has pointed this out, Karlsson defending harder. That’s a good sign of his engagement. He will never be a physical monster, but he has to compete.

10 minutes left: Karlsson jukes O’Reilly to skate it out himself. He’s been fun to watch tonight.

Second too many men on the ice tonight for Sharks. What in the world? This will not put a smile on Bob’s face, he called out last game’s too many men first thing post-game, and earlier this season, he bench Gregor for offense.

Donato goal: Sorensen does nice job to recognize Donato out of box is fresh, drops it to the slumping sniper. Donato fires right when backcheck arrives. Been getting assists but snaps 20-game goalless slump.

4 minutes left, liked Ferraro’s work. Makes a step to pinch in NZ, misses, quick turn, good gap on incoming Tarasenko and takes puck along wall. St. Louis forecheck on top of Ferraro as he circles net with puck, Tarasenko behind, Schenn in front, but Ferraro holds, waits out Schenn, able to get it to now-open Burns, exit.

3 minutes left: Bortuzzo trying to come down with puck, Simek just plants himself in front of him, separates. Two strong guys getting together, Simek wins battle.

PERIOD 3

2 minutes in: Good job by Gabriel to establish position in front, get a tip. 1206163 San Jose Sharks

Puck drop is 6 PM PT at SAP Center. Watch it on NBC Sports Bay Area, FOX Sports Midwest, or NHL.tv.

Published 11 hours ago on March 19, 2021

By Sheng Peng

MORNING SKATE

Patrick Marleau is actually working on two significant NHL records.

Of course, Marleau is closing in on Gordie Howe’s All-Time Game Played record. At 1,750, he’s just 18 games away from passing Howe’s 1,767.

Receiving much less fanfare, but perhaps as impressive, Marleau is also chasing Doug Jarvis’s Most Consecutive Games Played streak. He’s farther behind here: At 881, he’s 84 games away from passing Jarvis’s 964. Among active players, Keith Yandle is ahead of him at 895.

Does one record hold more significance to Marleau than the other?

“Winning a Stanley Cup, obviously, is the biggest goal,” the always- humble Marleau offered. “But other than that, it’s just mainly playing well each and every night to try and help the team win. The old saying, but that’s the most important thing.”

For Bob Boughner, the answer is obvious: “The consecutive games is, you know, credit to dedication and fitness. I always say that guy just knows how to take care of himself. And he’s the ultimate pro and a great example for the young guys.

“But for me, that record of all-time games played, beating Gordie Howe, may never be broken again.

“That goes down in the history books and is going to be something that his kids will be able to celebrate with their families. What he’s done in his career, to break that kind of record will be one of the most amazing things I’ll be a part of, just watching it.”

But will Boughner be watching it? If Marleau’s chief goal is indeed winning the Stanley Cup – that’s not likely to happen with the 11-13-3 San Jose Sharks.

“It’d be great. Yeah, great, if we could get get ourselves in a playoff position here. And we got to go on a roll these next few games,” Marleau said. “It would mean a lot to [break the record] in a Sharks jersey.”

So what if San Jose doesn’t go on a roll? Would Marleau welcome a new home at the Trade Deadline? Right now, Marleau is scheduled to break Howe’s record on Apr. 19 in Las Vegas, one week after the Deadline.

Another interesting point: If the priority is the All-Time Games Played record, would it make sense to sit Marleau from time to time? He can still achieve that milestone this season, though at the expense of the Most Consecutive Games Played mark.

It seems a sacrilegious thing to even suggest healthy scratching the Sharks legend, but Marleau isn’t as impactful as he was last year, when his game was already slipping. He’s still playable, don’t get me wrong, but an occasional rest could keep the 41-year-old’s legs fresh and give younger players a little more ice time.

But perhaps this makes more sense if the San Jose Sharks fall completely out of the playoff picture – if Marleau is still on the roster then.

Boughner does seem to think that Marleau is still part of the best- possible winning formula for San Jose, over youngsters like Noah Gregor or Joachim Blichfeld or others. Without saying so, Marleau’s usage suggests as much.

“Patty’s game now, I don’t judge him any differently than I would any other player,” Boughner said. “You know, Patty still has good legs. I think he’s still got a lot to offer and his strengths can help us.”

San Jose Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206164 St Louis Blues “Hopefully it’s not as bad as it looked,” Bozak said. “But it’s been a weird year for that. Guys are gonna have to step up. Obviously he’s a great player on this team. He can play absolutely anywhere in the lineup — first line all the way down to fourth line. He can penalty kill. He can power Blues end skid with 2-1 shootout win over Sharks play.”

The last time Binnington started a game here, Feb. 27, he left in a huff, shoving everything in his path wearing a San Jose jersey after getting Jim Thomas pulled in the second period down 4-3. Things went much better this time.

And it apparently was a quiet night at the office in terms of any lingering SAN JOSE, Calif. — About seven hours before his return to the lineup, hard feelings by the Sharks. veteran forward Jaden Schwartz expressed confidence that the Blues “Yeah,” Binnington said. “You gotta live in the moment. We’re getting into could rediscover their game quickly. the second half of the season here and it’s gonna be a war. Every “Quickly” arrived Friday night at SAP Center, in the form of a 2-1 game’s gonna be a battle and my job is to give the team a chance to win shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks. Vladimir Tarasenko had the and focus on stopping the puck.” winner in the shootout, patiently waiting out Martin Jones before sending It should be noted that the scoreless first period, was a big improvement a shot that deflected off the goalie’s stick and in. for the Blues lately. They had been outscored 6-0 combined over their Moment’s later, goalie Jordan Binnington clinched the win, getting a leg previous three games, including a season-high three first-period goals on what looked like a sure shootout goal by Kevin Labanc. allowed Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Earlier in the shootout, the Blues’ Brayden Schenn and Sharks’ Logan In the second period, the Blues couldn’t take advantage of their second Couture had scored. power play. Compounding matters, San Jose countered the other way just as the second-period penalty was ending and burned the Blues for a Gone is the five-game winless streak (0-2-3), matching the team’s 1-0 lead. longest since a seven-game drought (0-6-1) under Mike Yeo in the 2017- 18 season. Ryan Donato, who had been serving the penalty, got out of the box just in time to join an odd-man rush by the Sharks. He took a drop-pass from “This is a really nice feeling,” Tarasenko said. “We were missing this. It’s Marcus Sorsensen, then took his time, beating Binnington stick side with nice to be in the locker room after wins.” 4:52 left in the second.

As the youth say, it’s been a minute. After the Donato goal, things looked bleaker for the Blues when Zach Sanford was called for goaltender interference after he ran into Jones on With Schwartz back in the lineup after missing 15 games because of a move to the net. Strangely, the Blues controlled the puck for much of injury, the band is getting back together. Tarasenko and Tyler Bozak also the San Jose power play. It almost looked like it was five-on-five play for returned from injuries recently, and Robert Thomas could be back by the a while. end of the trip (March 25 in Minnesota) according to Yeo’s successor as coach — . And then Clifford, with the puck behind the San Jose net, whipped around towards the front and whipped a shot that deflected in off Bozak Bozak celebrated his 35th birthday with a shorthanded goal that tied the for the Blues’ second shorthanded goal of the season. game at 1-1 at the 6:22 mark of the third period. The Blues survived a 4- on-3 penalty-killing situation in overtime after being whistled for too many men on the ice. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021 That was one of the themes of the night — San Jose was called twice for too many men.

In the case of the call against the St. Louis, Berube simply referred to it as “a bad call.”

The Blues’ defense was much tighter, more connected. Binnington snapped out of his own slump with one of his strongest games of the season, stopping 30 of 31 shots in regulation and overtime, plus two of three San Jose attempts in overtime.

And although they managed only one goal in regulation, the Blues looked crisper on offense, outshooting San Jose 34-31.

In other words, this looked like Blues hockey, something that has been a rare commodity lately.

“We did it the right way,” Binnington said. “We played a very strong game. We were connected out there. Supported each other. The tracking in the D-zone was very strong. The breakouts were pretty smooth. We just gotta build off this.”

In short, Binnington added: “We deserved that one.”

At 15-10-5, the Blues held their spot in fourth place in the West Division. Seventh-place San Jose fell to 11-13-4.

The only downer to the night for the Blues was an injury to Oskar Sundqvist late in the second period.

With a loose puck in front of the San Jose net, Sundqvist and Kyle Clifford collided hustling in to make a play. It looked like Clifford’s right knee slammed into the back of Sundqvist’s left knee. Clifford was fine, but as play headed the other way, Sundqvist lay on the ice in pain. He had to be helped off the ice with 1:07 left in the period, apparently because of a knee injury.

Berube offered no update after the game, except to say that Sundqvist would undergo an MRI. 1206165 St Louis Blues “We’ve had a lot of success playing together. It’s been a little while, so I think we’ll be pretty excited to get that going again.

“Hopefully, get a good start right away. But something we’re gonna build Blues notebook: 'Can do' Schwartz returns to lineup on for sure.”

Walman, again

Jim Thomas One month ago, after defenseman Jake Walman played seven shifts and 4 minutes 45 seconds as an emergency forward against San Jose, Berube said Walman needed to be patient. The indication was that his time would come. SAN JOSE, Calif. — Oskar Sundqvist called him one of the Blues’ “big engines.” But generously listed at 5-feet-10, Jaden Schwartz is more like Well, Walman played 16:07 Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings the little engine that can. — on defense, no less — and was one of the few bright spots in a 4-1 Blues loss. Berube liked him enough in that game that he was back in the As in can do lots of things. Schwartz can skate, score, agitate, circulate. lineup Friday, again replacing healthy scratch Niko Mikkola on the third He’ll dig for pucks along the wall. Or stand tall in front of the net. (Well, defensive pairing. figuratively speaking anyway.) “He works extremely hard when he’s not playing — in the gym and on the Now he’s back in the lineup, returning for the Blues in Friday's 2-1 ice,” Berube said. “He’s a well-prepared player that way, so I think it paid shootout vicotry Friday against the San Jose Sharks after missing 15 off. Him going in that game, he kept up with the pace right away, and game because of injury. obviously his skating is a strength for him.” Although he didn't figure in the scoring, Schwartz jumped right in Friday. Walman played pretty well again Friday, with 14:11 ice time, two shot He was his usual active, energetic self, leading all Blues forwards in ice attemtps, and two hits. time at 22 minutes 55 seconds. Berube was so confident in his skating and puck moving ability, he sent He saw some power play (2:10) and penalty kill (0:55) time, shared the Walman out at one point during the overtime session _ in just his fifth team-high in both overall shot attempts (seven) and blocked shots (four), NHL game. Unfortunately nothing came of it, because through no fault of and had two hits and two takeaways for good measure. Walman's the Blues were called for too many men on the ice and had to Schwartz seems underappreciated by some Blues fans, the mere send out three penalty-killers. suggestion of which seems to rankle coach Craig Berube.

“I don’t know if he’s underappreciated by anybody,” Berube said. “He’s a St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021 very important player for our team. He’s been a staple in this organization for quite some time. It’s hard to find a harder worker out there.

“Energy. Drive. In my opinion, he makes our team go. He does — with his energy and his work ethic and skating. Tenacity. We all know what he did a couple years ago in the playoffs.”

The Sharks certainly know. Schwartz led the Blues with 12 playoff goals during their run to the Stanley Cup championship. Four of those goals came in the Western Conference finals, against San Jose, including a hat trick in Game 5.

“I think everybody knows how dynamic he is offensively,” teammate Zach Sanford said. “Making plays and creating opportunities for our team.”

“Ever since I’ve been here he’s kinda driven the group,” said.

A four-time 20-goal scorer, Schwartz was off to a decent start this season with two goals, seven assists and at plus-9 through 14 games. Then he suffered what’s believed to be an abdominal — or oblique — muscle injury.

“It happened in that Arizona game,” Schwartz said. “I can’t remember which one.”

It’s easy enough to get them confused, because the Blues played the Coyotes seven consecutive times from February 2-15. The injury occurred Feb. 12, in Game 5 of those seven.

“But it happened maybe early, middle of the second period,” Schwartz said. “I knew something was wrong right away but I didn’t know how serious it was, and we really didn’t know for a few days once I got some more tests on it and had the docs look at it a little bit more.”

Schwartz even took six shifts in the third period of that game.

“It was kind of a weird injury,” Schwartz said. “A little bit rare. So you heard different timetables. It’s kind of a frustrating, a little bit of a freak accident. So that part was tough. But I feel like it’s come a long way in the last little bit and it’s feeling really good.”

Schwartz was reunited Friday on a line with Brayden Schenn and Vladimir Tarasenko. Familiar company, because when Tarasenko has been healthy, they’ve been his primary linemates dating to the 2017-18 season. Schwartz was on the ice for 22:55 in the Blues’ 2-1 shootout victory Friday, taking four shots and blocking four.

“I’m pretty pumped to play with those guys again,” Schwartz said after Friday’s morning skate, in his first media Zoom session of the season. 1206166 St Louis Blues Berube certainly hopes so. “Just understand that there’s times you’re gonna be in other people’s

buildings and teams are gonna start fast,” Berube said. “You gotta have (Updated) Blues Game Day: Schwartz is back after missing 15 games composure. I think that we were on our heels there for a few shifts (in LA), and then we took a penalty for no reason, and they got a power play and get a goal.

Jim Thomas “You can’t just back pucks around, you gotta control the play by controlling the puck. But also you gotta defend better than we did in the

start of that game. We didn’t get into people. We were soft around our SAN JOSE _ Now playing at the SAP Center in San Jose: Jaden net.” Schwartz. WINLESS WOES After missing 15 games with what was believed to be an abdominal – or The Blues take a five-game winless streak into tonight’s game at 0-2-3. oblique – muscle injury, the veteran forward returns to action tonight It’s their longest losing streak since the 2019-20 season, when they went when the Blues take on the Sharks at 8 p.m. (Central) 0-3-2 over a five-game stretch from February 6 (Winnipeg) to Feb. 16 “Very excited,” Schwartz said. “It’s been tough sitting out and not very (Nashville). much fun. So I’m happy to join the team again. Yeah, I kind of get The Blues haven’t had a longer losing streak since the 2017-18 season butterflies thinking about it .So just really happy to be able to play again when they went 0-6-1 over seven games from Feb. 11 (Pittsburgh) do what I can to help this team and be a part of it.” through Feb. 27 (Minnesota). Paul Stastny was traded to Winnipeg the For openers, Schwartz will be reunited with a line he’s play tons with day before that 8-3 loss to the Wild. Over those seven games in 2018, since the start of the 2017-18 season, joining Brayden Schenn and the Blues were outscored 29-10 with Mike Yeo as coach. Vladimir Tarasenko on what some called the SST line. Schwartz was around for all of those skids. Of the current streak, he said: “I’m pretty pumped to play with those guys again,” Schwartz said. “We’ve “I thought before that we won about four in a row. And then I think we had a lot of success playing together. It’s been a little while, so I think had points in about six or seven. So we were on a pretty good run. we’ll be pretty excited to get that going again. “And then a little adversity the last few games, but that’s gonna happen “Hopefully, get a good start right away. But something we’re gonna build throughout a season. I think if we can use that to learn from it, make on for sure.” some adjustments, and realize how important our game plan is and how we need to execute, that could help us moving forward. As has been the case with the recent returns of Tarasenko and Tyler Bozak from injury, coach Craig Berube is throwing Schwartz right in the “I thought the energy was good there for a while. We were beating some deep end. In other words, he’ll have his usual role and is expected to get good teams. We kind of know what our game looks like, so I think we can his usual minutes. turn things around pretty quickly here.”

Included there will be a spot on the second power play unit.

“He looks good,” Berube said. “He’s an energy guy. He’s got great St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.20.2021 wheels. So that’s all looking good. He’s skating well. Moving.”

SHARKS 7

The Blues finish off their season series with San Jose with games tonight and Saturday at SAP Center. The Blues are 4-0-1 in the front end of back-to-backs this season, and 2-2-1 on the back end.

San Jose’s 5-on-5 play has perked up lately, and the Sharks played the Vegas Golden Knights tough in a pair of one-goal losses earlier in the week.

“They played us tough, too,” Berube said of the Sharks. “I think they’ve played extremely hard all year, from the beginning of the year. They came into our building, and I thought they played well and played hard.

“We’re not gonna get an easy game. We don’t expect one. All these teams are good teams. I’ve said it before. There’s no easy nights, and you gotta be really prepared to do the job on the ice. They’re a fast team and they compete at a high level. Do a good job. They score a lot of goals.”

All six prior games in the series, which the Blues lead 3-1-2, have been one-goal decisions.

The Sharks’ lineup is pretty much fully-stocked from the last time the teams met – a 3-2 overtime win for San Jose here on March 8.

“They didn’t have (Tomas) Hertl or (Timo) Meier, so it’s two big bodies that’s coming back for them compared to last time we played ‘em,” Oskar Sundqvist said. “So we know what to expect and we know what we need to do. It’s nothing new. We just need to start executing and start working.”

SLOW STARTERS

The Blues have been outscored 6-0 in the first period over their past three games, including giving up a season-high three goals in the first on Wednesday against Los Angeles.

“It’s just a mindset of being ready when the puck drops,” Sundqvist said. “Obviously we gotta do a better job with that and I’m sure that we will do better tonight.” 1206167 St Louis Blues The Blues couldn’t take advantage of either opportunity, the game’s only two penalties through two periods. If that weren’t bad enough, San Jose countered the other way just as the second-period penalty was ending and burned the Blues for a 1-0 lead. Blues end skid with 2-1 shootout win vs. Sharks Ryan Donato, who had been serving the penalty, got out of the box just in time to join an odd-man rush by the Sharks. He took a drop-pass from Marcus Sorsensen, then took his time, beating Binnington stick side with JIM THOMAS ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH 4:52 left in the second. MARCH 19, 2021 11:22 PM, UPDATED 4 HOURS 53 MINUTES AGO Similar to the first period, the Blues outshot San Jose 12-7 in the second and had some decent chances. Even so, the Sharks had more high- danger opportunities — they just didn’t register as shots on goal. SAN JOSE, Calif. — About seven hours before his return to the lineup, veteran forward Jaden Schwartz expressed confidence that the Blues For example, Kevin Labanc hit the post from the slot just four minutes could rediscover their game quickly. into the second. About two minutes later, Marc-Edouard Vlasic missed the net with his shot on a 3-on-1 break. Eight minutes in, Tomas Hertl “Quickly” arrived Friday night at SAP Center, in the form of a 2-1 deked his way around Dunn and then slid the puck over to Meier, who shootout victory over the San Jose Sharks. Vladimir Tarasenko had the had an open backdoor net front but couldn’t convert. winner in the shootout. After the Donato goal, things looked bleaker for the Blues when Zach Gone is the five-game winless streak (0-2-3), matching the team’s Sanford was called for goaltender interference after he ran into Jones on longest since a seven-game drought (0-6-1) under Mike Yeo during the a move to the net. Strangely, the Blues controlled the puck for much of 2017-18 season. the San Jose power play. It almost looked like it was 5-on-5 play for a while. With Schwartz back in the lineup after missing 15 games due to injury, the band is getting back together. Tarasenko and Tyler Bozak also And then Clifford, with the puck behind the San Jose net, whipped returned from injuries recently, and Robert Thomas could be back by the around towards the front and whipped a shot that deflected in off Bozak. end of the trip (March 25 in Minnesota) according to Yeo’s successor as The short-handed goal, the Blues’ second of the season, tied the game coach — Craig Berube. 1-all with 13:38 left in the third.

At 15-10-5, the Blues held their spot in fourth place in the West Division. The previous shorty also came against San Jose, by Mackenzie Seventh-place San Jose fell to 11-13-4. MacEachern, in the 7-6 win in the Binnington temper tantrum game.

The last time Jordan Binnington started a game here, he left in a huff, For Bozak, it was his first goal of the season, in what was just his ninth shoving everything in his path wearing a San Jose jersey after getting game. His 163rd career NHL goal came on his 35th birthday. pulled in the second period down 4-3. Things went better this time. He had been in a slump of his own, recently with a 1-4-2 record over his previous eight starts. Belleville News-Democrat LOADED: 03.20.2021 (He got a no-decision in the game he was pulled, with the Blues rallying for a 7-6 win Feb. 27 with Ville Husso in relief).

Midway through the overtime period, the Blues were whistled for too many men on the ice. Jake Walman stepped on as Vince Dunn was going off. But Dunn stayed by the wall and the penalty was called. But the Blues killed it off, with Binnington making a clutch save on Timo Meier in the process.

So it went to the shootout.

Just as the Blues are getting players back, they sustained another injury late in the first period Friday. With a loose puck in front of the San Jose net, Oskar Sundqvist and Kyle Clifford collided hustling in to make a play.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

It looked like Clifford’s right knee slammed into the back of Sundqvist’s left knee. Clifford was fine, but as play headed the other way up the ice, Sundqvist lay on the ice in pain. He had to be helped off the ice with 1:07 left in the period with an apparent knee injury.

As for the play on the ice, it was a scoreless first period, which was a big improvement for the Blues lately. They had been outscored 6-0 combined over their previous three games, including a season-high three first-period goals allowed Wednesday in Los Angeles.

Beyond that, the Blues looked much crisper on offense, outshooting the Sharks 12-9 with the aid of a power play after San Jose got whistled for too many man on the ice. Schwartz and Jordan Kyrou both had strong chances in close, but couldn’t solve Sharks goaltender Martin Jones.

Additionally, the team was more disciplined on defense and better with their zone exits.

The Blues had a power-play opportunity in the first period when San Jose was whistled for too many men on the ice. They got another chance in the second, when the Sharks were detected with too many men once again.

Yes, it’s been a problem for San Jose, and not just Friday, because Sharks coach Bob Boughner talked about it after the team’s morning skate. 1206168 Tampa Bay Lightning “That goes a long way coming from someone like him,” Colton said. “It’s definitely been awesome to play with him.”

Lightning rookie Ross Colton capitalizes on playing opportunities Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.20.2021

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA — If there’s one thing rookie Ross Colton has learned in his past five NHL games, it’s that scoring a goal is still plenty exciting.

In Thursday’s 4-2 win over Chicago, the forward disrupted a Blackhawks pass in the defensive zone and used his speed to move up the ice when Pat Maroon got control of the puck.

Maroon passed off to his right and found Mathieu Joseph at center ice. Then Joseph threaded a pass through traffic and put it right on Colton’s stick at the blueline.

Colton raced toward Kevin Lankinen, whiffing on his first two attempts to slide the puck past the Chicago goaltender before he made his way into the paint. One swift move around Lankinen’s right goalie pad was enough to give the Lightning the 3-2 lead after a scoreless second period.

“I think my facial expression said it all after the goal there,” Colton said. “I was pretty excited. Any goal in any game I think is pretty awesome. … It made it a little bit more special that we got the win.”

It’s been plays like this that have grabbed the eyes of Colton’s coaches and Lightning teammates.

Since his Feb. 24 NHL debut, the rookie has made the most of his playing opportunities. Thursday was Colton’s first back-to-back start, and in five games he has registered two goals and one assist, averaging 8:46 on ice per game while mostly skating on the fourth line with Maroon and Joseph.

Both of Colton’s goals proved to be game winners, and he also helped secure the 4-3 shootout win in Dallas on Tuesday.

The Lightning’s fourth line has grown some chemistry. Colton said he, Maroon and Joseph have developed a “gritty” style and help create momentum for the other lines if the scoring chances aren’t there.

Coach Jon Cooper said the 24-year-old has “checked all of the boxes” lately.

“He’s won faceoffs, he competes hard, he can play down low, he doesn’t get pushed off pucks...,” Cooper said. “And then he shows he’s got an extra gear as you saw on that third goal.”

His teammates see the effort, as well. Yanni Gourde called his play of late “phenomenal.”

“He does it all,” Gourde continued. “He’s had a positive impact on the lineup, obviously, with his offensive contribution but also all-around play.”

Even Mitchell Stephens — who has been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Jan. 23 — has watched and been impressed.

“It’s exciting to see him do well,” Stephens said. “He’s been playing so well in Syracuse. … He’s a good player and a great guy. … He’s definitely proving that he’s earning his spot in the lineup.”

Colton didn’t have much time to think about Thursday’s goal. He just went for it with the mind-set that he was going to shoot, but when Chicago’s Lankinen committed to blocking Colton one way, the forward sneaked the puck around from the other side.

While every game builds his confidence a little more in playing at the highest level, it also doesn’t hurt having a 10-year veteran like Maroon skating with him.

Colton said Maroon has “been in his ear” about sticking to his game and not overthinking things, reminding Colton to not play scared and that he deserves to be here. 1206169 Tampa Bay Lightning “He’s got a smile on his face, and got a smile in his game,” Engblom said. “He feels more valued.”

Johnson, who has yo-yo’d up and down the lineup, from center to wing, Lightning midseason thoughts: Andrei Vasilevskiy for league MVP, most over the past few seasons, explains why he likes being in the middle: “It’s improved player and more more natural,” he said. “You get the feel of it more, you’re able to use your speed, build up speed. Wing is more just being in position and kind of being ready for things, whereas at center, you’re a little more involved and I’m more used to that.” By Joe Smith You look at Johnson’s numbers, both offensively and defensively, in play- Mar 19, 2021 driving, and they’re all good.

My bet is come playoff time, Coleman and Goodrow will be reunited with Rick Bowness said his Stars played one of their best games of the Yanni Gourde. It worked so well in last year’s playoff run, why not go season on March 3. back? But part of the job of the coaching staff is to keep players involved, bring their confidence up because you don’t want to lose them. They racked up 28 shots. They felt like they had the Stanley Cup champs on the ropes. “It’s been a lot of fun,” Johnson said of his linemates. “They compete, they work hard, they’re physical, but they also have a lot of skill. We’re Only one problem? They didn’t have Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning playing a lot in the offensive zone and that makes the game a lot more No. 1 goaltender who shut them out. fun.”

“Listen, if there’s any other goalie in the league other than ‘Vasy’ in there, 3. The Lightning showed a video montage Thursday night to we score some goals,” Bowness said. “That’s why he’s the best goalie in commemorate Victor Hedman’s 500th career point, which he tallied on the league.” Thursday night on an assist to for a power play one- timer. In my opinion, Vasilevskiy should be a candidate for the Hart Trophy for league MVP. “Good things happen when you try to find 91 on a one-timer,” Hedman said. The Blackhawks’ , who somehow has them in a playoff spot, may have the edge for now. But Vasilevskiy is the biggest reason the Hedman has always prided himself on being a two-way force, and he Lightning (21-6-2) matched their best start in franchise history as they said it means a lot to reach the milestone in a Lightning uniform. He’s the just reached midseason. Vasilevskiy picked up his 10th straight win on fifth player in franchise history to reach 500, joining Stamkos, Nikita Thursday, one win shy of the franchise record of 11. He’s now the Kucherov, Vinny Lecavalier and Marty St. Louis. Of Hedman’s 500 second goalie in NHL history with three 10-game winning streaks in his points, 75 of them came on assists on Stamkos’ goals, second to only St. career. The other? Hall of Famer , who had four. Louis, according to Elias Sports Bureau.

Without Vasilevskiy, Tampa Bay would likely have five or six fewer wins. This milestone made me think of two things. I can’t believe some in the He’s among the leaders in the traditional stats like goals-against average Lightning organization considered taking Matt Duchene over Hedman at (1.90), save percentage (.932) and wins (19-3-0). But what’s striking to No. 2 in the 2009 NHL Draft. And Hedman’s milestone is a credit to his me is this one: Vasilevskiy leads the league with 13.91 goals saved work ethic. Five years into Hedman’s career, he was a strong above expectation, according to Evolving-Hockey. That’s crazy. defenseman but averaged just 21 points per season. He made a switch in trainers in Sweden, telling him, “I want to be the best in the world.” The He’s got 12.98 high danger goals saved above average, according to rest, well, is history, with Hedman averaging 52 points in his last seven Natural Stat Trick, with his .907 high danger save percentage leading the seasons, with 27 so far this year. The Conn Smythe winner might be league. playing the best hockey of his career. “He’s an A-plus for the season,” said Lightning color analyst Brian Midseason superlatives Engblom. “He makes the exceptional saves, but he also makes the really timely saves. And he’s also become a very calm goaltender. He’s the 4. Most improved player: Mathieu Joseph epitome of the team. He’s patient. He’s a big moment guy. And you need a big-moment goaltender.” Joseph looks like a completely different player than the one who got a humbling demotion to AHL Syracuse in the middle of last season. He’s Goalie coach Frantz Jean said Vasilevskiy gained a lot of confidence playing with speed, confidence, and has chipped in seven goals already. from winning the Cup, validating the process and preparation he goes through. “He’s got incredible legs, he’s got million dollar legs,” Engblom said. “But his confidence hadn’t been there, he didn’t have the hands to keep up “In the playoffs, I had a perfect routine,” Vasilevskiy said. “Now I know with what his legs were doing. But you look at the goal he scored what I have to do before every game.” (Tuesday) after missing the one he did against Nashville — that was the epitome of it, how quickly he adapted. Like, ‘Okay, I can’t make that Vasilevskiy’s biggest improvements as a goaltender have been mental, mistake. I’ve got to relax here a little bit.’ So it’s been a process. I think whether that’s been his work with sports psychologist Ryan Hamilton on he’s in a very similar situation in some ways to (Gourde) from a few years “staying present” in low shot-volume games or learning how to manage ago. If he turns out anywhere close to (Gourde), boy that’ll be great.” his rest (taking off some morning skates). He has the mindset and makeup of a star No. 1, as Brodeur told me during the playoffs. “When 5. Most impressive rookie: Cal Foote you have that demeanor — he looks calm, he looks together,” Brodeur said. “Every save he makes, it’s not like the end of the world. He makes Ross Colton is coming on strong. But Foote has already become a the game look easy.” regular on the blue line. Foote was in the lineup Thursday for the 13th straight game, after being in and out early in the season, and you can tell Former Lightning goalie Kevin Weekes, an NHL Network analyst, said he’s starting to put it all together. The game Tuesday was the most Vasilevskiy — at 6-foot-3, 225 pounds — is built like Eric Lindros, striking example, with Foote making several plays in joining the rush and boasting a rare blend of power, athleticism, hockey sense. taking shots. He’s been more physically engaged, winning battles and believing the game has slowed down. “He’s the model goalie in the game,” Weekes said. Assistant coach Rob Zettler put it best at intermission the other night: Here are some other observations on the Lightning at midseason. “We’ve talked about skating, he’s got to get his feet moving. You saw an 2. It seems like Tyler Johnson has really flourished since getting put back example when he had a 2-on-1, getting involved in the play. He also had in the middle on a line with Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. It was a hit on a Dallas entry on the blue line, eliminated a guy. When a smart move by Cooper to get Johnson back at his natural center defensemen are involved physically, their overall game improves. I keep position and the two wingers have brought his compete level up quite a harping in his ear, ‘Push yourself into the fight, push yourself into the bit. fight.'” 6. Best game: Comeback against Blackhawks, with Alex Killorn’s buzzer- under-the-hood Lightning numbers and their league ranks, thanks to beater in OT March 3. SportLogiq.

The Lightning came back from a two-goal, third-period deficit to win, with Expected goals for: 3.14 (1st) Vasilevskiy coming up big and Killorn’s last-second deflection of a Hedman shot capping it off. But the rally all started at second Expected goals against: 2.44 (15th) intermission when several of the leaders spoke up and got them back on Even-strenghth goals scored: 3.06 (1st) track. There are games every season that, when looking back, are more meaningful than others. They can be a turning point. And I think this Even-Strength shots from slot: 13.8 (4th) could be one of them. Even-strength shot attempts off forecheck: 3.33 (7th) 7. Best story: Ondrej Palat Even-strength shots from slot against: 21.0 (18th) It’s incredible how much Palat has changed his narrative in the past two Percentage of opponent’s even-strength shots blocked: 31.8-percent seasons. After the coaching staff challenged Palat in the summer of 2019 (2nd) to get a step quicker, the winger revamped his offseason workouts and has taken off. Palat has racked up 11 goals (27 points) this season, Even strength odd man rushes against: 4.61 (16th) including a career-high on the power play, where he’s taken over Nikita Kucherov’s spot. No small feat. This comes off 11 goals in the Cup run Controlled entry-success: 57.9 percent (5th) when he was the glue for the dominant top line. Dump ins without opponent exit on forecheck: 65.7 (4th) “He’s been absolutely fantastic,” Engblom said. “I didn’t see it coming. I Opponent entry-denial success: 47.2 percent (1st) mean, he’s a hell of a player. I’m a big fan, but I never saw this scoring prowess. When he changed his training and came in so much quicker, I Contested loose-puck recovery win percentage: 37.2 percent (3rd) think he’s even quicker this year. A lot of that is confidence.” Even strength forechecking success percentage (opposition doesn’t 8. Most unsung player: Pat Maroon reach your d-zone): 46.4 percent (4th)

Who else on this team gets in two fights in one game (like Maroon did 12. Mitchell Stephens is finally getting closer to a return. Thursday was Monday)? It only took a few months last year for Maroon to be “driving Stephens’ first skate with the team since suffering a knee injury Jan. 20 the bus” off the ice for the Lightning, from providing perspective in the in Columbus. Stephens had knee surgery and was expected to be out room to getting guys together for beers on the road. The back-to-back two months, but he’s still got a “ways to go,” Cooper said. Stephens, the Cup champ is one of those guys who holds opponents accountable on team’s fourth-line center to start the season, said he’s feeling better the ice, speaks up in the room when needed, or pulls aside a rookie like overall and has been skating on his own for a couple weeks. But anytime Colton and tells him, “You deserve to be here. Play your game.” you have knee surgery and are off the ice that long, conditioning becomes an issue. “He’s the one I think who stands up and walks around that room and goes, ‘Hey, let’s settle down here boys, let’s get our shit together,'” “I’m feeling pretty good right now,” Stephens said. “I’m looking forward to Engblom said. “‘Let’s stop fucking around. We’re a good team, let’s just taking the next steps here.” get our head out of our ass.’ Guys will listen because he’s respected.” Both Stephens and Cooper said there’s no timeline for his return, though 9. Cooper said the special teams that he’s coached over the years — the he looked pretty good skating (and even scored on Vasilevskiy in a post- ones that won a championship — felt like they coached themselves. And skate shootout attempt). you get that feeling with this Cup championship group. They’re very good at holding themselves accountable, either in intermission talks or on the 13. It’ll be interesting to see how the fourth line shakes out when bench. Ryan McDonagh said there have been some younger, newer, Stephens does return. Maroon made it a point to say the other night how voices speaking up too, including the likes of Brayden Point, Anthony Colton really “complements” their line and “deserves to be here.” Maroon Cirelli, Mikhail Sergachev. cited Colton’s ability to play below the circle and along the wall, his speed and smarts. You could tell Colton has some confidence too, as he McDonagh puts it this way, that now that they’ve won a Cup, they know showed in scoring the game-winner off the rush in Thursday’s 4-2 victory the “recipe” for success, and it makes it easier for them to not only notice over Chicago. It came just two days after Colton’s slick shootout goal on when they’re off track, but quickly self-correct. And there’s an internal Tuesday in Dallas. competition that drives them, with Hedman and Gourde even getting ticked off at each other at recent practice. Engblom said that reminds him Colton said assistant Jeff Halpern approached him on the bench after of some of the legendary Canadiens’ teams he played on. Guys hate to overtime and asked, “You any good in shootouts?” Colton leaned back lose more than they want to win. and said, “Pretty good. I’ve got a couple moves.” He figured he’d go fourth or fifth, but Colton went first. “It’s just an attitude being around this group,” Coleman said. “We enjoy winning, but this team hates to lose. Whether it’s a battle in practice, little Colton used his “go-to-move,” shifting his feet with some speed and mini games. We have a lot of competitive guys, guys that compete when scoring. Foote, who played with Colton in Syracuse, called his buddy’s the game is on the line, in the trenches. I go unhappy if the results aren’t shot on the bench with Hedman. “Absolutely no nerves, whatsoever,” there, and a lot of guys are like that in our room. We haven’t had many Hedman said. “A pretty gutty kid, to be honest with you,” Cooper said. losing streaks because of that. We’re eager to study film and turn a game 14. It’s crazy to think that just a few years ago, in Colton’s first season around after a night off, and that’s the culture you need.” with Syracuse, he’d play for 25 seconds and be “dying,” according to 10. GM Julien BriseBois said he’s happy with most numbers involving the coach Ben Groulx, citing his conditioning. But Colton’s progression is a team, and why wouldn’t he, with the Lightning among the league’s best in credit to the team’s development — take a look through his journey, with several key categories entering Thursday’s game? insight from all of his coaches along the way. I still think Stephens has the edge with experience, but it depends on how quickly he recovers and Goals for: 3.61 (1st) Colton has definitely made it interesting.

Goals against: 2.46 (4th) “He’s pulled that line together,” Cooper said of Colton. “He’s really responsible in his own end. He competes hard, he’s got a good stick. Power play: 28.4-percent (3rd) And he can win some draws.” Penalty kill: 85.3-percent (5th) 15. Fans are all over backup goaltender Curtis McElhinney. Sure, the Goal differential: Plus-35 (1st) numbers aren’t good, with McElhinney 2-3-1 with a 3.19 goals against average and an .874 save percentage. Those numbers took a hit with a Faceoffs: 49.7-percent (18th) couple tough games, allowing six goals against the Panthers and five in a loss in Detroit. Do I think the Lightning will make a change and trade for a 11. The only areas BriseBois pointed out as areas of needed backup goaltender? No. improvement are the rush chances allowed (usually from being too aggressive offensively) and minor penalties taken. Here are some more BriseBois said they have confidence in McElhinney and Cooper is quick to say the 37-year-old has “earned his stripes.” Does McElhinney need to be better? Of course. But it’s also fair to point out that the team hasn’t played really well in front of him, from “gifting” several goals in his Detroit loss to giving up several odd-man rushes and breakaways in Monday’s loss to Nashville.

“It’s not always an easy team to play behind,” Engblom said. “Usually the backup goalie comes in on the back end of a back-to-back, end of a trip, it’s one of those thankless jobs. He’s playing his ass off and he’s still giving up three or four and you go, ‘Oh, he should have had that one. That was the difference.’ The big picture is that he’s done things behind the scenes that people don’t know, he’s a great fit with Vasy, I wish for him he had a few more wins because there have been many times where the team gives up way too many big-time scoring chances. And when you’re judging him against the best goalie in the world, that’s a little unfair.”

Quick hits

16. Mikhail Sergachev has No. 1 defenseman written all over him. I’m talking about a guy who could eventually win a Norris Trophy. He’s continuing to take huge steps this year, logging career-high in minutes and playing all situations. “He’s already elite,” Engblom said.

17. One of the coaching staff’s most shrewd moves was elevating to the top line with Point and Palat. Cirelli, a Selke Trophy candidate, has shown more offensive upside than people thought.

18. Kudos to AHL Syracuse, who have not only had a season but have reported zero COVID positive tests, Roest said. They get tested every day, with the Lightning footing the bill. Tampa Bay’s only players to make the COVID-related protocol lists are Coleman (family member who tested positive), Stamkos (false positive) and McElhinney (unknown).

19. The Lightning’s toughest competition in the Central Division — and in getting out of the first two rounds of the playoffs — is still Carolina. But the Panthers won’t be an easy out, either. Remember when people thought the Central would be a cakewalk for the Cup champs?

20. Lightning founder Phil Esposito filmed a congratulatory video for Capitals star Alex Ovechkin to post the other night when the Russian superstar passed him on the NHL’s all-time goal list (718). Esposito said Ovechkin reached out this week, asking if he could get a game-used stick of Esposito’s. The only problem? Esposito only has two sticks from his career, the one from his last game, and the one he scored his 700th goal with.

“And I’m not going to give that one to Alex,” Esposito said with a smile.

21. One of my favorite stories I’ve written the past year is the behind-the- scenes look at Jon Cooper’s first coaching job — when a judge asked the then public-defender in Cooper to lead his son’s high school team. I loved tracking down the players from that Lansing Catholic team, doing Zoom interviews with more than a half dozen. I feel like I learned a lot about Cooper without even talking to him about it. But the coolest moment was when I helped set up a Zoom reunion with the team, knowing that most of the players hadn’t kept in touch. More than 15 guys joined, including Cooper, who popped on during his bike ride on Bayshore Blvd to give a half-hour of his time to reminisce with a team that really catapulted his love and interest in coaching.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206170 Toronto Maple Leafs Holl would eventually answer the bell with Tkachuk in a strange fight where the blueliner went to pick up his gloves after originally dropping them when challenged before both players finally started swinging fists.

Mark Giordano scores winner, Flames down Maple Leafs 4-3 “I, personally, thought it was a clean hit,” Holl said. “But the nature of the game is you got to answer for it.”

“I don’t really know what was going on there,” Tkachuk said of the stop- JOSHUA CLIPPERTON start scrap. “And I don’t really know what he thought was going on either.” TORONTO But the message the Flames were trying to send was clear. THE CANADIAN PRESS “Don’t touch Johnny,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t think a lot of guys liked the PUBLISHED MARCH 19, 2021 hit.” UPDATED MARCH 19, 2021 Calgary connected on the power play later in the period three seconds after Ilya Mikheyev went off for holding when Giordano blasted his fourth on a one-timer past Andersen. Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) makes a save as Toronto Maple Leafs' Joe Thornton (97) screens and Maple Leafs' NHL goal leader Auston Matthews hit the post for the Leafs from in tight Auston Matthews (34) battles with Flames' Rasmus Andersson (4) during just over five minutes into the third before Markstrom shut the door on a third period NHL action in Toronto on Friday, March 19, 2021. Spezza redirection. Toronto’s second-ranked power play went to work off that sequence, but couldn’t connect. THE CANADIAN PRESS The Leafs got another man advantage with under eight minutes to go in Mark Giordano couldn’t decide what was more satisfying – his goal or the regulation, but Markstrom dove in front of a Matthews shot with half the workmanlike performance he spearheaded in the defensive zone. net open before a final block from Giordano on Toronto’s best player.

All that mattered to Calgary’s captain was the end result. The home side pushed with Andersen off for the extra attacker late, but were unable to find a way through as the Leafs’ skid continued despite Giordano snapped a 3-3 tie in the second period and led the Flames’ giving up just two shots in the final period. shot-blocking clinic with a game-high five in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. “We did a good job securing the win,” Tkachuk said. “But we know we can be a lot better.” The visitors got in front of 29 shots – Toronto only managed to get 27 through – in a grinding effort two nights after getting blown out 7-3 on The Flames got on the board 1:19 into the opening period when home ice by the Edmonton Oilers. Tkachuk’s effort from the side boards on the game’s first shot went in off Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott for his eighth, and first in nine games. “They both feel really good,” Giordano said of the game-winner and putting his body on the line in key moments. “Not going to lie.” “It’s a tough sport to play any time you give up the first shot,” Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Big plays at big times,” Calgary head coach Darryl Sutter said of the 37- year-old’s showing. “The goal, obviously, is a big play … but he played Calgary made it 2-0 at 7:33 when Ryan fired his second on a one-timer heavy minutes and did a great job.” from the slot. Toronto cut the deficit in half when Spezza scored his sixth on Markstrom, who allowed all seven Edmonton goals Wednesday, at Matthew Tkachuk, Derek Ryan and Christopher Tanev also scored for 12:47 after Morgan Rielly’s initial shot was blocked. Calgary (15-13-3), while Rasmus Andersson added two assists. The Flames went back up by two with 1:05 remaining when Tanev’s shot Mitch Marner, Jason Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot replied for Toronto through traffic found its way past Andersen, who allowed three goals on (19-10-2), which has lost six of its last seven games in regulation. seven shots in the period, for the defenceman’s second. The struggling Frederik Andersen stopped just 14 of the 18 shots he But the Leafs got that one back shortly thereafter when Kerfoot’s shot off faced for the Leafs, who will again look to get back on track Saturday the rush hit a defender’s stick and fooled Markstrom upstairs for his fifth. when the teams play their sixth of nine meetings this season. Since returning from a lower-body injury March 3, Toronto’s No. 1 goalie is 2-5- “We checked well and we gave up very few odd-man rushes,” Sutter 0 with an .876 save percentage. said. “It was not a track-meet game at all. We have a team that can play together. “No one’s losing their abilities over night,” Andersen said. “It’s just a matter of putting it together. It starts with me looking inwards and do what “If we just eliminated little mistakes in our game and stay out of the I can do to play my best and help the team.” penalty box, I think that we can play with them.”

Toronto, which had four days off to reset between games after dropping The Flames certainly showed they could even without that Friday. a pair last weekend, had a nine-point lead atop the North Division standings March 3, but is now tied with Edmonton on points – albeit with two games in hand. The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, are two points back Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.20.2021 with one less game played.

“I know personally I didn’t lose my abilities to play good,” Andersen said. “The same goes for our team.”

Sporting their white and green St. Pats jerseys, the Leafs got a boost with the return of Wayne Simmonds to the lineup after the heart-and-soul winger missed the last 18 games with a broken wrist. Backup goalie Jack Campbell (leg) also suited up for the first time since Jan 24, while winger Alex Galchenyuk – the No. 3 overall pick in 2012 now with his seventh NHL organization since June 2018 – debuted for Toronto on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Down 3-2 after a wild first period where saves were at a premium, the Leafs got even when Marner wristed his 12th past Markstrom at 3:48 of the second.

Toronto defenceman Justin Holl then rocked Johnny Gaudreau with an open-ice hit near the boards that drew Calgary’s attention, with Flames defenceman Juuso Valimaki going off for roughing. 1206171 Toronto Maple Leafs

Toronto takes on Calgary on 3-game losing streak

Staff Report

By The Associated Press

Sat., March 20, 2021timer1 min. read

BOTTOM LINE: Toronto aims to end its three-game losing streak with a win over Calgary.

The Maple Leafs are 19-10-2 against opponents in the North Division. Toronto has scored 105 goals and is fifth in the NHL averaging 3.4 per game. Auston Matthews leads the team with 21.

The Flames are 15-13-3 against the rest of their division. Calgary is 19th in the league with 29.6 shots per game and is averaging 2.8 goals.

The teams meet for the second game in a row.

TOP PERFORMERS: Matthews leads the Maple Leafs with 21 goals and has 36 points. Zach Hyman has six goals and two assists over the last 10 games for Toronto.

Elias Lindholm leads the Flames with a plus-10 in 31 games this season. Dillon Dube has four goals and four assists over the last 10 games for Calgary.

LAST 10 GAMES: Maple Leafs: 4-6-0, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.5 assists, 2.7 penalties and 7.9 penalty minutes while giving up 2.8 goals per game with an .899 save percentage.

Flames: 6-3-1, averaging 3.5 goals, 5.7 assists, 3.7 penalties and 9.7 penalty minutes while allowing 3.1 goals per game with an .892 save percentage.

INJURIES: Maple Leafs: Rasmus Sandin: out (foot).

Flames: Joakim Nordstrom: day to day (lower body).

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206172 Toronto Maple Leafs and is playing with his sixth team since Montreal drafted him third overall in 2012.

“I think we worked hard,” Galchenyuk said of his line, which included Maple Leafs find no break from their losing ways, have dropped six of Tavares and William Nylander. “We were good on the forecheck, we seven games stuck with it. Chemistry obviously takes time, but I think we’ll find it.”

Wayne Simmonds, on the other hand, was much like his old self in his return from a broken wrist. Simmonds had an assist on Spezza’s goal, By Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter and threw his weight around with authority.

Fri., March 19, 2021 Fight? Yes, fight: Justin Holl scrapped with Tkachuk after a wicked hit on the Flames’ Johnny Gaudreau.

It was a fight that almost didn’t happen, with Holl starting to retrieve his The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to be a first-place team that plays like gloves when he thought Tkachuk had backed off, only to find the big a second-place team. Or worse. winger back in his face seconds later. The Leafs, playing for the first time since Sunday, dropped right back into “He came at me and asked me to go, so I dropped them (gloves), and their losing ways, falling 4-3 to the Calgary Flames Friday at the then I thought that he was not dropping them, and then I think the Scotiabank Arena. linesman said something … so I was confused as to what was going on.” The Leafs very much needed a win to show some semblance of the team they were two weeks ago, the one that dominated the North Division and built a seven-point bulge. Instead, the dropped their sixth game in their Toronto Star LOADED: 03.20.2021 last seven, and opened the door wider for Edmonton and Winnipeg to grab first place from them.

The Oilers and Jets square off Saturday night while the Leafs have a rematch with the Flames. Edmonton has 40 points, the same as Toronto, but has played two more games. Winnipeg is two points back and has a game in hand on the Leafs.

Are the Leafs losing confidence?

“I think we’re still confident,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “Look back at this game, each of the two games before, and we’re generating more chances than we’re giving up. We have belief in what we’re doing as a team, but the little things stick out for us, the ones that are self-inflicted.”

Indeed, the first shot of the game by Matthew Tkachuk went through traffic for a goal. The second Flames goal, a Derek Ryan point shot, was also through traffic and put the Leafs down 2-0 before the game was eight minutes old.

Overall, Toronto dominated offensively, outshooting Calgary 27-18, and allowing a season-low two shots in the third period. They had the puck in the offensive zone for 26 minutes and 52 seconds compared to 19:08 for the Flames, and they held a 13-4 edge in slot shots.

One big difference: Calgary blocked 29 shots the Leafs’ seven. Flames captain Mark Giordano, who scored the game-winning goal three seconds into a power play, also blocked three Auston Matthews shots on a Toronto power play in the final period.

“It’s obviously frustrating, you want to get the results back,” Keefe said. “We need to regroup, realize how we need to play.”

Struggles in net: Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen allowed four goals on 18 shots, and has now allowed 20 goals in his last five starts. As he said after his last start, it’s just not good enough to win.

Andersen, who is struggling with his confidence, was fodder for Leaf watchers on social media. Many think Jack Campbell should be given a chance at the No. 1 job, and Campbell most likely will start Saturday’s rematch with Calgary.

Andersen is not making game-changing saves, but he’s also not getting the right kind of help in front of him. Regardless, Tkachuk scored just 79 seconds into the game, on the game’s first shot on goal. Andersen admitted he has work to do in tracking pucks through traffic.

On the second goal, a drifting shot from the point, Andersen said: “I saw it on the right side of the screen. I had to stick to where I was, tracking the puck, and I was too late to track it all the way in. I have to be more aggressive there — three of the goals were through traffic, and that’s something I can look at and see what I can do differently.”

Silent night: Alex Galchenyuk’s debut as a Leaf had an upside and a downside. He showed terrific speed and a forechecking ability that Keefe feels is underrated. But he was also on the ice for two Flames goals, along with John Tavares and Travis Dermott.

“I was definitely excited, definitely a lot of emotions there,” said Galchenyuk, who was acquired in a trade with Carolina mid-February, 1206173 Toronto Maple Leafs But the message the Flames were trying to send was clear. “Don’t touch Johnny,” Tkachuk said. “I don’t think a lot of guys liked the

hit.” Mark Giordano leads the way as Flames down Maple Leafs 4-3 Calgary connected on the power play later in the period three seconds after Ilya Mikheyev went off for holding when Giordano blasted his fourth on a one-timer past Andersen. By Joshua Clipperton The Canadian Press NHL goal leader Auston Matthews hit the post for the Leafs from in tight Fri., March 19, 2021 just over five minutes into the third before Markstrom shut the door on a Spezza redirection. Toronto’s second-ranked power play went to work off

that sequence, but couldn’t connect. TORONTO - Mark Giordano couldn’t decide what was more satisfying — The Leafs got another man advantage with under eight minutes to go in his goal or the workmanlike performance he spearheaded in the regulation, but Markstrom dove in front of a Matthews shot with half the defensive zone. net open before a final block from Giordano on Toronto’s best player. All that mattered to Calgary’s captain was the end result. The home side pushed with Andersen off for the extra attacker late, but Giordano snapped a 3-3 tie in the second period and led the Flames’ were unable to find a way through as the Leafs’ skid continued despite shot-blocking clinic with a game-high five in Friday’s 4-3 victory over the giving up just two shots in the final period. Toronto Maple Leafs. “We did a good job securing the win,” Tkachuk said. “But we know we The visitors got in front of 29 shots — Toronto only managed to get 27 can be a lot better.” through — in a grinding effort two nights after getting blown out 7-3 on The Flames got on the board 1:19 into the opening period when home ice by the Edmonton Oilers. Tkachuk’s effort from the side boards on the game’s first shot went in off “They both feel really good,” Giordano said of the game-winner and Leafs defenceman Travis Dermott for his eighth, and first in nine games. putting his body on the line in key moments. “Not going to lie.” “It’s a tough sport to play any time you give up the first shot,” Leafs head “Big plays at big times,” Calgary head coach Darryl Sutter said of the 37- coach Sheldon Keefe said. year-old’s showing. “The goal, obviously, is a big play ... but he played Calgary made it 2-0 at 7:33 when Ryan fired his second on a one-timer heavy minutes and did a great job.” from the slot. Toronto cut the deficit in half when Spezza scored his sixth Matthew Tkachuk, Derek Ryan and Christopher Tanev also scored for on Markstrom, who allowed all seven Edmonton goals Wednesday, at Calgary (15-13-3), while Rasmus Andersson added two assists. 12:47 after Morgan Rielly’s initial shot was blocked.

Mitch Marner, Jason Spezza and Alexander Kerfoot replied for Toronto The Flames went back up by two with 1:05 remaining when Tanev’s shot (19-10-2), which has lost six of its last seven games in regulation. through traffic found its way past Andersen, who allowed three goals on seven shots in the period, for the defenceman’s second. The struggling Frederik Andersen stopped just 14 of the 18 shots he faced for the Leafs, who will again look to get back on track Saturday But the Leafs got that one back shortly thereafter when Kerfoot’s shot off when the teams play their sixth of nine meetings this season. Since the rush hit a defender’s stick and fooled Markstrom upstairs for his fifth. returning from a lower-body injury March 3, Toronto’s No. 1 goalie is 2-5- “We checked well and we gave up very few odd-man rushes,” Sutter 0 with an .876 save percentage. said. “It was not a track-meet game at all. We have a team that can play “No one’s losing their abilities over night,” Andersen said. “It’s just a together. matter of putting it together. It starts with me looking inwards and do what “If we just eliminated little mistakes in our game and stay out of the I can do to play my best and help the team.” penalty box, I think that we can play with them.” Toronto, which had four days off to reset between games after dropping The Flames certainly showed they could even without that Friday. a pair last weekend, had a nine-point lead atop the North Division standings March 3, but is now tied with Edmonton on points — albeit with This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 19, 2021. two games in hand. The Winnipeg Jets, meanwhile, are two points back with one less game played.

“I know personally I didn’t lose my abilities to play good,” Andersen said. Toronto Star LOADED: 03.20.2021 “The same goes for our team.”

Sporting their white and green St. Pats jerseys, the Leafs got a boost with the return of Wayne Simmonds to the lineup after the heart-and-soul winger missed the last 18 games with a broken wrist. Backup goalie Jack Campbell (leg) also suited up for the first time since Jan 24, while winger Alex Galchenyuk — the No. 3 overall pick in 2012 now with his seventh NHL organization since June 2018 — debuted for Toronto on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

Down 3-2 after a wild first period where saves were at a premium, the Leafs got even when Marner wristed his 12th past Markstrom at 3:48 of the second.

Toronto defenceman Justin Holl then rocked Johnny Gaudreau with an open-ice hit near the boards that drew Calgary’s attention, with Flames defenceman Juuso Valimaki going off for roughing.

Holl would eventually answer the bell with Tkachuk in a strange fight where the blue-liner went to pick up his gloves after originally dropping them when challenged before both players finally started swinging fists.

“I, personally, thought it was a clean hit,” Holl said. “But the nature of the game is you got to answer for it.”

“I don’t really know what was going on there,” Tkachuk said of the stop- start scrap. “And I don’t really know what he thought was going on either.” 1206174 Toronto Maple Leafs

Alex Galchenyuk to make Leafs debut against Flames

Staff Report

Fri., March 19, 2021

Alex Galchenyuk will make his Maple Leafs debut Friday night against the Calgary Flames, a move confirmed by coach Sheldon Keefe after the morning skate.

“He’s played very well with the Marlies, and he’s handled himself very well,” said Keefe. “He’s got lots of confidence, he’s really feeling good about this game, the timing is right.”

Galchenyuk, a former 30-goal scorer whose game notably dropped off the last few seasons, will play on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander.

“He’s had a couple of really good days with us, and he’s excited to play,” said Keefe. “We recognize there’s more to this player. We’re giving him a chance to play with good players. Those guys look really good in practice.”

Galchenyuk had worked out with the team’s skills coaches and played with the Marlies, recording two goals and six assists in six AHL games since the Leafs acquired him from Carolina last month. The Leafs are Galchenyuk’s seventh NHL organization – and fifth in the last two seasons.

The Leafs return to full health as well, with Wayne Simmonds coming back from a wrist injury and Jack Campbell backing up Frederik Andersen. Campbell had been sidelined with a nagging leg injury.

The Leafs went 1-5-0 in their last six, and have had four days off. In the interim, the Oilers have caught them on points for first place in the North Division, though the Leafs have three games in hand.

“The standings are what they are,” said Keefe. “They are a symptom of the fact we haven’t gotten results lately. We don’t need any more wake- up call than that.”

Toronto Star LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206175 Toronto Maple Leafs often plagued by a propensity to allow untimely softies, in quite the same way.

Still, if there’s one thing that’s undeniable it’s that Andersen is a Frederik Andersen’s battles, with his confidence and with injuries, will thoughtful and detail-obsessed professional who takes his craft seriously. likely determine how much fight the Maple Leafs have Leafs bench boss Sheldon Keefe said he took it as a good sign that, even in his most recent outing —in which he was scheduled to have the night off but was called into action after Michael Hutchinson surrendered two goals on Ottawa’s first three shots — Andersen was game to accept By Dave Feschuk Sports Columnist the challenge against an unfairly stacked deck. Never mind that the Leafs Thu., March 18, 2021 lost for the fifth time in six games.

“I thought he battled hard,” Keefe said. “He came right in and handled that game very well for us and gave us a chance to find our legs. So that It was a debatable bit of coaching, to be sure. With Connor McDavid and was a very encouraging sign.” the Edmonton Oilers lighting up the scoreboard in Calgary on Wednesday night — up 7-1 before the third period was halfway over en There were at least a couple of other encouraging signs in Leafs practice route to a 7-3 rout — Flames coach Darryl Sutter made an against-the- on Thursday. According to Keefe, a couple of days away from the rink on grain decision. Monday and Tuesday appeared to do Auston Matthews and his nagging wrist injury some good. He declined to pull goaltender Jacob Markstrom, the Calgary No. 1 who signed a six-year deal worth $36 million (U.S.) this past off-season. By “He scored a lot of goals today in practice, he was filling the net. So I making Markstrom weather the beating like the rest of his teammates, think that’s very healthy sign for him and us,” Keefe said. rather than sacrificing a backup to the point-hungry wolves, Sutter said Assuming Matthews’ twine-bulging prowess was the product of his shot he was sending a message. returning to form — and not a matter of the Leafs’ goaltending continuing “(Markstrom) has to be able to battle, too,” Sutter said. to languish — that’s welcome news for Toronto hockey fans. Ditto word that Jack Campbell, the season-opening backup who has played just “Battle.” It’s the of-the-moment word to describe what NHL coaches three games on account of a lower-body injury, was a full participant. At expect from goaltenders who aren’t having much luck stopping the puck. least part of Andersen’s workload-related problems can be laid at the feet There’s a feeling that, even if the opposition is regularly triggering the of Campbell’s absence as a dependable No. 2 who, depending on how proverbial red light, there’s value in showing honest effort and keeping in the remaining 26 games unfold, might even challenge for the No. 1 gig. the fight. “I know it’s been a tough year for him so far,” Andersen said of Campbell. Which brings us to the ongoing struggle of Frederik Andersen, the Maple “But I think he’s taken it in stride and kept his spirits up. Yeah, he’s Leafs goaltender on whose shoulders rest the fragile hopes of a pivotal obviously a huge part of our team, and off the ice, too.” season. Whether or not Campbell will be ready or able to save the day, it’s safe to As Andersen acknowledged in the lead-up to Friday and Saturday games say the Leafs have an awful lot riding on Andersen navigating his way against the Flames, he is currently beset by two considerable problems. out of the doldrums. It’s hard to imagine he won’t be up for the battle. As for whether or not he’ll win the metaphorical war, it’s an open question For one: Perhaps because he’s in the midst of the worst season of his the Leafs can only hope doesn’t leave them with a gaping net. career as measured by save percentage, perhaps because he’s lost four of his most recent five decisions, he has momentarily misplaced his self- belief. Toronto Star LOADED: 03.20.2021 “I know I have the ability to be a great goalie in this league and help a team win a ton of hockey games. I think it’s just a matter of finding that confidence again,” Andersen said. “And I know it’s right there.”

For another: Thanks at least in part to the gruelling nature of this pandemic-compressed schedule — and maybe on account of the cumulative toll of being the busiest goalie in the sport since arriving in Toronto in 2016 — Andersen hasn’t been feeling his best physically since missing a four-game stretch earlier this month with a lower-body injury.

“I’m not really where I want to be, obviously,” Andersen said, speaking of his health. “I think I’m working towards just getting to as good as possible. But I think everyone goes through a season where you’ll have something going on. And it’s just a matter of how well you can manage it and play through it.”

In other words, speaking of the importance of battling: There’s a decent chance the Leafs season has essentially come down to a showdown between Andersen and his personal demons, both mental and physical. Because let’s face it. Between now and the ultimate moment of truth, GM Kyle Dubas can make a trade-deadline acquisition or two that excites the fan base. The Leafs can cement themselves as the best team in the Canadian division. But it’s hard to imagine any of it will mean much unless they get goaltending worthy of a Stanley Cup contender when it matters. And as much as Dubas spent part of this week expressing his belief that Andersen will rise to the challenge, the netminder’s poor recent form stacked atop the memories of the Dane’s less-than- convincing work in post-season failures past have riddled the fan base with crease-based skepticism.

“I think if Fred’s shown us anything in the four-and-a-half seasons that he’s been with us, it’s that he has a tremendous ability to gather himself when he may not be playing to the standards that he sets for himself,” Dubas insisted Tuesday.

You’ll forgive the alert citizens of Leafs Nation who don’t remember the events of the most recent four post-seasons, during which Andersen was 1206176 Toronto Maple Leafs winger. He didn’t look out of place on the left side with John Tavares and William Nylander.

“The timing is right,” declared Keefe before the game. “He’s had a few Andersen struggles, Maple Leafs lose to Flames good (practice days). We recognize there’s more to this player, that’s why we took the patient approach, had him down with the Marlies. He handled himself very well (in his first minor league demotion).”

Lance Hornby The quiet atmosphere of Friday’s national anthem was broken by Simmonds jumping up and down on the bench. Publishing date: Mar 20, 2021 “He’s got a ton of energy and hasn’t been able to utilize it,” noted Keefe.

Though the Leafs have two games in hand on the Oilers, this wake-up As long as Frederik Andersen keeps looking behind for pucks in his net call has been ringing awhile. or gazing around at teammates post-goal, the Maple Leafs won’t be looking forward in the North Division. “We’ve let our game slip a bit the last segment,” agreed defenceman Zach Bogosian before the match. “It’s good to be wary of what’s around Constantly playing from behind was supposed to be in the past for this us, but in the same sentence, we have to be worried about ourselves.” club, but their errors, scant as they are, have been lethal. While winger Wayne Simmonds warned all the Leafs of “a 55-minute effort” in a 60- The break in the schedule has also been a chance for 20-goal centre minute game, a goal on the first shot and an early deficit of two preceded Auston Matthews to have his own wrist issue heal further and he’s been their sixth loss in seven games, 4-3 to Calgary. firing pucks with authority in practice. But since the problem flared up, he’s had only three goals in 10 games. As to Matthews’ level of anxiety Like many Leafs, Andersen had hoped a four-day break and being back that his bread-and-butter role has been hampered, Marner assures “he at home with time to reset himself and get over the effects of a lower keeps pretty even. It’s obviously frustrating for him not being able to body injury would help his confidence. shoot as well as he should, but it looks like he is coming back to normal.” “It’s difficult on a night where everything seems to kind of find a way The same can’t be said of the Leafs as a whole. through traffic,” he said of facing just 18 shots. “I know personally I didn’t lose my abilities to play good and the same goes for our team. We want to get out of this slump. Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.20.2021 “I have to look at the goals (on video) and see what I could’ve done differently … try to be more aggressive, work harder to get eyes on that puck. It’s a matter of putting things together, something that starts with me looking inward and doing what I can do to help the team.”

But he’ll be watching on from the bench Saturday as Jack Campbell makes his previously planned start in recovering from his own lingering injury.

So many other things were encouraging for coach Sheldon Keefe, holding the Flames under 20 shots, a strong forecheck, the return of Simmonds after seven weeks with a broken wrist and the debut of winger Alex Galchenyuk.

“It’s tough when you give up the first shot on net,” Keefe said, though all agreed that was an unfortunate bank off defenceman Travis Dermott. “We find a way back (3-3), then lose a draw on the penalty kill (a weak spot through this skid) and that went in off our guy’s ass a second time.

“That’s the way it’s going, we just have to focus on the things to not put ourself in those positions so those pucks aren’t in our zone.”

Flames’ coach Darryl Sutter praised the Leafs coming in for their “complete game… (something) we have to emulate”.

The Jolly Rancher must have been looking at video of the Leafs before he replaced Geoff Ward. Now Edmonton has caught the Leafs, Winnipeg is closing fast and the Flames have won four of five under Sutter.

Andersen’s body language didn’t look sharp when fourth liner Derek Ryan had a clean look or when the Flames answered a Jason Spezza goal with a rare one by Chris Tanev. Alexander Kerfoot managed to get that back before the first period concluded and a Mitch Marner goal off a good Andersen save tied it. Until Mikael Backlund beat Spezza on a draw and Mark Giordano made it six goals in seven games for the opposing power play. Jacob Markstrom was sharp at the end with Andersen pulled, making 24 saves.

Both Galchenyuk and Simmonds had every right to be pleased with their returns. Galchenyuk cautioned it would take time to find chemistry with new linemates John Tavares and William Nylander, while Simmonds assisted on Spezza’s goal as part of a revamped fourth line with Pierre Engvall.

“All things considered, it was pretty decent,” Simmonds said on his night. “I was able to do the things I wanted.

“Calgary did a good job clogging the middle, so tomorrow we have to do a better job with second and third opportunities, limit our mistakes.”

General manager Kyle Dubas and Keefe didn’t want to regret rushing Galchenyuk two weeks ago when acquiring the troubled and nomadic 1206177 Toronto Maple Leafs post? … After a Flames turnover in their end, Markstrom stopped a point- blank Mitch Marner chance. Not long after, Tanev scored. When was the last time Andersen made a tough stop and the Leafs scored fairly soon in succession? It hasn’t happened often … Dermott’s assist on a goal by KOSHAN: Give Campbell a chance to keep it going if all goes well in Alex Kerfoot was his first in 27 games this season. rematch with Flames One reason Keefe can try different line combinations is the versatility of winger Zach Hyman.

Terry Koshan Keefe could probably put Hyman in net and get positive results. That might be stretching it, but Hyman can be used anywhere on the top three Publishing date: Mar 20, 2021 lines and be a force.

If it was our choice, Hyman — and not Joe Thornton — would play every Jack Campbell will start in goal for the Maple Leafs on Saturday. night with Auston Matthews and Marner.

If the Leafs beat the Calgary Flames and Campbell is anything close to a General manager Kyle Dubas is on the hunt for a winger, preferably one determining factor in the victory, he should start in the Leafs’ next game, who can play on one of the top two lines. on Thursday in Ottawa against the Senators. If Dubas isn’t successful, the Leafs have that guy in Hyman. The bigger The Leafs can’t worry about whether Frederik Andersen can regain his question is: For how long? confidence right now. They simply need to win a hockey game. Hyman, headed for unrestricted free agency, is playing his way out of the With a 4-3 loss to Calgary on Friday night at Scotiabank Arena, the Leafs Leafs’ price range, if he hasn’t already done so. have lost six of their past seven. Hyman likely will be looking for a contract with a starting point of $5- Andersen allowed four goals on the first 14 shots. One was a deflection million US per season. If Dubas is serious about wanting to keep him — off teammate Travis Dermott (we note that goalies have stopped and Hyman’s first choice is to stay in Toronto — the GM could have a deflected shots in the past). On another, Flames forward Derek Ryan had financial challenge. no Leafs near him as he wired a shot from the slot.

Chris Tanev scored on what should have been a routine save on a shot Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.20.2021 from the point, giving the Flames a 3-1 lead in the first.

The winning goal was scored on a one-timer by Flames captain Mark Giordano midway through the second.

Calgary finished with 18 shots on goal — the fewest the Leafs have allowed in a game this season. The Flames had four high-danger scoring chances and scored four goals. That’s not easy to accomplish.

Shot attempts in all situations were 70-36 for Toronto.

In the Flames net, Jacob Markstrom made saves that were required. Andersen did not.

Campbell hasn’t played since Feb. 27. Assume that he gets through the game on Saturday with his health and, if all goes well, then keep him in for Thursday.

“I expect him to battle the way that he has,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said, looking to Saturday night. “He has played great for us, so he goes in with a ton of confidence.

“No matter who is in goal, we have to focus on our game in front of the goaltender and protect him and do a good job of structure.

“I know the guys are going to want to play hard for Jack. He has worked hard to have himself ready.”

Andersen said this week that he has “the ability to be a great goalie in this league … it’s just a matter of finding that confidence again.”

Whether Andersen has the ability to be a great goalie in the NHL should have been cemented long ago. He’s 31 and in the final season of a five- year contract with unrestricted free agency looming this off-season.

The Leafs have needed much better from their No. 1 goaltender for a while. Friday night was no different.

GAME ON

The Alex Galchenyuk era in Toronto, as short as it could turn out to be, got off to fine start when Galchenyuk negated an icing on his first shift. Galchenyuk then was on the ice for two Flames goals in the first period, but Keefe said he liked Galchenyuk’s overall work on the forecheck … Silly that Justin Holl had to answer twice for a hit, as he did in the second period. Holl crunched Johnny Gaudreau with a check into the side boards (no penalty called) and then tangled with the Flames’ Juuso Valimaki, who got the only minor for roughing. Minutes later, Matt Tkachuk engaged Holl and the two got five each for fighting. It’s bizarre that NHL players are offended when a teammate is hit hard and figure something has to be done about it. “I thought it was a clean hit,” Holl said. “The nature of the game is you have to answer for it, so you do it.” … Late in the second period, Milan Lucic hit the post following a Morgan Rielly giveaway deep in the Leafs end. Has a player ever bought dinner for a 1206178 Toronto Maple Leafs maybe you want a playmaker like Thornton to give Matthews and Marner more chances to score.

Maybe — and this is what the next few weeks will reveal — the Leafs will TRAIKOS: What are the Maple Leafs looking for in a top-six winger? realize they want someone (or something) that they currently don’t have. Now's the time to find out “I believe strongly that you do have to try different things,” said Keefe, “because the season is unpredictable, injuries are unpredictable, the challenges that you might face with certain opponents is unpredictable, Michael Traikos and you need to be able to adapt. The more you’ve been flexible throughout the season and tried different things … I think that can help Publishing date: Mar 19, 2021 the confidence of the group when you do have to adapt to an injury.”

This is the time in the season where you can try new things, where the Who are the Toronto Maple Leafs looking for in a top-six winger? team isn’t living and dying with each night’s results.

Maybe a better question is, what qualities are they looking for? No one within the organization wants to say it, but the Leafs are sitting comfortably in a playoff spot. With the way they have been playing lately, Is it someone who can shoot the puck, pass the puck or dig the puck out they might not be guaranteed first place overall in the North Division. But of the corners? Do they want a forward with finesse or a guy who grinds? heading into Friday night’s game against the Flames, the Leafs were Are speed and skill considered top priorities? How about size and eight points ahead of the fifth-place Canucks for the final playoff spot with strength? Are they looking for a younger version of Joe Thornton or a guy three games in hand. who can play more like Zach Hyman? It’s a luxury that Keefe needs to take advantage of. Is it all of the above? None of the above? There are 10 more games between now and April 12. That’s three games And, before anyone starts talking about whether you’re going to have to against Calgary, two against Edmonton, two against Winnipeg, and one give up a first-round draft pick and/or a top prospect to get this mystery each against Montreal and Ottawa. man, is Toronto sure it doesn’t already have him? That gives Keefe a chance to see a variety of different opponents. But it Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas confirmed earlier this week that he is also gives him a chance to experiment and see what the Leafs have — interested in adding a forward at the trade deadline, preferably one who and more importantly, what they are missing. can play on the right wing alongside Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner or on a line with John Tavares and William Nylander. Luckily for the Who knows, maybe it’s nothing. Leafs, there is no shortage of possibilities.

This year’s trade market is a seemingly endless buffet of top-end skill Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.20.2021 (Taylor Hall and Filip Forsberg), blue-collar grit (Nick Foligno) and pretty much everything in between (Mikael Granlund, Kyle Palmieri and Alex Iafallo). But before a deal gets made, Toronto has to take stock of what it already has on the right side of the ice, where a revolving door of players have been auditioning for one of the most coveted assignments in the NHL.

On Friday, it was Alex Galchenyuk’s turn to see what he could do alongside Tavares and Nylander. Next up, could be Wayne Simmonds or Nick Robertson. Or maybe Ilya Mikheyev gets another look now that he’s scoring again.

With three weeks remaining between now and the April 12 trade deadline, expect pretty much everyone to get a turn.

“You’re looking for different things there,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. “At times, you are looking for sort of that third player to be a little different than the other two in terms of what they provide, because there are different jobs that need to be done on the ice.

“Sometimes you need a forechecker, somebody that is going to create a loose puck, somebody that is going to be around the net to create more space for others to move around in the offensive zone. Sometimes, you need somebody that tracks really well and is going to be a reliable defender … and sometimes, it’s just a matter of you have a player like Galchenyuk, who you’re just trying to provide a great opportunity for and it allows you to move things around and try different things while not creating too much change or discomfort.”

In other words, this might not be a one-man job. Not when Thornton, who has spent the longest time on a line with Matthews and Marner, is 42 years old and when Simmonds is at a stage in his career where staying healthy has become a daily challenge. And not when Mikheyev’s stick can go cold for weeks on end and Galchenyuk is still a relative unknown.

For those reasons, Keefe said he wants flexibility in his forward group.

Like most coaches, he thinks in terms of pairings. He’s got Matthews and Marner on one line, and Tavares and Nylander on the other. Those aren’t changing. But depending on the opponent — and depending on who is playing well that night –we could see a variety of different looks.

Against a high-octane offence like Edmonton’s, having a defensively responsible winger like Alex Kerfoot alongside Tavares and Nylander might make more sense than Mikheyev. Against a bigger team like Winnipeg, you might want Simmonds creating space for his linemates. Or 1206179 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto will be wearing its vintage St. Patricks’ jerseys for the second and final time.

'LET OUR GAME SLIP A BIT': Maple Leafs aim to protect the North in Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.20.2021 Calgary series

Lance Hornby

Publishing date: Mar 19, 2021

If their own recent ineptness isn’t troubling enough, the Maple Leafs now have company atop the division from hard-charging competitors.

While they slept Thursday night, Edmonton won to move into a tie for first in the North with 40 points. Toronto, which has lost five of its past six, gave other teams a chance to close the gap, while the Calgary Flames open a two-game set Friday looking to get back in playoff contention themselves.

Though the Leafs have three games in hand on the Oilers, it’s all a wake- up call. The Leafs insist they’ve taken advantage of a four-day break to rest and rejuvenate after a heavy schedule and they’ll have three additions to the lineup in forwards Wayne Simmonds, Alex Galchenyuk and back-up goaltender Jack Campbell.

“We’ve let our game slip a bit in the last segment,” said defenceman Zach Bogosian. “It’s good to be wary of what’s around us, but in the same sentence, we have to be worried about ourselves.”

“Make sure we’re ready to go.”

Galchenyuk starts at left wing with centre John Tavares and William Nylander, a move general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t want to regret making two weeks ago when acquiring the troubled and nomadic Galchenyuk.

“The timing is right,” declared Keefe. “He’s had a few good (practice days). We recognize there’s more to this player, that’s why we took the patient approach, had him down with the Marlies. He handled himself very well (in his first minor league demotion). It’s a chance to play with good players (Friday).”

With Simmonds, Keefe and the Leafs know full well what he brings, having been one of their most effective players before breaking his wrist in early February. Simmonds will start on a revamped good-sized fourth line with Jason Spezza and Pierre Engvall at centre.

“He’s got a ton of energy and hasn’t been able to utilize it,” noted Keefe.

This is a big game for Frederik Andersen, too, the goaltender stung by a couple of bad goals through last week’s series against Winnipeg where the Jets’ Connor Hellebuyck proved better in the clutch. Campbell, whose lingering lower body injury prevented him from bailing out Andersen, will back up Friday night and possibly play the Saturday side of this back-to- back.

The break in the schedule has also been a chance for 20-goal centre Auston Matthews to have his own wrist issue heal further and he’s been firing pucks with authority in practice. Since the problem flared up, he’s had only three goals in nine games.

As to Matthews’ level of anxiety that his bread-and-butter role has been hampered, winger Mitch Marner assures, “He keeps pretty even. It’s obviously frustrating for him not being able to shoot as well as he should, but it looks like he is coming back to normal.”

The Flames won their first three after Darryl Sutter became coach, splitting a set with Edmonton before heading east.

“Darryl coming in has changed the attitude, given them sort of a reset,” Keefe said. “The first three games we saw were a sign of a Darryl Sutter- coached team. Players seem to be embracing it, so we know that challenge.”

Sutter has concentrated on defensive improvement and a faster pace of movingthe puck as much as capitalizing on offence.

“It’s a good test in front of us,” said Flames forward Johnny Gaudreau. “We’ve played well against them in the past (points in two of four games).” 1206180 Toronto Maple Leafs Alex Kerfoot (C, No. 15): So, who else should get the Jonas Siegel magic touch in the future?

I love this quote from Siegel’s well-timed story on Kerfoot on Friday: Maple Leafs report cards: Frederik Andersen doesn’t make the saves “Kerf is a little 160-pound nothing who is silently — and not like (he’s) Toronto needs in loss gonna fight in a bar, I’m not saying that — but he’s quietly one of the toughest kids I’ve ever met in my life,” said Paul Pearl, who coached Kerfoot at Harvard University. “Like, in terms of he’s not the aggressor, By Joshua Kloke but you can’t put him down. Like, he just keeps coming back.”

Mar 19, 2021 He looked like that player Friday night, getting stuck in shift after shift and showing the kind of energy that has become his calling card this season.

He was rewarded for that energy with his first-period goal. Well, after four days without a game, the longest break of the season so Jason Spezza (LW, No. 19): I’m going to have to start the “Jason Spezza far, the Maple Leafs were back Friday night. And with their return came should be getting a bit more ice time” hype train again, aren’t I? controversy. Spezza’s first-period goal helped settle the Leafs down a bit, and he The Leafs dominated play against the Calgary Flames, and the numbers continued to play well, making smart passes off the walls to his speak to that kind of performance as well (the Leafs outshot the Flames linemates. 27-18 and owned 68 percent of the five-on-five expected goals and 73 percent five-on-five high danger chances) to the point that you don’t just Auston Matthews (C, No. 34): People will be talking about how close wonder whether a few more saves from Frederik Andersen would have Matthews came to scoring in the third period, and with good reason. changed the result of the game, but instead feel something a little more conclusive: The Leafs needed more from him as they fell 4-3 to Calgary. But beyond that save, Matthews had a really effective game, especially off the puck, backchecking, staying with the play and stripping pucks. And with Jack Campbell healthy and starting in the rematch Saturday, These are just the things we should also expect from the Leafs MVP the questions surrounding Andersen won’t stop any time soon. night after night, as well as the goal scoring, I suppose.

The trade deadline is approaching, the Leafs aren’t getting the results You felt like it was coming for Matthews all game, especially considering they want, and goaltending remains the focal point of discussion around that, like William Nylander, he seemed to grow into the game as it went the Leafs. It sort of feels normal, in a way. on.

On to the observations! William Nylander (RW, No. 88): Nylander was engaged with his stick all game and added five shots, a team high. I thought he was especially at Player reports his best later in the game when the Leafs needed him to play well. First star: Mitch Marner (RW, No. 16): Marner was effective breaking up B Flames plays on the penalty kill and just as effective moving with purpose with the puck on his stick in the offensive zone. The way he was buzzing, TJ Brodie (RD, No. 78): I certainly didn’t notice Brodie as much as I have I thought Marner was going to find the back of the net, or at least set up a over the past few weeks, but that’s not to say his stickwork and his work teammate, on one of the Leafs’ two third-period power plays. His tying to clear the puck from the Leafs zone wasn’t important. goal in the second period felt like it was the beginning of a comeback for the Leafs, but it wasn’t meant to be. He logged four shots, and his 24:10 Pierre Engvall (C, No. 47): Engvall’s game, especially along the boards of ice time led all forwards. with him using his frame to dig out pucks, was decent. The finishing is still a work in progress, but the confidence he is showing moving through Second star: Alex Galchenyuk (LW, No. 12): Galchenyuk was moving the neutral zone is noticeable. with pace, like, right away in his Leafs debut: Joe Thornton (LW, No. 97): You’ve got to love Thornton, the crafty Considering this was his first NHL game in over a month and first with a veteran, just hanging out along the boards, putting out the vibe, waiting new team, I thought Galchenyuk made some smart decisions with the for the puck to be rimmed around the boards before he stopped it ahead puck on his stick in his first few shifts. You obviously worry about any of the Marner goal. nerves, but Galchenyuk didn’t appear to play with much hesitation, which bodes well for him. He registered three shots in 11:19 of TOI. I liked Thornton’s puck movement early on, especially considering he hasn’t looked all that sharp over the Leafs’ past few games. His 95 Third star: Jake Muzzin (LD, No. 8): Muzzin’s physical efforts to shut percent five-on-five expected goals is unreal. down the Flames as they tried to get in front of Andersen were important. He made some really simple, but also really quick, plays with his stick to Zach Hyman (LW, No. 11): Hyman is like that friend of yours who goes prevent the Flames attack from generating any momentum. I wonder harder than everybody else on a Friday night out and is then the first one whether a few practice days allowed him to really take his time getting to get the group chat going the next day as well. Just no quit in him. used to the different sightlines with that fishbowl he’s playing with. I Every shift he tried to create turnovers on the forecheck and, like Marner, imagine it helped him, because I thought Muzzin had a stellar Hyman felt like a prime candidate to also create a goal as the Leafs kept performance. His 87 percent five-on-five expected goals were second pressing in the third period. among all Leafs. B- A John Tavares (C, No. 91): That’s a tough error to swallow from Tavares Morgan Rielly (LD, No. 44): A really good game full of strong puck that led to the Flames’ second goal, but he largely recovered well with movement from Rielly, even if there was with a pizza served up midway some responsible play and puck movement in the offensive zone through the second period that resulted in a shot off the post. Besides afterward. that one error, Rielly deserves credit for consistently keeping the Flames on their heels with his swift passing all game and for his one primary Zach Bogosian (RD, No. 22): Like Muzzin, with a Flames team that assist. clearly had designs on creating havoc near and in front of the Leafs goal, Bogosian was going to be leaned on to try to neutralize the Flames. And A- he did that, for the most part, with his trademark simple plays in his own Wayne Simmonds (RW, No. 24): Simmonds executing a perfect fly-by zone. He added one primary assist. Sheldon Keefe rewarded him with screen in front of Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom on the Leafs’ first goal: 14:55 of ice time, his highest total in two weeks.

Maybe it’s just because I haven’t seen Simmonds play for a few weeks, Ilya Mikheyev (RW, No. 65): No NHL player has more short-handed but I thought he influenced the game in the right way with his energy, shots on goal, and Mikheyev was up to his old tricks again against the quick passing and movement, like below. One assist from the veteran as Flames. well. Justin Holl (RD, No. 3): Holl has like 7 inches on Johnny Gaudreau, and B+ some might argue the merit of hitting a player that much smaller than he. But you could also argue that Holl’s physicality helped keep the Leafs engaged and gave them some good opportunities on the power play, and then without Matthew Tkachuk on the ice, they wouldn’t have had otherwise.

C+

Travis Dermott (LD, No. 23): Dermott was on the ice for a few Flames goals, but also made some smart plays to recover the puck in different areas of the ice.

F

Frederik Andersen (G, No. 31): The first goal deflects off Travis Dermott, but Andersen looking to the roof in frustration says a lot.

The third and fourth goals, though? His late reaction really hurts. Making those two saves changes things. He allowed four goals on 18 shots. Not what you’d expect from a goalie making $5 million a year.

The heat on Andersen is increasing by the day, and performances like Friday’s do little to turn down the temperature. With increasing frequency, he is lacking sharpness and quickness and isn’t making enough of the saves he needs to make. On Thursday, Andersen said he knows he has the ability to be a “great goalie in this league.” On Friday night, he did not show that ability.

Game Score

Game Score is a metric developed by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn to quickly measure a player’s performance in a single game.

Heat map

Natural Stat Trick helps us out with a snapshot of where the shots were coming from Friday night:

Final grade: B

The Leafs should have won this game. They moved the puck well, were dangerous in the offensive zone and any errors from the skaters weren’t the main issue against the Flames. Any real frustration from Leafs fans feels warranted. If they get a few more saves, we’re talking about how much the time off benefitted this team and how they look ready for another strong run of form. But we’re talking about something else entirely.

Stay ready squad: Alex Barabanov, Travis Boyd, Nic Petan, Martin Marincin, Michael Hutchinson

What to watch for Saturday versus Calgary: Could a strong performance from Campbell serve as a turning point for the Leafs’ goaltending situation? There’s another long layoff between games next week, which would allow Andersen more rest and more time to regain his focus. But given Campbell has looked calm and composed in his three appearances this season, you get the feeling there’s a fair bit riding on what happens between the pipes Saturday night.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206181 Toronto Maple Leafs Entitlement? “He has none of it,” said Pearl. While growing up, Alex and his two younger brothers, Colton and Daniel,

were ensured an opportunity. What they made of it was up to them. How long should the Maple Leafs keep waiting on Alex Kerfoot’s “Anything that I needed they were there for. They were willing to drive me potential? anywhere,” said Alex before adding his parents encouraged him and his brothers to “carve our own paths and not just be lazy.”

By Jonas Siegel “They gave us every opportunity in terms of we had good coaching, we had good resources, but no, I don’t think they spoiled us by any means.” Mar 19, 2021 Education was a priority. If he hadn’t made it in hockey, Kerfoot thinks he might have pursued a career in business or sports management. He graduated from Harvard with a degree in economics. Almost from the start, most people around a young Morgan Rielly in West Vancouver sensed he had a future in hockey. “I’ve coached for a lot of years and I’ve coached in that area,” Calvano says of West Vancouver. “And you see a lot of kids that come from Rielly’s close childhood pal, however, was considered anything but a wealthy families, and any time the kid gets short-changed or (they’re) not sure thing. on the power play, or sent out with the right set of wingers, or whatever Young Alex Kerfoot had plenty of skill and hockey IQ. He could skate, the case… usually you get the high-powered conversation from the too. But he was small, real small — 105 pounds in minor midget family.” according to one former coach. That never happened with the Kerfoots. There were no complaints about “It was always, if he was a little bit taller, he’d be the best player by far, Alex’s ice time or linemates. because he was so smart, and he was a great passer,” Rielly said. “That “They’re a negative of that,” Pearl says. was always what we thought.” Cummings remembers Kerfoot as a “really intelligent player, really (saw) And yet, Kerfoot says he always believed he could one day join Rielly in the ice well and that, and really could handle the puck,” all traits that the NHL. would eventually help him reach the NHL. “He’s got great edges. Not “There wasn’t ever a day where I was like, I’m never gonna play in the necessarily the fastest in a straight line, but you start to realize, nobody NHL,” he said. could hit him.”

Though still small today by NHL standards at 5-foot-10 and 185 pounds, Kerfoot attributes his spunk, or what former Leafs coach Mike Babcock Kerfoot is scrappy. Knock him down — Kerfoot is among the league used to affectionately describe as “grease,” to chasing after Rielly and leaders in hits taken by a forward this season — and he gets right back , another childhood pal, as they pursued careers in up. hockey.

“Kerf is a little 160-pound nothing who is silently — and not like (he’s) Rielly went second overall in the 2009 WHL draft. Reinhart was nabbed gonna fight in a bar, I’m not saying that — but he’s quietly one of the one pick later. It wasn’t until the fifth to last selection (229th overall) that toughest kids I’ve ever met in my life,” said Paul Pearl, who coached the Seattle Thunderbirds selected a 15-year-old Kerfoot, at the time all of Kerfoot at Harvard University. “Like, in terms of he’s not the aggressor, 5-foot-5 and 110 pounds. but you can’t put him down. Like, he just keeps coming back. “It was sort of the era when they were looking for bigger guys,” “That type of thing is just not coachable.” Cummings said. “In the bantam draft he was overlooked a little bit (because of his size) … because that year in bantam hockey in Since arriving in Toronto as part of the 2019 trade that sent Nazem Kadri Vancouver, he was the best kid in the city – bar none.” to Colorado, the 26-year-old Kerfoot has been one of the Maple Leafs more intriguing and confounding players. Is he a centre? Is he a winger? Kerfoot attended camp with the Thunderbirds but felt his smallish frame If he’s a winger, is he a top-six winger? If he’s a centre, can he anchor a needed more time to fill out. He opted to play instead with Coquitlam in shutdown line? With the Leafs rumoured to be in the market for a top-six the BCHL where he chose to live with a billet family rather than make the forward ahead of the April 12 NHL trade deadline, Kerfoot and his $3.5 50-minute drive back and forth from his home in West Vancouver. million annual cap hit through 2022-23 could soon be on the move. “The billet family loved him to death,” Calvano said. The family and If the Leafs want to hang on to Kerfoot — and all that versatility if Kerfoot keep in touch to this day, the coach added. untapped potential — they can do so and still add an impact forward. NHL central scouting ranked Kerfoot 165th among North American Whether it’s in Toronto or elsewhere, should Kerfoot fail to develop a skaters on its final 2012 draft rankings. He was among the smallest more defined role in the NHL, it won’t be for a lack of effort on his part. skaters on the list at 5-foot-9 and 153 pounds. Looking back, Kerfoot wonders if his size, or lack thereof, ultimately played to his advantage. Alex Kerfoot grew up with opportunities few others could afford. His father Greg, made a fortune in computer software. In 2002, Greg “I do think that if you’re bigger and stronger than everyone at a young purchased the Vancouver Whitecaps, then a struggling United Soccer age you can kind of just overpower them,” he explained. “You’re faster League team. In 2008, Steve Nash joined the ownership group and its and you can just skate down the wing and just bully people out of the eventual successful bid to enter MLS. way. When you’re a smaller guy you have to find ways to think around that and you have to think the game a little bit differently, I guess.” Greg Kerfoot has long overseen a 3-on-3 hockey league (which apparently features Vancouver Canucks alumni) for his pals at Though the New Jersey Devils were concerned about Kerfoot’s size, Vancouver’s exclusive Hollyburn Country Club. David Conte, then the team’s director of scouting (with Lou Lamoriello still serving as the team’s GM), said the organization was intrigued by He’s also famously reclusive. A request with the Whitecaps for an Kerfoot’s skills and smarts, his work ethic, and even his commitment to interview for this piece elicited a polite pass from a team spokesman. play at Harvard.

“Greg Kerfoot is an extremely private individual.” They thought he was an “achiever,” with ambition. They selected him in the fifth round, 150th overall. “I don’t think he’s ever done an interview,” said Jack Cummings, the former hockey coordinator at Hollyburn Country Club. At Harvard, Kerfoot did some damage while centering a line with future Leafs teammate Jimmy Vesey. After Vesey left Harvard to play for the But unlike some of the Kerfoot’s peers in their income bracket, they New York Rangers, Kerfoot took over as the Crimson’s co-captain and weren’t known for flouting their wealth. Far from it. was a top-10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award in 2017. “What makes (Alex) such a great kid, regardless of hockey, is that he Upon completing his degree, Kerfoot chose not to sign with the Devils, doesn’t let his upbringing, or that social environment he came up in, or where he saw a crowd at centre, including recent No. 1 overall pick, Nico perception, dictate who he is,” said Jonathan Calvano, who coached Hischier. Kerfoot was now an unrestricted free agent. He met with a Kerfoot with the BCHL’s Coquitlam Express. number of suitors, including his hometown Canucks, before signing a two-year deal with Colorado, where he saw more opportunity following the Avalanche’s plunge to the bottom of the NHL standings.

Less than two years later, on July 1, 2019, he was traded to Toronto.

Though defenceman Tyson Barrie was rightly seen as the key to the deal at the time, Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said, “we’re very excited about Alex as well.” Dubas said he was intrigued by Kerfoot’s versatility as well as “his competitiveness, his speed, and his ability to transport the puck up the ice.”

With Barrie long gone after one disappointing season in Toronto, only Kerfoot is left to salvage the trade. And while he hasn’t quite solidified his role to this point, bouncing between third-line centre and second-line left wing duties, there’s still much to like about his game.

There’s the tenacity for one thing, which helps him — despite his still relatively small build — win pucks down low in both zones and on the forecheck.

Kerfoot is also a pretty crafty passer, even if he doesn’t have the assists this season (nine in the first 30 games) to show for it. He makes short quality passes in tight spaces.

Those skills, along with pretty decent wheels, have helped him fit with superior offensive players such as John Tavares and William Nylander for large chunks of this season and last — though not so successfully that the Leafs aren’t still seeking an upgrade ahead of the trade deadline.

Toronto could use an extra dose of firepower that Kerfoot may not be able to provide. He entered Friday’s -billing with Calgary with no goals and only two assists over the previous 11 games, despite an extended run alongside Tavares and Nylander. Kerfoot has seen limited power-play opportunities, and actually ranks inside the top 100 forwards (min. 300 minutes) in 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes — producing at a clip similar to players such as Filip Forsberg, Matthew Tkachuk, Brayden Schenn, and even, Nylander.

Kerfoot’s quick feet and big hockey brain have helped him become a useful penalty killer. He and Ilya Mikheyev, his usual PK partner, seem to generate a great scoring chance while shorthanded just about every night. But it remains an open question as to whether Kerfoot has the physical strength to carry a defensive line capable of matching up with Leon Draisaitl or Connor McDavid when called upon, as Kadri once did.

Early results this season in that regard haven’t been encouraging. Nor has Kerfoot excelled in the faceoff circle (41 percent).

Yet, his overall versatility has proven useful for Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe. Wing, centre, power play, penalty kill — Kerfoot can fill a lot of holes that pop up. For the moment, he’s a jack-of-all-trades, master-of- none.

“He’s a very open-minded guy,” said Keefe. “He’s willing to take on anything that you give him. In that sense, he’s a good guy to have just because when you face situations (where the team is shorthanded) you can move him around — and people like playing with him.”

“He’s very versatile. I feel like he can play up and down the lineup, really wherever,” said Auston Matthews earlier this month. “He can play penalty kill. He can play power play. You can really stick him wherever. He’s obviously a really key piece.”

Kerfoot was an RFA when the Leafs acquired him. They soon signed him to a four-year deal with that $3.5 million cap hit. At this point, it is neither a bargain nor a gross overpay. With two years left on the deal after this one, assuming Kerfoot isn’t used as trade bait in the next few weeks, or claimed in the upcoming expansion draft, there’s still plenty of time for him to make that contract, and the Kadri trade, look better for the Leafs.

In other words, his biggest impact on the team may still be to come.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206182 Toronto Maple Leafs Simmonds – Spezza – Boyd Rielly – Brodie

Muzzin – Holl Mirtle: How the Maple Leafs can trade for a big money player despite minimal cap space Dermott – Bogosian

Andersen

By James Mirtle Campbell

Mar 19, 2021 That roster is, according to CapFriendly’s calculations, on track to be $631,726 under the salary cap by season’s end.

Granlund makes $3.75 million against the cap. But by next Friday, there I’ve heard the same argument again and again of late when it comes to will only be $1.42 million remaining of that deal for an acquiring team to the Maple Leafs and the April 12 trade deadline, and I want to pour some absorb. cold water on it. Consider that the purpose of this column. If the Predators agree to retain a portion of that remaining amount, the What’s the misinformation? The idea that the Leafs can only make dollar- Leafs can get very close — within less than $80,000 if they keep half of in, dollar-out trades, given their salary-cap situation. the salary — to being able to accommodate the contract. That’s just not accurate. There are a few creative manoeuvres GM Kyle But there are three ways the Leafs can free up even more space than Dubas and capologist Brandon Pridham can pull off to enable them to what I’ve outlined above. add at least a $4 million player, which includes the likes of Rickard Rakell, Mikael Granlund, Eric Staal and Tanner Pearson from our Leafs 1. Simply wait trade targets list, without subtracting from the roster. The Leafs can hold on until deeper into the season, all the way until the And it might even be possible to be more aggressive than that. April 12 trade deadline, in theory, when there will only be 27 days left. Granlund’s remaining salary would drop from $1.42 million all the way Some of the inner workings of the NHL’s salary cap are pretty arcane, so down to $872,844 over this period. what I’m going to try to do here is provide a bare-bones, basic interpretation of what the Leafs can do. If Nashville retains half of that amount, theoretically the Leafs would only need to fit in a salary of a little more than $435,000. They will have that Here is my working premise: space available. 1. The Leafs want to acquire Granlund from Nashville. 2. Demote another player 2. In our theoretical scenario, they will complete that deal at the end of With Granlund joining the roster, the Leafs could use him to replace one next week, on March 26. (Timing of the trade is very important for cap of the forwards listed on the depth chart above. They would then be able purposes for reasons I’ll explain.) to place someone like Travis Boyd on waivers and move him to the taxi 3. They will not give up anything from their roster in the trade, instead squad and still have a minimum 20 players on the roster. moving out only draft picks, as per Adam Vingan’s reasoning here. That would free up an additional $265,517 on top of the $631,726 space Now, if you look on CapFriendly right now, a week before this listed above, meaning that, as of next Friday, the Leafs would be on track hypothetical trade, the math on that deal looks impossible. The Leafs are to have roughly $900,000 in cap space to work with. (But that number listed with a projected cap space figure of $29,256, which is about what a changes based on when the trade and demotion take place.) Winnebago Micro Minnie costs. One thing to keep in mind here is taxi squads are creating a unique So how can they possibly fit Granlund (or someone with a similar salary) situation that allows NHL teams to carry the minimum roster, even on the in without moving out a comparable salary? road, if they so choose. That would make a 20-player roster workable for the rest of the season. To figure that out, we’re going to use CapFriendly’s wonderful Trade Machine tool. I highly recommend relying on it for all of your various 3. Retain times two hypothetical Jack Eichel trades in the coming weeks. The Leafs could involve a third team in the transaction, sending Granlund Our end goal is to get to a cap compliant roster with Granlund on one of to, say, the Blackhawks, who have expressed a willingness to eat salary the top two lines. before the deadline. Chicago could retain more of Granlund’s salary – up to 50 percent of the remaining amount – before passing him onto the Step 1 is to assume that both Jack Campbell and Wayne Simmonds will Leafs. be back healthy by the end of next week, which is a reasonable assumption given the information we have about how close they look in Granlund would cost less than $220,000 on the cap in the most extreme practice. scenario of full double retention and a deal right on deadline day.

Having Campbell healthy means Michael Hutchinson can go back on the The issue with such a late trade date, however, would be that he would taxi squad, which creates exactly $275,000 in space the rest of the need to quarantine for two weeks after crossing the border. Doing so season. We get this number by looking at the number of days left in the beginning in mid-April would mean Granlund would only play a half year — 44 at the time of our hypothetical trade on March 26 — divided by dozen regular season games for the Leafs before the playoffs. the total days in the season (116) and multiplied by Hutchinson’s salary Not ideal. But theoretically possible. ($725,000). It’s important to remember that the possibility for variation here is Having Simmonds healthy and off long-term injured reserve will allow the basically infinite. An NHL team’s payroll changes every single day, based Leafs to place another skater on the taxi squad or in the minors. In this on call-ups, demotions and injuries. case, given the current roster (as of March 18), that would be Timothy Liljegren, who is currently the extra defenceman making NHL money. It’s highly unlikely the scenario I’ve laid out above would all be executed That saves an additional $327,471 the rest of the season, assuming they on the same day, for example. don’t carry a seventh defenceman the rest of the way. But this gives us an idea of how the Leafs can potentially squeeze in Those two moves would give the Leafs a 20-player roster that looks like another significant player before the deadline without losing anyone – so: aside from moving a few fringe players to the taxi squad.

Hyman – Matthews – Marner So, while it may look as though the Leafs are capped out, and will have to trade someone like Alexander Kerfoot in order to make room for an Thornton – Tavares – Nylander upgrade, they do have options in advance of the deadline. Mikheyev – Engvall – Kerfoot In the most extreme example of what I’m talking about, they could even bring in a much larger salary than Granlund’s. In theory, if they acquired Taylor Hall’s $8 million cap hit, on the day of the trade deadline, after Buffalo retained half of his salary, and a third team retained a further 25 percent, his cap hit would drop to around $465,000.

Is it possible for the Leafs to accommodate that much salary? As established above, yes.

Can they jump through all of the hoops required to pull that off? I doubt it, but it would certainly be something.

Your move, Mr. Dubas.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021

1206183 Vegas Golden Knights Center visitor after being traded away by the Kings last season. “Our trajectory is going in the right direction.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.20.2021 Golden Knights win 5th straight, end 1st half in 1st place

By Ben Gotz

March 19, 2021 - 9:38 PM

Updated March 20, 2021 - 12:17 am

The Golden Knights nearly walked into Staples Center for their game against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday night well short of a full deck.

Center Chandler Stephenson and left wing Alex Tuch were game-time decisions in the morning. Center William Karlsson was in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols in the afternoon. Goaltender Robin Lehner’s readiness after not playing since February was unclear.

But things ended up working out. All four players were in the lineup in a 4-2 victory at Los Angeles.

The Knights’ fifth straight win helped them close out the first half of the season five points clear of second-place Colorado for the West Division lead.

“Those are important pieces for us,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “Being without those guys tests your depth. … It obviously changes our team when you have those guys back in.”

Almost all the Knights’ reinforcements proved crucial.

Karlsson scored the game-winning goal after he cleared the protocols. DeBoer said Karlsson had a false positive test.

Stephenson returned after a two-game absence to center the top line, which was the Knights’ best offensively against the Kings (12-11-6). Left wing Max Pacioretty scored two goals to move into a tie for the fifth-most in the NHL with 16.

Lehner made his first start since Feb. 7 after being diagnosed with the third concussion of his career. He made 23 saves and improved to 4-1-1.

“I thought he was real solid,” DeBoer said.

The Knights (21-6-1) jumped to a 2-0 lead on Pacioretty’s goals. He scored with 9:43 remaining in the first period after right wing Mark Stone passed him the puck. Stone has at least one point in his past 10 games, a team record.

Pacioretty’s second goal was more unusual. He threw a backhand shot on net that Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick grabbed with his glove deep in his crease. It was initially deemed a save, but the NHL’s situation room in Toronto halted play to take another look. The league determined the puck completely crossed the goal line in Quick’s glove, and Pacioretty had his fourth game with at least two goals.

“A couple guys said (on the bench) you could tell on video,” Pacioretty said. “I didn’t want them to jinx it, so I got off the bench. I didn’t want (right wing ) to jinx it. He told me it was in. I guess he’s got a better eye than I do.”

The Kings cut the deficit in half before the period was over. Lehner stopped a shot from center Anze Kopitar, but left wing Alex Iafallo pounced on the rebound for his seventh goal.

Los Angeles then tied the game 6:18 into the second period on a tip from right wing Trevor Moore. But rather than gaining confidence, the Kings wilted.

The Knights outshot them 20-10 the rest of the game. Karlsson gave the Knights the lead back by tipping in left wing Jonathan Marchessault’s shot with 4:45 remaining in the second.

It was his first goal in nine games and gave him 200 points with the Knights, second-most in team history behind Marchessault (202).

Left wing William Carrier sealed the win with 9:26 left in the third period by scoring his first goal,

“We’re overall pretty happy with how the first half has gone,” said defenseman Alec Martinez, who played his first game as a Staples 1206184 Vegas Golden Knights

Robin Lehner starting for Golden Knights

By Ben Gotz

March 19, 2021 - 6:38 PM

Golden Knights goaltender Robin Lehner will make his first start since Feb. 7 on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings.

Lehner was away from the team for more than a month recovering from the third concussion of his career. He dressed for the first time since his injury Wednesday and was Marc-Andre Fleury’s backup during the Knights’ 5-4 win against the San Jose Sharks.

Lehner is 3-1-1 with an .890 save percentage and 2.96 goals-against average. He signed a five-year, $25 million extension with the Knights in October after being the primary starter during their run to the Western Conference Final.

Fleury has dominated the crease in Lehner’s absence. He started 17 of the Knights’ previous 18 games before Friday. Fleury ranks first in the NHL in save percentage (.933) and second in goals-against average (1.87) among goalies with more than four starts this season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206185 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights trying to fit more fans into T-Mobile Arena

By David Schoen

March 19, 2021 - 6:20 PM

Updated March 19, 2021 - 6:25 PM

The Golden Knights are trying to get creative to fit more fans at T-Mobile Arena.

Team president Kerry Bubolz said Friday the Knights are unable to increase attendance to the maximum 50 percent capacity allowed by the state because of current social distancing requirements.

As a result, the organization is exploring different ways to obtain approval for an expanded gathering size when its plan for April home games is submitted to the state Department of Business and Industry.

“We’re excited that there’s real momentum in our community to start to open up, but we want to be part of the solution doing it in a safe way,” Bubolz said. “If we can have 50 percent, we’re looking at every alternative to get there under the current guidelines. But the 6 foot is the biggest piece that makes this challenging.”

One proposal the Knights are considering includes defined sections or zones of the arena that are for people with proof they have been vaccinated for COVID-19.

Bubolz emphasized that fans would not be required to have a vaccination to attend a game at T-Mobile Arena.

“You would have to make the request, though, that they are able to be distanced less than 6 feet because they have proof of vaccination,” Bubolz said. “It’s a consideration and a discussion. That’s one tool that we’ve looked at.”

Another option being looked at is fans showing proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of the game. Bubolz cited the Buffalo Sabres, New York Islanders and New York Rangers as examples within the NHL of teams that require confirmation from a health-care provider of a negative test.

A negative test would not be mandated for admission to a Knights game, Bubolz said, and is an additive measure designed to satisfy the state’s concerns.

“That’s another tool that we could go to the state and say, ‘Look, we want to increase our capacity, but to do that we would look at these other options. But people would have to be able to sit closer,’” Bubolz said. “If 6 foot is a hard-and-fast rule, then we’re pretty much where we are right now until those guidelines change.”

Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a further relaxation of pandemic-related restrictions March 12 allowing venues for large gatherings to host events at up to 50 percent of capacity.

The Knights were approved for 15 percent capacity at T-Mobile Arena and announced attendance of 2,605 for both games against Minnesota at the start of the month. That increased to announced crowds of 3,473 for the two-game series against San Jose on Monday and Wednesday.

The minor league Silver Knights are set to host fans at Orleans Arena for the first time Saturday when they host San Jose.

Bubolz noted the fixed seating inside the arenas makes it more difficult to demonstrate to the state that proper social distancing is being maintained.

“We don’t have a venue that allows us to open more walls and spread people out more and get more capacity like a convention hall. That would be my best example,” Bubolz said. “With a convention hall, you can open a wall and spread people out and still have 6 feet and get more capacity in a venue. We’re locked.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206186 Vegas Golden Knights

William Karlsson in lineup after false positive test

By Ben Gotz

March 19, 2021 - 2:53 PM

Updated March 19, 2021 - 10:18 PM

The Golden Knights received a COVID-19 scare for the second time in about a week Friday but escaped unscathed again.

Center William Karlsson was on the NHL’s list of those unable to practice or play because of COVID-19 protocols Friday but warmed up and played against the Los Angeles Kings. He had a false positive test, according to the Knights.

“We found out in enough time to get him — thankfully the hotel’s close — over here and ready for warmup,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “But it was close, and it’s a stressful day, both for him waiting to see if it’s a real positive or a false and all the close contacts that have been around him because it affects everybody.”

The team experienced something similar with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury last week in St. Louis. Fleury appeared on the list of players in the COVID-19 protocols March 11, but played March 12 after additional testing showed he had a false positive test.

”It throws your whole group into disarray,” DeBoer said. “Two in 10 days, it’s been quite a thing to do with it and hopefully we don’t have to deal with this again.”

Friday’s news was another sigh of relief for the Knights. Karlsson is one of the team’s most important players. He had 19 points in 27 games entering Friday and plays in all situations.

Defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and forward Tomas Nosek also were in the NHL’s COVID-19 protocols. Pietrangelo appeared Jan. 28 and was removed Feb. 9. Nosek appeared Feb. 10 after learning of a positive result midway through a game against the Anaheim Ducks and was removed Feb. 23.

Cramped schedule

Friday’s game against the Kings was the Knights’ 28th of their 56-game schedule.

The second half of their season will go a lot faster than the first. The Knights played their first 28 games in 65 days because of postponements, but their final 28 will be played in 49 days.

The team has more than one day off between games once in the second half. It will play on consecutive nights seven times.

“The pace, it’s been obviously quick,” defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. “I think those teams that kind of weather those situations and obviously the schedule is a team that pays attention to rest and making sure that everyone’s taking care of themselves.”

Less mad about March

The Knights will have free time to watch the NCAA Tournament in their Los Angeles hotel rooms this weekend, but they aren’t optimistic about their brackets. Center Cody Glass said he didn’t even fill one out despite usually being “addicted” to college basketball.

The condensed schedule made it harder for players and coaches to pay attention.

“I’m sure I’m not going to win,” coach Pete DeBoer said. “It was a donation to the cause.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206187 Vegas Golden Knights The Golden Knights take on the Kings again at 3 p.m. Sunday at Staples Center.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 03.20.2021 After false-positive COVID test, Karlsson helps Golden Knights beat Kings

By Justin Emerson

Published Friday, March 19, 2021 | 9:39 p.m.

Updated Friday, March 19, 2021 | 10:50 p.m.

An hour before Friday’s game, William Karlsson was in NHL protocols for COVID-19 and appeared to be on track to sit out. The Golden Knights announced it was a false positive as warmups began, and Karlsson took his usual spot in the lineup.

It’s a good thing he did. Karlsson tipped home a Jonathan Marchessault offering late in the second period to give the Golden Knights a lead and they never looked back, taking down the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 at Staples Center for their fifth win in a row.

“It throws your whole group into disarray,” coach Pete DeBoer said of Karlsson’s result. “It’s a stressful day, both for him waiting to see if it’s a real positive or a false and all the close contacts that have been around him because it affects everybody.”

Karlsson's false-positive was the Golden Knights' second in a week after Marc-Andre Fleury had a similar experience in St. Louis.

Karlsson was not made available to the media after the game but told the AT&T SportsNet broadcast after the second period that he was confident he would be able to play.

“Just waited for the green light and tried to be prepared,” he said.

The Golden Knights became aware of Karlsson’s result Friday morning, and by league rule immediately went to his hotel room to isolate. He took multiple tests to confirm it was a false-positive and was able to get to Staples Center in time for the game.

There, he scored his first goal since March 3, snapping an eight-game skid without one and giving him his 200th point with Vegas. William Carrier also snapped a goalless drought with his first of the season in the third period.

Robin Lehner returned to the net as a starter for the Golden Knights after dressing as the backup on Wednesday. He made 23 saves in his first appearance since Feb. 7. He sustained a concussion days later that forced him to long-term injured reserve.

“What he’s gone through the last five weeks, the ups and downs of a concussion to begin with, and you throw in some of the other things he’s talked about, it hasn’t been an easy journey,” DeBoer said. “He’s worked hard and I know the guys wanted to work hard for him tonight.” got things going early, scoring a traditional goal and a bit of an odd one. On the first, crashed to the front of the net and put home Stone’s feed. Stone’s assist extended his point streak to 10 games, the longest in team history.

The second one initially wasn’t a goal. back-handed a bouncing puck toward goalie Jonathan Quick, who caught it in his glove. After review, officials determined the puck in Quick’s was still over the red line and counted as ’s 16th of the season.

“When I shot it I probably thought there might have been a chance, but I just figured those are pretty hard to prove,” said. “Then we got back to the bench and a couple of guys mentioned that you could tell on video, but every angle I saw I couldn’t tell but they were pretty adamant about it.

“That being said, I didn’t want them to jinx it, so I got off the bench.”

Down 2-0, the Kings didn’t wilt. Alex Iafallo scored on a rebound with 18 seconds left in the first period to inject some life into the team before the break. Trevor Moore then redirected a Matt Roy shot 6:18 into the second.

Vegas led in shots on goal 33-25. 1206188 Vegas Golden Knights “My first time back here since being traded. It’s a little weird seeing this locker room,” said Martinez, the first time in the Kings’ arena since being traded by LA to the VGK.

Pandemic Times Create Busy Times For Vegas Golden Knights; Final *MId-way through the third period, the Knights’ William Carrier scored From LA — Knights 4 Kings 2, With Goalie Lehner Returning and gave the Knights a two-goal lead at 4-2. VGK defenseman Nic Hague was credited initially for the goal, but it appeared as if Carrier got a piece of the shot. In fact, there was a scoring change with Carrier getting the goal, with Hague getting the assist. March 19, 2021 Final score: Vegas Golden Knights 4 Los Angeles Kings 2 By Alan Snel It was the fifth straight win for the Golden Knights, now 21-6-1 and good

for first in the West Division. Well, Friday was just another day in the life of the Vegas Golden Knights. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 -Goaltender Robin Lehner made his first start since suffering a concussion Feb. 7 against the Kings in downtown Los Angeles tonight. Lehner explained a few days ago he didn’t appreciate the rumors about his mental health issues during his absence. ( ” . . . the only reason why I’m telling you guys I had a concussion right now, is the nature of society. I said this many times before, without going on a rant, the stigma around mental health is insane. Everyone deals with it; I don’t care what anyone says. Everyone deals with it at some form or another during their life.”)

-While the Knights prepared to take on the LA Kings, VGK forward William Karlsson received a false positive test result for COVID-19 and made the NHL COVID protocols list before was removed and played in Friday’s VGK/LA game. Tonight is VGK Game 28 — the halfway mark of this season’s 56-game pandemic season. After 27 games, the Knights are 20-6-1.

-The four-year-old NHL franchise is also applying to bump up the fan attendance capacity for home games at T-Mobile Arena in April from the 20 percent capacity currently in place for the final three home games in March.

-The Knights’ minor league team, the Henderson Silver Knights, is getting ready to have fans at home games at Orleans Arena in Las Vegas for the first time on Saturday. Henderson Silver Knights season ticket holders received these instructions in an email to prepare for Saturday’s Silver Knights game at 1 PM.

Figure a little more than 1,000 fans at Orleans Arena Saturday afternoon for the Silver Knights vs. Barracuda game. The VGK affiliate in the American Hockey League is off to a flying start at 11-2. LVSportsBiz.com will be at Orleans Arena to see the first fans in the building to see a Silver Knights game tomorrow.

Fans told LVSportsBiz.com that tickets for the Silver Knights game Saturday cost about $25-$60 each — a fraction of the VGK ticket costs at T-Mobile Arena.

*The VGK broke out to a 2-0 lead after one period tonight in Los Angeles. It was Max Pacioretty scoring both goals. Pacioretty notched his first goal off a gorgeous feed from assist-maker Mark Stone.

On his second goal, Pacioretty flipped a backhander on net. LA goalie Jonathan Quick snapped the puck out of mid-air, but his glove was in the net and the refs ruled the puck was in the net, too, for the goal. Pacioretty now has 16 goals on the season.

The Kings got on the scoreboard with only 18 seconds left in the first period with a goal by Alex Iafallo.

End of one period: Golden Knights 2 Kings 1

“Pretty good start,” Stone said after one period. “You can’t let that last goal happen.”

*The Kings tied the game at two with a goal by Trevor Moore at 6:18.

But Karlsson – fresh off his false-positive — countered, notching his seventh off a nice re-direct/tip-in from assists from Alex Martinez and linemate Jonathan Marchessault at 15:15 and the Knights moved ahead, 3-2. It was Karlsson’s 200th point as a Golden Knghts player. Martinez is a former LA Kings player who won Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014.

William Karlsson

End of second period: Golden Knights 3 Kings 2. VGK dominated shots in the period, 16-5. 1206189 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Applying For Increased Attendance Capacity For Home Games In April; Proof Of Vaccination Under Consideration

March 19, 2021

By Alan Snel

The Golden Knights plan to apply for increased fan attendance capacity for home games in April, and are considering requiring fans to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination if capacity goes up from the current 20 percent at T-Mobile Arena. Under the new COVID-19 directive in Nevada, the VGK can apply for up to 50 percent attendance capacity.

Vegas Golden Knights President Kerry Bubolz outlined that potential strategy in a 15-minute interview with local las Vegas station, KTNV.

Here’s Bubolz discussing the capacity proposal.

Starting April 5 in Nevada, all residents who are 16 and older will be eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

“We’re thinking of different ways of expanding (attendance at) our facility,” Bubolz said.

The Golden Knights started with 15 percent fan capacity — or 2,605 fans — for home games on March 1 and 3. Then, the four-year-old NHL franchise received permission from the state and local health officials to bump that up to 20 percent attendance capacity, or 3,473 fans, for games this week on March 15 and 17. The Golden Knights’ fixed-seat capacity at T-Mobile Arena is 17,367, but they can fit in another 1,000 or so fans for standing room only. That’s why attendance was often more than 18,000 during the pre-pandemic times.

Other sports teams are requiring proof vaccination or a negative test result for COVID-19 for fans to attend games in person. For example, both the Yankees and Mets in New York City will allow 20 percent capacity at their ballparks, which, interestingly enough, served as vaccination sites in New York.

The Golden Knights will continue to have 20 percent attendance capacity for home games this month on March 22 against the St. Louis Blues, March 29 against the Los Angeles Kings and March 31 against the Kings.

Here are some fan reactions on a Facebook VGK fan page:

The Las Vegas Raiders did not have any fans at their eight home games during the inaugural season at Allegiant Stadium in 2020.

UFC will not have any fans at events in Las Vegas unless it’s 100 percent attendance capacity. That’s why UFC President Dana White said he’s moving UFC 261 to Jacksonville, Florida for 15,000 fans at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena on April 24.

LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206190 Vegas Golden Knights Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021

William Karlsson scores historic goal after false-positive test

Published 20 mins ago on March 20, 2021By Danny Webster

For the second time in a week, the Vegas Golden Knights dealt with the unknown of a false-positive COVID-19 test to one of their star players.

And for the second time, that player came through when needed.

Golden Knights center William Karlsson scored the go-ahead goal at 15:15 of the second period, pushing Vegas to a 4-2 victory against the Los Angeles Kings on Friday.

Karlsson was placed in the league’s COVID related absences list 35 minutes after it made its daily appearance. Vegas initially had ‘TBA’ when the list was released at 2 p.m. Karlsson arrived in Los Angeles with the team, isolated in his hotel room.

But Vegas’ top center did take part in warmups about a half-hour before puck drop. The Golden Knights announced Karlsson’s test from Friday morning was a false-positive.

The very quick reintegration of Karlsson was only the first of much- needed additions to the Vegas lineup on Friday. The Golden Knights welcomed back Alex Tuch (one game) and Chandler Stephenson (two games) from undisclosed injuries, and saw Robin Lehner (concussion) make his first start since Feb. 7.

“Those are important pieces for us,” said coach Pete DeBoer. “Being without those guys tests your depth. We passed that test. It obviously changes our team when you add those guys back in.”

Goalie Marc-Andre Fleury was placed in protocol March 11, did not take part in morning skate the next day, and was removed from COVID protocol two hours before facing the St. Louis Blues. Fleury ended up starting in a 5-4 overtime victory against the Blues.

“There’s nothing you can do about false-positives. It does throw your whole day in disarray,” DeBoer said. “I think two in one week, it’s been quite a thing to deal with, and hopefully we don’t deal with this again.”

On Friday, Karlsson made the game’s biggest play from the forward group. It ended up being a historic play, too.

The Kings tied it 2-2 at 6:18 of the second off a deflection from Trevor Moore. Despite that goal, the Kings never found the extra gear to take over the game. Case in point; the Golden Knights outshot the Kings 16-5 in the second period, a far cry from the 12 they allowed from Los Angeles in the first 20 minutes.

DeBoer has preached about getting to the crease and sparking the offense from the blue paint. This was as close to an example as he’ll get.

Karlsson wins the draw from the left circle and immediately moves toward Jonathan Quick. It’s initially just a simple play to throw the puck at the net by Jonathan Marchessault.

The puck hits Karlsson’s stick in front and he scores for the first time in eight games.

More importantly, Karlsson’s goal was his 200th point as a member of the Golden Knights. The one who fed him from the point, Marchessault reached the 200-point mark with Vegas on March 13.

It goes without saying how good this line, along with Reilly Smith, has been since the beginning. The Misfit Line, as they’ve been unofficially dubbed this season, has combined for 580 points in the four seasons they’ve played together.

The goals have dipped for Karlsson since the 43-goal campaign in the inaugural season, however he’s still an important player for Vegas.

That goal was Karlsson’s seventh of the season, and he became the sixth different Vegas player to hit 20 points this season. While he may not be that dangerous scorer, he’s shown a knack for making big plays at big times.

Friday was no exception. 1206191 Vegas Golden Knights Lehner to his concussion, the Golden Knights are where they expected to be.

Now with their $12 million goaltending tandem back, Vegas is hitting this Robin Lehner sheds rust in first start since concussion second half of the season off and running.

“Any good team has two good goalies, and I think we’re lucky enough to have two of the best goalies in the league,” said forward William Carrier. Published 2 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Danny Webster “It gives Flower a little break, gets Lenny in there. It’s going to be a plus for us. If we just rotate, Flower and Lenny, give the other one some rest,

it’ll be good for us.” It’s been a long 40 days for Robin Lehner. Friday looked like he was Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 never gone.

If there was any doubt of rust after spending a month and some change recovering from a concussion, Lehner didn’t show it. He made 23 saves in his first start since Feb. 7 and the Vegas Golden Knights won 4-2 against the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center.

“With what he’s gone through the last five weeks, the ups and downs of a concussion to begin with, and then you throw in some of the other things that he’s talked about, it hasn’t been an easy journey,” said coach Pete DeBoer, “but he’s worked hard, and I know the guys wanted to play hard for him tonight.”

This season has been far from ideal for Lehner. His first campaign since signing that five-year, $25 million extension in the offseason with Vegas, Lehner entered Saturday 3-1-1 with a GAA near 3.00 and a save percentage below .900.

Safe to say the bar was low, but it was Lehner’s best performance of the season.

The Golden Knights did a good job keeping mostly everything to the outside. The bulk of Los Angeles’ attempts were low-danger (11). More importantly, Vegas held the Kings to 13 combined shots in the final 40 minutes after being out-shot 12-11 in the first period.

The 11th shot from the Kings ruined what was an otherwise great period from the Golden Knights. Alex Iafallo batted in a rebound with 18 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 2-1.

Trevor Moore’s goal that tied it 2-2 was a perfect deflection with traffic surrounding Lehner. Other than that, the goalie did his job while his teammates worked well in front of him.

Those were the only blemishes on Lehner’s night, if you can call them blemishes. He looked like the goalie Vegas needs him to be, albeit against a team outside the playoff picture, but one that has shown to play tough in this condensed season.

“I thought everybody on our team played a strong game tonight, Robin obviously included,” said Max Pacioretty, who scored twice on Friday. “It’s not easy to come back after such a long time off. He picked up and fit in right away, which was nice to see. It was nice to get the win for Robin, but he deserved it, as well.”

Lehner’s biggest save came at a crucial time with the Kings trying to tie the game. Los Angeles had a 3-on-1 at the 1:57 mark of the second period, and Lehner went left to right to get a pad on Tobias Bjornfot in front.

After that, it was a relatively quiet night for Lehner. The only other dangerous attempts came on a late Kings power play when trying to tie the game; Los Angeles had three attempts, but Lehner stopped each of them.

“I liked our first period, but we did allow them to get some pucks to the net that we don’t typically allow,” DeBoer said. “I loved our second period and thought with the long change, we controlled the ice. We held on to pucks, we really kept them pinned in their zone for long stretches. I thought we played a real tidy game from a system point of view.”

Even with Lehner out, the Golden Knights have stayed afloat and have risen to the top of the NHL standings. Marc-Andre Fleury started 17 of the last 18, and 16 of 17 with Lehner out, going 12-5-0 in that stretch.

“We needed to start to give Flower some rest,” DeBoer said. “If Lenny wasn’t healthy, we would’ve gone to Plan B.”

The Golden Knights finally reached the midway mark of the season with a 21-6-1 mark. Their .768 points percentage is once again tops in the NHL. Despite false-positive COVID tests to Fleury and William Karlsson, losing Alex Pietrangelo and Tomas Nosek due to COVID, and even 1206192 Vegas Golden Knights

Max Pacioretty Scores Twice In Vegas Golden Knights 4-2 Win

Published 3 hours ago on March 19, 2021By Tom Callahan

Max Pacioretty scored twice and Alec Martinez added two assists against his former team as the Vegas Golden Knights toppled the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 on Friday night.

Pacioretty scored the first two goals of the game 2:46 apart in the first period, both at even strength. William Karlsson and Will Carrier scored the other two goals for the VGK.

Perhaps the most encouraging site in the game was the return of Robin Lehner, who had not played since early February because of a concussion. Lehner earned the win with 23 saves, and his teammates did a good job of keeping most of the high-danger chances at bay.

The Golden Knights and Kings will go right back at it on Sunday afternoon to complete the two game series.

Tom’s Takeaways:

Nice to see Max Pacioretty pot a pair of goals to start the scoring. Pacioretty now leads the team with 16 goals on the season.

As we mentioned, Robin Lehner earned the win in his first game back. While he did struggle with his rebounds a bit tonight, all things considered it was a good start for someone who hasn’t played in well over a month. Getting him back in and comfortable will be a huge comfort to the VGK and its fans, not to mention head coach Pete Deboer.

William Karlsson’s goal turned out to be the game winner, and was his 200th point in a Vegas Golden Knights uniform.

Will Carrier hadn’t scored in over a year, netting his last goal on February 22nd, 2020 vs. the Florida Panthers.

The game only featured three power plays, two for Vegas and one for Los Angeles. No power play goals were scored.

Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206193 Washington Capitals The Rangers, coming off a bizarre 9-0 win over the Philadelphia Flyers two nights earlier — an especially unexpected result given that their regular coaching staff was absent because of the NHL’s covid-19 protocols — were again led by Kris Knoblauch and his coaching staff of Alex Ovechkin puts Capitals on his back late, scores twice to beat the team’s American Hockey League affiliate in Hartford, Conn. Rangers, 2-1 Knoblauch, however, couldn’t push the right buttons to get his team a crucial second goal, and it cost the Rangers.

After Washington killed off another power play midway through the third Roman Stubbs and withstood wave after wave of pushes to the net by the Rangers, March 20, 2021 at 2:10 a.m. UTC Ovechkin finally broke through for the equalizer. Ovechkin scored off a rebound in front of the net after New York goaltender Alexandar Georgiev couldn’t control a shot by defenseman Justin Schultz.

The Washington Capitals had vowed to solve the New York Rangers on “Sometimes you have to get those really gritty ones,” Ovechkin said. “It’s Friday night, to not fall into the same early hole that had perplexed them still the same whether it’s goal from my spot [in the left faceoff circle] or in two earlier losses to their East Division rivals. But the third meeting whatever. It’s most important goal, and it’ll take it.” followed an eerily similar script at Capital One Arena: The Rangers took control early and secured a first-period lead as the Capitals chased from A little more than three minutes later, Ovechkin positioned himself in front behind on the first night of a back-to-back between the teams. of the net again, this time corralling another rebound after defenseman John Carlson had rocketed a shot at the net from the left faceoff circle. But this time, the Rangers simply could not hold off the determination of Alex Ovechkin, who scored two goals in the final seven minutes to lift his It was a breakthrough against a team that Washington plays five more team to a 2-1 victory, Washington’s seventh consecutive win and its first times this season — including three contests in the next 11 nights, with over the Rangers in three tries this season. Ovechkin willed his team with the first coming Saturday in Capital One Arena. a pair of strikes off rebounds — the first coming at 13:18 to tie the score, “If we can get off to a better start and play fast, moving the puck fast and the go-ahead goal coming a little more than three minutes later at 16:27 closing on their guys quick, I think we can have a better 60 minutes,” — giving the Capitals’ captain 14 goals this season and the 147th Schultz said. “It was huge to get the two points tonight and another big multigoal game of his career, tied with Gordie Howe for the fourth most of one tomorrow.” all time. Washington Post LOADED: 03.20.2021 “Right now for us it doesn’t matter how many games we win. I think it’s very important to collect the points,” Ovechkin said. “Obviously I try to get involved.”

Washington entered Friday night’s game playing its best hockey of the season, having won nine of 10 and flying high after earning a marquee win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday night to take over first place in the East.

His suspension served, Tom Wilson is ready to return to Capitals on Saturday

The Capitals have looked especially strong in back-to-backs, going 7-1 in their previous four sets of such games. And even though they were shorthanded Friday night — forward Tom Wilson was serving the final game of his seven-game suspension, and center Lars Eller sat out with a lower-body injury — the Capitals continue to find a way to respond to attrition, carrying a 10-3-3 record in games without their full lineup available.

The Rangers were fueled by first-period goals in convincing wins in each of the teams’ first two meetings, and Washington looked determined not to let it happen Friday. The Capitals had the first four shots on goal, but New York responded with seven in a row — and after Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom was called for tripping late in the period, New York capitalized when Artemi Panarin scored on the man advantage.

Panarin’s goal, a one-timer from the left circle, deflected off the blocker of Vitek Vanecek — a near-save on a night when the young goaltender had to make a flurry of strong stops to keep his team within a goal.

“The start wasn’t good,” said Capitals Coach Peter Laviolette, whose team was outshot 33-18 on the night. “From a game standpoint we were tight, but we weren’t tight enough in the first period, and so we gave up a little bit too much.”

Daniel Sprong is making the most of his chance with Tom Wilson out

Washington failed to score on a power play late in the first period, and Laviolette tried to create some offense by flipping his top two centers, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Backstrom, at the beginning of the second. The Capitals manufactured six shots during a chippy 20 minutes, giving them just 11 through two periods.

Vanecek continued to keep Washington afloat, making several saves early in the third during another New York power play after Washington defenseman Brenden Dillon was called for hooking.

“Vitek played really well. He made some big saves,” Laviolette said. “I thought he was really sharp. Our goaltending has been real good lately and it has given us a chance to win games, and that was a perfect example of giving us a chance to win a game.” 1206194 Washington Capitals The previous time Wilson was suspended was for a preseason hit of St. Louis forward Oskar Sundqvist on Sept. 30, 2018. Wilson’s shoulder collided with Sundqvist’s head, and he was handed a 20-game suspension. After his initial ban was upheld by NHL Commissioner Gary Tom Wilson set to return for the Capitals on Saturday after seven-game Bettman in an appeal hearing, it was reduced to 14 games by a neutral suspension arbitrator. Wilson already had served 16 games by the time that ruling was determined.

“My job is to control what I can control,” Wilson said. “You cannot control Samantha Pell what the [Department of] Player Safety does in other situations. You March 19, 2021 at 7:49 p.m. UTC cannot control how other players play the game. Hockey is a very tough sport. Every play is different, and that is just the nature of the sport. It can be frustrating when you start to shop and compare around the league, but that being said, I like to deal with the reality of the situation.” Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson had played nearly 170 games and dealt almost 600 hits since the previous time he had to have a Wilson was able to practice with the team during his seven-game ban. conversation with the NHL’s Department of Player Safety. Then, two Washington is 6-0-0 without him in the lineup. weeks ago, he delivered a high, hard check that forced him to sit out seven games of a shortened season. “Part of the reason I hate missing time is I feel like I’m not out there to help the team, and when they go out there and they take care of The 26-year-old knows — as he expressed after his previous four business and they play the way they are, you are a proud teammate and suspensions in his eight-year NHL career — that he can’t put himself in you are extremely happy when the team gets the win,” Wilson said. “And situations that could result in disciplinary action. Physicality is part of they’ve been playing great hockey.” Wilson’s game, but he insisted he is continuing to adjust. Washington Post LOADED: 03.20.2021 “I can’t be missing seven games. I can’t be missing one game,” Wilson said Friday before Washington’s game against the New York Rangers. “I’ve got to be in the lineup. As you look around the league, there’s a lot of different stuff going on. There’s some confusion. … I’ve been physical my whole life. That’s in me. That’s bred in me.

“I’m always going to try to be a physical player, but for now I just have to continue to develop my offense and chip in offensively and help the team win and obviously be more careful to make sure I’m not putting myself in those spots.”

Wilson was suspended for seven games for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo on March 5. Wilson is eligible to return Saturday in the second game of the Capitals’ back-to-back against the Rangers.

Wilson dealt the hard hit on Carlo in the Capitals’ 5-1 loss to the Bruins in Boston. Carlo was hospitalized overnight, suffered what the team has called an upper-body injury and has not played since. Wilson texted him the next day to check in.

“A lot of people probably wouldn’t believe me, but you never want to see a fellow peer get injured,” Wilson said. “They’re hockey players just like I am, and this is their living and their livelihood. And when a guy goes down, it’s not a good feeling.”

Wilson digested media reports and social media comments in the days after the hit but has shifted to refocusing on the rest of the season.

“Social media is a scary place right now on a number of different levels: hockey, the world,” Wilson said. “It’s not a nice place. It’s not a friendly place. People feel like they can say whatever they want, and it’s nothing new to me. That’s been there throughout my whole career. So I’m not going to sit here and say that it bothered me a ton. Obviously you don’t like to see a lot of that stuff being said. I think everybody in general can do a better job.”

The league looked at Wilson’s hit under the criteria of boarding rather than an illegal check to the head. Boarding is defined as a player checking or pushing a “defenseless opponent in such a manner that causes the opponent to hit or impact the boards violently or dangerously.”

Capitals General Manager Brian MacLellan said last week there was a sense of frustration in the organization after Wilson’s suspension. The Capitals felt the hit did not warrant a suspension, nor was it intentional or egregious. Captain Alex Ovechkin called the rules that prompted Wilson’s disciplinary action “kind of a joke.”

“I think the result of the hit is not what you want, and I think maybe Tom got punished for that,” MacLellan said. “… This category of totality of the circumstances is new. I see where they are trying to fit — was it a suspendable hit, or was it not a suspendable hit? — into that category, and so I think basically we are frustrated with it.”

Wilson, his agent and the NHL Players’ Association decided not to appeal the league’s ruling. They felt that, by the time the appeal would have reached a neutral arbitrator, his suspension would have concluded. 1206195 Washington Capitals

Ovechkin saves Caps' winning streak with 2 goals in the 3rd

by J.J. Regan

The Capitals extended their winning streak to seven games on Friday thanks to the heroics of Alex Ovechkin who scored twice in the third in a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. The Caps trailed for much of the game, but two goals in the span of just over three minutes from the Caps' captain proved to be the difference in the third.

With the win, Washington now pulls two points ahead of the New York Islanders for sole possession of first place in the East Division.

Here's how it happened.

Vitek Vanecek

With no offense to speak of for much of the game, the Caps were in trouble. Vanecek, however, kept them in it despite the Rangers dictating much of the play.

Through two periods, Washington had only 11 shots on goal. It's hard to win with that little offense. New York, meanwhile, had 11 shots on goal in the second period alone.

Vanecek was beaten only once on the night on an Artemi Panarin power play goal and he almost got to that one in time too, stretching out the blocker to try to deny the one-timer off the cross-ice pass. The puck hit off the blocker, but trickled in.

Vanecek finished the game with 32 saves on 33 shots.

Ovechkin to the rescue

Despite entering the third period down 1-0, the Rangers continued to dictate the play and dominate the possession. The Caps were getting outshot 12-2 in the third until Ovechkin finally came to the team's rescue. He scored twice in the final frame to single-handedly snatch a victory from the jaws of defeat.

Ovechkin planted himself right in front of goalie Alexander Georgiev to score two goals in almost the exact same spot.

The first goal came off a Justin Schutlz shot that hit off Evgeny Kuznetsov and ended up in the crease with nothing between Ovechkin and the back of the net. The second goal came just over three minutes later as the Rangers, for some reason, allowed Ovechkin to plant himself in front of the net yet again. This time, it was a John Carlson shot that Ovechkin was able to clean up to give the Caps the sudden lead.

New York had led 1-0 since the first period. In a span of just 3:09 in the third, Ovechkin put the Caps up 2-1.

Ovechkin now has a goal in each of his past five games

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206196 Washington Capitals

Ovechkin's evolution as a scorer was on display vs. Rangers

by J.J. Regan

The New York Rangers did a good job of bottling up the Capials' offense for about 56 minutes on Friday, but that still was not enough for the win thanks to the heroics of Alex Ovechkin. Ovechkin took over the game in the third period for two goals as he continued to show the evolution of his game that allows him to continue putting up incredible goal totals even if not every goal will end up on the highlight reel.

Ovechkin's early career practically was a running highlight reel. But the reason he remains as productive as he is at the age of 35 is because of how his game has evolved. Deflections and rebounds were not a major part of his game until later in his career. That evolution was on display Friday as Ovechkin scored twice right in front of Rangers goalie Alexander Georgiev to give the Caps the win in a game they had been trailing 1-0 for most of the night.

"Sometimes you have to get those really gritty ones," Ovechkin said.

Both goals were shockingly similar. On the first, Ovechkin planted himself in front of the net and was there to hit home the rebound off of a Justin Schultz shot fired from the left faceoff circle. Just over three minutes later, Ovechkin again planted himself in front of the net and was there for the rebound, this time from a John Carlson shot from the left faceoff circle.

"The second goal was pretty identical," Rangers forward Chris Kreider said. "A tough rotation there. Bring pucks and bodies to the net, that’s a recipe for scoring goals."

He added, "Ovechkin’s a goal scorer. He’s obviously known for his pretty goals from the outside, but he does a good job of getting to the net, getting his big body there and was able to pot those two."

The goals were Nos. 719 and 720 of Ovechkin's career. Plays like he showed on Friday are why he has continued his incredible scoring pace at an age in which even the greats typically see their production taper off.

"He finds ways to put the puck in the back of the net and he's done that for his whole career," Justin Schultz said. "He has a great determination to get to the front of the net and get the puck in."

"It doesn’t have to come from a one-timer at the top of the circle," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "He goes to the hard areas and that proves it right there."

Wayne Gretzky played until he was 38. He only reached 30 goals in a season three times after the age of 30. Ovechkin has already done it five times. In those five years, he reached 50 goals twice -- which Gretzky never did past 30 -- and came close two more times with 49 goals in 2017-18 and 48 in 2018-19. He almost certainly would have hit 50 goals again last season if not for the season pause due to COVID-19.

Ovechkin has now scored in each of his past five games and is currently on pace for 28 goals this year after a slow start to the season and missing four games on the NHL's COVID protocol list.

Ovechkin is heating up and considering all the different ways in which he can find the back of the net, there's no reason to think he is going to slow back down again any time soon.

"It's still the same whether it's goal from my spot or whatever," Ovechkin said. "It's most important goal and I'll take it."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206197 Washington Capitals

Chara had a breakaway and it was nearly the greatest goal ever

by J.J. Regan

When Peter Laviolette first took over as head coach of the Capitals, he came with a reputation for wanting his defensemen to play aggressively in the offensive zone. No one thought, however, that this would lead to a breakaway opportunity for a player like Zdeno Chara, but that was exactly what happened on Friday against the New York Rangers.

In the second period, Chara was able to get in behind the defense in the offensive zone for a partial breakaway but missed the net, denying us all what would have been the best highlight of the year and perhaps ever.

"It just kind of happened," Chara said. "I saw obviously open ice and the puck was deflected right into the area where I was skating to, and I [missed] the net."

At 6-foot-9, Chara, who turned 44 on Thursday, has never been the fastest skater even when he was in his prime. Seeing him lumber in on net with nothing between him and goalie Alexander Georgiev was something to behold as was evidenced by the reaction of the media.

“It was a set breakout, we were able to spring him and he got a step and he got a good look at it," head coach Peter Laviolette said. "You think about him and you think about how he defends and how good he is in the defensive zone, but he’s put up an awful lot of points in his career so it was nice to see him take it up the middle of the ice and give it a look.”

Chara has indeed amassed 664 points in his career including 207 goals. Alas, a breakaway goal was not to be on Friday, but after seeing that this was even possible, hopefully Laviolette is hard at work diagramming how to get Chara free again for another shot.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206198 Washington Capitals

In wake of suspension, Tom Wilson vows to adapt his game

by J.J. Regan

Tom Wilson is set to return from his seven-game suspension on Saturday and he is determined not to let it happen again.

“I’m going to continue to adjust and I think the game is always adapting year to year," Wilson said Friday in his first comments since the suspension. "At the end of the day, it can’t happen. I can’t be missing seven games. I can’t be missing one game. I’ve got to be in the lineup."

Wilson was suspended for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. It is his first suspension since a 14-game suspension (reduced from 20) he was issued in 2018 for a high-hit to the head of Oskar Sundqvist.

"It had been almost 200 games and over 600 hits since the last time I talked to [the Department of Player Safety]," Wilson said.

Wilson has tried to keep clear of the DoPS since then but still finds himself battling the perception that he is a dirty player. The hit he delivered to Carlo that resulted in a trip to the hospital for the Bruins defenseman, does not help.

But Wilson said he does not want to hurt anyone and reached out to Carlo via text the next day.

"A lot of people probably wouldn’t believe, but you never want to see a fellow peer get injured," Wilson said. "They’re hockey players just like I am and this is their living and their livelihood and when a guy goes down it’s not a good feeling. So I texted him the next day and was happy to hear that he was feeling better.”

Wilson's teammates expressed frustration in the wake of the suspension suggesting perhaps there was a double-standard for Wilson. Wilson, however, was not interested in the past.

"That's a tough question and it's probably one you have to ask them," Wilson said when asked if he felt the DoPS judged him differently from other players. "I can believe a lot of different things. I can analyze the situation just like all of you have and just like everybody in Toronto and everyone across the National Hockey League. Everyone can build their own opinion. I'm not going to tell you my opinion. I can keep that to myself, keep that in the locker room. Obviously, my teammates supporting me means a lot. I would have their backs in a tough situation."

Wilson knows the onus is now on him to change his game. Whether he believes it to be fair or unfair, the DoPS has made clear he is not going to get the benefit of the doubt from them on any borderline hits going forward and that any future suspension is going to be significant.

"You have to stay out of situations that might not end in the result that you want," Wilson said.

"I’ve been physical my whole life. That’s in me. That’s bred in me. I’m always going to try to be a physical player, but for now I just have to continue to develop my offense and chip in offensively and help the team win and obviously be more careful to make sure I’m not putting myself in those spots.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206199 Washington Capitals Islanders visited D.C. on Jan. 26. Komarov was assessed a five-minute major for boarding, but no additional punishment was levied. Eller missed the next four games with a shoulder injury.

Capitals’ Tom Wilson, nearing end of suspension, vows to adjust: ‘I’ve “That is not part of my job,” Wilson said of the decision not to suspend got to be in the lineup’ Komarov. “My job is to control what I can control. You cannot control what player safety does in other situations. You cannot control how other players play the game. Hockey is a very tough sport. Every play is different and that is just the nature of the sport. It can be frustrating when By Tarik El-Bashir Mar 19, 2021 you start to shop and compare around the league.”

One of the game’s most polarizing players, Wilson has acknowledged in Nearly two weeks after being suspended for seven games by the NHL, the past that he’s keenly aware of what’s said about him on social media. Capitals winger Tom Wilson broke his silence on Friday. This time was no different.

“At the end of the day, it can’t happen,” he said. “I can’t be missing seven “Social media is a scary place right now on a number of different levels games. I can’t be missing one game. I’ve got to be in the lineup.” — hockey, the world,” he said. “It’s not a nice place. It’s not a friendly place. People feel like they can say whatever they want. It’s nothing new “I’m going to continue to adjust.” to me. That’s been there throughout my whole career. So I’m not going to sit here and say that it bothered me a ton. Obviously, you don’t like to Washington’s first-line right wing is scheduled to return to the lineup see a lot of that stuff being said.” Saturday night against the Rangers at Capital One Arena. Wilson was enjoying a strong start to the season at the time of Wilson’s fifth career suspension was for a high, hard hit on Boston suspension, having amassed seven goals and 10 assists in 21 games. defenseman Brandon Carlo in an ugly 5-1 loss on March 5. Carlo, who The Caps have gone 6-0-0 while Wilson has been out, which has made it spent that night in the hospital, has not played since. easier for him to digest, he said. Wilson said he texted the Bruins’ blueliner the following day. “When you are around the team and you are practicing, your mind stays “A lot of people probably wouldn’t believe me, but you never want to see sharp,” said Wilson, who has participated in every practice and stayed on a peer get injured,” he said. “They’re hockey players just like I am, and the ice late to work with the extras since being banned. “You’re there. this is their living and their livelihood, and when a guy goes down it’s not You’re there for the inside jokes, the camaraderie, all that. You don’t feel a good feeling.” like you’re missing that much. Obviously, you’re not playing in the games, but it is a shortened season and obviously, the games hold a lot more Asked for his take on the hit and suspension, Wilson said that after weight, which sucked, but it did go by a little quicker. Hopefully, I can internalizing all of the media coverage in the immediate aftermath, he’s jump right back in and help the team win.” now focused on moving forward. The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 “As of late, I’m just trying to get focused on myself, making sure I’m ready when the team has me back and when I can get back in there,” he said. “So, it’s one of those situations where, obviously, you hoped it didn’t happen for a number of different reasons. But it is what it is and I’ve just got to control the future.”

Since being suspended on four occasions for illegal hits during the 2017- 18 and 2018-19 seasons, Wilson had played 166 games and made 591 hits (regular season and playoffs) between conversations with the Department of Player Safety.

Then he slammed Carlo in the boards at TD Garden at the end of a physical shift in the midst of an intense two-game series.

“Part of my game is physicality; that’s what I need to do to be in the league,” Wilson said, asked if he needs to lower his target on hits. “And that’s something that hockey has always been — it’s been a hard-hitting game. As I get stronger and faster, those are hard hits. So, to answer your question, you have to stay out of situations that might not end in the result that you want.”

“Just moving forward,” he continued, “whether it’s finishing lower and going after the puck a little bit more, I have to just try and make hockey plays and stay on the ice.”

As for whether he believes he’s viewed differently by the league’s disciplinarians, Wilson wouldn’t go there.

“That’s a tough question and it’s probably one that you have to ask them,” he said. “I can believe a lot of different things. I can analyze the situation just like all of you have, and just like everybody in Toronto and everyone across the National Hockey League. Everyone can build their own opinion. I’m not going to tell you my opinion. I can keep that to myself, keep that in the locker room. Obviously, my teammates supporting me means a lot. I would have their backs in a tough situation.”

He added: “There’s a lot of guys talking out about it around the league right now — captains on other teams saying things about the physical aspect of the game. It’s going to be difficult moving forward. It’s a fast game, it’s a hard game. And safety is important. It’s a tough job and I just want to focus on my game and what I can control.”

When the suspension was handed down, the Caps expressed frustration — both publicly and privately — with the punishment as well as the league’s process in determining which hits warrant supplemental discipline and which ones don’t. One example that was frequently referenced was Leo Komarov’s check from behind on Lars Eller when the 1206200 Winnipeg Jets when it is safe to do so. In the meantime, we continue to prepare, refining protocols and other safety measures," the email to ticket holders continued. It also noted the organization is "preparing and planning for a full 82-game regular schedule, with full or near capacity, for the 2021-22 Jets could be allowed live fans season."

There are 17 U.S. teams that are currently allowing reduced capacity crowds, and there's been no suggestion any outbreaks have been linked Mike McIntyre to such events. There is detailed contact tracing going on in these markets, but the strict measures in place appear to be working. Staggered entrance times to prevent congestion, sitting only with your If a talented, exciting hockey team goes on a lengthy, successful run and personal contacts, concessions delivered to your seats and, of course, no one is around to cheer it, does it make a sound? wearing at all times.

That's the multimillion-dollar question the Winnipeg Jets might be facing The Jets have 26 regular-season games remaining, including six more later this spring, given the lost revenues if Bell MTS Place remains empty on a lengthy road trip that began Thursday night in Edmonton with a for the foreseeable future while the club keeps racking up the wins. There tough 2-1 loss. They'll face the Oilers again on Saturday night, then move have been 16 money-losing, eerily quiet home dates so far this season, on to Vancouver for a pair next week, followed by three straight in with another dozen slated before the puck drops on the Stanley Cup Calgary. playoffs in mid-May. After that it's back to Winnipeg where they'll play 12 of their final 20 Jets players are taking care of the on-ice business and making plenty of games at home, starting March 31 and concluding May 8. That doesn't noise around the NHL, with a solid 18-10-2 record that has them just two give a whole lot of runway for the team, at least not in the regular season, points out of first place in the all-Canadian division prior to Friday night's but I believe the playoffs is the ultimate goal here. slate of games. And now there is some action happening behind the scenes as it pertains to the off-ice business, the product of what sources No, there won't be sold-out Whiteouts or downtown street parties say have been recent, ongoing discussions between team officials and happening during the post-season, which will run through early July, but local government and health officials. if Walmart can pack 500 people into a store at a time, if your local church can hold a service for 250, if the ballet and opera and McPhillips Street An email the organization sent out to season-ticket holders earlier this Station can welcome 250 folks, then why can't the Jets start replacing week, combined with new public orders being considered in Manitoba, some of those tarped-off seats and canned crowd noise with actual has offered more than just a glimmer of hope that fans could be human beings? welcomed back to the downtown rink in the near future. Looking even further down the sporting road, this should bode well for An email the organization sent out to season-ticket holders earlier this the Winnipeg Goldeyes, Valour FC and Winnipeg Blue Bombers, who week stated True North hoped the province would allow some fans to have the added advantage of playing in the great outdoors, where attend games at the arena this season. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free potential spread of the virus is further reduced. Press files) Of course, the eventual next question will become: If you open it, will they An email the organization sent out to season-ticket holders earlier this come? There's no question many have been hit hard, both personally week stated True North hoped the province would allow some fans to and professionally, by the pandemic. Supporting a pro sports team isn't attend games at the arena this season. (Mike Sudoma / Winnipeg Free cheap, nor will it be a priority for some folks who have much bigger Press files) issues to worry about right now.

"As the province moves ahead with its vaccination plan, and as COVID But I do believe absence usually makes the heart grow fonder, as one numbers continue to stabilize, we remain hopeful that partial attendance long-time Jets supporter and season-ticket holder described to me this will be allowed to occur for this 2021 season," the missive to the masses week. reads, in part. "Before this pandemic, I was starting to feel a bit less enthusiasm about My initial thought was this was just wishful, borderline delusional, thinking live sports. Maybe this break was enough to get us all hot and bothered by True North. No chance, right? But then came Thursday's news again? Maybe something good will come from it? Maybe a lot of people conference with Dr. Brent Roussin and Premier Brian Pallister in which will want to go again?" said Scott Lougheed. "Slowly, reservedly at first, we learned code red could become code orange around here as early as but if this all passes us by without constantly evolving or the effects next week. A game-changer, if you will. devolve into less deadly forms, then maybe live sports will become a demand attraction again?" Among the relaxed restrictions being weighed: Reopening theatres, concert halls and casinos up to 25 per cent capacity, to a maximum of As hard as it might be to believe, we may soon be able to start finding 250 people; expanded capacity limits for indoor retail (50 per cent to a out. maximum of 500); expanded religious services (25 per cent to a maximum of 250); allowing the return of organized indoor amateur Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.20.2021 sporting events; dropping the mandatory two-week quarantine for interprovincial/domestic business travel; and outdoor gatherings moving from 10 to 25 people.

All of this is contingent on continuing to flatten the curve, and keeping the numbers from spiking yet again, especially as it relates to the more transmissible variants that have started to surface. Message to Manitobans: You're being given some rope here. Don't screw this up.

Far be it from me to dish out public health advice. I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on television, so I'll stay in my lane and leave that to the experts. But considering what's now on the table, the idea of the Jets soon getting the green light suddenly isn't so far-fetched.

Put it this way: Having seen first-hand how seriously True North is taking protocols at the rink for the limited number of us media-types who've been getting into the building since January for games and practices, I have plenty of faith in their ability to control the environment, especially with so much at stake. Much more so, in fact, than your local big box retailer or restaurant.

"Throughout the pandemic, we have worked closely with health authorities to discuss plans to welcome you back into Bell MTS Place 1206201 Winnipeg Jets Kane’s bankruptcy case, which lists more than $26 million in debts, has exposed a gambling problem and financial mismanagement you wouldn’t wish on anybody.

FRIESER BURNS: Jets' best defence could be more offence - and more No. 9’s creditors have asked the courts to convert the case from Chapter thoughts 11 bankruptcy to Chapter 7, which would allow them to garnish his future wages from a San Jose Sharks contract that pays him another $26 million over the next four years.

Paul Friesen Kane’s lawyers are arguing that amounts to a violation of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the amendment banning slavery, or Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 9 hours ago “involuntary servitude.”

All I know is it’s a sad chapter of a talented young man’s life, most of it The Winnipeg Jets decided to hide their over-Zoomed faces from the self-penned. media on Friday, so what better time to empty out a mental notebook? The Kane side’s latest filing, as reported by Daniel Kaplan, who covers Call it ideas that didn’t quite grow up to be columns. sports business for The Athletic, includes this statement from the player:

Like perpetual teenagers, these creatures can be impulsive and lacking “With respect to my gambling, it has been an issue in my past and it vision, though, so reader beware. would be inaccurate to pretend it has not had a negative effect on my life, financially and otherwise,” Kane wrote. “I have undergone and continue Jets at the deadline to receive personal therapy to deal with it and other matters and hope that the issue is behind me.” Sun colleague Scott Billeck goes deep into this territory on the neighbouring pages, so I’ll keep it short. Let’s hope.

Watching this edition of the Jets for 30 games now, what they lack has Age before beauty become apparent, even for these non-expert eyes. One last thought, about how it might look when fans are allowed to start All too often, forwards do their thing in the offensive zone, whether it’s returning to pro sports. cycling the puck or snapping it around, only to send it to the point — and nothing happens. Given how the vaccines are getting into the oldest arms first and how we need two shots to be fully vaccinated, could the Jets, Blue Bombers and The defenceman will just dump the puck back into the corner or try a shot Goldeyes be looking at age-specific crowds for a while? that gets blocked. All three organizations would like to start opening the doors in May or Rarely does something dynamic occur. June to at least a reduced-capacity crowd.

The blue line is the Jets’ weak link, a statement which no doubt will The Jets this week sent out a notice to season-ticket holders saying “we produce a chorus of “Duh.” remain hopeful that partial attendance will be allowed to occur for this 2021 season.” The coverage breakdowns in their own zone are one thing. I’m talking specifically about offence from the blue line. Let’s say provincial health authorities determine it’s safe to congregate for those with full immunity. In other words, show your vaccine card and Because the best defence can still be a good offence. you can buy a ticket. Winnipeg’s five goals by defencemen is the lowest total in the NHL. That opens the door for, say, fans aged 70 and up to be the first at a Jets Just 18.4% of the Jets’ total points come from the defence, also the playoff game or a Blue Bombers or Goldeyes regular-season game. lowest number in the league. Gives new meaning to the Whiteout, if you get my follicle drift. There can only be one goal for GM Kevin Cheveldayoff between now and In July, maybe the 60-plus crowd gets in for football and baseball. In the trade deadline: A defenceman who can score them. August or September, they’re joined by those in their 50s. Fight for first, for now Beer sales might be down, but at least it’s a road back to so-called One of the media-driven storylines for the Jets’ two-game set in “normal.” Edmonton was the fight for first place in the all-Canadian North Division. Here’s to seniors discounts at the Rum Hut. No need to bring your I used a Zoom call the other day to wonder aloud if such talk made it into driver’s license. the dressing room. Your vax card will do. “There is a great awareness of where we’re at,” head coach Paul Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.20.2021 Maurice said. “On back-to-back nights, there is very little chatter … everybody is tired and they’re just playing. We’re all aware of where we’re at. Then there is the whole rest of the schedule ahead of us.

“It won’t be a big deal made either way of it.”

I suppose getting hung up on the standings would set a team up for too many emotional swings.

Because looking at the remaining 26 games, there’s the potential for dramatic rises and falls from anyone not named the Senators.

Here’s how the Jets play it out: Six games against Toronto, five against Ottawa, four each against Edmonton, Calgary and Vancouver and three more against Montreal.

They’re all four-pointers, as they say.

One short slide and the fight for first can quickly become a fight for fourth.

Citizen Kane

It has been sad and a little troubling to see former Jets forward Evander Kane’s fall from financial grace. 1206202 Winnipeg Jets The Grand Prize Of the defencemen believed to be available for this year, it’s Mattias

Ekholm’s name that tops the list. POT-COMMITTED: Ekholm trade the one to make for Jets' GM It’s far from a mystery as to why. Here’s a guy who checks all the Cheveldayoff analytical boxes, passes the eye test with flying colours, and a player the Jets intimately know as an opponent having tussled time and time again with the Nashville Predators for several years in the Central Division. Scott Billeck The 30-year-old is a stud, even on a less-than-stellar Predators team this Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 11 hours ago • season. He’s got 13 points in 23 games, plays 22 minutes a night with ease, and has all the defensive acumen the Jets desire.

The bonuses? There are a couple, including a team-friendly $3.75 million There’s a term in poker where, during a hand, you’ve reached the point cap hit and one year remaining on that deal following this season. of no return. A slam dunk, right? Sure. But one that comes with a cost. And it could be It’s called being pot-committed, and it’s essentially the point in a hand steep. where folding to a bet or a raise would prove unwise. How steep? This isn’t some magical deal where you send Sami Niku and Often, it’s because you’ve invested a lot of chips into the hand you’re a first-rounder packing to the Music City, USA. playing. But it’s also coupled with calculating the pot odds, which figures out if calling a bet or a raise would be profitable in the longer-term. It’s No. No. then when you come to a point where you’ve invested enough, figured out that you have confidence that you have the winning hand, and make This is the type of deal where you’re likely going to have to part with one your move. of your finest in your prospect stable.

Without getting bogged down in a card game, and to tie it to the game of Think Dylan Samberg. If the Predators are going to trade Ekholm, they hockey, there’s an argument to be made that Winnipeg Jets general want to replace Ekholm. Full stop. manager Kevin Chevledayoff has reached that point. It’s here that we’ve reached the point where a fanbase can be split on Cheveldayoff is as close to pot-committed as you’ll get in the NHL. He’s what to do. invested much of his stack of chips already and based on his hand — the The implications team in front of him — has pretty solid odds. Folding now would be a foolhardy play. Unwise and far from warranted. There are many to consider here.

With the trade deadline approaching and Cheveldayoff holding a pretty Let’s start with the fact that Samberg has all the size and physicality the good hand at the table, he shouldn’t just be thinking of calling. Instead, Jets lack on their back end. raising the ante appears to be the most appropriate play in the position of strength he finds himself in. Toss in this: Do the Jets want a year and a couple of months of Ekholm, or the next six or seven years of Samberg? To borrow another poker term, Cheveldayoff has the button. He can react to anything. What he does with it leading up to the NHL’s trade deadline The same can be said for any of Winnipeg’s highly-regarded prospects. will determine how well he fares with the cards he currently holds, and From Samberg to Ville Heinola to Cole Perfetti, although if any two future hands that will be dealt come playoff time. players were untouchable in that stable, it might just be the latter two, leaving Samberg as the one the Jets, reluctantly, could part with. But it seems quite clear that the tenured GM should be raising the stakes by pushing all-in. The reason they’d even consider it comes down to supply.

A team on the cusp As it stands, the Jets currently have Josh Morrissey, Logan Stanley, Ville Heinola, Dylan Samberg and, to a lesser extent, Declan Chisholm, as Improving a franchise in sports is a game of chance, one that needs to left-shot defenceman in the organization. curry the favour luck provides while simultaneously making the most calculated decisions possible. They all can’t play unless you’re going to play several of them out of position, which is sub-optimal in the long run. The most deliberate move Cheveldayoff could make would be improving his blue line, perhaps the only hole on a team that deploys one of the The asset pool is deep enough to consider moving a guy like Samberg, best forward contingents and the reigning Vezina winner between the but it isn’t without risk. pipes. The obvious danger is losing Dustin Byfuglien’s successor. But there’s For many onlookers, the Jets are seemingly a team that’s a top-notch another threat at play: The Seattle Kraken expansion draft. defenceman away from being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender this Let’s say the Jets traded Samberg as part of the Ekholm deal. Ekholm is season. certainly then getting protected. That opens up the potential to lose a guy Yes, the Winnipeg Jets — a team that prior to the current season had like Stanley, another left-shot rearguard, and the four top prospect LHDs many a pundit scribbling their name outside the playoff line in their you once had in your organization have now been reduced to two. prognostications. As mentioned earlier, the price is steep.

Stanley Cup contender? The reward

You’d have been laughed out of town, even right here in Winnipeg. If someone told you that if you traded a Samberg or reasonable facsimile, And then the team started playing, traded for Pierre-Luc Dubois, and all you’d be hanging a banner inside Bell MTS Place next fall that reads, of a sudden had one of the league’s most formidable spines and a record ‘Stanley Cup Champion,’ would you pull the trigger? that has them firmly entrenched in the fight for the top seed in the North For Cheveldayoff, that answer, unequivocally, has to be yes. Division. Cheveldayoff has now been at the helm of this team for a decade. During In a season like no other, the Jets are showing that despite their that time, the Jets have won a grand total of two playoff series. deficiencies on the blue line, they’re simply too talented a team — with a drool-worthy forward contingent and an otherworldly starting netminder They’ve drafted well. Exceptionally, at times, and the fruits of that are — to be held down. seen on the ice every night. It’s also part of the reason they’re in a position to even bid for a guy like Ekholm. With Cheveldayoff sitting at the final table with other GMs hoping to hoist the Cup themselves, it’s clear Cheveldayoff has already pumped a good And the risk of not doing so — and not winning — is you’re once again chunk of his chips into the pot. just kicking the prospect can down the road. There could come a point where all of the aforementioned players make incredible contributions to the franchise. But what’s the cost?

You can’t keep riding your prospect train forever. Eventually, the rest of the pieces that make up your team — the core — evaporates.

Blake Wheeler isn’t getting any younger. Mark Scheifele is in his prime. Nikolaj Ehlers, too. And you have arguably the best goaltender in the NHL playing, once again, some of the best hockey he’s ever played.

If you’re Cheveldayoff and you don’t shoot your shot now, then when?

Cheveldayoff isn’t unaware of this. He had a front-row seat to watching the Chicago Blackhawks lay the foundation to become a dynasty in the late 2000s and into the 2010s.

And while the temptation to hold onto a guy like Samberg has to be incredibly strong, the chance to follow in former boss Stan Bowman’s footsteps needs to be stronger.

The other options

During his midseason address earlier this week, Cheveldayoff, predictably, was holding his cards close to his chest.

Showing them, like in poker, gives away too much information to the rest at the table.

It’s fatal.

And so Cheveldayoff said what he normally does, that he’ll assess all options, even ones internally, and if the right move presents itself, he’ll spring into action.

Some will point to guys like David Savard, the Columbus Blue Jackets pending unrestricted free agent and good friend of Dubois, as another option.

Indeed, Savard would be. But going after Savard would be akin to betting the minimum. Sure, you’re making the effort, but is it enough to take down the hand?

And then there’s the trade that we have no line of sight on, and one Cheveldayoff may not either at the moment.

Let’s call this the 2018 Paul Stastny trade.

It’s the one that comes out of nowhere and is consummated before anyone catches wind of it. Not even the hockey insiders saw the Stastny deal coming a few years back.

Banking on this is a tough game to play when you’re waiting on a hope and a prayer.

Part of the problem is the timing of a deal like that. The Stastny trade was last-minute. Deals of this type often are.

This season, anyway, comes with federal quarantine rules that, at the time of this printing, still require players to hunker down in a self-isolated position for two weeks prior to arrival in the country.

Yes, the league is trying to petition the NHL to drop that requirement to seven days, but in a country that can’t get its vaccine game right, no one should be holding their breath.

It could already be a problem with Ekholm, never mind the player we can’t see at the moment.

The road ahead

Regardless of quarantine rules and price tags, the decision that needs to be made first is deciding on whether or not this is the year.

Cheveldayoff possesses the pieces to win the bid for Ekholm. And he already showed his boldness with the Dubois trade.

The only question left is if he has the confidence in the cards he holds to make the critical raise to win the hand — and possibly the Stanley Cup.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.20.2021 1206203 Vancouver Canucks

Tom Mayenknecht: NFL media rights continue to command big dollars

Tom Mayenknecht

Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 11 hours ago

BULLS OF THE WEEK

The NFL this week consolidated its position as North America’s TV juggernaut and the biggest revenue-producer among pro sports leagues anywhere on the planet. NFL TV revenues will go from just north of US$7 billion to US$10 billion per year on an 11-season, US$110 billion monster of a deal that runs through 2033. That should take overall league revenues over the US$19 billion mark per annum, getting the NFL closer to its stated goal of being a US$25 billon industry.

The most notable change to the NFL TV landscape involves Amazon, which is now the exclusive carrier of Thursday Night Football. Amazon Prime Video will be the only place that you can go for mid-week football. That exclusivity will cost Amazon US$1 billion per year or about 10 per cent of the overall package.

ESPN/ABC will retain control of Monday Night Football for a cool US$2.7 billion per year, the biggest investment of any of the major U.S. TV players. The Disney-owned networks will also get a Saturday doubleheader on the last weekend of the regular season.

ESPN Plus will have the streaming rights to every Monday night game and exclusive access to one international game each season.

Most important, ESPN/ABC join the Super Bowl sweepstakes. They’ll televise the NFL championship game in 2026 and ’30.

Next in line in terms of investment is FOX, which retains NFC games on Sunday afternoons — always defined by the visiting team — for US$2.2 billion per season. FOX will televise the Super Bowl in 2024, ’28 and ’32.

Then comes CBS/Viacom, which is paying US$2.1 billion per season to maintain its heritage position as the holder of Sunday afternoon AFC games, along with the Super Bowls of 2023, ’27 and ’31.

Just like ESPN Plus is a big factor on Monday nights, CBS and FOX are using the new deals to promote Paramount Plus and Tubi, clearly demonstrating that digital-streaming services will only become more important over the next decade.

Last but not least is NBC Universal, which is paying US$2 billion per year to retain Sunday Night Football, the king of NFL prime time TV. Selected games will be streamed on NBC’s Peacock. NBC will get the Super Bowl in 2025, ’29 and ’33.

Most of the rest of the US$2.2 billion in domestic media rights is driven by NFL Sunday Ticket carriage deals with AT&T and DirectTV.

So for those asking whether media rights would continue to command big dollars — especially coming out of COVID-19 — the NFL is your answer.

BEARS OF THE WEEK

Canada is lagging behind the U.S. and several other countries when it comes to the pace of our vaccine rollout. That is bad enough in itself, but it could continue to create bearish conditions for Canadian pro sports franchises and leagues based exclusively in Canada.

Fans in the stands may not come as soon as the CFL, the Canadian Elite Basketball League and the Canadian Premier League would like. Teams like the Toronto Raptors, the Blue Jays and Canada’s three MLS teams will feel the pinch of temporary “relocation” a little while longer.

The single biggest question is: What happens with the Canadian-based winner of the Scotia North Division in the NHL? If border protocols aren’t relaxed after April 21, does the Canadian division winner that advances to the Stanley Cup semifinal have to play its best-of-seven series entirely on the road?

Vancouver Sun: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206204 Vancouver Canucks Belleville plays Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. In theory Kevin Mandolese would be the starter for Belleville, with junior goalie Cedrick Andree as his backup (on an amateur tryout contract).

The Skate: The playoff slope is still steep as EP40 goes to LTIR But the Ottawans also have a game Wednesday, which means Mandolese *must* be on the taxi squad for that game, so there’s one opening for DiPietro to play.

Patrick Johnston Ottawa plays again on Thursday, then on Sunday. They’l split the Friday and Saturday starts, so would Mandolese get one? And if Högberg is Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 3 hours ago • ready for a conditioning game, he’ll get one.

But there could yet be a window for DiPietro. So it’s official: Elias Pettersson won’t play again for the Vancouver And here’s the key to all this: DiPietro can join Belleville without having to Canucks. quarantine. Like Jimmy Vesey joining the Canucks by driving from …until at least Mar. 31. Toronto, DiPietro could drive to Ottawa if he were to be loaned there on Sunday. The Canucks put their star centre on long-term injured reserve before Saturday’s game to create enough cap space to add Marc Michaelis The Canucks have games Monday and Wednesday of course and would back to the NHL roster from the squad. need a third goalie in Vancouver, but here’s the solution: Arturs Silovs. The lanky Latvian has played just one game for the , as He’s now the 13th forward on the 23-man roster, a move that suggests the Jets want to play the heck out of Mikhail Berdin. there was perhaps some touch and go concern about another player in the lineup before Friday’s 3-2 OT win for the Canucks over the Montreal I checked and it seems Silovs could actually fly with the Jets on Sunday Canadiens. and be considered a bubble-to-bubble transfer in joining the Canucks’ taxi squad at that point. (Earlier in the day, Tanner Pearson was put on injured reserve, which creates a roster spot but no cap relief, after it was revealed he will be out It’s wild, it’s ridiculously complicated but also straightforward if you lay it for four weeks with what’s believed to be an ankle sprain.) out on a map. And it’s all because ownership wouldn’t sign a $700,000 goalie in the offseason to serve as the No. 3. Pettersson stayed back in Vancouver when the team flew east last Sunday and he’s now missed seven games in all, following what may be There were guys around you could do that with. The Sabres were the a wrist injury suffered against the Winnipeg Jets Mar. 1. ( latest team to prove this by signing Michael Houser today. suggested on Sportsnet 650 Mar. 5 that Pettersson got hurt in that game Depth scoring and aggravated it in the Mar. 2 game vs. Winnipeg.) Last week I noted how little scoring there had been from players named Ten days ago, Travis Green told the media Pettersson would be out at Pearson/Sutter/Gaudette/Roussel of late. least another week. We’re now into that zone. Pearson scored but is now hurt. Adam Gaudette has two games in a By putting Pettersson on LTIR, the Canucks have committed to him week now too. Roussel, of course, was hurt and did set up the Gaudette being out for 10 games and 24 days. The 10th game would be next goal tonight but he still only has one on the year. Wednesday’s vs. the Jets and he’d clear 24 days out injured during the week-long break between games after Wednesday’s game. And then there’s Brandon Sutter. I picked him a while ago as my unsung hero so far this year, but his scoring touch has gone complete dry. And so the Canucks battle on. They’re back at .500 after this remarkable Demko-powered run. He has just two goals in his last 26 games, one of which was an empty netter. They have three more games at least without their No. 1 centre. They have 22 games left and 29 or 30 points to secure a playoff spot. That That’s a dry spell. means 15 wins or so, or .681 hockey. That podcast That’s still a very steep slope to climb. Shawn Matthias remains a bit baffled to this day. He wanted to stay with Canucks 8-2 in past 10 games. the Canucks.

100 games, 100 points And he made it clear that communication was an issue.

By scoring the winner Friday, J.T. Miller notched his 100 point as a “They said in the media they talked to us, they never once talked to us,” Canuck in 100 games. he said. “I had more goals than everyone they signed and I took less money too.” How to get DiPietro games Now, when you look at 2015 off-season, there are three items that can Mike DiPietro desperately needs to play. be tied to what Matthias is referring to: Benning and Trevor Linden There’s an obvious window over the next week to get him a couple starts signed Linden Vey for less than the $2.3 million Matthias got in Toronto, and it won’t cost much. traded for Brandon Sutter and then signed the centre to his famous foundational contract extension, a figure that was *more* than Matthias The Ottawa Senators are in the mids of a major injury crisis. Joey earned (and Sutter was flipped for Nick Bonino, who has had a better Daccord, who was supposed to be in the AHL, shredded his knee against career than Sutter has had since the swap) and also traded for Brandon the Canucks and is done for the season we think. Prust, who was a total disaster for the Canucks and also carried a bigger cap hit than Matthias. Matt Murray is dealing with some sort of upper-body injury and will be out at least week, probably more. (Pierre Dorion called him week-to-week It’s not so much that they should have kept Matthias, it’s that the today.) replacements were basically dreck.

Marcus Högberg, who is supposed to be Murray’s backup, is injured too. Just listened to the Shawn Matthias interview with @pucksonnetca and I don't think enough has being made of what he said about Canucks So right now Jonas Gustavsson, their goalie of the future, the guy who management. was meant to be sharing time with Daccord in Belleville, is the starter in Ottawa. Anton Forsberg, who Ottawa picked up on waivers this week, is There’s been issues with process here for a long time. You may recall going to be his backup on Monday. that the 2015-16 Canucks were far worse that the first edition of the Linden/Benning Canucks. When you look at the 2014-15 roster, you can Forsberg is likely to play for Belleville on Saturday, but things get hairy actually see how it could have been turned in a good direction…but come Monday, when Ottawa is back in action. Gustavsson and Forsberg instead they chased after players who moved the meter in the wrong will be the goalies. direction. (Zack Kassian had real demons but instead of flinging him away, did the Canucks really do enough to help him? Did they really have to flip a draft pick away to get the Habs to take him, in exchange for what we learned was a very flawed player on and off the ice?)

Brandon Prust was a disaster. Prust was the opposite of good in the room. Midway through the season, he wasn’t playing well, was going to be a scratch for his return to New York in January of 2016, complained, was put in the lineup…and never played in the NHL again.

Matthias, by the way, was traded by the Leafs to Colorado. Toronto was in tank mode, and did their best to dress an underwhelming NHL lineup. The Leafs picked up a draft pick in the deadline day move, which was wasted by then AGM Mark Hunter on Keaton Middleton, a total plug of a defenceman who is in the AHL and with his third organization. Hard to see him making it.

But picking up picks in these kinds of situations is good, because if you have a good process, you end up with a good lottery ticket, like Adam Gaudette.

Don’t do this

In digging through Jimmy Vesey’s story, I was reminded that he was drafted 10 spots after Alex Mallet in 2012. Now, plenty of teams missed out on the guy going to Harvard, which happens all the time.

But it’s worth noting who the Canucks placed their bet on: Alex Mallet, who scored 34 goals as a 20 year old for Rimouski. There was no reason to pick him in the second round.

It was Ron Delorme’s call. Mallet is one of the worst picks in the Delorme era, an era chock-full of bad picks. When you want to assess someone in hockey, look at the big picture of their results. Don’t get distracted by the hits — yes, there are a handful — recognize how many misses ther were and see if you can figure out what was wrong with the process.

The big picture for scouting under Delorme was bad. And that was under three different general managers.

Where’s the tweet?

Canucks won again, their best win of the season…but nothing?

The Canucks have one of the most diverse fanbases in the league. The Canucks are calling this diversity month. The players did speak out about racism last summer, even if there wasn’t much follow up.

A tweet is a lot easier to put together than selling jerseys for $688 as well.

That podcast again

Last week’s edition of The Skate featured another ex-Canuck on a podcast and his tales.

We had some posting issues so you may have missed this but it’s a good one: Zac Dalpe has some fun tales about his time playing for Torts in Vancouver and he recounts the tale of the worst penalty shot ever taken by a Canuck: it involves Nashville, an appearance on stage with a guitar, two shootout competitions in practice, some veteran Canuck pushback against Torts and more.

Alright, if you missed it before, try it again:

LOL

Our man Cody found that his clip of the amazing J.T. Miller goal was tweeted out by a very popular podcast. Given their connection with the most misogynist sports site out there, he went and had some fun.

When you link to someone else’s clip like this, you have no control over how they present their name, so Cody kept changing his screen name to make a statement about how he felt about how sports should be covered.

In case anyone missed them, here's MOST of them! My magnum opus of trolling:

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206205 Vancouver Canucks He flew down the left wing in overtime, blew past Montreal’s Tomas Tatar, cut across Jake Allen’s crease, toe-dragging the puck before pulling to his backhand and flipping the disc behind a sprawled out Allen.

Canucks 3, Canadiens 2 (OT): Not all about the goalie for once “Not really textbook,” he said. “A heat of the moment move that you don’t see very often.”

Three out of four ain’t bad Patrick Johnston Gaudette has scored three of his four goals this season against the Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 5 hours ago • Canadiens.

His latest was all about hand-eye, as he deftly redirected a bouncing pass from Antoine Roussel, playing his first game in a week, past Jake Vancouver Canucks center Brandon Sutter lines up a shot on Montreal Allen. Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen in the first period at Bell Centre Friday. Opportunity knocks The Vancouver Canucks now have eight wins in the month of March. In another season, Höglander likely would have spent the season in the We can now say that “only” seven of them are all about their goaltender, AHL. as the Canucks put together their most complete effort of the 2020-21 season, beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 in overtime Friday night at But of course this season is like no other. The combination of the Bell Centre. Canucks’ cap and budget crunches sending Tyler Toffoli away, and Höglander being able to get a half-season in — unlike most of his would- The Canadiens scored first, but the Canucks never seemed to flinch and be teammates — opened a door for the young Swede to step into an found a decent groove over the course of the first period, before striking NHL spot sooner than might have been expected. twice in the second period to take the lead. He burst out of the gate, his feet still under him from his half-season of NEXT GAME play. Going in, we knew that having a conditioning leg-up was likely to Saturday give him an early advantage.

Vancouver Canucks vs. Montreal Canadiens That was certainly the case for the few weeks of the season.

4 p.m., Bell Centre. TV: Sportsnet/CBC. Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM And then he didn’t score in February.

Montreal pressed hard in the third but the Canucks defended well, In March, he hasn’t played much better, but then again his whole team looking far more sturdy than the team that snuck away from Ottawa with has had struggles masked by Demko’s dominance. a pair of wins under heavy pressure earlier this week. But unlikely in February, he’s been able to get on the score sheet, even if They were unlucky to give up a late power-play goal to Montreal centre his two-way efforts aren’t as good as they once were. Nick Suzuki. His goal in the second period, putting the Canucks into a 2-1 lead, was at “No one flinched at all,” head coach Travis Green said of his team’s the end of a strong shift where he forced puck turnovers and made some reaction on the bench when the Habs tied the game with so little time left good plays. to play. And then Höglander got his stick on a Nate Schmidt point shot, deflecting He was very pleased with the way his team played and the fact they got the puck past Allen. a win for their efforts, given there have been a few games this season Vancouver Canucks left wing Antoine Roussel gets off a shot against where they played well but didn’t get a win. Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen as Montreal winger Alexander “We’ve been talking about it for a long time now, nice to get a win,” he Romanov looks on in the first. said. Five on five J.T. Miller scored the winner in overtime, the second time this week he’s Even as the Canucks were reeling off wins over the past two weeks, it played the hero. The Canucks now are back to .500 and, while slim, have was almost all about their goalie. a chance at the playoffs. Only once in March had the Canucks out-shot their opponents at 5 on 5, Miller said Saturday’s rematch between Vancouver and Montreal is now the 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs on March 4. the biggest game of the year. Otherwise they’ve been outshot, mostly badly. Friday’s win is just the second time this season the Canucks have won after the opposition scored first, and just the second win over Montreal in Friday in Montreal, though, they turned that tide. The Habs are a well- eight attempts. rounded team, but their top players aren’t world dominant the way Auston Matthews is for the Leafs or Connor McDavid is for the Oilers. Since losing 5-1 to Montreal on March 10, the Canucks have won four straight. The way they dominated the Canucks this season, scoring five or more goals in six of the previous seven games, was something of a surprise. “It’s pretty cold out there, eh, Frank,” defenceman Nate Schmidt joked after the game, referencing the streaking scene from the 2003 comedy The Canucks shouldn’t get dominated like this, we thought. classic Old School. Nick Suzuki (not pictured) gets the late equalizer past Canucks goalie The Canucks got second-period goals from Adam Gaudette and Nils Thatcher Demko in the third period at Bell Centre. Höglander, while Corey Perry opened the scoring for the Canadiens on a first-period power play. What we saw on Friday, where the Canucks and Canadiens traded chances back and forth, was more in keeping with what we thought these Here’s what we learned… games should probably look like … except with the Canucks having Elias Pettersson in the lineup. Canucks centre J.T. Miller scores the overtime winner past Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen (34) as Tomas Tatar tries to defend. The Canucks were far from dominated on Friday; indeed, they controlled the game, getting better shots on the whole than their hosts and doing a What a beauty good job of keeping the Canadiens to the outside. Miller’s tally is a goal of the year candidate, but the veteran forward In soccer they talk about parking the bus, where you sit your defenders in downplayed his effort post-game, suggesting luck had a big role to play the middle of the park forcing the opposition to play the ball around the in his effort. outside. The Canucks did far more than that, harrying the Canadiens’ puck carriers even as they moved the puck around the perimeter of the Canucks’ defensive zone.

Ouch

Moments after Alex Edler took a Shea Weber point shot in the arm that stung him so badly he had to immediately leave the ice, Tyler Myers took a high stick from Tyler Toffoli when the former Canucks winger followed through with a shot.

The giant Canuck was bloodied badly but the referees somehow missed the infraction.

Moments after that, with the goalie pulled, Tyler Motte accidently put the puck over the glass, leading to a late Montreal power play.

The Habs then picked up their second man-advantage goal of the game.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206206 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks' Tanner Pearson out for four weeks

Patrick JohnstonPublishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 5 hours ago •

Tanner Pearson, pictured in a game in Edmonton Jan. 14, is out of the Canucks lineup for four weeks with a lower-body injury.

The apparent leg injury Vancouver Canucks winger Tanner Pearson suffered late in Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout win over the Ottawa Senators is serious.

Canucks head coach Travis Green said Friday morning that the veteran winger is going to be out with a “lower body” injury.

Dr. Harjas Grewal, a family medicine resident at the University of Manitoba who analyzes hockey injuries for TheFantasyDoctors.com (and is a Canucks fan) tweeted at the time of Pearson’s injury that the winger may be dealing with a sprained ankle.

No video on Twitter but saw it during broadcast. Concern is a medial/high ankle sprain for Tanner Pearson

Taking over Pearson’s spot in the lineup Friday would be Antoine Roussel, Green said.

Roussel missed the last three games with what appeared to be an upper- body injury.

Jimmy Vesey, who missed Wednesday’s game because his work permit wasn’t processed by the government in time, will also play on Friday, Green said.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206207 Vancouver Canucks Xavier Ouellet — Alex Romanov Goalies: Carey Price, Jake Allen

PROJECTED CANUCKS LINEUP Canucks Game Night: Keeping up a winning Hab-it Forwards

Nils Höglander — J.T. Miller — Brock Boeser Patrick Johnston Tyler Motte — Bo Horvat — Jake Virtanen Publishing date:Mar 19, 2021 • 17 hours ago • Jimmy Vesey — Brandon Sutter — Jayce Hawryluk

Antoine Roussel — Adam Gaudette — Zack MacEwen Moved to centre, Canuck J.T. Miller (here fending off Montreal Canadien Jake Evans during a Bell Centre game earlier this season) has two goals Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.20.2021 and four assists in the seven games that regular first-line pivot Elias Pettersson has been out of the lineup.

NEXT GAMES

Vancouver Canucks (15-16-2) at Montreal Canadiens (13-8-8)

Friday: 4 p.m., TV: Sportsnet Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

Saturday: 4 p.m., TV: CBC, Sportsnet Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME

1. Those goalies: Thatcher Demko is on fire. His save percentage in March is a mind-blowing .951, best in the league among No. 1 goalies. Montreal’s Carey Price is next best for netminders who are taking the bulk of their team’s starts. If these two games turn out to be low-scoring affairs, don’t be surprised.

2. Making do: Once again the Canucks are without Elias Pettersson. The Canucks’ No. 1 centre remains on Injured Reserve with an upper-body injury (possibly his wrist). J.T. Miller continues to pinch hit at centre for him and has two goals and four assists in the seven games that Pettersson has been out of the lineup. But with the Canucks regularly getting outshot by the opposition — they’ve been outshot in every game in March so far — they need more from everyone in the lineup, not just Miller.

3. Snipers: Tyler Toffoli remains a story for Montreal, as he’s tied for second in the league in goals with Connor McDavid (18 tallies). Canucks fans, you already know to watch out for him. You also know to watch out for Brock Boeser, whose 15 goals has him sixth in the league, and one off his total for all of last season. Montreal has out-scored Vancouver 2 to 1 overall this season.

4. Finally a debut: Jimmy Vesey took the warmup on Wednesday in Ottawa, hours after being picked up off waivers from Toronto. But his work permit wasn’t processed by the federal government in time and so he wasn’t able to suit up for his new team. He’ll play on Friday, likely alongside Brandon Sutter.

Then-Toronto Maple Leafs forward Jimmy Vesey (right) works against his future teammate — Jayce Hawryluk — during the Leafs’ March 4 game at against the Canucks.

5. Missing men: The Canucks and Canadiens last played each other just over a week ago; the Habs won 5-1. With his team listless, J.T. Miller challenged Montreal defenceman Ben Chiarot to a fight. The blueliner came away with a broken hand. He needed surgery to repair the damage and is now out for six to eight weeks. Tanner Pearson is out for at least four weeks after injuring his leg against Ottawa on Wednesday.

Antoine Roussel, who last played a week ago vs. Montreal in Vancouver but missed three games because of injury, will draw back in.

PROJECTED CANADIENS LINEUP

Forwards

Tyler Toffoli — Nick Suzuki — Brendan Gallagher

Jonathan Drouin — Jesperi Kotkaniemi — Josh Anderson

Tomas Tatar — Phillip Danault — Joel Armia

Paul Byron — Jake Evans — Corey Perry

Defence

Joel Edmundson — Shea Weber

Brett Kulak — Jeff Petry 1206208 Vancouver Canucks Vesey play this season for the Leafs, I reached out to him to get his take on the newest Canuck.

“Honestly, I think for a lot of Leaf fans, the answer to ‘What did you notice The Armies: Jimothy Timothy Miller powers Canucks to victory over about Jimmy Vesey?’ was, on most nights, ‘not much.’ He just didn’t Canadiens have much impact in Toronto, not only on the scoresheet but game to game. I liked the signing at the time, and he had a few moments where he’d remind you that he can score in this league, but then you’d go weeks without thinking of him. I remember at one point there was talk By Wyatt Arndt Mar 19, 2021 that he’d be scratched for the first time on the season, and I was kind of amazed because I assumed he’d sat out a bunch of games already. All that said, he’s a solid pickup for the Canucks, for the same reason he A man with many names, but the three that have emerged this season was a decent signing for the Leafs. Not too expensive, low risk, and if it are J.T. Miller, Dennis Reynolds and, of course, Jimothy Timothy Miller. clicks, then he’ll be a bargain. And if it doesn’t work, you probably won’t even notice.” We’ve seen many games this season from Miller, where he has a good game but just isn’t that top-tier player from last season. He makes some Which, to be honest, is a perfectly cromulent player for the Canucks to be questionable passes, misses an assignment or two, but at least produces picking up right now. Low-cost players who can go in your bottom six? points. That’s a marked improvement over spending millions on veteran players.

We’ve also seen many games from Dennis Reynolds, where he gives in Vesey played on a line with Miller and Jake Virtanen, which for fans of to the anger, and he’s out there lasering in on a linesman who has the big-boy hockey was an effective line. They can all be heavy on the puck, temerity to toss him from the faceoff circle or dropping an F-bomb on a they have size, and one of them has untethered rage, which made for a teammate for missing a pass. very efficient checking line.

We’ve also seen him reclaim his name and become Jimothy Timothy There aren’t a lot of clips to show because you can only show so many Miller, the Jabroni-beating, pie-eating, trail-blazing, eyebrow-raising, “Hey, that was a nice finish on your check” or “Hey, way to get your stick heart-stopping, goal-dropping, electrifying-the-division-opposite-the- in on that puck!” GIFs before you realize nobody wants to watch 30 of South, so-know-your-role-and-shut-your-mouth, most-electrifying-man-in- those, but take my word for it: It was a solid first night for Vesey. hockey entertainment. Best Milford Man appearance We saw perhaps the best version of Miller yet Friday when he combined Dennis Reynolds with Jimothy Timothy Miller to create a terrifying new I mean, that is clearly not a penalty, but hey, you have to make sure you version of himself where he harnesses his anger for the power of good enforce stick infractions because that is what is shortening players’ and uses it to bust out a goal-of-the-year candidate. careers. I don’t want to hear about how he turned into that — at the end of the day, that stick is a violent weapon, and if you’re waving it near A couple of questionable calls and a missed interference call in someone’s foot, careers are on the line. overtime? Well, that right there is just fuel for this new hybrid Miller to power down the ice and end the game by himself. Hits from behind, sure, that’s hockey, but man alive, if I see one more stick go near someone or, heaven forbid, touch another person’s stick, First, the bad news. The Canucks saw the Montreal Canadiens tie the causing an unhealthy amount of metal-on-metal friction that could score late, giving up a valuable point to a team that has four games in possibly start a forest fire, I will lose my mind. hand on them. We’ve talked about it to death, but the Canucks are flirting with a 10 percent chance of making the playoffs, so every point from here This rather unfortunate penalty led to two notable events, the first being on out counts. Tyler Myers being capped in the knee like he owes Tony Soprano money: The good news is this was one of the best games the Canucks have played this season. It wasn’t the “sit back and pray Thatcher Demko can Usually when someone drops like that and just twirls in a circle, I assume keep us in it” show like it was against Ottawa. It was actually a very it’s because they got Salo’d, but no, Myers took that one fully in the knee, smart, hardworking game from the Canucks. thus giving him a great chance to bust out the “I used to be a hockey player … until I took a puck to the knee” line at the next PAX. It wasn’t the prettiest game, no, but in terms of outworking the opposition, winning puck and board battles and generally putting in one of their best The next notable event was Corey Perry reminding you he still exists efforts of the season, it was a great game as Vancouver won in overtime, when he popped in one of his easiest goals of the season: 3-2. Bad luck for the Canucks to be down 1-0 in this game, if we’re being If the Canucks play out the rest of the season like this, it gives this team honest, but as stated earlier, this was a night when the Canucks actually a far different vibe than relying on Bubly Demko to do all the heavy lifting. looked aggressive and they ended up being the team that pushed the pace for the majority of the game. Obviously, it’s hard to go all-in on one game and assume that will be how things play out versus the entire sample size of the season we’ve seen A lot of nights you watch this team play and you can tell by their body so far, but for a team that has to go on a crazy run to be in the language that it’s going to be a lot of “hope is not a plan” strategies being postseason discussion, the Canucks continue to find ways to keep employed, but give them credit, they were not passive at all in their themselves in that conversation. approach Friday.

And if we see more games where Miller decides to single-handedly win Best payback games in overtime, we should be in for one hell of a ride. Like I said, they really need to crack down on these sticks being near the Best worrying stats feet, so the referees did the right thing making sure Shea Weber was punished appropriately for his infraction, leading to a Canucks power Montreal has clearly had the Canucks number this season, especially play: with the way Tyler Toffoli’s revenge tour has gone, but the Canucks have slowly found a way to stop the bleeding against the Habs. Virtanen, who had one of his strongest games of the season and not one of those fake strong games where we all pretend it was amazing A lot of that involves typing in “IDDQD” for Demko, but the team has because he sniped in some shot from the fourth row, had the best managed lately, aside from a few blips here and there, to find a way to chance with the extra man, which unluckily ended up giving the stop giving up high-danger chances. Canadiens a two-on-one:

Add that up and yes, you have a recipe for some actual success in the But this isn’t Thatcher Demko we’re talking about, this is Bubly Demko, NHL. so you’re going to have to do a lot more than just shooting on net.

Best new addition Also, shout out to Myers, the chaotic rogue himself, who takes away the pass and forces the shot which, again — and I cannot stress this enough Jimmy Vesey finally made it into the Canucks lineup after John Wick-ing his way to meet the team last game, and since Sean McIndoe has seen — plays right into Demko’s strength, which is stopping every single shot Best after-40 update in the world. Best oopsie Best low event doesn’t mean no event With the Canucks on a power play drawn by Motte, Virtanen went full There were a few times Montreal put together a good assault against the Abbotsford on Toffoli and punched him in the face while his buddy had Canucks, and the most impressive one was probably at the end of the him in a headlock: first period, when a Brock Boeser turnover led to a scoring chance against, which was then followed up by a guy playing literal baseball on We as a city watched Brad Marchand speed-bag Daniel Sedin with no the ice: penalty called on the first five punches, and this seems like the tiniest of love taps, but have at it, NHL. Remember when the Edmonton Oilers thought Jeff Petry was expendable because they’d already committed to Nikita Nikitin (best Best explanation name ever?), Mark Fayne and Andrew Ference? Best Tyler Motte screwed Tyler Motte

Good times! The worst penalty in the NHL reared its ugly head when Motte clashed Best say the line sticks and got a delay-of-game penalty:

Antoine Roussel, who has had a pretty rough season so far due to his I honestly think I would be fine with it if they just re-named that penalty to taking a lot of penalties but no longer balancing that out by drawing a lot “Two minutes just because.” of penalties, got back into the lineup and set up his Gauds of War This then led to a quick goal from Montreal, and the Canucks were off to linemate for a pretty slick tap in: overtime:

The postgame Zoom had terrible audio (sounded like it was recorded on Best hybrid Miller someone’s phone in their pocket), but when asked about why his line was so dominant on the night, Gaudette replied about how they stuck to The good news for the Canucks is that Montreal is particularly terrible their game plan, which is on the top of my list of least-favorite hockey this year in overtime, so when they got an illegal breakaway, created by a cliches. pick set on Hughes:

Which leads me to my next point, a big thumbs down to Canucks PR for It led to Dennis Reynolds screaming at the refs about the implications, not calling on Chris Faber. and ended up with Jimothy Timothy Miller just absolutely trucking the Canadiens: I asked Faber if he was going to ask a Warzone based question, and he confirmed he had this beauty lined up if they had just called upon him: I don’t even need to put words to this goal. That’s the kind of goal when it’s scored on you in beer league, you don’t even have the postgame “Was that Roussel pass to your stick similar to a loadout dropping within locker room beers, you don’t even shower down, you just take off your 50m of your squad?” skates, throw your gear in your bag, and head home trying to avoid the Every game where Gaudette scores, we need them to allow Fabes to ask stench of domination and shame chasing you out of the rink. a question. That is a filthy, filthy goal from Miller.

Best Högging the score sheet Best grass is always greener

Nils Höglander might not be playing at the same high level he burst onto It’s always nice to see other markets debate the roster choices made in the scene with, but he is still out there making plays: overtime.

He remains one of the most exciting Canucks to track this year just in Best analysis terms of seeing how his game evolves and seeing what he will do next. Best did you remember? Best hope is not a plan Best jinx How many times have we seen the Canucks hemmed in their own zones this season? Many. The answer is many. Toffoli, zero points on the night.

On Friday night, though, there was actual pushback, which is how we Best slowing on down saw the Canucks head to the net and cause a bit of chaos there. Just a quick clip to showcase how Alex Edler’s foot speed and turning A good example of this was on plays like this, where yeah, it’s not Sedin- leads to a lot of his penalties this year: level wizardry, but sometimes it’s nice just to cycle the puck, get shots on He’s just not able to pivot and skate back as quick as he used to, and net and crash the goalie: without Nate Schmidt realizing the danger Edler was in on this play, that Virtanen almost scores there like he’s trying to win a free game of mini- would have been a two-on-one against. at Castle Fun Park on the last hole. These are the plays where Edler hangs a leg or does a hook, because he If you want another example of the simple but effective strategy of taking just doesn’t have the speed he once had. shots and going for rebounds, it’s reflected nicely in this t-zone-looking It’s also why you see his gap control verging on the extreme where he heat map from Natural Stat Trick: sits back and gives up space in front of him so he won’t have his check This is good hockey from the Canucks. race by him.

Best in sleep he sang to me Best Dennis Reynolds

Again, we cannot have players touching other players’ sticks, the amount As Miller/Reynolds always says, “We won’t get got though. We gonna of friction this causes releases unsustainable amounts of methane into get. See, Dee, people like us, we don’t get got. We go get.” the ozone layer, which is why Quinn Hughes had to be punished on this Best crash course in playing for the Canucks market play: Hi, Jimmy! You can also look forward to people spelling your last name You see a man getting a breakaway, I see Hughes not caring about the “Vessey” a lot. environment. Best recreation Unfortunately for the Habs, Tyler Motte is back for the Canucks, and this guy is a breakaway generator, so he did his thing and got the best Best Happy Ending chance on that penalty: The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 Someday we will get a TV sitcom of Motte and Höglander and it’s just clips of them doing things very fast and efficiently. 1206209 Vancouver Canucks some nervous tension in Vancouver about the lack of production, but we argued that the team and fanbase shouldn’t worry.

The KHL is not a development league, and the truth is that counting stats Canucks No. 1 prospect Vasili Podkolzin is Vancouver’s NHL-ready aren’t often great predictive indicators for deep powerhouse teams like power forward SKA or CSKA Moscow. Nikita Kucherov, for instance, scored just five points in 18 games for CSKA during his draft-plus-one season, in limited minutes. There’s also been plenty of speculation that Podkolzin’s lack of opportunity was partially political, potentially motivated by the fact that By Harman Dayal and Thomas Drance Mar 19, 2021 he’s leaving for North America after rejecting a lucrative multi-year extension offer at the 2019 NHL Draft.

This week, The Athletic Vancouver team unveiled midseason rankings Moreover, when he did play, it was without power-play time and typically for the Canucks’ top prospects, with part one and part two. on a fourth line with offensively limited grinders. One rival KHL executive told The Athletic at the time that Vancouver’s best prospect felt the heat Checking in as the Canucks’ No.1 prospect was 2019 No. 10 overall pick to simplify his game. Vasili Podkolzin. The Russian right winger has the highest ceiling and is the most NHL-ready prospect, and since there’s a lot to dissect about his “It’s about trust and the right to make errors,” he said. “SKA has (an) game, contract situation and the year he had developmentally, we overfilled roster, any mistake — you’re benched. It’s a big pressure (for decided to go deep on Podkolzin’s status as Vancouver’s top prospect. Podkolzin).”

Podkolzin’s KHL team lost the first game of a seven-game quarterfinal That’s not to say his lack of production in the early going should be series in the Playoffs on Thursday, so he is just three more completely excused, but there’s a lot of crucial context behind it. losses from the conclusion of his KHL season. At the Karjala Cup, Podkolzin had five points in three games for the The Canucks believe that Podkolzin is NHL-ready, and would be eager Russians, but his World Junior Championship performance was a bit of a for their top prospect to sign his entry-level contract and begin his big- mixed bag. Captaining Russia, Podkolzin looked great in that he was league career as soon as possible. consistently driving play, creating chances (many of which his linemates flubbed) and was leaned on as a leader in all situations, but the bottom It isn’t straightforward, though, even if SKA St. Petersberg had its playoff line was a little bit underwhelming, with four points in seven games. run end this round. More recently, Podkolzin has rediscovered his scoring touch with five Podkolzin’s availability this season is conditional on an almost dizzying goals and eight points in his last 15 games between the regular season number of factors that are well outside his direct control — and the and playoffs, with all but one of the points coming at even strength. Canucks’ for that matter. The fate of his KHL club in the playoffs is the first domino, but thereafter, he’ll remain formally under contract through Watching Podkolzin play, the No. 1 thing that stands out is how much of the end of April. a possession driver he is. He’s not a flashy, game-breaking forward but makes subtle, intelligent plays all over the ice to help his line establish He’d require special permission from SKA, upon the conclusion of the dominant puck and territorial control. Privately tracked data has typically season, to sign his entry-level contract before the expiry of his deal, revealed stellar underlying numbers, which is very impressive which would require some epic, likely impossible political maneuvering considering he’s a 19-year-old playing in one of the toughest men’s on the Canucks and Podkolzin’s camp. And if special permission isn’t leagues in the world. granted, since the Canucks play their last regular-season game on May 8 and Podkolzin’s entry into Canada would be subject to a two-week Teammates will love playing with Podkolzin because he’s willing to do so quarantine, it’s unlikely he’d be able to debut in the NHL this season. much of the tedious, detail-oriented grunt work along the walls, on the backcheck and in the defensive zone to retrieve the puck. Even if that special permission were granted, however, Podkolzin could still be selected for Russia’s team at the World Championships, which He doesn’t play like a teenager at all. He looks like a 10-year veteran. are set to take place in May and June in Riga, Latvia. The IIHF is The play below is a good example. Podkolzin hounds the opponent on prepared to set up bubble protocols to play the tournament, if necessary. the backcheck and when the carrier tries moving the puck from his If Podkolzin were to be selected by the Russian Federation to participate backhand to forehand, he strips the puck. As SKA comes back the other in the World Championships, that would also crimp his ability to debut in way, Podkolzin provides good puck support to establish the offensive the NHL this season. And, in fact, even if he wasn’t selected, he’d still zone shift. require a letter filed to central registry from the Russian Nothing you saw there was flashy, but what should have been a dump-in Federation stipulating that they don’t intend to name him to the World for the opposition instead became time on the cycle for SKA and it’s all Championships roster in order for him to sign his entry-level deal. because of Podkolzin’s attention to detail. His two-way commitment, Considering the way the deck is stacked against Podkolzin and the nonstop motor, strong wall work and the fact that he’s killed penalties for Canucks, it seems overwhelmingly likely that Podkolzin’s NHL debut SKA makes him an NHL-ready product, and if given a few years, it won’t occur this season. It’s only a matter of time, however, before wouldn’t be surprising to see him emerge as one of the NHL’s premier Podkolzin inks his entry-level deal — at the very least, barring something shutdown, matchup wingers who can add a ton of value with his play dramatic, he’ll make his NHL debut in the 2021-22 campaign — and once driving. he does, the club expects him to be an immediate impact player. What will ultimately determine his ceiling, however, will be his offensive “He’s continuing to develop into a power forward-style player that we impact. In this facet, he may need time to develop and unlock all of his thought he was going to be when we drafted him,” general manager Jim tools. For this reason, we could definitely see a path where he marinates Benning told The Athletic this week. “He’s strong, he wins puck battles, in the bottom six for a while before emerging as an impact player. he takes the puck to the net and he, you know, works hard to recover the Canucks fans may need to have some patience. puck when he loses it. The potential for him to be a top-six power forward is evident, though. “He can play with good players and can play with good details in his Podkolzin has excellent hands with which he can make moves in high- game and can kill penalties. He’s continuing to develop into a good all- traffic areas, protects the puck very well in all three zones and attacks the around two-way player that’s capable of scoring too, so we’re happy with net aggressively when he sees daylight. Couple this with the physical his development.” presence that he adds and that’s why he’s earned the tag as a potential power forward. Assessing his game and development Despite that, his best offensive attribute is probably his playmaking It’s been a really tough year to evaluate Podkolzin. ability. He excels in this department because of his vision, how he can mix speeds to be unpredictable and his knack for being able to go There have been many ups and downs with no shortage of extraneous against the grain with passes, especially on the cycle. Here’s a great factors clouding the picture. To begin the season, Podkolzin saw limited sequence from the world juniors that demonstrates how Podkolzin’s work ice time with SKA St. Petersburg, notching just four points in his first 19 games while averaging less than 12 minutes per contest. There was rate allows him to retrieve pucks and how he pairs that pursuit with sharp passes into the slot.

The Canucks currently employ a system in which they like to play a fast north-south game and rely on their wingers to win pucks on the forecheck and battles along the wall, and offensively, the club generates most of its chances and goals off the cycle. This system feels like it goes hand in hand with Podkolzin’s skill set.

In terms of areas to improve, the organization wants to see him become a better finisher. Podkolzin has the finesse to convert on net drives from in tight and if you give him time and space to load up he does have a good shot, but that kind of excess room to shoot is rare at the NHL level. When time and space are constricted, his shot needs to have a stronger, more explosive release. Scouts have also pointed out that while Podkolzin’s overall pace is good, the technique behind his stride is quite inefficient and causes him to lose power.

It may take Podkolzin some time to hit his offensive ceiling but the foundation of his game is really strong. The Canucks’ top prospect is physically assertive, sees the ice well as a playmaker, drives the net and has tremendous two-way play-driving qualities.

NHL teams talk all the time about wanting players “you can win with.” That may sound like a vague, cliche term but if Podkolzin hits his potential, he’ll be the perfect embodiment of that as a tertiary piece to help out Vancouver’s high-end skill in the top six.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206210 Vancouver Canucks Stützle’s umlaut began attracting some attention in Vancouver among Canucks fans, where rookie forward Nils Höglander represented one of the few bright spots on the team in the early going. In Swedish, ‘ö’ is actually a different letter in the alphabet than ‘o’ and is not simply a ‘That’s my real name’: Alexis Lafrenière, Tim Stützle, Nils Höglander and matter of adding an umlaut, so the spelling on the back of Höglander’s the importance of accents and umlauts jersey — which was Hoglander — was in fact quite wrong. It would be like spelling Ryan Smyth’s name as Ryan Smith.

As Höglander’s prominence on the Canucks grew with every game, fans By Arpon Basu Mar 19, 2021 began pointing out this discrepancy on social media. It should be noted that the Canucks have been spelling his name as Höglander on their various platforms from the start of training camp, but it wasn’t spelled that Throughout Alexis Lafrenière’s journey from junior hockey to the NHL, way on his jersey. there was one thing that bothered his parents: the name on the back of his jersey. It was spelled wrong. As the tweets continued rolling in, the Canucks took notice.

It was wrong when he became the Rimouski Océanic’s first-overall pick “We don’t often make decisions based on social media reactions,” said in the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, following in the Canucks director of communications Ben Brown. “But this was a valid footsteps of other Next Ones Sidney Crosby and Vincent Lecavalier. question.”

And it was wrong again as he fulfilled a lifelong dream, suiting up for The beginning of March was a convenient time to do something like this Team Canada at the under-18 and world junior championships. because it was around the time the Canucks were going to switch to a new set of jerseys in any case (yes, apparently NHL jerseys have a So when their son was taken by the New York Rangers with the first- predetermined life cycle). So assistant equipment manager Brian overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Hugo Lafrenière and, in particular, Hamilton was approached with the idea, he brought it to Höglander, and Nathalie Bertrand wanted their son’s name to be spelled accurately, with it wasn’t a very long conversation. the accent grave on the second ‘e’ in Lafrenière. The Canucks went the extra mile by offering to fix the spelling free of “It was something that was very important to the family,” said Lafrenière’s charge for anyone who had already bought a Höglander jersey. agent, Emilie Castonguay (who, it should be noted, does not spell her name with an accent aigu). “When the Rangers drafted Alexis, one of the Lafrenière, Stützle and Höglander are hardly the only players in the NHL first conversations I had with his mom was about the accent.” who would require special characters to properly spell their names, but they are currently the only NHL players who have them. Stützle’s The first step in addressing Lafrenière’s parents’ concern was to speak teammate, Swedish goaltender Marcus Högberg, has his name spelled with the Rangers, who took roughly “two seconds” to agree to adding the as Hogberg on his jersey. Detroit Red Wings rookie Mathias Bromé’s accent to the name, Castonguay said. name is Brome on the back of his jersey — and the accent, in that case, makes a big difference in pronunciation. Those are just two of many But that quick decision set in motion a series of events that required examples across the NHL. many more people to get on board. With so many Francophone, Swedish, Finnish, Czech, Slovak and The day after the draft, Castonguay got in touch with the NHLPA, which German players in the NHL, has the time not come to properly spell handles licensing for player merchandise, such as T-shirts and authentic these players’ names? jerseys, to make sure the NHL’s two primary jersey manufacturers, adidas (for official authentic jerseys) and Fanatics (official replicas), could Former Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers star Daniel Brière never also handle the request. put much stock into how his name was spelled or pronounced. For much of his career, he went with Danny Briere to avoid confusion with the Because Lafrenière was drafted on Oct. 6 and did not sign his contract feminine name Danielle (Daniel in French is pronounced the same way) until Oct. 12, at which point he also chose his number, they had a bit of and he never even considered asking for an accent to be placed on his time to work with. Without knowing that Lafrenière would be wearing No. family name. 13 (his preferred No. 11 from his Rimouski days is retired by the Rangers in honour of Mark Messier), production on his merchandise couldn’t get “It wasn’t an option,” Brière said of his arrival in the NHL with the Arizona started right away. Coyotes. “When you’re young, I didn’t have a lot of power, unlike Alexis who is a first-overall pick. So I was really excited just to be there. They Once he signed his contract and chose his number, Rangers T-shirts could have changed my name (altogether) if they wanted to — as long as with his name and number — or shirseys — were available for purchase I got to play that was really all I cared about.” within hours. Official jerseys were available for purchase with one or two weeks. And all of it had Lafrenière spelled the way his family wanted it to It’s somewhat ironic, then, that Brière is the precursor to Lafrenière in be spelled. that he was the first NHL player to have an accent on his jersey. But he really had nothing to do with it. “If this is the expectation,” Castonguay remembers thinking, “we need to get ahead of this.” When Brière signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, “Danny” was never going to fly seeing as no one in Montreal Things were different, unfortunately, in the case of Ottawa Senators referred to him by that name, even if that was how it was written on the rookie Tim Stützle. game sheet. Stützle, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft, signed his entry-level contract on “When we get the list of players, when he was playing in Philly, it was not Dec. 27, while he was competing for Germany at the world junior Daniel Brière, it was Danny Briere. It’s not Vincent Lecavalier, it’s Vinny championships. Lecavalier. And it’s not Raymond Bourque, it’s Ray Bourque,” Canadiens Note how the Senators spelled his name in their news release PA announcer Michel Lacroix said. “So there are some situations where announcing the signing: originally, the Senators believed their prized you say, ‘No, I can’t go with that.’ It’s like Alex Ovechkin or Alexander rookie would be going by Stuetzle, the anglicized spelling of his last Ovechkin, I’d rather go with Alexander Ovechkin because that’s his name. But when Stützle arrived in Ottawa after the world junior name!” championships in January, months after properly accented Lafrenière But Briere — with no accent — wasn’t going to fly, either. jerseys were being sold, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion approached the young man with a very basic question. “It was Pierre Gervais, it was his idea,” Brière said. “He approached me with it, and it was actually pretty cool to be the first one to have the “Pierre Dorion came up to me and asked if I wanted to have the German accent on my name. But I have to credit Pierre for that.” spelling on my jersey,” Stützle said in training camp. “At first it was not allowed to do that, I think, and we were not able to do it. But right now we Gervais is the longtime equipment manager for the Canadiens, and were able. In Germany, that’s my real name, so I kind of liked it and I according to him, “approached” is not exactly the right word to use for think it’s great to have the umlaut right now on my name.” how the whole thing happened. Announced would be more appropriate. Gervais didn’t ask Brière so all, learning to make an accent or an umlaut on an English keyboard is much as he informed him. He didn’t even ask general manager Marc not all that difficult. Bergevin. He just did it. Let’s go back to the original reason we are talking about this. It was the “I always thought a name is a name,” Gervais said. “It is written as it is, wish of two parents wanting their son’s family name to be spelled so I just decided to do it.” correctly on his jersey, which seems to be the most basic of requests any player could really make. Gervais said that back then, he had to have the accent stitched on the jersey itself, and not on the nameplate, so it was an exceptional situation. “The whole thing began with a simple question, his family wanting to ask if the Rangers would put the accent on his name,” Castonguay said. As a result, “official” Canadiens jerseys sold to the public did not have the “They would have been fine with it if they said no, but at least ask. accent, unlike Lafrenière and Stützle. Part of the reason is that the technology involved in creating jerseys has changed. Today, the process “It was important to them.” is far more flexible in terms of customization. It should be important to everyone, especially if this begins a trend in the Even the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, has Finnish forward NHL. has begun putting accents on Latin prospect Jesse Ylönen’s name spelled correctly on his jersey. American players’ names. In the NBA, Luka Dončić’s name is spelled correctly on his jersey, though the adoption of that spelling in the media When Gervais hears of Lafrenière and Stützle insisting on having their is sporadic. names spelled correctly on the backs of their sweaters, he does not start welling up with pride that he might have started something in the NHL. In If there is any league where this should be embraced more widely, it fact, his reaction is more of a shrug. might be the NHL, due to the sheer number of international players and languages represented among the player pool. “I think it’s normal,” he said. “If somebody comes in tomorrow and says he wants to change something with his name, I’ll do it. Maybe someday, Lafrenière — on top of potentially being looked at as someone who brings the Rangers back to glory — might also be looked “Because that’s his name.” at as someone who triggered change in the NHL.

Gervais feels this is something that will be happening more often in the “I think we opened up that box now,” Castonguay said. “I think it’s NHL as kids arrive more sure of themselves than they were in the past, important to respect the name and how it’s spelled and pronounced. as Brière alluded. “I think we started something good.” “Kids now, the new generation, they’re not like they used to be years ago,” Gervais said. “I’m sure when (Yvan) Cournoyer got called up by the The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 Canadiens, there could have been 16 Ys on his name and he wouldn’t say anything, just play hockey. Now the kids are more outspoken. Things have changed, and it’s good.”

Lacroix sees much the same thing.

Whenever the Canadiens are hosting a team that has a player whose name he is not sure how to pronounce, Lacroix, like most PA announcers or broadcasters, makes a point of visiting with that player prior to the game to ask him in person (something that is obviously more difficult to do these days).

“The athletes themselves are less shy now than they were I’d say maybe 10 or 15 years ago,” Lacroix said. “At one point they would always say we don’t mind, just say whatever you want to say, the North American pronunciation will be OK. But more and more, I think they realize it can be done, and we try very hard in Montreal to stick to the international accent, or come as close as we can to the original accent or pronunciation.”

But change requires buy-in from all parties.

Early in the season, the NHL’s official statistics were not able to handle the accent on Lafrenière’s name or the umlaut on Stützle’s, and so that letter was replaced online by a question mark. It eventually got fixed, but the NHL’s website still spells Lafrenière without an accent and Stützle without the umlaut, despite the NHL having French and German websites that use accents and umlauts on the same publishing platform.

Local media outlets have been slow to embrace the changed spellings. In New York-based publications, Lafrenière’s name is rarely spelled with an accent. In Ottawa, Stützle’s name is often spelled the English way: Stuetzle. Meanwhile, the French-language newspaper in the Ottawa area, Le Droit, does use Stützle.

If you’re wondering, The Athletic’s style guide is clear on this issue: “Use diacritical or accent marks in proper names, such as Latin baseball and soccer players, if the players use them.”

As a result, our copy has contained an accent on Lafrenière since this preference was mentioned to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside in a profile published late last year. And the spelling of Stützle changed a few times over the past year.

Of course, mistakes will be made and misspellings will happen, but one thing no media outlet ever wants to do is spell someone’s name incorrectly.

When players go to the trouble of asking for their name to be spelled a certain way, the correct way, we should make every effort to do so. After 1206211 Websites Let’s review. Three most surprising teams:

1. Florida. The Athletic / Duhatschek notebook: Midseason NHL awards, superlatives, surprises and more 2. Chicago.

3. Minnesota.

By Eric Duhatschek Mar 19, 2021 After an offseason of dramatic changes, the Panthers are in the mix for top spot in the overall NHL standings. Joel Quenneville was behind the

bench of a Blackhawks team that started 21-0-3 in the lockout-shortened Here’s how fractured the first half of the NHL season was: After dozens 2012-13 season, so he’s been able to cast a similar spell on a Panthers’ of postponements, scheduling revisions, and one unforgettable stretch team that is getting career years out of Aaron Ekblad, Aleksander when the Coyotes played the Blues seven times in a row, the midpoint of Barkov, Jonathan Huberdeau and others. GM Bill Zito shopped the the 868-game season was supposed to occur this past Monday night. clearance racks this offseason and produced Carter Verhaeghe (22 points in 29 games for a $1 million AAV) and Anthony Duclair (12 points Only one problem: The Kings couldn’t make it to their own home game to in 22 games for $1.7 million). face the Blues. They were stranded in Denver, thanks to a snowstorm. Typical and illustrative of how the first half went. The MVP is either Effectively, the Panthers replaced Evgenii Dadonov in their lineup with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid or Steve Hatze Petros, who is in charge of Duclair, at a savings of $3.3 million for this season. Nice work by a first- NHL scheduling. Rubik’s Cube doesn’t have as many permutations and year GM. And after a rocky start, Sergei Bobrovsky is actually stopping combinations as the NHL schedule has had this year. the puck again.

Ultimately, the NHL did get to the actual midpoint of the season with the The Blackhawks, meanwhile, were a team that opened the season with first completed game of Tuesday evening – and as they liked to say in the greatest question marks in goal after moving on from both Corey the old days, it was a doozy. The 28th-place Devils squeaked out a 3-2 Crawford and Robin Lehner in the past 12 months. But they found an win over the 31st ranked Sabres. unexpected solution in Kevin Lankinen, who began the year as the nominal No. 3 but has emerged as their starter and is in the Calder The win was New Jersey’s first at home in 51 days. The loss cost Sabres Trophy conversation along with two transformational first-year players in coach Ralph Krueger his job. Minnesota: Kaapo Kahkonen and Kirill Kaprizov.

Memorable, but not in the right way and not in the way Washington’s win Kahkonen is one of 10 different rookie goalies in NHL history to post a over the Islanders later that same night mattered, with Alex Ovechkin win streak of nine or more games; Jordan Binnington of St. Louis is the scoring career goal No. 718, moving him past Phil Esposito into sole only other to do so in the last 37 seasons, on the way to winning the possession of sixth place on the all-time list. Next up: Marcel Dionne, at Stanley Cup in 2018-19. As for Kaprizov, the long wait appears to have 731. With 26 games remaining, there is a chance Ovechkin could haul in been worth it. Dionne by the end of the season. Three most disappointing teams: By Friday morning, all but four of the 31 NHL teams had played 28 times, halfway to 56. 1. Buffalo.

The gap between the high end (Edmonton, Vancouver and Ottawa at 33 2. Philadelphia. and the low, the Stars at 26) remains wide, though increasingly, it looks 3 Nashville. now as if they’ll be able to play all the games on the revised schedule, which didn’t look all that likely back in January. These teams are actually harder to rank than they look, mostly because the Sabres have a long, documented history of underachieving and so The Stars were the last team to get going, six days after the Jan. 13 while things have gone completely off the rails in Buffalo, it’s not as if official start and if there’s a common shared narrative among this year’s fans in western New York haven’t seen that before. Sure, they’re underachievers, it’s that when their schedules were altered by COVID-19 disappointing. But most disappointing? issues, they didn’t handle the disruptions particularly well. Both Buffalo and New Jersey got off to relatively promising starts before playing a That might actually be Philadelphia, given that the Flyers had the sixth- doubleheader near the end of January. When 14 Devils players entered best winning percentage in the league last year (.645) and were listed, in the protocol, Buffalo too suddenly had its season put on pause. After the some quarters, as a dark-horse Stanley Cup contender. Their 9-0 loss to Sabres returned from a 14-day break, they went completely flat – a 2-13- the Rangers earlier this week put a cap on a disappointing first half, 2 run that ultimately dropped them to the bottom of the standings. New where a relatively potent offence hasn’t been able to overcome below- Jersey hasn’t been much better. average goaltending and mediocre defensive coverage.

By contrast, the other team that was also on pause during that stretch, There was always going to be one pretty good team that missed the the Wild, used it as a positive. The time away helped them get healthy playoffs in the reconfigured East Division, and right now, it looks and when they returned they hit the ground running and haven’t stopped. increasingly as if it’ll be the Flyers. They should have Predators’ GM David Poile on speed dial because Nashville isn’t going to qualify for the As for the two teams that played in the Stanley Cup Final last September, playoffs in the Central and arguably no team needs the sort of defensive the Lightning and Stars, they couldn’t be any further apart. Tampa is stability that trade-target Mattias Ekholm could provide more than the playing without its best forward, Nikita Kucherov, and hasn’t miss a beat. Flyers do. Dallas is playing without a very good forward, Tyler Seguin, and its nominal No. 1 goaltender, Ben Bishop, and has struggled mightily. Fantasy, hits and misses:

Organizationally, from the top down, it’s required a collective strength of In my annual fantasy guide, I almost always overrate veterans and will to deal with daily COVID-19 tests, near empty hotels, mostly empty underrate newbies and some years, that turns out to be good advice. arenas, and nothing at all that resembles the normal pattern of day-to- Other years, yikes, I might owe you an apology. This year, the mea day NHL life. NHL players are generally creatures of habit. Some have culpas begin with Jack Eichel, Mika Zibanejad and especially Erik handled the chaos better than others. Karlsson, who were way too high, and Drew Doughty, Jeff Petry and Aaron Ekblad too low. But I only listed four rookies among the 200 Three coaches lost their jobs thus far (Krueger, plus Claude Julien in players and three (Kaprizov, Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson have been Montreal and Geoff Ward in Calgary). more than worthy). I also steered you away from Tony DeAngelo and Against all odds, one blockbuster trade was made (Pierre-Luc Dubois to Matt Gryzylyk, didn’t show a lot of love for Jeff Skinner or Max Domi. If Winnipeg from Columbus for Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic). you gave them all a pass, you’re probably thriving in fantasy, the same way my various teams are again this year. All of which leads us into our annual midseason report card, which includes a few of the standard categories – and a few outside the Saving the day (goalie division): mainstream. 1. Kahkonen, Minnesota. 2. Lankinen, Chicago. 2. Zito.

3. Vitek Vanecek, Washington. 3. Dean Evason, Minnesota coach.

4. Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas. Quenneville’s and Zito’s contributions were previously noted and coach of the year is always a fascinating category because usually, half-a- 5. Mike Smith, Edmonton. dozen candidates merit consideration. But Minnesota, this year, without a The old Mighty Mouse cartoons used to feature a song that promised, defined No. 1 center, with a goaltending duo consisting of Kahkonen and “here I come, to save the day.” Cam Talbot, with Mats Zuccarello on the at the start of the year, to be competing for the West division title with powerhouses such In 2020-21, there have been so many goalies that have ridden to their as Colorado and Vegas, it seems as if Evason is head-and-shoulders teams’ rescue that we couldn’t limit the category to just three. Kahkonen above the competition at the mid-point of the season when it comes to and Lankinen, we’ve discussed above. In Washington, when Henrik Jack Adams consideration. Lundqvist’s unexpected heart surgery left the Caps vulnerable and then Ilya Samsonov’s COVID-19 absence left them in potentially dire straits. Evason waited a long time for his chance to become an NHL head Vanecek emerged as the starter and gave them solid enough coach; he’s making the most of it now. goaltending to contend for the division crown. First-half MVP:

Vegas lost their nominal starter, Lehner, to a lingering concussion, 1. McDavid, Edmonton. allowing Fleury to re-emerge as the No. 1 and is the co-favorite for the Vezina, along with Tampa’s Andrei Vasilevskiy. In going 16-5, Fleury is 2. Patrick Kane, Chicago. on pace for the best goals-against average (1.87) and save percentage (.933) of his career. With 482 career victories, he is just two short of tying 3. Auston Matthews, Toronto. for fourth place on the NHL’s all-time wins list. First half MVP is always interesting because often, someone in the Smith was injured and unavailable to Edmonton early, but since returning conversation doesn’t actually win the award in the end. In a normal year, to health, has pushed Mikko Koskinen into a secondary role and in a there’s too much time remaining and too much hockey to be played to division where the goal-scoring can sometimes be out of control, he has get anything more than this just a feel for the race. More often than not, stabilized the one position that the Oilers needed stabilized if they an early candidate falls by the wayside, either because his performance legitimately wanted to push for a deep playoff spot. Smith turns 39 on slips, or more commonly, because of a key injury. Saturday. I’ve long been predicting that someday soon, McDavid would run away And you’d have to give honorable mentions to Carolina’s duo of James with an NHL scoring title. The only reason, he hasn’t (and may never) is Reimer and Alex Nedeljkovic who stabilized the Hurricanes’ netminding because Leon Draisaitl is likely to be right behind him. McDavid has after Petr Mrazek broke his thumb. closed to within a single goal of Matthews, who before his injury was on a crazy goal-scoring pace. For me, Matthews’ play brought to mind another As a general rule, goaltending outcomes can be impossibly difficult to extraordinary performance from the past, when scored 50 in predict every year, but the number of teams that had salvaged their 49 games for the 1993-94 Boston Bruins. season because of strong goaltending from unexpected sources seems uncharacteristically high. Oddsmakers listed Kane as a 25-1 longshot for MVP at the start of the year, probably because the Blackhawks were so thin up front to begin Most underrated position players: with and then were going to muddle along with Jonathan Toews and Kirby Dach for extended periods of time. But Kane keeps chugging 1. Nikolaj Ehlers, Winnipeg. along, and early this year, crossed the 1,000-games played threshold.

2. David Perron, St. Louis. If he keeps this up (42 points in his first 31 games), Kane is on pace to 3. (tie) Ondrej Palat, Tampa/Tyler Toffoli, Montreal. be above a point per game for the seventh year in a row and the eighth time in the past nine seasons. The only year he didn’t get there, 2013-14, I’m tempted to call this the Aleksander Barkov award because Barkov he managed 69 points in 69 games. A rare off year. If the Blackhawks has unofficially been considered the league’s most underrated player for make the playoffs, the race will likely come down to McDavid vs. Kane. so long that it doesn’t really apply to him anymore. Year after year, there are players who consistently fly under the radar, with little or no fanfare First-half MVP: Senior citizens division: and virtually every team – even the bad ones – have someone like that: It’s been a good year for the NHL’s 30-somethings. Fleury’s saves, Underappreciated outside the organization, but deeply valued within. But Ovechkin’s goals, Kane’s dynamism, and in Philadelphia, one bright light for this year, probably no one fits the bill better than Ehlers, who amid the gloom: James van Riemsdyk, approaching his 32nd birthday in consistently gets overshadowed on a Winnipeg team that boasts Mark May, scoring goals again like it’s 2014. Patrick Marleau could break Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Blake Wheeler and until this year, the highly Gordie Howe’s all-time games-played mark by the end of the season and visible Laine. Ehlers is second in goals, second in points, fourth in if the Leafs continue to chug along, both Joe Thornton and Jason Spezza assists, first in game-winning goals and second in power-play goals, have a chance at winning an elusive championship. And is that Anze even though he plays on the second unit. Oh, and he’s doing all that Kopitar, at age 33, back in the top 10 in points again? He and Dustin while averaging just 16:54 of ice time per night, 10th on the team. Brown have helped keep the Kings in the playoff mix in what was Impressive. supposed to be another rebuilding year.

As for Perron, his consistency is easy to overlook. Consider: Only three Obscure trade fact players in recent history have managed to put together point streaks of eight games or more in each of the past five seasons. Two of them you Duclair’s performance in Florida got me thinking about the 2019 NHL know: Crosby and Ovechkin. The third is Perron. And while Crosby and trade deadline, which I’ll preface with this observation: Ovechkin have been the faces of their respective franchises for well over a decade, Perron has been on the move constantly, is now in his third Most of us believe Arizona will be one of the most active teams at this go-round in St. Louis. year’s trade deadline because they have five UFA defencemen, one UFA goalie and a handful of UFA forwards that could all be useful additions. Palat, meanwhile, has stepped into the Kucherov spot on the top line and Maybe the Coyotes can recoup some of the draft-choice capital they while Kucherov is in a class by himself, Palat’s ability to produce a point either traded away (for Taylor Hall) or had stripped by the NHL for a game is one of the reasons the Lightning are atop the standings. violating the league’s combine testing policy. That cost them their 2021 Toffoli’s 18 goals rank third in the league, and his 14 goals at even- No. 1. strength is No. 1. Nobody has gotten more for his free-agent bucks than Montreal general manager Marc Bergevin. Free agency usually requires The Coyotes are also without their third-round choice, which also went to massive overspends. Toffoli, at $4.25 million per year for four years, New Jersey in the Hall trade, and their seventh, which they swapped to looks pretty great right about now. the Devils for a 2020 seventh-rounder. But it’s not as bad as it previously looked. They have an extra 2021 fourth-rounder (from Pittsburgh), in the Most underrated achievements (front-office versions): Phil Kessel trade, and an extra second-rounder, which they received

1. Quenneville. from Ottawa in the trade. That second-rounder isn’t Ottawa’s, however.

It’s a pick that originally belonged to Columbus and was traded by the Blue Jackets along with Duclair for Ryan Dzingel, part of that effort that Columbus made at the 2019 trade deadline to fortify themselves for a playoff run. Was that really only two years ago?

Of course, Dzingel is back in Ottawa again and the expectation is he may move again as a rental at the deadline to a Canadian team seeking a top-nine forward.

You wonder what the haul this time around will be. I suspect it won’t be as high as what Columbus originally paid – not one, but two second- rounders, plus Duclair.

Values fluctuate from year to year, and one of the questions I have this year is, could Ottawa get extra value from a Canadian trading partner just because quarantine regulations make it so difficult for cross-border trades to occur? By the way, Canadian teams continue to quietly lobby the government to have those quarantine regulations relaxed, partly because of their stringent internal testing protocols.

But time is running out.

And finally

As difficult as it probably was for Avalanche fans to watch, it may well have been a blessing in disguise when on Tuesday night, rookie goaltender Hunter Miska gave up four goals on seven shots to the Ducks and had to be lifted for the start of the second period.

The Avs were trying to give Philipp Grubauer a rare night off because they had no real option at backup goalie without Pavel Francouz, who hasn’t played a minute this season because of an undisclosed injury. Miska may well turn out to have an excellent career and the outing against the Ducks will be the starting place for bigger and better things. But that’s a down-the-road scenario.

In the present, the Avalanche imagine themselves as legitimate Stanley Cup contenders. The Ducks are arguably one of the weakest scoring teams in the league. If they can leak four goals past your starting goaltender, at home, in a mid-season game with limited pressure, you know you probably don’t want to turn to that same goaltender in the heat of a playoff series with everything on the line.

The Avs were pushed into that exact corner last season because of injuries to No. 1 and No. 2 — and they just cannot afford to take that chance again. And while the Coyotes’ Darcy Kuemper seems like the best trade option, when you factor in both ability and availability, Kuemper is currently out injured as well.

If the goal is to buy some insurance against injury, can you turn to a frequently injured goalie to be your insurance policy? It’s risky, right? As one former NHL GM used to tell me, “the only problem with injury-prone players is they frequently get hurt.”

Until Thursday night, the most logical fix for the Avalanche would have been the Red Wings’ Jonathan Bernier. On that same night that the Ducks lit up Miska, Bernier was fabulous putting an end to Carolina’s eight-game win streak. He was also pitching a shutout against Dallas Thursday night before suffering a leg injury that looked bad. If Bernier’s out for any significant length of time, that’s one more door that closes on Colorado’s search for netminding insurance. Maybe GM Joe Sakic needs to call his former teammate (and surfing buddy) Rob Blake, who’s running Los Angeles and might be coaxed into parting with Jonathan Quick if they can make the dollars work.

Because if you’re Colorado, you probably can’t keep riding Grubauer as hard as you have because you risk burning him out, or having him get injured again. Which is why landing a reliable backup soon – not at the deadline – is imperative. It’d give coach Jared Bednar a chance to give Grubauer the occasional breather in the second half, enhancing your chances of keeping him healthy and fresh for a long playoff run. Sometimes, teams can get away with making a deal right at the deadline, to preserve all the cap space they potentially can.

Colorado looks as if it needs help now. Or more accurately, last Tuesday already.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206212 Websites Dom rank: 4 Sean rank: 2

Sean: In this house, we respect the Southeast Division. RIP. The The Athletic / NHL power rankings: No surprises at top or bottom of The Hurricanes are a lot easier to understand if you accept that their Athletic’s first weekly edition goaltending is pretty good. It’s been a multi-season process for me, for whatever reason, but those guys — James Reimer, Alex Nedeljkovic, a soon-to-be-healthy Petr Mrazek — have been solid as hell. It’s the sort of By Sean Gentille and Dom Luszczyszyn Mar 19, 2021 thing that makes an interesting team into a really, really good one.

Dom: In all situations, the Hurricanes have allowed the seventh-fewest goals against per 60 and 0.31 fewer than expected. That may seem like As of today, The Athletic will have weekly NHL power rankings. Yes, it’s a shock, but it’s actually the third year in a row that the team has allowed happening. Calm down. fewer goals than expected. Carolina’s goaltending is super underrated Before we get into Installment 1 — and it’ll be the two of us tag-teaming and looks to be a legitimate strength this season. The Hurricanes are an this — we should establish a few things. elite team without a doubt, but the next team has been a bit stronger at five-on-five. • The methodology here is as simple as it gets. We each rank the teams, from 1-31, then take the average, and voila. (Dom made a dedicated 4. Toronto Maple Leafs spreadsheet for this because of course he did.) It’s not going to be based Record: 19-9-2, 40 points solely on past performance, current hot streaks or future potential. Numbers will figure into it prominently, but if you want stat-model stuff, Dom rank: 3 we’ve got you covered elsewhere. This is something different. Sean rank: 5 • From there, we’ll choose 10 or so teams to go back-and-forth on; that might be because we disagree on the placement. It might be because we Dom: The Leafs have struggled to get wins over the last couple weeks each have something meaningful to say. It might be because we each after starting the year red hot, but the process is still very strong. Toronto want to make jokes about the teams, or each other. We’ll see. is 1-5-0 in its last six, but in that stretch of time have earned 55 percent of the expected goals at five-on-five. The Leafs were due for some bad luck • We want this to be fun, and we’re not locked into a format beyond going after having some great fortune early on. from No. 1 to No. 31. Some rankings might have themes. Some of those themes might be unexpected. If you have ideas — or just suggestions on Sean: I saw someone refer to them as “a juggernaut” right before they how to make this a destination for you, each Friday — we’d love to hear lost all those games. Pretty funny. You catch that? them. You’re why we’re doing this in the first place. Dom: Whoever said that is a complete clown. They should consider And with that, off we go. (All stats are through Wednesday’s games watching the games. unless otherwise noted) Sean: The truest test of the Leafs 5v5 machine might be Alex 1. Tampa Bay Lightning Galchenyuk. Inside each hockey writer is two wolves: One who believes that Galchenyuk can still succeed in the right situation, and one who Record: 20-6-2, 41 points watched Galchenyuk play in Pittsburgh.

Dom rank: 1 5. Vegas Golden Knights

Sean rank: 1 Record: 20-6-1, 41 points

Dom: It feels insanely unfair that this team, literally the best team in the Dom rank: 5 league without question according to these rankings, will get Nikita Kucherov back for the playoffs. Sean rank: 4

Sean: They are, literally, the best team in the league. We said so in the If we were going solely off points percentage, Vegas would be holding rankings and everything. Done deal. Far as Kucherov is concerned, I down the top spot. Yes, that means they’re ahead of the Avs. If we were can’t help but respect the hustle. Didn’t see it coming, either; I made fun going solely off expected goals, they’d be 12th. Might as well split the of the conspiracy theorists on Twitter and everything. The bigger difference, and acknowledge the role Marc-Andre Fleury has played in question, at this point, is what they’re bad at … because I’m not seeing getting them here. He’s second in the NHL in goals saved above much. (The biggest question is, if they pull off the Kucherov gambit, expected (12.53) and first in save percentage (.933). If you want a whether it’s the most impressive bit of sleazeball gamesmanship in reason the Golden Knights are outpacing some of their percentages, recent history. We’re talking about a league that lost its mind over back- there you go. diving contracts, to the point that they levied back-breaking penalties 6. Minnesota Wild against teams who pulled that lever when it was legal. This is sleazier by an exponential degree, and it’s on track to work. Amazing. Wonderful. I Record: 18-8-1, 37 points love it with utmost sincerity.) Dom rank: 6 Dom: They saw they could win the Cup without Stamkos and just decided they don’t need Kucherov to even make the playoffs either. And Sean rank: 6 they were right. Most people figured the Wild would be an average team this year, if that. 2. Colorado Avalanche Kirill Kaprizov and stable goaltending have propelled the team to become so much more. The division was supposed to have three Cup contenders Record:17-8-2, 36 points and it does – one of them just happens to be Minnesota. They’re an elite team at five-on-five and if they ever figure out the power play will be a Dom rank: 2 scary group in the West. Sean rank: 3 T-7. Boston Bruins The Avalanche have allowed fewer than 30 shots in 19 straight games Record: 18-8-4, 34 points and outshot opponents in 18 of those 19 (including Thursday night, when they outshot the Wild 55-20). This has come with a largely depleted Dom rank: 8 lineup; star defender Cale Makar missed 12 of those games. He’s back now, and the Avalanche have a chance to give the Lightning a run for Sean rank: 8 their money. They lead the league in expected goals percentage. Is there a team with a more clear-cut need at the trade deadline than the 3. Carolina Hurricanes Bruins? They’re possession beasts — as we’ve come to expect, based on years of evidence — that also aren’t particularly good at putting the Record: 20-7-1, 41 points puck in the net: 17th in xGF% and 24th in goals, period. Go get a winger, fellas. Find someone to play with David Krejci. Make this interesting. Dom rank: 15 Let’s have some fun. Sean rank: 12 T-7. New York Islanders Sean: Recency bias, baby! Plenty of the Jets’ 5v5 numbers are mediocre Record: 19-7-4, 41 points to varying degrees, but they’re banking points. Think of it this way: If a team can walk into Toronto, take five of a possible six, pull within Dom rank: 9 shouting distance of first place and don’t get a little extra play in arbitrary Sean rank: 7 stuff like this, why bother putting them together at all? Sometimes, smoke and mirrors and weird teams can be fun. Don’t worry about that Sean: Losing Anders Lee is brutal; the Islanders, even without him for a goals/expected goals disparity and enjoy yourselves. If Connor few games, have won nine of their last 10. Obviously, Lee benefited Hellebuyck starts playing like a Vezina finalist again, who knows? tremendously from playing with Mat Barzal, and Semyon Varlamov is the most important player on that team, but I still want to see Lou Lamoriello Dom: I’m not sorry about this. go get someone. Does Kyle Palmieri make sense? They’re really good! 14. Edmonton Oilers Come on! Record: 19-13-0, 38 points Dom: I really hope they make a move. For years their fans have screamed that this is an elite defensive team and the numbers haven’t Dom rank: 13 lined up. This year they have and it’s magical. With the age of the core group, this feels like the team’s best chance to make a run. Time to go Sean rank: 15 all-in. The argument for second-best team in Canada is a tough one depending 9. Florida Panthers on how much you trust Winnipeg’s play at five-on-five and Montreal’s ability literally anywhere else. With the way Connor McDavid and Leon Record: 19-5-4, 42 points Draisaitl are cooking this year, the Oilers have a real case to become that team. Dom rank: 11 15. St. Louis Blues Sean rank: 7 Record: 14-10-5, 33 points Dom: The Panthers are a top-five expected goals team this season and have an exceptional record, but have been pretty fortunate in terms of Dom rank: 16 schedule strength and goal sequencing. Their plus-18 goal differential ranks eighth in the league. I also have a hard time putting them any Sean rank: 13 higher as long as Sergei Bobrovsky remains the starter. He’s in the Dom: The Blues have lost more games than they’ve won which feels bottom five for goals saved above expected this season after finishing crazy. They should be a lot better, and in their defence have dealt with a sixth last in 2019-20. cluster of injuries, but they’ve just been super disappointing to me. At Sean: Yeah, this is one where we might’ve appropriately canceled each five-on-five they’re below average in actual and expected goals. Mostly, I other out. Bobrovsky’s contract doesn’t expire until slightly before the might be salty from all the times I’ve bet on them against weak teams release date of “Avatar 4,” by the way. only to see them lose in the worst ways possible.

10. Washington Capitals Sean: One of the fun parts of this project is that I now get specifics on all your gambling horror stories, rather than seeing you allude to them on Record: 19-6-4, 42 points Twitter. It feels like the Blues could rise a little over the next couple weeks. Getting Jaden Schwartz back will be nice. He hasn’t played since Dom rank: 9 Feb. 12, and before that had put up nine points and really good Sean rank: 10 underlying numbers in 14 games.

The analytics crowd perennially underrates the Capitals and they keep 16. Philadelphia Flyers being the best team in their division anyway. Stronger five-on-five Record: 14-10-3, 31 points numbers and a bounce back on the power play are making the Capitals look like a true powerhouse in a very tough East division. Dom rank: 16

11. Pittsburgh Penguins Sean rank: 14

Record: 18-10-1, 37 points Sean: I knew Carter Hart had been bad. I was unaware, until 10 seconds ago, that he was “70th out of 71 goalies in GSAx, a few footsteps ahead Dom rank: 10 of Matt Murray” bad. He’s their biggest problem. Not their only one, but Sean rank: 11 the biggest.

Pittsburgh started slow and finally started rounding into form… so of Dom: He wants to be Carey Price so bad. course the Penguins are now facing a lengthy injury to a key player. Sean: He’s wearing a dinner-plate-sized belt buckle by Easter. Mark it in Evgeni Malkin wasn’t himself at the beginning of the year, but has pen. recently looked much more like his best self. His injury obviously creates a massive hole in Pittsburgh’s lineup and a spot this high in the rankings 17. Calgary Flames may be difficult to maintain without him. Record: 14-13-3, 31 points 12. Montreal Canadiens Dom rank: 17 Record: 13-8-8, 34 points Sean rank: 17 Dom rank: 12 Oh look, the Flames are starting to look like the good team everyone Sean rank: 14 expected them to be under Darryl Sutter!

As long as the game doesn’t go past regulation, the Canadiens are a *Flames get pummeled 7-1 by the Oilers before scoring two meaningless very strong team, one that’s capable of dominating play to a strong goals* degree at five-on-five. Their 61.6 percent goals ratio at five-on-five leads the entire league as a result of their puck possession dominance. Good Hmm, nevermind then. thing there’s no three-on-three or shootout in the postseason. T-18. Chicago Blackhawks

13. Winnipeg Jets Record: 14-11-5, 33 points Record: 18-9-2, 38 points Dom rank: 20 The Vancouver Demkos are on a 9-5-2 run since February 13 and that has improved their playoff odds all the way to… 14 percent. The Canucks Sean rank: 18 remain in a big hole despite their starter looking like the best goalie in the All the ingredients are there for Jeremy Colliton to win the Jack Adams; world over that stretch, saving 13.6 goals above expected off a .939 save the Blackhawks were supposed to be putrid, and they’re not at the percentage. moment. At minimum, they’re good enough to beat up on the actually- 24. Columbus Blue Jackets putrid teams in their division — of which there are several — and outrun their own putrid elements (5v5 play in general) while making the playoffs Record: 11-12-7, 29 points in an unprecedented season. Bravo, power play and goaltending. Well done, shootout randomness. Are the Blackhawks good? In the grand Dom rank: 24 scheme, nope. Is Colliton a good coach? Who can say, really? But he’s Sean rank: 24 on track to get a whole bunch of votes because that’s how this works. The Blue Jackets started Thursday with a 6-percent probability to make T-18. New York Rangers the postseason and a four-game set with the Hurricanes about to start. Record: 12-12-4, 28 points Might be the end of the road, well and truly. Two points since Feb. 25 for Patrik Laine, by the way. Brutal. Dom rank: 19 25. San Jose Sharks Sean rank: 19 Record: 11-13-3, 25 points It’s all happening a little late for the Rangers, but they’ve gotten interesting in a hurry. That’s who we thought they’d be, if nothing else; Dom rank: 25 wild how getting Artemi Panarin and the 2020 version of Mika Zibanejad Sean rank: 25 can help a situation. All of a sudden, they’re scoring nine goals without a coaching staff. It makes for a fun team to watch for the rest of the In the last week, the Sharks have dealt with a) their GM coming as close season, but they’ve got too much ground to cover in too little time. Time to waving the white flag on the season as possible without literally waving to google “Tony DeAngelo trade rumors” and see what’s cooking over a white flag b) their $92 million defenseman causing a stir for implying there. he’d rather play for a good team than a bad one and c) allowing four third-period goals and blowing a 3-1 lead against the Golden Knights. 20. Dallas Stars “Moral victories suck,” Logan Couture said afterward. The Sharks do too, Record: 9-9-7, 25 points apparently.

Dom rank: 18 T-26. Nashville Predators

Sean rank: 22 Record: 12-16-1, 25 points

Dom: The good news for the Stars is that they have a lot of games to Dom rank: 26 make up ground in a weak Central Division. I mean, how difficult could it Sean rank: 28 really be to pass the Blackhawks? They’re a top 10 expected goals team and will be getting Tyler Seguin and Ben Bishop back. They made the The Predators are a perfectly average possession team, but the lack of Cup final last season, I still have faith. offensive talent and goaltending ability is glaring. Couple that with injuries to the team’s two best defenders and the team is plenty deserving of its Sean: Flash forward to May, when you’re evicted after a series of current bottom-five spot – even if they’re probably a little better than this. unsuccessful bets on the Stars. “B-B-BUT BEN BISHOP IS HEALTHY,” you scream as they change the locks. I’m sure they’ll be fine. T-26. Anaheim Ducks

Dom: Seguin is going to come back in a game against the Red Wings, Record: 8-16-6, 22 points I’m going to bet everything, and watch them lose 1-0 in a game they Dom rank: 28 outshoot Detroit 45-14. Sean rank: 26 T-21. Arizona Coyotes Bad as things have gone for the Predators, they don’t deserve to be tied Record: 12-13-4, 28 points with the Ducks, but here we are. Gotta tweak the model to account for Dom rank: 22 teams that can go well over a month between allowing fewer than three goals in a game. That big Adam Henrique deal is right around the corner, Sean rank: 21 though.

Get a load of those Kachina jerseys. Boy, they’re great. Thanks, Mr. T-28. Ottawa Senators Meruelo! Record: 10-20-3, 23 points T-21. Los Angeles Kings Dom rank: 29 Record: 12-10-6, 30 points Sean rank: 27 Dom rank: 23 The Sens are better at 5v5 than their record suggests. We mentioned Sean rank: 20 Matt Murray earlier, though, and he plays for them. Oh well. They’ve still Sean: It doesn’t feel like the Kings should have hit the 30-point mark, got Tim Stützle, and the Sicko meme hasn’t quite gotten old yet. until you remember that they banked 12 in a two-week stretch last month. T-28. New Jersey Devils Things have since gone sideways. Sell sell sell. Record: 9-13-4, 22 points Dom: Hard sell on the Kings and hard sell on the “Drew Doughty for Norris” talk. In both cases, people are blinded by results over process Dom rank: 27 with the Kings currently sporting the league’s worst expected goals Sean rank: 29 percentage (and Doughty being below average on said poor team). I’d imagine a fall back down to Earth in the second half. The Devils had a promising start to the season, but have looked like a mess ever since. Since going 6-3-2, the Devils have gone 3-10-2 with 23. Vancouver Canucks two of their wins (and two of their losses) coming against the lowly Record: 15-16-2, 32 points Buffalo Sabres. MacKenzie Blackwood, who held the fort early, has an .894 save percentage and has allowed 7.6 goals above expected in that Dom rank: 21 time frame. Sean rank: 23 30. Detroit Red Wings

Record: 9-17-4, 22 points

Dom rank: 30

Sean rank: 30

In a remarkable triumph of the human spirit, the Detroit Red Wings are not the worst team in the NHL. For that, they can thank Linus Ullmark’s lower-body injury. There’s still time, though, and several half-decent players to trade.

31. Buffalo Sabres

Record: 6-18-14, 16 points

Dom rank: 31

Sean rank: 31

Dom: Is “lmao” enough analysis?

Sean: True story: I suggested that we rank the Sabres at No. 32 earlier this week, and Dom had to tell me that someone beat us to the bit. Maybe Mitch Trubisky can play goalie.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206213 Websites Stützle’s umlaut began attracting some attention in Vancouver among Canucks fans, where rookie forward Nils Höglander represented one of the few bright spots on the team in the early going. In Swedish, ‘ö’ is actually a different letter in the alphabet than ‘o’ and is not simply a The Athletic / ‘That’s my real name’: Alexis Lafrenière, Tim Stützle, Nils matter of adding an umlaut, so the spelling on the back of Höglander’s Höglander and the importance of accents and umlauts jersey — which was Hoglander — was in fact quite wrong. It would be like spelling Ryan Smyth’s name as Ryan Smith.

As Höglander’s prominence on the Canucks grew with every game, fans By Arpon Basu Mar 19, 2021 began pointing out this discrepancy on social media. It should be noted that the Canucks have been spelling his name as Höglander on their various platforms from the start of training camp, but it wasn’t spelled that Throughout Alexis Lafrenière’s journey from junior hockey to the NHL, way on his jersey. there was one thing that bothered his parents: the name on the back of his jersey. It was spelled wrong. As the tweets continued rolling in, the Canucks took notice.

It was wrong when he became the Rimouski Océanic’s first-overall pick “We don’t often make decisions based on social media reactions,” said in the 2017 Quebec Major Junior Hockey League draft, following in the Canucks director of communications Ben Brown. “But this was a valid footsteps of other Next Ones Sidney Crosby and Vincent Lecavalier. question.”

And it was wrong again as he fulfilled a lifelong dream, suiting up for The beginning of March was a convenient time to do something like this Team Canada at the under-18 and world junior championships. because it was around the time the Canucks were going to switch to a new set of jerseys in any case (yes, apparently NHL jerseys have a So when their son was taken by the New York Rangers with the first- predetermined life cycle). So assistant equipment manager Brian overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Hugo Lafrenière and, in particular, Hamilton was approached with the idea, he brought it to Höglander, and Nathalie Bertrand wanted their son’s name to be spelled accurately, with it wasn’t a very long conversation. the accent grave on the second ‘e’ in Lafrenière. The Canucks went the extra mile by offering to fix the spelling free of “It was something that was very important to the family,” said Lafrenière’s charge for anyone who had already bought a Höglander jersey. agent, Emilie Castonguay (who, it should be noted, does not spell her name with an accent aigu). “When the Rangers drafted Alexis, one of the Lafrenière, Stützle and Höglander are hardly the only players in the NHL first conversations I had with his mom was about the accent.” who would require special characters to properly spell their names, but they are currently the only NHL players who have them. Stützle’s The first step in addressing Lafrenière’s parents’ concern was to speak teammate, Swedish goaltender Marcus Högberg, has his name spelled with the Rangers, who took roughly “two seconds” to agree to adding the as Hogberg on his jersey. Detroit Red Wings rookie Mathias Bromé’s accent to the name, Castonguay said. name is Brome on the back of his jersey — and the accent, in that case, makes a big difference in pronunciation. Those are just two of many But that quick decision set in motion a series of events that required examples across the NHL. many more people to get on board. With so many Francophone, Swedish, Finnish, Czech, Slovak and The day after the draft, Castonguay got in touch with the NHLPA, which German players in the NHL, has the time not come to properly spell handles licensing for player merchandise, such as T-shirts and authentic these players’ names? jerseys, to make sure the NHL’s two primary jersey manufacturers, adidas (for official authentic jerseys) and Fanatics (official replicas), could Former Buffalo Sabres and Philadelphia Flyers star Daniel Brière never also handle the request. put much stock into how his name was spelled or pronounced. For much of his career, he went with Danny Briere to avoid confusion with the Because Lafrenière was drafted on Oct. 6 and did not sign his contract feminine name Danielle (Daniel in French is pronounced the same way) until Oct. 12, at which point he also chose his number, they had a bit of and he never even considered asking for an accent to be placed on his time to work with. Without knowing that Lafrenière would be wearing No. family name. 13 (his preferred No. 11 from his Rimouski days is retired by the Rangers in honour of Mark Messier), production on his merchandise couldn’t get “It wasn’t an option,” Brière said of his arrival in the NHL with the Arizona started right away. Coyotes. “When you’re young, I didn’t have a lot of power, unlike Alexis who is a first-overall pick. So I was really excited just to be there. They Once he signed his contract and chose his number, Rangers T-shirts could have changed my name (altogether) if they wanted to — as long as with his name and number — or shirseys — were available for purchase I got to play that was really all I cared about.” within hours. Official jerseys were available for purchase with one or two weeks. And all of it had Lafrenière spelled the way his family wanted it to It’s somewhat ironic, then, that Brière is the precursor to Lafrenière in be spelled. that he was the first NHL player to have an accent on his jersey. But he really had nothing to do with it. “If this is the expectation,” Castonguay remembers thinking, “we need to get ahead of this.” When Brière signed as a free agent with the Montreal Canadiens in 2013, “Danny” was never going to fly seeing as no one in Montreal Things were different, unfortunately, in the case of Ottawa Senators referred to him by that name, even if that was how it was written on the rookie Tim Stützle. game sheet. Stützle, the No. 3 pick in the 2020 draft, signed his entry-level contract on “When we get the list of players, when he was playing in Philly, it was not Dec. 27, while he was competing for Germany at the world junior Daniel Brière, it was Danny Briere. It’s not Vincent Lecavalier, it’s Vinny championships. Lecavalier. And it’s not Raymond Bourque, it’s Ray Bourque,” Canadiens Note how the Senators spelled his name in their news release PA announcer Michel Lacroix said. “So there are some situations where announcing the signing: originally, the Senators believed their prized you say, ‘No, I can’t go with that.’ It’s like Alex Ovechkin or Alexander rookie would be going by Stuetzle, the anglicized spelling of his last Ovechkin, I’d rather go with Alexander Ovechkin because that’s his name. But when Stützle arrived in Ottawa after the world junior name!” championships in January, months after properly accented Lafrenière But Briere — with no accent — wasn’t going to fly, either. jerseys were being sold, Senators general manager Pierre Dorion approached the young man with a very basic question. “It was Pierre Gervais, it was his idea,” Brière said. “He approached me with it, and it was actually pretty cool to be the first one to have the “Pierre Dorion came up to me and asked if I wanted to have the German accent on my name. But I have to credit Pierre for that.” spelling on my jersey,” Stützle said in training camp. “At first it was not allowed to do that, I think, and we were not able to do it. But right now we Gervais is the longtime equipment manager for the Canadiens, and were able. In Germany, that’s my real name, so I kind of liked it and I according to him, “approached” is not exactly the right word to use for think it’s great to have the umlaut right now on my name.” how the whole thing happened. Announced would be more appropriate. Gervais didn’t ask Brière so all, learning to make an accent or an umlaut on an English keyboard is much as he informed him. He didn’t even ask general manager Marc not all that difficult. Bergevin. He just did it. Let’s go back to the original reason we are talking about this. It was the “I always thought a name is a name,” Gervais said. “It is written as it is, wish of two parents wanting their son’s family name to be spelled so I just decided to do it.” correctly on his jersey, which seems to be the most basic of requests any player could really make. Gervais said that back then, he had to have the accent stitched on the jersey itself, and not on the nameplate, so it was an exceptional situation. “The whole thing began with a simple question, his family wanting to ask if the Rangers would put the accent on his name,” Castonguay said. As a result, “official” Canadiens jerseys sold to the public did not have the “They would have been fine with it if they said no, but at least ask. accent, unlike Lafrenière and Stützle. Part of the reason is that the technology involved in creating jerseys has changed. Today, the process “It was important to them.” is far more flexible in terms of customization. It should be important to everyone, especially if this begins a trend in the Even the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate, the Laval Rocket, has Finnish forward NHL. Major League Baseball has begun putting accents on Latin prospect Jesse Ylönen’s name spelled correctly on his jersey. American players’ names. In the NBA, Luka Dončić’s name is spelled correctly on his jersey, though the adoption of that spelling in the media When Gervais hears of Lafrenière and Stützle insisting on having their is sporadic. names spelled correctly on the backs of their sweaters, he does not start welling up with pride that he might have started something in the NHL. In If there is any league where this should be embraced more widely, it fact, his reaction is more of a shrug. might be the NHL, due to the sheer number of international players and languages represented among the player pool. “I think it’s normal,” he said. “If somebody comes in tomorrow and says he wants to change something with his name, I’ll do it. Maybe someday, Lafrenière — on top of potentially being looked at as someone who brings the Rangers back to glory — might also be looked “Because that’s his name.” at as someone who triggered change in the NHL.

Gervais feels this is something that will be happening more often in the “I think we opened up that box now,” Castonguay said. “I think it’s NHL as kids arrive more sure of themselves than they were in the past, important to respect the name and how it’s spelled and pronounced. as Brière alluded. “I think we started something good.” “Kids now, the new generation, they’re not like they used to be years ago,” Gervais said. “I’m sure when (Yvan) Cournoyer got called up by the The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 Canadiens, there could have been 16 Ys on his name and he wouldn’t say anything, just play hockey. Now the kids are more outspoken. Things have changed, and it’s good.”

Lacroix sees much the same thing.

Whenever the Canadiens are hosting a team that has a player whose name he is not sure how to pronounce, Lacroix, like most PA announcers or broadcasters, makes a point of visiting with that player prior to the game to ask him in person (something that is obviously more difficult to do these days).

“The athletes themselves are less shy now than they were I’d say maybe 10 or 15 years ago,” Lacroix said. “At one point they would always say we don’t mind, just say whatever you want to say, the North American pronunciation will be OK. But more and more, I think they realize it can be done, and we try very hard in Montreal to stick to the international accent, or come as close as we can to the original accent or pronunciation.”

But change requires buy-in from all parties.

Early in the season, the NHL’s official statistics were not able to handle the accent on Lafrenière’s name or the umlaut on Stützle’s, and so that letter was replaced online by a question mark. It eventually got fixed, but the NHL’s website still spells Lafrenière without an accent and Stützle without the umlaut, despite the NHL having French and German websites that use accents and umlauts on the same publishing platform.

Local media outlets have been slow to embrace the changed spellings. In New York-based publications, Lafrenière’s name is rarely spelled with an accent. In Ottawa, Stützle’s name is often spelled the English way: Stuetzle. Meanwhile, the French-language newspaper in the Ottawa area, Le Droit, does use Stützle.

If you’re wondering, The Athletic’s style guide is clear on this issue: “Use diacritical or accent marks in proper names, such as Latin baseball and soccer players, if the players use them.”

As a result, our copy has contained an accent on Lafrenière since this preference was mentioned to The Athletic’s Scott Burnside in a profile published late last year. And the spelling of Stützle changed a few times over the past year.

Of course, mistakes will be made and misspellings will happen, but one thing no media outlet ever wants to do is spell someone’s name incorrectly.

When players go to the trouble of asking for their name to be spelled a certain way, the correct way, we should make every effort to do so. After 1206214 Websites The first star: Sharks highlights – Tag yourself. I’m the one shark who doesn’t want to stick around for a rebuild.

New entries for the hockey dictionary The Athletic / DGB Grab Bag: The 1996 Stanley Cup Final, fake .500 and The loser point sucks and all decent and reasonable people agree on top secret details of the ESPN deal this. It served a purpose back in 1999 — encouraging teams not to play for the tie in overtime — but the shootout means that reason no longer exists, and now we have teams playing for the tie in regulation instead, By Sean McIndoe Mar 19, 2021 which is even worse. The loser point makes games less interesting, rewards failure and doesn’t accomplish what the league says it does.

It’s also here to stay, at least according to the league and its wimpy GMs From the headlines who are more concerned about inflating their own record than doing The NHL world is still sorting through the impact of last week’s what’s best for the sport. We’re stuck with this thing, at least for now. bombshell: ESPN is back in the hockey game, with a seven-year, $2.8 But we don’t have to like it. And we don’t have to go along with the NHL’s billion TV deal that kicks in next season. condescending attempts to change how we talk about sports. That The news is obviously huge for the league, and for a bottom line that means that if a team loses five games in a row and get a pity point for a desperately needed a boost. But what will it mean for the rest of us? few of them, it’s still a five-game losing streak. We don’t have to call it an Should fans be excited about the return of the worldwide leader? What’s unbeaten streak — sorry, Pierre — because the team lost and teams that going to change once the deal takes effect? keep losing are on losing streaks.

I asked my spies to check around and report back on what hockey fans We also shouldn’t have to pretend that teams that lose more than they can expect from the new TV deal, and they came back with several win are .500, but we run into a problem there. Every sports fan knows scoops. what “.500” means — it’s the dividing line between a winning season and a losing one, the point where a team is completely average. But the NHL Having a contract with ESPN will open up a world of promotion and is the only major North American league where .500 can mean two publicity opportunities for hockey, such as occasionally being mentioned things. It’s a winning percentage, but also a points percentage, and it’s on ESPN. the inflated latter version (of course) that the league goes by. So thanks to the loser point, we get three-quarters of the league finishing “above Streaming options that promise to revolutionize the way you don’t use .500” every year, which makes no sense. Hulu. It’s dumb, and more than a little confusing for new fans. So I think we In an effort to win over new fans, the NHL has promised to drastically need a new term. increase scoring by letting every team get coached by Kris Knoblauch for a game or two. Fake .500 – An NHL team that has a points percentage at or above .500 despite losing more games than they’ve won. No promises, but fingers crossed we can finally get the Blackhawks some national TV coverage. The Canadiens are fake .500 right now, because they’ve won 13 and lost 16 but are having their points percentage boosted by eight loser points. Bad news for the Predators’ second line, as out of force of habit ESPN The Hawks are fake .500 too. The Kings are super fake .500, with six will be randomly shutting down Granlund. more losses than wins despite a .536 percentage. ESPN+ will replace nhl.tv as your go-to source for exciting NHL action Simple, right? We’re still acknowledging the system that the NHL wants that’s blacked out in your market tonight for some godforsaken reason. to use. We’re just reclaiming a term that used to mean something in You realize you’re getting old when you find out you no longer have the sports, and still does in every other league. You want me to say that a strength to bench press your car after hearing the opening few bars of losing NHL team is .500? Fine, but they’re fake .500. the NHL on ESPN theme song, and can instead only deadlift it. If the NHL is going to twist its standings into a transparent marketing ploy Starting now, everyone who loses the Bucci Overtime Challenge still gets for bad teams and their GMs, there’s not much the rest of us can do a point for some reason. about it. But we can at least call it what it is.

ESPN subscribers may get occasional access to top-secret behind-the- Obscure former player of the week scenes content like the existence of Canadian teams. Let’s give every Wild fan something to worry about by making Vitali The league will consider placing NHL teams in proven TV markets that Yachmenev this week’s obscure player. don’t currently have one, like Buffalo. Yachmenev was a shifty winger picked by the Kings in the third round of Not exactly sure, but the whole deal probably involves some weird crypto the 1994 draft, just a few picks ahead of Chris Drury, after scoring 61 thing where the NHL is actually just getting a photo from an NBA game goals with the OHL’s North Bay Centennials. He stayed in junior for one and everyone will pretend to understand why that makes sense. more year and had another 53 goals to go with a spot on the Russian world junior team, then arrived in L.A. in time for the final season of the Everyone eventually gets really mad when they realize the “NHL official” Wayne Gretzky era. He played 80 games for that 1995-96 Kings team, ESPN negotiated the entire contract with was just Greg Wyshynski doing but it’s the first month that stands out. his Bettman impersonation. His NHL debut came on Oct. 10, and he had two goals in a 4-2 win. Five The partnership has the potential to create millions of new hockey fans night later, he had a three-point night in a 7-7 tie (!) with the Canucks. all across the country that the rest of us can immediately browbeat and He’d have another three-point effort in just his sixth career game, this drive away forever because they once called it “offsides” instead of time against Washington. Less than two weeks into his NHL career, he offside. already had nine points.

The three stars of comedy He cooled off a little after that, but not much. Yachmenev’s start was The third star: Stephen A. Smith – You’ve no doubt seen this already, actually even better than that Kirill Kaprizov stat makes it sound, since and I admit I’ve got mixed feelings. On the one hand, it’s the same that cuts off after 15 games. Yachmenov had two points in his 16th game premise as that Chance the Rapper SNL skit everyone loved a few years of the season and then another three points in his 19th game. But that’s ago: Hey, wouldn’t it be completely hilarious if a cool person actually paid about where the magic ends; he’d finish the 1995-96 season with a attention to the NHL? On the other hand, Stephen A is the best, so let’s respectable 19 goals and 53 points, good for a fifth-place finish in Calder let him do his thing … voting, but had just 32 points as a sophomore and then missed camp in a contract dispute in 1997. He’d play just four NHL games that year, and The second star: Dean Evason talks about scheduling, I think? – they’d be the last of his Kings career. He was traded to the expansion Phrasing, Dean Predators, where he’d have semi-productive seasons before heading back to Russia in 2003. So what was the story here? How did a young player rack up so many score a breakaway goal despite there being a rat on the ice. Don’t worry points early in his career, only to see his production flatline? This one kids, it was a thing in 1996, ask your grandparents. isn’t actually much a mystery: Yachmenov spent his first months on a line with Gretzky, mostly with Jari Kurri or Dmitri Khristich on the other wing. Gary Thorne tosses it to , who is played by the same actor Gretzky was in on 25 of Yachmenov’s first 34 points, and if you check the but looks slightly younger because this is a flashback. Engblom reminds kid’s scoring log you can pinpoint the exact game in January where the us that the coach of this legendary Avs team was Marc Crawford, which unit was broken up and he started playing with Yanic Perreault instead. A is always a little jarring, and then lets us in on some strategy: Two month later, Gretzky was traded to the Blues, and that spelled the end of months ago, Crawford started emphasizing defense. This is a historical Yachmenov as an NHL scoring threat. moment, because it’s 1996, so this is the last time we’ll hear about an NHL coach starting to preach defense instead of just assuming that every Classic YouTube clip breakdown single one of them does at all times.

One of the reasons hockey fans should be so excited about ESPN’s Thorne then basically concedes that the series will end tonight and then return to the hockey world is that, whatever else you might think of their spoils the Conn Smythe too, just for fun. He’s right on both counts; the coverage, they know how to hype a game. That’s good news for the Avs would win the Cup that night in triple-overtime on a Uwe Krupp goal NHL, a league that boasts plenty of speed and skill but still occasionally that nobody remembers, with Sakic named MVP. Gary Bettman and the struggles with the whole “entertainment” aspect. ESPN will help them rest of the NHL’s leadership watched their marquee game of the season there, because it’s what they do. end on a goal by a defensive defenseman after over 100 minutes of scoreless hockey and immediately vowed to take drastic action to And if you don’t believe me, let’s travel back 25 years and watch ESPN increase scoring at some point in the next three decades or so, unless work their magic on one of the very worst Stanley Cup Finals ever. It’s a that turns out to be difficult in which case why even bother. great team playing a bad team, the series is already 3-0, everyone knows it’s over tonight and barely anyone cares. Can ESPN polish this turd for a As for Thorne and ESPN, they did the best with what they had that night, national audience? They’re sure going to try … which wasn’t much. But five years later they had a bit more to work with for the next Colorado Cup win, and I think it’s fair to say that turned out to It’s June 10, 1996, and the Panthers are hosting the Avalanche for Game be just a little more memorable. 4 of the final. The series hasn’t been pretty so far, with Florida scoring just four goals and losing Game 2 by an embarrassing 8-1 final. But it’s The Athletic LOADED: 03.20.2021 not over until it’s over (it is), so let’s see if ESPN can get us hyped.

We start off with a majestic view of beautiful scenery with a bunch of water shimmering in the middle of it, so you know what team means: This is the Lake Tahoe rink after an hour of sunlight an attempt to get dramatic over hockey in Colorado. Remember, this is a new thing — the team just moved from Quebec a year before, so the fact that there’s a team in Colorado may indeed be news to American viewers. If so, they get caught up quickly, because ESPN makes it sound like the Avs are the 1950s Habs reincarnated.

“It’s a group collectively inspired by team achievement.” So … a team. But their way sounds better, and I bet Pierre Dorion is kicking himself wishing he’d stolen this instead of what he went with.

After a short burst of the second-greatest theme song in hockey history and the explosion effects that were mandatory in every mid-90s sports broadcast, we’re welcomed to the arena. We also get our first mention of the Avalanche’s opponents, as we’re told that the Florida fans have not given up. That’s cool. I hope they’ve come up with a defiant chant to inspire their team to a miracle comeback.

“They have been chanting Panthers Panthers Butt.” Yeah, I think I may see why you’re not winning any games in this series.

Gary Thorne tells us a story about Gaye Stewart, who was part of the 1942 Maple Leafs team that came back from down 3-0 in the final against the Red Wings. He thinks the Panthers can pull it off because they remind him of that Leafs team. I assume he means that they have three players who can skate backwards and two that have figured out how to raise the puck.

Thorne welcomes fellow ESPN mainstay , who is sadly not doing any impressions tonight. He explains that the Panthers can’t score, and wonders why that might be. He then introduces us to Florida’s two best offensive players, Scott Mellanby and Rob Niedermayer. Uh yeah, Bill, I think we may have cracked this “no scoring” mystery.

Clement explains that the Panthers’ only hope is for to have a great game. He’s wrong, because Vanbiesbrouck is about to pitch over 100 minutes of shutout hockey and it still won’t help, but we’ll get to that. We also hear from , who runs a clip from Game 3 and tells us that Vanbiesbrouck wasn’t hanging his head and moping while we watch Vanbiesbrouck hanging his head and moping. You don’t notice because you’re looking behind Pang and wondering why a fan wearing a 2020 COVID-19 mask is facing the wrong direction. Or at least you are now.

“I wonder if Darren is going to walk out and play a little net tonight.” Wait, a little net? Is that a short joke? I think it might have been a short joke.

Gary and Bill break down how good the Avs have been in the series, including Clement trying really hard to make “shooting holes” a thing. I don’t know why that makes me uncomfortable but it does, and I’m very glad it didn’t catch on. We also watch Joe Sakic blow by the Panthers to 1206215 Websites “I know I have the ability to be a great goalie in this league and help the team win a ton of hockey games,” Andersen said this week. “So, I think it’s just a matter of finding that confidence again. And I know it’s right there. There’s just a few things that I need to keep working on and find Sportsnet.ca / As questions hover over Leafs' crease, Campbell has again. golden opportunity "I think I’ll be right there and having a great stretch again. The tough part is staying patient and just keep working at the daily things that’s gonna get me success out there.” Chris Johnston Should the Flames be considered a top team in the North Division? March 20, 2021, 1:17 AM It didn’t go his way against Calgary, with Matthew Tkachuk sifting the

game’s first shot through traffic and having it glance in off Travis TORONTO -- It says something about the unexpected turn the Toronto Dermott’s stick. The Leafs climbed out of a 3-1 hole to tie things up and Maple Leafs season has taken that these two statements can both be then Mark Giordano got a bounce on a point shot for the eventual winner. true: Goaltending can be a highly subjective position. You won’t find a 1. Jack Campbell will make his second start in 53 days when the Leafs unanimous opinion on what shots should and shouldn’t be stopped. But complete a back-to-back against the Calgary Flames on Saturday night. there’s a question hovering over the Leafs' crease because too many are going in. 2. Jack Campbell can start grabbing control of his team’s crease if he performs well. “Yeah it’s difficult [mentally] when a night like tonight where everything seems to kind of find a way through traffic,” said Andersen. “I know Losses in six of the last seven games can’t be placed exclusively at personally I didn’t lose my abilities to play good and the same goes for Frederik Andersen’s feet, nor even can Friday’s 4-3 defeat on an 18-shot our team, too. night for Calgary. But they’ve chipped away at the confidence in the formerly unassailable No. 1 and that makes Campbell’s opportunity a “I think we want to get out of this little slump here and start winning some golden one with his team desperately in need of a win. hockey games.”

“I expect him to battle the way that he has,” said Leafs coach Sheldon Whoever is in net when those wins come will almost certainly be staying Keefe. “I know he’s played great for us so he’s a guy that goes in with a there. ton of confidence.” And on Saturday night, Andersen will be watching from the end of the Home of the Leafs bench while Campbell gets his chance.

Where Campbell is health-wise is an open question. He was listed as Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 day-to-day for nearly three weeks after posting a 30-save shutout in Edmonton on Feb. 27 and that followed a month-long absence where he was recovering from a left leg injury.

This is not how the 29-year-old imagined things going after an intense off-season, but he’s still found his way to the door he’s been trying to knock down for more than a decade.

The Leafs had control of the North Division until they stopped getting enough saves. Now Campbell gets a turn. They’ve been the better team on the wrong end of a result too often in the last few weeks, and tilted the ice pretty heavily on Friday night.

They had their highest percentage of scoring chances (76.3) all season, their second-best percentage of shot attempts (65) and their fourth-best expected goals percentage (68.1). They barely gave up anything of quality, but saw a couple unfavourable bounces amount to the difference.

“There wasn’t a whole lot of stuff going on,” said Andersen. “Three of the goals obviously were right through traffic and something I’ve probably got to look at and see what I've kind of done differently to try to fight through it and find those pucks quicker.”

Added Keefe: “I don’t know how many shots we gave up, but not very many. We didn’t give up very many chances at all.”

At 19-10-2, the Leafs are still in prime position. Keefe rightly pointed out that one victory would ease the mounting tension.

But they have also undoubtedly reached a stage where loyalty is of little consequence -- with Andersen in a contract year and stumbling along at a .900 save percentage, after posting a career-worst .909 a year ago.

It’s no small thing that Leafs management thought long and hard about bringing in a replacement in the fall before deciding to stick with Andersen. There’s not much reason to believe that general manager Kyle Dubas will attempt to revisit that search before the April 12 trade deadline either.

Perhaps the short-term answer is Campbell, who is 6-2-1 in limited action with the Leafs and a perfect 3-0 with a .951 save percentage in his games this season. At minimum he should be able to spell Andersen off for more rest during a period where he’s acknowledged playing through minor injury.

The man known as Fredzilla is fighting it right now. 1206216 Websites choice for three-on-three, even did their job in keeping the puck (they lost it once by their net, but got it back immediately).

But the idea of spending the first 40 seconds merely trying to possess the Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens' overtime strategy proven unviable in loss to puck instead of trying to score a goal with it is at the root of the “mental” Canucks issue the Canadiens have there.

And even though Danault is unequivocally Montreal’s best faceoff man, he’s not their only one. Eric Engels Suzuki pulled back 10 of 16 faceoffs in the game, including two in the March 20, 2021, 12:07 AM final minute before scoring the game-tying goal. It was a confidence- inspiring shift for him after a game-long struggle—despite some scoring

chances he had to feel good about, that goal provided the adrenaline MONTREAL — At this point the strategy is as clear as a cloudless sky, spike no scoring chance could’ve before the horror of getting danced and it’s obviously the wrong one. around on the game-winner overtook his thoughts for the rest of the night. But one more time, for anyone who doesn’t know what the Montreal Canadiens are trying to do when the game gets to overtime and they Ducharme explained he didn’t tap Suzuki for that first draw because the have to switch from playing five-on-five to playing three-on-three: The second period and overtime faceoffs favour a lefty, with the official lining plan Dominique Ducharme drew up when he took over as head coach on up in the way of a right-hander being able to pull the puck back on his Feb. 24 from Claude Julien, who initially coached the Canadiens to zero strong side. goals in four overtime periods, has been to start the extra frame with his Fine! We’ll accept that. best faceoff man, his fastest forward and his best defenceman so his team can win possession of the puck, tire out the three opposition But even if this was far from a good game for Jesperi Kotkaniemi, he’s a players on the ice by maintaining it and execute a line change while lefty who won 71 per cent of his faceoffs before watching the entire 2:01 forcing those three opposition players to remain in place. It’s to hold, and of overtime from the bench (or was he covering his eyes, too?). He also hold and hold some more until you can pounce with three forwards on has the possession skills to play keep away and at least has the the next shift and get after it. playmaking skills to take advantage of a speedy forward like Anderson (who moves almost as fast as Byron) and Petry (who also has 11 goals). And while the principle behind it is perfectly reasonable, you have to be some sort of masochist to continue to let it guide your strategy when it’s Ducharme was right when he said we’d be talking about the character of led you to go another four games in a row without scoring. You have to his team and its first overtime win of the season had Anderson buried be downright stubborn to go to it two nights after fighting back from a 3-1 that breakaway, even if we would’ve spared a couple hundred words for third-period deficit, only to lose to the Winnipeg Jets on the first shift of the way his team played so poorly for a second game in a row through overtime—especially after saying that overtime had become somewhat of the first 40 minutes. a mental block for your team, like Ducharme did after that painful loss. He was right about this, too, with the Canadiens having failed through But after the Canadiens once again stuck their finger down their throat eight overtimes before starting Friday’s extra period: through the first two periods of Friday’s game, and after they rallied to erase a one-goal deficit in the final minute of the third period, they once “Our guys, for sure they think about (the overtime struggle) when the time again puked all over themselves in overtime and lost 3-2 to the comes (to bury a chance),” he said. “And a guy like Andy going on a Vancouver Canucks at the Bell Centre. breakaway, he’s probably putting more pressure on himself thinking, ‘I’m going to end it this time,’ and it happens he missed it.” Before J.T. Miller weaved through Tomas Tatar and Nick Suzuki— players you’d like to see start the overtime period instead of hopping on Anderson’s probably also thinking that the team set out and executed on the ice for the third shift of it—and buried the game, Josh Anderson, who its strategy to create this one perfect opportunity and if he misses it, he’ll has a very respectable 11 goals on the season, stormed in on a be the reason they fall to 0-9 after three periods of play. breakaway and shot the puck over Thatcher Demko’s glove and the But maybe Anderson doesn’t need to think about any of that if he steps upper portion of the net. on the ice at the start of it, lines up with two of the team’s other top “Honestly at one point, it is mental,” said Ducharme, echoing his scorers and is told nothing more than to go out and win the game. comments from Thursday’s loss. “But what we need is to bury one and “We’re always playing to win, and the guys know that,” insisted get that over with. We do that tonight, probably everyone’s talking about Ducharme. “I don’t need to send them a message. They know that.” what a character team we are in coming back…” But the strategy is ‘Don’t lose it before we get a chance to make a perfect If Anderson had scored, we’d probably be talking about how his play to win it,’ and it hasn’t worked once. teammate, Jonathan Drouin, got away with interference that allowed Anderson to break away without anyone on his tail. The one that has worked is the one their opposition consistently uses— playing their best players right from the start. But we digress… Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 This loss happened before all of that. It happened before Miller beat goaltender Jake Allen, who was helpless on the play. It happened when Ducharme put Phillip Danault (two goals) and Paul Byron (two goals) on the ice to start overtime while Tyler Toffoli (18 goals) sat on the bench likely covering his eyes.

Even if Ducharme said it didn’t.

“You gotta look at everyone’s strength and I think our offensive guys are smart, good hands and so on; they don’t beat guys with pure speed,” he said. “They build things together. Do I want Toffoli, Drouin and Anderson starting and not having the puck and having to defend and waste energy there before they finally get the puck and they need to change? I thought everything was fine, and we get the breakaway, and from there it’s overtime and we got beat on the next play. So I don’t think it comes from the way we started.”

In fairness, Danault is Montreal’s best faceoff man, and even if he lost the draw for the third consecutive overtime, the Canadiens immediately recovered the puck and were actually credited with the faceoff win on the scoresheet. Danault, Byron and Jeff Petry, who’s indisputably a good 1206217 Websites think he wants to finish his career here, and at some point we'll get it done.

“We've just got to find a sweet spot that we agree on.” Sportsnet.ca / NHL's Top 12 UFAs of 2021: Latest rumours, reports 2.

Age on July 28: 28 Luke Fox Position: Defence March 19, 2021, 8:58 AM 2020-21 salary cap hit: $5.75 million

The latest: The Hurricanes traded for Hamilton, in part, because they A star-studded group featuring future Hall of Famers, No. 1 goalies and liked his cost certainty. Well, after this sprint season, the price tag for the defencemen, team captains and league MVP winners are all playing right top defender in 2021’s UFA class won’t be so certain. now without guaranteed employment in 2021-22. Hamilton will be due for a raise the same summer as breakout star Yep, we're in the middle of critical contract years here. With just 56 Andrei Svechnikov (RFA). With Carolina already having four other D-men games to impress (or disappoint), the pressure to perform has intensified signed long-term at $4 million-plus per year, you’ll occasionally hear — and could have a direct impact on these players’ financial future. trade rumours around solid right shots like Brett Pesce and Hamilton, already on his third franchise. This group has been well and able to ink extensions with their current clubs for months, and we’ve already seen the Minnesota Wild (Jonas In mid-November, GM Don Waddell said the sides were getting close to Brodin, seven years at $6 million), Montreal Canadiens (Jeff Petry, four opening extension discussions. years and $6.25 million; Brendan Gallagher, six years, $22.5 million), and “He is a UFA at the end of the year, so we’d like to get that one done St. Louis Blues (Jordan Binnington, six years at $6 million) take care of sooner than later. [With] that one, you would have doubts if you play out business early — weakening 2021’s UFA crop in the process. the season, so it makes sense to try to get something done before the Unlike past seasons, general managers already know 2021-22’s cap start of the season,” said Waddell, per NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. ceiling (flat at $81.5 million), yet many are playing wait-and-see with their “You’ve got a flat cap for the next two years,” Waddell went on. “We also UFAs as the April 12 trade deadline creeps closer and July 28’s open know that the market’s changed. I’m not saying we’re not going to do a market looms. long-term deal, but the long-term deals, if you look at free agency, you’ve Here is a look at the latest trade and negotiation rumours surrounding the only got a few guys that got more than three years in the whole market.… top 12 impending UFAs of the Class of 2021. So I think the market has changed, and it should change because of the situation we’re all in.” Luke Fox Extension talks cooled in early March, according to The Athletic’s Pierre 1. Alex Ovechkin LeBrun, but with the Hurricanes shaping into a Cup contender, a deadline deal would shock us. Age on July 28: 35 Hamilton’s camp would use Alex Pietrangelo’s $8.8-million AAV with Position: Left wing Vegas on a long-term deal as the ceiling, while the Canes would likely try 2020-21 salary cap hit: $9.5 million to use Torey Krug’s $6.5-million AAV with St. Louis as a comparable.

The latest: If Ovechkin (718) is serious about taking a run at Wayne Hamilton is in a class of his own when it comes to 2021’s UFA D-men; Gretzky’s all-time goals record (894), he’ll need a fresh multi-year Carolina prefers to ball on a budget. Should be interesting. commitment from the franchise that drafted him first overall way back in 3. Philipp Grubauer 2004. It’s blasphemous to envision the Great Eight in any other sweater. Age on July 28: 29 Nicklas Backstrom and Ovechkin have expressed a mutual desire to play alongside each other for as long as possible, and the centreman Position: Goaltender negotiated his own $46-million extension that should see him setting up Ovechkin’s one-timer through to 2024-25. 2020-21 salary cap hit: $3.33 million

“My only concern going forward is that maybe Ovi might hire Nick to do The latest: Grubauer is enjoying a fabulous season for a Stanley Cup– his next contract,” quipped GM Brian MacLellan, confident the sides will contending team. Named First Star of the Week on March 14, the find common ground. German rolled into the season’s halfway point with a sparkling 16-7 record, 1.85 GAA, .925 save percentage, and a career-best four The superstar is negotiating his own deal. shutouts.

Ovechkin and MacLellan had a conversation upon the conclusion of How you knock your contract year out of the park is by putting together a 2019-20 to set the table for parameters of an extension. Vezina-finalist-type campaign.

In November, Ovechkin gave an interview, in his native tongue, to GM Joe Sakic has been mum on Grubauer’s next contract, but the Russian Television International and addressed his vision for wrapping goalie’s leverage is increasing. His next AAV could start with a six, and his playing career. the Avs have the cap space to accommodate.

“It is not a question of money,” the superstar said of his desire to remain When it comes to goaltending, Sakic’s No. 1 priority should be trading for in D.C. “It is just a matter of principal. I have only played for two teams, a suitable backup to support Grubauer, who is carrying the heaviest load [KHL’s Moscow] Dynamo and Washington. Obviously, I will stay with of his NHL career. Washington for another two… three… four… five years. And then I would like to finish on a high note, to play my final game with Dynamo.” 4. Tyson Barrie

According to Russian outlet metaratings.ru, MacLellan has already Age on July 28: 30 floated a three- to five-year extension to the captain that would carry an Position: Defence AAV between $9.5 million and $10 million. 2020-21 salary cap hit: $3.75 million Owner Ted Leonsis won’t want to disrespect the face of his franchise, who deserves to cash some of the biggest cheques in the league, but The latest: Stumbling in Toronto, Barrie bet on himself big-time in the with a flat cap, the more team-friendly the deal, the greater chance of 2020 off-season. building a contender around the captain. The power-play quarterback reportedly turned down a $6-million offer "I don't really have an update," MacLellan said on March 12. "It's the elsewhere so he could feed pucks to Connor McDavid and Leon same as it's been all year. We want him to finish his career here, and I Draisaitl, rebound his stock and rediscover his confidence. “For me, it was a no-brainer, with everything that’s going on and coming Age on July 28: 29 off the year that I had, to be able to have a chance to go into Edmonton and play with this team on a one-year deal,” Barrie said of the gambit. Position: Left wing “For me, it just wasn’t about money this year, just coming into re- 2020-21 salary cap hit: $8 million establish myself and show the league that I’m still a pretty good player.” The latest: Depending how harshly you grade recent results, Hall could Mission accomplished. become the most coveted UFA winger on the market two years running Barrie has thrived offensively and found his groove again. He should ring — or take a hit to the wallet. All thanks to his rare and surprising one- the cash register this summer. year, show-me deal with the Buffalo Sabres.

“If there is an opportunity for me to stay here long-term in Edmonton, it “Things can turn pretty quick, especially if you have elite pieces like the could be a great fit,” Barrie told colleague Mark Spector. Sabres do,” Hall said, upon becoming 2020's most surprising signing. “Obviously, I’m betting on myself, but I’m betting that the Sabres can 5. Gabriel Landeskog improve and have a good hockey season. If I didn’t, I wouldn’t be here.

Age on July 28: 28 “Honestly, the best thing for both sides is that this goes really well, and I’m a Sabre for a long time.” Position: Left wing Welp. 2020-21 salary cap hit: $5.57 million Hall and the Sabres have had a disastrous 2021. The player had scored The latest: True, the budget-conscious Avalanche have a track record of just twice (and added 14 assists) by the halfway mark, shooting at a dealing away talent before they hit paydirt: Paul Stastny, Ryan O’Reilly, career-low 2.8 per cent. Hall is also a career-worst minus-17. Matt Duchene, Tyson Barrie…. With full trade protection, Hall will have a say in where (or if) he’s dealt at But! Colorado has an open window to contend for the grand prize, and the deadline. anything other than a long-term extension for the captain would rock the core in a bad way. Real dollars are more of a concern than cap space in "We're open to anything and everything," Sabres GM Kevyn Adams said, Denver, so GM Joe Sakic should lock up Landeskog for the rest of his on the day he fired coach Ralph Krueger. Krueger was integral in prime. recruiting Hall to the team.

“Actually, back in Edmonton [during the 2020 playoffs], we started a Adams and Hall’s agent, Darren Ferris, have discussed both an dialogue,” Sakic revealed in October. “We'll revisit that. We'd like to have extension and the idea of Hall waving his no-move clause. something done during the year, but if it has to go through the year, we're confident we have a pretty good relationship with Gabe and that we'll be 8. Frederik Andersen able to figure something out by next year. Age on July 28: 31

“I think everyone's figuring out where the landscape is going to be in the Position: Goaltender next few years. The dialogue is going to continue, so hopefully we'll be able to extend.” 2020-21 salary cap hit: $5 million

How does five years and $35 million sound? The latest: Andersen is easily the best netminder the Maple Leafs have employed since Ed Belfour, and yet there is much uncertainty 6. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins surrounding his future with the franchise.

Age on July 28: 28 At the very least, GM Kyle Dubas entertained tire-kicking last off-season Position: Left wing / Centre on his workhorse No. 1 netminder, a valuable asset whose price in 2021- 22 would strain the organization’s salary structure. (Carolina was one 2020-21 salary cap hit: $6 million team that inquired.) Dubas was reportedly only interested in parting with Auston Matthews’ part-time roomie for a top-four defenceman. The latest: A friend of the rumour mill, Nugent-Hopkins enters his contract year hot off back-to-back 60-point campaigns. One of the few Andersen holds a 10-team no-trade clause, but we don’t envision him mainstays of the Oilers’ top six, RNH has improved his two-way game being shipped out before April 12. That said, we believe Dubas will and has the versatility to complement Edmonton’s superstars from the prioritize a Zach Hyman extension over an Andersen one. wing or centre his own middle-six line when necessary. Andersen’s thoughts on a second contract with the Leafs? Although Nuge cannot be replaced internally, until he is re-signed, speculation around the 2011 first-overall pick’s future will linger. He does “Whatever’s gonna happen, happens,” he said, following the team’s not hold trade protection. fourth consecutive post-season series loss.

Writes colleague Mark Spector: “I’d guess he’ll be looking for Leon Andersen says there was “a little bit” of contract talks prior to puck drop. Draisaitl money ($8.5 million), though the Oilers may think that’s high. Jordan Binnington’s six-year, $36-million extension with St. Louis looks But with Connor McDavid ($12.5 million) and Draisaitl ($8.5 million) atop like the ceiling for Andersen on his next deal — which should be the salary structure, Nugent-Hopkins could be signed for a number that dependent on his post-season performance. does not leave Edmonton like Toronto — top-heavy with three forwards “If I play well, things are going to be easier for me going forward. And if I averaging over $11 million apiece.” play well, it’ll be good for the team,” Andersen said of his contract year. Positive preliminary extension talks took place in October between the “My focus right now is just having fun with it. Enjoy being part of this Oilers and Nugent-Hopkins' camp. Then… silence. group.”

The best flat-cap comparable here may be Brendan Gallagher’s six-year, Andersen was 13-7-2 with a .900 save percentage at the season’s $39-million extension in Montreal. halfway mark.

Asked about RNH’s future on a Zoom call in late February, Holland 9. Zach Hyman thought back to some of his overcommitting in Detroit. Age on July 28: 29

“You sign some contracts and they don’t work out. And the way the [cap] Position: Left wing system is built, it makes it more difficult to compete,” Holland said. “He’s an important part of our team, and he’s got good chemistry with our 2020-21 salary cap hit: $2.25 million players, but it’s got to work for both sides.” The latest: The Maple Leafs love Hyman; Hyman loves the Maple Leafs. Remaining Time -1:13 “I would love to stay in Toronto. It’s where I grew up. I want to be a Leaf Oilers' Holland gives latest update on contract talks with Nugent-Hopkins for a long time. That’s first and foremost,” Hyman said. “I would love to be

7. Taylor Hall a long-term Leaf and would love to re-sign here and would love to be 2020-21 salary cap hit: $3.08 million here and ultimately win a Stanley Cup here.” The latest: Danault’s name was “out there” this off-season, per Elliotte The all-situations winger has upped his bargaining power with another Friedman, but trading responsible centremen before they hit age 30 is fantastic campaign and is proving to be coach Sheldon Keefe’s fixer, as seldom advisable. Even if the future looks bright at the position (see: Nick he jostles from line to line, helping energize teammates who need a Suzuki, Jasperi Kotkaniemi). bump. Danault doesn’t exactly put up Xbox numbers — he’s never surpassed Hyman’s brand of hockey would make him a unique commodity on the 13 goals and has reached 50 points just once — but he tilts the ice, open market, and all reports say no extension talks have taken place. nullifies the opposition’s top centre regularly and is a plus-46 player over Leverage rests with the player here. the past three seasons.

Signing Hyman in-season would place the Leafs in an expansion-draft GM Marc Bergevin was quick to commit to Jeff Petry and Brendan bind, so an extension will likely have to wait. Gallagher, and he reportedly offered a six-year, $30-million deal to Danault in the off-season that was rejected. “Regardless of who he's playing with or where in the lineup, whether he's on the power play or not, he comes and works and is an outstanding “At this moment, there are no negotiations,” Danault said on Nov. 24. leader and person for us,” GM Kyle Dubas said on March 16. “Letting emotions get in the way of business doesn’t really work. I understood that pretty quickly.” “With regards to his future, I'm not going to comment on he or any of the pending free agents, restricted or unrestricted. I just don't think it's Yes, Danault wishes he’d been take care of, the way Gallagher and Petry productive at this time to do so.” were, but he’s still bringing a winning attitude to the rink.

10. Kyle Palmieri “The Canadiens gave me a three-year contract two years ago, and I still have a year to play with the Canadiens,” Danault said. “After that, we’ll Age on July 28: 30 see. I really have the intention of honouring my contract and then, after Position: Right wing / Left wing that, we’ll see what the future holds.”

2020-21 salary cap hit: $4.65 million Danault may consider hiring Nathan MacKinnon as his agent. Asked, during a Spitttin’ Chiclets interview to name his toughest matchup, The latest: An unsung star on a rebuilding team, the hardworking MacKinnon pointed to Danault. Palmieri is quietly riding a five-year streak of 20-goal seasons and is one of the last leaders standing on a roster that is getting younger by the “Such a good centreman. It’s hard to get space on him,” MacKinnon said. trade. “I don’t know if he’s in Selke talks, but he should be. Hopefully he wins one. Good versus everyone, not just me.” Extension talks with GM Tom Fitzgerald are reportedly underway, and cap space is no issue in New Jersey. If the club cannot find common More notable 2021 UFAs: Mike Hoffman, , Alex Iafallo, ground with a consistent forward who contributes to all situations, David Krejci, Eric Staal, Ryan Getzlaf, Tomas Tatar, Mikael Granlund, Palmieri will make a heckuva rental trade chip. Erik Haula, Bobby Ryan, Niklas Hjalmarsson, Adam Larsson, Derek Stepan, Paul Stastny, Alexander Edler, Petr Mrazek, Travis Zajac, Jaden The Devils — a deadline seller — and Palmieri have reportedly begun Schwartz, David Savard, Tyler Bozak, Ryan Murray, Nikita Gusev, Nick discussions regarding his future. Foligno, Brandon Sutter, Nick Bonino, Alec Martinez, Adam Lowry, Blake Coleman, Sean Kuraly, Barclay Goodrow, , Jamie Oleksiak, As Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reports, count the Bruins, Islanders and Jordan Martinook, Tanner Pearson, Jordie Benn Maple Leafs among teams that will be interested in the versatile winger’s services. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 11.

Age on July 28: 34

Position: Goaltender

2020-21 salary cap hit: $7 million

The latest: The question isn’t whether Rask — a Vezina-winning, Cup- winning, Jennings-winning stud — is deserving of an extension. The question is whether he wants one.

Rask openly pondered 2021 retirement this past season and drew criticism in some (unkind) circles for departing the playoff bubble early to attend to a family matter and leaving the Bruins’ crease to backup Jaroslav Halak.

The flat cap might prevent Sweeney from offering Rask a raise in an off- season during which Boston will also face decisions on several other free agents, but it would be difficult to argue that an engaged Rask isn’t worth at least $7 million somewhere.

"I have no intention of playing anywhere else but the Bruins," Rask said on Jan. 6.

"I'm comfortable where we are. I just wanna start the season in a good groove, and if the talks happen during the season, so be it. My main goal is to start season right, worry about future after."

The Bruins are not opposed to re-signing Rask or backup Jaroslav Halak in-season, but there appears no urgency on either side. Feels like a decision for the summer.

Rask was 8-4-2 with a .906 save percentage at the midway mark.

12. Phillip Danault

Age on July 28: 28

Position: Centre 1206218 Websites Green faces a goaltending decision Saturday – whether to give Demko his ninth straight start in the second of back-to-back games or let struggling backup play for the first time since March 2 – that will be ripe for second-guessing no matter whom he chooses. Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' season looking up after complete road win over Canadiens “That was a good team effort tonight right from the drop the puck,” the coach said. “We just played a good road game. That's the type of hockey we need to play to have success. We've been talking about it a long time now. It was nice to get the win.” Iain MacIntyre “We want to dictate how the game goes by how we play,” Gaudette said, March 20, 2021, 12:29 AM “never by how the opponent plays. I think we did a good job of that tonight.”

Whatever the risk, the reward for J.T. Miller was worth it Friday night 31 Thoughts: The Podcast when the audacious power forward conjured the biggest goal of the Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey Vancouver Canucks’ season, scoring spectacularly in overtime to beat world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. they think about it. An even bigger goal could come Saturday when the Canucks, 7-1-0 in Nobody on the Canucks exerts his will with the audacity and authority of their last eight games and back to .500 for the first time since Feb. 2, can Miller, who can be both fabulous and fallible with the puck. But his team pass the Canadiens on points in the North Division by completing a two- is starting to pick up some of Miller’s confidence and swagger. They’ve game sweep in Montreal. transformed themselves over the last five weeks. Such a possibility seemed like pure fantasy only three weeks ago but the “It's a really fine line between winning and losing,” Miller said. “I said this Canucks, strengthened by success and a superhuman run of form from a month ago to you guys, that we were playing the right way and if we starting goalie Thatcher Demko, have found themselves and are now believe in our game and have faith in our system and we play the right finding ways to win instead of lose. way, most nights we're going to get the results. And it just took a long This week alone, they blew 2-0 leads in consecutive games against the time for those results to come, I feel like. It's easy to get impatient, but I Ottawa Senators but were resilient enough to win both. On Friday, they think we have done a good job of staying with it and putting a good game surrendered a tying goal to Nick Suzuki with 57 seconds remaining in in front of us more nights than not.” regulation time and the Canadiens skating six-against-four. And Saturday night? Still, the Canucks did not buckle. “We haven't looked at tomorrow yet, but it's a giant game for our team,” “The biggest thing about our group tonight that gave me a lot of passion he said. “It means a lot to us. It's been a heckuva road trip; we've been about our group was when we got scored on, there was no letdown on playing good hockey. We really want to win tomorrow. It's obviously the our team, no heads down at the bench,” Canucks defenceman Nate biggest game that we've played yet this year. I think we know what's at Schmidt said. “It happened, whatever. Let’s go back out and get it done.” stake.”

Vancouver coach Travis Green said of the tying goal: “No one flinched at Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 all.”

At the end of a continuous, two-minute shift to start overtime, Miller bullied his way past Tomas Tatar, then toe-dragged the puck around Suzuki before outwaiting Montreal goalie Jake Allen to score at 2:01. Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme had three forwards on the ice, and two of them were no match in the defensive zone against Miller.

“It's not really textbook,” Miller said. “I'd been on the ice a really long time, but I wasn't really doing a whole lot. They were in the neutral zone just swinging a lot (with the puck) and I still felt fresh. It's one of those things where I knew I was going against a forward, and then when I got by the first guy, it's a heat-of-the-moment move that doesn't happen very often, so I'm pretty lucky to get by and obviously it was a big goal for us.”

Equally big was a breakaway miss seconds earlier by Montreal’s resident power forward, Josh Anderson, who shot high and may have been spooked by seeing Demko stack his pads sideways like a modern-day Ken Dryden.

Driving a new forward line that included old New York Rangers and Team USA linemate Jimmy Vesey, claimed on waivers Wednesday from the Toronto Maple Leafs, Miller logged 23:36 of ice time. Only Quinn Hughes, the defenceman who passed the puck up to Miller before ending his own marathon OT shift and finishing with 24:03 TOI, played more on either team.

The Canucks won for just the second time in 16 games when surrendering the first goal.

Adam Gaudette scored on a beautiful goalmouth setup by Antoine Roussel at 2:25 of the second period, offsetting Corey Perry’s first-period power-play goal for Montreal, before Nils Hoglander redirected Schmidt’s shot-pass to put Vancouver ahead at 6:37.

The Canucks did not allow an even-strength goal.

In their biggest game of a season they’ve been chasing since a 6-11-0 start, the Canucks manufactured one of their best road performances. They did a lot more than defer to Demko, who made 29 saves and is 8-1- 0 in March with a .950 save rate. 1206219 Websites Jacob Markstrom rebound with a 24-save effort that included a diving effort to stone Austin Matthews late.

“I thought we played really well - we checked well and gave up very little Sportsnet.ca / Flames' selfless play vs. Leafs puts emphasis on team's odd-man rushes,” said Sutter, who pointed out most of Toronto’s growing confidence chances came off three unsuccessful power plays.

“It was not a track meet game at all. I think we have a team that can play together and if we eliminate little mistakes in our game and stay out of Eric Francis the penal box we can play with them. Look at the third period, we killed two penalties and they were two of our centremen that kill penalties in the March 20, 2021, 12:12 AM box, and we got through it. So, the mindset was right. Hopefully, we can use this as a stepping stone.”

The term, “bend-but-not-break” is often used to describe the type of That’s what is needed if the Flames, who’ve won four of five under desperate defending the Calgary Flames employed to preserve Friday Sutter, can continue closing the gap on the fourth-place Canadiens who night’s win in Toronto. sit two points up after losing in overtime Friday to a Vancouver team still one up on Calgary. However, it also paints a picture of what Johnny Gaudreau went through when plowed awkwardly into the boards by Leafs defenceman Justin Not that they’ll have much time to savour the win against the north’s top- Holl. ranked team before playing them again Saturday, but you can bet the Flames went to sleep feeling better about themselves, save for the The latter was handled brilliantly by the Flames and the former allowed extensive bruising. the team to take advantage of two fortuitous bounces to preserve a 4-3 bounce back win that should do wonders to help their surging confidence In a game that saw the Flames block the bulk of 29 shots in a frantic third grow. period in which they somehow limited the Leafs to just eight shots, Noah Hanifin came up lame after falling, Sam Bennett had his hand taped after Home of the Flames blocking a shot, Tkachuk needed repairs after the fight and Gaudreau’s wincing was continual following his blast. As part of the team’s renewed emphasis on covering one another in every way possible, Juuso Valimaki immediately sprung to Gaudreau’s Prices were paid, as Sutter demands. defence after the tiny winger turned into the hellacious Holl hit that was an awkward enough distance from the boards to inflict an obvious “Huge win – every game is big now so every two points is huge,” said measure of pain. Valimaki drew the only penalty on the exchange, Ryan, whose opportunistic club handed the Leafs their sixth loss in seven prompting the Flames to kill the type of penalty team’s take additional outings. pride in. “We fought pretty hard tonight for those two points against a really good Soon thereafter Holl accepted Tkachuk’s invitation to fight, but not before team. Our penalty kill came up big in the third and I thought we defended it appeared the Leafs defender awkwardly attempted to reclaim his a little bit better than we did against Edmonton, but still room for gloves as if the scrap has been cancelled. improvement. The guys just battled and dug deep to get a nice road win.”

“I didn’t really know what was going on – we were going to fight and then Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 he went to pick up his gloves, and then I wasn’t going to let him miss that opportunity,” said Tkachuk, who was asked what the message was with the fight.

“Don’t touch Johnny, I guess? I don’t think a lot of guys liked the hit, whether it was clean or whether it was dirty. It was a little ways from the boards and he could have gotten hurt.”

As for why he took it upon himself to spark the fight, Tkachuk explained, “I know he’s probably not fighting Looch (Milan Lucic), Benny (Sam Bennett) or Ritch (Brett Ritchie.)”

Tkachuk’s first goal in nine outings opened the game and set the tone for what appeared early to be the sort of shootout Sutter insists his team isn’t capable of winning too often in the star-studded north.

A 3-2 lead after the first period was erased by a Mitch Marner goal early in the second that Mark Giordano answered midway through the evening with a power-play blast that bounced in off Jake Muzzin. Much like how the Leafs won a game earlier this year with a pair of fortuitous bounces in Calgary, Giordano’s ended up being the game-winner in a contest that finished with four intense minutes of penalty killing in the third that saw Giordano accumulate the bulk of his five blocks.

“He was our fearless leader, willing to get in front of at least two or three big shot blocks there at the end,” said Derek Ryan, who put the Flames up 2-0 on the hosts a mere seven minutes into the game.

“He was amped up and I thought he brought his ‘A’ game. That’s what we’ve talked about in our dressing room, everybody trying to be anywhere from two per cent to five per cent better, and I think he was more than that tonight. He was our leader and helped us gut out those two points.”

His selflessness typified a Flames performance that gave the Flames its fourth win in five games under Darryl Sutter, coming on the heels of a humbling setback against Edmonton Wednesday.

*I understand that I may withdraw my consent at any time.

The Toronto-born captain said afterward he was most proud of the blocks, as they were integral in preserving a crucial win that also saw 1206220 Websites First, he got the Ducks on the board with his first career NHL goal at the 12-minute mark of the second period. (The goal was initially credited to Max Jones, but quickly corrected.)

Sportsnet.ca / NHL Rookie Notebook: Ducks' Drysdale dominant in NHL Then, 2:29 later, the defenceman helped set up a gorgeous goal by debut Zegras. It was Zegras's first career goal, and Drysdale's secondary assist marked his first career helper.

Drysdale, former OHL Erie Otter and sixth overall selection of last fall's Emily Sadler draft, is known for his elite skating and strong puck movement and that was on full display Thursday. March 19, 2021, 3:22 PM At 18 years and 344 days, he's the youngest player in Ducks franchise

history to record two points in his debut, and is just the third 18-year-old Every week throughout the 2020-21 season, we're highlighting a handful defender to put up multiple points in his first outing (Petr Svoboda did it in of rookie performances and milestones from around the league. Montreal in 1984, and Ray Bourque was the first to do so in 1979 with Boston). He's also the fourth 18-year-old defenceman ever to score in his Senators' Daccord should be your new favourite player NHL debut.

It's been quite a week for Ottawa Senators goaltender Joey Daccord. On Zegras, who hails from Bedford, N.Y., was selected by the Ducks ninth Sunday night, the 24-year-old was unexpectedly tossed into the starter's overall in 2019 and now has 11 games under his belt. He and Drysdale, role after an injury took Matt Murray out during warmups. from Toronto, have long been opponents on the international stage but now, lucky for the Ducks, are already finding chemistry when flying Thirty-three saves and plenty of drama later, Daccord had his first career together. NHL win and quickly became everyone's new favourite player thanks to a joyful, honest, and emotional post-game interview: Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 Unfortunately, Daccord's run of starts -- he started both Monday and Wednesday night's matchups against the Canucks -- was cut short after he, too, fell to injury. Following Monday's 3-2 overtime loss, in which Daccord stopped 25 of 28 shots, the Boston native stopped 19 of 21 in Wednesday's Canucks rematch before going down five minutes into the third period. He looked to be in a lot of pain in the non-contact injury, and had to be helped off the ice. As we learned on Friday, he could be done for the season.

Stützle dazzles with backhand pass

Part of what made Daccord's post-game interview so wonderful Sunday night was his enthusiastic recalling of rookie teammate Tim Stützle's incredible pass to set up Drake Batherson:

"That pass from Timmy was -- oh my God, I almost fell over."

Same, Joey.

Stützle had the whole hockey world buzzing with that one. The 19-year- old currently sits second in assists among his Senators teammates, with 12, and second in points among all rookies league-wide, with 18.

Kahkonen's win streak continues

He only made one appearance since we checked in last Friday, but Kahkonen certainly made it count: He stopped all 31 shots Tuesday against the Arizona Coyotes for his second career shutout and his ninth consecutive victory.

He's undoubtedly the starter of the future in Minnesota, but what about right now? With Cam Talbot back in fine form, the Wild have themselves a solid tandem and a great goalie battle. Talbot got the bulk of the starts this past week, recording a pair of wins against Arizona, including a shutout, followed by a loss to Colorado in which he made a whopping 50 saves.

Lankinen robs Ekblad with incredible glove save

We've had lots of great rookie goaltending stories this season, with the surprise emergence of Chicago Blackhawks netminder Kevin Lankinen leading the way out of the gates and throughout much of the first half of the season.

While Chicago struggled this week with a trio of losses, Lankinen's skill was on full display Monday night with this elite save against Florida Panthers star Aaron Ekblad:

Ducks' Drysdale dominant in NHL debut

The Anaheim Ducks have a bright future ahead of them with playmakers like Jamie Drysdale and Trevor Zegras coming up big like they did Thursday night.

Suiting up for his NHL debut against the Coyotes Thursday, Drysdale wasted no time in making a strong first impression. 1206221 Websites Tightening up collectively in the defensive zone is the top priority for the Jets in the second half — and with the exception of the third period on Wednesday night — they’ve mostly been able to accomplish that goal in recent efforts. Sportsnet.ca / Jets confident in ability to regroup after off-night for top guns vs. Oilers Sure, there were the three self-inflicted wounds and costly turnovers in Monday’s defeat, but the Jets have kept the shot volume down to a manageable level in three of the past four outings.

Ken Wiebe Sticking to that style is going to be essential as things ramp up.

March 19, 2021, 9:57 AM “We’ve been playing a pretty good style in trying to be real careful about what we’re giving up,” said Jets head coach Paul Maurice. “We had the

turnovers against Montreal but other than that, our last four we have WINNIPEG — It had the makings of a temporary fix, a shot in the arm to been pretty darn good with it.” start the longest road trip of this compressed regular season. Surviving this stretch run comes down to a formula that’s easier to Sure, it’s only mid-March and there are 26 games left on the schedule — identify than it often is to execute. including this stretch of seven games over 12 days — but there was “Health is going to be No. 1, in truth, and it’s one of those tough ones that some buzz surrounding this two-game series between the Winnipeg Jets you have a difficult time controlling,” said Maurice. “When you look at all and Edmonton Oilers. of the schedules now, 17 games (in March), a number of four-game After all, by the time the horn sounded at the end of the contest, one of weeks stacked up. The team that can stay the healthiest, No. 1, then the two teams would find themselves on equal footing with the first-place recover the best is most important. No. 2 would be being able to Toronto Maple Leafs, at least in terms of points. mentally, then, do the exact same thing, not get in or out of a rhythm too high or too low. On a night that was mostly the opposite of the high-octane pace folks have come to expect when the Jets and Oilers get together, Connor “Certainly too low is the danger here and being able to rejuvenate McDavid was the difference-maker, supplying both goals in a 2-1 victory yourself mentally. The physical part, we’ll try to get them a rest, but trying Thursday night. to stay positive when your game … because you’re going to have ups and downs and it’s going to be very intense and very competitive and in “I’d like to have those. But at the same time, you can ask any goalie, the North, it’ll be very scrutinized, so all the pressure you can imagine is that’s one of the tougher spots to stop,” said Jets goalie Laurent Brossoit, there.” who made 19 saves but had his personal four-game winning streak snapped. “It’s pretty obvious you don’t want to give him any time and With both teams in the midst of a taxing portion of the schedule and space. When he does have it, he’s a pure goal scorer. He picked a good playing on consecutive nights, offence was simply tough to generate on shot, a good spot. He’s got a deceptive release. I mean, you can Thursday, especially for the Jets — whose lone goal came off the stick of compliment him all you want, it’s almost unnecessary. We all know it.” a rejuvenated Perreault.

As for the Jets’ top guns, nothing came easy. Perreault, who was placed on waivers prior to the season to help create a larger LTIR pool, is up to seven goals on the season, eclipsing his total Paul Stastny and Kyle Connor rattled shots off the iron and one of the from 2019-20 — when he was limited to 49 games because of injury. best scoring opportunities came late as Mark Scheifele nearly sent the game to overtime with goalie Brossoit on the bench in favour of an extra The Jets’ best line was its fourth unit, which has been a topic for much of attacker. the time since Maurice took over from Claude Noel in January of 2014.

But the pass to Scheifele in front changed direction off the skate of Oilers Over the course of time, the Jets have used a blend of youth and forward Josh Archibald and skipped over his stick and he was unable to experience. bat the puck out of the air. Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey That’s just the type of night it was. world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it. “Obviously, we’re paid to produce. All of our lines had some chances. We wish we would have had more or capitalized on them when we had the This year, at least when healthy, Maurice has leaned mostly on the chance,” said Scheifele, who survived a scare when he blocked a shot veteran trio of Nate Thompson between two-time Stanley Cup champion with his right foot/ankle late in the first period, declaring “it’s fine” during Trevor Lewis and Perreault. his post-game media session. “That’s the way it goes sometimes. You “It’s all based on role definition,” said Maurice, asked how difficult it is to can’t get them every night, so we have to regroup and be ready for the integrate veteran players at a time when youth is often served. “When next one.” you sign a veteran guy or when you trade for a veteran guy, is the hole The Jets have made regrouping an art form this season, showing resolve that you have for him to play what he expected? As long as those lines at almost every turn. are clear, then those guys are great.

After losing for the second time in three games and escaping overtime in “But the most important piece is that when you’re making that deal or the other, the Jets find themselves in familiar territory, looking to remain you’re having those conversations and a lot of times it’s in the summer, among the two teams in the NHL (the Florida Panthers are the other) that that it’s really clear about what you’re being brought in to do because if has yet to lose consecutive games in regulation this season. you bring in a guy and say I’ve got you in the two-hole on the left side and then he’s playing in the four-hole because you’ve got other players They’re 8-0-1 coming in that scenario and will put that record on the line ahead of him, that’s where veteran guys — they’re more aware of how in Saturday’s rematch against an Oilers team that has shown plenty of its much time is on their clock. And they all want to win and they all want to own, going 6-2 since getting swept by the Maple Leafs. play, so wasting a year or not being where they thought would be — and that’s not performance-based — it’s just, they didn’t get what we The Jets are the only team in the North to avoid a full-fledged crisis so far promised them. Then you can have a problem. We’ve been really good and they’re determined to keep it that way. about bringing those guys in and them understanding what the role and “We’re a confident group. We lose one, we just put it behind us and focus the job was and then accepting it.” on the next one,” said Mathieu Perreault. “We’ve got a great group of There aren’t a lot of nights when the fourth line is asked to play 10-plus guys. We’re playing well. That’s just kind of the mentality we’ve had and minutes a night, but they don’t have to constantly be sheltered with we’ve been able to bounce back pretty much every time we’ve lost so far offensive-zone starts either. this year.” Earlier this week, Maurice sent them out to protect a one-goal lead with After coughing up a two-goal lead in the third period against the Montreal fewer than three minutes to go in regulation. Canadiens one night earlier before rallying to win in overtime, the Jets mostly clamped down defensively, limiting the Oilers to only 21 shots on goal — and only three high-danger opportunities at 5-on-5 play. The move may have raised a few eyebrows, but it also served a greater purpose — both as a reward and also as recognition for doing the little things right.

“So, one of the things that you notice is that our shift length has gotten a lot better from the start of the year, because now they have respect for that fourth line. It’s their turn to go,” Maurice said recently. “I know that’s a small thing, but it’s not because it makes your whole game better. The respect for the other players on the ice.”

Finding a mix he can rely on to play somewhere in the neighbourhood of seven to 10 minutes has been challenging for Maurice, but due to the frenetic pace during the final 10 weeks of the campaign, no team can survive without getting a contribution from the fourth unit.

“This is what we want. We want to be out there and have a chance to make a difference every night,” said Perreault. “And like I said earlier, we’re three responsible guys in our own end. We want Paul (Maurice) to have that trust in us to put us out there late in games to get the job done. So we were glad to see we got that time and hopefully we can get more of that.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206222 Websites “There was some criticism in the summer towards him and Draisaitl — that I didn’t think was warranted — but he’s taken it to heart and he’s become a much better 200-foot player. You notice the things he does offensively, but he’s a solid, dependable player in our own zone. He Sportsnet.ca / McDavid giving Oilers a 'cheat code' with evolution into doesn’t get enough credit for that.” complete superstar He’s getting credit now.

The Cheat Code is winning faceoffs and playing defence. Mark Spector That's bad news for the rest of the North. March 19, 2021, 1:35 AM Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.20.2021

EDMONTON — It’s definitely not fair that one team gets Connor McDavid and the other doesn’t. And now he’s playing defence, winning faceoffs, and shooting — and scoring — more than ever before.

It ends up with a game like the one played Thursday, where two sleepy teams were playing their second of back-to-back games and third in four nights. The Cheat Code — a.k.a. McDavid — scored twice and the Edmonton Oilers beat the Winnipeg Jets 2-1.

“Basically, he got us those two points tonight,” said winning goalie Mikko Koskinen. “We are happy to have him.”

Ya think?

On a night when both teams' stars were not great, simply overtaxed by this relentless pandemic-schedule, the brightest star was still his supernova self, as McDavid cranked up his lead in the scoring race and pulled to within one goal of league leader Auston Matthews with his 19th and 20th.

Honestly, this was one of those nights when it just isn’t fair.

“He’s incredible. It’s amazing to watch,” said defenceman Ethan Bear. “We were joking around, ‘We play a tight game, we have the best player in the league, and he doesn’t get tired. He does phenomenal things, like scoring two tonight, and we’ve just got to do our part and hold down the fort.’”

It was, in fact, the fifth game in seven nights for Edmonton, a span of games that invokes a minor-league schedule. We get it: These guys make big money. But that doesn’t make them machines, to be turned off, refuelled, and turned on again for another 60 minutes of consistent performance.

Somehow though, everyone else gets tired except for No. 97.

Somehow, the puck bounced over the stick of Mark Scheifele all night long, but it didn’t jump over McDavid’s as he whistled a pair of pucks past Laurent Brossoit’s stick side. He gave Edmonton a 2-1 lead after 40 minutes — with two more assists courtesy the red-hot Tyson Barrie — and Edmonton hung on to pull into a first place tie with Toronto at 40 points apiece.

That’s the other thing about McDavid these days. He appears to have had his Steve Yzerman moment, realizing that points alone won’t take him to a championship.

“[Defensive play] is always a main focus for us. I know it doesn’t always look like it,” McDavid said post-game. “We’re always trying to limit chances and keep the puck out of our net.”

McDavid went away after the disaster that was a four-game, Qualifying Round loss to Chicago last summer, and set his attention to a few crucial parts of his game. He wanted to be better defensively, to improve in the faceoff circle, and it was apparent to all that he would have to mix up the opposition by shooting a lot more.

Fast forward to this morning: McDavid’s 131 shots on net are second only to Brady Tkachuk’s 141, and after a career in which he never registered a faceoff percentage as high as 48 per cent, he sits at 51.4 per cent in the circle this season.

All in all, McDavid’s game has turned a corner that every superstar’s game must turn before they win. Yzerman, Mike Modano, Sidney Crosby — the best always seek out ways to get better.

“What I like most about him this year is, he’s come in with a real determined mindset to defend well and be a real solid player in our own end,” said his head coach, Dave Tippett. “Our whole coaching staff talks about it every day, how much he’s dug in to playing a real winning style of game. 1206223 Websites Calgary defenceman Juuso Valimaki. The Leafs’ ensuing power play try came up empty, however, and right after it ended, Tkachuk was waiting for Holl.

TSN.CA / Andersen’s struggles continue; Flames hand Leafs third A strange sequence followed. Tkachuk challenged Holl to a fight, both straight loss players dropped their gloves, and then Tkachuk skated away, only to start punching Holl as he bent down to pick up his mitts. The two exchanged a few half-hearted blows from there before sitting to serve their five-minute penalties. By Kristen Shilton “He came at me and asked me to go, so I dropped them, and then I

thought that he was not dropping them,” Holl said. "And then I think the TORONTO —Amid Frederik Andersen’s ongoing struggles in net, the linesman said something so I was confused as to what was going on but Maple Leafs continued their losing ways Friday night. it ended up that we went. It's all part of the game, especially when I had the hit on Gaudreau, so there's going to be a response.” Toronto’s starter made just 14 saves in a 4-3 loss to the Calgary Flames, registering a season-low .778 save percentage. Andersen is now 2-5-0 In short order, Ilya Mikheyev had joined Holl in the box for holding and with an .871 save percentage since returning on March 3 from a lower- Mark Giordano scored with a one-timer just three seconds into the power body injury that he admitted on Thursday is still troubling him. The loss play, giving Calgary a 4-3 edge it would not relinquish. was Toronto’s third in a row, and dropped them to 1-6-0 in their last The Leafs’ penalty kill has now allowed four goals in its last 10 seven. appearances. Toronto’s own power play went 0-for-3 on the night, and is The Leafs did much of their part in front of Andersen on Friday by 0-for-8 in its last four games. controlling play offensively and allowing a season-low 18 shots on net, Keefe said backup Jack Campbell will step in against Calgary in the including just two in the third period. What mistakes that were made second half of Toronto’s back-to-back on Saturday, giving Andersen a ended up behind Andersen though, and that told the story of Toronto’s chance to re-set mentally. The Leafs were coming off a four-day break as defeat. it was and while Keefe admitted he thought there might be a lull in their “It's difficult on a night like tonight when everything seems to find a way play, he had hoped for a better result. through traffic,” Andersen said. "I know personally, I didn't lose my ability “It's certainly [frustrating],” he said. "You want it to flip and get the results to play good. And same goes for our team, too. We want to get out of this going back, but that doesn't do us any good. We've got to just regroup slump here and start winning some hockey games. It's just a matter of here and recognize this as an opportunity for us to realize how it is we putting it together. I think it's something [that starts] by me looking inward need to play and how consistent we need to be. We better find a way to and doing what I can do just to play my best and help the team.” get a win here and then all of a sudden everything eases up a little bit but The Flames were up on Toronto in a hurry Friday, scoring two goals on it's not going to be easy.” four shots in the opening frame. TSN.CA LOADED: 03.20.2021 That first goal came just 1:19 into the game, when Andersen failed to seal his post against Matthew Tkachuk’s short side strike.

Then a defensive zone turnover ended up on the stick of Derek Ryan, who was alone in the slot and blasted a wrister past Andersen.

It was a start for Toronto that felt eerily similar to the one in their game last Sunday against Ottawa, when the Senators scored twice with their first three shots on net.

“When things are going the way they had been for us as a team, and the first shot ends up in your net, that's tough,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “That's the way it's going, so we just have to continue to focus on the things that we can do to not put ourselves in those positions where those pucks can't be directed at our net.”

Toronto began to rally in the second half of the period. Morgan Rielly put a shot on Jacob Markstrom that was blocked in front, but the puck took a fortuitous bounce onto Jason Spezza’s stick and the veteran didn’t miss from the slot to make it 2-1 Calgary with just over seven minutes left in the first.

Wayne Simmonds, in his first game back from a broken wrist suffered Feb. 6, picked up an assist on the play.

Toronto had a great chance to close the gap off a Flames’ offensive zone turnover, but Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner both failed to convert, and then Chris Tanev rifled a shot through traffic at the other end with 1:05 to play in the opening frame.

By then, Andersen had allowed three goals on seven shots.

“He got it on the on the flank and originally I saw it on the left side of the screen and then as he dragged it over I had to switch to where I was trying to track the puck,” Andersen said of Tanev’s strike. “And just as he was releasing it I saw it and it was just too late to really track it and get something on it.”

Alex Kerfoot made it his mission to respond quickly, carrying the puck into Calgary’s zone and looking off the defender with a quick shot from the circle that beat Markstrom with 24.5 seconds left in the frame.

The Leafs trailed 3-2 going into the second, and Marner had the equalizer in a hurry with a high-glove shot over Markstrom.

Toronto barely had time to exhale before Justin Holl had smashed Johnny Gaudreau into the boards, prompting a tussle instigated by 1206224 Websites "Tony keeps pretty even-keeled," said linemate Mitch Marner. "Our group tries not to get frustrated and stay the same mood at all times. I'm sure it is frustrating for him to not be able to shoot it as well as he'd like, but definitely looks like he's coming back to normal and it's a big help for our TSN.CA / Sutter wants Calgary's top-end talent to emulate ‘complete’ team." Leafs stars Already dealing with a hand injury, Matthews hurt his right wrist in a game against the Flames on Feb. 24 when defenceman Rasmus Andersson checked him hard into the boards. By Mark Masters Leafs Ice Chips: Matthews looking like his old self

The Leafs are ready to resume their season tonight against the Flames. The Toronto Maple Leafs held an optional skate at Scotiabank Arena on Toronto has been off since losing Sunday night in Ottawa, and this break Friday. The Calgary Flames held a full skate. has helped the group refocus and re-energize after a tough stretch that Flames coach Darryl Sutter was asked Friday what adjustments he's saw them drop five of six games. The break has been especially helpful looking for from highly skilled stars like Johnny Gaudreau and Sean for Auston Matthews who has been nursing a nagging wrist injury. As Monahan. Mark Masters explains, the 23-year-old centre has been looking at lot better in practice this week. "It's just a little bit more of their shot count, shot quality, pace of the game and 200-foot game," the veteran bench boss explained. "You look at the Alex Galchenyuk will make his Leafs debut tonight slotting in on the Toronto Maple Leafs, they play a complete game and their top players second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. have made that adjustment to play a complete game, so you have to try "Seeing what he did with the Marlies, it seemed like he kind of got his to emulate those teams to have any success here." swagger back with his confidence with the puck and power-plays seams Gaudreau, Monahan and linemate Brett Ritchie have been dumping and and just kind of getting his magic back," Marner observed. "Through chasing the puck more since Sutter took over. practice these last couple days you've seen it as well. His chemistry is getting better with JT and Will and hopefully they adapt quickly in this "Whether I'm comfortable with it or not that’s our team, that's our system game tonight. Everyone is excited to see him tonight." right now," Gaudreau said. "You need to adapt. It doesn't matter which coach you're playing for, you need to follow his instructions and make Acquired in a trade with Carolina on Feb. 15, Galchenyuk played six sure you're playing the right way and the way he wants you to play." games in the American Hockey League, producing eight points before being recalled by the Leafs this week. "We're trying to limit turnovers," said Monahan. "We're trying to hold pucks more in their end. If you get chances off the rush you're going to "He'll get a chance to play with good players tonight and I thought those take it, but if they're not there we have to continue to play the right way." guys looked really good in practice yesterday," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "I think the way that he moves the puck and the way that he can Calgary had won three straight with Sutter behind the bench before score and shoot the puck pairs well with them." getting shelled 7-3 on Wednesday in Edmonton. After that game, Sutter noted the Flames don't have the same firepower as other teams in the Galchenyuk to make Leafs debut tonight, will play with Tavares, Nylander North Division and have to play a more disciplined style to have success. Alex Galchenyuk will make his Maple Leafs debut tonight against the "I haven't found the net too much in the past few games, but we're 3-1 Flames. The 27-year old forward will play on a line with John Tavares and that's all you can really ask for," said Gaudreau, who has one goal and William Nylander, and head coach Sheldon Keefe explained why the and six shots in the past four outings. "When you're 3-1 with the new guy, timing is right for Galchenyuk to suit up tonight. I mean, that's a recipe for success." Wayne Simmonds returns to the Leafs lineup tonight after missing six Sutter isn’t juggling his forward lines tonight pointing out that the groups weeks with a broken wrist. have played fairly well. The coach cited "needless penalties" as the major "It's been a long time coming for him," said Keefe. "He's the kind of guy issue in Wednesday's setback. The Oilers scored on three of four power- who has a ton of energy and he hasn't been able to utilize a great deal of play chances. that in a competitive environment. Just to be in the practices was real "You see in this division where there are nights like that, basically power- good for him and we wanted to see how he responded coming in here play nights," said Sutter. "Our team has responded very well. It's not an today, but he feels good and we're happy to have him back in the mix." issue." Simmonds will start on the fourth line with Pierre Engvall and Jason "We know we have skill on our team," said Monahan. "We know we can Spezza and resume his role as the net-front guy on the top power-play score. We got to check first and that's when we'll get our opportunities." unit. His mere presence on the bench is also expected to provide a spark. Flames not looking to play run-and-gun against Leafs: 'We know how we have to win' "He's got a strong voice, a loud voice, you know, a guy who will stand up and kind of yell or encourage the group from one end to the other," Keefe Darryl Sutter brings a more defensive style behind the bench and he's noted. "He also has a strong voice on the ice with his linemates and with been preaching to the Flames that playing a run-and-gun game won't the opposition. He's got a lot of respect in the league." lead to success against teams like the Maple Leafs and Oilers. Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan discuss the new playstyle and what it 'An amazing teammate': Simmonds returns to Leafs' lineup against means for their offence. Flames

The Flames have lost three of four games to the Leafs this season, but Wayne Simmonds will return to the Maple Leafs' lineup tonight against went 1-0-1 during a trip to Toronto last month. The Leafs didn’t score a the Flames after being out since February 6th due to a broken wrist. five-on-five goal against Calgary in those two games. Simmonds' teammates discussed what he brings to the team.

"We've played well against them in the past," said Gaudreau. "We've After giving up seven goals on 30 shots in Wednesday's loss to the played these guys pretty well." Oilers, Jacob Markstrom gets the start again for Calgary.

"We know what we're up against," Monahan said. "It's a game we're "He had a rough night last game and we're looking for a bounce-back looking forward to and we want to set the tone ourselves and get pucks game tonight out of him," said Sutter. "That's what I'm looking for." behind them. We want to have the puck more than them and be heavy Frederik Andersen starts for the Leafs. Jack Campbell will be the backup with it in their end and keep an eye [on] those top guys." goalie. It is the first time Campbell has dressed in a game since The Leafs should have a lot of energy thanks to a four-day break aggravating a leg injury on Feb. 27 in Edmonton. between games. The rest has helped top-line centre Auston Matthews Andersen aims to regain confidence; admits injury still a factor recover from a nagging wrist injury. Matthews has three goals, all from in tight, in seven games since returning from a two-game absence. The Maple Leafs' hold on the North division has been shaken by losing five of six. Goalie Frederik Andersen's not the only one to blame, but he has been shaky lately. And while Andersen has been known to get out of ruts before during his time in Toronto, he's facing both a mental and physical challenge now. TSN's Mark Masters has more.

Sutter will be coaching against a familiar foe tonight in Joe Thornton. The pair have seen a lot of each other over the years in the Pacific Division.

"I have a ton of respect for him. It's not just how long he’s played, but [also] the success and how he's played and how he’s played at playoff time," said Sutter. "What gets overlooked is his playoff performances. He's a guy who's knocked on the door lots, but his playoff performance has been immaculate and his ability to recover and play through tough injuries is remarkable."

Thornton has 133 points in 179 career playoff games.

Projected Leafs lineup for Friday's game:

Thornton - Matthews - Marner

Galchenyuk - Tavares - Nylander

Mikheyev - Kerfoot - Hyman

Simmonds - Engvall - Spezza

Rielly - Brodie

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Bogosian

Andersen starts

Campbell

Projected Flames lineup for Friday's game:

Tkachuk - Lindholm - Dube

Gaudreau - Monahan - Ritchie

Lucic - Backlund - Mangiapane

Bennett - Ryan - Leivo

Giordano - Andersson

Hanifin - Tanev

Valimaki - Nesterov

Markstrom starts

Rittich

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.20.2021 1206225 Websites Keefe expects the Leafs offence to start thriving again after such a long layoff. Toronto was outscored 23-15 over its six games before the break, and their goals-for dropped to 2.50 from the season average of 3.63.

TSN.CA / Simmonds returns, Galchenyuk debuts as Leafs face Flames Those dips contributed to Galchenyuk being inserted into the group and Travis Boyd being pushed out. Even past the halfway point of the regular season, Keefe is trying to construct the Leafs’ best lineup. Being fully healthy, and bringing in fresh legs, should help. By Kristen Shilton “This season and our schedule is unforgiving,” Keefe said. “We’ve got to

find ways to optimize the lineup, and give opportunity to players such as TORONTO — Wayne Simmonds and Jack Campbell will return to the [Galchenyuk]. The standings are what they are, but they’re a symptom of Maple Leafs’ lineup on Friday against Calgary, bringing Toronto as close the fact that we haven't gotten results here of late. We don't need any to full strength as the team has been all season. more of a wakeup call than that.”

The timing couldn’t be better, considering how far the Leafs’ have fallen TSN.CA LOADED: 03.20.2021 lately.

Toronto posted an abysmal 1-5-0 record leading into a four-day break this week, and their once commanding lead atop the North Division standings has been whittled down to a tie for first with Edmonton at 40 points (albeit with three games in hand).

What the Leafs need now is a spark, and history suggests Simmonds (who broke his wrist on Feb. 6) can help provide it.

“I know he's very excited to get back and get playing here,” coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on a Zoom call after the Leafs’ optional morning skate. “It's been a long time coming for him. He’s the kind of guy that has a ton of energy and hasn't been able to utilize a great deal of that in a competitive environment here. He has a strong voice on the ice with his linemates. He feels good and we're happy to have him back in the mix tonight.”

Simmonds will slot onto the fourth line with Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza to start, and projects to be back as Toronto’s net-front man on the team’s top power-play unit.

Prior to his injury, Simmonds had scored five goals in six games, including three with the extra man. The Leafs’ lagging power play, which is operating at a paltry 10 per cent over the past six games, could use a boost.

“He's been a great player for our team whenever he’s on the ice,” said Mitch Marner. “It's been great the last couple days having him with us. He comes in with a positive mindset every day and that's something I think everyone really wants to have, but it's hard. He does it very well and that's something that you want to be around.”

Campbell’s comeback has also been in the cards for a while. Toronto’s backup goalie originally suffered a leg injury on Jan. 24, and then re- aggravated the issue in his first start back Feb. 27. He hasn’t appeared in a game since, but has been skating and practicing consistently.

Many of Campbell’s previous rehab sessions on the ice included Alex Galchenyuk, who will be making his Leafs’ debut on Friday. The 27-year- old winger was acquired via trade with Carolina on Feb. 15, and spent his first couple weeks in the organization primarily working with Toronto’s skill coaches and injured players.

Because Galchenyuk has bounced between six different teams since 2018, Toronto was wary about rushing him into service. He was assigned to the AHL’s Marlies at the end of February, marking the first minor- league stint of his career. Galchenyuk flourished there, producing two goals and eight points in six games.

That output earned Galchenyuk an opportunity to join the Leafs this week at practice. Having four days off between games provided a nice buffer, and Keefe loaded Galchenyuk onto a line with John Tavares and William Nylander to see how he looked.

The early returns were positive enough that Keefe feels confident Galchenyuk is ready for the NHL again.

“There's more to this player here in terms of what he has to offer,” Keefe said. “But there was also more to what he needed and that's why we took the patient approach with him and gave him the opportunity to go down with the Marlies. He’ll get a chance to play with good players tonight, and I thought those guys looked really good in practice yesterday. I think the way that [Galchenyuk] moves the puck and the way that he can score and shoot the puck pairs well with them.”