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SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 6/17/2021 Bruins Canadiens Continued 1189681 Neely gives honest take on disastrous 2015 draft for 1189707 Jeff Petry, Carey Price and the Canadiens rise to the Bruins occasion, even series at 1-1: Playoff plus/minus 1189682 Neely identifies important roster need Bruins must address 1189708 ‘It was mayhem’: Inside the Flyers-Canadiens 1987 brawl in offseason that changed the NHL forever 1189683 Clearly ‘Taking One More Shot At It Here’ 1189684 Why Taylor Hall and David Krejci may have to wait for Devils Bruins extensions 1189709 The Hunt: A deep dive into the Devils’ search for a high-end defenseman (or two) 1189685 Looking back at the Pegulas' decision to fire 22 Sabres employees one year ago 1189710 Goalie survives collision but Islanders 1189686 What assets do potential suitors have to offer Sabres in a drop Game 2 to Lightning to even semifinal trade for Jack Eichel? 1189711 Lightning coach is no stranger to Long Island 1189712 Islanders’ playoff process frustrating fans who aren’t Flames renewing season tickets 1189687 Calgary's Hodgson wins NHL award for HEROS work 1189713 Islanders’ : Lines ‘left wanting a little bit’ 1189688 Flames depth chart heading into the offseason: Breaking 1189714 Dan Feeney’s journey from Jets backup lineman to down Calgary’s strengths and weaknesses beer-chugging Islanders cult hero 1189715 Boomer and Gunnar Esiason's long journey with CF continues 1189689 Chicago Blackhawks file motion to dismiss ex-player’s 1189716 Islanders hope to turn around their Game 3 fortunes, focus sexual harassment lawsuit on pivotal return home against Lightning 1189717 Islanders, Lightning get chippier in Game 2 with 54 combined minutes 1189690 Avalanche offseason depth chart: Will UFA left wingers 1189718 Tighten up, clam up, skate away: A few things the leave holes? Which kids could seize roles? Islanders can do in Game 3 vs. Lightning 1189691 Avalanche organization responds to racist and 1189719 Barry Trotz: Our Guys Were Taking Shots Because Islamophobic comments toward Tampa Knew We Weren’t Going to React 1189692 Did the Avalanche miss out on THE SHOT for the Stanley 1189720 Islanders Likely to go with Same Lineup for Game 3 Cup? Against Tampa 1189693 Exclusive: will return to coach Colorado 1189721 Islanders Defensive Effort Not Where it Needed to be in Avalanche Game 2 Loss 1189694 Gabe Landeskog, Avs “want to find a way to get this done” 1189722 NYHN Daily: Islanders Fall in Game 2 to Lightning & more 1189695 Rick Nash promotion among several changes to Blue 1189723 Rangers Hire as Coach Jackets' hockey staff 1189724 Rangers officially hire Gerard Gallant as next 1189725 Gerard Gallant, by the numbers: How the new Rangers Red Wings coach’s approach fits the team’s strengths and needs 1189696 Report: Former Red Wing Gerard Gallant hired as Rangers coach 1189697 Red Wings Mock Draft 2.0: What Detroit can do with five 1189726 GARRIOCH: With no concrete plans in place, 's picks in Rounds 1 and 2 framework for Return to Play leaves many questions 1189727 What should we read into the Senators reluctance to allow Oilers Jack Capuano to interview with other teams? 1189698 Why Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod and more prospects are options for Oilers in 2021-22 Flyers 1189728 Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom: ‘I want to be the player I was before I got sick’ 1189699 FHN Daily: Florida Panthers reportedly interested in Patrik 1189729 Lindblom feels the love, recalls the positive memories to Laine celebrate honor 1189730 What can the Flyers count on from Philippe Myers going after a step-up season turned into a step back? 1189700 Kings assistant analyzes each defenseman, including 1189731 ‘It was mayhem’: Inside the Flyers-Canadiens 1987 brawl which one has a ‘bantam rooster mentality’ that changed the NHL forever Canadiens Penguins 1189701 In the Habs' Room: Jeff Petry's return to lineup plays key 1189732 Ex-Penguins Mark Letestu, Brad Thiessen join Blue role in win Jackets as coaches 1189702 Canadiens strike early, then rely on Carey Price in 3-2 win 1189733 Penguins goaltending prospects Joel Blomqvist, Calle over Vegas Clang selected for national teams 1189703 Canadiens offer free hot dogs to entice youth to get 1189734 Penguins A to Z: remains the future vaccinated 1189735 Penguins Trade Talk: Analyzing Experienced Playoff 1189704 Stu Cowan: Knights transform Las Vegas glitter into Goalies hockey gold 1189736 Dan’s Daily: Penguins Vellucci Interviewed for CBJ HC, 1189705 Canadiens Game Day: First is key again for Habs in Refs Under Fire win over Vegas 1189706 When the Canadiens have needed a big goal in these St Louis Blues playoffs, Joel Armia has been ready to deliver 1189737 What a perfect offseason could look like for the St. Louis Blues Websites Continued 1189738 Mikhail Sergachev gives Lightning fan ‘coolest moment of 1189773 .ca / Golden Knights slowed by Canadiens’ my life’ lockdown defence in Game 2 loss 1189739 Lightning defensemen net first goals this postseason 1189774 Sportsnet.ca / Six examples that explain how the Islanders 1189740 Lightning’s Jon Cooper has ‘deep-rooted’ memories of find success Long Island 1189775 TSN.CA / Spezza re-signs with Leafs for third straight 1189741 Lightning-Islanders Game 2 report card: A show of season resilience 1189776 USA TODAY / ' Jeff Petry returns, 1189742 Give him a puck and a stick, and Nikita Kucherov is an plays key role in win despite 'scary' eyes artiste in motion 1189777 USA TODAY / Islanders irked by missed call in loss to 1189743 Lightning remain perfect after a loss, pull even with Lightning, express frustration with refs Islanders 1189766 Winnipeg Jets final report card: Grading the defence and 1189744 Jason Spezza signs with Maple Leafs at league minimum goalies, from Connor Hellebuyck to Josh Morrissey for third straight season SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1189745 ‘If I could take less, I would.’ Jason Spezza takes one for the team in return to Leafs 1189746 Maple Leafs begin 2021-22 prep work by re-signing Spezza 1189747 ‘Unfinished business’ brings Jason Spezza back to the Maple Leafs 1189748 Mirtle: This appears to be the end for Zach Hyman as a Maple Leaf Canucks 1189767 Why there's buzz to deal ninth-overall pick for Sam Reinhart 1189749 Canadiens rewarded for fast start against Knights in Game 2 1189750 Golden Knights sleep through alarm in Game 2 loss 1189751 Recapping Game 2 between Golden Knights, Canadiens 1189752 Usher cranks it at Golden Knights playoff game 1189753 Golden Knights’ comeback falls short against Canadiens in Game 2 1189754 Golden Knights make 1 lineup change for Game 2 against Montreal 1189755 Pete DeBoer calls relationship with Golden Knights fans ‘love-hate’ 1189756 Pietrangelo scores twice, but Golden Knights fall to Canadiens in Game 2 1189757 ‘We got burned again’: Slow start too much to overcome for Golden Knights in Game 2 loss 1189758 NHL Final 4 In Vegas: Montreal Holds On For 3-2 Win Over Golden Knights Before 17,920 In Game 2 To Tie Series 1189759 LVSportsBiz.com Minute With Golden Knights Coach Pete DeBoer 1189760 Vegas Golden Knights Slow Start Blah, Blah, Blah… They Lost This Time 1189761 So Close; Vegas Late Push Falls Short, Montreal Wins Game 2 1189762 Vegas Golden Knights Must Do These Three Things in Game Two 1189763 Critical Matchup: Marc-Andre Fleury Downplays Clash With Carey Price Capitals 1189764 Capitals service dog placed with local veteran 1189765 How strong are Caps at center with and without Kuznetsov? Websites 1189768 The Athletic / LeBrun: The Jack Eichel sweepstakes have begun, NHL coaching carousel news 1189769 The Athletic / ‘Fear is a liar. The world is ready’: LGBTQ+ sports media members on their experiences 1189770 The Athletic / ‘It was mayhem’: Inside the Flyers- Canadiens 1987 brawl that changed the NHL forever 1189771 The Athletic / McIndoe vs. Gentille: Two fans forced to watch each country’s most annoying 2021 NHL playoff co 1189772 Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ heart on full display in crucial Game 2 win over Golden Knights 1189681 Boston Bruins "As we saw (in the 2021 playoffs), you can never have enough D and we never seem to have enough," Neely said Tuesday.

It's true, defensive depth is vital to winning in the playoffs. Picking a Neely gives honest take on disastrous 2015 draft for Bruins better defenseman than Zboril in Round 1 and Jeremy Lauzon in Round 2 during the 2015 draft probably would've given the B's enough blue line depth the last few years. BY NICK GOSS Unfortunately for the Bruins, their poor drafting extends beyond 2015. The 2017, 2018 and 2019 draft classes have not produced any regular NHL players, aside from maybe Jeremy Swayman (fourth-round pick in The Boston Bruins were set up to be a top Stanley Cup contender for five 2017). He could be Boston's starting goalie to begin the 2021-22 season. to seven years entering the 2015 NHL Draft. The draft is an area the Bruins must improve in ASAP. They have A couple shrewd moves had given the Bruins three consecutive first- arguably the league's worst prospect pool, and that doesn't paint a pretty round picks in that draft at No. 13, 14 and 15 overall. It was a glorious picture for the future of the franchise. opportunity for Boston to add three quality players to a core that already included Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, David Krejci, Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 Zdeno Chara, and others.

Instead of filling the roster with much needed young, cheap talent to supplement the veteran core, the Bruins whiffed on all three picks.

Will Bruins run it back in 2021-22? Neely gives interesting take

They chose defenseman Jakub Zboril at No. 13. He's played 44 NHL games and still can't crack the lineup on a regular basis. Jake DeBrusk was the pick at No. 14. He's been solid at times -- scoring 61 goals in his first three seasons -- but he's way too inconsistent and often makes little impact if he's not scoring. Zach Senyshyn was the final selection at No. 15 and by far the worst of the three picks. He was taken much higher than most experts predicted. Senyshyn has played in just 14 NHL games over the last six years.

What happened here?

Bruins president Cam Neely was asked about this disastrous draft Wednesday during his season-ending media availability.

"I’ve looked back at that a lot, obviously. I think the timing of when we hired Don (Sweeney) and then the draft was taking place – would have been good I think to have a little bit more time between the hiring and the draft," Neely explained on a video conference call. "Not to say that Don wasn’t involved in the amateur meetings, but he wasn’t involved at the time, most of the time thinking that he was making the picks.

"I think Don did everything he needed to do leading up to that draft to get three first-round picks. I thought the moves that he made were really good and poised to set us up for the future. The guys put the list together. I think maybe during that time, we should have taken some time out – as everybody knows, we tried to move up in the draft. It didn’t work. We probably should have taken the time out and really just digested that list a little bit more. Then there was a pick that one of our scouts really thought that the player wouldn’t be available in the second round.

"Obviously, hindsight is everything we’d all love to have. moving forward and thinking about making different decisions or better decisions, I guess. You can always do that in every draft, though, no matter where you pick and how many picks you have."

Bruins GM gives free agency updates on Taylor Hall, David Krejci

The three picks made after the Bruins were the exact choices Boston should've made itself.

No. 16, New York Islanders: Mathew Barzal, C

No. 17, Winnipeg Jets: Kyle Connor, LW

No. 18, Ottawa Senators: Thomas Chabot, D

Brock Boeser (No. 23), Travis Konecny (No. 24) and Anthony Beauvillier (No. 28) are among the notable players Boston could have selected in Round 1. Sebastian Aho went No. 35 overall (second round), two spots ahead of where the B's selected defenseman Brandon Carlo.

When you look at the Bruins' first six picks from the 2015 draft (three in the first round and three in the second round), only Carlo projects to be an impact player long-term. It doesn't get much worse than that for a team with six picks in the top 52.

By missing on these picks, the Bruins lacked the required scoring depth up front and blue line depth to win a Stanley Cup over the last six seasons.

Cassidy assesses Taylor Hall's Bruins tenure, hopes he returns 1189682 Boston Bruins

Neely identifies important roster need Bruins must address in offseason

BY NICK GOSS

There were several reasons why the Boston Bruins lost their second- round playoff series against the New York Islanders, and one of the biggest was a lack of depth on the blue line.

Injuries took a heavy toll on Bruins defensemen during the playoffs, with Brandon Carlo, Kevan Miller and Jeremy Lauzon all missing multiple games.

Miller didn't play at all in Round 2 after suffering a concussion in Game 4 of the first round versus the . Carlo took a hard hit in Game 3 against the Islanders and didn't return to the series.

The absences of Carlo and Miller were too much for the B's to overcome. Without these two veterans, lesser-talented players such as Lauzon, Connor Clifton and Jarred Tinordi had to play more minutes and larger roles than they would in an ideal world. Boston's penalty kill also suffered immensely without Carlo and Miller.

Will Bruins run it back in 2022? Neely gives interesting take

So, it wasn't a surprise that Bruins president Cam Neely identified a top- four left-shot defenseman as a primary roster need for the Bruins entering the offseason.

"The elusive left D we’ve been looking for who can chew up a lot of minutes, and maybe play on the second pairing with Carlo. That’d be more of a shutdown or some puck movement, some offensive blue line acumen," Neely said Tuesday during his season-ending media availability.

"As we saw, you can never have enough D and we never seem to have enough. For some reason or another, we get banged up. I think our D this year had maybe eight concussions, which is something I don’t know how to combat. But that position is something that we’ve been looking for, for a while. And hopefully we can do something to grab someone that’s going to help maybe play 20 minutes a game for us."

Bruins GM gives free agency updates on Taylor Hall, David Krejci

Where do the Bruins find a left-shot defenseman who can play 20-plus minutes next to Carlo?

The options on the free agent market aren't very good. The trade market is the best place to find this player. Nashville Predators star Mattias Ekholm would be a great fit on the B's blue line with his puck-moving talent, playmaking skill and ability to log heavy minutes. The issue for the Bruins is they don't have many high-quality trade assets because their prospect pool is so weak.

Neely is right, though, the Bruins absolutely need to beef up their blue line. It was a glaring weakness in the team's last four playoff exits, and if this area isn't properly address during the summer, the Bruins will be ill- equipped to make a deep run in the 2022 .

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189683 Boston Bruins forecast that accurately if Tuukka does decide to come back and play and how he fits in.”

The bottom line in all of this: The Boston Bruins will likely augment their Boston Bruins Clearly ‘Taking One More Shot At It Here’ NHL roster with a left-handed top-4 defenseman and some potential help for their bottom-6 forwards, but there isn’t going to be any big overhaul this offseason. It seems likely the B’s move on from fourth line forward By Joe Haggerty Sean Kuraly in free agency, and they certainly may explore trading a piece like Jake DeBrusk as they look to augment their NHL roster.

It may not even amount to the significance of last offseason when the The ultimate plan for the Boston Bruins is obviously still subject to Bruins waved goodbye to both Zdeno Chara and in a major volatility and variables that are currently still out of their control. back end turnover that yielded mixed results this season. But it sure looks and sounds like the Black and Gold are going to give it “It really is going to depend upon what happened with some of the UFA’s at least one more big swing with their current core group of players that we’re going to look to try and sign. We have some holes if we can’t coming off another stinging second round playoff defeat, this time at the get those guys signed and that will certainly dictate what direction we hands of the New York Islanders. The bitterness of that loss will be even may have to go in,” said Bruins President Cam Neely. “I can tell you this, more profound if the Islanders don’t give the Tampa Bay Lightning much I know that [Brad Marchand] and [Patrice Bergeron] understandably of a run in the semifinals after looking a bit outclassed in Game 2 would like us to take another run. If we get the pieces signed that we’d between the two hockey clubs. like to, I think it’s worth taking one more shot at it here. Dependent on Either way, though, all signs pointed toward the Bruins bringing back what we can do on the back end as well. both David Krejci and Taylor Hall as their second line centerpieces after “We’ve had a pretty good stretch here where we’ve gotten to the finals a both Don Sweeney and Cam Neely gave their season-ending thoughts couple other times. [We] just haven’t been able to close the door. We’ve this week. Don’t expect those two forwards to get locked up anytime got to take a hard look at our roster this summer. It ticks off one year soon, though, as the B’s prefer to get through the NHL expansion draft older and that’s something we’re looking at. What do we need to do for first rather than spend protected spots on players that don’t need to be this next wave here? It’s something we have to work towards this protected if they are unsigned. offseason.” But it sounds like Boston’s preference is to bring both of them back into There aren’t many impact left-shot defenseman on the free agent market, the B’s fold. of course. is a solid, experienced guy that could be a “In talking to both [Krejci and Hall] at the end of the year, and even when stopgap solution for the Bruins, and there are some intriguing younger Taylor got here, he’s expressed interest, mutual interest, to have him names with potential like Jamie Oleksiak and Ryan Murray. Alex back. [We] had an early conversation with his representatives and Goligoski could give the Bruins one good year if they rescue him from the obviously, we’ll have to see where all of the pieces fit together,” said Don desert. But there’s much more star potential on the right side where Sweeney. “In David’s case, it’s very unique in the fact that he would like Dougie Hamilton, Tyson Barrie and Seth Jones are all expected to be to continue to play with the Bruins, he’s obviously interest that he may available to the highest bidder. return home at some in time. Whether that’s next year or down the The bottom line on all of this: The Boston Bruins aren’t ready to blow road. His family dynamic is important to him. things up even after another disappointing season. They will add pieces “He’s asked to have a little bit of time in the next few coming days to to help the B’s win now with a playoff-caliber group and they will make allow him, on his own, to have conversations with his family and then moves to keep an eye on the long-term picture as they did last season in we’re going to sit back down and have a real honest conversation. I do letting Chara and Krug walk. believe David does want to continue to play and we’d like to make it clear The Bruins don’t have a robust enough prospect pool to begin a full-scale to him that if he’d like to continue his career, this is the place he’ll rebuild and they have a fan base that isn’t willing to accept that kind of continue to play should he chose to stay at the NHL level.” thing with players like Bergeron, Marchand, David Pastrnak and Charlie Clearly Hall energized Krejci upon his arrival at the trade deadline, and it McAvoy still on the roster. At a time of change on the Boston sports feels like the two forwards are being presented as something of a scene, the Boston Bruins have the most recognizable brand with a core package deal for next season. It would be worthwhile to see them group that’s won a lot of hockey games. together for at least one full season before passing any verdicts on the They aren’t running from that, and they really shouldn’t when all factors 35-year-old Krejci’s future in Boston, or their long term prognosis as a are taken into account. duo. It’s a delicate tightrope for the Boston Bruins to walk, of course, but it’s It also sounded like 33-year-old Tuukka Rask is going to be a part of the also really the only choice based on the group of players they have right plan as the Boston Bruins debate going with Jeremy Swayman and Dan now. The Bruins are bracing to go for it one more time next season and Vladar next season during his hip surgery recovery or bring in another simply hoping for a better ending next time around. veteran netminder that can bridge the gap. Whether that’s the right or wrong move remains to be seen, but it’s pretty Essentially that is the biggest, most defining decision the Bruins will clear that’s what is happening. make to the point that the Bruins GM called it “crucial.” If the Bruins opt to bring in a qualified veteran goalie, then that makes Rask’s standing with Boston Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 the Black and Gold that much shakier coming off major hip surgery.

“[Rask] indicated to us that he fully intended to rehab with the intention of coming back and we’ll go through our meetings and such and go forward,” said Sweeney. “But we have to factor in that he could be a part of that. [It remains to be seen] whether or not that means that the two young guys get the bulk of the work in the early going and see where Tuukka comes, or we go to augment our group and create internal competition and then reevaluate how Tuukka’s doing coming out of the rehab process.

“We have to make a decision [with the goaltending]. If we’re going to go to market and bring in a player that we feel is ahead of those two [young] players certainly from an experience standpoint, or do we roll the dice a little bit, allow those guys to see if they can handle the workload, which is a tall task. Make no mistake about it, it’s a tall task. Small sample size of [Swayman], he played extremely well. [Vladar] played well in his starts. we have a very crucial decision to make and chart a course for certainly the first part of the season as to when Tuukka will be ready. We have to 1189684 Boston Bruins “Can they continue to do it? The tread life on the tires, you don’t get to swap that out,” said Sweeney. “It’s going to drop off. The performance level of several of the guys we’ve discussed has been pretty damn Why Taylor Hall and David Krejci may have to wait for Bruins extensions proficient over the years here. We’ve been fortunate in that regard.”

A critical goaltending call awaits

By Fluto Shinzawa Jun 16, 2021 Rask, regardless of whether he’s under contract, will be unavailable for the start of 2021-22 following hip surgery. This could leave the Bruins with a Jeremy Swayman-Dan Vladar tandem to begin the season.

Taylor Hall wants to be a long-term Bruin. The organization feels the It would leave the Bruins with no safety net. Swayman and Vladar have same way. 15 games of combined NHL experience. Callum Booth and Kyle Keyser, next on the organizational depth chart, have yet to appear in the NHL. “He’s expressed interest. Mutual interest to have him back,” said general Rask and Jaroslav Halak started 2020-21 with 1,056 career games. manager Don Sweeney. “Have an early conversation with his representatives. We’ll have to see where all the pieces fit together.” If Swayman were to get hurt, the Bruins would have to ride Vladar, who blew up — under rotten circumstances both times — in his final Hall may have to be patient. appearances in each of the last two seasons. Vladar was in net for an If Hall signed an extension with the Bruins prior to the July 21 expansion eight-spot against Washington on April 11 when the Bruins used Jack draft, the team would most likely designate the left as one of their Ahcan, Jarred Tinordi, Jakub Zboril, Steve Kampfer, Jeremy Lauzon and seven protected forwards. Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand, Charlie Connor Clifton on defense. On Aug. 26, 2020, Tampa Bay pumped three Coyle, David Pastrnak, Craig Smith and Jake DeBrusk would be the pucks behind Vladar in Game 3 of the second round when Halak was remaining six. This would put Trent Frederic and Nick Ritchie, among pulled and Rask was back in Boston. others, at risk of selection. “We have to make a decision — if we’re going to go to market and bring If the Bruins waited until after the expansion draft to re-sign Hall, they in a player we feel is ahead of those two players, certainly from an would not have to use one of their protected slots on the pending experience standpoint,” said Sweeney. “Or we do roll the dice a little bit, unrestricted free agent. allow those guys to see if they can handle the workload. Which is a tall task. Make no mistake about it. It’s a tall task.” “The preference would be not, given the fact we have expansion,” Sweeney answered when asked if he would extend any of his UFAs-to- Vladar will require waivers to report to Providence in 2021-22. be before July 21. “It creates other problems. We’ll have discussions and Left-shot defenseman is a priority hopefully be able to find common ground.” The Bruins have not had an all-around left-shot defenseman since 2015- The Bruins are allowed to discuss an extension’s general framework with 16. That season, a 38-year-old Chara averaged 1:34 of power-play ice any of their UFAs before the expansion draft. They are not allowed to time per game in conjunction with his even-strength (19:13) and agree in principle before July 21 and finalize deals after the Kraken make shorthanded (3:20) responsibilities. Chara scored nine goals and 28 their picks. assists in 80 games. If Hall is unsigned and unprotected, Seattle can negotiate with the left It may be their most urgent area of need, even ahead of goaltending. winger from July 18 to 21. Hall is eligible to sign an eight-year deal with the Kraken. Seattle would most likely choose this route instead of The Bruins learned the hard way how a left-shot stopper like Adam selecting the 29-year-old in the expansion draft and risk having him walk Pelech can impact a series. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Pelech was a stout seven days later in unrestricted free agency. shutdown presence against the No. 1 line. He denied entries, negated sticks, leaned on opponents and retrieved pucks. But the Seattle scenario, as well as any others involving additional suitors in free agency, appear unlikely. Hall played in 11 playoff games. His Pelech does not play on the power play. But the 26-year-old put 72 of his previous high was nine with Arizona in 2019-20. There is no telling when 162 five-on-five attempts on goal (44.4 percent), according to Natural Seattle will make its first postseason appearance. Stat Trick. McAvoy led all Bruins defensemen with 144 attempts, putting 72 shots on net (50 percent). He has an opportunity to line up behind Marchand and learn from the No. 1 left winger. Instead of shuffling through six coaches like he did in the “The elusive left D we’ve been looking for that can chew up a lot of past two seasons (, Alain Nasreddine, , Ralph minutes,” president Cam Neely said of an offseason target. “Maybe play Krueger, , ), Hall can build a long-term on the second pairing with (Brandon) Carlo that would be more of a relationship with his Boston boss. shutdown, or some puck movement, some offensive blue line acumen. As we saw, you can never have enough D. We never seem to have “I’m looking forward to hopefully staying put, putting down some roots enough. For some reason or another, we get banged up.” and getting some normalcy to our season,” Hall said. The Bruins have a long-term keeper in Matt Grzelcyk. He is dynamic at Wait and see on Krejci even strength alongside Charlie McAvoy. But the Bruins are wary about Like his second-line running mate, David Krejci is also about to become deploying Grzelcyk against bigger opponents and on the penalty kill. unrestricted. Krejci has requested time to consider his future. Krejci has The team has held initial talks with Mike Reilly about an extension. Reilly appeared in 962 games with the team that selected him 63rd in 2004. is unrestricted. He was a good puck mover and shot generator from the The 35-year-old said he could not picture himself with another point. Reilly, however, is not a matchup defenseman. organization. But he did not declare it will be Boston or nothing like Lauzon is a confrontational defender. But his future is on the No. 3 Tuukka Rask. Krejci would like to play in the to give his pairing. It remains to be seen whether Zboril or Urho Vaakanainen can daughter and son a chance to connect with their father’s roots. progress to be regular NHL defensemen, to say nothing of top-four “He’s expressed interest in that he may return home at some point in fixtures. time, whether that’s next year or down the road,” Sweeney said. “Family There will not be much available in free agency. Alex Goligoski, 35, and dynamic is important to him. He’s asked to have a little bit of time in the Alec Martinez, 33, are the stoutest of limited options. few coming days to allow him, on his own, to have conversations with his family. Then we’re going to sit back down and have a real honest A trade may be a better route. Mattias Ekholm has one year remaining conversation. I do believe David does want to continue to play. He’s on his deal, although Nashville may deem him worthy of an extension. made it pretty clear, and we would like to make it clear, that this is the Sweeney has traded with Anaheim counterpart Bob Murray on multiple place he should continue to play, should he choose to, at the NHL level.” occasions. Perhaps the Ducks would make Hampus Lindholm available. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always had a thing for Norwood’s Noah If the Bruins re-sign Krejci, it would diverge from their decision to part Hanifin. Could he be had out of Calgary? ways with Zdeno Chara last offseason. If Krejci and Hall return and they provide second-line offense, it could keep the Bruins’ window open for Knee surgery for Coyle 2021-22, Bergeron’s last season of his contract. Coyle will undergo knee surgery, according to a source familiar with the situation. Coyle played through the injury all season. In 51 games, he had six goals and 10 assists. He missed the last four regular-season games because of an upper-body injury. Coyle was unavailable for one game because of a false COVID-19 positive test.

In retrospect, Coyle’s knee injury may have been too much to overcome in the playoffs. He was on for 12 five-on-five goals against, most of any league forward with 100-plus minutes. He had two goals and one assist.

The No. 3 center expects to be ready for training camp.

One more push

Bergeron and Marchand are the only 2011 champions under contract for 2021-22. They would like another Stanley Cup pursuit. “We have some holes if we can’t get those guys signed, and that will certainly dictate what direction we may have to go in,” Neely said of the UFAs. “I know Marsh and Bergy, understandably, would like us to take another run. If we get the pieces signed that we’d like to, I think it’s worth taking one more shot at it here.”… According to Sweeney, the defense totaled eight concussions. Carlo had two in three months … Rask will most likely undergo his hip procedure at New York’s Hospital for Special Surgery. If so, Dr. Bryan Kelly will perform the surgery. Kelly operated on Pastrnak’s hip last offseason.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189685 Buffalo Sabres development departments, in addition to his duties as general manager of the Amerks.

Adams, Karmanos and ownership have evaluated the hockey operations Looking back at the Pegulas' decision to fire 22 Sabres employees one staff while interviewing candidates to coach the Sabres next season. year ago Adams has added to the player development staff, beginning with Matt Ellis' hiring in August. Dan Girardi and Mike Ansell joined during the season. Lance Lysowski Jun 16, 2021 Krueger’s firing kick-started what could be a franchise-altering six months for the club.

Jason Botterill was amid his fourth offseason as general manager of the Jack Eichel, the Sabres’ top center and team captain, told reporters Buffalo Sabres when Terry and Kim Pegula made a decision that altered during his end-of-season media availability last month that a “disconnect” the course of the franchise. between he and the team emerged stemming from his desire to have surgery on the herniated disk in his neck that cut his season short at 21 On June 16, 2020, less than three weeks after Botterill received a public games. vote of confidence from Kim Pegula through the , he was fired. His replacement, Kevyn Adams, spent the previous five Eichel reportedly wants an artificial disk replacement, which is a months as the Sabres’ senior vice president of business administration procedure that has not been performed on a professional hockey player. and began working for the Pegulas at LECOM Harborcenter in 2013. A prescribed 12-week period of conservative treatment has ended, and there is widespread speculation that the stalemate could end with Eichel The Pegulas and Adams weren't done making changes. getting traded. Botterill’s assistant general managers, Randy Sexton and Steve Greeley, Additionally, forward Sam Reinhart and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen were dismissed only four months after both received two-year contract may not return next season. extensions, according to multiple sources. Then Adams called director of amateur scouting Ryan Jankowski to say that he also was fired. It's a delicate situation for Adams, who expressed excitement to reporters last month because of the young players that performed well under In the end, 22 people lost their jobs, including 13 in the scouting Granato in the season's final weeks. department and former coach Chris Taylor, who verbally agreed with Botterill’s staff on a contract extension. Here's a list of the employees fired by the Sabres on this date one year ago and where each is working now: This launched the Pegulas’ plan to have Adams work in lockstep with then-coach Ralph Krueger on halting the Sabres’ playoff drought at nine Former employee Current job seasons. One year later, Krueger is gone and Adams is collaborating with his new associate general manager, Jason Karmanos, to revive Jason Botterill Assistant general manager, Seattle Buffalo’s beloved NHL franchise. Kraken

The Sabres finished last in the league for the fourth time in eight years, Randy Sexton Sr. adviser to the general manager, earning the right to select first overall at the draft on July 23. Adams and Karmanos are interviewing coaching candidates from different Steve Greeley Not working for another NHL team backgrounds after the club showed progress under interim coach Don Granato during the final weeks of the shortened season. Chris Taylor Assistant coach,

According to the Sabres’ staff directory, not including Karmanos, the Gord Dineen Volunteer assistant coach at Hobart scouting department has the same amount of scouts now as it did after College the mass firings. Buffalo has eight scouts working under Jeremiah Crowe, Jerry Forton and Jason Nightingale, each of whom were Toby Petersen Not working in hockey promoted from previous roles under Botterill. Ryan Jankowski Associate director of amateur scouting, Since taking over as general manager, Adams has hired scouts Tristan Musser, Anders Forsberg and Lukas Sutter. Sutter, 27, is working for the Jeff Crisp Scout, Sabres in a part-time role. Cory Banika Scout, Arizona Coyotes Across the past 12 months, Adams has closely examined how to execute the three priorities Terry Pegula laid out during the press conference Steve Cocker Deputy commissioner, BCHL following Botterill’s firing: “effective, efficient and economic.” Mark Ferner Coaching in , The Pegulas were anticipating having no fans or reduced crowds amid Marcus Fingal Scout, Seattle Kraken the Covid-19 pandemic, a significant blow to revenue in a league dependent on attendance. However, the Sabres owed Botterill, Sexton Scott Halpenny Not working for another NHL team and Greeley their annual salaries for the next two years. All but two of the fired scouts were under contract through 2021-22. Randy Hansch Scout, Arizona Coyotes

The outlook for the franchise seemed to brighten during Adams’ first Tom O’Connor Scout, Seattle Kraken offseason, when he acquired veteran center Eric Staal and landed the Ron Pyette Scout, Los Angeles Kings top available unrestricted free agent in former Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall. Each of Adams’ personnel decisions were aimed at reviving the Matt Tiesling Scout, Arizona Coyotes Sabres in 2020-21. If the roster faltered, the Sabres weren’t committed long term to either player. Magnus Welin Scout, Djurgardens IF in

It quickly fell apart, beginning with the Sabres enduring a two-week John Van Boxmeer Not working for another NHL team pause as the result of a Covid-19 outbreak in their dressing room. Upon Krys Barch Not working for another NHL team returning to the ice, Buffalo failed to generate enough offense and its defensive-zone coverage faltered in front of its . Not working for another NHL team

Krueger was fired on March 17 following the 12th game of a winless Dennis Miller Not working for another NHL team streak that reached a franchise-record 18 games. His abrupt exit caused ownership to alter its plan, as Adams was given clearance to hire an Buffalo News LOADED: 06.17.2021 associate general manager.

Karmanos, who owns three Stanley Cup rings from his time in Carolina and Pittsburgh, will oversee the analytics, scouting and player 1189686 Buffalo Sabres finalist for the Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, the right-handed Dumba could fill the hole created by a trade of Rasmus Ristolainen.

What assets do potential suitors have to offer Sabres in a trade for Jack Picks: Two first-round selections in July Eichel? The Wild hold two picks in the early 20s, their own and the selection originally belonging to Pittsburgh. While those aren’t the desired top-10 By John Vogl Jun 16, 2021 pieces sought by Buffalo, they are worth something.

Prospects: Center Marco Rossi, left winger Matthew Boldy

Pierre LeBrun brought a six-pack, so let’s drink it up. A significant segment of Sabres fans derided the team for drafting Jack Quinn over his junior teammate Rossi in October, but a deal could give In his latest on the Jack Eichel trade sweepstakes, The Athletic’s insider both to Buffalo. Rossi missed this season due to COVID-19 mentioned the Kings, Wild, Ducks, Blue Jackets, Flyers and Rangers as complications, but he’s resumed skating and expects to compete for an logical suitors for the Sabres captain based on his chats and insights. NHL job at training camp.

What can each of those teams offer Buffalo? Here are their assets in the Boldy, the No. 12 pick in 2019, signed with the Wild in March after form of players, picks and prospects. leading Boston College with 11 goals and 31 points in 22 games as a sophomore. The 20-year-old immediately excelled in the AHL, recording Los Angeles Kings six goals and 18 points in 14 games. Players: Center Gabriel Vilardi, left winger Alex Iafallo, defenseman Tobias Bjornfot Players: Center Trevor Zegras, left winger Maxime Comtois, defenseman The 21-year-old old Vilardi finished his rookie season with 10 goals and Jamie Drysdale 23 points in 54 games. Drafted at No. 11 in 2017, he missed nearly all of the 2018-19 season with a back injury but has returned to health. Vilardi Zegras, the No. 9 pick in 2019, transitioned from prospect to player with put up nearly two points per game in his final junior season and had nine 24 games for the Ducks this season. He put up three goals and 13 points goals and 26 points in 36 AHL games. while turning 20 in March. Anaheim would ideally love to pair the Boston University product with Eichel, who was also a BU standout. Iafallo, a Buffalo-area native, has been skating on the Kings’ top line and has grown into a 17-goal, 40-point, two-way player. He loves L.A. (full Comtois led the Ducks with 16 goals and 33 points in 55 games. The 22- disclosure: he’s my son’s cousin) and just signed a four-year, $16 million year-old winger was a second-round pick in 2017 and was an impressive contract to avoid unrestricted free agency. point producer in junior and the AHL.

Bjornfot, who turned 20 in April, averaged 16:51 of ice time in 33 games Anaheim selected Drysdale at No. 6 in October’s draft and watched him this season. The No. 22 pick in 2019 has little offensive upside, recording contribute immediately. The defenseman had three goals and eight one goal and six assists, but was one of the Kings’ most effective penalty points in 24 games with the Ducks and 10 points in 14 AHL games. Like killers. His defensive play could complement fellow Swede Rasmus Dumba, the right-hander could step in for a departed Ristolainen. Dahlin, though both play the left side. Picks: No. 3 in July Picks: No. 8, two second-round selections in July Except for Seattle, which owns the No. 2 pick, no one can offer a better The Athletic’s Corey Pronman projects 11 picks in 2021 to be at least a draft chip than the Ducks. Buffalo would own two of the opening three second-line player or quality starting goalie. The Sabres would get two of selections, allowing it to rule the top of the draft. them by combining their No. 1 pick with the Kings’ eighth selection. Prospects: Right winger Jacob Perreault Los Angeles could sweeten a deal with a second-round pick. It holds the No. 39 selection and the Blues’ second-rounder. The son of longtime NHLer Yanic Perreault is a sniper, putting up 69 goals in 120 junior games. The Ducks plucked him at No. 27 in October Prospects: Centers Quinton Byfield, Alex Turcotte, and and sent him to the AHL, where he had three goals and 17 points in 27 Akil Thomas, right winger Arthur Kaliyev outings.

The Kings own one of the most intriguing prospect groups in the game, Columbus Blue Jackets led by Byfield. The No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft is a future first-line center. The 18-year-old had 20 points in 34 AHL games, a nice follow-up to his Players: Left winger Patrik Laine, goalies Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas final junior season of 32 goals and 82 points in 45 games. Korpisalo

Los Angeles picked Turcotte at No. 5 in 2019. The 5-foot-11 playmaker Things didn’t immediately work for Laine in Columbus, which acquired doesn’t have the size of the 6-foot-4 Byfield, but the duo posted nearly the winger from Winnipeg and watched him record 10 goals and 21 identical AHL numbers. points in 45 games. Still, he’s a perennial 30-goal scorer with the potential for 40. The 23-year-old is a restricted free agent coming off a Kaliyev led the Kings’ minor-league team with 14 goals, 17 assists and deal that paid $7.5 million in salary last season. 31 points in 40 games. A second-round pick in 2019, he scored in his only game with Los Angeles this year. The Sabres need help in goal and would find it with either Merzlikins or Korpisalo. However, both are scheduled to be unrestricted free agents Kupari, the No. 20 pick in 2018, is a Finnish goal-scoring threat. The 21- after next season, so it would be just a short-term fix. year-old has 14 goals in 59 AHL games and scored once in his seven outings with the Kings. Picks: Three first-round selections in July, including No. 5

Thomas, a second-round pick in 2018, finished just behind Kaliyev with The Blue Jackets are poised to stock their pipeline at the draft. In 11 goals, 15 assists and 26 points for Ontario. The Toronto native played addition to their No. 5 pick, they own the selections originally belonging to junior hockey just across the border in St. Catharines, Ont. the Maple Leafs and Lightning. Toronto’s pick will be in the early 20s while Tampa Bay could drop to No. 31 if it wins the Stanley Cup. Minnesota Wild The Sabres would have two picks in the top five if Columbus included its Players: Winger Kevin Fiala, defenseman Matt Dumba selection in a deal.

Fiala finished second on the Wild with 20 goals and 40 points in 50 Prospects: Right winger Yegor Chinakhov, center Liam Foudy games while playing both wings. The 24-year-old is a restricted free agent seeking a raise from his $3 million salary, so Minnesota may have Chinakhov won the KHL’s rookie of the year, recording 10 goals and 17 to let him go to absorb Eichel’s $10 million cap hit. points in 32 games with Omsk Avangard. Columbus picked him at No. 21 in October. The same goes for Dumba, who has two years left at $6 million per season. The 26-year-old has career highs of 14 goals and 50 points. A Foudy played in 24 games for the Blue Jackets this season, but since he The Rangers took Schneider with the No. 19 pick in October. Another didn’t score, we’ll leave him as a prospect. The 2018 No. 18 pick had 13 right-handed blueliner, the 19-year-old put up 27 points in 22 junior assists and 16 points in 12 AHL games. games and made two AHL appearances.

Carter Hart (Eric Hartline / USA Today) The 20-year-old Jones, selected in the third round in 2019, played in 10 games with the Rangers after completing his sophomore season at UMass-Amherst. Jones recorded four assists with the Rangers, a Players: Goalie , left winger James van Riemsdyk, right continuation of the offense that featured nine goals and 24 points in 29 winger Travis Konecny games with UMass. Jones is a lefty.

Just two seasons ago, Hart looked like a reasonable facsimile of Bernie All six clubs have assets that could interest Buffalo. The next few weeks Parent. This year, his .877 save percentage ranked 58th of the 58 will show if they have the assets to get a deal done. goalies to play at least 15 games. The 22-year-old is a potential The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 cornerstone or footnote. The Flyers still believe in him.

Van Riemsdyk and Konecny are two of the few Flyers assets who are under contract for more than one season and don’t have no-movement clauses. The 31-year-old van Riemsdyk had 17 goals and 43 points in 56 games while the 24-year-old Konecny is a regular 24-goal scorer.

Picks: No. 13 in July

It’s not the most tantalizing selection out there, but it’s not bad. Recent No. 13 picks include Florida goalie Spencer Knight and Montreal forward Nick Suzuki.

Prospects: Defenseman Cam York, right wingers Tyson Foerster and Zayde Wisdom

York jumped to the Flyers this spring after finishing his sophomore season at . The 2019 No. 14 pick had five points in eight AHL outings and skated in three games with Philadelphia. He’s a lefty, so he’d provide a one-two pairing punch with Dahlin.

The Flyers selected Foerster at No. 23 last year and added Wisdom in the fourth round. They put up similar numbers as 18-year-olds in the AHL. Foerster had 10 goals and 17 points in 24 games while Wisdom recorded seven goals and 18 points in 28 games.

New York Rangers

Players: Left winger Alexis Lafrenière, right wingers Kaapo Kakko and Vitali Kravtsov, goalies Igor Shesterkin and Alexandar Georgiev

The Rangers have the right young pieces. The question: Would they be willing to give them up?

New York drafted Lafrenière with the No. 1 pick in October. He blossomed during the second half and finished with 12 goals and 21 points in 56 games.

Kakko was the No. 2 selection in 2019. The numbers aren’t there yet — 19 goals and 40 points in 114 games — but the talent is obvious.

Kravtsov, the No. 9 pick in 2018, played for the Rangers and Chelyabinsk of the KHL this season. He had two goals and four points in 20 games with New York and recorded 16 goals and 24 points in 49 KHL games.

Shesterkin assumed the No. 1 goalie job following the departure of . The 25-year-old went 16-14-3 with a .916 save percentage. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights.

Georgiev, also 25, has spent parts of four seasons with the Rangers. He’s 43-48-9 with a .912 save percentage. Georgiev is signed for one more year at $2.425 million and is an RFA after that.

Picks: No. 15 in July

The Rangers hold the last draft position among non-playoff teams, which is far from enviable. Still, recent No. 15 selections include Montreal’s Cole Caufield, Nashville’s Luke Kunin and Detroit’s .

New York also possesses the Sabres’ third-round pick, which it acquired for Jimmy Vesey in 2019. If Buffalo got it back, it would allow the organization to hand out significant offer sheets to restricted free agents (not that teams do that often).

Prospects: Defensemen Nils Lundkvist, Braden Schneider, Zac Jones

Lundkvist, drafted at No. 28 in 2018, grew into one of the Swedish league’s most potent defensemen. The 20-year-old had 25 goals and 63 points in 97 games the last two seasons. The right-hander recently signed his entry-level deal. 1189687 Calgary Flames

Calgary's Hodgson wins NHL award for HEROS work

Todd Saelhof

Kevin Hodgson is already a hero for his HEROS work.

But for his efforts, the Calgarian is now a Willie O’Ree Community Hero Award winner.

Hodgson, who is the executive director of HEROS (Hockey Education Reaching Out Society) — which empowers at-risk youth — and SuperHEROS — which provides boys and girls living with physical and cognitive challenges with a safe and inclusive environment as well as an adapted on-ice curriculum — was saluted with this year’s honour Wednesday night.

“People who know me know I’m not lost for words, but I’m struggling right now,” said Hodgson, fighting back tears moments after NHL star P.K. Subban announced him as the winner via streaming video. “This is really hard for me to process.”

The award is given “to an individual who – through the sport of hockey – has positively impacted his or her community, culture or society.”

“This is what hockey can do,” continued Hodgson, praising the work of HEROS and SuperHEROS along with that of the two other finalists for the award — Renee Hess (Black Girl Hockey Club) and Howard Smith (Steel City Icebergs, Pittsburgh Warriors). “I think it shows the power of sport. Sport has the ability to bring people together that otherwise on paper may not have anything in common, and we all share this incredible passion for a game that has the ability to do so much for kids who need it.”

Hodgson’s HEROS and SuperHEROS works their magic in 12 Canadian centres, including Calgary.

Hodgson oversees the volunteer-driven nonprofit which offers free hockey programming in a safe, stable environment for participants from diverse backgrounds. Off the ice, the 28 programs cross-country provide opportunities for personal development as well as education and scholarship assistance to help young people succeed.

“The work that Kevin, Norm Flynn and the entire HEROS team have been doing for the past 20 years is remarkable,” O’Ree said. “HEROS has been a leader in the NHL’s Hockey is for Everyone network for decades. Kevin’s dedication has positively impacted thousands of children and their families across Canada, and his leadership has set a standard for how hockey program directors everywhere work in their communities. I’m proud to present this year’s award to such a deserving organization. Congratulations, Kevin.”

Hodgson receives a US$25,000 prize, while Hess and Smith each get a $5,000 prize, each of which will be donated to a charity of their respective choice.

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189688 Calgary Flames Mangiapane led the team in five-on-five scoring this year and has steadily endeared himself to Flames fans and management as a workhorse who can make any line he’s on go. He even displayed that on Flames depth chart heading into the offseason: Breaking down Calgary’s the world stage with Team Canada, winning MVP at the World strengths and weaknesses Championship.

Gaudreau is the team’s most talented offensive player, and his 19 goals tied for the team lead while his 49 points ranked first. His future with the By Hailey Salvian Jun 16, 2021 Flames has been one of the biggest questions over the last few offseasons. And during exit meetings, Gaudreau voiced his desire to stay

in Calgary beyond this season. Gaudreau’s modified no-trade kicks in The Calgary Flames’ season has been over for nearly a month, and this this offseason, and it’s been well-documented that if the Flames are could prove to be an interesting offseason for a team primed to make going to move on from Gaudreau, it should be before then. major changes. Whether the Flames will re-sign Gaudreau or move on from him this year Unfortunately, we’re likely still weeks away from any significant moves (or next) remains up in the air, but we can all agree that moving with the Stanley Cup Final, the entry draft, Seattle expansion and free Gaudreau would create a hole on the Flames’ depth chart — even if this agency all slated for next month. position is particularly strong. Especially considering after the top three there is quite the drop to Milan Lucic at No. 4, followed by Dominik Simon Which makes this relatively “dead period” for the team a good time to and Zac Rinaldo. ask: Where do the Flames stand heading into what should be a busy July? Lucic brings value to the Flames as a steady (Stanley Cup-winning) veteran who can play a solid depth role in the Calgary bottom six. Simon It’s a complex question, and one that we will continue to break down at and Rinaldo mostly played on the taxi squad this season and are both The Athletic. But before we get into free-agent targets, potential trades due for new contracts, either in Calgary or elsewhere. and holes to fill via the draft, we should start by taking inventory of what the Flames currently have with a breakdown of the depth chart. I don’t believe Simon did enough to get a qualifying offer this year, and I’m not sure if Rinaldo will be back. So there will likely be a depth signing Calgary’s depth chart — which I have broken down by position — has needed this summer to fill a hole or two. And a big decision will need to some moving parts with players who have played multiple positions. But be made on Gaudreau that could change a lot when it comes to their LW each player still has a natural position, and the charts below will account depth. for that. For example, Matthew Tkachuk is a natural left-shot left winger, but has moved to the right side depending on his linemates. In this CENTRES exercise, he is listed as a left winger. Elias Lindholm The Flames also have several pending restricted and unrestricted free Sean Monahan agents still technically under contract, but will be in need of new deals to stay with the organization come July 28 when free agency opens. In the Mikael Backlund below charts, all RFAs are shaded in green while UFAs are shaded in blue. Derek Ryan

Now, let’s get into a position-by-position breakdown to identify the Glenn Gawdin Flames’ strengths and the major holes the front office will be navigating Adam Ruzicka during a crucial offseason. Byron Froese Note: Several players in the farm system were not included, like Connor Zary and Jakob Pelletier, but could work their way into the depth chart The breakdown over the course of the summer or training camp. The position is intriguing to me, as it’s typically been viewed as a LEFT WING position of strength for the Flames. That could change this summer.

Johnny Gaudreau Lindholm may not be a superstar centre in the league — in fact, he’s still quite underrated — but he certainly showed this season that he’s the Matthew Tkachuk Flames’ best option as a No. 1 centre with his reliable two-way play and Andrew Mangiapane knack for scoring (75 goals in the last three years). He’s locked into his current deal ($4.85 million) until 2024, and not going anywhere. Milan Lucic Sean Monahan had an underwhelming season with only 10 goals and 28 Dominik Simon points in 50 games and was deployed mostly as a 2C behind Lindholm. With renewed calls to change the core, there is going to be a lot of talk Zac Rinaldo this summer about Monahan’s future with the team. And we’ve already The breakdown started some of that discussion here by looking at if the Senators could be a trade fit. Left wing is arguably one of the Flames’ deepest positions in terms of both quality and quantity, at least in terms of players at their natural If the Flames lose Monahan this year, that would open up a hole in the position. Flames’ top six, unless of course, the Flames got a similar player in return. If not, Mikael Backlund could be bumped up to that 2C spot, as The top three at this position — Johnny Gaudreau, Tkachuk and Andrew he’s played there in the past to relative success. Mangiapane — combined for 53 goals and 124 points this season and all ranked within the top four in team goals and points. That being said, Backlund also could be a dark-horse trade candidate this summer. He’s been a core piece of the Flames longer than Monahan Now, as mentioned, Tkachuk spends some time on the right side and Gaudreau and has trade value given his role as an all-situations depending on his deployment. For instance, when the Flames loaded up centre who has consistently been around a 20-goal and 40-point player the top-line with Tkachuk, Gaudreau and Elias Lindholm, Tkachuk moved in five of the last six years. over to keep Gaudreau at his natural position. He and Mangiapane have also switched playing on the left and right when on the same line. Again, Derek Ryan has been a serviceable fourth-line centre, but he’s also a for the purpose of this exercise, we are keeping them both as left wingers pending UFA. If the Flames re-sign him, that would keep the 4C spot to illustrate the strength at this position. filled. However, Ryan will be 35 next year and likely doesn’t have a long- term future in Calgary. So maybe the two sides move on? If so, there’s Tkachuk is coming off a down year, but he was still among the Flames’ another hole. top scorers. And at 23 years old, he still has a high ceiling — one we got a glimpse of during his career year in 2018-19 and last season when he In all, this position of strength could see potentially the most movement led the team in scoring. this offseason. If one of Monahan or Backlund gets moved and Ryan walks in free agency, that opens up two centre spots on the NHL roster to either be filled via trade or internally. Within the organization, the Outside of the top two, Juuso Valimaki didn’t have a particularly strong Flames will have Glenn Gawdin and Adam Ruzicka vying for a spot in season as he adjusted back to the NHL and Connor Mackey didn’t crack Calgary, as well as Byron Froese, albeit to a lesser extent. the NHL full-time this year. But the Flames should have two solid pieces here. Valimaki is among the Flames’ top young players in the If the Flames could find a high-profile centre this summer (I could think of organization and projects to be a top-four . A future a few) there would definitely be a fit, and it would check what could be a replacement for Giordano perhaps? major box on the to-do list. Mackey projects to be a solid third-pair option, which rounds out the RIGHT WING depth nicely. Oliver Kylington also is an option here, however, I’ve said Dillon Dube for months now, he may just need a fresh start. And, he could be a realistic option for the Seattle Kraken to take. Josh Leivo Giordano could also be exposed and taken by the Kraken. But, I do Brett Ritchie believe Kylington’s age and low price would make him an attractive target. Losing your captain would be a big hit for any team, however, the Matthew Phillips Flames should be set up well enough on the left side that it wouldn’t be Buddy Robinson disastrous, especially if Valimaki and Mackey make improvements this summer. The Flames would still likely look for a veteran blueliner to The breakdown replace Giordano though, as this is a pretty young group.

This is without a doubt the weakest spot on the Flames’ roster. RIGHT DEFENCE

With the exception of Dillon Dube, this group of right-wingers is extremely Chris Tanev light on skill and goal-scoring. Only Dube recorded double-digit goal and point totals this season, and his 11 goals were more than Josh Leivo (6), Rasmus Andersson Brett Ritchie (4), and Buddy Robinson (0) combined. And, technically, Michael Stone this isn’t Dube’s natural position. That would be centre. Nikita Nesterov I am keeping Dube here for now, as this is where he’s played at the NHL level, and moving him to centre would bury him on that depth chart while Colton Poolman negatively impacting the depth of talent on the right side. The breakdown Not only is it thin on quality, but this group is also light on contracts. Dube and Matthew Phillips are in team control but will need new deals, while This side needs some attention, and will probably get it this offseason. Leivo, Ritchie and Robinson are all pending UFAs. There’s a case to be At the top of the list, Tanev was the Flames’ most consistently reliable made for Leivo to return as a depth option on the right side. But, he was player this season, and one of the best shutdown defenceman in the brought in this year for that role and his six goals and nine points didn’t league. He not only helped Hanifin take massive strides in his game but exactly fulfill that. There could also be a case for Ritchie, who seemed to also stabilized Giordano when they became a duo. So, it’s safe to say have a fan in . As I’ve mentioned before, the Flames need to Tanev is locked in on the Flames’ top pair. sign one forward to meet Seattle exposure requirements, and Ritchie could be that guy. Andersson struggled at times this season, but not enough to impact his place on the blue-line depth chart — although Hanifin may have passed Naturally, if none of the UFAs return, the right wing position will get even him if we ranked everyone together. thinner. Outside of Tanev and Andersson, there is a drop in high-end quality. Tkachuk being flipped to right wing helps the depth on this side of the Michael Stone turned out to be an effective option on the right side and offence, but it also makes the Flames top-six heavy, which has been an he got a ton of praise from Sutter. Stone may have even earned another issue in the past. contract with his play this year. However, Nikita Nesterov, a UFA, wasn’t Phillips also is in play here and will fight for a spot on the Flames next quite as impactful. Colton Poolman, one of the Flames’ college free agent year. Phillips has yet to jump to the NHL full-time, although he made his signings last summer, has yet to play at the NHL level. debut during the Flames’ final series against Vancouver and has shown a Even if Stone were to return, the Flames should still be looking for ton of promise with Stockton. reinforcements on this side of the blue line to fill out third-pair and keep Looking at this depth chart, it’s pretty clear that natural right-shot wingers Stone as a seventh defenceman. should be a key focal point this offseason. GOALTENDERS

LEFT DEFENCE Jacob Markstrom

Mark Giordano Louis Domingue

Noah Hanifin Artyom Zagidulin

Juuso Valimaki Dustin Wolf

Connor Mackey The breakdown

Oliver Kylington Jacob Markstrom is the undisputed starter in Calgary. But, the Flames The breakdown will need to find him a backup for next season.

Similar to left wing, this is a pretty strong position for the Flames. Both After David Rittich was traded to Toronto at the deadline, Louis Mark Giordano and Noah Hanifin played top-four roles this season, with Domingue was called up from the taxi squad but only played in one Hanifin looking like one of the team’s best defenceman before his season game. Domingue, 29, is a pending UFA, and I’d be shocked if he ended with a shoulder injury and subsequent surgery. returned in a No. 2 role next season given his lack of usage over the last two seasons (18 games). Artyom Zagidulin has one NHL game under his Giordano, now 37, didn’t look as dominant early in the season, which is belt and, if he is qualified, is likely to play in Stockton. expected as he ages. However, he looked much better after Sutter moved him to the top pair with Chris Tanev. Regardless of who is on the Dustin Wolf is surely more than a No. 4 goalie on the Flames’ future top or second pair, Giordano-Hanifin is a nice one-two punch on left-side depth chart, but he’s slated there for now only due to his age and D. How Giordano will look next season is still a major question mark. He experience. Wolf is only 20, and projecting him to play in the NHL full- could regress, or stay around the same as this season. time next year wouldn’t be all that realistic. So the question in the crease now is, who will be Markstrom’s backup next season? This is a player who won the Norris Trophy at 35, so I’m not going to make sweeping predictions about Giordano, even if it’s only to protect my That player will probably come in free agency, as there will be no pride after our terrible 10 bold predictions this year. shortage of adequate, experienced backups available for the Flames to add. Notable pending UFAs include Jaroslav Halak, , Antti Raanta and James Reimer. It’s worth mentioning that, given Markstrom’s $6 million AAV and his typical workload, the Flames will likely be looking for a bang for your buck backup versus a big-ticket No. 2.

GONE

Joakim Nordstrom

The breakdown

As the offseason moves along and player movement really begins, this list will grow. But for now, all UFAs and RFAs are on the depth charts above, except for Joakim Nordstrom, who played this season in Calgary and recently signed a one-year deal to play with CSKA in the KHL.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189689 Chicago Blackhawks A team spokesman said in a statement last month: “The Chicago Blackhawks take the allegations asserted by a former player very seriously. Based on our investigation, we believe the allegations against Chicago Blackhawks file motion to dismiss ex-player’s sexual the organization lack merit and we are confident the team will be harassment lawsuit absolved of any wrongdoing. As this is a pending litigation matter, it would be inappropriate for us to comment further.”

The Hawks declined to comment further about this case or one involving By PHIL THOMPSON John Doe 2, which was brought by the former high school hockey player over the 2013 assault in Michigan. Loggans also represents John Doe 2.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 06.17.2021 The Chicago Blackhawks have filed a motion to dismiss a former player’s lawsuit, arguing that sexual harassment claims he made fall under other legal remedies he didn’t exhaust and that the clock ran out on the statute of limitations.

The player, a member of the 2009-10 Stanley Cup champion team who is identified as John Doe 1, has alleged that in May 2010 former video coach Bradley Aldrich “sent inappropriate text messages,” masturbated in front of him and threatened him “physically, financially and emotionally if the plaintiff did not engage in sexual activity” with him.

John Doe also alleges that Hawks staff, including mental skills coach James F. Gary, helped suppress the complaint in part by convincing the player he was at fault for the encounters with Aldrich, who was convicted in December 2013 of having sexual contact with a high school hockey player in Houghton, Mich.

The lawsuit is the first of two related to Aldrich and was filed May 7 in Cook County Circuit Court.

Law firm Wilson Elser filed a response Monday saying its client, the Blackhawks, “adamantly denies any wrongdoing” and asks the court to dismiss the case.

The motion argues that John Doe’s case should fall first under the jurisdiction of the Human Rights Act and the Illinois Worker’s Compensation Act and that he didn’t exhaust those legal avenues or other “administrative remedies” before filing a lawsuit.

And besides those “preemptions” under the IHRA and IWCA, the Hawks maintain the two-year statute of limitations ran out on any personal injury claim.

John Doe asserted in his original filing that he suppressed the memory of his encounters with Aldrich and the damages he suffered until July 2019, when he learned of Aldrich’s conviction and sentencing in Michigan. Aldrich was sentenced to nine months in jail (with a credit for 59 days served) and five years of probation and was ordered to register as a sex offender.

“He was told that it was his fault, he was told that if he ever brought it up again, life was over as he knew it, so he suppressed it,” attorney Susan E. Loggans told the Tribune last month. “The triggering event for him was when he learned that this guy had done it to somebody else. He felt, ‘Oh, my God, if somebody would’ve done something about this at the time, it never would’ve happened.’ So he allowed himself to bring that memory about again.”

Therefore, the player’s lawsuit contends, any statute of limitations should start from that discovery.

The Hawks’ motion to dismiss attacks that premise as well.

“Plaintiff’s claims began to run in May 2010 because plaintiff was immediately aware of the events with Aldrich giving rise to the present sexual harassment allegations, reported the events to Gary, and sought treatment from Gary,” the motion says.

And even if the court accepts the repressed memory argument, the Hawks contend John Doe let the 300-day limit (around April or May 2020) on filing a charge lapse.

“The two-year statute of limitations bars plaintiff from even getting off the proverbial bench,” the motion says.

Finally, the motion argues the repressed memory argument usually applies only to minors when a suit asks to waive the statute of limitations.

“This case does not concern allegations of childhood sexual abuse,” the motion says. “Rather, plaintiff was … an adult professional hockey player who became aware of his alleged sexual harassment and resulting injury in May 2010 when it allegedly transpired.” 1189690 Colorado Avalanche solid player in Valeri Nichushkin, but Sampo Ranta represents an interesting player in the left-wing group. He’s coming off a brilliant NCAA season at Minnesota, where he finished second in Division I hockey in Avalanche offseason depth chart: Will UFA left wingers leave holes? goals, and made his NHL debut in the playoffs. He played only two Which kids could seize roles? games, but if he looks good in training camp, he could be a solid option for the Avalanche next season. They already showed they’re willing to give him a chance in big moments.

By Peter Baugh Jun 16, 2021 Centers

PLAYER CONTRACT STATUS AGE

Salary-cap constraints, an expansion draft and a second-round Nathan MacKinnon postseason exit are going to add up to the Colorado Avalanche looking different next season after a Presidents’ Trophy and a disappointing $6.3 million AAV playoff run. 25

General manager Joe Sakic and the front office have plenty of decisions Nazem Kadri to make in the coming months, and though the roster should still be elite in 2021-2022, players could cycle off or onto the roster. $4.5 million AAV

Star defenseman Cale Makar’s contract is probably the most important 30 aspect of the team’s looming offseason. He’s a restricted free agent, and the team will have to decide how much and for how long it is willing to J.T. Compher pay him. Sakic will also have to make decisions on the team’s $3.5 million AAV unrestricted free agents, including beloved captain Gabriel Landeskog, goalie Philipp Grubauer and standout forward Brandon Saad. With the 26 salary cap staying flat, the front office will have to navigate carefully. Tyson Jost With the playoffs still going on, the Avalanche still have some time before RFA (arb rights) free agency and the expansion draft. So let’s take stock of where the roster stands, in terms of players under contract and pending free 23 agents: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare KEY UFA Players under contract 36 Pending UFAs Alex Newhook Pending RFAs $908,333 AAV (Note: Salary figures are via CapFriendly. Many players can slot in at multiple positions, but for the purpose of this exercise, each player was 20 listed only once.) Nathan MacKinnon is a superstar, and the Avalanche have him on the Left wingers best contract in hockey for two more seasons. The big question in terms of centers is what Colorado does with Nazem Kadri, who was suspended PLAYER CONTRACT STATUS AGE for eight games this postseason for his high hit on Justin Faulk. He’s been suspended in three of the past four playoffs, and Sakic will have to Gabriel Landeskog decide whether he’s someone the Avalanche can count on. Bringing UFA back Pierre-Edouard Bellemare would make sense if it works cap-wise, and Compher and Tyson Jost played middle-six roles this past season. 28 Alex Newhook, like Ranta, will have a chance to seize a bigger role. He Brandon Saad showed flashes of promise after signing with the Avalanche, mostly playing wing, and his development could help determine the ceiling of UFA Colorado teams in the future.

28 Right wingers

Valeri Nichushkin PLAYER CONTRACT STATUS AGE

$2.5 million AAV Mikko Rantanen

26 $9.25 million AAV

Carl Soderberg 24

UFA Andre Burakovsky

35 $4.9 million AAV

Sampo Ranta 26

$925 AAV Joonas Donskoi

21 $3.9 million AAV

Matt Calvert 29

UFA Logan O’Connor

31 $725,000 AAV

Woof, that’s a lot of red. Keeping Landeskog and Saad while staying 24 under the salary cap will be difficult for Colorado, so the team could look to free agency to add some depth at left wing. The Avalanche also could Kiefer Sherwood move a center like J.T. Compher to the left side. Colorado knows it has a RFA (arb rights) 26 RFA

Jayson Megna 22

UFA Samuel Girard

31 $5 million AAV

Martin Kaut 23

$863,333 AAV Conor Timmins

21 RFA

Unlike at left wing, Colorado’s main right wingers are under contract, and 22 many are coming off big seasons. Mikko Rantanen scored 30 goals, and Joonas Donskoi added a career-high 17. Though he can be hot and cold, Erik Johnson Andre Burakovsky, when playing well, is one of the most dangerous $6 million AAV scorers on the team. Logan O’Connor, while likely not one to rack up points, is a perfect fourth-line player. He skates hard, fights for pucks and 33 can still manage to occasionally bring a scoring presence. And then Kyle Burroughs there’s Martin Kaut, the team’s 2018 first-round pick. He’s still developing and got passed over for the likes of Kiefer Sherwood, Newhook and UFA (Group 6) Ranta in the playoffs. 25 Left defense Makar looks like a generational defenseman in the making, and the PLAYER CONTRACT STATUS AGE Avalanche have to feel good about their defense with him, Toews and Samuel Girard all set to spend at least the next few years in Denver. Devon Toews Girard and Toews, both first-pairing-level defensemen, make a combined $4.1 million AAV $9.1 million and are under contract for six and three more years, respectively. Conor Timmins looked solid in the postseason, not making 27 many mistakes, and should slot in on the third pair. The big question is Ryan Graves Erik Johnson. He makes $6 million annually but has an injury history, and a contract that large is tough on the Avalanche given their cap $3.166 million AAV constraints. He’ll be a boost, though, if he’s on the ice and pairs well with Girard, who shoots left-handed. Colorado could’ve used someone like 26 Johnson against Vegas in the second round.

Patrik Nemeth Goaltenders

UFA PLAYER CONTRACT STATUS AGE

29 Philipp Grubauer

Bowen Byram UFA

29

$894,167 AAV Pavel Francouz

20 $2 million AAV

Jacob MacDonald 31

$725,000 AAV

28 UFA

Dan Renouf 35

UFA Jonas Johansson

27 UFA (Group 6)

Keaton Middleton 25

$742,500 AAV

23 $880,833 AAV

Sakic’s offseason trade for Devon Toews looks brilliant after the 21 defenseman put up some of the best five-on-five analytics in the league this season. Ryan Graves is a good player who led the league in plus- Adam Werner minus two seasons ago but could be a potential target for the Seattle Kraken, and Patrik Nemeth could also be on his way out as a free agent. RFA (arb rights) Bowen Byram, meanwhile, is a potential ceiling-raiser for the Avalanche. 24 The 2019 No. 4 pick missed the second half of the season with an upper- body injury, but he showed promise in his 19 games. If he develops the Hunter Miska way the team hopes, the Avalanche could have a scary group of $725,000 AAV defensemen in the coming years. Though 28 and not a youngster like Byram, Jacob MacDonald looked good in his first extensive NHL action 25 this season, and he’s on a team-friendly contract next season. Grubauer is coming off a season that saw him earn a Right defense finalist nod, and he’ll almost certainly get a raise from his $3.33 million cap hit, be it from Colorado or another team. If the Avalanche aren’t able PLAYER CONTRACT STATUS AGE to re-sign him, they’ll have to dive into the goalie market and look for a Cale Makar suitable replacement, because having a Cup-contending roster without a Cup-level goalie is a dangerous game to play. Pavel Francouz should be back next season, which will help the Avalanche, who struggled to find a consistent backup in 2021.

Also in the system:

Forwards: Shane Bowers, Nicolas Henry, Jean-Luc Foudy, Travis Barron (RFA), Ty Lewis (RFA), Andreas Wingerli, Alex Beaucage

Defensemen: Nathan Clurman, Justin Barron

Goalies: Trent Miner, Peyton Jones

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189691 Colorado Avalanche

Avalanche organization responds to racist and Islamophobic comments toward Nazem Kadri

By Aarif Deen - June 16, 2021

In the aftermath of the Avalanche’s Game 6 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights last week, Avalanche center Nazem Kadri was at the forefront of racism.

Kadri, 30, who is of Lebanese-Canadian heritage and a practicing Muslim, did not appear in Colorado’s second-round series and played just two playoff games before an eight-game suspension for an illegal check to the head kept him out the rest of the way.

Just days after the Avs’ season concluded, Kadri’s wife, Ashley Cave, shared posts on social media of hateful, racist and Islamophobic messages geared toward her husband.

“These racist comments Nazem received are disgusting,” she said, using an Instagram page devoted to their cat. “Just wanted to share a few of them with you but this happens regularly for him. This is Islamophobia. This has to stop.”

The posts shared screenshots of direct messages from hockey fans that targeted Kadri, his Islamic beliefs and Arab-Canadian heritage.

“Unfortunately, Nazem has received messages like this his entire career,” Ashley Cave said. “I guess you could say he has learned to ignore them. He was hesitant to allow me to share these but I really felt that as his wife I can not stay silent.”

The Avalanche responded to Mile High Sports on Wednesday with a statement addressing the racist comments:

“It is unacceptable that Nazem Kadri and his family have had to endure vile racist and bigoted taunts on social media,” the statement reads. “No one, whether that be one of our players, staff, fans or a member of our community, should ever be subject to racism or bigotry. We stand with the Kadri family in denouncing racism and intolerance.”

This came just days after Kadri shared his support toward a Muslim family in his hometown of London, Ontario that was tragically murdered.

The family of five was waiting at an intersection in the Canadian city when a driver intentionally mounted the curb and struck them, killing four, because of their Islamic faith, officials told CNN.

Kadri addressed the attacks on the eve of Game 6, saying “may love always be stronger than hate.”

Heartbreaking watching my community of London being terrorized by such a senseless, cowardly act. We will continue to conquer racism together. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families May love always be stronger than hate

— Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri) June 8, 2021 milehighsports.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189692 Colorado Avalanche

Did the Avalanche miss out on THE SHOT for the Stanley Cup?

By Ryan Boulding - June 16, 2021

And just like that there was only the Colorado Rockies…

The Avs bowed out in the second round, again, and the Nuggets got swept by the Suns.

Aside from concerts, the lights are now off at Ball Arena before the end of the postseason once more. That elusive Stanley Cup championship feels more like an extreme-heat induced mirage in the far-off distance, dancing in the waves of gas leaping from the pavement.

So close and yet so far away.

And now the question is whether this was THE SHOT for the Avalanche, the best moment in the brief window that an organization has where the planets align and the talent is there to take things all the way to the end.

Perhaps this team isn’t quite headed for a downward trajectory just yet, and maybe it was just PR-speak and expectation setting when it was mentioned following the trade deadline, but this burgundy and blue squad will inevitably look much different when hockey fans begins to think about Colorado again in the fall.

“We’re here. We’re trying to win a Stanley Cup,” general manager Joe Sakic said following the trade deadline. “As you see, the contracts are starting to come up that we’re going to have to sign a few of our guys. I think this is as deep a team as we’re going to have here, where we can have four lines really deep and we’re going to have to get cheaper, starting next year, at some of those positions.”

With Gabriel Landeskog and Philipp Grubauer heading into the summer as restricted free agents looking for and deserving raises, the organization will also have to decide what to do with Brandon Saad, Pierre-Édouard Bellemare, Matt Calvert, Carl Soderberg, T.J. Tynan, Miikka Salomäki, Jayson Megna, Liam O’Brien, Patrik Nemeth, Daniel Renouf, Kyle Burroughs, Devan Dubnyk, Jonas Johansson, Sheldon Dries, and Michael Vecchione.

Then there are restricted free agents to tender offers to, or in the case of Cale Makar, order up the dump trucks of full of that sweet, sweet money. Those players include Tyson Jost, Kiefer Sherwood, Conor Timmins, Dennis Gilbert, Adam Werner, Travis Barron, Ty Lewis, and Peyton Jones.

That’s 26 of Colorado’s 50 allotted contracts that will need to be renewed or cast aside, all ahead of the July 21 NHL Expansion draft that will see the Seattle Kraken emerge from its soporific dormancy in the to wreak havoc on the rest of the league.

Colorado, just like every other team in the NHL, will then be required to take one of two paths. The first involves the Avs protecting seven forwards, three defensemen, and one netminder from the Kraken’s prying tentacles. The second option means hiding eight skaters and one goaltender from Seattle’s options.

Oh and any player with a no-movement clause in their current contract must be asked to waive it or be automatically protected from the expansion selection.

Knock yourself out trying to find the path to most success through that murky quagmire.

My guess? The Avs go with eight skaters and one goaltender and lose Tyson Jost, Nazem Kadri, or sign and lose Brandon Saad.

“You can never have enough depth in any position,” Sakic said in April.

Now we’re going to see how that depth can bolster a team in transition as old faces go and new ones come in to replace them.

Only then will we see just how much of the window to win remains open. milehighsports.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189693 Colorado Avalanche

Exclusive: Jared Bednar will return to coach Colorado Avalanche

By Adrian Dater

Jared Bednar will return for a sixth season coaching the Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Hockey Now has learned.

Bednar, 49, already is the longest-tenured coach in Avs history, and that tenure will continue into the 2021-22 NHL season. In his five years behind the bench, he has posted a regular-season record of 184-149-39 and 24-19 in the playoffs.

The Avs went 39-13-4 this past season, the best of any team in the NHL. The team lost in the second round to the Vegas Golden Knights, the third straight season the team lost in the second round. That may have led to some speculation that the Avs might look for another coach to get them over that second-round hump, but it can also be viewed a different way: Bednar is one of only three NHL coaches to have taken his team to at least the second round in the past three seasons. Barry Trotz, with the Islanders, and Bruce Cassidy, with Boston, are the others.

Jared Bednar was hired by Avs GM Joe Sakic, and the two have a good working relationship. Sakic does not make kneejerk decisions, preferring to look at the big picture always. NHL coaches have notoriously short shelf lives, but that trend seems to be changing somewhat. Only one of 31 teams can win the Stanley Cup, so rash firings after one bad year aren’t happening as much.

Bednar has won a championship at the AHL level, in the Columbus Blues Jackets system, and has posted strong winning percentages since a tough first season at the helm in which the Avs got only 48 points. He is known as a tough, but fair coach who seems to have the full respect of his players. Winning a Cup remains the ultimate goal for Bednar and the Avs, and there’s no question this season’s playoff loss to Vegas was a tough one. But Bednar will remain part of the solution moving forward.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189694 Colorado Avalanche

Gabe Landeskog, Avs “want to find a way to get this done”

By Adrian Dater

Some speculation about the future of Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog has already commenced, not surprising given his status as a potential unrestricted free agent next month, July 28.

Some wonder if the Avs might just let the captain walk free because they can’t afford him in a flat-cap NHL landscape moving forward into next season. That was news to Landeskog’s agent, Peter Wallen, who told Colorado Hockey Now that talks have been cordial so far and expects that to continue.

“The one mutual thing both parties expressed is that they want to find a way to get this done,” Wallen said.

According to PuckPedia, the Avs currently have about $23.2 million of cap space under the hard cap of $81.5 million. That cap space could go fast, as the Avs not only have Landeskog as a potential UFA, but goalie Philipp Grubauer as well, along with Brandon Saad and P.E. Bellemare. Tyson Jost, Conor Timmins and a kid named Cale Makar are restricted free agents needing new deals.

The Avs will have some cap space freed up with the loss of one player to the Seattle Kraken in next month’s expansion draft, which could help in affording the big-ticket players such as Landeskog, Grubauer and Makar.

There would seem little to no chance the Avs would let Landeskog walk away with nothing in return. While not a spring chicken anymore, Landeskog will still be just 29 in November and is coming off the eighth 20-goal season of his 10-year career. Three more 20-goal seasons and he’ll tie the franchise mark held by Joe Sakic and Milan Hejduk.

Gabe Landeskog, whose last contract had a cap hit of $5.571 million, had 13 points (four goals) in 10 playoff games. Based on pure market value, Landeskog probably could command up to $8 million on the open market, which might be a bit steep for the Avs. Yet, Landeskog has expressed a desire to finish his career with Colorado. He has a young family here, and enjoys the team and the city. There may be some wiggle room on a “hometown discount”, though that aspect of negotiations often gets overplayed in the media. Players generally want what they’re worth.

As Colorado Hockey Now’s Ash Glover detailed last summer, $7 million per on his next deal is the likely sweet-spot both parties might find palatable, on a multi-year deal.

Colorado hockey now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189695 Columbus Blue Jackets

Rick Nash promotion among several changes to Blue Jackets' hockey staff

Former players Derek Dorsett, Mark Letestu and Brad Thiessen hired as development coaches; Josef Boumedienne promoted to director of professional scouting.

Brian Hedger

The Blue Jackets’ busy offseason has once again touched the team’s hockey operations department.

After re-hiring John Davidson as president of hockey operations in May, the Blue Jackets announced a slate of changes Wednesday that include two promotions, three hirings and one retirement.

Receiving the promotions were Rick Nash, special assistant to general manager Jarmo Kekalainen the past two years, and European scouting director Josef Boumedienne. Nash, 37, is now the Blue Jackets’ director of player development and Boumedienne, 43, will move to Columbus as director of pro scouting.

Other moves include the hiring of former Blue Jackets forwards Derek Dorsett and Mark Letestu as development coaches along with recently- retired goalie Brad Thiessen replacing Jim Corsi as goaltending development coach. Nelson Ayotte, the former director of high performance the past four years, has retired – which the Dispatch previously reported.

“We are always looking to strengthen our hockey operations group and these moves do just that, particularly in the area of player development,” Kekalainen said in the team’s press release. “In Rick, Derek, Mark and Brad, we have four former players with a combined 34 years of experience in the NHL and 17 in the AHL, as well as having played major junior and college, so they will be able to share a wealth of knowledge and experience with prospects throughout our organization. They are also passionate about the Blue Jackets, our city and what we are building here.”

Nash played 15 years in the NHL before re-joining the Blue Jackets in his previous role as special assistant to the GM. He spent his first nine seasons as a player with the Blue Jackets, eventually becoming the captain after being selected by Columbus first overall in 2002. He will now oversee the team’s development coaches, which includes three former teammates – Dorsett, Letestu and Jared Boll – who all settled in the Columbus area after retiring as players.

Boll is an assistant development coach and team ambassador who’d like to move up the NHL coaching track, getting his first look from the bench as a coach in the penultimate game of this past season – a reward from former Blue Jackets head coach for Boll’s work in practices.

Boumedienne, who joined the Blue Jackets in 2013 as a European scout, is from Stockholm, Sweden and played 17 seasons professionally in the NHL, and four European leagues. He became the head of the Jackets’ European scouting efforts in 2016 and served in that capacity the past years.

Thiessen’s hiring is noteworthy for two reasons, his age and experience level. The former AHL journeyman goaltender, who played 12 years professionally, is getting his first official staff assignment after retiring following this past season with the Monsters.

Corsi, whom Thiessen is replacing, is a former professional goaltender who has put together an extensive coaching career. The Blue Jackets were the third NHL the 66-year old coach has helped in that regard, serving as a roving developmental coach the past three years for the team’s impressive list of goaltending prospects – including top prospect Daniil Tarasov.

Thiessen acted as a player/coach for the Monsters toward the end of his playing career, but saw action in 12 games this season during an AHL campaign shortened by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189696

Report: Former Red Wing Gerard Gallant hired as Rangers coach

By Ansar Khan

Gerard Gallant, a prominent free agent in the NHL coaching ranks for 17 months, will return behind the bench in 2021-22 as head coach of the New York Rangers, Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported.

Gallant, the former fiery Detroit Red Wings forward, coached Canada to the gold medal at the recent World Championship. He had been out of the NHL since being fired by the Vegas Golden Knights on Jan. 15, 2020.

Gallant, 57, won the as the NHL’s coach of the year in 2017-18 after guiding the expansion Golden Knights to a 109-point season (51-24-7). They advanced to the Stanley Cup Final, where they lost to the Washington Capitals.

Vegas fired Gallant halfway through his third season, despite a 24-19-6 record. He was replaced by Peter DeBoer.

Gallant has a career NHL coaching record of 270-216-4-51 (W-L-T-OTL), including stints in Florida, where he led the Panthers to a division title in 2015-16, and Columbus.

Gallant had a successful run as head coach of Saint John in the Quebec Major Junior League, winning the 2011 and two league championships and being named CHL coach of the year twice (2010 and 2011).

Gallant played nine seasons for the Red Wings from 1984-85 to 1992-93 and was a frequent linemate of Detroit general manager .

Michigan Live LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189697 Detroit Red Wings and had to throw in another center picked in the first round (Jack Roslovic) to make it happen.

That illustrates the value of high-level NHL centers, and for that reason, Red Wings Mock Draft 2.0: What Detroit can do with five picks in Rounds the pull to consider Mason McTavish or Kent Johnson (if Detroit thinks 1 and 2 he’s a center) here could be strong. Ditto for defenseman Brandt Clarke. But if the Red Wings truly believe Eklund to be the clear-cut best player on the board, then this pick would be easy enough to understand on the grounds that Detroit needs more elite talent, above all. By Max Bultman Jun 16, 2021 Adding the Swedish winger would give the Red Wings the opportunity to

someday roll out a top nine featuring Eklund, Lucas Raymond, Jakub With the NHL’s semifinals now underway, the Red Wings’ other first- Vrana, Filip Zadina, Tyler Bertuzzi and Jonatan Berggren on the wings round pick — acquired from Washington in the Anthony Mantha trade — (unless they trade one of the above). That’s an enticing possibility. And it is finally locked in. And it’s close to the best outcome Detroit could have should also be noted that Eklund has played some center in his younger hoped for when the playoffs began. days, so there may be a chance to at least try him there.

The Red Wings will make their second pick of the 2021 draft at No. 23 — Pick 23: Nikita Chibrikov, RW, SKA (VHL) and that will actually be the 22nd player selected, due to Arizona The best players on the board at 23 in this simulation are also wingers: forfeiting the 11th pick because of a combine testing policy violation last Chibrikov and Matthew Coronato of the Chicago Steel (USHL). Both are season. in Pronman’s top 15. That makes it a good time for our first two-round mock draft of the Coronato actually went at No. 12 (the 11th player picked) in our staff summer, which is a more in-depth exercise than it sounds, considering mock draft earlier this month, so while I tried to just take what the the Red Wings own five picks between Rounds 1 and 2. They have both simulation gave throughout this exercise, I did manually remove him here of their own picks, plus the Capitals’ first-rounder at No. 23, the Rangers’ for that reason in an effort to be realistic. But on Pronman’s board, second-round pick at No. 48 (via the Marc Staal trade) and the Oilers’ Chibrikov is actually slotted one spot higher anyway, earning above- second-rounder at No. 52 (from the Andreas Athanasiou trade). average grades on his hockey sense and competitiveness and projecting Certainly, the draft gets increasingly unpredictable as it goes on, as a top-six forward. especially past the first round. But with the help of a draft simulator, using “He can make slick one-on-one plays, creative plays under pressure and Bob McKenzie’s scout-driven draft rankings as the preset, we’ve tried to find seams consistently,” Pronman wrote. “He’s physical and responsible bring at least a bit of structure to the chaos. defensively. He could be a more explosive skater ideally, but the other From there, Corey Pronman’s newly released 2021 draft board is the elements of his game pop.” perfect resource not just for finding value, but also for matching players’ To get a top-six forward in this range is good value, and once again skill sets with the characteristics Detroit has gravitated toward in the draft passes the “best player available” test. But a familiar caveat surfaces: under Steve Yzerman and Kris Draper. I’d strongly encourage giving it a Chibrikov is, again, an undersized winger at 5-foot-10, and does not long read. solve the needs at center or defense. In the meantime, let’s dig into the first two-round Red Wings mock of the This is an important takeaway to going with a winger at No. 6. The “BPA” cycle. ethos is very easy for teams to tout going into the draft, but what Pick 6: William Eklund, LW, Djurgården (SHL) happens when other teams scoop up the premium-position talent that’s available early? Detroit’s farm system is by no means overfilled on the The simulation produced the same five names in the top five picks as our wing, so these picks aren’t redundant, but emerging from the first round The Athletic NHL Staff Mock two weeks ago (albeit in a different order), without either a center or defenseman likely means kicking those cans taking Owen Power, Matthew Beniers, Dylan Guenther, Luke Hughes down the road another year. and Simon Edvinsson all off the board before Detroit’s pick. For a team that could use a potential top-pair LHD or top-six center, it’s not ideal, but One more drastic tactic if the Red Wings want to go BPA at six and find a probably a close approximation of what will actually happen in the top center or defenseman with their second pick would be a trade-up. If five. Detroit were willing to package its own second-round pick (No. 38) with No. 23, would that be enough to get into the teens in time to grab a So, I stuck with the same pick I made in our staff mock too, taking the center or defensemen of similar caliber? In this simulation, defensemen SHL’s rookie of the year for the Red Wings. Eklund checks some key Corson Ceulemans and Carson Lambos and centers Cole Sillinger and boxes with his skating, sense and competitiveness, and his productive Aatu Raty went with picks 14-17. There are different questions and risks season in Sweden is an encouraging indicator that he can be effective associated with each, as Pronman lays out in his rankings, and Detroit against men despite his smaller 5-foot-10 stature. would be giving up valuable draft capital to make that kind of move. But the Red Wings are going to need to find high-level center and D Pronman ranked Eklund third on his draft board and wrote that Eklund prospects somewhere. has “a high skill level, a very imaginative hockey IQ offensively and the ability to execute difficult plays at speed.” He also added that “his ability No. 38 Kirill Kirsanov, LHD, SKA (KHL) to play in the high-traffic areas and win battles, but also play on the perimeter and be a primary set-up guy, will make him a versatile NHL Kirsanov was a consideration with the 23rd pick as a left-handed player.” blueliner who Pronman has ranked at No. 16. On McKenzie’s scout- based list, however, he was ranked toward the end of the second round, That gives Eklund a true “best player available” argument at this spot, which is likely why he was available at 38 in this simulation. which is the main reason I stuck with the pick here. Pronman described Kirsanov (who spent the majority of the season on However, there is a case to be made against Detroit picking another one of the KHL’s best teams) as “a well-rounded but boring player.” But winger this high in the draft. It’s not just that Detroit’s bigger needs for a boring does not need to be a bad thing, especially when it comes to high-end player are at center and defense, but that those positions are defensemen. the hardest at which to acquire top-end talent outside the draft. Continuing to pick wingers in the top 10 may offer the best feeling on Pronman continued: “He’s very intelligent with the puck, he skates quite draft day, but eventually, those remaining needs at premium positions well, kills a lot of rushes, and has enough puck skill to play on a power must be resolved. And it doesn’t get any easier as the draft goes on, or play, although that may not be his role in the NHL. I could see him being when it ends. a solid two-way defenseman at the NHL level, though.”

For example, in 2016, Winnipeg took high-scoring winger Patrik Laine These playoffs have shown the value of deep blue lines, even if they at second, and he’s justified that selection with 150 goals in his first five times lack flash, which could make Kirsanov a wise pick if he makes it seasons (an average of 30 per year). And yet, this season, the Jets this far (or even 15 picks sooner if Detroit wants to ensure it shores up traded Laine for the center picked right behind him, Pierre-Luc Dubois, the defense). No. 48: Logan Stankoven, C/W, Kamloops (WHL) Like Kirsanov, Stankoven (who Pronman ranked 30th) may be a stretch to make it to this spot. But after clocking in at No. 44 on McKenzie’s midseason list, he was indeed on the board in our simulation.

Pronman gave him above-average grades in four categories: skating, puck skills, compete level and shot. The only below-average mark was for his hockey sense. But one other thing could work against Stankoven: he’s 5-foot-8. Still, he’s been able to produce in the WHL and internationally, and Pronman wrote that Stankoven “creates chances by pressuring turnovers and winning puck battles” in spite of his stature, which helps reassure.

The remaining four NHL playoff teams each have undersized players who fell in the draft (or went undrafted) contributing for them, including Brayden Point, Jonathan Marchessault, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Brendan Gallagher and Tyler Johnson. You would think Stankoven’s multiple above-average traits would be enough for a team to bet on him before he gets to this range. But if he’s there, he merits strong consideration for the Red Wings.

No. 52: Dylan Duke, C/W, U.S. NTDP (USHL)

Duke was a near point-per-game player in each of his two years with the NTDP, and while he, too, is just 5-foot-10, he’s another player Pronman rated with above-average competitiveness to go with NHL-average traits across the board.

He caught my eye as a potential Red Wings type of player when watching the NTDP this year because of that profile. Duke told me recently he’s enjoyed watching Gallagher’s game in Montreal this year and has tried to incorporate elements of Gallagher’s game himself.

“He’s a competitive son of a gun,” Michigan coach Mel Pearson said of Duke, who is committed to the Wolverines. “He’s got good skill, not the biggest guy but he plays bigger than his size. And he competes and he skates and he’s smart. He’s good with the puck, really good hands. … And he plays both ways. That’s what I like about him, he plays hard both ways, and that’s the beauty of him is he’s just not a one-dimensional player.”

Duke is working this summer at adding a longer-range scoring threat to his game, but he’s also a player who takes pride in getting to the net, which is a great place to start.

“I think it’s not easy to do,” he said. “Not everyone wants to do it, but I feel like it’s a part of my game that is really important and something that I definitely want to continue to get better at and continue to do.”

Duke played mostly wing this season, but he was a center prior to getting to the NTDP and said he flexed inside a couple times this year when the team’s regular centers were out of the lineup. There’s a versatility there, and certainly Duke believes he has the ability to play both. That’s a plus.

And beyond adding the longer-range shot threat, he’s also working at his skating this summer, and he pointed to that as one of the areas he feels he’s already progressed in since the start of this past season.

“I think it’s something that I’m putting a lot of time into this summer to keep getting better at, and something that I kind of worked on all year, at the end of practices, doing extra edge work and stuff like that,” Duke said. “So I was really happy with the way, I think, my skating got better from start to finish.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189698 0.73 52

58 Why Evan Bouchard, Ryan McLeod and more prospects are options for Oilers in 2021-22 55

Kris Russell

By Allan Mitchell Jun 16, 2021 15:55

0.86

In his two seasons as Edmonton Oilers coach, has 44 deployed eight rookies: Five defencemen (, Caleb Jones, Joel Persson, William Lagesson, Evan Bouchard) and two forwards (Tyler 50 Benson, Ryan McLeod). Stuart Skinner’s one NHL start in 2020-21 is the 43 only playing time trusted to a rookie goaltender since Tippett arrived. Ethan Bear The nature of the rollout for several Oilers prospects means their official rookie season and the year each emerges as an NHL regular are 15:08 staggered. For instance, Bouchard is not eligible for the Calder Trophy next season but in reality this will be his first real NHL campaign. 0.74

For Oilers fans, Bouchard’s presence on the every night roster has been 51 much anticipated and will be a major story in 2021-22. How many will join 46 him? There are several possible options. 55 The locks Evan Bouchard Evan Bouchard has been waiting for what seems like forever to play as an NHL regular. He played his first NHL game on Oct. 6, 2018, and 13:31 played well. Partnered with veteran , he played 7:52 at five- on-five, the third pairing won the shot and possession battle and played 1.27 the New Jersey Devils at 1-1 goals. 52

After that, Bouchard got lost in the shuffle under two management 38 coaching teams, highly unusual for a top-10 pick. He will be 22 in October, with two additional years left on his entry-level deal and (likely) 49 a clean shot at the No. 3 right side spot on Edmonton’s defence. Caleb Jones The numbers suggest he’s already there in terms of ability to play at this 12:50 level, as reflected in the 2020-21 numbers by Edmonton’s defence (10- plus games): 0.57

Oilers 2020-21 defence at five on five 49

PLAYER TOI-60 PTS-60 CORSI PCT GOAL 38 DIFF. EXP. GOAL DIFF. 50 Darnell Nurse William Lagesson 20:40 12:45 1.19 0.5 51 41 56 50 51 39 Tyson Barrie 17:08 10:55 1.38 0.31 50 42 52 25 48 45 Adam Larsson Bouchard showed well and it’s clear he could have played more, but the 16:41 Oilers righty blueliners (Barrie, Larsson and Bear) were all healthy for most of the season. Bouchard scored well (this is five-on-five), had 0.64 strong possession numbers and a handsome expected goals 46 percentage. His actual goal differential was below par, but single events in a season can have great importance in a small sample but remain 47 single events. Bouchard’s on-ice indicators are all positive.

48 I don’t recall a young Oilers defenceman with this much on his resume in Dmitir Kulikov front of his landing as an NHL regular. His chances of success are enormous. 16:20 Ryan McLeod got opportunities to audition with the Oilers late in the 52 season and then into the postseason, impressing with his speed and two- way play. There are some issues — five-on-five offence and driving into 48 high traffic areas were specifically lacking — but he is clearly close to a 56 plug-and-play option for the Oilers. Dominik Kahun During the regular season in Edmonton, McLeod posted just one assist in 108 five-on-five minutes and no points in 37 playoff minutes in the same 12:17 game state. This is not a calamity but McLeod won’t be able to build an 1.22 NHL career without posting at least some offence. 48 His two AHL seasons offer us an idea about year over year improvement. This is even-strength offence and in per game ratios. 46

McLeod's even-strength AHL totals 46

YEAR GP PTS PTS-GAME Tyler Ennis

2019-20 11:42

56 1.54

5-13-18 46

0.32 52

2020-21 48

28 James Neal

12-13-25 10:04

0.89 1.44

McLeod’s second AHL season was night and day compared to his rookie 48 year with the . He was fast as lightning in puck retrieval at both ends of the ice and used his speed to great effect on 48 exits and entries. 46 As time went on during his NHL audition, McLeod was getting to more Devin Shore pucks at both ends of the ice, and that (along with his entries) will result in more offence. One question that can’t be answered today: Will McLeod 9:31 be a No. 3 or No. 4 centre with Edmonton? 0.99 Expect general manager Ken Holland to aim high in the offseason, allowing McLeod to ease into the NHL on the fourth line. 38

Prospects with a chance 35

The Oilers are in the throes of deciding who stays and who goes among 40 the team’s unrestricted free agents, and that more than anything will The only man certain to return is Devin Shore, whose role on the team drive the immediate futures for several prospects bubbling under. isn’t similar to the one Benson will be applying for in 2021-22. If Benson Dmitri Samorukov‘s NHL debut is linked to Oscar Klefbom’s health and makes it with Edmonton, he will be part of an outscoring depth line, with the options Holland will find to replace those minutes (if necessary). his chief competition for the role (Dylan Holloway) likely ticketed for the Samorukov’s KHL time was successful (I wrote about it for The Athletic minors to start the season. earlier this week) and puts him in a position to be an early recall in 2021- If Holland signs Nugent-Hopkins, and the team adds a second free agent 22. (like Blake Coleman), Edmonton could run Benson or Holloway on a third Edmonton’s left side starters are likely to be Darnell Nurse, Klefbom or a line. There’s so much up in the air on left wing it’s impossible to know free agent acquired to replace him, and then some combination of Caleb how things will look in the fall. Jones, Kris Russell and William Lagesson. That’s why I have Benson shy of a sure thing, but he’s close based on That’s a lot of names and a lot of scenarios, but Samorukov has a what the team is reportedly shopping for and the kind of cap hits they’ll chance to arrive at Oilers training camp in the fall with no worse than No. need in the bottom-six forwards. 6 on the depth chart. He may well be better than three of the names Outside looking in above him right now. It’s possible the Russian defender outplays all but Nurse in the preseason. I wrote about five Condors prospects before the trade deadline, suggesting all of them had earned a recall from the organization. McLeod may offer some competition but his uneven SHL season did get the recall and Benson looks poised to be a part of next year’s means time in Bakersfield is likely. team. Tyler Benson has a clear shot at a roster spot and it’s tempting to place Cooper Marody doesn’t look like a fit, despite Edmonton’s dire need for him in the “lock” category now. If we examine the 2020-21 left wingers an outscoring No. 3 centre. Marody spent much of the season playing who played 10-plus games with Edmonton, Benson should be able to right wing and may benefit from a second opinion from another NHL find NHL employment this year: organization. Oilers 2020-21 LWers at five on five Theodor Lennstrom received a recall to Edmonton but didn’t play. He is PLAYER TOI PTS-60 CORSI GOAL DIFF. an RFA, and with the emergence of Markus Niemelainen and the arrival EXP GOAL DIFF of Samorukov and Broberg in time for next season, the window of opportunity might have closed. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins Perhaps the most intriguing name was goaltender Skinner, who appears 14:06 likely to be the team’s No. 3 goalie (starter in Bakersfield and first recall option) for the 2021-22 season. 1.15 What does it all mean? The Oilers have a pipeline and it’s working. Condors coach Jay Woodcroft is dynamite at developing players and Tippett has shown a willingness to place the youngsters into the lineup in spots where each can succeed.

Fans balk at the idea due to the usage (or lack of) for Bouchard last season, but the odds favoured injury and he was handled as next man up. It’s hard to argue with the logic, even though it didn’t work as planned.

Depending on how this summer goes, it’s reasonable to expect Bouchard, McLeod and Benson on the opening night roster. Recalls for Holloway, Broberg and Skinner could happen during the season.

Samorukov could go either way.

These aren’t cup of coffee prospects waiting to play an NHL game and then sign in Europe. These are long-term solutions to problems and if it continues there will be fewer roster holes each summer.

The 20 years it took to get here felt exactly like 20 years. Edmonton is crawling from the wreckage of poor draft and development.

This is what it looks like.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189699 Florida Panthers — Jaromir Jagr says the stars of the New York Rangers are going to like playing for Gerard Gallant. (NY Post)

— Wondering why Turk did not end up Detroit? You’re not alone. (DHN) FHN Daily: Florida Panthers reportedly interested in Patrik Laine — If Seth Jones wants to play for the Avs, they need to chase him. (CHN)

By George Richards — Could the Flyers be in the running for Dougie Hamilton? (PHN)

— Kirk Muller is back behind the bench and it’s in Calgary. (TSN)

Could the Florida Panthers have Patrik Laine playing with best buddy LOCALS ONLY Sasha Barkov in the near future? The first day of Dolphins minicamp was not kind to Tua. But, it’s just of Sportsnet floated the idea of the Panthers having minicamp, right? (Miami Herald) interest in bringing the talented winger south in his latest ‘31 Thoughts’ — Ron Culp, the longtime athletic trainer for the Miami Heat, died at the column. age of 75. He will be missed. (MH) There is an obvious connection between Laine and the Panthers (it is his — Can the Marlins build on their recent homestand success? (MH) close relationship to the Florida captain) and with the Blue Jackets apparently in rebuild mode, perhaps a deal could be made. — Will the Dolphins pay Xavien Howard what he wants? (Sentinel)

Laine is a restricted free agent who has arbitration rights and is a couple Florida Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 years away from unrestricted free agency. But if he is not interested in a long-term relationship with the Blue Jackets, Columbus may be seriously thinking about the haul it could get for trading him.

Although Laine is coming off an unremarkable season (12 goals, 24 points in 46 games) with Columbus — he was traded from Winnipeg just after the 2021 season started for Pierre-Luc Dubois — there is no denying his offensive prowess.

Before this season, Laine had 140 goals since his rookie season in 2016- 17. He would be another offensive weapon the Panthers could unleash.

Florida is very interested in Laine as it was when he was available when the season started.

Winnipeg made the best deal it could at the time in getting Dubois and the Panthers are not believed to have been a serious contender for him in January.

The Panthers could be now.

Barkov and Laine are very close friends who hang out together during the offseason and co-host a charity golf tournament in . Word is, Barkov would love to have Laine in Florida and the feeling is mutual.

Laine and the Panthers is definitely something to keep an eye on this offseason.

Subscribe to FHN today for coverage of your Florida Panthers all offseason long

— Quick personal note: I have family in town this week so the FHN Daily is a bit more sporadic as I take a few days off enjoying their company and taking a few days to recharge the batteries.

But I will have a number of stories this week and the Daily will be more structured again next week.

On Thursday, the NHL will announce the winner of the Jack Adams’ Coach of the Year Award which could go to ; Barkov may be named the winner of the Selke Trophy on Friday.

We will also open up the June Mailbag next week so be on the lookout for that.

Stay tuned.

FLORIDA PANTHERS LINKS

There is not a whole lot going on in PantherLand these days, but there was some news on Tuesday morning.

Lucas Wallmark, who played in just four games after being reacquired by the Panthers at the trade deadline, will not be back with Florida next season after he signed a one-year deal with Moscow CSKA. (FHN)

AROUND THE NHL

The Golden Knights looked pretty good in their series-opening win against the Islanders. If Vegas keeps this up, it will be playing for the Cup — again. (VHN)

— The Isles were ‘Thunderstruck’ in Game 2 at Tampa. (NYIHN) 1189700 Los Angeles Kings go the opposite way. You take Drew Doughty out of our lineup … and I won’t use the word…

“I’ve got the utmost respect for how he plays and the minutes he can Kings assistant analyzes each defenseman, including which one has a play. This year, probably more so. ‘bantam rooster mentality’ “Drew is a little bit different than (Colorado’s) Cale Maker. Maker is going to be on the offense because of the team he plays on. (Vegas’) Shea Theodore is going to be on the offense because of the team he plays on. By Lisa Dillman Jun 16, 2021 Drew has won Cups because he can shut down Nathan MacKinnon and (Mikko) Rantanen and those guys. He’ll sacrifice offense to keep the

puck out of his net. It doesn’t mean one is right and one is wrong, but You never know when a teaching moment — in this case, a painful one that’s Drew.” — might take place for a young defenseman on national TV. Mikey Anderson This moment came in the first period of the Kings’ afternoon road game Age: 22 against the Colorado Avalanche on March 14. Others have fallen for Colorado forward Nazem Kadri’s toe drag and more most certainly will 2020-21: 54 games, 1 goal, 10 assists, 11 points. Even. 21:11 ATOI. succumb again. Yawney said: “(Miller) was playing on a completely different team than On this occasion, it was Kings rookie defenseman Tobias Bjornfot. Mikey Anderson, in terms of offense. But Mikey Anderson is playing against the best players, along with Drew Doughty, and he’s a low-minus NAZEM KADRI ON HIS TOE-DRAG GOAL TODAY: “I JUST TRIED TO player and leading all rookies in time on ice and minutes played.” STAY PATIENT, DRAG IT AROUND HIM AND PUT IT IN THE CORNER. LUCKILY IT WORKED OUT.” #AVS Yawney paused and theatrically added, “Hello.” PIC.TWITTER.COM/MP139SFJ0T “To me, that’s impressive. He changed his training, which I think was — PETER BAUGH (@PETER_BAUGH) MARCH 15, 2021 needed. Even though it was hard for him to do, it showed in his play this year. He came in a different animal. You could tell he put in a lot of time The lesson stayed with Bjornfot. in the gym. It carried over to his on-ice playing, in terms of battling and “He got roasted in Colorado one-on-one against Kadri,” Kings assistant being strong. He might not wow people with offense but he’s going to do coach Trent Yawney said. “By the end of the year, Kadri tried the same some things that maybe don’t show up on the scoresheet that win move on him – and it was no mas.” games.”

Bjornfot, 20, was the youngest member of the Kings’ defense corps in Tobias Bjornfot 2020-21. It was the sixth-youngest group in the NHL this past season Age: 20 (averaging 25.5 years) and the second-youngest in the West Division behind Colorado (24.7), according to the numbers crunched by Cap 2020-21: 33 games, 1 goal, 5 assists, 6 points. Minus-3. 16:51 ATOI. Friendly. Yawney said: “I don’t think we’ve seen the best of Toby yet — once he He wasn’t the only rookie on the blue line for the Kings. Mikey Anderson gets more comfortable. The guys love this guy and people will say, ‘How led all NHL rookies this season in average time on ice (21:11), just ahead do you love him when he doesn’t say anything?’ They (the players) say of the New York Rangers’ K’Andre Miller (21:07). he’s hilarious.

Of course, this isn’t a carbon copy of Yawney’s previous assignment, in “(Kings scout) Christian Ruuttu told me, when I was new here, that this which he helped shape an impressionable and young defense corps for guy (Bjornfot) has more offense than he going to show. There’s more four seasons with the Anaheim Ducks. The group included Josh Manson, there offensively with Toby.” Shea Theodore, Brandon Montour, Hampus Lindholm, and Cam Fowler. Sean Walker But those Ducks weren’t in a rebuild like the Kings are now. The Kings’ defense could trend younger in the coming years. Two of the best Age: 26 defensemen in the prospect pipeline are 19-year-old Helge Grans of 2020-21: 47 games, 5 goals, 13 assists, 18 points. Minus-13. 18:10 Sweden and 18-year-old Minnesotan Brock Faber, both drafted in the ATOI. second round in 2020. Grans signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Kings this month and Faber will soon start what could be his CONGRATULATIONS TO GEORGINA’S OWN SEAN WALKER ON second and final year at the University of Minnesota if all goes well. THIS INCREDIBLE VICTORY! HTTPS://T.CO/NUWCCPP2QX

Yawney recently spoke to The Athletic about the individual and collective — GEORGINA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE (@CHAMBERGEORGINA) games of several Kings defensemen, looking back at the season and JUNE 8, 2021 examining the future. Yawney said: “He’s shored it up and tightened his defensively game “He (Yawney) protects that group and he will demand a lot from them. considerably. He has great legs and skates pucks out of trouble. He’s got There’s no bullshit,” Kings coach Todd McLellan told me in an interview the bantam rooster mentality — you hit me and I’ll try to hit you even in July 2019 before Yawney started in L.A. harder. He’s got a chip on his shoulder, in a positive way.

Here, there was no BS, only a lively comparison of one defenseman to a “Now he’s had a year and a little bit being the second-unit quarterback on bantam rooster. the power play. He has to be able to run that on short notice because the (The interview was condensed for clarity and space.) A unit will take the majority of the time. But he’s capable of that and was also very good on the PK. Drew Doughty “Again, he took a puck to the face (in Minnesota). … As soon as he took Age: 31 his cage off, the next game he was on the PK and blocking shots. That’s Walks. 2020-21 season statistics: 56 games, 8 goals, 26 assists, 34 points. Minus-14. Average time on ice: (26:33), highest in the NHL. (Of note, the “He was our leading defenseman in scoring five-on-five, ahead of Drew. next Kings player in terms of ice time was Anderson, 73rd in the league.) He has that ability. But he’s maturing and understanding that you have to be able to defend. You can’t be a train wreck on one side of the puck and Yawney said: “Drew doesn’t get enough credit when it comes to Mikey think you are going to make up for it on the other side. There are not very and maybe all our defensemen. But Drew was instrumental in their many defensemen in the league that can do that, if any.” development in terms of communicating with them. He just had a way with them, leadership-wise, that was overlooked. Matt Roy

“You are always going to want more when it comes to Drew Doughty Age: 26 because there’s an $11-million price tag attached to his name. I always 2020-21: 44 games, 2 goals, 8 assists, 10 points. Even. 19:15 ATOI.

Yawney said: “This was a difficult year for (Roy). It’s hard to evaluate his year because of the (head) injury. I don’t know how somebody goes back to retrieve pucks after what happened to him. I’m not poking at (Kevin) Fiala but that was a dangerous hit.

“Then COVID set him back again with the games missed. The game is becoming faster and faster (and) it is more difficult when you miss a certain amount of time. It’s hard to get your rhythm back. The things that work for you before an injury aren’t necessarily working because you’re half a play behind.

“But he ground it out and it’s going to make him better in the end, and he still was a trusted player. For him to play through that like he did … that tells you a lot about the man’s character.”

Olli Maatta

Age: 26

2020-21: 44 games, 4 assists, 4 points. Minus-eight, 16:26 ATOI.

Yawney said: “Coming in, the expectations were high. Maybe that was my fault, initially putting him with Drew. Looking back, if I could do it all over again, I might start him lower and work him up versus starting him at the top. He’s an unbelievable human being and he’s been through so much health-wise and on the ice. Over the course of the year, I thought he fit in and when he was comfortable, he’s a very good player and was good with (Walker). As time went on, I started to figure out that he’s hard on himself, sometimes to his detriment. But when he’s playing the way he likes to play, he’s very effective.”

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189701 Montreal Canadiens “These guys are out there paying the price every night.” Price said. “That’s what the playoffs are all about. You have to earn every victory. Every bruise is worth it at the end of the day.”

In the Habs' Room: Jeff Petry's return to lineup plays key role in win Ducharme was happy with the win, but not happy that the two Vegas goals by Alex Pietrangelo came after the Canadiens were guilty of icing Petry played 20:47 and had two shots on net and two blocked shots. If he and then lost defensive zone faceoffs. was feeling any ill effects from injuries, it wasn't apparent. “It’s a huge win for us, (but) at the same time though, we want to be more consistent,” Ducharme said. “We started to play on our heels when we took the lead. That’s something we want to fix. We need to be more Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette consistent for 60 minutes. We want to play like we did in the first part of the game.”

Golden Knights' Patrick Brown shoots the puck past Canadiens Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.17.2021 defenceman Jeff Petry during second period Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

A scary-looking Jeff Petry returned to action after missing two games with dislocated fingers on his right hand and he gave the Canadiens a lift as they edged the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 Wednesday to tie the best- of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal at a game apiece.

The fire in Petry’s eyes was the result of a week dealing with conjunctivitis — better known as pink eye — but it could just as well have been from his desire to get back into action

“If it was up to him, he would have come back earlier,” coach Dominique Ducharme said. “It was good to see him back and the way he played. He’s a gamer. When you get in critical games, he’s at his best.”

Petry’s return meant the Canadiens were back to a top four on defence and all four of them topped 20 minutes of ice time, with Ben Chiarot leading the way with 27:12.

Petry played 20:47 and had two shots on net and two blocked shots. If he was feeling any ill effects from the injury, it wasn’t apparent.

For a while, it appeared Petry wouldn’t be in the lineup. He wasn’t one of the top six defencemen during the morning skate and, when the team tweeted its lineup 20 minutes before the game started, there was no sign of Petry’s name. He also wasn’t involved in the line rushes in the warmup.

But when the official lineup was released on the NHL media website, Petry was among the 18 skaters and he was credited with the first shot of the game.

Ducharme said he wasn’t trying to play games.

“We kept our defence pairings from our morning skate (because we) wanted to make sure the guys could get through warmup,” Ducharme said.

With a full lineup, the Canadiens were able to play their game, scoring first as they did through their seven-game win streak against Toronto and Winnipeg and relying on Carey Price and the defence to hold off the Vegas comeback,

“We got a bounce,” said veteran Corey Perry, who had an assist on Joel Armia’s opening goal.

The fourth line of Perry, Armia and Eric Staal has been the Canadiens’ most productive in the playoffs.

“We’re three pretty big guys who control the puck and cycle and create chances and that goal was a carbon copy of how we want to play,” Perry said.

Tyler Toffoli, who’s expected to score, and Paul Byron, who isn’t, had the other Montreal goals with Byron netting the winner when he finished a breakaway by beating Marc-André Fleury with a backhander.

After facing only four shots in the first period, Carey Price finished with 29 saves.

“He gives our group a lot of confidence,” Byron said. “He makes a lot of big saves. He’s always there for us. He’s playing really well. His level of confidence and his energy are felt by the entire team.”

Price’s biggest save was against Alec Martinez in the second period. Price said he used “all my extremities” to get across the crease and deflect the puck over the net.

In typical Price fashion, he took the attention away from himself and praised his teammates who blocked 24 shots. 1189702 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens strike early, then rely on Carey Price in 3-2 win over Vegas

Goals by Joel Armia, Tyler Toffoli and Paul Byron prove to be just enough as Price makes 29 saves to salt away the victory.

Pat Hickey Montreal Gazette

The Canadiens are coming home on a high note after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2 Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena to deadlock the best-of-seven Stanley Cup semifinal series 1-1.

Montreal used the same formula that bought them success in the first two rounds against Toronto and Winnipeg. They scored the first goal, took a 3-0 lead, and then relied on goaltender Carey Price to hold off a surge by the home team.

Alex Pietrangelo made the game interesting when he scored his second goal of the game at 14:46 of the third period, but the Golden Knights couldn’t get a third shot past Price.

The Canadiens set the tone for this game in the first period. They outshot the Golden Knights 12-4 and had a 24-13 edge in hits.

Montreal kept Vegas goaltender Marc-André Fleury off balance to score two goals in the first period.

Joel Armia opened the scoring at 6:12, as he went backdoor to take a cross-ice pass from . He went high to the short side before Fleury could move across.

Tyler Toffoli made it 2-0 at 16:30 and rookie Cole Caufield earned a well- deserved assist on the goal as he froze Fleury by faking a shot and then slipped the puck to Toffoli in the high slot. The goal extended Toffoli’s point streak to a playoff-leading eight games.

The second period has been Vegas’s best throughout the playoffs and the Canadiens needed Price at his best when the Golden Knights turned up the heat and outshot Montreal 10-4.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price makes a save Wednesday night as Joel Edmundson, left, and Eric Staal keep his crease clear Wednesday night in Las Vegas.

Price had luck on his side when Max Pacioretty hit a post, but he followed that up with a save on . His quickness was on display as he moved across the crease to block a shot by Alec Martinez.

Pietrangelo, the only Vegas defenceman who failed to earn a point in Game 1, ended Price’s bid late in the period. He connected on a seeing-eye shot through five bodies blocking Price’s vision.

The Pietrangelo goal erased the third Montreal goal by Paul Byron, who went in alone and beat Fleury by moving across the crease and unleashing a backhander. Jesperi Kotkaniemi’s pass sent Byron in the clear, but the puck got through because Josh Anderson lifted Nick Holden’s stick and prevented him from blocking the puck in the neutral zone.

Vegas came up empty on the game’s only two power plays. The Canadiens have killed 21 consecutive penalties.

Jeff Petry, who picked up the second assist on Toffoli’s goal, appeared to be a casual bystander in the pregame warmup and he didn’t participate in the line rushes. But Petry was in the lineup after missing two games with dislocated fingers on his right hand.

There was a second change on defence. Jon Merrill, who had been sidelined for seven games with an undisclosed injury, was on the third pair with Erik Gustafsson. Brett Kulak and Alexander Romanov were healthy scratches.

Vegas was missing Chandler Stephenson, the centre on the top line with Pacioretty and Stone. There was no indication how or when Stephenson was injured because he finished Game 1 Monday after playing 17:26.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189703 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens offer free hot dogs to entice youth to get vaccinated

Montreal Gazette

"You guys know how much I love taking shots, now it's your turn," Cole Caufield says.

In an effort to get more young people vaccinated, the is offering new perks this week, including free hot dogs for those who get their vaccines before Friday’s Game 3 and Sunday’s Game 4.

The hot dog offer was announced on Wednesday evening by Health Minister Christian Dubé. A vaccine clinic will open outside the Bell Centre in the hours before the home games on Friday and Sunday.

Get your COVID-19 vaccine for a chance to win one of 22 Caufield jerseys or one of 22 pairs of tickets to a game in 2021-22!

» https://t.co/ENt5RZdQns#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/gXpVkDNeTt

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 16, 2021

Meanwhile, the Canadiens got the youngest player on their roster, 20- year-old Cole Caufield, to announce the team is giving away 22 Caufield jerseys and 22 pairs of tickets to a game next season — both in honour of Caufield’s jersey number — to Quebecers 18-29 who show proof of vaccination.

“You guys know how much I love taking shots, now it’s your turn,” Caufield said in a video posted by the team.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189704 Montreal Canadiens acts. Hockey purists might not like it, but it was fun and it has helped turn Las Vegas into a hockey city with fans learning more about the game each year while cheering for a really good team that can attract such big- name free agents as defenceman Alex Pietrangelo. Stu Cowan: Knights transform Las Vegas glitter into hockey gold The Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki never played a game for Vegas, but he was "To see what they’ve done over such a short period of time is pretty the second player picked by the Golden Knights at the NHL Draft, spectacular," says Canadiens' Nick Suzuki, who was drafted by Vegas. selected 13th overall in 2017 after they took Cody Glass with the No. 6 pick. The Canadiens acquired Suzuki from the Golden Knights in the Max

Pacioretty trade on Sept. 10, 2018. Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette “I think it was a cool experience to go into an expansion team, be one of the first players a part of the team,” Suzuki said. “To see what they’ve done over such a short period of time is pretty spectacular. They did a A fisheye lens image of the Vegas Golden Knights taking to the ice for great job of bringing guys in that really wanted to win. You’ve got to give Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the Montreal Canadiens at them credit for how they did their expansion draft, draft picks, did pretty T-Mobile Arena on June 14, 2021 in Las Vegas. well in trades. They made a good team and they’ve had a lot of success over the first few years in the league.” Article content Suzuki added that he’s not surprised to see Las Vegas become a hockey It was December 2018 when I made my first trip to Las Vegas while city. covering the Canadiens. “I think they did a great job of bringing in interest right before the team While taking an Uber ride from the airport to my hotel, the driver was was even selected,” he said. “They’ve had a great plan since the start making small talk and asked what brought me to town. When I told him I and when I was drafted you could tell that there was a buzz and energy was covering the Canadiens hockey team, his face immediately lit up. about the team. You could see it in their games. The crowd’s great to “Man, I love hockey!” he said. play in front of, even for the away team. I think they gave us a lot of energy (in Game 1) and it’s been fun to play here. They’ve done a great When I asked if he was a hockey fan before the Golden Knights came to job of putting a team out here and the fans have embraced them.” town as an expansion team for the 2017-18 NHL season, he laughed and said: “No.” Including at least one Uber driver.

The driver explained how, during the Golden Knights’ inaugural season, Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.17.2021 a friend of his got tickets and asked him if he wanted to go. At first, he wasn’t really interested, but eventually decided to go to the game.

A hockey fan was born.

The driver started to tell me everything he loved about hockey, from the speed of the game, to the hits and the goals, and he also spoke about how much the Golden Knights players had done to sell the game and become part of the community, led by goalie Marc-André Fleury. The fact the Golden Knights went to the Stanley Cup final in their inaugural season certainly played a big role in turning Las Vegas into a hockey city in the desert, where the temperature hit 44C on Wednesday. But the driver added that after going to his first hockey game live, he found football, basketball and baseball boring.

The driver said that the only problem with hockey in Las Vegas was that it had become almost impossible to get tickets to the games.

I was thinking about that driver Monday night when I watched on TV as 17,884 fans at T-Mobile Arena cheered on the Golden Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Canadiens in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinal series.

Watching hockey on TV and attending a game live are totally different experiences — especially for sports fans who didn’t grow up watching the game and might have problems following the puck on a screen. The Golden Knights have been able to get fans into T-Mobile Arena and they have kept coming back. The fact they are in the playoffs for the fourth straight season, are in the semifinals for the second consecutive year and have a chance for a second trip to the final has obviously helped sell the game on the Las Vegas strip.

88 outside with a high of 117 expected today in Vegas but its hockey weather inside as all these youngsters take advantage of early morning ice. ⁦@GoldenKnights⁩ host ⁦@CanadiensMTL⁩ tonight #stanleycupplayoffs. Yup, Vegas is a hockey town! pic.twitter.com/3m2xvyScha

— gary lawless (@garylawless) June 16, 2021

The Canadiens won that 2018 game I covered in Las Vegas 4-3 when Phillip Danault completed his first career hat-trick in . It was an entertaining game with the Canadiens outshooting the Golden Knights 47-26, but watching and listening to the crowd was the most memorable part for me. The atmosphere inside T-Mobile Arena — which the locals call “The Fortress” — was fantastic with fans cheering throughout the game, even for simple plays that wouldn’t get much reaction at the Bell Centre. It was more a big party than just a hockey game with lots of entertainment, including a spectacular pregame show with a gladiator theme and Blue Man Group and Cirque du Soleil as the intermission 1189705 Montreal Canadiens Jeff Petry returned to the Canadiens’ lineup for the first time since suffering a hand injury in Game 3 of the second-round series sweep against the Winnipeg Jets and missing the next two games.

Canadiens Game Day: First goal is key again for Habs in win over Vegas Petry’s eyes were what caught everyone’s attention when the game started because they were both badly bloodshot with Sportsnet’s Kyle The Canadiens are now 9-1 when scoring the first goal in the playoffs Bukauskas reporting the defenceman had suffered a bilateral this year and are 6-0 when leading after the first period. subconjunctival hemorrhage, which is usually caused by conjunctivitis (the inflammation or infection of the transparent membrane that lines the

eyelid and eyeball) and trauma. Stu Cowan Montreal Gazette “I was talking to him over the past couple of days and he wanted to get back out there,” said Petry’s defence partner Joel Edmundson. “His eyes have looked like that for a week now … it’s kind of scary, but I don’t think Canadiens players celebrate on bench after beating the Golden Knights affected him tonight.” 3-2 in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series Wednesday night in Las Vegas. Petry logged 20:47 of ice time with two shots, one assist and a plus-1.

Article content “He’s scary looking,” goalie Carey Price said. “But he’s obviously a big part of our team and played a big game for us tonight.” When the Canadiens score the first goal they’re a tough team to beat in the playoffs. Jeff Petry's eyes are legitimately bloodshot pic.twitter.com/lhB73LoJOT

Joel Armia opened the scoring at 6:12 of the first period Wednesday — Omar (@TicTacTOmar) June 17, 2021 night and the Canadiens went on to beat the Golden Knights 3-2 in Petry also impressed Ducharme. Game 2 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series in Las Vegas. The best-of- seven series is now tied 1-1 heading into Game 3 Friday night at the Bell “If he could have he would have come back earlier,” Ducharme said. Centre in Montreal (8 p.m., CBC, SN, TVA Sports, TSN 690 Radio, 98.5 “Even when it happened he wanted to try to play against Winnipeg in FM). Game 4. So it’s good to see him back and see the way he played after missing a couple of games and a few days. He’s an important player for The Canadiens are now 9-1 when scoring the first goal in the playoffs us on both sides. The way he defends, the way he moves and the way this year and have outscored the opposition 12-3 in the first period over he moves the puck. It’s really good and he’s a gamer. He’s a guy every 14 games. The Canadiens are also 6-0 when leading after the first time that you get in critical moments, big games, you see him at his period. The Golden Knights scored first in Game 1 en route to a 4-1 best.” victory. Petry took Brett Kulak’s spot in the lineup, while defenceman Jon Merrill “I think we got a bounce,” the Canadiens’ Corey Perry said after Game 2. replaced Alexander Romanov. Merrill, who only had 12:52 of ice time, “I liked our start last game. We had chances to score and (Marc-André) had missed the previous seven games with an undisclosed injury. Fleury made some big saves early on in Game 1 and kept it even. But tonight we got a bounce and we rode that momentum.” “Getting Petey back in the lineup, same with Jonny, it’s a huge boost to our team,” Edmundson said. “They’ve been in the league a long time and The Canadiens outshot the Golden Knights 12-4 in the first period. they know what it takes to win. It’s nice to have them back out there and I Tyler Toffoli scored at 16:30 of the first period to give the Canadiens a 2- think they were excited to lace them up again. 0 lead and Paul Byron made it 3-0 at 17:45 of the second period. The “Kuly played great when he was in,” Edmundson added. “But Petey, he’s Golden Knights’ Alex Pietrangelo scored at 18:46 of the second period been our best defenceman all year so, obviously, when you miss a guy and again at 14:46 of the third to make things close, but the Canadiens like that you want him back as soon as you can so it’s definitely nice to hung on for the victory. see him back out there.” “We showed some good composure,” Canadiens head coach Dominique COMMENT??!!!#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/VW9EN7kFnO Ducharme said. “At one point we felt the pressure, they were trying to come back. Overall we showed some pretty good composure, but I think — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 17, 2021 we can still do a better job.” Armia on a roll Toffoli’s goal extended his point streak to eight games, during which he has 5-5-10 totals. Hall of Famers Larry Robinson and are the Armia’s goal was his fifth in 13 playoff games, which ties him for the team only two Canadiens to ever have a longer point streak in the playoffs. lead with Toffoli. Armia only scored seven goals in 41 regular-season Robinson had a nine-game streak in 1978 and Lafleur had a nine-game games, while Toffoli had a team-leading 28 goals in 52 regular-season streak in 1977. games.

“You get that bounce early, you get that go-ahead goal and you play with Armia has been a good fit on the fourth line with Eric Staal and Perry. the lead,” Perry said. “You’re not chasing the game. And then it just falls “Joel’s got a little bit of everything in his game,” Byron said. “He can play into place from there. I thought the guys responded well and kept that power play, penalty-kill, he’s strong on pucks, he wins his battles. He momentum and rode it.” plays a big, heavy game and right now it’s really translating for our team. The Canadiens now find themselves seven wins away from the Stanley I think that whole line together is working really well. They’re feeding off Cup. each other, they’re cycling and all three are using their big bodies to create a lot of offensive zone time for our team. It’s been huge. He’s “It’s exciting,” Perry said. “I’ve mentioned it before, this is a team I grew been playing really, really well for us.” up cheering for and to put on that jersey each and every night and play for this franchise it’s a special feeling. Especially when you’re in the Armia has also impressed Edmundson. playoffs and you’re battling with 20 other guys in the dressing for one “He’s got good size and I think his reach and his speed he uses it well,” common goal. It’s been a dream come true, but there’s a lot of work left Edmundson said. “Some shifts it looks like the puck’s just glued to his to be done.” blade. He’s had a great playoffs so far and we’ll need him down the Le premier but si important. stretch.”

That all-important first goal.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/dxcm9EzU3L HUIT matchs consécutifs avec un point pour Toffoli.

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 17, 2021 EIGHT-GAME point streak for Toffoli.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/EzlHNYM1HF Petry returns — Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 17, 2021

Price getting help Price made 29 saves as he improved his playoff record to 9-4 with a 2.14 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. His teammates blocked 26 shots in Game 2.

“These guys are paying the price every night,” Price said. “That’s what the playoffs are all about and you have to earn every victory. But every bruise is worth it at the end of the day.”

Both Vegas goals came after Nick Suzuki lost faceoffs in the defensive zone. Four of the Golden Knights’ six goals in the series have come after the Canadiens lost faceoffs in the defensive zone — three by Suzuki and one by Jesperi Kotkaniemi.

“It’s two faceoffs that they scored on,” Ducharme said. “We got to do a better job. Both times it was on icings that I think we could have avoided. So we got to be better on those situations.”

Ti-Paul, gros but. #GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/CgX2QsCAi7

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 17, 2021

Some stats

The Golden Knights outshot the Canadiens 31-23, while the Canadiens won 58 per cent of the faceoffs and also led 53-45 in hits.

The Canadiens didn’t have any power plays, while the Golden Knights went 0-for-2. The Canadiens have now killed off 20 straight power-play opportunities over the last nine games and have killed off an NHL-best 91.9 per cent of power plays during the playoffs.

Ben Chiarot led the Canadiens in ice time with 27:12, followed by Shea Weber with 24:42 and Edmundson with 22:54. Phillip Danault led the forwards with 21:33, followed by Artturi Lehkonen with 18:36 and Suzuki with 17:33.

Armia and Perry led the Canadiens with three shots each. Chiarot had a team-leading nine hits, followed by Weber with seven and Suzuki with six.

Danault went 17-11 on faceoffs (61 per cent), Suzuki went 9-8 (53 per cent), Jesperi Kotkaniemi went 2-3 (40 per cent) and Staal went 3-0 (100 per cent).

All business.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/fEixuWx54r

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) June 17, 2021

Pacioretty still pointless

Former Canadiens captain Max Pacioretty is still looking for his first point after two games.

Pacioretty had only two shots on Price in Game 2 and was minus-1 while logging 19:19 of ice time. He did hit the post in the second period. In Game 1, Pacioretty had one shot on goal in 16:52 of ice time.

Stu Cowan: Knights transform Las Vegas glitter into hockey gold

A capacity crowd of 17,884 was at T-Mobile Arena Monday night to watch Game 1 of Stanley Cup semifinal series between the Golden Knights and the Canadiens with Vegas winning 4-1.

Canadiens happy to play in front of a full house again in Vegas

Series schedule

Here’s the rest of the schedule for this series:

Game 3: Friday, June 18, at Montreal, 8 p.m.

Game 4: Sunday, June 20, at Montreal, 8 p.m.

Game 5: Tuesday, June 22, at Las Vegas, 9 p.m. x-Game 6: Thursday, June 24, at Montreal, 8 p.m. x-Game 7: Saturday, June 26, at Las Vegas, 8 p.m. x-if necessary

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189706 Montreal Canadiens Then, to show the variety of his own tool kit, Armia scored again before the first period was over in Game 5 against Toronto by driving the net and burying a loose puck in a big scrum. He scored two goals in one period, or as many goals as the Canadiens had scored in their three When the Canadiens have needed a big goal in these playoffs, Joel previous games combined. The Canadiens had a 2-0 lead after one Armia has been ready to deliver period, squandered it by the end of the third period and won in overtime.

Then they won the next two games.

By Arpon Basu Jun 17, 2021 Fast forward to Game 2 in Las Vegas on Wednesday night, and the overwhelming narrative was how the Canadiens had a great start in

Game 1 but were unable to capitalize on it, leading to a 4-1 loss. The When you watch Joel Armia practice, it immediately becomes obvious Canadiens came out just as hard in Game 2 as they did in Game 1, had why he was the Buffalo Sabres’ first-round draft pick in 2011. multiple chances to score, but it wasn’t going in for them against Marc- André Fleury. He moves well for his size, yes, but it is his hands and his shot that immediately catch the eye, and it is not difficult to imagine any scout Again. watching Armia in Finland that year and thinking the same thing. That “I liked our start last game, we had chances to score and you’ve got to combination of size, speed, hands and a shot is simply tantalizing, and give credit, Fleury made some big saves early on in Game 1 and kept it everything he does in practice suggests Armia would have NHL star even,” Corey Perry said. “But tonight, we got a bounce, and we rode that written all over him. momentum.” His NHL teammates see it as well. Ask any member of the Canadiens, That bounce, wouldn’t you know it, went to Armia. But simply describing and they will gush about Armia’s abilities, his unique skill set that sets it as a bounce is not doing the goal justice, and Perry can be excused for him apart. saying so because he didn’t get a good look at it on the ice. It was a A few years ago, we were polling various members of the team about highly skilled play that Armia made, except it looked a lot easier than it who had the best specific individual skills, and when it came time to was. discuss who had the best wrist shot on the team, I was talking to a player The whole thing begins with Armia being just how Byron described him, who was stumped. A player eavesdropping a couple of lockers down was heavy behind the net on Alec Martinez to knock the puck loose for Perry incredulous. He could not believe this was a question that took more than to get it back to Joel Edmundson. Then came the bounce. one second to answer. Except the way that puck deflected to Armia, and his position on the ice, “Come on,” he said, “it’s definitely Army.” did not make putting that puck into what looked like an empty net easy. The two of them talked about it for a bit, I really had nothing to do with it That took loads of skill because as soon as that puck was on Armia’s anymore, and then a third teammate chimed in. By the end of the stick, it was not only headed toward the net, but it was headed there discussion, all three of them agreed. It was Armia. elevated (deflected off the stick of Patrick Brown, but still, Armia lifted the initial shot to create that deflection), leaving no chance for Fleury to get to “Joel’s got a little bit of everything in his game,” Paul Byron said. “He can it. play the power play, penalty kill, he’s strong on pucks, he wins his battles. He plays a big, heavy game, and right now it’s really translating But look at where Armia’s skates are pointed. Look at where his entire for our team.” body is pointed.

Even coach Dominique Ducharme sees it, and he has always seen it. For him to collect that puck and get rid of it so quickly and get air under it When Armia was playing on a line with Nick Suzuki and Tyler Toffoli, and while facing the blue line was a remarkable play. It was the type of play that line was going on a good run, Ducharme insisted a big reason for it Armia can make, the type of play that gets his teammates talking in was Armia, who has the ability to control play on the boards, handle the superlatives about his skill set. puck in tight quarters, do things with his hands that most players his size And if you think the Canadiens getting a lead isn’t important, just ask the simply can’t do that allowed his two more heralded linemates to succeed. Golden Knights. And yet, despite the high level of respect his teammates and coaches “The last two periods I thought we played pretty well,” captain Mark have always had for his toolbox, Armia has never been able to use those Stone said. “But chasing the game is not an easy task against anybody, tools in an effective way that consistently translated to the ice. You would but these guys play a good team game when they get the lead, so we’ve see flashes, maybe stretches of a few games, but they would always be got to do a better job with our starts. We’ve got to find our preparation.” followed by stretches of games where you wouldn’t see Armia at all. He would disappear, and the fact everyone knew just how much talent he It took a lot more than Armia for the Canadiens to win this game. They had makes that frustrating. got three goals from three separate lines, which is what they are all about. They got a return to the lineup from Jeff Petry, playing through an It is always, when it comes to Armia, about what he could be, and rarely injury to two fingers on his right hand and doing so as if he didn’t miss a about what he is. beat. And they’ve got Carey Price who, once again, did Carey Price Except right now, in the midst of this Canadiens playoff run that has them things to allow the Canadiens to hold on to that lead by denying the tied 1-1 with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup semifinals Golden Knights on the multiple high-end scoring chances they created in after their 3-2 win Wednesday and heading back to the Bell Centre with the second period. home-ice advantage having been taken from their opponents in a third But Armia now leads the Canadiens in playoff goals with five, and all but straight series they began on the road, Armia is impacting the Canadiens’ one of them have been significant – his shorthanded goal just past the ability to win games in multiple ways. midpoint of Game 3 against the Winnipeg Jets made it 3-0 Canadiens, And in that sense, he is indicative of what makes the Canadiens essentially putting away that game and ultimately the series for them. successful when they are at their best, a role player on the fourth line We don’t often hear from Armia because he’s not much of a talker with who kills penalties and scores big goals when his team needs them most. cameras and microphones pointed at him, though he can be quite Let’s think back to Game 5 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and the insightful when you talk to him alone. And in this time of Zoom media overwhelming narrative that was surrounding the Canadiens. availabilities, we hear from him even less because it is not something he is comfortable doing, and the current format makes it even more It was that they could not score because they had not scored in Game 4 uncomfortable. and scored only four goals in the three games prior to that one. No one was giving the Canadiens a chance to come back from 3-1 down in the But none of that matters because Armia is doing all of his talking on the series, particularly not with Game 5 in Toronto. ice. And the Canadiens would definitely prefer he use that platform to express himself in any case. What does Armia do? Remember that discussion among those three Canadiens teammates about the best wrist shot on the team? The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189707 Montreal Canadiens Joel Armia: Yes, he was in the right place at the right time to score the game’s opening goal. But he also put in the work. Watch him in front of the net, whacking away at chances. He followed the puck as it went behind the net and didn’t stop fighting for it. He hit Martinez and kept him Jeff Petry, Carey Price and the Canadiens rise to the occasion, even from controlling the puck, leading to Corey Perry taking it for himself and series at 1-1: Playoff plus/minus keeping possession for Montreal. You know how it ends from there, but this was more than just Armia being in the right place at the right time.

JOEL ARMIA HAS THE CANADIENS ON THE BOARD FIRST! By Julian McKenzie Jun 17, 2021 #ITSON PIC.TWITTER.COM/SCAPOQHEWW

— SPORTSNET (@SPORTSNET) JUNE 17, 2021 If I’m lucky, one day I’ll get to visit T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Whether as a media member, or as a fan, I would love to take in the atmosphere Cole Caufield and Tyler Toffoli: If Caufield isn’t directly contributing to a of a game in Vegas with rowdy, passionate fans in the stands. Nick Suzuki goal in these playoffs (he has two primary assists and a secondary one on three such goals), he’s setting up Tyler Toffoli, If you’re the Montreal Canadiens, however, you’re doing everything you apparently. He did less work on Toffoli’s goal Wednesday night can to suck the energy from those fans. It worked for about a period in compared to his effort on the series-clinching OT goal against the Game 1. But they were much more successful in Game 2. Winnipeg Jets, but his work was essential nonetheless. Fans, media and pundits alike salivated over Caufield’s goal-scoring prowess and release For much of the night, the Knights fans weren’t in full voice as their team during his time at . But through his four-game points streak, his chased the game. What was also impressive: Canadiens fans were playmaking ability has shone brightly. And Toffoli has benefited greatly represented well in the arena, their jerseys spotted in pockets among the from Caufield’s handiwork on two occasions. crowd. The Canadiens even had at least one celebrity in attendance repping the bleu-blanc-rouge. Paul Byron and Josh Anderson: I like both players sharing the plus here as I get to give Byron props for taking advantage of a broken play, while I LET'S BRING IT HOME HERE IN THE THIRD PERIOD, GUYS. also give credit to Anderson for making that broken play happen. Don’t ENJOYING THE GAME WITH THE FAMILY, CHEERING ON MY get me wrong: Anderson still needs to provide offence. Tonight, he only FAVORITE HOCKEY TEAM. #GOHABSGO@CANADIENSMTL got one shot on goal. But his work in taking Golden Knights defenceman PIC.TWITTER.COM/NYG1HLEVT0 Nick Holden away from the puck led to Byron speeding toward the puck — TIM RAINES (@TIMRAINES30) JUNE 17, 2021 and scoring the eventual game-winning goal for the Canadiens. Byron’s speed and smarts help him here, as they did on his goal in Game 1 You couldn’t tell, at times, if fans were chanting “Go Habs Go!” or “Go against the Toronto Maple Leafs, but Anderson’s pick made it happen. Knights Go!” Sure, the Knights fans tried to rile themselves up at breaks, but their energy wasn’t as vibrant until the game got close in the third PAUL BYRON IN ALL ALONE TO MAKE IT 3-0 CANADIENS! period. Alex Pietrangelo kept his team in it with two goals of his own, #ITSON PIC.TWITTER.COM/YSVZTCE1ZN building off his fellow defencemen’s efforts in Game 1, but it wasn’t — SPORTSNET (@SPORTSNET) JUNE 17, 2021 enough. Shea Weber: He took a puck off the hand and blocked a shot as the The Canadiens, meanwhile, returned to form. They scored the game’s Golden Knights sought a game-tying goal with seconds on the clock. opening goal (they’re 9-1 when they score first). The Joel Armia line Weber hasn’t been flashy, but that’s not him or his game. He’s been hemmed the Golden Knights in their own zone, leading to a goal from the reliable this postseason, and I haven’t acknowledged it enough. aforementioned Armia. Jeff Petry, meanwhile, put forth a solid effort in his first game back from injury, and Carey Price was, well, Carey Price. The minuses Especially as Montreal held on for dear life in the final stretch of the third period. He was as solid as a rock, word to Tim Raines. Erik Gustafsson: You might call it a nitpick. But everybody saw Gustafsson make that pass to nobody in the offensive zone, killing any Thanks to those efforts, the Canadiens will return to Bell Centre with the building momentum for the Canadiens as both teams were going end to series tied 1-1 instead of being down a 2-0 hole. It’s close to an ideal end and taking advantage of an open game. He was also the Canadiens’ situation. least trusted defenceman at 11:51 total time on ice.

The Canadiens did some good things. We highlighted them in our pluses. Joel Edmundson and Nick Suzuki: For the second time this series, the They did some things worth minuses, too. Canadiens allowed a goal off a defensive zone faceoff following an icing that kept their tired players on the ice. Suzuki lost both faceoffs, leading The pluses to goals from defencemen. It took away from his otherwise solid night in Jeff Petry: Despite playing through discomfort in his right hand, and a the faceoff circle. Edmundson, like Ben Chiarot in Game 1, was the man subconjunctival hemorrhage (broken blood vessel in the eyes), Petry responsible for the unforced error. That mistake took away from his two played like the Canadiens’ best defenceman in under 21 minutes of work. assists and really good xGF% (86.86!). This might be a bit harsh, but the He had two shots on net in the first few minutes, and he picked up an Canadiens cannot afford to make those mistakes against the Golden assist on the Tyler Toffoli goal that made it 2-0. It might have been the Knights. most heroic performance of any Canadiens player through this The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 postseason.

Carey Price: I still don’t know how he made this save. Almost everyone in Vegas was sure Alec Martinez had scored. I’m sure Martinez thought he had scored. But he didn’t. Price somehow got his pad to the shot and kept it out. That save alone vaulted him into our pluses and will go down as yet another highlight-reel stop to add to his collection for this postseason. Seriously, you could probably make a Top 10 Carey Price saves from the 2021 playoffs.

I THINK CAREY PRICE MADE THIS SAVE WITH HIS HIP…?

ALEC MARTINEZ MIGHT BE SEEING THIS IS IN NIGHTMARES PIC.TWITTER.COM/XIMQJND3IW

— SCOTT MATLA (@SCOTTMATLA) JUNE 17, 2021

The save was Price at his flashiest, but he was at his absolute best in the final minutes. After he allowed Pietrangelo’s second goal of the night, he held the fort. His 29-save performance was crucial to the Canadiens tying this series. 1189708 Montreal Canadiens that. And so we decided we were going to hide behind the curtain, which is what we did. We saw them leave and we asked the security guard, “Are they gone?” And he’s like, “Yeah.”

‘It was mayhem’: Inside the Flyers-Canadiens 1987 brawl that changed Dave Poulin, Flyers captain: They were hiding like little kids behind their the NHL forever curtain, so our guys hid like little kids behind our curtain, and they went out to meet them.

Lemieux: So we come back on the ice, fans are cheering, and decided Kevin Kurz Jun 16, 2021 (we) might as well go skate it in their end. Then next thing you know I’ve got a freakin’ goalie stick coming at my head.

Resch: I went in the corner to pick up my stick, and (Hospodar has) got A glance at the box score of Game 6 of the Wales Conference finals on Lemieux, wrestling with him and he gets him down. I go over there and May 14, 1987, when Philadelphia advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with he’s not hitting him, he’s just holding him down. a 4-3 win over Montreal, doesn’t reveal anything extraordinary. Rick Tocchet’s third-period goal broke a 3-3 tie, and eventual Conn Smythe- I remember saying to those guys, “What are we doing? This is winning goalie made 29 saves to help the Flyers advance. ridiculous.” Claude looked up and said, “Yeah, this is stupid.” We were ready to quit, but the crowd is roaring, and then I look and see the What happened before the game, though, has resonated for more than Montreal Canadiens’ door is open and the team is coming back out onto three decades. the ice. Then everybody came out there. “The National Hockey League sank to a new low last night, and that’s an Lemieux: (Hospodar) was a tough guy, but I flipped him over and I’m on (extreme) low indeed,” wrote Philadelphia Inquirer sports editor Frank top of him like, “What are you doing?” And then Chico was like, “What’s Dolson. “Those were major hockey league players out there making a going on? What are you guys doing?” And I’m like, “What are you guys mockery of their sport.” doing?” Then it was too late, and I saw, oh my gosh, all the players are , the acerbic Canadian broadcaster, said at the time: “I don’t coming on the ice, and it was over. mind the odd brawl, but I didn’t like that.” Poulin: One of our trainers (Jim Evers) ran into the room yelling, “Gotta Pregame emotions had been building throughout the series, sparked go, gotta go, gotta go!” mainly by Claude Lemieux and Shayne Corson. The two Montreal Chris Nilan, Canadiens forward: All of a sudden an usher comes running forwards, after warmups had been completed, would shoot a stray puck in (to the dressing room). “There’s a problem on the ice, they’re going into the Flyers’ empty net. Their routine irritated the Flyers, but it quickly after Lemieux.” So I did my skates up, not real tight, but as quick as I became part of a psychological game within a game. could, and out I went. Before Game 6 at the , it all came to a head in one of the Dave Brown, Flyers forward: Keenan at first said, “No, no, we can’t do most memorable brawls in league history, and one that had lasting this.” I was thinking we should do it now if we’re going to fight these guys. effects. Afterward, Flyers forward Ed Hospodar was suspended for the We didn’t plan anything out, but it was Game 6, and we’ve got to play final round — the only player to earn any kind of ban. There was a total tough and play hard this game. of $24,500 in fines. , Flyers coach: Normally, I would watch warmups, which I But more importantly, when players raced to the ice from both dressing did. Then warmups had concluded, so I went into the coaching office in rooms before the opening faceoff, there were no referees or linesmen to the old Forum. All of a sudden I hear this uproar. I didn’t want them to get break it up. The fracas forced the NHL to take a hard look at its involved in that. reputation. League executives knew that if they ever were going to make the game appealing to a broader fan base, these types of moments Howe: I’m the first guy out, and I grab my stick as I’m going by. So I’ve would have to disappear. About four months later, the NHL introduced got my stick on the ice, because you don’t know what the hell is going on. harsh penalties and fines for any players, coaches or teams involved in a Doug Crossman had been in the washroom and had on his sandals, so similar melee. A 10-game player suspension for coming off the bench to he’s out on the ice with his flip-flops on. fight was among the new rules. Al Morganti, Flyers beat writer, Philadelphia Inquirer: One of the great “Multiplayer brawls have no place in the National Hockey League,” said traditions at the Forum was, obviously they had great hot dogs in the William Wirtz, then the Blackhawks’ owner and president. ”We feel that press room. For the playoffs, though, they put tablecloths out, and I think this legislation will eliminate what has damaged the image of the league.” there was actually wine. So I don’t think anybody was too anxious to leave that to go watch warmups, but word filtered down that something’s What follows are the insights of more than a dozen participants and going on here, and then it was like, are we really seeing what we’re observers of the 1987 pregame brawl. seeing? It was hard to believe. When you cover the Flyers, you’ve seen a Claude Lemieux, Canadiens forward: Shayne Corson and I liked to stay lot. Even for what we’ve seen, this is bonkers. And it got worse and on the ice late and have a long warmup, and I was always the last guy to worse. It was surreal watching it and calling the office and saying, get off. It was kind of a superstition thing — flip a puck in the empty net. “You’ve got to get ready for this because this is crazier than anything And that was our routine. we’ve ever seen before.”

Mark Howe, Flyers defenseman: The whole thing started because of Of all the things that I remember from that, and all the stuff that was superstition. going on, I just can’t get over Doug Crossman on those stupid slippers. It was like watching that guy who took off his clothes in “Slap Shot.” , Flyers goalie: In Game 4, I took the net off and I turned it around and pushed it against the back boards. (Lemieux and Corson) Lemieux: There were guys with no skates. One (fight) would break out didn’t know what to do. They didn’t really do anything because I’m and things would settle down. … I was obviously the instigator, I’m just standing there in uniform, watching. trying to get this thing stopped. The Flyers always dressed five or six extra guys, and they always skated over the (red) line. They started the So then we beat them (in Game 4), and I’m thinking, OK, we’re getting in intimidation in the warmups. I knew we were outnumbered. So then my their heads. So I said I’m going to do that again back at the (for mind is thinking, we’re losing players here. We’re losing key guys. This is Game 5). But they had their own plan. They went and took the net off the not good. So I’m trying to tone it down, and while that’s happening, back boards and placed it back on the pegs, and then they do their thing. they’re trying to fuel it up. They’ve got guys that know they’re not playing, And they beat us (5-2), and Lemieux had scored. so they could care less.

So then I’m thinking, in Montreal (for Game 6) if I take it off they’ll just put Howe: I saw Brownie come out and he looked like a heat-seeking it back on. And (Flyers coach) Mike Keenan said, “Do not let them score.” missile. He was looking for Nilan. Then they caught eyes, and went straight to each other. Lemieux: This thing had picked up and became I guess somewhat important where (Canadiens captain) Bob Gainey had said to me and Poulin: Dave Brown went out without a flak jacket, and nothing to hang Corson, “You guys, don’t mess around out there. Just come off the ice on to. He was looking for one guy. And that was Chris Nilan. and once they leave, you can go about your superstition.” Something like Nilan: (Flyers defenseman Kjell) Samuelsson is kind of looking at me. I thought, oh my God, this is like a train wreck. I don’t know who could look know he’s a big guy, it’s not like I was scared of Kjell Samuelsson away from it. because he was big. That didn’t bother me at all. Am I going to waste my time fighting this guy, who doesn’t fight? I knew this wasn’t it. Sure At one point, I remember looking at Doc (Emrick), and we were so enough, both dressing rooms started trickling out, and then I saw big frustrated. We’re announcers. We wanted to announce what was going Brownie obviously come out with no jersey on. And, OK, here we go. on, but we didn’t have an audience. We weren’t on the air. So I remember going, oh my gosh, I wish we were calling this right now, Morganti: Dave Brown was the king. He was the best fighter I ever saw. because it was mayhem and we had a bird’s eye view.

Brown: I always took my jersey off to cool off after warmups or in Lemieux: You’re seeing family members in the stands, and the looks on between periods. I had it off, and I thought, why should I put it back on if their faces. … You could see wives, you could see parents. It was like, we’re going back out there to fight? I just put my elbow pads on, if I fall people just didn’t know what to think. And the players, we didn’t know down. We went to look for whoever we had to match up with, and I knew what to think. Usually we’re told to stop and then something happens and Nilan was my guy, because he was their tough guy, so I went and looked it gets split up, but in this case, you’re looking around for referees, and for him. there’s nothing. I remember trying to get off. I was going to go rest, and one of my teammates was like, get your ass back out there. So I was Resch: One guy I felt bad for was Chris Nilan. Dave Brown was the like, OK. heavyweight champ. But now there’s nowhere to hide, and poor “Knuckles” has got to take on Brown. Clement: It was similar to a bench-emptying brawl, but at least there were three sheriffs to go around in a bench-emptying brawl back then. In Nilan: We went at it. Then we grabbed, and then we’d go again. At one this brawl, there were no cops on the ice. time we’re swinging away, and I went to my knees and got back up, and then we both rested again. He was leaning on my shoulder, he had his Ron Hextall, Flyers goalie: I had just done up my last strap on my pads head in behind my head, by my ear. And he goes, “Have you had and I got up and I was right beside the door, and as soon as I got up — enough?” And I said “Nope,” and I just fucking hauled off and threw the timing was impeccable. Keenan walks in, shuts the door, and puts his another shot, and off we went again. back against the door and says, “You can’t go out there.” All I can hear is the fans screaming, and I’m thinking we’re down a man because I’m in , Canadiens goalie: When it was going on, you’re thinking, the locker room. Emotionally, it’s killing me. So I said to Mike, “I promise shit, they’ve got all these guys dressed, and they were definitely targeting you, I won’t fight. I’ll just go out there and grab on to someone.” He said, some of our better players. I remember (Canadiens defenseman) Larry “No, no. They’ll sucker punch you. You’re not going out.” Robinson grabbing me and saying, “You’ve got to get the hell off the ice because they’re coming for you.” Because I was playing that series. Keenan: He wanted to go out, and I said, “Not a chance,” and I locked Meanwhile, it was just absolute bedlam. the door. Now he’s screaming and swearing at me. I said, “Ron, there’s no way you can go out. I know you love fisticuffs, you want to get Don Nachbaur, Flyers forward: I skated across the ice to where I saw all involved, you want to protect your teammates. I can’t afford to have you their tough guys, and before I could get into that pile with those players break your hand in a fight.” somebody had grabbed me and spun me around. When I turned around I realized it was Larry Robinson that had me. After some conversations Clement: Keenan was smart enough to know what to do right away. The with Larry, I asked him three times to let me go because I didn’t want to one guy he could not lose was Ron Hextall. His instincts were really good be with Larry. to bar the door from Hexy. Hexy would have either hurt somebody or been hurt himself, and most certainly would have been suspended had He said, “You’re not going anywhere. I’m not going to let you go.” And I he made it back onto the ice. He would have been like a blood-crazed told him, “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to start throwing punches.” He weasel in a chicken coop not knowing where to go, who to hit, what to said to me, “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” do. Hexy only knew one speed once the switch flipped.

Larry Robinson, Canadiens defenseman: I was paired up with Nachbaur, Hayward: Probably fortunate that I didn’t end up with Hextall, because he and Nachbaur tried to get me going, or whatever. So then we started a would have kicked my ass. bit of a scuffle. I think he might have tried to punch me and luckily I think he kind of missed. Then I guess there was a bunch of punches, and Resch: I come in after it’s all over and (Hextall is) sitting there, and his everything. eyes are red and he’s looking a little disheveled. And I said, “Hexy what’s going on with you? You weren’t even out there, what’s your problem?” Poulin: I remember at one point looking at Larry Robinson, who was about as classy an individual as you get, but he was drawn into it Hextall: When Chico Resch came into the locker room he looked at me because of his size and his toughness. And I’m watching him and and said, “What happened to you?” Nothing happened to me, but the thinking … this is all just wrong. emotions were like … I figured we were one guy short.

Nachbaur: I feel bad to this day that I threw a punch at Larry. As a young Poulin: (Afterward) they actually brought (Gainey) and I into a little room guy, I was one of those guys that looked up to him. There was a lot of on our side with the referee. They were trying to get some direction on respect there. But I had a job to do. what started, who started it, how it started. Frankly, it was hearsay on our part anyway because we weren’t out on the ice. Hayward: They had a lot of more guys dressed and it seemed like there was intent there for some of their lackeys, if you will, to create as much Morganti: We had no perspective on what’s going to happen. Are there havoc as they could. And I don’t know if that’s true, but when you’re on penalties? Who’s thrown out? Is anybody thrown out? You go to the rule the other side, that’s what it felt like. book and there’s nothing there. There literally was nothing there.

Nachbaur: After I got away from Larry, I pushed (Tocchet) aside and me Brown: They just said we’ll kick Hospodar out because he started it, or and Corson were squared up. Before we even had a chance to throw a supposedly started it. He got a lot of blame for starting it. He wasn’t really punch, or may have thrown one or two, somebody grabbed me by the the guy that started it, it was those guys that started it because they kept throat from behind and got me in a headlock and we fell backward. I was on doing that shit in our end of the ice. under a pile of players. I was taking punches from the side while I laid on the ice with my arms pinned underneath me. My hands were exposed, Poulin: In the little washroom in Montreal in the old Forum, (Hospodar) is and I could see nothing but skate blades. That was a really scary shaving and he’s actually showered and his hair is combed perfectly. He moment where I thought I was going to get my fingers cut off. looks like a little schoolboy angel. And I walk back in, and he asks, “Poulie, I’m just double-checking, I’m not in the lineup, right?” I said, “You Keenan: I was now on the sidelines. (Flyers owner Ed) Snider is asking weren’t in the lineup before the game, Eddie, you didn’t work your way me to go out and break it up. I said, “Not a chance, I’ve got shoes on. I’m into it.” not going out there in leather shoes.” Lemieux: I remember for the game we were dead. You could see it just , ESPN broadcaster: We weren’t on the air yet. ESPN was took a lot out of our guys. I remember personally being drained. After on SportsCenter. (Producer Bruce Connal) was explaining to them what warmups, I’m thinking, oh my gosh, how are we going to play now? But was going on and was begging them to take our feed, because we were they were fresher than we were. hot. They could have dropped it right into SportsCenter, but SportsCenter being an entity unto itself and kind of a closed shop, they declined. I Resch: Anybody in life can say, oh, that’s stupid. Well, you’re probably right, except that you haven’t been there. You don’t understand the way the game developed. Now, it’s become a game where there’s so many rules and punishments, you’re never going to see anything like that. And you probably shouldn’t. But I don’t think anybody who was involved lived their life (thinking) that was so sick. It wasn’t like anybody got permanently hurt.

Robinson: I know that fighting and everything was more part of the game back then. I guess some people loved to see that more than they’d like to see hockey games. So, I don’t really look at it as a memorable moment in my hockey career. Things happen and they happen for I guess certain reasons, but it’s not something that I fondly remember.

Brown: I think that started leading to where we are now. It was another factor that (reduced) fighting. Before that, we used to brawl probably three or four times a year. I think they knew at some point that they were going to have to stop the brawls if they were going to be able to show this on national TV. They didn’t want to have that kind of reputation, because they didn’t think they could grow the game, probably — and they’re probably right.

The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189709 New Jersey Devils Right-handed defenseman (RHD): Connor Carrick (27, UFA), Matt Tennyson (31, UFA), Josh Jacobs (25, UFA), Case McCarthy (20, 2019 fourth round)

The Hunt: A deep dive into the Devils’ search for a high-end defenseman Also, with some help from Dom, here is what the average NHL lineup in (or two) the Stanley Cup quarterfinals looked like in 2021 and what his model projects the current Devils lineup to look like in 2021-22:

Two quick caveats here: Those are the final eight teams playing this By Corey Masisak Jun 16, 2021 year, not the best eight from the regular season. And Dom hasn’t yet adjusted his projection model for age, which means players like Jack

Hughes and Ty Smith will get a bump. Welcome to the first edition of “The Hunt,” a weekly series of stories that Smith and Damon Severson were the club’s top pairing for a decent will attempt to identify some targets to fill the Devils’ biggest needs as chunk of the 2021 season. Both could be top-four defensemen on the they try to complete this rebuilding project and climb back toward the top next great Devils team. Severson has two more years left on his contract, of the NHL standings. while Smith has two seasons remaining on his entry-level deal. There was individual progress for a number of key young Devils in 2021, This entire exercise boils down to finding the other two defensemen who but not success in the standings. It was a shortened season, twice are going to fill out New Jersey’s top four when the club is ready for a condensed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Parsing out what developments deep playoff run and, if all goes well, an extended window of Stanley Cup were real and what were not won’t be an easy task for the Devils this contention. offseason, but it did provide some insight into the biggest long-term holes in the roster that still need to be filled. Will Severson or Smith ever be an “elite” defenseman? That’s a tough bet to make, though Smith had a very promising rookie season. Could A couple of great stories that we are going to reference during this series: they be the No. 2 or 3 guys on a contender? Or settle in as an above- • Dom Luszczyszyn looked at a decade of Stanley Cup champions and average second pairing, where one or both of them could have top- created a checklist based on what those teams had on their rosters. pairing impact as the No. 3 guy?

• Shayna Goldman looked at how the final eight teams in the 2021 That feels like a reasonable outcome. The issue, then, is trying to find the Stanley Cup playoffs stack up using Dom’s checklist. ace for the top of the depth chart or possibly the top two guys to put ahead of them. We’re going to start at the top of the defensive depth chart. That has been a glaring need for a long time, arguably dating to when Scott P.K. Subban Niedermayer signed with Anaheim and Scott Stevens decided to retire Internal options before the 2005-06 season began and Brian Rafalski signed with Detroit two years later. New Jersey has had good defensemen since then — P.K. Subban Paul Martin, Andy Greene, Adam Larsson and now Damon Severson — but never the collection of three to four together at the top of the depth Age: 32 chart that teams desperately need to compete for the Stanley Cup in the Contract: $9 million for one more season salary-cap era. 2021: 44 games played, 5 goals, 19 points, 22:22 time on ice per game Dom’s checklist and research are clear: Stanley Cup champions over the past 11 years (save for when Pittsburgh won without and a Fit: year Chicago won despite a down season from Duncan Keith) have had at least one elite defenseman and a top-two-level guy carrying the Subban improved in his second year with the Devils and seemed to be second pairing. Along with an elite No. 1 center, these are the two more comfortable within the team dynamic. But he’s also going to be 33 strengths that showed up most frequently among the Cup champs. when his next contract starts, and it’s been three years since he’s been the type of defenseman the Devils are looking for. Keeping him beyond Here is New Jersey’s current depth chart on defense: next season as a veteran/depth player might be interesting at the right Ty Smith, 21 (ELC) price.

Damon Severson, 26 ($4.17 million) Jonas Siegenthaler

Jonas Siegenthaler, 24 (RFA) Age: 24

P.K. Subban, 32 ($9 million) Contract: Restricted free agent (RFA)

Will Butcher, 26 ($3.73 million) 2021: 15 GP, 0 points, 15:37 (8 GP, 17:34 with New Jersey)

Reilly Walsh, 22 (ELC) Fit:

Kevin Bahl, 20 (ELC) One full season as an intriguing defensive defenseman with the Capitals, followed by a year when he didn’t get to play much. Only the very best Colton White, 24 (RFA) players who fit Siegenthaler’s profile are going to have the type of impact that fits at the top of the depth chart. He’s intriguing as someone who Nikita Okhotyuk, 20 (ELC) slots in at No. 4, 5 or 6, but it’s hard to see a mid-to-late-20s renaissance. Michael Vukojevic, 20 (ELC) Will Butcher Jeremy Groleau, 21 (ELC) Age: 26 Colby Sissons, 23, (RFA) Contract: $3.733 million for one more season So it’s a little light on the right side, obviously. If the Devils needed to play 2021: 23 GP, 1 goal, 11 points, 19:02 a game tomorrow, Jonas Sigenthaler, Will Butcher or Kevin Bahl would slide to the right side. Fit:

Here are the guys who are part of the organization but are going to be In his first two years, Butcher showed he can win third-pairing matchups unrestricted free agents next month or are unsigned draft picks: and hold his own in middle-pairing usage. Then he had a down season in Left-handed defenseman (LHD): Ryan Murray (27, UFA), Shakir 2019-20, then a new coach didn’t trust him to play regularly until late in Mukhamadullin (19, 2020 first round), Daniil Misyul (20, 2019 third the year. round), Ethan Edwards (19, 2020 fourth round), Yegor Zaitsev (23, 2017 Kevin Bahl seventh round), Matthew Hellickson (23, 2017 seventh round) Age: 20 Contract: Entry-level contract (ELC) From Pronman: “Hughes projects as a top-pair defenseman who can be on a power play and be elite in transition, but will have issues matching 2021: 7 GP, 2 points, 16:55 up versus top players.”

Fit: Brandt Clarke

He is huge, can skate well and is young, so there is time for him to grow Age: 18 (figuratively) into something more than a No. 4, 5 or 6 type. The Devils should be happy if he proves he can handle No. 4 minutes and be a plus 2021: HC Nove Zamky (Slovakia) on the penalty kill. The ceiling is probably as a guy who eats tough Fit: minutes and assignments.

Reilly Walsh He’s the only right-handed shot of the four, and his offensive instincts are elite. Questions about his skating have been noted. It’s hard — but not Age: 22 impossible — to be a No. 1 guy in the NHL if the skating isn’t a strength.

Contract: ELC From Pronman: “In a sentence, Clarke projects as a second or third defenseman who can be on a top NHL power-play unit but may not be 2021: 33 GP in AHL able to face top opponents defensively.”

Fit: Simon Edvinsson

Given how well Adam Fox and John Marino have played since leaving Age: 18 Harvard, we probably shouldn’t rule out Walsh exceeding his projected NHL role as an offense-first third-pairing guy. He’d need a great 2021: Frolunda (SHL/J20), Vasteras (HockeyAllsvenskan) offseason with a noticeable spike in a couple of tools to get there. Fit: Shakir Mukhamadullin Played a little against men in the SHL, but the narrative seems to be Age: 19 more projection with Edvinsson than with the other three. That could be a good thing, with more room for him to become a dominant player, or it Contract: Not signed yet might not work out.

2021: 39 GP in KHL From Pronman: “Edvinsson projects as a quality top-four defenseman Fit: and on a power-play unit with the potential to play higher in an NHL lineup.” He’s also big and can skate, with a lot of work left to do before we have a Connor Clifton handle on what he might be at the NHL level. The Devils expect him to sign after this coming season. They certainly can’t plan for him to be a Connor Clifton. (Eric Hartline / USA Today) top-three type of defenseman, but if that did work out it would be a huge win for the scouting staff. Pre-expansion-draft trade options

2021 draft options The Athletic’s 30 beat writers recently submitted projected protection lists for the Seattle expansion draft. Is there anyone out there who might get Four defensemen are expected to go early in the 2021 draft, and the exposed whom the Devils could pry away in a trade before it’s Seattle’s Devils have the No. 4 pick. None of them would be counted on to be an turn to pillage? (Note: There might be more interesting options in future impact player anytime soon — even the guy expected to go No. 1 might installments of this series … but Vegas did land Shea Theodore from spend another season in college. But this is the part of the draft where Anaheim and Nate Schmidt from Washington, so it’s possible that a teams historically find the elite defensemen more often than through any couple of exciting defensemen will be on the move because of this other means. And the Devils certainly could use a long-term solution at process.) the top of the depth chart. Connor Clifton, Bruins Owen Power Age: 26 Age: 18 Contract: $1 million for two more years 2021: Michigan (NCAA) 2021: 44 GP, 1 goal, 7 points, 18:13 Fit: Fit: Seems like the safest bet to be a high-end player among the “Big Four” defensemen in this draft. Also, a very safe bet to not be available when Clifton is a local kid from Matawan and Christian Brothers Academy. He the Devils are on the clock, unless a weird medical issue pops up or they isn’t a fit for the criteria we’re using here. He is a good hockey player and move up in the order. actually had the second-best goals above replacement (5.3, according to Evolving-Hockey) on the Bruins’ defense corps this season, behind only From Corey Pronman, who released his final top 151 prospects for the fringe Norris Trophy candidate Charlie McAvoy. If the Devils wanted to 2021 draft: “Power projects as a star all-situations NHL defenseman who pursue him, he might be a great fit behind Severson and Subban on the won’t land on highlight reels but will play tough minutes and drive play.” right side. Would the Devils see him as potentially more than a No. 5 or 6 in future seasons, and if not, would he be worth giving up an asset or two Luke Hughes to acquire? That is a reasonable debate. Age: 17 There are a handful of other interesting depth defensemen who did not 2021: USA National Team Development Program (USHL) make our writers’ protection lists. They include Kevin Shattenkirk in Anaheim; Troy Stetcher in Detroit; Brendan Dillon, Nick Jensen and Fit: Trevor van Riemsdyk in Washington; Ryan Graves in Colorado; and, if you really want to focus on 2021 and forget about the past, Cody Ceci in Hughes is an elite skater like his older brothers, though there could be Pittsburgh. some concern with the foot injury that ended his season early. He might not have the offensive upside of Quinn, but he outproduced him as a 16- Colin Miller, Sabres year-old at the NTDP. He’s also super young for this class — a week younger and he’d be in the 2022 class. Could make the argument that Age: 28 Power and Edvinsson have a higher ceiling, but Hughes also might have Contract: $3.875 million for one more season a higher floor. 2021: 48 GP, 4 goals, 20 points, 18:00

Fit: Similar to Clifton, would he make the 2021-22 team better as a second or Neither of these is an end-all argument, but Will Butcher has four more third RHD? Yes, almost certainly. He’s been more of a numbers darling points in 29 fewer games than Dunn, and he’s also been worth 3.2 more in previous stops with the impact of a high-end player, but there could goals above replacement, according to Evolving-Hockey. He was more also be some “just get him out of Buffalo” involved in the past two valuable by goals above replacement (GAR) in 2021, despite playing in seasons. Is he a long-term solution to our task at hand? Not likely. 20 fewer games.

Nick Leddy, Islanders Now, remember that Butcher barely played when the club had a full lineup. Does trading for Dunn — and giving a third small lefty Age: 30 — make much sense, in that context?

Contract: $5.5 million for one more season Mathew Dumba, Wild

2021: 56 GP, 2 goals, 31 points, 21:35 Age: 26

Fit: Contract: $6 million for two more seasons

It’s easy to say Leddy is too old, or he’s going to decline and doesn’t fit 2021: 51 GP, 6 goals, 21 points, 22:17 the Devils’ timeline. But he’s also leading one of the last four teams playing in ice time and is still a guy who boosts offense. So maybe he Fit: doesn’t fit here, but it also wouldn’t be that surprising if he signs a three- year contract somewhere and the Devils end up linked to him around the Might be the most fascinating guy on this list. He’s a top-four 2023 or 2024 deadline when they’re looking for one more veteran on the defenseman on a playoff team and has a track record of offensive blue line like nearly every playoff team is every year. production. He’ll be 27 next year. He is not the guy a team like the Devils could expect to anchor its defense corps. But if you added Dumba and A Cal Foote, Lightning GUY over the next couple of years, a top four of “Stud X,” Smith, Severson and Dumba could be pretty good. Does adding Dumba now Age: 22 and needing to pay him and Severson (and Smith) all in the same Contract: RFA offseason make sense? Well, no one said this was going to be easy.

2021: 35 GP, 1 goal, 3 points, 12:53 Other trade options

Fit: Dougie Hamilton, Hurricanes Age: 28 (on Thursday) While the Devils might be choosing between Jack Hughes’ and Graeme Clarke’s brothers near the top of the 2021 draft, Nolan Foote’s brother Contract: Unrestricted free agent ($5.75 million cap hit in 2021) could be an interesting commodity this summer. Even if the Lightning protect four defensemen, they still might leave Foote exposed. He’s 6- 2021: 55 GP, 10 goals, 42 points, 22:43 foot-3 and right-handed, and he put up pretty strong numbers in the AHL for two seasons. The Lightning could make a deal with Seattle for Fit: someone like Tyler Johnson, then still flip Foote to another team for a He might actually fit in the previous category, because the Hurricanes cheap NHL-ready player who is exempt from the process or a draft asset reportedly gave Hamilton permission to talk to other teams, which could to use at the deadline next year. lead to a sign-and-trade before the expansion draft. Regardless, he is the Jake Bean, Hurricanes proverbial “Big Fish” on the market. Among defensemen, he’s second in goals, first in even-strength goals, fifth in even-strength points and in the Age: 23 top 20 in points, points per game and GAR over the past five years.

Contract: RFA He’s finished ninth, 14th, 14th and seventh in the past four years in the Norris Trophy voting and should land in the top seven this year as well 2021: 42 GP, 1 goal, 12 points, 14:32 (he’s fourth on my ballot). Hamilton is really good or great at everything, Fit: with the exception of a penchant for taking too many penalties. The data below is from JFresh Hockey and TopDownHockey. Foote and Bean feel like they’ve been linked to various “can Team X get If you need more data, he finished this season fourth among defensemen them before Seattle does” types of deals for a year now. There’s another in Dom’s game score value added (GSVA) and 15th among all players. Hurricanes defenseman coming on this list shortly, but even without him, He’s elite by every metric, traditional or advanced. You can certainly find Carolina might not have room on its protected list for Bean. And if the a veteran NHL hockey man or three who will tell you Hamilton is not … Hurricanes considered moving him to someone other than Seattle, there wherever they the goalposts to while criticizing him. Especially after should be a lot of clubs queueing up to make an offer. a postseason where, say, four of his team’s top six forwards scored Travis Dermott, Maple Leafs exactly two goals each in 11 games. He is famously the guy who would rather hang out in a museum than a bar, and yes, this is somehow Age: 24 considered a bad thing in hockey code.

Contract: RFA The overall point here is that players, and especially defensemen, of 2021: 51 GP, 2 goals, 6 points, 13:13 Hamilton’s caliber are rarely this available, but they do switch addresses. Alex Pietrangelo just changed teams, and he was 31 in his first season Fit: with Vegas. Erik Karlsson changed teams at 28. Brent Burns changed teams at 26, before he was truly a Norris-caliber player. Ryan Suter Dermott was a similar prospect to Foote or Bean recently, but he’s going changed teams at 28. Subban changed teams at 27. Hamilton has to be 25 next year and has 204 NHL games on his resume. With injuries already changed teams twice. to teammates, he’s had opportunities to play in bigger roles for the Leafs. He might still become a solid second-pairing guy, but the chances of his A big question for the Devils: Does pursuing Hamilton and potentially being a top-two or even an above-average No. 3 are dwindling. signing him to a seven-year deal (or potentially eight, if they trade for his rights) make sense given they aren’t ready to contend right now? The Vince Dunn, Blues counter to that is Hamilton is the type of player who gets them a lot closer, though he wouldn’t do it on his own. We could spend a lot of time Age: 24 on aging curves and projections, but honestly, the success rate of the Contract: RFA very best players with big contracts is pretty good; it’s the tier of players below that where the horror stories mostly reside. And some teams just 2021: 43 GP, 6 goals, 20 points, 19:15 need to be more comfortable with a higher level of risk, for a variety of reasons. Fit: It might come down to how confident the club is that other guys on Hamilton’s level will shake free in the next two to three years. Maybe someone like Charlie McAvoy, Zach Werenski, or Shea sometimes not enough scrutiny for what happens when he’s on the ice. Theodore does, whether it’s because of financial issues or another team Manson is the most likely of the three to be available, but he’s also more launches a rebuilding project of its own. of a depth guy on a good team.

Seth Jones, Blue Jackets Ryan Ellis or Mattias Ekholm, Predators

Age: 26 Ages: 30 and 31

Contract: $5.4 million for one more season Contracts: Six years at $6.25 million; one year at $3.75 million

2021: 56 GP, 5 goals, 28 points, 25:14 Fits: Ellis ( ), Ekholm ( )

Fit: Nashville did rally to make the playoffs and put a bit of a scare into Carolina in the first round, but the aging roster remains and a full-scale Well, here is the other “Big Fish,” because The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline rebuild could be in the not-so-distant future. Ekholm was going to be the reported that the Blue Jackets will likely trade Jones if he doesn’t agree darling of the trade deadline before the Predators surged back into to a contract extension. Jones and Hamilton are a delightful (or very contention. He’s been a high-end defense-first guy for a long time, but frustrating, depending on the day) contrast in how defensemen are he’ll also be 32 when the next contract starts. Ellis has been a great evaluated in the modern NHL. player for a long time and has started to get the unilateral respect he Jones is tied for third in the NHL in ice time per game over the past three deserves. The Predators probably aren’t ready to part with him; it would seasons. It does feel like some pundits (and their league sources) are probably cost more than an acquiring team would like, and there would swayed by how much a defenseman plays and focus less on how the be some risk given his age and the length of the contract. team performs while that player is logging all those minutes. In case it wasn’t already clear, obtaining these types of players at this This story from Charlie O’Connor with insight from Alison Lukan is a specific position is the hard part. definitive read on Jones and his value. Basically, Hamilton is the player Ryan Murray some NHL hockey men believe Jones to be. Meanwhile, Jones is probably not as bad or overrated as some in the nontraditional evaluation Free-agent options part of the hockey community sometimes suggest, either. Given that it looks like Hamilton won’t make it to free agency before Jones is a good player, who can be very good at times. He is probably changing teams, the pickings here are unsurprisingly slim. Contending not an elite player, and that’s the issue — because a lot of people believe teams don’t find top-pairing defensemen on the UFA market very often. he is. If the Devils, or any team, could pay the acquisition cost for a good Solid second-pairing types? Sure, provided the market doesn’t force an player, then extend him on a contract for a good player, adding Jones overpayment. could be good business. Hamilton, who is only one year older (Jones turns 27 in October), should cost much less to acquire and maybe less to Ryan Murray, Devils pay as well, despite there being a lot of evidence that he has a better Age: 27 impact on his team. Contract: $4.6 million cap hit in 2021 It’s also worth noting that Carolina and Columbus will be back in New Jersey’s division next season, and that can sometimes be a sticking point 2021: 48 GP, 0 goals, 14 points, 18:36 when clubs are considering offers for high-end players. Fit: Rasmus Ristolainen, Sabres Murray finished well in his first season with New Jersey. He can be a Age: 26 solid second-pairing guy who is competent in his own end and capable of getting the puck moving the other way. Would he be the most exciting Contract: $5.4 million for one more season choice? No, but he could also be a solid one on a shorter deal that helps 2021: 49 GP, 4 goals, 18 points, 22:17 bridge the gap to, say, the No. 4 pick next month or Mukhamadullin in a few years. Fit: Adam Larsson, Oilers Let’s not belabor the point too much here. Maybe if the cost to acquire him is cheap, and maybe there’s something the Devils (or another team) Age: 28 believe they could tweak or fix about his game. But otherwise, he’s big Contract: $4.167 million cap hit in 2021 and physical and the other team has the puck a whole lot when he’s on the ice. 2021: 56 GP, 4 goals, 10 points, 19:38

.@LLYSOWSKI REPORTS THE DEVILS ARE INTERESTED IN BUF Fit: DEFENSEMAN RASMUS RISTOLAINEN. HE HAD HIS LEAST PRODUCTIVE (PER GAME) SEASON SINCE 2015-16 IN 2021, AND He’s pretty similar to Murray, but also there’s been plenty of smoke out of THE 2ND OR 3RD-WORST SEASON OF HIS CAREER Edmonton that he’s not leaving. W/POSSESSION + SCORING CHANCE STATS RELATIVE TO Alec Martinez, Golden Knights TEAMMATES. Age: 33 FROM 358 DAYS AGO … PIC.TWITTER.COM/MUC27KRLHO Contract: $4 million cap hit in 2021 — COREY MASISAK (@CMASISAK22) JUNE 15, 2021 2021: 53 GP, 9 goals, 32 points, 22:33 Hampus Lindholm, Cam Fowler or Josh Manson, Ducks

Ages: 27, 29 and 29 Fit:

Contracts: $5.21 million for one year; $6.5 million for five years; $4.1 He’s either signing for less money than he could get to stay put/join million for one year another top contender or he’s cashing in with a contract the Devils probably don’t want to be on the hook for, given their timeline. Fits: Lindholm ( ), Fowler ( ), Manson ( ) The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 Anaheim is in an interesting place, with the pieces of an intriguing rebuild coming together but some staples from the last run still around and getting older. Lindholm has been a great player for the Ducks, though the past two seasons have included a dip in impact and an injury-shortened year. He’s younger than Subban was when the Devils traded for him, but that memory could still linger. Fowler is another defenseman who receives praise for the minutes he logs and how well he skates and 1189710 New York Islanders Trotz was livid on the bench, though, because the linesmen missed six Lightning skaters on the ice when Palat finished.

“The second goal, that one hurt quite a bit,” Trotz said. “Obviously you Goalie Semyon Varlamov survives collision but Islanders drop Game 2 to guys know there (were) too many men on the ice there.” Lightning to even Stanley Cup semifinals Varlamov also couldn’t pick up Rutta’s point shot quickly enough through an inadvertent screen by the Isles’ own Josh Bailey up high in the D- zone. And Hedman had plenty of room to fire on the power play in the By PAT LEONARD third off a cross-ice Kucherov feed.

The Lightning intentionally came out more physically in Game 2 than it had in a relatively lifeless Game 1. The Islanders didn’t back down, Splitting on the road and dodging disaster: there were worse ways for the naturally, all the way up until the Lightning’s Anthony Cirelli appeared to Islanders to open this Stanley Cup semifinal on the road in Tampa. leave the ice at game’s end injured after a helmetless tussle with the Tuesday night’s 4-2 Game 2 loss to the host Lightning evened this series Isles’ Travis Zajac. at one game apiece as the battle shifts north for Game 3 at Nassau But the Islanders did end up with seven minor penalties during the flow of Coliseum on Thursday. play compared to only three in Game 1, and that meant five Lightning No one on the Islanders’ bench needed a reminder that the reigning power plays and one goal and nine shots on the man advantage. champions’ Game 1 sloppiness was more likely an aberration than a New York Daily News LOADED: 06.17.2021 developing trend.

They got one anyway on Tuesday, with former MVP winger Nikita Kucherov getting free for three dazzling assists to Brayden Point, Ondrej Palat and Victor Hedman.

Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov covers up after getting hurt during first period in Game 2 against Lighting on Tuesday.

“They’re not just gonna let us take it from them,” Isles winger Matt Martin said. “We got the first one at (their) home. We knew they were gonna come out a little more desperate and bring their best game.”

An early Brock Nelson power-play goal and Mathew Barzal’s fifth in six games in the waning minutes weren’t enough. The Palat goal at 13:15 for a 2-1 Lightning lead was allowed by the officials despite six Tampa skaters on the ice.

Then Tampa’s Jan Rutta scored a killer 2:16 into the third for a 3-1 deficit, from deep through a screen, after an Anthony Beauvillier blue line turnover.

But the Islanders had reason to exhale that goaltender Semyon Varlamov was no worse for wear after a brutal first-period head-to-head collision with Point due to a hard shove from Isles defenseman Adam Pelech, some inadvertent friendly fire.

Varlamov (23 saves) was sent to the Isles’ locker room for the final 6:50 of the first period by the NHL’s concussion spotter and replaced by rookie Ilya Sorokin. And though Sorokin starred in round one against the and stopped all six shots he faced on Tuesday, Varlamov is the hot hand now.

He had won four straight starts entering Game 2, and he is the veteran whose jaw-dropping glove save on a Kucherov power-play chance in the first period went toe-to-toe with ’s stunning snag of a Kyle Palmieri power play rebound minutes later.

“He was fine,” coach Barry Trotz said. “He was going back in the net, and I think NHL player safety called and said he’s gotta go into the room. So he did. I thought Sorokin came in and did a really good job.”

Varlamov continued making quality stops when he returned, too. His blocker save on Ross Colton in alone off the rush also matched Vasilevskiy’s excellent left pad stop on Beauvillier just before the end of the second.

So no, this was not the Rangers’ getting tripped into Canadiens goalie Carey Price in Game 1 of the 2014 Eastern Conference Final, eliminating Montreal’s leader from the series and giving way to a Cup Final berth in beating Price’s replacement, .

And it’s hard to put any of the Lighting’s Tuesday goals on Varlamov, frankly.

Point’s goal to open scoring 8:58 into the first was on the doorstep after a brilliant Kucherov no-look pass from behind the net after a Pelech turnover.

Palat was alone off the rush because Barzal made a “bad read,” in Trotz’s words, and joined Nick Leddy for a soft double-team that didn’t limit Kucherov’s feed from the circle to an unguarded Palat streaking in the slot. 1189711 New York Islanders “A few years ago, we all sat around the locker room and he stood in the middle and told us the Jon Cooper story,” said current Hofstra lacrosse coach Seth Tierney, a friend of Cooper’s. “His work ethic started at a young age. There is a certain focus on winning, not just winning a game, Lightning coach Jon Cooper is no stranger to Long Island but winning in life. Everything he has touched has turned to gold.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.17.2021 By David Lazar June 17, 2021 | 2:48am | Updated

All roads do lead home.

The Islanders have home ice in Games 3 and 4, but Lightning head coach Jon Cooper feels pretty comfortable in Uniondale himself.

Cooper, a graduate of , played at Nassau Coliseum for the school’s club hockey team on Wednesday nights and frequently attended Islanders games to watch his friends.

“I went to a ton of Islanders games when some of my buddies were playing for them,” Cooper said prior to Game 3. “I used to sit up there in the upper deck and cheer for them. It was just a great atmosphere.”

Playing and watching hockey were not his only hobbies. Cooper recorded 74 goals and 25 assists in four seasons on the Hofstra lacrosse team (1986-89). He was one of the best players in school history, leading the 1988 and 1989 East Coast Conference champions and finishing his career fifth in goals and ninth in points.

Cooper took a leap of faith coming to Hofstra. The British Columbia native went to a high school of 300 students 3,000 miles away before arriving in New York as an incoming student in awe of his surroundings.

Jon Cooper played lacrosse for Hofstra in the late 1980s.

“I remember getting off the plane with my mom and when we saw the buildings, we were taken aback,” Cooper said.

But he matured fast. Cooper had the skill, swagger and smarts during his time on campus. He was a talented, multi-sport athlete, wore a backward San Francisco Giants cap to cover his flowing mullet and kept up his studies, too.

“The one thing you learn when you go away to school and you are 3,000 miles away from home, on your own, is survival,” Cooper said. “It was my coming out party, and I became a man.”

Former teammates have called Cooper an older brother, wise and kind beyond his years. When a player wasn’t from the area, Cooper took him out to lunch. Every day, he read the sports section to increase his knowledge of local teams. He was even a fantasy sports connoisseur years before the industry had wide appeal.

“He was a big part of my college experience. Everyone who knew him would say it is very easy to remember him,” Doug Edmonds, a teammate, friend and housemate, told The Post. “I was not from Long Island. He was always gracious making sure we were taken care of, whether it was with food and social outings. He is a solid person and a great teammate.”

Cooper graduated in 1989 with a business administration degree. After his time at Hofstra, he attended Thomas Cooley Law School in Lansing, Mich. While there, he met a judge, Thomas Brennan, who agreed to give him a job if Cooper coached Brennan’s son’s high school hockey team.

“It is an amazing story that I tell all my acquaintances,” Edmonds said. “He started from the bottom and morphed into a serious coach. To think that his name is on the Stanley Cup is really unbelievable. He lived for sports and loved hockey the most.”

Jon Cooper today as head coach of the Lightning.

That high school coaching experience sparked a fire in Cooper, and he continued to coach hockey, moving up to juniors. Eventually, he faced a monumental decision — he decided to quit law and pursue his NHL coaching dream. After various job changes, Cooper ended up coaching the Lightning’s AHL affiliate, first in Norfolk, then Syracuse, before he got the call from then-GM Steve Yzerman with an offer to coach the big league club.

The 53-year-old loves his trips to the Nassau Coliseum — he even said “it was a sad time” when the Islanders moved to Brooklyn — and makes sure to give back to the community. 1189712 New York Islanders New York Post LOADED: 06.17.2021

Islanders’ playoff process frustrating fans who aren’t renewing season tickets

By Larry BrooksJune 16, 2021 | 10:29pm | Updated

Four decades later, the Coliseum is once again the Room Where It Happens.

And though there is room to accommodate all of the club’s season-ticket holders, the process of buying tickets for the playoffs — and particularly this semifinal round against the Lightning that picks up at the Old Barn with Game 3 on Thursday — has been a frustrating one for a number of subscribers.

The Post has received multiple emails from longtime subscribers complaining that they have been relegated to the back of the line and sent through a laborious process while the team has given priority to those who have purchased subscriptions for the arena at Belmont that will open next season.

Michael Cosentino — the club’s senior vice president, ticketing and premium — discussed the matter with The Post on Wednesday.

“We have allowed our longest-tenured members first access to seats. No one has jumped the queue with those who have been with us for several years,” Cosentino said. “We certainly are mindful of that.

Several Islanders fans has expressed frustration to The Post over the postseason ticket-buying process.

“We had a very high renewal rate into UBS Arena, but if people chose not to renew and are no longer going to be members in the future, they’re still in the queue, it’s just their tenure is reflected at the end of the line.”

Translation: If you have had season tickets since Mike Kaszycki and Andre St. Laurent were the young guns in the middle but did not renew for next year, your tenure would be reset to sum zero. Again, though, you are guaranteed access to tickets.

“We would have wanted to show you as much reason to renew at UBS Arena and really shown as much love as we can to earn that support,” Cosentino said. “But if people made the choice not to stay, they would be at the end of the queue but they would still have access.

“It’s tight because we have sold out at UBS Arena where we have about 15,000 subscriptions, including our premium club seats, but there are tickets available for all existing subscribers.”

Tuesday there was a “glitch” in the ticket-buying process through which subscribers are sent to an online portal. In essence, it crashed. But the situation has been rectified.

“There was just a flood of people going in at the same time, so there was a glitch and we had to pause our online sale,” Cosentino said. “But no one jumped the queue who had just come on board. There was nothing happening where people couldn’t get seats. We just had to pause and picked up [Wednesday].

“It’s been an amazing response from our members, and we’re so grateful. It’s unfortunate this process wasn’t perfect, because we wanted to show our gratitude and make it an easy process for them.”

Season subscribers generally are guaranteed their seat location for the playoffs. But that has not been the case here as the organization has had to contend with and adapt to shifting state regulations regarding COVID- 19.

“We’ve done our best to ensure we’ve abided by socially distanced or non-vaccinated inventory,” Cosentino said. “Coming off [Tuesday’s] state announcement, we’re going to have approximately one-third of the stadium set aside for non-vaccinated people, though vaccinated people can choose to sit there as well.

“We’d have loved to give everyone their same seats, but it’s just not possible. Again, we want to ensure there is a ticket for everyone. That means for a client since 1972 or a client who’s picking last.”

“It’s an exciting time for us. We want everyone to be able to share in it.” 1189713 New York Islanders series tied 1-1 before losing Game 3 both times. So atmosphere is one thing, but being able to ride the wave of emotion to victory is another.

“We just have to focus on the next shift, and the next shift at 8:00 or 8:20, Islanders’ Barry Trotz: Lines ‘left wanting a little bit’ whenever the game begins,” the coach said. “There’s no magic formula to do that. I think [losing the Game 3s] is a little bit of happenstance, I think.

By Larry Brooks June 16, 2021 | 8:57PM “We’ve dug in, we understand the importance of our home ice and our building. Their team is going to come and it’s our turn to respond.”

New York Post LOADED: 06.17.2021 It is the Islanders’ 75 Percent Solution, or as frequently expressed by Barry Trotz, the necessity of the team getting strong performances from at least three of its four lines in order to prevail.

But the head coach acknowledged that did not occur Monday night at Tampa Bay, as good a capsule explanation as any for the 4-2, Game 2 defeat to the Lightning that squared the semifinals at a one game apiece heading into Thursday’s first of two at the Coliseum.

“I was left wanting a little bit,” Trotz said after the club had returned home on Wednesday. “[It was] a little bit on our game and a little bit on their game, but I think I was left wanting. I didn’t think we had three or four lines going.

“I thought we maybe had, maybe had two lines that were going pretty good, and two were struggling to get any traction.”

Jean-Gabriel Pageau did not get on the ice for the final 13:32 after “tweaking something,” according to the coach, who said on Wednesday that No. 44 will be good to go for Game 3. But before he was held out, Pageau and linemates Kyle Palmieri and Travis Zajac had a dreadful night.

In 9:15 of five-on-five work, the line was on for one attempt for and 10 against with a 7.26 xGF%. Pageau himself was on for one attempt for and 12 against (5.7 xGF%) while Zajac went 2/15 and Palmieri checked in at 6/14. Matched primarily against the Barclay Goodrow-Yanni Gourde-Blake Coleman unit, that performance represented the antithesis of what the team has been receiving from Pageau and his mates throughout the tournament.

The Matt Martin-Casey Cizikas-Cal Clutterbuck Identity Line took its requisite pound of flesh and fulfilled its assignment as well than any other unit. Martin was effective enough that he joined the six-on-five unit for the final 33.1 seconds with Semyon Varlamov having been pulled for the extra attacker. Remember, too, the unit’s constant jackhammer work has a residual effect on its opponents the deeper the series goes.

Brock Nelson did score a first-period power-play goal, and Anthony Beauvillier broke in for a glorious opportunity to knot the game at 2-2 in the final seconds of the second period only to be denied by Andrei Vasilevskiy, but the line that includes Josh Bailey wasn’t as effective as it has been through most of the tournament. Bounce-back is needed there.

Though the Lightning paid special attention to Mat Barzal, No. 13 scored a goal, danced when he could and, though kept to the outside by the Lightning, was dangerous. had three shots on goal, had two, and that line was the only Islanders’ trio to come away with a positive attempts ratio of 53.85 and a positive xGF% of 66.79.

The Lightning aren’t only a better, more complete team than the Penguins and Bruins, but they are not liable to give up many freebies the way the Islanders’ first two victims did. Indeed, the Islanders’ five-on-five shooting percentage clocked in at 10.98 against the unfortunate Tristan Jarry in the first round and 8.51 against the ailing Tuukka Rask in the next series. But those numbers should be unapproachable against Vasilevskiy, who carries a .941 five-on-five save percentage into Game 3. So mistakes are not going to be overcome by scoring soft goals. More is going to be needed.

More Islanders Hockey is going to be needed.

“You’re only going to be able to contain their team a certain amount but if you just get to your game, and stick to your game, you have to trust your game, you’re going to win more than you lose,” Trotz said. “That’s how we’ve operated the last couple of years, anyway: Get to our game, stick to our game and usually we get a good outcome.”

There will be cacophony at the Coliseum in the Old Barn’s first semifinal presentation since 1993, but while the environment will be energizing, keep in mind the Islanders returned home from each of the first two 1189714 New York Islanders He enjoyed being recognized by Islanders fans as the Beer Chug Guy, and his family is on board with his sudden fame.

“My family’s kind of running with it,” Feeney said. Dan Feeney’s journey from Jets backup lineman to beer-chugging His mullet and his mustache now adorn charity Feeney T-shirts for the Islanders cult hero MS Society, where his sister Shannon works. “She’s a do-gooder, always has been,” Feeney said.

By Steve Serby June 16, 2021 | 8:31am | Updated Feeney attends an Islanders-Penguins game with Zach Wilson.

Feeney is hoping rookie Jets quarterback Zach Wilson will again join him and his other teammates on Thursday night. Feeney blocked last season So the question for Dan Feeney was as follows: for Chargers phenom Justin Herbert. I asked him to compare the two.

If beer chugging was an Olympic sport, could you win a gold medal? “It’s hard to compare, because they’re too different personalities, two different styles of quarterbacks,” Feeney said. “But I think obviously Dan Feeney chuckles and says: Zach, he’s got a great head on his shoulders. I think the sky’s the limit for “I don’t know. There’s a lot of good drinkers in the , so I this kid. I think he’s gonna be in the league for a while. He seems very don’t know. I’d like to think I’d be on the USA Drinking Team, for sure.” understanding, he is picking up the offense very well, so I’m just excited to see him progressing.” Funny how life works sometimes. You spend your football career toiling in the anonymity of being an an offensive lineman, you sign a free-agent Feeney could never imagine becoming an internet sensation and cult contract with the Jets as a key backup, and next thing you know, you figure. Who could? become a viral cult hero, raucously cheering on the Islanders, whose “Not really, not really,” he said. “The ball rolls, gotta roll with it.” fans are suddenly cheering you on as the Beer Chug Guy. He plans to keep rolling with the Islanders on their Stanley Cup journey. He will be the one with the mullet and the mustache at The Barn for And with Islanders fans. “They’re pretty passionate people, I know that,” Game 3 of Islanders-Lightning. He will be the one in an Islanders No. 67 Feeney said. “They’re diehards for sure.” jersey — his Jets number — whipping himself and a crew of Jets teammates and his new band of brothers, the Islanders fans, into even Of course he watched Game 2 on Tuesday night. Feeney won’t be more of a frenzy. difficult to spot on Thursday night. Mullet or no mullet. Will he keep wearing it? “Oh my God,” Feeney said. “The atmosphere at The Barn is unreal. … It’s electric.” “It kind of seems like I have to,” Feeney said, “but you never know how the world turns out.” He would add: “It’s contagious. It feels like that thing’s dang near shaking.” You sure don’t.

The electricity seems to crackle through Feeney’s 6-foot-4, 305-pound New York Post LOADED: 06.17.2021 body. Asked what gets into him, he says with a chuckle: “Obviously excitement, if you couldn’t tell from the videos. It’s an incredible place to be, man. We love having fun there, we love supporting a fellow New York team. We love going out there, having a couple of cocktails and, you know, having a couple bits of fun.”

Feeney often caps his beer chug by smashing the beer can against his head several times. Where did that originate?

I know, I know. @GVR64 outed Dan Feeney as a Blackhawks fan.

I don’t care. Welcome to the bandwagon, Dan! Enjoy the ride!

And Let’s Go #Isles pic.twitter.com/CEOmoZpf3k

— Ralph Vacchiano (@RVacchianoSNY) June 16, 2021

“Years of practice in college,” Feeney said.

Indiana University.

“I don’t know, I just got really excited,” Feeney said. “It seemed fitting for an electric atmosphere.”

His beer of choice? “I guess Budweiser’s kind of my go-to lately,” he said.

Feeney grew up in the Chicago area as a Blackhawks fan, but never played hockey. “I’m not too good on skates,” Feeney said. “I look like Bambi.”

He never attended a Blackhawks playoff game there. The Islanders — always the team of choice for Jets guard Greg Van Roten, a native Long Islander — have won him over.

“They’re awesome,” he said. “There’s no, obviously, like no huge superstar, but they’re a very well-oiled machine, they play so well together, just nice fundamental hockey.”

Dan Feeney attends a first-round Islanders home game.

He especially likes Mathew Barzal, Anthony Beauvillier and tough guy Matt Martin.

“I love that the Islanders are just this gritty team. … All these guys are in sync with each other, their lines have been solid, they’re obviously switching every 23 seconds, they’re out there for a minute, they’re grinding it out,” Feeney said. 1189715 New York Islanders Former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason, and his son, Gunnar Esiason, who played high school football at Friends Academy and wore his dad's jersey number.

Boomer and Gunnar Esiason's long journey with CF continues A long journey

Esiason first got involved with CF in 1989, before Gunnar was born, through sportswriter Frank Deford, whose daughter Alex died from the By Neil Best disease at age 8. So the journey from there to here has been long.

"Saturday night is going to be an incredible, incredible emotional experience for all of his friends," Esiason said, "all the longtime The quarterback’s crusade is not over, 28 years after it made for a supporters that have been around the last 20 years and have seen him memorable cover story with that headline, grow into the man he has become." accompanied by a famous photo of father and son. The Esiasons also will keep in mind those who never got this far. Cystic fibrosis has not gone away, and perhaps never will entirely. "Gunnar will say, never forget all those families that started the CF So in that narrow sense, maybe Boomer Esiason was overly optimistic in Foundation, way back in the '60s, and all those families that have been that long-ago article when he said, "We are going to beat this thing. I part of drug trials and have lost loved ones younger than Gunnar. know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we’re going to beat it." "I can’t even imagine what parents have gone through watching their But the more important part of the quote came before that, and it still child die of CF, and unfortunately, when you are in this world you see a rings true: "I am going to be the biggest enemy that this disease has ever lot of it, and it’s really exhausting. It’s excruciating." had." Despite all that, even in 1993 he believed there was hope. "I’m always Here we are, in the next century, and the crusade has made strides that the eternal optimist," Esiason said. "You have to be if you’re going to be would have been difficult to imagine in 1993. Esiason’s then 2-year-old the Jets quarterback." son, Gunnar, is 30, around the age Esiason was when Gunnar was diagnosed. The father of the groom called Cunningham his son's "kindred soul," someone who is in tune with his quirks and even plays co-ed hockey with Last weekend, Gunnar graduated from the Tuck School of Business at him. They both love cold winters, which they get plenty of living in New Dartmouth. Saturday night, he will marry Darcy Cunningham in Hampshire. . When all this started, the question was whether he merely would be alive this long "I swear I could not have found or picked a better person to deal with Gunnar’s stuff than Darcy," Esiason said. "It’s been a really long ride," Esiason said in an interview with . "It’s not that we’re getting to the end of anything. I think we’re getting at The Islander connection the beginning of something really special." The wedding would have been a noteworthy event under any The former quarterback and current WFAN host, who grew up in East circumstances, but it took another human-interest turn when the Islip, was speaking not only of his family’s journey but of the CF Islanders advanced to the Stanley Cup semifinals. community more broadly. The Islanders' Matt Martin and Sydney Esiason at The Islanders' Matt A life unlocked Martin and Sydney Esiason at

Vast progress has been made in extending and improving the lives of Gunnar’s brother-in-law and Sydney’s husband, Matt Martin, was people with CF, notably over the past several years thanks to a drug supposed to be in the wedding party, but now he will be busy playing called Trikafta. It is not a cure, but for about 90% of CF sufferers, it has Game 4 against the Lightning on Saturday night. been a huge help. The date was set before the COVID-19 pandemic, with the knowledge Gunnar is among them. the playoffs normally are over by June 19.

"It’s a miracle, what it has done for Gunnar and other CF patients," "It’d be nice to be there to celebrate the marriage," Martin said before the Boomer said. "He goes from end-stage illness to wanting to go skiing, to series began. "But I think the whole family understands that the play hockey, to go hiking, to decide to go to business school at Tuck. It’s Islanders, and myself, are chasing something special right now." like his life has been totally unlocked. Esiason is a Rangers fan, but he also is a fan of Martin. "I’m religious, but I can’t sit here and say I prayed for it every night. But I pushed and I raised as much money as I could, with so many other "One of the greatest things that’s ever happened to Gunnar is that his families in our situation that may not have the platform I have." sister married Matt," he said. "Matt has been the kindest, greatest friend that Gunnar could ever ask for." The decades-long effort has involved a long list of fundraisers and researchers, including money raised through the Boomer Esiason He added, "Matt’s impact on Gunnar has been immeasurable. When Foundation. Sydney and Matt were dating and Gunnar was at home and really sick, Matt would be over and hang out with Gunnar and they would do their Esiason considered retiring from the NFL in 1993 but carried on because video game thing. He became like a big brother to Gunnar." playing would continue to provide him a forum. That also has been a motivation for going on the radio most mornings at 6 a.m. since 2007. The reception should be starting right around when the puck drops for Game 4. Sydney is a fixture as a fan at Nassau Coliseum, but she will There were numerous life-threatening scares along the way, including miss both Games 3 and 4 to be with her brother. through Gunnar’s young adulthood, and the need for never-ending support from Esiason, his wife, Cheryl, and Gunnar’s younger sister, Esiason said it was not a difficult choice. Sydney. "She has ridden shotgun for him for so long," he said. "She’s protected "The good days were far and few between, but you would never know, him. She’s fought for him. She goes to the hospital with him. She takes because he learned how to live with this disease and manage it," Esiason care of him whenever he needed it . . . She’s known Gunnar since she said. "Every time it hit him, it became a life-altering event." was a baby. They’re best friends.

Gunnar plowed ahead, playing sports in high school at Friends Academy, "She wants her brother to do this. She is so happy for her brother. She’s going to Boston College and partying so hard with his new friends "that going to be bawling, I know it." he almost killed himself his freshman year," his father said. She will not be alone. After graduating, it appeared for a time he would not survive without a Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.17.2021 lung transplant. But he persevered long enough to meet Darcy, to benefit from Trikafta, and now to get married. 1189716 New York Islanders "I went to a ton of Islander games when some of my buddies were playing for them, and used to sit up there in the upper deck and cheer for them,’’ Cooper said before the Lightning boarded a flight to New York. "And it was just a great atmosphere… That little time they moved from Islanders hope to turn around their Game 3 fortunes, focus on pivotal Nassau was kind of a sad time, because we liked going back [to Long return home against Lightning Island].’’

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.17.2021 By Colin Stephenson

The Islanders have been here before.

Twice before this postseason, in fact. They have started on the road in all three playoff series so far and in each of them, they’ve earned a split of the first two games, returning to the friendly (and noisy) confines of Nassau Coliseum tied, 1-1 in the best-of-seven with the Lightning.

In both of their previous series, against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins, the Islanders lost Game 3 at home, though, before rallying to win the next three games to win the series.

This time, they’d like to make it easier on themselves, by winning Game 3 at the Coliseum on Thursday.

"I think for us, it’s just, we’ve got to be ready for tomorrow night,’’ Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock said Wednesday. "This is a huge game tomorrow, coming back home to our fans, and our building. We’ve got to feed off that energy and we’ve got to bring our best game tomorrow.’’

Capacity at the Coliseum, which is enjoying its final postseason run before the Islanders move into the new UBS Arena next season, continues to increase. Attendance tomorrow is supposed to be 12,978.

"It’s been a special place in the playoffs,’’ Islanders coach Barry Trotz said of the Coliseum. "The fans have been unbelievable, and there’s great energy in the building.

"We’re going to need everything, as I said in the first [two] series against Pittsburgh and Boston, those are hard series to get through against two very good teams. And we’re going to need every ounce of encouragement and their mojo, if you will.’’

No one doubts the fans will bring it, but for all the energy the Islanders get from the Coliseum crowd, they are 4-2 in six games there this postseason. They are 5-3 in eight games on the road.

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 99: Isles-Lightning Game 2 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL semifinals.

Trotz said there is no magic trick to reverse the two previous Game 3 losses and flip them into a win Thursday.

"For us, we just have to focus in on the next shift,’’ he said. "And the next shift will be at eight o’clock, or 8:20, whenever the game starts tomorrow night. There’s no magic formula to do that. I think we’ve approached every game the same way. [Losing both previous Game 3s], it’s just a little bit of happenstance, I think. But we’ve dug in. We understand the importance of our home ice, our building. Their team, they’re going to come. We’ve got to respond. We lost the game [Tuesday] night, and it’s our turn to respond.’’

The Islanders did not practice Wednesday and Trotz did not have an update on center Jean-Gabriel Pageau, who sat out the final 13 minutes of the third period Tuesday after Trotz said he "tweaked’’ something.

But he did say he thought the Islanders will "be healthy tomorrow’’ and he expects to have "a very similar lineup’’ to Game 2. Rookie Oliver Wahlstrom is available, but not necessarily a candidate to enter the lineup, Trotz said.

Cooper and the Coliseum

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, who played college lacrosse at Hofstra, spoke fondly about attending Islanders games at the Coliseum while in college. 1189717 New York Islanders The officials seemed intent to keep the game from getting out of control, and seemed to want to call penalties – including some that seemed a little soft, like the slashing call on Travis Zajac that led to the Hedman goal, and the roughing call on Anthony Beauvillier against Kucherov, Islanders, Lightning get chippier in Game 2 with 54 combined penalty which seemed like nothing at all. minutes Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.17.2021

By Colin Stephenson

Everyone knew the Tampa Bay Lightning were going to have to turn up their intensity in Game 2 of their NHL semifinal series against the Islanders Tuesday in after basically sleeping through their 2-1 series-opening loss Saturday night. And everyone had to know that turning up the intensity would mean not just throwing a few more body checks, but actually rubbing some gloves in faces, too, just to get their blood going.

And they did. The teams got started down the physical path early as several players got engaged in physical confrontations with one another at 3:15 of the first period, with Lightning forward Pat Maroon wanting to fight the Islanders’ Matt Martin. Martin was more than willing to engage, but the officials wouldn’t allow it. The two would have to wait until later in the period before they actually got to throw their hands at each other.

The overt physicality did seem to get the teams’ blood going, and Game 2 was a much more intense and entertaining spectacle than Game 1 was. The Lightning won, 4-2, to even the best-of-seven series, 1-1, so, mission accomplished on their part — though Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield was not impressed. Mayfield denied the rough stuff had anything to do with the final outcome.

"No, I don't think so,’’ Mayfield said. "I mean, we play that physical game too. You know, we’ve got to make sure we're not taking the extra [penalty]; or even four-on-four, necessarily, depending on the tradeoff. That's part of the game. There's a little bit more after the whistles this game than the first one, maybe, but yeah, it's part of the game. I don't think it altered the outcome."

Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders. Island Ice: Newsday's podcast about the Islanders.

Island Ice Ep. 99: Isles-Lightning Game 2 analysis

Andrew Gross, Neil Best and Colin Stephenson discuss the Isles' 4-2 loss to the Lightning in Game 2 of the NHL semifinals.

It was Mayfield, actually, who started the first dustup by aggressively shoving Maroon all over the ice on the shift. Mayfield shoved Maroon in the neutral zone and Maroon grabbed Mayfield’s stick, then Mayfield kept shoving Maroon as he crossed the width of the ice in the neutral zone. Eventually, Maroon just grabbed Mayfield and wrestled him to the ice.

Those two were the only ones to get penalties after everything calmed down — Maroon got a holding penalty, while Mayfield was charged with roughing. That put the teams four-on-four before Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock was called for a high-sticking penalty against Anthony Cirelli, which led to a four-on-three power play for the Lightning.

In all, the teams combined for 54 minutes in penalties, which was less of a problem from an Islanders perspective than the fact that the Lightning ended up with five power plays. They scored on the fourth man- advantage, when Victor Hedman scored his first goal of the playoffs to make it 4-1 at 9:17 of the third period.

"Tonight we kept them at 20% [1-for-5] which is half the rate that they usually hit at,’’ Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "So yeah, we just can't take that many.’’

The on-ice officials might have been a little off, too, which may have contributed to the high PIM totals. They called Brayden Point for interference on goalie Semyon Varlamov, even though the replay showed clearly that Point was pushed into Varlamov by Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech. The Islanders made that one hurt when Brock Nelson scored on the ensuing power play to tie the game at 1.

Of course, the officials unwittingly evened that out by somehow missing what should have been an obvious too-many-men-on-the-ice penalty against the Lightning a second or two before Nikita Kucherov set up Ondrej Palat’s goal that made it 2-1 at 13:15 of the second period. 1189718 New York Islanders stayed down, realized he wasn’t getting a call, popped up and kept going on the power play.

His native Czech Republic soccer side in the Euro 2020 Championships Tighten up, clam up, skate away: A few things the Islanders can do in would have thought it was a little much. Game 3 vs. Lightning “Let’s call it what it is: Tampa has a very good power play and we don’t want to spend any time in the box,” Trotz said. “So let’s play it straight up. Our guys don’t go down, and if they do, they hear it from me. I’m not a By Arthur Staple Jun 16, 2021 big believer in that, it’s not the right way to play. The referees have a tough enough job. Our guys were taking some extra shots because they

knew we weren’t going to react to it. We can’t spend any time in the The Islanders’ Game 2 loss in Tampa on Tuesday had some calamitous penalty box.” moments, for sure, but it wasn’t a disaster. The Isles were down a goal Mistakes are going to be made heading into the third, a spot they were in several times in the opening two rounds, and even though it didn’t end well it was hardly a loss where Trotz has a saying about jawing with the officials. “I only yell when I know Barry Trotz needed to shake things up to get his team ready for Game 3. I’m right,” he’s said before.

A few adjustments are needed, however. He was yelling after Palat’s goal because he was right: The Lightning had seven skaters on the ice, six well into the middle of the ice, as Palat Attention to detail scored. Shouldn’t have counted. The most maddening aspects of Game 2 were the first and third But we’ve seen where the loud dissent gets you. Bruce Cassidy probably Lightning goals because they came off plays you haven’t seen from the threw his remote at the television when Brayden Point was inexplicably Islanders in a long while. Adam Pelech, arguably the team’s best and given a goalie interference minor in the first after Pelech shoved Point most reliable defenseman, had the puck below the goal line preceding into Varlamov, but that doesn’t change Cassidy’s $25,000 fine for his both goals. There was pressure on both plays, but Pelech’s been pretty “New York Saints” rant or the fact that his Bruins bowed out rather good at escaping pressure in the defensive zone. meekly a couple days after his plea for calls. He tried the left-wing wall both times. On the first, Pelech’s rim around Complaining about officiating outside of the heat of a game is for losers, the wall was too far ahead of Anthony Beauvillier, who was moving from plain and simple. Overall, NHL officiating isn’t good. It’s also, as Trotz the middle of the zone to the side boards as Pelech made his pass. It likes to point out, incredibly difficult to do and the players alternately went to David Savard, who sent it quickly back down behind the net to trying to kill each other and snapping their heads back when a stick Nikita Kucherov and the Islanders got scrambled. grazes their cheek can’t help matters. The third goal was worse. It came at a worse time — down a goal early in Both teams got jobbed in Game 2. It’s going to happen again. Trotz’s the third — and with Tampa Bay’s third line on the ice. Pelech had less attitude is the right one and his players need to follow suit from here on time to make a play with Barclay Goodrow bearing down on him, but out. All they need to do is remember the handshake line with Boston to Beauvillier was in position along the wall near the blue line. Beauvillier’s see what happens to the ref whiners. chip back toward the middle was just too soft a play; he needed to chip it off the wall, past Jan Rutta, to get it to safety. The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 THE LIGHTNING FINALLY GET SOME SCORING FROM THEIR BLUE LINE. JAN RUTTA MAKES IT 3-1 PIC.TWITTER.COM/P3LJJL9DLL

— SHAYNA (@HAYYYSHAYYY) JUNE 16, 2021

You can see by Pelech’s reaction after Rutta’s goal, which came with only white jerseys between him and Semyon Varlamov, how upset Pelech was, putting his hands on his head and staring up at the video board to see what happened.

“Those are goals you don’t see us give up too much,” Ryan Pulock said. “We just need to be a little better in our own end.”

These are not only fixable problems, they are unlikely to be repeated given who made them. The Lightning make teams pay in any number of ways even when opponents play Tampa Bay perfectly. No need to give them any help.

Too much scrummage

The Lightning used some post-whistle shenanigans to get themselves into Game 2 after a rather dreary Game 1, and the Islanders were all too eager to exchange shoves and gloved punches. Matt Martin, Leo Komarov and Cal Clutterbuck were heavily involved after whistles, with Martin and Pat Maroon sent off for fighting in the first.

Maroon isn’t exactly an integral piece of what Tampa does. Martin plays the least of any Islander forward but he is a part of the important Identity Line, so it’s probably not a good idea for Martin to be goaded into penalty minutes when he’s already getting a limited number of shifts. And willing combatants like Clutterbuck, Komarov, Casey Cizikas and Scott Mayfield are key penalty killers who can’t afford to be off the ice even serving matching minors.

Trotz said as much on Wednesday. He also said he doesn’t want to see the integrity of the game diminished by embellishing plays for calls. He was asked (by me) about the Lightning skill players trying to sell penalty calls: Kucherov took a gloved shot to the head from Beauvillier in the third, something that happens about 40 times a game, but reacted like Beauvillier hit him with a cattle prod. Cizikas gave a quick cross-check to Ondrej Palat during the ensuing power play and Palat hit the deck, 1189719 New York Islanders NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021

Barry Trotz: Our Guys Were Taking Shots Because Tampa Knew We Weren’t Going to React

By Christian Arnold

New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz has said he doesn’t take part in any gamesmanship during the playoffs, but it certainly sounded like some when he was talking about the integrity of how Game 2 was played.

The Islanders and Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves in a spirited bout in Game 2, ripe with plenty of postwhistle shenanigans and trips to the penalty box. It was enough of an irritant that Trotz hinted that Tampa Bay was taking some liberties following the 4-2 loss, which evened the best-of-seven series at 1-1.

The Islanders found themselves uncharacteristically on the penalty kill five times on Tuesday night and racked up a surprising 33 minutes in penalties. It was by far the highest number of penalty kills the Islanders have had to be out on during the postseason.

What contributed to such a shift away from what the Islanders had managed to avoid so well in Game 1? Trotz again appeared to point to extra liberties being taken and some gamesmanship on the part of Tampa Bay on the ice.

“Tampa has a very good power play and we don’t want to spend any time in the penalty box, so just play it straight up. Our guys don’t go down,” Barry Trotz said. “If they do they hear it from me. I’m not a big believer in that. I think it’s not the right way to play. We don’t want to be in the box. The referees have a tough enough job and so just play it straight up.

“Our guys were taking some extra shots because (Tampa Bay) knew we weren’t going to react to it because we can’t spend any time in the penalty box.”

Trotz Media Availability pic.twitter.com/DRMTO2LOhL

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 16, 2021

Whatever message Trotz was trying to send during the Islanders’ off day, neither side should be thrilled with how Game 2 was officiated. Missed or wrong calls that went both ways directly impacted the outcome of the game on Tuesday.

A bad call on Brayden Point for goaltender interference led to Brock Nelson tying the game at one on the ensuing power play. Video showed that Point had been pushed into Isles netminder Semyon Varlamov by Adam Pelech.

Not to be outdone, the officials missed a blatant too many men on the ice call when Ondrej Palat scored to break the 1-1 tie in the second period. And now you can add Trotz’s not-so-subtle insinuation that Tampa had been hamming it up on the ice to draw penalties.

Regardless of all of that, Trotz insisted that the key to getting through all the noise is sticking to the Islanders’ game plan.

“If you just get to your game and stick to your game, you just have to trust your game,” Barry Trotz said. “You’re going to win more than you’re going to lose and that’s how we’ve operated the last couple of years. Get to our game, stick to our game and we usually get a good outcome.”

Islanders Likely to go with Same Lineup for Game 3 Against Tampa

Part of that plan is staying out of the box and the Islanders have learned quickly why they don’t want to find themselves down a man to Tampa Bay.

The defending Stanley Cup Champions have put the puck in the back of the net off power-play goals in each of the first two games of the series. New York did manage to fend off four of Tampa Bay’s power-play opportunities on Tuesday, but Victor Hedman’s power-play goal at 9:17 while on the man advantage was the backbreaker for the Islanders.

Will Trotz’s comments change anything for Game 3 on Long Island on Thursday? Only time will tell. 1189720 New York Islanders

Islanders Likely to go with Same Lineup for Game 3 Against Tampa

Barry Trotz also indicates that Jean-Gabriel Pageau is healthy for Game 3

By Christian Arnold

If there was any thought that Barry Trotz might change up his lineup after the New York Islanders dropped Game 2 in Tampa, guess again.

The Islanders bench boss said that he would likely employ a similar group on the ice like the one that he had for the previous game. The decision comes even as Oliver Wahlstrom appears to be good to go to return from his injury that has kept him out of the Islanders’ last nine playoff games.

Wahlstrom was injured during Game 5 of the Islanders First Round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

“He’s available to come back in Game 3. I don’t know if he’s a candidate,” Trotz said during Zoom interviews on the Islanders off day. “I think we’re going to be healthy tomorrow. I would say we’re going to have a very similar lineup that we had yesterday.”

The comment would also appear to indicate that Jean-Gabriel Pageau is healthy to play after he missed the last 13 minutes of Game 2 with a “tweak.” Trotz told reporters that the Islanders pulled him from the game as a precautionary measure after the team went down three goals.

All of this means that Travis Zajac will remain on the team’s third line alongside Pageau and Kyle Palmieri.

Trotz Media Availability pic.twitter.com/DRMTO2LOhL

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) June 16, 2021

Wahlstrom had slowly been working his way back to being healthy. On Sunday, he skated in warmups ahead of Game 1 at Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

Still, Trotz has been quick to temper the notion that Wahlstrom would get right back into the lineup.

“With Zajac, he gives us a little bit more flexibility in the faceoff circle and obviously a little bit more of a checking role,” Trotz said earlier this week. “That’s the biggest thing probably, and experience. It’s working right now so maybe you don’t have to fix it right now.”

For now, it still seems the New York Islanders bench boss is content with how his lineup has played.

NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189721 New York Islanders body as the shot came. Bailey’s positioning screened Varlamov as the puck whistled into the top left corner to make it 3-1.

Tampa Bay extends their lead 3-1!@TBLightning | #GoBolts Islanders Defensive Effort Not Where it Needed to be in Game 2 Loss pic.twitter.com/lONESBKYhW

— NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) June 16, 2021

By Stefen Rosner It started with a weak play by Pelech as his reaction after the goal said it all. The pressure by the Tampa forwards gave him little time to make the play, which we saw earlier in the game as well.

There was nothing pretty about the New York Islanders defensive effort “That was just too loose on the play and not enough execution,” said in Game 2 against the Tamp Bay Lightning. A 4-2 loss saw a handful of Trotz. “Your exits, you got to have those details and we did not have it”. defensive miscues, as both the team’s D pairings and forward lines did not do enough to stop the Tampa offense throughout the night. The fourth goal for the home team came on the power play, their fifth chance of the game. The Islanders fell victim to infractions Tuesday as Rapid Reaction: Islanders Thunderstruck in Game 2 Loss to Bolts they took 33 minutes worth of penalties. 23 of those minutes came from scrums (10-min misconduct to Leo Komarov). However 10 minutes worth Whether it was a lack of communication or soft play along the boards, the of power-play time for the Lightning is too much to be giving up to a team defensive effort that had allowed the Islanders to make it this far for the of that caliber. second consecutive season did not show up Tuesday. When Tampa is on their game, they allow their opponents very little time and space to Whether you want to believe the calls were justified, five penalties were make effective plays, and when the Islanders are off of their game, well the result. Even though the penalty-kill units were excellent, allowing just you get an effort like Tuesday. one goal on those five chances, it exhausted Islander.

Tampa Bay’s forecheck was impeccable in Game 2 and Islanders who The Islanders’ lack of focus and lack of control in their own zone led to rarely make mistakes seemed to be making them more often than not. penalties all night long.

The New York Islanders top defensive pair in Adam Pelech and Ryan Heading into Game 3, the Islanders need to be better in their own zone. Pulock struggled to mimic their performance in Game 1, as the Tampa They have proven in all postseason how lethal they can be when they Bay top-line overwhelmed them. Even when they made good plays to get play to their defensive strengths and will need to get back to their game if control of the puck, it was poor puck management that led to negative they want to take the lead in this series on Thursday. results. “We can be a lot better and we will be,” said Trotz Both players made mistakes on Tampa’s opening tally. NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 Lightning has struck @TBLightning | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/vzFfKkCLaS

— NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) June 16, 2021

Pelech misfired his pass along the boards and put it too far out of reach for Anthony Beauvillier. As the puck came back in Pulock was tricked by a beautiful pass off the stick of Nikita Kucherov as Brayden Point was left all alone in front. Two big mistakes by the Islanders’ best.

To put it simply, it was just a bad pass by Pelech. Pulock did not know the pass by Kucherov even happened until the puck had already crossed the goal line. Neither read the play correctly and none of the forwards on the ice were able to help.

The next two goals came off of mistakes in their own zone. Ondrej Palat was left all alone creeping into the slot on the second goal of the game which made it 2-1. Two players in Nick Leddy and Mathew Barzal decided to put pressure on Kucherov on what seemed to be a situation that favored the Islanders, but poor coverage and a heads-up play made something out of nothing. pass-shoot-score

The @TBLightning take the lead late in the second period. #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/oOTmGZP5tp

— NHL on NBC Sports (@NHLonNBCSports) June 16, 2021

The New York Islanders seemed to be positioned well to stop Kucherov from making a play as he was outnumbered once he crossed the Islanders goal line. Due to a lack of communication and a slow line change, Palat was able to creep into the slot unguarded.

Once the puck was on his stick, he had the time and space to pinpoint his location and beat Semyon Varlamov off the left post and in. This goal gave the Lightning all the momentum they needed to pull away and comfortably win the hockey game.

“We’ve got to execute a little bit better,” said Barry Trotz when asked about the first two goals against. “You got to battle that out.”

Tampa’s third goal of the game saw Islanders puck watching rather than puck-attacking. Not one Islander was able to make a big play to get the puck out. Pelech’s board pass was not strong enough, while Beauvillier again could not reach the puck.

Josh Bailey seemed to have enough time to get in the shooting lane to block the slap shot off the stick of Ruuta from the point, yet turned his 1189722 New York Islanders This has been a lousy few days. As people who watch and care about the Colorado Avalanche, it was a lousy feeling watching last night’s Vegas-Montreal game. But Avalanche fans must keep their head up and cannot give up on their team now. (Colorado Hockey Now) NYHN Daily: Islanders Fall in Game 2 to Lightning & more “There aren’t a lot of bona fide [No. 2 centers] but there are plenty of No. 3’s that are out there.” That’s one NHL scout’s assessment of the UFA landscape for centermen this off-season. This is especially relevant to By Stefen Rosner the , as Doug Wilson’s top priorities this off-season are addressing his goaltending and adding a third-line center. (San Jose Hockey Now) The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Islanders by a score of 4-2 to even up this semi-finals series at two apiece. Has the support for NHL Mailbag: What are the Avalanche’s offseason plans? Rask’s future the Islanders grown this postseason? These stories and more in today’s with Bruins? NHL.com’s Dan Rosen answers your weekly questions daily links! here. (NHL)

The Islanders have spent most of the playoffs battling from behind and Oskar Lindblom of the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday won the on Tuesday that was no different. Ondrej Palat broke a 1-1 tie in the Masterton Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies second period with a goal from the slot to give Tampa Bay back the lead the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey. and Jan Rutta and Victor Hedman extended it in the third period. Rutta’s Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone goal at 2:16 of the third period was the first goal by a Tampa Bay cancer, on Dec. 10, 2019. He was in remission on July 2, 2020 and defender in the postseason. (NYI Hockey Now) played in a playoff game two months later. (NHL)

These are not the same old New York Islanders anymore. As if you The votes are in and have been tallied, and David Pastrnak is the NHL’s needed more proof than the team’s second consecutive trip back to the lead Locker Room Legend. The Boston Bruins forward claimed victory in Stanley Cup Semifinals, all you had to do was look at new Twitter data the hotly contested category at the 2021 NHL Fan Choice Awards, from Betonline.ag. (NYI Hockey Now) whose winners were announced Tuesday. The Bruins, San Jose Sharks, New York Islanders, Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens The Tampa Bay Lightning evened the Stanley Cup Semifinals with a 4-2 each had two category winners, the most of any NHL team. Pastrnak’s win against the New York Islanders in Game 2 at Amalie Arena in Tampa linemate Patrice Bergeron also was victorious in the Best Dressed on Tuesday. Brayden Point scored for a fifth straight game, and Nikita category. (NHL) Kucherov had three assists for the Lightning, who have not lost consecutive games in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since the 2019 Eastern Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand want another chance to play for the Conference First Round (11-0). Andrei Vasilevskiy made 24 saves. Stanley Cup. And it seems like the Boston Bruins are leaning toward (NHL) giving them that chance, 10 years after they were key figures in the Bruins’ 2011 Cup championship. (NHL) The New York Islanders expected the Tampa Bay Lightning to raise their level in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Semifinals on Tuesday, and that’s Alec Martinez of the Vegas Golden Knights has no problem stepping in exactly what the defending Stanley Cup champions did. But the Islanders front of opposing shots. His play has inspired his teammates as he couldn’t respond in kind in a sloppy effort in a 4-2 loss at Amalie Arena in blocked the most shots during the regular season, with a 40-block lead Tampa. So the best-of-7 series is tied with Game 3 at Nassau Coliseum on Oilers Adam Larsen, who ranked second. Vegas calls him a warrior. in New York on Thursday. (NHL) (NHL)

So this was what all the pre-series gushing was about from every corner The Tampa Bay Lightning followed the recipe and cooked up a win to get of the hockey world – including from the Islanders themselves – about even with the New York Islanders in the Stanley Cup Semifinals. “It was the deep, dangerous defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning. Forgive a team effort,” Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman said of the 4-2 those of us who spent the regular season watching a numbing parade of home victory in Game 2 on Tuesday. “It was more used to the way we intra-division games against the likes of the Devils and Sabres and forgot were playing.” (NHL) what the rest of the league looks like, especially its elite teams. Gerard Gallant has agreed to be the next coach of the New York (Newsday) Rangers, a team source said Monday. Gallant replaces , What was the turning point in Game 3? Did you notice what changes who was fired May 12 after the Rangers (27-23-6) finished fifth in the were made to the Islanders’ power play? Want to know a key stat about eight-team MassMutual East Division and failed to qualify for the Stanley the Lightning? (Newsday) Cup Playoffs. (NHL)

Ten years ago tonight, the Boston Bruins hoisted the Stanley Cup for the Quebec will increase the number of people allowed to attend sporting first time in 39 years. That improbable run to the 2011 Stanley Cup win in events and festivals to 3,500 on Thursday, one day before the Montreal Vancouver on June 15, 2011, and the way the city of Boston and the Canadiens next home game. Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé told team embraced each other during it and in the months and years after is reporters Tuesday afternoon, before the change was announced, that something Boston Bruins team President and hall of famer Cam Neely COVID-19 cases are down in the province since restrictions were holds dear to his heart. (Boston Hockey Now) loosened in late May to allow 2,500 people to attend events in large venues, but the final decision would be up to public health officials. (TSN) Money will be tight around the NHL again this summer. The flat salary cap figures to be a fixture until 2024, give or take a year, and RFAs will The Montreal Canadiens saw their seven-game playoff bear the brunt of the cap-strapped teams, lack of suitors, and restricted come to an end in Monday’s 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency rules, which should be more appropriately termed restrictive. Game 1 of their third-round series. Shea Theodore scored the first goal The Pittsburgh Penguins have five RFAs, and not all will be back. of the game for Vegas, which head coach Peter DeBoer stated postgame (Pittsburgh Hockey Now) was a clear objective for his team.”We talked in our pre-scout meetings that they would be uncomfortable in their structure playing from behind,” Philadelphia Flyers forward Oskar Lindblom won the Bill Masterson DeBoer said. “No one made them play from behind for a while. “The Memorial Trophy for the 2020-21 season, the NHL announced on goal was huge and at the right time with how we were playing.” (TSN) Tuesday night. The Flyers tweeted out a great video of Lindblom’s journey over the past 18 months. (Philly Hockey Now) NYI Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021

Lucas Wallmark and the Florida Panthers have parted ways — again. On Tuesday, CSKA Moscow of the KHL announced it had signed the center to a one-year deal. (Florida Hockey Now)

If we’re voting for the sexiest trade Steve Yzerman has made during his tenure as GM of the Detroit Red Wings, certainly the deal that brought Jakub Vrana and first-round pick to the team wins the day. However, that move must do some more moving in order to lay claim to the title as Yzerman’s best trade in Detroit. (Detroit Hockey Now) 1189723 New York Rangers “He was the epitome of what a linemate and teammate was all about — character, grit, leadership and sacrifice for the team and success,” said Pat LaFontaine, a former Ranger and Islander who was Gallant’s teammate in juniors. “He’s definitely a players’ coach and a strong Rangers Hire Gerard Gallant as Coach developer.”

Gallant last coached in the N.H.L. with the Vegas Golden Knights, taking Gallant played most of his own career with the Detroit Red Wings, them to the in their first season. including a 39-goal season in 1988-89, when his teammates included the Hall of Famers Steve Yzerman and Adam Oates. Gallant had four Gerard Gallant recently coached Team Canada to a gold medal at the seasons with at least 30 goals for Detroit from 1986-87 to 1989-90. 2021 world championships in Latvia. His last N.H.L. job was with the Vegas Golden Knights. New York Times LOADED: 06.17.2021

By Allan Kreda

As they seek to build another contending team, the Rangers hired Gerard Gallant as their new coach, the team announced Wednesday.

Gallant will succeed David Quinn, who was fired last month after three seasons behind the Rangers’ bench.

A 57-year-old native, Gallant most recently led Team Canada to a gold medal at the 2021 world championships in Latvia earlier this month.

Gallant’s hiring was the next step in the Rangers’ leadership overhaul after missing the playoffs with a 27-23-6 record. Quinn was fired days after the Rangers also had fired General Manager Jeff Gorton and President John Davidson. , a former Rangers captain who had been working in the front office, has filled both roles.

Quinn, the former men’s hockey coach at Boston University, was tasked with guiding the Rangers’ youthful roster through a rebuild that began in earnest in February 2018. But he was unable to get the Rangers into the playoffs except for last summer’s play-in round sweep at the hands of the .

“Gerard’s proven track record has made him one of the league’s most sought-after coaches, and we are fortunate to have him as part of the team,” James L. Dolan, the team owner, said in a statement. “I have no doubt that he will play a critical role in helping us take the next steps to building a championship-caliber team.”

The Rangers were in the playoff race until the final weeks of the abridged 56-game regular season. But they went especially flat in three key games against the rival Islanders — who are now in the semifinals against Tampa Bay — then were drubbed on home ice by Washington in a May 3 game that eliminated them from playoff contention.

Gallant will inherit a roster featuring the high-scoring forwards and Mika Zibanejad, plus young forwards Kaapo Kakko — the second overall pick in 2019 — and Alexis Lafreniere, the top pick last year. The Rangers also have a young defense group of Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller and Adam Fox, a finalist for this year’s Norris Trophy, and goaltender Igor Shesterkin.

ImageRangers defenseman Adam Fox was named a finalist for the Norris Trophy in his second season and is among key players under contract.

The Rangers will be Gallant’s fourth chance at an N.H.L. head coaching job. In his previous role, he was the Vegas Golden Knights’ first coach, leading the franchise from the 2017-18 season to partly through the 2019-20 campaign. His tenure included a run to the Stanley Cup finals in the team’s inaugural season, which ended with a loss to the Washington Capitals in five games. Vegas finished 2017-18 with 109 points, and Gallant won the Jack Adams Award as the N.H.L.’s coach of the year.

Gallant also coached the Florida Panthers for two-plus seasons and the Columbus Blue Jackets for parts of three seasons. He led the Panthers to a franchise-best 103 points in 2015-16 before they lost to the Islanders in the first round of the playoffs. He has a 270-216 record in regulation, plus four ties and 51 overtime losses in the shootout era.

He has been lauded as a players’ coach — equally skilled at working with veterans and young skaters. On his Panthers rosters, Gallant had Jaromir Jagr, who was in his early 40s, along with the rising stars Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau. Then he quickly molded the Golden Knights into a winning team, as forwards William Karlsson and Jonathan Marchessault became top scoring threats and the three- time Stanley Cup-winner Marc-Andre Fleury anchored the team in goal. 1189724 New York Rangers

Rangers officially hire Gerard Gallant as next head coach

By Colin Stephenson

Two days after word leaked out that they had hired Gerard Gallant as their head coach, the Rangers made it official on Wednesday, announcing that the team is bringing Gallant aboard to be their 36th head coach, succeeding David Quinn, who was let go after the season ended.

"I would like to welcome Gerard to the New York Rangers,’’ James Dolan, the CEO of , the Rangers and the Knicks, said in the press release introducing Gallant. "Gerard’s proven track record has made him one of the league’s most sought-after coaches, and we are fortunate to have him as part of the team. I have no doubt that he will play a critical role in helping us take the next steps to building a championship-caliber team.’’

"We are excited to announce that Gerard will be the next head coach of the New York Rangers,’’ team President and General Manager Chris Drury said. "His vast experience and success behind the bench at several levels make him the ideal choice to lead our team on the ice.’’

Gallant, 57, coached Canada to an unlikely gold medal at the World Championships earlier this month in , Latvia, after the Canadians opened the tournament with three straight losses. In the NHL, he led the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup final in their inaugural season of 2017-18, and was named the league’s Coach of the Year that season.

Prior to that, he had coached the Florida Panthers and the Columbus Blue Jackets, following an 11-season career as a player, most of those years as a tough left wing with the Detroit Red Wings.

A native of Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Gallant has coached 541 NHL games, and has a career record of 270-216-55. He has, though, been fired in the third season of each of his three previous stops. The Rangers will formally introduce him to the media in a press conference next Tuesday.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189725 New York Rangers Having said that, we can still look at Gallant’s former teams to gauge his offensive approach.

At five-on-five, the Panthers’ offense was slightly above average relative Gerard Gallant, by the numbers: How the new Rangers coach’s to the league during Gallant’s first season in Florida. What they lacked approach fits the team’s strengths and needs was finishing talent and elite forwards. It was only Jonathan Huberdeau’s third NHL season, and Aleksander Barkov and Vincent Trocheck were sophomores.

By Shayna Goldman Jun 16, 2021 A season later, as some of those young stars grew, the Panthers showed the finishing talent they were missing in 2014-15:

Via HockeyViz The New York Rangers’ search for a new voice behind the bench started and ended with Gerard Gallant. The 2015-16 Panthers actually took fewer shots than they had the previous season and finished with a lower expected-goals rate, which What comes next won’t be so clear-cut. Gallant’s job is far different than was just about league average. The most significant change was the his predecessor’s was. David Quinn was brought to New York to develop swing in shooting talent. young players on a rebuilding team. Gallant is tasked with continuing that development — and also getting the team back into the playoffs, and Roster strength is key to any analysis of a team’s offensive generation, quickly. and there was quite an improvement in the Panthers’ forward core between Gallant’s first two seasons. To compare the rosters of those This is what all the chaos and firings have been about since early May. teams, here are the skaters who most often played (not necessarily those It’s why Chris Drury was promoted to president and general manager and who finished the year on the team): now Gallant has been brought in as coach. The message from the top is that it’s time to contend. According to The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn’s Game Score Value Added, in 2015-16, the Panthers’ most frequently deployed top line of Much of that will be on Drury, to find the right ways to tweak (or alter Huberdeau, Barkov and veteran Jaromir Jagr all played at an elite level. dramatically, if necessary) the team’s personnel to best suit contention. The Rangers have some elite talent, as that Panthers’ group did, and But what can Gallant be expected to do to help this team return to the have the potential for more depending on their young players’ playoffs? How does the veteran bench boss fit with the Rangers? What development. So the roster strength and finishing talent bode well for a have his past stints with Florida and Vegas shown us about how to more multidimensional offensive attack with adjustments to their expect his team to play this season? approach if they can generate shots at a league-average rate like Let’s dive in. Gallant’s Panthers did. Given how he stacked his two best forwards, Barkov and Huberdeau, on one line, it’s worth watching if he does the What does Gallant need to address? same in New York with Panarin and Zibanejad.

The Rangers have reliable goaltending in Igor Shesterkin, and their In Vegas, the situation was a lot different. This wasn’t a team looking to defense took strides this season. But to get to the next level, they need to improve after years of building. The roster was literally built the offseason improve their five-on-five offense. before the puck dropped, and there wasn’t a prospect pool that was years in the making to rely on, either. To his credit, Quinn didn’t initially have the pieces to make the team an offensive threat. That changed as the roster evolved and his tenure The Golden Knights weren’t expected to be a good team, especially not progressed, especially this past year. But even then, with a lineup with in Year 1, 2017-18. Most expansion teams take years to become the most scoring potential of any in his time in New York, creating legitimately competitive. That’s why management didn’t necessarily need offense still wasn’t without challenges. Mika Zibanejad struggled while to bring in a leading tactician to start; they needed a coach who could dealing with the lingering effects of COVID-19, which held him out of inspire the players to keep pushing through what could be a challenging training camp. Then the team was without elite winger Artemi Panarin year. when he took a two-week leave of absence. “He’s a very good coach — a players’ coach,” a league source said. “And Even with those obstacles accounted for, though, the Rangers in 2020- he does what ultimately is the most important role of a coach: optimize 21 fell short offensively. performance of the players on the roster.”

Yes, they ranked eighth in the league with 2.6 goals scored per 60 The “players’ coach” refrain has followed Gallant from stop to stop, and it minutes, but they did so relying on finishing talent and not offensive made him a perfect fit for Vegas, when handed a team of other teams’ production that would result in sustainable scoring. misfits. While it took them some time to find their footing, they improved throughout their first season and became a solid offensive team. Via HockeyViz And they only built on that with Gallant at the helm. In 2018-19, they were The Rangers were a bottom-10 team in shot generation at five-on-five. one of the league’s best teams at generating offense, even though their Some teams intentionally emphasize quality over quantity, but this team goal-scoring didn’t quite match expectations. Gallant was dismissed after struggled to generate offense in the scoring areas. Its expected-goal 49 games in 2019-20, but here’s a look at how the Golden Knights’ generation, which can be used as a proxy for shot quality and does offense progressed in his two-plus seasons: account for rushes, was 11 percent below league average. Via HockeyViz What was particularly troubling was that the Rangers’ offensive woes weren’t limited to their time without Panarin or when Zibanejad was Gallant’s situations and rosters in Florida and Vegas differed, but what struggling. They were a season-long problem, as this animated heat map carried over was an up-tempo, fast-paced style. shows (with red representing areas of high shot volume and blue representing limited shot volume): “The one thing I always noticed about his practices is that everyone is always moving,” The Athletic’s Jesse Granger said. “They use the entire Via HockeyViz ice. Transition is worked into every drill.”

Can Gallant build the Rangers’ offensive attack? In Vegas, the team’s breakouts were a key aspect of the game. The ask wasn’t always to make the safest pass; it was to make the quickest — to Gallant, like Quinn, isn’t as focused on the X’s and O’s as some coaches. get the puck up the ice as fast as possible. It’s a high-risk, high-reward That means that once again assistant coaches will be quite influential. strategy that can work and challenge defenders but leads to a high The Rangers saw just how impactful assistants can be firsthand this number of turnovers, which the Golden Knights did struggle with at points season when Jacques Martin took over the defense and penalty kill from in Gallant’s tenure. Lindy Ruff. That’s a different approach from the past few seasons in New York, when So until Gallant fills his staff — a staff that very likely could feature Mike the safer, simpler plays were stressed. The Golden Knights in their first Kelly, who coached with him in both Florida and Vegas — there’s only so two seasons under Gallant had a higher rate of five-on-five turnovers much to draw from his past at this time. than this past season’s Rangers, but they also saw higher rewards for up-tempo style, and as there was in Florida and Vegas at various points their fast-paced game, with a far higher takeaway rate (8.5 per 60 of his tenures, there’s elite talent in New York. minutes in 2017-18 and 9.8 in 2018-19, versus 6.8 for the Rangers in 2020-21). But there are bound to be changes made to help push this team back to contention and changes to help this roster better match its new coach. Rangers players’ foundation of executing a safer game plan may even help as they transition into Gallant’s up-tempo style. Just how much will change remains to be seen. It’s a new era with Drury in charge. As it stands, the Rangers’ roster appears to be suited to play the style Gallant has employed in the past — if he lets his players play to their Based on how the end of the team’s season unfolded and how much strengths. Quinn often seemed to micromanage his skaters, which may toughness has come to the forefront of the conversation, an addition that have stunted their offensive potential in this area. checks off that box should be anticipated.

Is Gallant the right option for this team right now? Adding some level of grit would more than likely mesh with the incoming coach, as he’s leaned on those types of players throughout his head One of the leading criticisms of Gallant has been his unwillingness to coaching tenure, from Shawn Thornton in Florida to Ryan Reaves in adapt to the changing game and accept a more data-driven approach. Vegas. League sources confirmed this was an internal issue in both Florida and Vegas as well. It’s possible for the Rangers to toughen up without sacrificing their skill because there is room to diversify their roster and make them more GOLDEN KNIGHTS OWNER BILL FOLEY TOLD @BRIANBLESSING challenging to match up against. The key is for Drury to be the talent ON VEGAS HOCKEY HOTLINE THE GOLDEN KNIGHTS' ANALYTICS evaluator and for neither him nor Gallant to fall into old ways of thinking DEPARTMENT WAS BEING UNDERUTILIZED WHILE GERARD about team-building. GALLANT WAS COACH. #VEGASBORN While Gallant stressed that he wasn’t “fired because of analytics” in — DAVID SCHOEN (@DAVIDSCHOENLVRJ) OCTOBER 14, 2017, he did note that he freely expressed his opinions on the team’s 2020 decision-making — from the front office’s shift to embrace a more data- driven approach to losing the types of players he preferred to have in the This could also be why Columbus was eager to try a new coach in Brad lineup. Those opinions also reflected certain players’ usage — or a lack Larsen and Seattle didn’t make Gallant an offer he couldn’t refuse thereof — in Florida, despite management’s team-building efforts. despite his past success with expansion franchises. After his dismissal from the Golden Knights, the philosophical differences Still, if the priority was past NHL experience given the Rangers’ current between the coach and front office once again were questioned. goals and issues, then Gallant was one of the more favorable options on Management brought in skill players, from Vadim Shipachyov to Tomas the NHL’s coaching carousel, despite what could be philosophical Tatar and Nikita Gusev, all of whom were either underutilized or not used differences with Drury, who supports the use of data-driven analysis. at all by Gallant, despite the cost of acquiring these players.

He also could be one of the best-fitting coaches considering how the “The issue is he believes he’s a talent evaluator and can/should shape Rangers’ underachievement and dressing-room culture were cited as how a roster is constructed,” a league source said. concerns when the front-office shuffling started. While a GM may be tempted to find players to fit a coach’s style, history “I think ‘culture’ and ‘underperforming’ would be absolute fixes with shows that it’s a line to tread carefully to avoid further challenges and Gerard,” a league source said. “He’s a players coach who gets a lot out ensure the team is built as best possible for today’s NHL. of his roster.” The Rangers have a great roster already constructed. There shouldn’t be Ice-time distribution — specifically, veteran forwards receiving key any red flags. minutes over young players as the Rangers were in the hunt for the playoffs — was a criticism of the last coaching staff. But it isn’t unusual “If Gallant simply focuses on optimizing the performance of the players for coaches to rely on veterans, whether there’s a concern of on his roster, the sky is the limit,” a league source added. overwhelming young players or a lack of trust, and Gallant might not be “He’s a fantastic coach if you can keep awful players off your roster.” much different in that regard. The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 “What I always said one of (Gallant’s) biggest strengths as a coach is also his weakness: his trust of players,” Granger said.

While Gallant got the most out of his roster in Vegas, he also didn’t bench or drop players in the lineup when they struggled. It gives players confidence — something that may have been missing at points in New York — and helps build the environment that the team should be striving for. But it can leave players that hurt the team’s chances in unfitting roles, too.

Gallant, like many coaches, has a tendency to lean on proven veterans over unproven younger talents. That shouldn’t affect the Kaapo Kakkos or Alexis Lafrenières of the team, just as players like Huberdeau, Barkov and Aaron Ekblad grew quickly under Gallant in Florida. Trocheck also saw a major increase in minutes in the coach’s second season.

But in Florida, veterans were given important minutes over the Jared McCanns and Jonathan Marchessaults at times. Marchessault eventually did get a shot — it just took injuries to open up an expanded role — and he ran with it. He had a breakout season under Gallant and then continued to thrive with the coach in Vegas.

For the rebuilding Rangers to take the next steps, it’s crucial that Gallant give their younger players the same chance to gain experience and grow — and not just the ones with elite ceilings. The Rangers need to build down the roster as well so they aren’t as top-heavy as they have been in years past.

Does this roster fit Gallant?

The Rangers have the makings of a playoff roster. There’s speed and skill throughout the lineup that should blend well with Gallant’s historically 1189726 Ottawa Senators The good news for the Senators is their schedule won’t be released until mid-July and pre-season games won’t begin here in Ottawa before late- September. The Redblacks are on a time crunch with their season scheduled to open Aug. 5 against the Edmonton Elks on the road and the GARRIOCH: With no concrete plans in place, Ontario's framework for first home game Aug. 28 against the B.C. Lions. Return to Play leaves many questions That’s why it’s paramount for Doug Ford’s government to come forward with some sort of plan. The Senators also own the club’s AHL franchise in Belleville and they’re expected to return to the CAA Arena next season Bruce Garrioch to begin a 72-game schedule. Publishing date: Jun 16, 2021 “This is where they need to at least give us some sort of framework.” LeBlanc said. “The province has put out their three-phased approach of how they’re going to reopen, which we appreciate, but can we please Now what? have an alignment of what that means? Not just for professional sports, but for all sports leagues. It was heralded by the provincial government as a great day for professional and amateur sports in Ontario, but Monday’s announcement “They all want to have some sort of understanding of what the framework has left many with more questions than actual answers in the last few looks like and it shouldn’t be that difficult. If we’re in Phase 3, and we’re days, and maybe it was much ado about nothing. back to reopened, and everybody’s going to restaurants and retail and I’m able to reopen our office, we should be able to have fans as usual in While Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, the minister of Heritage, Sport, our building. We just need that guideline. Tourism and Culture, announced a framework that will allow the League, , the National “We continue to look for significantly more guidance from the province Basketball Association, Canadian Elite Basketball League, Canadian and feel that, based on what we’re seeing in other jurisdictions, it’s not an Premier League, Major League Soccer and the unfair request.” to resume, nobody is sure what that will look like. Time is of the essence and it’s time for the province to come up with a In all, 18 leagues were given clearance to resume training or playing in concrete plan. Ontario as long as they follow the strict health and safety protocols that were used by the National Hockey League and the American Hockey League last winter. Ottawa Sun LOADED: 06.17.2021 Some were left out in the cold completely and are trying to figure where they stand. The Central Canada Hockey League and the rest of the junior A leagues in the province haven’t been given clearance, and neither have the members of Ontario University Athletics, which includes Carleton University and the University of Ottawa.

Those who can resume haven’t been told if they’ll be able to have people in the seats and, if so, how many. The lack of transparency on this issue from the government is hurtful because it doesn’t help the owners of the Redblacks, Senators, Argos, Tiger-Cats, Maple Leafs, Blue Jays, Toronto FC or the Leafs with sales of any sort.

Not having any idea how many people can be at TD Stadium or the Canadian Tire Centre doesn’t make planning easy, but they fully expect to have fans just based on what’s happened in the United States with full arenas and stadiums, along with the vaccination rates across the province on the rise.

The likes of Senators owner need to know what the landscape will look like.

“It isn’t helpful,” Senators president of business operations Anthony LeBlanc told this newspaper Tuesday. “The silver lining is the people that we’re speaking with have similar views to the ones I have personally, which is, October we’re going to be back in business so to speak. But that addresses the people we’re talking to and not the people we’re not talking to.”

And that’s the biggest issue; if anybody’s on the fence about buying season tickets they’re going to take a wait and see approach while owners try to figure out budgets or when to bring back staff that have been furloughed because of the pandemic.

“The problem is there’s no question this is a drag on our business. Are we selling tickets? Yes. Are we selling sponsorships? Yes, but it’s 100 per cent an absolute impediment on our business,” said LeBlanc. “We’re trying our best. Thinking about from the perspective of our owner, who has to write the cheques to keep things going, we’re not back to full capacity in the office and we won’t be until we have a better idea of what this will look like.

“Internally, we feel pretty confident, but nothing is final until it’s final. Every other jurisdiction is wide open and they know they’re going to have fans. You have those people that would put down their hard-earned money to buy season tickets or some sort of plan, but they’re going to wait. There’s no question there’s a big portion of the fan base waiting for certainty. Every single day that we’re in a state of uncertainty continues to hurt our business.

“And I can’t even imagine how it is for the CFL teams.” 1189727 Ottawa Senators “I don’t really want to be a development team for other people,” said then-Red Wings general manager Ken Holland in 2014, when it came to protecting Blashill as an asset.

What should we read into the Senators reluctance to allow Jack Capuano So we should remember this type of thing is a somewhat common to interview with other teams? occurrence around the NHL.

But here’s the one caveat that makes the Capuano situation so intriguing: When a team denies permission to speak to an employee, it’s usually By Ian Mendes because they have a succession plan in place.

Jun 16, 2021 Dubas, Drury and McCrimmon eventually were elevated to the general manager positions with their respective teams. Stevens and Blashill

ended up becoming the head coaches for the Kings and Red Wings. If We’ve already been down the road of the Ottawa Senators allowing a the Senators ever had intended for Tim Murray to be their future general staff member to jump to the Buffalo Sabres for a promotion. manager, there is no way they would have allowed him to cross the road to a divisional rival. In the middle of the 2013-14 season, Ottawa assistant general manager Tim Murray left the organization to become the general manager in So why would the Senators rebuff the Sabres’ attempt to speak with Buffalo. At his introductory press conference, Murray openly discussed Capuano this summer? Is it because they view him as a potential head how the process unfolded to allow him to jump from one divisional rival to coach down the road? another. If that’s the case, it would probably not be the greatest vote of confidence “When Bryan (Murray) came to me this time and said, ‘They’ve called for Smith, who is heading into the final year of his contract. and asked permission, should I grant it?’ it didn’t take me long to say Smith has done an admirable job of stabilizing the Senators on the ice, yes,” Murray said on January 9, 2014. guiding them through a tumultuous time in the franchise’s history. And But according to multiple reports, the Senators have had a change in Smith played a pivotal role in helping point the Senators in the right philosophy — at least when it comes to an assistant coach jumping to the direction in the final half of the regular season, when they looked like Sabres. Boston-based reporter Joe McDonald was the first to report this legitimate playoff contenders in the North Division. development on Monday evening. Smith is heading into the final season of his three-year deal and instead It’s clear that if the Senators have an ironclad policy in place preventing of receiving some assurance he’ll be back beyond next season, he could members of their organization from leaving for other opportunities while be left with the feeling that his replacement is standing over his shoulder. under contract, this would be a fairly new development considering the If the Senators stumble out of the gate after 20 games, is Plan B to have Tim Murray departure. Capuano take over at that point? It’s pure speculation on my part, but that feels like a potential reason why the Senators would want to hang But one would imagine this would apply to virtually anybody under onto Capuano. contract in the hockey operations department. For example, if an assistant equipment manager had an offer to interview to be the head And if that’s their rationale for denying Capuano the chance to interview equipment manager for a different team, that request would be denied if in Buffalo, how does that make Smith feel right now? That would also this was a blanket policy. make things awkward and uncomfortable for Capuano, who would probably never want to put that type of unwanted pressure on the If that’s the case — and that’s a big if — that would likely create a shoulders of his coaching friend. strange “Hotel ”-type environment within the walls of Canadian Tire Centre. Employees probably feel like they can’t ever really leave the The 44-year-old Smith is well-liked by this core of young Senators organization, even if they were offered a chance at a promotion with players and it also stands to reason that Brady Tkachuk’s camp is another team. But if it’s explicitly stated within the wording of their watching this unfold with great interest. Tkachuk has already had three contract, there is very little recourse for the employee. different head coaches during his brief NHL career — (64 games), Marc Crawford (18 games) and Smith (127 games). I reached out to the NHL Coaches Association to see if they wanted to weigh in on the Capuano situation, but they politely replied, “We don’t If Tkachuk is going to ink his contract extension this summer, he’d likely comment publicly on issues that are related to an employment contract want some assurance there will be some stability behind the bench. between a coach and his team.” Does Tkachuk want a fourth head coach behind the bench in just his fourth season in the NHL? My instincts would tell me the answer would But before jumping to the usual “here-we-go-again-with-the-Senators- be a resounding “no.” being-weird” conclusions, it’s important to understand this is a fairly common practice around the NHL. Over the last several years, there are If the Senators continue their upward trajectory under Smith next season, plenty of examples of NHL organizations stonewalling other teams when the head coach will have a significant amount of leverage on his side it comes to hiring their employees for an external promotion. when he needs a new contract in the summer of 2022. And if he’s not suitably rewarded, it stands to reason Smith will be a highly sought-after When Lou Lamoriello was the general manager of the Toronto Maple commodity on the open market. Leafs, he rebuffed the Colorado Avalanche from speaking to his assistant general manager Kyle Dubas about a potential opportunity. That story As we’re seeing with the Rod Brind’Amour situation in Carolina, head was murky and complicated and at one point it appeared as though coaches are starting to feel more empowered these days. And if Smith Dubas might have had permission, but at the end of the saga, the Leafs doesn’t have a contract extension in place before the start of next ultimately revoked any possibility of Dubas jumping ship. season, the Senators could be staring down the barrel of a full-fledged crisis next summer. Lamoriello also denied the Senators’ initial attempt to speak to D.J. Smith for their coaching vacancy in the summer of 2016 and Ottawa eventually Players love to use their leverage in free agency, but NHL head coaches hired Guy Boucher. But this approach isn’t only employed by the rarely go down that path. Would Smith feel comfortable betting on himself notoriously iron-fisted Lamoriello. in the free-agent market next summer?

In the summer of 2019, the Minnesota Wild were looking for a new If that situation unfolds, a lot of us will look back at the Senators general manager, but when they tried to speak to New York assistant reluctance to commit to Smith in the summer of 2021 as the catalyst that general manager Chris Drury, the Rangers blocked them from having the got the ball rolling. conversation. That same summer, the Vegas Golden Knights put up a And it feels like the Senators unwillingness to let Capuano walk out the firewall around highly-sought after assistant general manager Kelly door could be a sign that a contract extension for Smith isn’t coming any McCrimmon, who was being targeted by teams like the Edmonton Oilers. time soon. The were searching for a replacement for head coach in the summer of 2014, but the Canucks were denied the opportunity to speak to Los Angeles assistant coach John The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 Stevens and Red Wings minor league head coach . 1189728 Philadelphia Flyers Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 06.17.2021

Flyers’ Oskar Lindblom: ‘I want to be the player I was before I got sick’

by Sam Carchidi

Published Jun 16, 2021

Flyers left winger Oskar Lindblom sounded appreciative and hopeful Wednesday morning.

Appreciative that on Tuesday night he had won the Masterton Trophy for his perseverance and dedication to the sport.

Hopeful that, as he approaches his second full season since recovering from a rare bone cancer, his game will get back to the same level it was before his stunning diagnosis in December of 2019.

Saying that winning the Masterton was a “special moment in my life,” Lindblom said with the extra time to regroup and prepare himself this offseason, he hopes to return to the way he was playing early in the 2019-20 season, when he had 11 goals in his first 30 games.

“That’s what I’m aiming for. I want to be the player I was before I got sick,” he said in a Zoom call with reporters from his home in Sweden. “I feel good right now. I’m working out and all that. That’s my goal and I’m going to really push myself this summer to really get back in shape and hopefully I can be the player I was, if not better.”

In last year’s offseason, he was still trying to regain his stamina, and he had some up-and-down days during this season (8 goals, 14 points in 50 games) as his energy level fluctuated following a draining recovery.

Lindblom, 24, was asked what he hopes people take from his remarkable recovery from cancer and his return to such a grueling sport.

“I just try to be positive every day,” he said. “I think I was positive through the whole chemo and the surgery and all that last year, so I try to spread good vibes around me and hopefully people can take that from me.”

Flyers left winger Oskar Lindblom clears the puck against New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes in a game on May 10,

He is back in Sweden with family and friends and getting his life back to normal.

“I’m spending time with my family again,” he said. “I’m seeing my grandparents, who I hadn’t seen in almost two years. Just enjoying life and to be able to do what I want to, I feel energized again. That’s a big thing. Hockey-wise, the same thing. I felt I got better at the end of the season, but I know I’ve got a lot more in me, so I just have to keep pushing and get my stamina up and be able to work every day and be able to play my game up there.”

Lindblom said his teammates have helped him every step along the way.

“It’s been huge,” he said. “From the start, it gave me so much energy just to keep me pushing through, especially the first couple days [after his diagnosis]. It was tough for me to kind of soak it all in and see what you have in front of you. But just to have them there and supporting me every day and giving me energy. That was huge for me just to have like my second family over in the U.S. That was great. I appreciate them so much for doing that for me as well.”

After a difficult road trip when the players and Lindblom found out about his cancer in December 2019, the soft-spoken winger said it was uplifting to meet his teammates when they returned to the Wells Fargo Center.

“I remember that moment so good,” he said. “Everyone was so happy to see me and I was so happy to see them, and I felt like they could relax again when they saw me -- and I was feeling pretty good at that time, too. It gave them a little energy, and it gave me energy as well.”

When he watched his first game after his diagnosis and was shown on the Wells Fargo Center’s video scoreboard, he said he was overcome with emotion by the fans’ response.

“The whole Wells Fargo was just standing up and giving me a standing ovation,” he said. “That was something I will never ever forget.” 1189729 Philadelphia Flyers

Lindblom feels the love, recalls the positive memories to celebrate honor

BY JORDAN HALL

hen the NHL announced Oskar Lindblom as the winner of the 2020-21 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, it was around 8 p.m. ET. For Lindblom, back home in his native Sweden, it was 2 a.m. The Flyers' winger, of course, was informed he had won the award prior to the official announcement Tuesday, but the congratulatory messages poured in overnight.W

"When I woke up this morning, I had a couple of text messages from guys on the team," Lindblom said Wednesday. "Family and friends reached out, as well. It's always fun to talk to old teammates when you're home and you have your family here, it's great. I'm happy, I'm happy to win this award. Feels special, a special moment in my life."

Lindblom read the love from his teammates in the morning. On Tuesday night, he had Flyers fans across the Valley cheering for him and the hockey community saluting his inspirational fight. Lindblom became the fourth Flyer to ever win the Masterton Trophy, which is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association and given annually to "the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to ."

The 24-year-old surely matched the description. He played in 50 of the Flyers' 56 games this season, putting up eight goals and six assists. This time a year ago, he was finishing radiation treatments from a cancer battle stemming back to December 2019, when he was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma.

Lindblom's story of positivity and persistence has touched so many. The Masterton honor had the smiling Swede recalling some of the positive, uplifting memories from his fight.

He mentioned the time when he greeted the team at the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 17, 2019. The Flyers were coming home from an 0-3-0 road trip during which they learned of Lindblom's sudden and shocking diagnosis. After the Flyers saw Lindblom, they went on to win four straight games.

"I remember that moment so well because everyone was so happy to see me and I was so happy to see them," Lindblom said.

He also highlighted the night of Jan. 11, 2020, when he received a loud and lengthy standing ovation from 19,866 fans at the Wells Fargo Center. Lindblom, who had begun his treatments, was shown on the Jumbotron. The ovation lasted for an entire stoppage of play as Lindblom waved to the crowd.

"That was something that I'll never forget," he said.

Back home in Sweden, Lindblom is training for the 2021-22 season — and appreciating the essence of his fight.

"Just got back here a couple of weeks ago, spending time with my family again, seeing my grandparents that I haven't seen in almost two years," Lindblom said. "Just enjoying life and can be able to do whatever I want to and I feel energized again. ... Hockey-wise, I felt I got better at the end of the season, but I know I've got a lot more in me.

"I want to be the player I was before I got sick. I feel good right now, working out and all of that. That's my goal and I just need to really push myself this summer to really get back in shape. Hopefully I can be the player I was, if not better."

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189730 Philadelphia Flyers and was being healthy scratched on the regular. The collapse of Myers’ season was complete.

Myers did make his way back into the lineup for the final 11 games of the What can the Flyers count on from Philippe Myers going forward after a season and didn’t play poorly in them, all things considered. But by then, step-up season turned into a step back? the Flyers’ chances at the playoffs were essentially extinguished. Nothing he did in those meaningless contests was going to redeem his mess of a year.

By Charlie O'Connor What exactly was bad about Myers’ season?

Jun 16, 2021 Well, let’s just say there was a lot.

For long stretches of the season, Myers clearly lost the faith of the Flyers’ coaching staff. They didn’t believe that Myers was willfully ignoring their It all seemed to be falling into place for Philippe Myers. instructions, but the same mistakes just kept popping up in his game, His emergence from undrafted free agent to top prospect made him one regardless of how often they were pointed out to him off the ice. Myers of the most highly valued young assets in the Philadelphia Flyers entered the year a viable top-pair candidate. By April, he wasn’t even a organization. And even after it took him maybe a bit longer than expected nightly lock for the starting lineup. Yikes. to nab a full-time job with the big club, once he did in 2019-20, he quickly Myers also failed to truly address his lingering issues from his promising showed what he could do. By the second half of that season, he was 2019-20 campaign. His penalty drawn/taken differential (-9 in 2019-20) locked into the team’s top four. That summer, he was given top-pair was slightly better, but still checked in at a less-than-ideal minus-6. He usage in a game that ultimately ended with the Flyers earning their first continued to have trouble getting shots through traffic — after only 43.8 playoff series victory since 2012. And after general manager Chuck percent of his attempts turned into shots on goal as a rookie, Myers only Fletcher proved unable to replace the retiring Matt Niskanen with a mildly upped that number in his sophomore season, to 45.8 percent. And suitable candidate from the outside, suddenly Myers had a clear path to after struggling against the New York Islanders’ forecheck in the Flyers’ Philadelphia’s first-pair to start 2020-21. second-round series in the bubble, Myers’ ability to generate controlled He had the talent. He had the opportunity. He had momentum. What he defensive zone exits dipped as well, from 34.6 percent of his exit didn’t have, unfortunately, was the needed quality of play. attempts to 29.0 percent in 2019-20.

With the Flyers depending on Myers more than ever in 2020-21, the Oh, and then there are the goals against. young defenseman faltered. Over the course of a thoroughly With Myers on the ice (all situations), Flyers opponents scored a disappointing campaign, Myers went from a potential top-of-the-lineup whopping 56 goals — over a quarter of all the goals the team allowed option to a recurring healthy scratch, and few in the fanbase argued that this season. Now, one could make the case that Provorov, Sanheim and the demotion was undeserved. Now, Myers faces a crossroads, both in Justin Braun all were on the ice for even more, and that’s true. But they terms of his own career and his future with the Flyers. Can he rebound also received a lot more overall ice time. No Philadelphia defenseman — and put himself back on the trajectory that he appeared to be on as after controlling for minutes played — was on the ice for a higher rate of recently as last winter? And even if he can, will that re-emergence goals against (4.05 per 60 minutes) than Philippe Myers. happen in Philadelphia? Breaking down Myers’ recurring issues There never really was a point during the 2020-21 season when Philippe Myers really got rolling. Now, in fairness to Myers, sometimes goals against that happen on an NHL player’s watch really aren’t his fault. It’s a five-man unit at even Perhaps the fact that, despite all of the preseason speculation that he strength most of the time, and even the PK generally has three other was the logical choice to replace Niskanen on the top pair, he began the skaters on the ice (sometimes two). A player can receive a “minus” even season on Pair No. 2 with Travis Sanheim should have served as a sign if he largely did everything right. Maybe a teammate served up a juicy that Myers’ season simply wasn’t going to play out as planned. If not that, turnover. Maybe he was just jumping on the ice for a line change. Maybe then the fractured rib he suffered just four games into the season, which his defensive zone positioning was fine but the play happened on the knocked him out of action for the next four, would have done nicely as other side of the ice. It happens. well. And yes, there were some times in 2020-21 where Philippe Myers wasn’t Upon his return, Myers had a couple of solid games, missed another due at fault. But after reviewing all 56 goals against — there were a ton of to injury, then was embarrassed on one particularly memorable play on times where he was. national TV against (in fairness, he certainly wasn’t the first and won’t be the last), and finally watched his entire team’s So when tended to lead to these goals against when Myers was largely season be paused due to their February COVID-19 outbreak. Fun start to to blame? Three consistent, recurring issues kept emerging. the season. Issue No. 1: Rush coverage Myers avoided the COVID-19 protocol list, and there was likely hope that for Myers at least, it could serve as something of a reset after a trying In 2019-20, Myers was the Flyers’ most aggressive, effective first month. Instead, Myers came back and struggled. On Feb. 27, he defenseman in one-on-one rush coverage against opposing forwards. It was a healthy scratch, though head coach Alain Vigneault stated publicly makes perfect sense — Myers is huge, he has an extremely long reach, that the demanding schedule would lead him to use a rotation of sorts to he’s naturally aggressive, and he’s a plus skater. It’s a combination that keep everyone fresh; Myers was back in the lineup the next day, with makes for a very difficult blueliner to beat on the rush. Vigneault calling the sitting a simple “reset” and in part driven by the This season, he regressed in that area, and opponents made him look rotation. foolish far more than they should have, given Myers’ physical gifts. He wasn’t nearly as charitable on March 10 when he chose to sit Myers a To be clear, Myers still broke up plenty of zone entries and forced lots of second time. dump-ins, ranking fourth on the Flyers’ blueline in Breakup Percentage “I would say at this time, Phil is fine (physically),” he said. “You’re never (11.6 percent) and allowing the second-fewest percentage of Controlled at 100 percent, but he’s good to go. He’s just not consistent. We’ve Entries (56.8 percent). But both were significant dips from 2019-20 (14.2 talked to him about it. We’ve shown him video. We expect him to be percent and 50.9 percent, respectively). The rush defense has to be the better than he’s shown so far.” key strength of Myers’ game, and all too often this season, it wasn’t.

For the rest of March, he wasn’t. Issue No. 2: Effort and aggression

Despite sitting once due to the scratch and once as a result of injury, Myers is bigger, stronger, and faster than pretty much every skater on Myers ultimately ended up on the ice for a whopping 25 goals against in the ice almost every time he jumps over the boards. So why so often was March across 15 games, finishing the month with a ghastly minus-16 he being straight up outworked by opponents? rating. Unsurprisingly, by April, he fell out of Vigneault’s rotation entirely These are straight up passive plays. There’s no reason why Taylor Hall shouldn’t be pinned against the boards on Goal No. 1, instead of being allowed to execute a centering pass. Chris Kreider should not be able to First, public Expected Goal metrics don’t fully account for all of the just park himself in front of the net and have Myers simply stare at him (a nuances of shot quality, such as passes that lead directly to slam-dunk hunch: this play had something to do with that February 27 scratch, goals. Considering Myers’ error-prone season, it’s very possible that 2.23 which came in the very next game). And Myers shouldn’t be getting run xG/60 at five-on-five and 4.85 while shorthanded dramatically undersells around by Filip Chytil — a good young player to be sure, but no the quality of scoring chances that were allowed on Myers’ watch. superstar. Myers simply needed to be more engaged in the play at times, and when he wasn’t, opponents pounced. Second, the final 11 games of Myers’ season undeniably inflated his stats — he posted a 51.23 percent Corsi For Percentage and 48.73 Issue No. 3: Play recognition/hockey IQ percent xG For percentage prior to the meaningless stretch run, and a 55.18 percent Corsi and 56.29 percent xG during it. The optimistic way to This has always been a big concern surrounding Myers and his upside, look at this is that Myers started to figure things out at the end of the and it reared its head quite a few times this season. season; the probably more realistic view is that the season was over for While acknowledging that all the intricacies of Philadelphia’s defensive all practical purposes, and Myers’ late “surge” was not representative of zone system are not known to me, generally defensemen should be his season as a whole. staying on their side of the ice, especially when their partners are already That said, full-time NHL defensemen don’t usually finish seasons with well-positioned to cut off the puck carrier. their goalies stopping fewer than 87 percent of the shots when said Low-percentage pinches by defensemen lead to odd-man rushes. The defenseman is on the ice — it’s happened just seven times in the last five Flyers generally encourage their blueliners to be aggressive keeping seasons. Myers likely was at least a bit unlucky. How unlucky, however, pucks alive, but within a risk/reward framework. The reward just wasn’t is a matter for reasonable debate. there on this one. And, to make matters worse, he lets the trailer beat So what caliber of player is Philippe Myers? him back up ice to score the goal. When 2020 came to a close, the Flyers thought they knew what they had This one is all about being decisive. Either hang back in case Joel in Philippe Myers. Farabee loses the battle along the boards, or get there quick to help him win it. Instead, that little bit of hesitation leaves Myers in no man’s land At the very least, it looked like they had a top-four quality blueliner, a and gives the Rangers a quick two-on-one down low after losing a righthanded shot with a rare size/skating skillset. Perhaps he could faceoff. Not great. develop into a shutdown top-pair defenseman, perhaps not. But they certainly appeared to have a regular nightly contributor. To sum it up, Myers’ strengths stopped being as strong, and his weaknesses became even more obvious. Yep, that’s the makings of a Now, it’s not at all clear what they have. very bad season. Myers may be relatively new to the NHL, but he’s already 24-years-old Finding any positives? and will turn 25 midway through next season. It’s possible that as “raw” as he seems, there might not be much more untapped potential left. And In truth, it would be very difficult to find any objective evidence to argue if the mistake-prone, inconsistent 2020-21 version of Myers is the real that Philippe Myers actually had a good season in 2020-21. Anyone who version, then he’s more of a third-pair/depth player than even a middle- watched him play would know that he didn’t — from the coaches, to the of-the-lineup option. front office, to the fans. And it’s not like public analytics viewed Myers’ season as a success. But maybe the best way to view Myers is somewhere between the two extremes. Remember all that talk about Myers maybe being unlucky this That said, the stats do imply that it might not have been the complete and season with his on-ice results? Well, it’s also worth pointing out that he utter disaster that it seemed to be. was actually quite lucky in his promising rookie season by those same Someone who didn’t watch Myers on a nightly basis and simply looked at metrics. Combine the 94 games across 2019-20 and 2020-21, and his base-level statistical profile — particularly at even strength — would maybe we end up with the real Philippe Myers. come away with a totally different interpretation of his season. After all, All metrics courtesy of Evolving-Hockey and five-on-five only. the Flyers outshot the opposition with him on the ice (52.23 percent Corsi For). They even slightly out-chanced opponents as well (50.74 percent Suddenly, Myers doesn’t look like the future stud he at times appeared to Expected Goals For). That’s not bad. be in his rookie year, nor the barely-playable mess he was this season. Instead, he’s a blueliner who helps his team to finish barely ahead on the The more advanced models, which account for everything from the chance and goal charts. In other words, an adequate defenseman, but quality of competition to zone starts to teammates, evaluate Myers’ even not much more than that. Maybe that’s what Philippe Myers is. strength performance similarly. Evolving-Hockey’s RAPM model gives Myers a -0.006 impact on the Flyers’ xG differential, and a +1.60 impact And if that’s the case, the Flyers’ front office has a decision to make. Is it on their shot attempt differential — in other words, Myers was more of a okay if Myers simply settles in as a solid No. 4 or a good No. 5, just one net-neutral even strength player than a liability. Still a disappointing who happens to have a unique skillset that constantly teases coaches to season for a player expected to take a step forward, but not disastrous. think he’d be capable of more? His contract pays him fairly for such a role, after all. Are they convinced that Myers has another, far higher level So what might a numbers person say about Myers’ season? Probably he can reach, and still remain bullish on his upside? Or might they think that it wasn’t great, but also was made to look a lot worse than it was that this is the time to cash in on his value around the league, while other because goaltenders struggled mightily to stop pucks with him on the ice. clubs might still see him as a future top-pair defenseman? Philadelphia is At five-on-five, Myers was “expected” to watch 2.23 goals per 60 minutes preparing for a very busy offseason — could Myers be one of the be scored by the opposition while he was on the ice. In reality? He bore casualties? witness to a whopping 3.65. His shorthanded results showed a similar chasm between expected and reality: 4.85 goals against/60 expected Fletcher is going to have to take a leap of faith with Myers, whether he (actually very good) and 9.31 actual (truly awful). In fact, no defenseman decides to keep him or trade him. Based on a relatively small sample of in the NHL with at least 400 minutes played at five-on-five had a lower NHL games, he’ll have to make a call on what he views as Myers’ long- on-ice save percentage than Myers and his 87.27 percent — it’s also the term value. It’s that decision that will decide if Myers is still wearing second-lowest of any defenseman in hockey over the past three orange & black come October. seasons.

The most positive interpretation, in other words, of Myers’ 2020-21 season is simple: Yes, he made mistakes, but he got unlucky in that The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 pretty much all of them ended up in the back of the net, making him look even worse than he actually was. That doesn’t absolve Myers for his mistakes, but it does hint that he’s not likely to be this unlucky yet again.

Now, there’s a few viable arguments against this line of thinking that aren’t simply “stats are garbage, I know what I saw!” rants, and they deserve to be laid out. 1189731 Philadelphia Flyers Corson, “You guys, don’t mess around out there. Just come off the ice and once they leave, you can go about your superstition.” Something like that. And so we decided we were going to hide behind the curtain, which is what we did. We saw them leave and we asked the security guard, ‘It was mayhem’: Inside the Flyers-Canadiens 1987 brawl that changed “Are they gone?” And he’s like, “Yeah.” the NHL forever Dave Poulin, Flyers captain: They were hiding like little kids behind their curtain, so our guys hid like little kids behind our curtain, and they went out to meet them. Kevin Kurz Lemieux: So we come back on the ice, fans are cheering, and decided Jun 16, 2021 (we) might as well go skate it in their end. Then next thing you know I’ve got a freakin’ goalie stick coming at my head.

A glance at the box score of Game 6 of the Wales Conference finals on Resch: I went in the corner to pick up my stick, and (Hospodar has) got May 14, 1987, when Philadelphia advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with Lemieux, wrestling with him and he gets him down. I go over there and a 4-3 win over Montreal, doesn’t reveal anything extraordinary. Rick he’s not hitting him, he’s just holding him down. Tocchet’s third-period goal broke a 3-3 tie, and eventual Conn Smythe- I remember saying to those guys, “What are we doing? This is winning goalie Ron Hextall made 29 saves to help the Flyers advance. ridiculous.” Claude looked up and said, “Yeah, this is stupid.” We were What happened before the game, though, has resonated for more than ready to quit, but the crowd is roaring, and then I look and see the three decades. Montreal Canadiens’ door is open and the team is coming back out onto the ice. Then everybody came out there. “The National Hockey League sank to a new low last night, and that’s an (extreme) low indeed,” wrote Philadelphia Inquirer sports editor Frank Lemieux: (Hospodar) was a tough guy, but I flipped him over and I’m on Dolson. “Those were major hockey league players out there making a top of him like, “What are you doing?” And then Chico was like, “What’s mockery of their sport.” going on? What are you guys doing?” And I’m like, “What are you guys doing?” Then it was too late, and I saw, oh my gosh, all the players are Don Cherry, the acerbic Canadian broadcaster, said at the time: “I don’t coming on the ice, and it was over. mind the odd brawl, but I didn’t like that.” Poulin: One of our trainers (Jim Evers) ran into the room yelling, “Gotta Pregame emotions had been building throughout the series, sparked go, gotta go, gotta go!” mainly by Claude Lemieux and Shayne Corson. The two Montreal forwards, after warmups had been completed, would shoot a stray puck Chris Nilan, Canadiens forward: All of a sudden an usher comes running into the Flyers’ empty net. Their routine irritated the Flyers, but it quickly in (to the dressing room). “There’s a problem on the ice, they’re going became part of a psychological game within a game. after Lemieux.” So I did my skates up, not real tight, but as quick as I could, and out I went. Before Game 6 at the Montreal Forum, it all came to a head in one of the most memorable brawls in league history, and one that had lasting Dave Brown, Flyers forward: Keenan at first said, “No, no, we can’t do effects. Afterward, Flyers forward Ed Hospodar was suspended for the this.” I was thinking we should do it now if we’re going to fight these guys. final round — the only player to earn any kind of ban. There was a total We didn’t plan anything out, but it was Game 6, and we’ve got to play of $24,500 in fines. tough and play hard this game.

But more importantly, when players raced to the ice from both dressing Mike Keenan, Flyers coach: Normally, I would watch warmups, which I rooms before the opening faceoff, there were no referees or linesmen to did. Then warmups had concluded, so I went into the coaching office in break it up. The fracas forced the NHL to take a hard look at its the old Forum. All of a sudden I hear this uproar. I didn’t want them to get reputation. League executives knew that if they ever were going to make involved in that. the game appealing to a broader fan base, these types of moments Howe: I’m the first guy out, and I grab my stick as I’m going by. So I’ve would have to disappear. About four months later, the NHL introduced got my stick on the ice, because you don’t know what the hell is going on. harsh penalties and fines for any players, coaches or teams involved in a Doug Crossman had been in the washroom and had on his sandals, so similar melee. A 10-game player suspension for coming off the bench to he’s out on the ice with his flip-flops on. fight was among the new rules. Al Morganti, Flyers beat writer, Philadelphia Inquirer: One of the great “Multiplayer brawls have no place in the National Hockey League,” said traditions at the Forum was, obviously they had great hot dogs in the William Wirtz, then the Blackhawks’ owner and president. ”We feel that press room. For the playoffs, though, they put tablecloths out, and I think this legislation will eliminate what has damaged the image of the league.” there was actually wine. So I don’t think anybody was too anxious to What follows are the insights of more than a dozen participants and leave that to go watch warmups, but word filtered down that something’s observers of the 1987 pregame brawl. going on here, and then it was like, are we really seeing what we’re seeing? It was hard to believe. When you cover the Flyers, you’ve seen a Claude Lemieux, Canadiens forward: Shayne Corson and I liked to stay lot. Even for what we’ve seen, this is bonkers. And it got worse and on the ice late and have a long warmup, and I was always the last guy to worse. It was surreal watching it and calling the office and saying, get off. It was kind of a superstition thing — flip a puck in the empty net. “You’ve got to get ready for this because this is crazier than anything And that was our routine. we’ve ever seen before.”

Mark Howe, Flyers defenseman: The whole thing started because of Of all the things that I remember from that, and all the stuff that was superstition. going on, I just can’t get over Doug Crossman on those stupid slippers. It was like watching that guy who took off his clothes in “Slap Shot.” Chico Resch, Flyers goalie: In Game 4, I took the net off and I turned it around and pushed it against the back boards. (Lemieux and Corson) Lemieux: There were guys with no skates. One (fight) would break out didn’t know what to do. They didn’t really do anything because I’m and things would settle down. … I was obviously the instigator, I’m just standing there in uniform, watching. trying to get this thing stopped. The Flyers always dressed five or six extra guys, and they always skated over the (red) line. They started the So then we beat them (in Game 4), and I’m thinking, OK, we’re getting in intimidation in the warmups. I knew we were outnumbered. So then my their heads. So I said I’m going to do that again back at the Spectrum (for mind is thinking, we’re losing players here. We’re losing key guys. This is Game 5). But they had their own plan. They went and took the net off the not good. So I’m trying to tone it down, and while that’s happening, back boards and placed it back on the pegs, and then they do their thing. they’re trying to fuel it up. They’ve got guys that know they’re not playing, And they beat us (5-2), and Lemieux had scored. so they could care less. So then I’m thinking, in Montreal (for Game 6) if I take it off they’ll just put Howe: I saw Brownie come out and he looked like a heat-seeking it back on. And (Flyers coach) Mike Keenan said, “Do not let them score.” missile. He was looking for Nilan. Then they caught eyes, and went Lemieux: This thing had picked up and became I guess somewhat straight to each other. important where (Canadiens captain) Bob Gainey had said to me and Poulin: Dave Brown went out without a flak jacket, and nothing to hang hot. They could have dropped it right into SportsCenter, but SportsCenter on to. He was looking for one guy. And that was Chris Nilan. being an entity unto itself and kind of a closed shop, they declined. I thought, oh my God, this is like a train wreck. I don’t know who could look Nilan: (Flyers defenseman Kjell) Samuelsson is kind of looking at me. I away from it. know he’s a big guy, it’s not like I was scared of Kjell Samuelsson because he was big. That didn’t bother me at all. Am I going to waste my At one point, I remember looking at Doc (Emrick), and we were so time fighting this guy, who doesn’t fight? I knew this wasn’t it. Sure frustrated. We’re announcers. We wanted to announce what was going enough, both dressing rooms started trickling out, and then I saw big on, but we didn’t have an audience. We weren’t on the air. So I Brownie obviously come out with no jersey on. And, OK, here we go. remember going, oh my gosh, I wish we were calling this right now, because it was mayhem and we had a bird’s eye view. Morganti: Dave Brown was the king. He was the best fighter I ever saw. Lemieux: You’re seeing family members in the stands, and the looks on Brown: I always took my jersey off to cool off after warmups or in their faces. … You could see wives, you could see parents. It was like, between periods. I had it off, and I thought, why should I put it back on if people just didn’t know what to think. And the players, we didn’t know we’re going back out there to fight? I just put my elbow pads on, if I fall what to think. Usually we’re told to stop and then something happens and down. We went to look for whoever we had to match up with, and I knew it gets split up, but in this case, you’re looking around for referees, and Nilan was my guy, because he was their tough guy, so I went and looked there’s nothing. I remember trying to get off. I was going to go rest, and for him. one of my teammates was like, get your ass back out there. So I was Resch: One guy I felt bad for was Chris Nilan. Dave Brown was the like, OK. heavyweight champ. But now there’s nowhere to hide, and poor Clement: It was similar to a bench-emptying brawl, but at least there “Knuckles” has got to take on Brown. were three sheriffs to go around in a bench-emptying brawl back then. In Nilan: We went at it. Then we grabbed, and then we’d go again. At one this brawl, there were no cops on the ice. time we’re swinging away, and I went to my knees and got back up, and Ron Hextall, Flyers goalie: I had just done up my last strap on my pads then we both rested again. He was leaning on my shoulder, he had his and I got up and I was right beside the door, and as soon as I got up — head in behind my head, by my ear. And he goes, “Have you had the timing was impeccable. Keenan walks in, shuts the door, and puts his enough?” And I said “Nope,” and I just fucking hauled off and threw back against the door and says, “You can’t go out there.” All I can hear is another shot, and off we went again. the fans screaming, and I’m thinking we’re down a man because I’m in Brian Hayward, Canadiens goalie: When it was going on, you’re thinking, the locker room. Emotionally, it’s killing me. So I said to Mike, “I promise shit, they’ve got all these guys dressed, and they were definitely targeting you, I won’t fight. I’ll just go out there and grab on to someone.” He said, some of our better players. I remember (Canadiens defenseman) Larry “No, no. They’ll sucker punch you. You’re not going out.” Robinson grabbing me and saying, “You’ve got to get the hell off the ice Keenan: He wanted to go out, and I said, “Not a chance,” and I locked because they’re coming for you.” Because I was playing that series. the door. Now he’s screaming and swearing at me. I said, “Ron, there’s Meanwhile, it was just absolute bedlam. no way you can go out. I know you love fisticuffs, you want to get Don Nachbaur, Flyers forward: I skated across the ice to where I saw all involved, you want to protect your teammates. I can’t afford to have you their tough guys, and before I could get into that pile with those players break your hand in a fight.” somebody had grabbed me and spun me around. When I turned around I Clement: Keenan was smart enough to know what to do right away. The realized it was Larry Robinson that had me. After some conversations one guy he could not lose was Ron Hextall. His instincts were really good with Larry, I asked him three times to let me go because I didn’t want to to bar the door from Hexy. Hexy would have either hurt somebody or be with Larry. been hurt himself, and most certainly would have been suspended had He said, “You’re not going anywhere. I’m not going to let you go.” And I he made it back onto the ice. He would have been like a blood-crazed told him, “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to start throwing punches.” He weasel in a chicken coop not knowing where to go, who to hit, what to said to me, “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” do. Hexy only knew one speed once the switch flipped.

Larry Robinson, Canadiens defenseman: I was paired up with Nachbaur, Hayward: Probably fortunate that I didn’t end up with Hextall, because he and Nachbaur tried to get me going, or whatever. So then we started a would have kicked my ass. bit of a scuffle. I think he might have tried to punch me and luckily I think Resch: I come in after it’s all over and (Hextall is) sitting there, and his he kind of missed. Then I guess there was a bunch of punches, and eyes are red and he’s looking a little disheveled. And I said, “Hexy what’s everything. going on with you? You weren’t even out there, what’s your problem?”

Poulin: I remember at one point looking at Larry Robinson, who was Hextall: When Chico Resch came into the locker room he looked at me about as classy an individual as you get, but he was drawn into it and said, “What happened to you?” Nothing happened to me, but the because of his size and his toughness. And I’m watching him and emotions were like … I figured we were one guy short. thinking … this is all just wrong. Poulin: (Afterward) they actually brought (Gainey) and I into a little room Nachbaur: I feel bad to this day that I threw a punch at Larry. As a young on our side with the referee. They were trying to get some direction on guy, I was one of those guys that looked up to him. There was a lot of what started, who started it, how it started. Frankly, it was hearsay on our respect there. But I had a job to do. part anyway because we weren’t out on the ice.

Hayward: They had a lot of more guys dressed and it seemed like there Morganti: We had no perspective on what’s going to happen. Are there was intent there for some of their lackeys, if you will, to create as much penalties? Who’s thrown out? Is anybody thrown out? You go to the rule havoc as they could. And I don’t know if that’s true, but when you’re on book and there’s nothing there. There literally was nothing there. the other side, that’s what it felt like. Brown: They just said we’ll kick Hospodar out because he started it, or Nachbaur: After I got away from Larry, I pushed (Tocchet) aside and me supposedly started it. He got a lot of blame for starting it. He wasn’t really and Corson were squared up. Before we even had a chance to throw a the guy that started it, it was those guys that started it because they kept punch, or may have thrown one or two, somebody grabbed me by the on doing that shit in our end of the ice. throat from behind and got me in a headlock and we fell backward. I was under a pile of players. I was taking punches from the side while I laid on Poulin: In the little washroom in Montreal in the old Forum, (Hospodar) is the ice with my arms pinned underneath me. My hands were exposed, shaving and he’s actually showered and his hair is combed perfectly. He and I could see nothing but skate blades. That was a really scary looks like a little schoolboy angel. And I walk back in, and he asks, moment where I thought I was going to get my fingers cut off. “Poulie, I’m just double-checking, I’m not in the lineup, right?” I said, “You weren’t in the lineup before the game, Eddie, you didn’t work your way Keenan: I was now on the sidelines. (Flyers owner Ed) Snider is asking into it.” me to go out and break it up. I said, “Not a chance, I’ve got shoes on. I’m not going out there in leather shoes.” Lemieux: I remember for the game we were dead. You could see it just took a lot out of our guys. I remember personally being drained. After Bill Clement, ESPN broadcaster: We weren’t on the air yet. ESPN was warmups, I’m thinking, oh my gosh, how are we going to play now? But on SportsCenter. (Producer Bruce Connal) was explaining to them what they were fresher than we were. was going on and was begging them to take our feed, because we were Resch: Anybody in life can say, oh, that’s stupid. Well, you’re probably right, except that you haven’t been there. You don’t understand the way the game developed. Now, it’s become a game where there’s so many rules and punishments, you’re never going to see anything like that. And you probably shouldn’t. But I don’t think anybody who was involved lived their life (thinking) that was so sick. It wasn’t like anybody got permanently hurt.

Robinson: I know that fighting and everything was more part of the game back then. I guess some people loved to see that more than they’d like to see hockey games. So, I don’t really look at it as a memorable moment in my hockey career. Things happen and they happen for I guess certain reasons, but it’s not something that I fondly remember.

Brown: I think that started leading to where we are now. It was another factor that (reduced) fighting. Before that, we used to brawl probably three or four times a year. I think they knew at some point that they were going to have to stop the brawls if they were going to be able to show this on national TV. They didn’t want to have that kind of reputation, because they didn’t think they could grow the game, probably — and they’re probably right.

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Ex-Penguins Mark Letestu, Brad Thiessen join Blue Jackets as coaches

SETH RORABAUGH

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 3:00 p.m.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins forward Mark Letestu and goaltender Brad Thiessen have been hired by the Columbus Blue Jackets in development coaching roles.

Letestu, 37, retired as a professional player in December. Over the course of 11 seasons with the Penguins, Blue Jackets, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets, Letestu appeared in 567 games and recorded 210 points (93 goals, 117 assists).

Undrafted out of Western Michigan, Letestu broke into the NHL by signing a two-year, two-way contract in 2007 with the Penguins. After spending time with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, he made his NHL debut in 2009-10. He spent parts of three seasons with the Penguins before being traded to the Blue Jackets in November of 2011.

The majority of his NHL career (255 games) was spent with Columbus.

Thiessen, 35, announced his retirement earlier this month.

Also undrafted, Thiessen was signed to a two-year entry-level contract by the Penguins in April of 2009 following his junior year at Northeastern.

An All-Star with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, Thiessen’s only NHL action came in the form of five games with the Penguins in 2011-12.

For the past six seasons, Thiessen has been a member of the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters franchise, the Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate, and was a member of that team’s championship in 2016.

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Penguins goaltending prospects Joel Blomqvist, Calle Clang selected for national teams

SETH RORABAUGH

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 1:42 p.m.

Penguins goaltending prospects Joel Blomqvist and Calle Clang have been named to the under-20 national teams of Finland and Sweden, respectively, for an upcoming showcase tournament in July and August.

Blomqvist, 19, was the Penguins’ second-round pick (No. 52 overall) in 2020. He spent most of this past season with Kokkolan Hermes of the , Finland’s second-tier league. In 16 games, he had a 6-4-6 record with a 2.67 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and one shutout. In December and January, he was a member of Finland’s junior team that won a bronze medal in the International Ice Hockey Federation’s World Junior Championship tournament.

Clang, 19, was a third-round pick (No. 77 overall) in 2020. The vast majority of his 2020-21 season was spent with Kristianstads IK of the HockeyAllsvensken, the second-tier league in Sweden. Appearing in 32 games, he had a 13-19-0 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

The showcase tournament, colloquially referred to as the World Junior Summer Showcase, is scheduled to be held between July 18 and Aug. 2 at USA Hockey Arena in Plymouth, Mich.

Tribune Review LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189734 Pittsburgh Penguins pareil game allows him to combat the realities of being in his mid-30s better than the vast majority of NHLers.

As long as he is wearing a Penguins jersey, Crosby will likely be the best Penguins A to Z: Sidney Crosby remains the future player on the ice for either team, even if he’s a step or two removed from the prime of his late 20s.

Crosby will remain the Penguins’ future as long as he chooses. SETH RORABAUGH

Wednesday, June 16, 2021 8:01 a.m. Tribune Review LOADED: 06.17.2021

With the Penguins in the midst of their offseason, the Tribune-Review is looking at all 49 players currently under NHL contracts to the organization in alphabetical order, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to top-six winger Jason Zucker.

Sidney Crosby

Position: Center

Shoots: Left

Age: 33

Height: 5-foot-11

Weight: 200 pounds

2020-21 NHL statistics: 55 games, 62 points (24 goals, 38 assists)

Contract: Eighth year of a 12-year contract with a salary cap hit of $8.7 million. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2025

Acquired: First-round draft pick (No. 1 overall), July 30, 2005

2020-21 season: There were plenty of reasons to celebrate Sidney Crosby this past season.

Namely, the occasion of his 1,000th career game on Feb. 20. The milestone was almost as profound for the franchise as it was for its captain.

Another source of jubilation for Crosby and the Penguins? He was healthy for the entire season virtually, albeit a shortened one.

Crosby missed only one game as a result of being placed on the NHL’s list of absences related to Covid-19 protocols on March 2.

That came in stark contrast to his 2019-20 campaign when he missed 28 of 69 regular season games due to a core muscle ailment.

Primarily teamed on the top line with wingers Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, Crosby offered a typically thorough and prolific performance as he led the Penguins in goals and assists for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

For his efforts in all areas of the game, Crosby was named as a finalist for the Award, an honor that recognizes the most outstanding player in the NHL as voted on by members of the NHL Players’ Association (NHLPA).

In the playoffs, Crosby was underwhelming, even by his own admission, as the Penguins fell to the New York Islanders in six games during the first round. Hemmed in by the Islanders’ top defensive pairing of Adam Pelech and Ryan Pulock as well as checking line center Casey Cizikas, Crosby was limited to a goal and an assist.

The future: Any notion of the Penguins beginning a rebuilding project after a third consecutive season without a playoff series victory appeared to be quashed by general manager Ron Hextall who suggested he sees “a future” for the Penguins core (i.e. Crosby, forward Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang) on June 2.

That comment was more applicable to Malkin and Letang as they’re entering the final year of their individual contracts. There is likely no other player in the NHL who has the sway to command what zip code he conducts business in quite like Crosby.

But as he turns 34 in August, it’s fair to wonder what he has left. Especially after he was simply outskated for scoring chances by the likes of mid-card talents such as Islanders forward Anthony Beauvillier in the playoffs.

To be clear, Crosby is nothing close to being a liability at this stage of his career. His obsessive nature in smoothing out all the wrinkles to his non- 1189735 Pittsburgh Penguins The goalie hasn’t won a first-round playoff series with Toronto but has posted strong numbers in the postseason…until this year. He took more than his share of the blame for some deciding-game disappointments and Toronto’s running failure to escape the Round One vortex. Penguins Trade Talk: Analyzing Experienced Playoff Goalies On his resume is a run to the Western Conference Final with the Anaheim Ducks and a career .916 playoff save percentage. However, he will turn 32-years-old early next season, and chances are he’ll take a low- Published 8 hours ago on June 16, 2021 scale starter’s contract with a lesser team rather than a 1a or backup role By Dan Kingerski with the Penguins.

The market could squash Andersen like it did the others last fall, so the Penguins can definitely kick the tires. The Pittsburgh Penguins trade whispers and free agent talk has begun. The biggest Penguins’ surprise of the 2020-21 NHL playoffs was not Jeff , LA Kings, 35. Contract Remaining: Two years, $5.8 Carter or their puck domination of the New York Islanders. Though those million AAV were surprising, but the bigger shocker was goalie Tristan Jarry and his We put Quick on the list because his name has already and assuredly soft play. And so, the Penguins might be in the market for a playoff- will be brought up in connection with this endeavor. The LA Kings are experienced backup goalie. already paying half of Jeff Carter’s salary next season. What’s another Jarry didn’t perform well in his first go-round as “the man,” and the results couple of million between friends? were another early exit. But you don’t give the heave-ho to a goalie who Too much, probably. made the 2020 All-Star game and has shown an ability to steal points after one flop. The Penguins certainly could not afford Quick at full boat, and the Penguins really don’t have a bad contract they must unload. Penguins GM Ron Hextall voiced his support for Jarry in his season-wrap press conference last week. The two-time Stanley Cup-winning goalie was a monster in the playoffs as the LA Kings and Chicago Blackhawks waged a stunning five-year “(We) saw what happened in Game 5, an unfortunate error there. And duel in which only those two teams won the Stanley Cup from 2010-2015 then Game Six wasn’t the best, but I think we wouldn’t have been where and met in the Western Conference Final one time. we were without Tristan,” said Hextall. “And we all have to remember, Tristan is a young player. He’s going to learn from this, and he’s going to Even in the Kings’ last playoff run in 2017-18, in which the Vegas Golden come back better in September. So we all learn lessons in life. And if Knights and Marc-Andre Fleury swept them away in four straight, Quick you’re going to be a goaltender in this league for a long time, you’re had a .947 save percentage. going to have your ups and downs as pretty much every guy does…” I’m no historian, but a goalie getting swept with that save percentage When Hextall was a goalie, he, too, had the playoff downs early in his must be close to a record. In 85 career playoff games, Quick has a 2.23 career but rebounded with big performances. He can relate, but as the GAA, and a .922 save percentage. Pittsburgh Penguins GM, he also has a job, and to use head coach Mike Sullivan’s phrase, “hope is not a strategy.” Quick is probably too big for the Penguins needs.

The Penguins can’t “hope” Jarry becomes a playoff goalie and leave , Vancouver Canucks, 31. Remaining Salary: One year, themselves vulnerable should they make their 16th consecutive playoff $4.3 million appearance next season. In the last two seasons, Holtby has been a sieve. First, with Washington, That is why team sources told PHN the Penguins are indeed looking at he raced Penguins goalies Matt Murray to the bottom of the save experienced playoff goalies who could ride sidecar to Jarry in 2021-22. percentage race as both bubbled around .900. Then, behind Vancouver’s young defense last season, he was torched for a 3.67 GAA, and an .889 There are some big names and former big names about to hit the free- save percentage. agent market, including Devan Dubnyk, Jonathan Bernier, and the suddenly fashionable Chris Driedger. Still, there is a wrinkle to a lot of Eek. those players. However, we also know Holtby has a shiny Stanley Cup ring courtesy of They’re probably not better than current No. 2 Casey DeSmith, the beating the Penguins and Vegas Golden Knights in 2018. That Holtby Penguins’ dependable and capable backup goalie. In 70 career games, would be a great Penguins trade target, but it’s been a couple of years DeSmith has a .916 save percentage, though he has not yet seen playoff since he was on his game. rubber. He’s only 31-years-old, and there isn’t a good reason he can’t reclaim And, DeSmith is relatively inexpensive at $1.25 million. Some of the some top form. But wow, the last two seasons have been bad. Buyer goalies on the market may get bigger money as a 1a, like Bernier and beware. others on the free-agent market, are no longer viable. Anton Khudobin, , 35: Remaining Salary: Two years, $3.3 Jaroslav Halak will forever strike fear into the Penguins’ fanbase for his million brick wall play in the Montreal Canadiens’ 2010 Round Two win over the Khudobin was the Cinderella of the 2020 NHL playoff bubble. He Penguins. backstopped the Dallas Stars achingly close to the org’s second Stanley He’s available, but at 36-years-old he’s also at the end. Halak was not Cup and one without a foot in the crease (I’m kidding, I’m sorry). good for the Boston Bruins this season and has not been good in recent He was a 1A to Bishop last season and started a majority of the Dallas playoff starts. Our sharp eyes colleagues in Boston replied, “no, and games this season (32). However, Jake Oettinger is about ready, Bishop no,” regarding Halak’s viability for the Penguins role. is well paid, and Khudobin is the odd-man-out. And a couple of netminders would probably come cheaply in any Statistically, he had one of his worst seasons with a .905 save Penguins trade efforts, but also with a hefty salary in tow. percentage, but in 2019-20 he had a .930 stopper score. It wasn’t ideal One thing to note, we saw more than a few goalies shaking their tin cup for a 35-year-old goalie to slump to a rough season in a walk year, but on the open market looking for a job last offseason. It was a logjam that Dallas didn’t offer as much help this season. forced the ‘tenders to take much less than previous market value. So a Could Khudobin be a perfect one-year insurance policy? The 5-foot-11 team like the Penguins might play the break again. goalie won’t take away a lot of daylight and hasn’t ever been a bonafide Pittsburgh Penguins Trade Talk: “Experienced” Goalies to Watch No. 1 goalie.

Frederick Andersen, UFA, 31 We’ll call this one possible and one to watch.

Since the team source specifically mentioned Andersen, whose time in Editor’s note: We incorrectly listed Khudobin as a UFA in the original Toronto has seemingly come to an end, we’ll lead with him. post. Penguins Trade, UFA No-Go:

Antti Raanta, UFA

He will get 1A money somewhere but has been bad in five career playoff games. At 6-foot, he had a 3.06 GAA and a .905 save percentage. He’s been up and down in his career. It would seem there are better fits if (IF) the Penguins go for a goalie.

Louis Domingue, UFA

Is he better than Casey DeSmith? We don’t think so.

Jaroslav Halak, UFA

Halak, 36, is possibly at the end of his career after declining performance and Jeremy Swayman’s emergence in Boston. Also, his temper issues got the better of him in a couple of practices late in the season and one OT loss as he destroyed sticks and slammed gates. A team like Penguins doesn’t need to take that gamble.

Chris Driedger, UFA

The 27-year-old journeyman backup goalie had a strong year in Florida with a career-high 23 starts. Some are ready to thrust him into a prominent role. Again, probably not better than DeSmith.

Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189736 Pittsburgh Penguins Russia, too). But cmon, what would you and 400,000 Pittsburgh Penguins readers do without me? Wait, don’t answer that either.

RMNB: Speaking of the KHL, their MVP Dmitrij Jaskin is bolting for the Dan’s Daily: Penguins Vellucci Interviewed for CBJ HC, Refs Under Fire Arizona Coyotes.

Published 21 hours ago on June 16, 2021 Pittsburgh Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021

By Dan Kingerski

Part of me worries we are obsessing over officiating, which diminishes the hockey we are witnessing. The NHL game is too fast. There is too much for two men among the chaos to efficiently police. But the other half witnesses a pair of blown calls on Tuesday night that led to goals, and one of which wasn’t a judgment call but an easy whistle. In the Daily, the Philadelphia Flyers are big game hunting defensemen on the NHL trade market, and Pittsburgh Penguins assistant coach Mike Vellucci interviewed–twice–for the Columbus Blue Jackets head coach position.

And what if some big names were to come available who would fit the Penguins perfectly?

PHN+: If those big names, literally and figuratively, come available, should Penguins general manager Ron Hextall clean house to make room?

Pittsburgh Hockey Now: Teddy Blueger is an RFA. What will his next contract look like, and can the Penguins afford it?

Sportsnet: Vellucci would have been a great choice, but Columbus went with . As part of Elliotte Friedman’s 31 Thoughts, he revealed Penguins assistant Vellucci was a top candidate.

Kudos to the Penguins for permitting Vellucci to speak to Columbus. The stingy Ottawa Senators refused Jack Capuano the same courtesy to chat with the Buffalo Sabres. Now there are hard feelings.

The Pittsburgh Penguins organization usually gets it right. Whatever “it” is, they do it right.

NHL Trade chatter, Playoffs & National Hockey Now

Philly: The Flyers have “a lot of balls in the air,” but it doesn’t appear chasing Dougie Hamilton on the NHL trade front is a top priority. Matt Dumba and Seth Jones appear higher on their food chain.

Also–WELL DESERVING–Oskar Lindblom won the Masterton Trophy for perseverance.

NYI: Here’s the synopsis of the Islanders’ Game 2 loss. Tampa Bay cracked New York’s cool demeanor and pulled away for a 4-2 win.

Sportsnet: For once, it was the Islanders who snapped after officials blew an easy call, and the other team scored. Tampa Bay scored with seemingly half its roster on the ice. Of course, early in the game, New York scored a goal on a dubious power play… Officials are under fire for Game 2.

Boy, the NHL misses Jim Rutherford. The NHL trade chatter is a solid 50% less without him around.

Boston: The rumor mill may not have Taylor Hall and David Krejci. It appears both will be back with the Boston Bruins, though neither is yet signed.

Colorado: Gabriel Landeskog says the Avs have to find a way to get this done.

Detroit: The 10 things the Detroit Red Wings need to improve for next season…to not suck.

San Jose: I don’t know who found this video, but the San Jose Sharks 1990s TV opening is pure cheeseball gold. Gold, Jerry! Oh, it’s awful, but I couldn’t take my eyes off it.

Florida: Lucas Wallmark left the Florida Panthers (again). This time for Russia.

Honest to god, I would love to cover the KHL for a season. A few years ago, someone promised to hook me up because the KHL needed some English speakers, but I was apparently talking to the wrong person. I see such awful stories, and it would seem to be a challenge just to live in Russia. I’d love it. (And to beat the trolls, yes, you’d love me to go to 1189737 St Louis Blues three times and expected to be dealt at the trade deadline, would consider re-signing in St. Louis. That may speak more to the salary cap staying at $81.5 million cap next season and his options being limited, but either way, it’s a scenario that could play out much differently than What a perfect offseason could look like for the St. Louis Blues anyone expected a few months ago.

But in order for the Blues to bring Hoffman back, they’d have to offer a multi-year deal with an AAV of $5-plus million. And if they’re going to By Jeremy Rutherford make that type of commitment to the pending UFA, they’d have to give Jun 16, 2021 him more five-on-five more minutes in a more prominent role. You can pay a guy $4 million, like the Blues did last season, and play him on the power play and give him 13 minutes per game on the third line. But you can’t do that if you pay him what it’s probably going to cost to keep him. There’s a difference between “perfect” and “fantasy land.” Would the Blues be comfortable with that idea? It doesn’t mean Hoffman Yes, Blues general manager Doug Armstrong could pull a rabbit out of is guaranteed to get top-six minutes regardless of his effort. But these his hat and make the Buffalo Sabres’ Jack Eichel a star with the St. Louis negotiations shouldn’t even be happening if the sides aren’t on the same Blues, but in looking at the offseason ahead and how it might play out, page. we’re going to focus on developments that are a little more realistic. 4. A big defenseman who can skate is added It could be a contract extension, a free-agent signing, an injured player returning to health. It could be anything, but if these 10 things happen, When I wrote about the Blues’ 10 offseason priorities in May, I brought Armstrong and the Blues would be in the best shape possible when the up the idea of having more size on defense. Some readers said I was 2021-22 season begins. suggesting they get bigger and slower, so I’m glad to have this chance to further explain. 1. Jaden Schwartz re-signs at a reasonable cap hit If Colorado’s Cale Makar is available, grab him, but I don’t think the Jaden Schwartz may never top the career-high 28 goals he scored in Norris Trophy finalist will be. I’m being facetious, but the point is if you 2014-15 — heck, he may never score 25 goals again. But he can still can find a puck-moving skater who can control the game, yes, by all contribute offensively, he’s extremely responsible defensively, and let’s means, get him. But where is that type of player available around the not forget that the Blues are light on established left wingers. league? And unless that player is a healthy Colton Parayko, the Blues So while Schwartz, 29, may not be a $6 million-a-year player, keeping don’t have one on their roster. You can say prospect Scott Perunovich, him could be worthwhile if the Blues can re-sign him at a reasonable but he’s still unproven and coming off shoulder surgery. price. But what’s worthwhile? So what happens when the Blues can’t get the puck out of the zone is He’s coming off a five-year, $26.8 million deal, which had a $5.35 million they get hemmed in by opponents, who have forwards willing to go to the annual average value (AAV). That AAV ranked No. 32 in the NHL among front of the net. And what the Blues don’t have are defensemen who can left wingers last season, and while his offense was down, his 21 points take up space and protect that area. still ranked 23rd out of those 32, and let’s not forget he missed 16 games Dallas’ Jamie Oleksiak, a pending UFA, fits that description at 6-foot-7, with an oblique injury. 255 pounds, and what separates Oleksiak from the prototypical big man There are currently 25 left wingers scheduled to make $5.35 million-plus is that he can skate. He’s played the past 1 1/2 seasons with Miro next season, although that number will increase when free agency Heiskanen, and last season the left-shot defenseman had six goals and opens. So if the Blues can get Schwartz somewhere in the neighborhood 14 points. He had a $2.1 million cap hit in the final year of his deal with of his expiring AAV, or even slightly less if they give him a lengthier term, the Stars, and they want him back, but perhaps the Blues can pry him it could make sense. away.

2. Another left winger is added in a signing or trade 5. Colton Parayko and Oscar Sundqvist get healthy

Not only did Schwartz fail to produce last season, but as mentioned, There’s definitely a segment of Blues fans who have bid Alex Pietrangelo there is not much behind him on the Blues’ depth chart at left wing. good riddance regardless of how good he looks in the playoffs for Vegas. Schwartz scored six five-on-five goals last season, and the trio of Sammy But for those still frustrated he got away, you probably need to give Blais (eight), Zach Sanford (six) and unrestricted free agent Mike Parayko a chance to get healthy. Hoffman (five) combined for another 19, with some of those scored Parayko may never be Pietrangelo, but after playing in just 32 games playing other positions. because of a significant back injury last season, he deserves a chance to So ideally, the Blues would re-sign Schwartz and bring in another free develop into that role. The good news is the Blues were hopeful that agent, such as Colorado’s Brandon Saad (coming off a contract with a $6 offseason surgery wasn’t needed, so following a summer of rest and million AAV), Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins ($6 million AAV) or the rehab, we should find out next season if Parayko is capable. New York Islanders’ Kyle Palmieri ($4.65 million AAV). Meanwhile, the Blues also need center Oskar Sundqvist back in their But what if Schwartz decides to hit the free-agent market? Could the lineup. He missed the second half of last season with a torn ACL, and Blues go after one of the top free-agent wingers, such as Boston’s Taylor because he was going to be out anyway with the knee injury, it’s believed Hall ($8 million AAV) or Colorado’s Gabriel Landeskog ($5.6 million), who that he also had hip surgery for an injury that occurred in 2019-20. could command $8 million? There’s no guarantee either would sign in St. On Monday, Sundqvist told me that he’s feeling great post-surgery and Louis, and even if they would, Armstrong would have to decide whether getting himself back in shape, “so that I can be ready hopefully when the the Blues are benefited more from high-profile help or from adding depth season starts. We don’t know that yet, but I won’t miss a lot of games.” at the position. 6. David Perron signs an extension The Blues could go the trade route, but that would be expensive, too. Boston’s Jake DeBrusk could be available, but he’s due $3.675 million David Perron has one year left on his four-year, $16 million contract, so and had just five goals and 14 points in 41 games last season. Then you he’ll be eligible for an extension this offseason. Getting that done this have Calgary’s Matthew Tkachuk, the St. Louisan who everyone here summer won’t do anything to help the Blues in 2021-22, but at least wants to come home. But he would cost a lot of assets, not to mention they’ll have him locked up. he’ll make $7 million in the final year of his deal and then require a raise. How important would that be? Well, Perron had 19 goals and 58 points in 3. Mike Hoffman re-signs at a good price and with a defined role 56 games this season, which translates to 28 goals and 85 points in an 82-game season. That would match his career-high in goals, which was I’m not going to take a definitive side and say the Blues should re-sign set eight years ago, and would be a career high in points by 19. Hoffman. He wasn’t seen as a great fit last season, so what’s changed? The Blues have holes that need to be filled, no doubt, but hanging onto Well, what changed was that the Blues finally put Hoffman on the No. 1 one of their best players should be a priority. Plus, with Perron’s affinity power play down the stretch, and he was incredible, perhaps saving their for St. Louis and his success in the city, they should be able to re-sign season. What’s also changed is that Hoffman, who was a healthy scratch him at a favorable price, and having his contract wrapped up sooner than team’s first-round pick, like he did to acquire Schenn, O’Reilly, etc. He’s later will allow them to know what else they can afford moving forward. also used first-round picks on players such as Tage Thompson (2016) and Dominik Bokk (2018) and included them in trades for O’Reilly and In an interview with The Athletic earlier this month, Perron seemed to hint Faulk, respectively. that an extension could be in the works. He said that he respected Armstrong for keeping things private, so he didn’t want to say too much, If Armstrong keeps the pick, it will mark the highest the Blues have “but it’s something that would be great, and would make sense. That’s all selected since 2010, when they took Schwartz (No. 14 overall) and I’ll say.” Tarasenko (No. 16 overall). On Tuesday, The Athletic’s Corey Pronman published his 2021 NHL Draft prospect rankings, and the No. 16 player 7. A roster spot is left open for Klim Kostin on his board is KHL defenseman Kirill Kirsanov (6-1, 198).

If the Blues don’t give Klim Kostin a chance to make the roster in training Pronman describes Kirsanov as “an interesting player because he’s a camp next season, they’re never going to give him a chance. His stock well-rounded but boring player.” has never been higher after winning a in the KHL, and during his time in the organization, the need has never been greater. Well, at least the Blues’ offseason doesn’t project to be boring.

After Kostin came over from Russia and played in the Blues’ final two regular-season games this season, it was disappointing for many fans that he didn’t get a chance to suit up in the playoffs. Some feared that The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 Kostin wouldn’t respond too well to that, and perhaps he didn’t, but sources say he’s aware of the opportunity that lies ahead in 2021-22.

But there’s a difference between saying in May that a player will have an opportunity to make the team next season and then sticking to it in September. The Blues should be applauded for going into last year’s training camp with the intent of giving Jordan Kyrou a chance in the top nine and sticking with it. That paid off, with Kyrou netting 14 goals and 35 points in 55 games.

That faith doesn’t always pay off, but with as much as the Blues have invested in Kostin, their 2017 first-round pick, it’s time to see what he can do, and creating that mindset begins now.

8. The Kraken pick an expendable player

In my latest Blues’ mock protected list for the Seattle expansion draft (July 21), I protected forwards Sundqvist, Perron, Kyrou, Ryan O’Reilly, , Vladimir Tarasenko and Robert Thomas, defensemen Parayko, Justin Faulk and Torey Krug, and goalie Jordan Binnington.

If that’s the list the Blues go with, the players who would then be eligible for selection (in the order of the most likely to be taken) are Vince Dunn, Ivan Barbashev, Niko Mikkola, Blais and Sanford.

The Blues are likely to lose a good player, but with Kyrou emerging and Kostin ready, it appears they could more easily overcome a loss in the forward group. If Seattle takes Dunn, for example, it could be a problem for a team that is still figuring out what it has in Mikkola and has yet to see Perunovich play.

This will probably prevent any trades that are unrelated to the expansion draft prior to July 21. For example, what if the Blues were to deal Dunn for a high draft pick and then the Kraken took Mikkola? They’d be down two defensemen and only have a pick to show for it.

9. RFAs sign reasonable contracts — then outplay them

The Blues have six restricted free agents in Sanford, Barbashev, Kyrou, Dunn, Thomas and Dakota Joshua. Of those six, only Kyrou has a case for a raise, and he doesn’t have arbitration rights this summer.

That’s good news for Blues assistant general manager Ryan Miller, who specializes in dealing with the cap, because he should be able to fit everyone in. However, the club doesn’t want the trend of players not earning raises to continue because it needs them to produce.

At the top of that list is Thomas, the No. 20 pick in 2017, who recently wrapped up the final year of his entry-level deal. He has had a cap hit of about $900,000 and has been a decent contributor with 22 goals and 87 points in 169 regular-season games.

The Blues should be able to re-sign Thomas, who had just three goals and 12 points in 33 games during an injury-riddled season, fairly cheap this summer. But in order for that to play out well for the Blues, they’re going to need the center to be healthy and produce beyond his salary in 2021-22.

10. The No. 16 pick becomes a trade chip or good player

Thanks to the Montreal Canadiens, the Blues have climbed up the NHL Draft order a bit. By virtue of the Habs’ two series wins, the Blues will now select No. 16 overall at the draft on July 23 and 24.

If Armstrong makes a trade this offseason to keep the championship window open, his history has shown that he’s willing to package the 1189738 Tampa Bay Lightning

Mikhail Sergachev gives Lightning fan ‘coolest moment of my life’

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA — Eric Shear was already having an unforgettable day. The 19- year-old fan from Fulton, N.Y., on Sunday got to watch his favorite hockey team play in its home arena for the first time.

He was so happy when Thunder Alley came into view he teared up. The fact the game happened to be part of the Stanley Cup semifinals was a bonus.

“I can’t even describe how much that meant to me,” Shear said.

Sure, he was disappointed the Lightning dropped the series-opener against the Islanders, but that didn’t stop him from enjoying the experience. Shear, his father, Todd, 52, and cousin Dominique Canale, 28, stopped for photos in front of Amalie Arena after the game. The team store was too crowded to wait in line for additional souvenirs, so they headed toward the players’ parking lot hoping someone might stop by.

Along the way, Shear saw his favorite player, Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, ride by in a “bolt blue” car. Shear held up his No. 98 jersey with Sergachev’s name on the back, just hoping for a wave. But he got much more.

The car pulled over, and Sergachev got out of the passenger seat. He signed Shear’s jersey, using his own marker since Shear didn’t have one on hand. Afterward, he posed for a photo with Shear and Canale.

“That’s more than hockey,” Shear said. “For him to have just lost a game that big in a series that important and still be able to be there for his fans, that’s incredible.”

Shear’s father posted video of the interaction on TikTok. As of noon Wednesday, the video had more than 2.4 million views.

The whole trip started on a whim. Shear bought a round-trip flight and tickets in the last row of the 300 level to see the game with his cousin and father, who accepted under the guise of an early Father’s Day gift and the fact it would be his first NHL game.

Sunday wasn’t the first time Shear got to see Sergachev in person.

Last season, he and Canale flew to Ottawa to watch the Lightning play the Senators just a couple of months before the NHL paused its season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even then, Shear didn’t leave empty- handed.

He took a handmade sign to the game, hoping to get Sergachev’s attention: “Sergachev, came to another country to see you. Stick?”

Sergachev saw the sign and teased Shear, throwing some pucks over the glass knowing he was looking for something else. After warmups, Sergachev enlisted one of the Lightning’s athletic trainers to grab a stick for Shear.

“My cousin and I just looked at each other, like, is this actually happening?”

Shear said the stick experience pales in comparison to his most recent interaction with Sergachev.

“That was the coolest moment of my life,” he said.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189739 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning defensemen net first goals this postseason

By Mari Faiello

Published Yesterday

Updated Yesterday

TAMPA — Lightning defensemen took it to heart when asked about the group’s absence from the scoring sheet this postseason. Tuesday night, they did something about it.

Jan Rutta and Victor Hedman scored the first goals by Tampa Bay defensemen this postseason in the Lightning’s 4-2 win over the Islanders in Game 2 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series.

And the timing couldn’t have been better.

Rutta’s goal — a slapshot from the blue line early in the second period — extended the Lightning lead to 3-1 and became the eventual game- winner. It was Rutta’s first goal of the season and first-ever playoff goal.

Hedman added an insurance goal on the power play later in the period, making the score 4-1. Nikita Kucherov threaded a cross-ice pass through traffic to Hedman, who scored from the left circle.

“It was huge (to get involved in the offense),” Hedman said. “Like I said before, the first game, no one mentioned that the defense hadn’t scored any goals. ... All of a sudden it gets mentioned, so we wanted to put an end to that (Tuesday).”

Combined, Lightning defensemen have 27 points this postseason. Hedman, a five-time Norris Trophy finalist, leads NHL defensemen in points this postseason with 13, including 12 assists.

Through 12 games last postseason, defensemen had accounted for six of the Lightning’s 36 goals, four by Hedman, the eventual Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said he wasn’t worried about the lack of scoring from his blue line to this point in the postseason.

“I think it’s a rarity that our D hadn’t scored, to be honest, in this, and part of it, too, is the teams you play,” he said. “We knew that against Carolina we probably weren’t going to get a ton of defensive scoring just because of the way we had schemed how we were going to play offense.

“But I think it was just a matter of time with some of the weapons we have back there.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189740 Tampa Bay Lightning The indoor lacrosse game that Cooper played growing up was very much like hockey. It’s 5-on-5. You check with your sticks, hit opponents into the boards and battle for the ball in the corners.

Lightning’s Jon Cooper has ‘deep-rooted’ memories of Long Island “All those things that you get in hockey, you get in lacrosse, you’re just doing it on your feet,” Cooper said. “There’s movement, there’s screens, there’s give-and-gos. And there’s a mentality that if you’re going to score in lacrosse, you have to play in the trenches and it’s very much like By Eduardo A. Encina hockey, so I was trained mentally that way from playing both sports.” Published Yesterday One of Cooper’s old Notre Dame classmates, Brad Lauer, joined the Updated Yesterday Islanders during Cooper’s sophomore year at Hofstra, and Lauer regularly left tickets for Cooper. Through Lauer, Cooper formed friendships with other Islanders such as Derek King, Mick Vukota and Jeff Finley. Cooper would pick their brains about the ins and outs of NHL UNIONDALE, N.Y. — Well before he coached the Lightning to the hockey. Stanley Cup, Jon Cooper spent some of his formative years on Long Island. “I got to know a ton of guys,” Cooper said. “It was just a great group of guys.” It’s been more than three decades since Cooper attended college at Hofstra, just a 10-minute walk to Nassau Coliseum. But he still “I would see (Cooper) the next day at practice and ask him, ‘What did remembers attending WrestleMania II there, seeing Frank Sinatra you do last night?’” Danowski said. “He’d say, ‘Oh, you know, I went to perform and watching Islanders games when they were just removed see the Kings and the Islanders. I was very jealous, because I couldn’t from their glory days of four straight Stanley Cups (1980-83) and the afford tickets at that time.” arena was referred to as Fort Neverlose. Lauer would later become an assistant coach under Cooper with the “Because it was so close, we would hop the fence and we were there,” Lightning. Tampa Bay just drafted Finley’s son, Jack, with their top pick Cooper said. “We used to go to games all the time and have a blast in last year. the Coliseum. So I have deep-rooted memories of that place from the mid- to late-80s until now. So it’s funny how it’s kind of come full circle.” “He was a good lacrosse player,” said Lauer, who attended Cooper’s games. “I don’t think he was a very good hockey player, but I think he Now, Cooper’s Lightning will be trying to shut the Coliseum down. really enjoyed the hockey part of the game. I think if you ask him, he’d probably wish he got to play at a higher level. The Islanders, who will move into a new arena at Belmont Park next season, stand in the way of Tampa Bay’s goal of winning back-to-back “But he was able to make connections in the hockey world and that got Stanley Cups. The semifinal series is tied at one game apiece entering his foot in the door. Whether it was just coming to the rink and watching Game 3 Thursday at Nassau Coliseum.. our practices in Long Island, he was always one of those guys who wanted to enjoy the game for what it was.” The 49-year-old building is the last of the old hockey barns of yesteryear. Despite a recent renovation, it’s still intimate — its 13,900-seat capacity Meanwhile, Cooper’s continued to grow as a lacrosse player. He is the NHL’s smallest — and loud, a far cry from from today’s cavernous transitioned from attack to midfield and had a six-goal game against arenas built on club suites, sound systems and sensory overload. UMBC his senior season that remains vivid in his mind because it occurred during one of his parents’ annual 3,000-mile trips to see him “I used to sit up there in the upper deck and cheer for (the Islanders), and play. it was just a great atmosphere,” Cooper said. “That little time that they moved from Nassau (to Barclays Center in Brooklyn from 2015-20), it “Players say they’re in the zone, but until you’re in it, it’s hard to explain,” was kind of a sad time because we liked going back there. They’re Cooper said. “But everything I was touching was going in.” passionate fans, and you have to love that. It’s a cool environment to be in. I’m looking forward to it.” Cooper asked Danowski if he could play club hockey during his senior season. Knowing how much the sport meant to him, the coach gave his Cooper arrived at Hofstra as a wide-eyed teenager, far from his home in blessing. British Columbia. He had left a prep school in Saskatchewan well-known for its hockey pedigree. In fact, current Islanders coach Barry Trotz “It was awesome,” said Cooper, who missed playing club hockey games played for the Notre Dame Hounds a few years before Cooper’s time at the Coliseum by a year. “I loved it.” there. By the end of his college lacrosse career, Cooper ranked fifth in program But Cooper went to Hofstra to play lacrosse, not hockey. And the stars history in goals (74) and ninth in points (99). aligned for him quickly. A coaching change led to a number of transfers, He earned a degree in business administration in 1989 and went to work so Cooper played a lot as a freshman, even though his experience was on Wall Street after graduation. He then went to law school before entirely with the indoor game — box lacrosse, as it’s called in Canada — discovering a love of coaching and working his way up from high school so he had to learn the outdoor field game on the fly. through juniors and the minors to the NHL. “Things kind of worked out for me a bit,” Cooper said. “It was good, Even after all these years, Cooper said the Coliseum still holds a special because I got to play as a freshman. I think that would have been place for him. tougher on me if I couldn’t. So that gave me confidence — confidence in school, confidence in lacrosse, confidence in social settings, confidence “It’s surreal,” he said. “You go from watching your buddies play to end up living on my own — that I was able to come in as a freshman and be able being the opposing coach there.” to have some success.”

Lightning coach Jon Cooper played four years of lacrosse at Hofstra. He said getting to play as a freshman and seeing success early built his Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.17.2021 confidence in many aspects of life.

Lightning coach Jon Cooper played four years of lacrosse at Hofstra. He said getting to play as a freshman and seeing success early built his confidence in many aspects of life. [ Hofstra Athletic Department ]

Cooper’s coach, John Danowski, said Cooper adapted quickly.

“When he came to Hofstra, he came 3,000 miles to go to school on a chance,” Danowski said. “I mean there was no guarantee. The coach that recruited him left, and now there’s a new coach. But from day one, and I mean this, from day one with his class he just fit right in. But he was always his own person.” 1189741 Tampa Bay Lightning No pushovers The Lightning showed from the start they weren’t going to allow the

Islanders to push them around. Lightning-Islanders Game 2 report card: A show of resilience Just over three minutes into the game, Scott Mayfield repeatedly bumped Pat Maroon as he made his way down the ice, then rode him hard into the boards. Maroon took Mayfield down to the ice, and the two received By Frank Pastor offsetting penalties. Later in the period, Maroon dropped his gloves to fight Matt Martin. Published Yesterday Yanni Gourde, Ross Colton, Erik Cernak, Tyler Johnson and Anthony Updated Yesterday Cirelli were among the many other Tampa Bay players who showed they weren’t afraid to get physical during (or after) the game.

Brayden Point’s speed can be a difference-maker for the Lightning in The Lightning seemed to lack intensity in their Game 1 loss but showed myriad ways. It puts defensemen on their heels, creates scoring plenty of energy at the start of Game 2, getting into the Islanders’ faces, opportunities seemingly out of nowhere and changes momentum. meeting every challenge and presenting a number of their own.

In games and, sometimes, series. Grade: A

But never has it had the kind of impact it did Tuesday night. Good as Gourde

Cross-checked from behind by Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech Yanni Gourde was back to his pesky self, flying around the ice, creating during a first-period rush up ice, Point crashed face-first into the mask of turnovers and using his speed to win puck battles, get to open ice and New York goaltender Semyon Varlamov, knocking the net off its generate scoring chances. moorings. He was at his best during a second-period penalty kill. Gourde got loose The collision had two direct consequences: Point — inexplicably — was for a shorthanded breakaway after a Noah Dobson turnover just inside called for goaltender interference, and Varlamov left the ice for the Tampa Bay blue line. Gourde was stopped by Varlamov but took observation. precious time off the clock. He twice cleared the puck out of the Lightning zone later on the kill. And one indirect one: Brock Nelson scored on the power play 20 seconds later to tie the score at 1. In the third, Gourde took down Leo Komarov along the boards after Komarov went after Hedman. As Komarov left for the locker room after The play could have altered the outcome of the game and, potentially, receiving a game misconduct, Gourde triumphantly skated to the penalty the series. For either team. box to serve his roughing minor, to the delight of the nearly 15,000 fans at Amalie Arena. But Varlamov returned in the second period, and the Lightning, who scored the next three goals, bounced back in a 4-2 win they had to have. Grade: A

Entering the game trailing in a series for the first time this postseason, Back on track the Lightning improved to 11-0 over the past two years (4-0 this season) in playoff games following a loss. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy put an uneven Game 1 behind him with another great postseason performance, stopping 24 of 26 shots. They played with more intensity than in Game 1, managed the puck more effectively and got standout performances from their stars to tie the Early in the game, he stopped a Travis Zajac chance from in front of the Stanley Cup semifinal series at one game apiece. net after a shot-pass from Josh Bailey, then stretched to his left to glove Kyle Palmieri’s rebound attempt for what might have been the save of the The bad call could have sent Tampa Bay reeling. Instead, it showed its game. resilience. Vasilevskiy’s timeliest save might have been his left pad stop on Anthony Grade: F for the call, A for the Lightning’s response Beauvillier from low in the slot in the closing seconds of the second period after a sneaky pass from Bailey to preserve the Lightning’s one- Here’s how we graded the rest of Tampa Bay’s performance in Game 2: goal lead. Helping hand Grade: A-plus Right wing Nikita Kucherov didn’t score, but he might have been the most First time for everything impactful player on the ice, setting up three of the Lightning’s four goals. There was a lot of chatter before the game about the fact the Lightning He had the primary assist on Point’s opening goal with a no-look pass hadn’t gotten a goal from a defenseman this postseason. from below the goal line. Kucherov made the play possible by first pressuring Pelech, who had the puck behind the net. Pelech tried to rim Jan Rutta put an end to the talk by scoring through traffic from the right the puck around the boards, but it was corralled by Lightning point early in the third period. The goal was Rutta’s first-ever postseason defenseman David Savard above the right circle. goal and first goal of any kind since Dec. 14, 2019.

Savard shot the puck back around the boards to Kucherov, who passed Hedman added to the defense’s goal total later in the period, scoring to Point at the edge of the crease. Point’s one-timer beat Varlamov under through Varlamov’s legs from the left circle on the power play to give the left arm to open the scoring just under nine minutes into the game. Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead.

Kucherov set up Ondrej Palat’s go-ahead goal in the second period after Grade: Double-A, for the D being sprung by a long stretch pass from Victor Hedman. Kucherov skated to the left circle, circled back, reversed direction to buy time, drawing two defenders to him, then passed to a wide-open Palat in the Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.17.2021 low slot.

Kucherov later set up Hedman’s third-period power-play goal with a cross-seam pass. The least stylistic of Kucherov’s passes might have been the most damaging, giving Tampa Bay an insurmountable three- goal lead.

All told, the top line of Palat (goal, five shots), Point (goal, two shots) and Kucherov (three assists, two shots) combined for two goals, five points and nine shots on goal.

Grade: A-plus 1189742 Tampa Bay Lightning games, which is seven more than anyone else. It’s also one of the reasons Point now leads the league with 10 goals in the playoffs.

The numbers are impressive and, years from now, they might even play Give him a puck and a stick, and Nikita Kucherov is an artiste in motion a role in his possible Hall of Fame candidacy. But Lightning fans won’t be talking about his total assists or his points-per-game. When Kucherov’s name is mentioned, they will talk about the grace, the wizardry, the absolute beauty of his game when he was in his prime. By John Romano “He’s an elite, elite player, one of the best in the league,” Hedman said. Published Yesterday “He’s so good at finding open ice and so calm with the puck making Updated Yesterday plays. When Pally scored, that was a good example. There are not a whole lot of players who can turn up, turn back down and then thread the needle and give Pally almost a breakaway from the hash marks. Kuch has elite skill and he works on it every day so it’s not coincidence.” Years from now, the record books and stat sheets will undoubtedly confirm Nikita Kucherov’s status as an elite player.

Still a day shy of his 28th birthday, the Lightning forward already has a Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.17.2021 handful of All-Star appearances, a Hart Trophy, a Ross Trophy and his name forever inscribed on Lord Stanley’s Cup.

But the best legacies are borne of memories and not just numbers, and Kucherov had a game Tuesday night that deserves to be talked about for as long as there are barstools and beer in Tampa Bay.

Kucherov didn’t score a goal, didn’t throw a meaningful punch, didn’t block a shot in the Lightning’s 4-2 victory over the Islanders in Game 2. All he did was rescue Tampa Bay on a night when the season briefly felt as if it might have been in peril.

It was Kucherov who set up the Lightning’s first goal of the night with a no-look, back-handed pass to Brayden Point in the first period, then set up the go-ahead goal in the second period with a remarkable pass to a streaking Ondrej Palat while being double-teamed.

“Some unreal plays by No. 86,” said Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman.

These are not set plays. They are not anything that can be taught. They are the work of an artisan with few peers.

These are the kind of plays that will one day define the type of player Kucherov has been. He’s a goal scorer, of course. He averaged 35 goals a season from 2014 to 2020 before missing this past regular season after hip surgery.

But more than that, Kucherov is a playmaker. He makes everyone around him look better. He’s had assists on 20 of Point’s 32 career playoff goals, which is the second-highest percentage in league history, according to the NHL public relations office.

It’s creativity and instinct, but it’s also dedication and acumen.

“He’s remarkably gifted,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “How do I describe it? He does everything with grace. He’s just so smooth in the plays he makes and what his vision is.

“It just looks effortless. I know it’s not. He works at this, he works at doing what he does extremely well. But he sure can make plays out of what looks like nothing. It’s fun to watch.”

The first assist came from behind the net when David Savard sent a pass to Kucherov and — while he was facing the fans in the first row — Kucherov immediately backhanded the puck to Point, who was standing just to the left of the goaltender.

“It’s just having a feel for each other. Reading each other before the puck gets behind the net,” Kucherov said. “Everybody is trying to get open and I’m thinking what (Point) is trying to think.”

The second assist was even more impressive because of the thought that went into it. Kucherov got a pass from Hedman and was racing up the left side of the ice with a half-step on defenseman Nick Leddy when he decided not to take a low percentage shot. Instead, Kucherov spun and retreated a few steps to draw the attention of Mathew Barzal before reversing course again, and hitting Palat in stride in the center of the ice.

“There was no room for a breakaway there so I tried to pull up, find a second wave,” Kucherov explained. “(Point) did a good job of driving and taking the second D down, and (Palat) got open and I tried to find him. He did a hell of a job shooting that.”

As if confirmation is needed, Kucherov is now leading the NHL in points in the postseason. And it’s not really close. He’s got 22 points in 13 1189743 Tampa Bay Lightning Point gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead 8:58 into the first period with his league-best 10th goal of the postseason.

Shortly after Point’s goal, Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy Lightning remain perfect after a loss, pull even with Islanders made a pair of impressive saves to protect the lead, turning away forward Travis Zajac’s shot with a well-timed kick save and then stopping forward Kyle Palmieri’s rebound with a sweeping glove save that closed off the far post. By Eduardo A. Encina Vasilevskiy, who had 24 saves, made another lead-saving kick save on Published Yesterday forward Anthony Beauvillier with seven seconds left in the second. Updated Yesterday “He’s supercompetitive, and he doesn’t like to lose,” Kucherov said of Vasilevskiy. “He made some huge saves for us, and I think he kept us in the game in the first period on that first power play with the save on TAMPA — After dropping their league semifinal opener to the Islanders, Palmieri. He’s been unreal.” the Lightning realized the uphill climb falling into a 2-0 hole in the series would create. Lightning 1-1-2—4

But they know how to rebound from a loss in the postseason. After Islanders 1-0-1—2 spending the day between games immersed in film study, they were a First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Point 10 (Savard, Kucherov), 8:58. 2, N.Y. much hungrier team in Game 2 on Tuesday night. Islanders, Nelson 7, 13:30 (pp). Penalties—Maroon, TB (Holding), 3:15; They skated faster, won puck battles and were quicker to loose pucks, Mayfield, NYI (Roughing), 3:15; Pulock, NYI (High Sticking), 4:16; allowing them to own the possession game. And throughout a physical Stamkos, TB (Slashing), 9:23; Point, TB (Interference), 13:10; Maroon, game that included its share of post-whistle fisticuffs, the Lightning kept TB (Fighting), 13:45; Martin, NYI (Fighting), 13:45; Komarov, NYI their cool and buried their scoring opportunities (Interference), 16:28.

They evened the series with a 4-2 win over the Islanders at Amalie Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Palat 3 (Hedman, Kucherov), 13:15. Arena, improving their record to 11-0 coming off a loss over the past two Penalties—Coleman, TB (Slashing), 3:29. playoffs. Third Period—4, Tampa Bay, Rutta 1 (Goodrow, Coleman), 2:16. 5, “That’s what we pride ourselves in,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “In Tampa Bay, Hedman 1 (Stamkos, Kucherov), 9:17 (pp). 6, N.Y. the playoffs, it’s tough to lose two in a row, so when you lose one game, Islanders, Barzal 5 (Eberle, Leddy), 16:44. Penalties—Zajac, NYI you want to get back at it, and (Tuesday) was a good example of a (Interference), 4:41; Zajac, NYI (Slashing), 8:09; Gourde, TB (Roughing), hungry team and getting ready to come out there to battle and play the 10:55; N.Y. Islanders bench, served by Martin (Unsportsmanlike way we wanted to play.” Conduct), 10:55; Komarov, NYI (Misconduct), 10:55; Cernak, TB (Slashing), 11:09; Beauvillier, NYI (Roughing), 13:50; Zajac, NYI Wing Ondrej Palat’s goal with 6:45 remaining in the second period broke (Roughing), 20:00; Cirelli, TB (Roughing), 20:00; Goodrow, TB a nine-game goalless streak and gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead they (Roughing), 20:00; Zajac, NYI (Roughing), 20:00. wouldn’t relinquish. Shots on Goal—N.Y. Islanders 10-7-9_26. Tampa Bay 17-8-8_33. Wing Nikita Kucherov — whose three assists gave him a league-leading Power-play opportunities—N.Y. Islanders 1 of 4; Tampa Bay 1 of 5. 22 postseason points — received a stretch pass from Hedman through Goalies—N.Y. Islanders, Varlamov 5-3-0 (27 shots-23 saves), N.Y. two Islanders players. But instead of taking the puck to the net, he circled Islanders, Sorokin 4-1-0 (6-6). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy 8-4-0 (26-24). T— back to the top of the left circle, cut back toward the dot and pinpointed a 2:45. Referees—Dan O’Rourke, Francois St. Laurent. Linesmen—Michel pass between two Islanders sticks to the trailing Palat, who beat goalie Cormier, Ryan Gibbons. Semyon Varlamov stick side.

Replays showed that the Lightning had too many men on the ice, but it went uncalled. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 06.17.2021

That wasn’t the only miscall of the game.

In the first period, Lightning center Brayden Point got behind the Islanders’ defense with the puck but was pushed from behind by Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech, sending Point into a collision with Varlamov in the net.

When the dust cleared, Varlamov had to leave the game and Point was assessed a goalie interference penalty, much to the chagrin of the announced 14,771 fans.

Just 20 seconds later, Islanders forward Brock Nelson scored on the power play to tie the score at 1, and the boos from the home crowd grew louder.

“We all saw a call,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of the penalty. “It was a tough one, a tough decision for the refs to make. You have to manage your emotions in those situations. I thought the guys did a great job just staying in the fight because calls aren’t going to go your way. But you have to stay the course.”

Palat’s go-ahead goal was equally bothersome for Islanders coach Barry Trotz.

“That one hurt quite a bit, because if they get the third one, there’s a little bit more separation,” he said. “And obviously as you guys know, there were too many men on the ice. They had seven guys, so disappointed at that. But we tried to battle through that. We can be a lot better, and we will be. We knew we would have their A game.”

The Lightning distanced themselves on third-period goals from Jan Rutta and Hedman, the first scores from defensemen this postseason. 1189744 Toronto Maple Leafs

Jason Spezza signs with Maple Leafs at league minimum for third straight season

Staff Report

By The Canadian Press

Wed., June 16, 2021

TORONTO - Jason Spezza will once again be sporting blue and white next season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Wednesday the 38-year-old forward has re-signed with his hometown team at the league minimum US$750,000 for the 2021-22 campaign.

Spezza registered 10 goals and 20 assists in 54 contests for Toronto during the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 season before adding five points in the Leafs’ stunning first-round playoff loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

Selected second overall by the Ottawa Senators at the 2001 NHL draft, Spezza has put up 970 points (351 goals, 619 assists) in 1,177 regular- season games to go along with 75 points (28 goals, 47 assists) in 92 playoff outings.

The two-time all-star will be suiting up for the Leafs at the league minimum for a third straight season. According to the website capfriendly.com, Spezza has earned more than $89 million in his career.

The Leafs need bargain contracts in their bottom-6 forward group with nearly half the team’s wage bill — the NHL salary cap will sit at $81.5 million for the foreseeable future because of the COVID-19 pandemic — earmarked for Auston Matthews, , Mitch Marner and William Nylander.

Toronto, which has not won a playoff series since 2004 and the Stanley Cup since 1967, led Montreal 3-1 in the first round of this year’s post- season before the underdog Canadiens won three straight to advance in the North Division.

Toronto Star LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189745 Toronto Maple Leafs their friends for that long ... it was a collective credit to my wife, my kids, the teachers, just the stuff they did to keep these kids engaged and happy.

‘If I could take less, I would.’ Jason Spezza takes one for the team in “I’m really thankful they’re allowing me to play again, and really thankful return to Leafs my kids got through this year, and that we were able to have perspective. It’s a family decision at this point ... it’s not just about me.”

By Mark Zwolinski Sports Reporter Toronto Star LOADED: 06.17.2021 Wed., June 16, 2021

It may not have seemed like it on paper, but the Maple Leafs took care of one of their more important off-season details when they re-signed forward Jason Spezza on Wednesday.

Spezza, who turned 38 on Sunday, agreed to a one-year, $750,000 (U.S) contract, his third straight deal at the league minimum in Toronto. The Leafs didn’t hesitate to bring back a player teammates refer to as “Vintage.”

“We talked at the end of the season,” Spezza said. “I talked with (GM) Kyle (Dubas) and (head coach) Sheldon (Keefe) and they expressed they wanted me back.

“I needed to talk to my family to make sure my girls are on board, and my wife. It’s been a difficult year for them ... but they were all on board and, once they were, I knew I wanted to be back. It’s a great opportunity to play, and play on a great team.”

The Leafs appear to be committed to the organization’s blueprint, with a focus on puck possession, despite fans’ largely negative impression after another disappointing early exit from the playoffs. Toronto finished first in the North Division during the regular season, led the league in puck possession and numerous offensive zone metrics, and showed a marked improvement defensively.

Spezza contributed to those results despite averaging just 11:09 of ice time per game, the lowest among regularly used Leafs forwards. He was sixth on the team with 10 goals, seventh with 30 points, and he led Leafs centres with a 56.9 faceoff percentage.

He played both centre and wing, played up and down the lineup, and went on waivers earlier in the season to help the team navigate the salary cap.

Spezza spoke Wednesday more of wanting to win than of looking for a bigger pay day.

“I know where (the Leafs) are at with the cap and everything but, to be honest, all I care about is playing on a good team and trying to win … If I could take less, I would,” he said. “I love playing the game, I love competing. The chase of a Cup is at the forefront of my mind daily, and anything I can do to try and help the team acquire better players, that’s kind of why I take the minimum and move forward.”

While he is 30 points shy of 1,000 of his career, Spezza said the milestone is “not that big a carrot.”

Leafs centre Jason Spezza recorded 10 goals and 20 assists in 54 regular season games last season.

“I’m not really too worried about the points,” he said. “I’d love a nice run and play into the summer and be part of a successful team. The feeling you have as a player when you’re winning games is unmatched. The joy of coming to the rink, it’s a fun atmosphere to be around ... I find I’m a better version of myself when we’re winning games.”

And he’s a better version because of his wife and four daughters, aged 11, nine, seven and five. He called himself “lucky” to have their support.

“The discipline they showed this year, not complaining, being in and out of school, being online ... Their friends were able to have play dates but, because of the protocols we had this year, my kids saw nobody all year,” Spezza said. “They really had to stay together — just the four of them — that’s a huge sacrifice.

“And my wife, she’s a lot of times a single mom at home while we’re on the road. That’s difficult to deal with, the emotions, and we had a lot of frank conversations about how we’re going to help the kids reconnect with people here, now that things are lifting, really try and help the kids out, get back to normalcy. That was a concern for them, to be away from 1189746 Toronto Maple Leafs “In terms of my summer training plan, maybe I’m delusional, but I think I can get better,” he laughed. “I’m in the gym every day with our prospects and I’ll be on the ice soon.

Maple Leafs begin 2021-22 prep work by re-signing Spezza “I felt comfortable in my role this year. I was able to help the team win that (line and 1-on-1) match-up nightly and that was important for me. And the comfort level of playing wing (as well as centre) was better.”

Lance Hornby Spezza reached 30 points last year in 54 games and with 970 career points, consisting of 351 goals and 619 assists, he could join a small club Publishing date: Jun 16, 2021 of about 90 NHLers with 1,000 points and 1,000-plus games. But milestones aren’t what interests him about next season.

The Maple Leafs first official move of 2021-22 wasn’t to push out an “I have a lot of points, I’d like to go on a run and play into the summer,” underwhelming playoff performer, but bring back their most valued he insisted.“I’m a better version of myself when we’re winning.” veteran.

And who better than Jason Spezza to try and lift two weeks of gloom in Toronto Sun LOADED: 06.17.2021 town after the first-round defeat to Montreal, which is repping the North right now in the Stamley Cup Final Four. The first thing the 38-year-old Spezza said Wednesday after signing another one-year, hometown discount minimum salary of $750,000 US, was that he feels Leafs Nation anguish.

“I’m frustrated, I don’t think a couple of weeks has lessened the pain. I know that anything you’re going to say at this time of year doesn’t really matter because we lost.

“With COVID-19, there hasn’t been as much retrospective as a group as there’d be in the past. (But) we’ve thought about it a lot since we lost, what went wrong and what we need to do differently to move forward. There’s no concrete answers to any of it, but the only way to get there is work harder and do more to put ourselves in even better position the next time we’re in the playoffs.

“The group we have is extremely dedicated, young guys in their prime who will continue to get better and eventually learn from these (wretched first-round defeats). To go through the year we have, to finish first and improve our defensive play, it gives us hope.”

While few Leafs players can stomach seeing the playoffs from their couches these days, Spezza is tuning in as always, evaluating how players and teams handle adversity under high pressure.

“I’m still a student of the game. You see the teams who’ve gotten through, who quickly turn the page and move on. Tampa Bay was a great example afterGame 1 (losing to New York), then they played great. I don’t know if Tampa in the past would’ve done that, maybe they’d have got flustered after the first loss. That’s what we have to learn. Unfortunately, our experiences have been a negative, but we have to draw on that next time and be aggressive when we have a chance to close teams out.

“There’s room for optimism. You’re never as close as you think you are, or as far as you think. We have work to do to get better, but we’re pretty close to having a run. Until we do, no one is going to believe us, but internally we believe it.”

After two years in Toronto at the NHL minimum, he has 55 points in 112 games, 30 of those in a productive 2021 where he added five playoff points. He’s only been assessed 24 penalty minutes as a Leaf and has kept up a 53.2% face-off percentage through his career.

It’s the perfect marriage, Toronto in a salary cap crunch, Spezza unwilling to move his wife and four daughters, aged 5-to-11, from his hometown. But before signing, he sought family approval, after they’d spent this past season in their own virtual bubble to make sure Jason didn’t spread the virus from home to the Leafs dressing room. The girls hardly saw friends and did mostly remote school work.

“When you have four kids and you’re trying to play late in life, it’s not just about me,” Spezza said.

“I know where the team is at with the cap. To be honest, all I care about is playing on a good team with a chance to win. If I could take less (money) I would. I love being on the team, I love competing. The chase for the Cup (which he’s yet to win since being picked second overall by Ottawa 20 years ago) is at the forefront on my mind daily.”

Spezza, who turned 38 this week, is already back in the gym. If the Leafs don’t work out a similar extension with 42-year-old forward Joe Thornton, which likely isn’t happening, Spezza would again become the oldest player on the team, while holding down power play duty, penalty killing, 5-on-5 and defensive zone draws. 1189747 Toronto Maple Leafs “He’s back to win a Cup in Toronto,” Curran said. “It wasn’t to come back for the money.”

As Spezza himself said not long after the Leafs’ season concluded with ‘Unfinished business’ brings Jason Spezza back to the Maple Leafs such bitter disappointment late last month: “I feel like there’s a lot of unfinished business.”

With a couple of weeks to process the loss to the Canadiens, Spezza By Jonas Siegel insisted that his belief, and the belief of the group, remains strong in spite of repeated playoff failure. Jun 16, 2021 “We have young guys in their prime that are going to continue to push

and get better and hopefully learn from these experiences,” he said, no The most obvious move of an uncertain Maple Leafs offseason is now doubt referring to Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander, among complete: Jason Spezza is coming back for a third season in Toronto, others. “To go through the year we had, and to finish first (in the division), and 19th in the NHL. and to improve on our defensive play and all the things we talked about needing to do, I think gives us hope that we were there. It’s a game of Spezza signed another one-year deal for the NHL minimum salary of inches. We were close. We had chances in Games 5 and 6 to end those $750,000. In doing so, he reasserted his belief in the Leafs and their games and didn’t. And then we fell short in Game 7. There’s room for chances of helping him capture an elusive Stanley Cup. optimism there. I know that anything you’re gonna say at this time of year doesn’t really matter because we lost. And I’m still pretty angry about it, “I’ll be honest, all I care about is playing on a good team and just trying to and frustrated. But I feel like the group has potential. win,” said Spezza not long after the deal was announced on Wednesday afternoon. “If I could take less, I would. I love playing the game, I love “You’re never as close as you think you are, and you’re never as far as competing. The chase of a Cup is at the forefront of my mind daily, and you think you are,” Spezza went on. “Until we do it, no one’s gonna anything I can do to help the team acquire better players — that’s why I believe us, but internally, we believe it.” take league minimum and want to move forward.” A true student of the game, Spezza says he’s found it harder to watch Leafs GM Kyle Dubas initiated discussions with Spezza’s agent, Rick the playoffs after the Leafs’ exit than in previous years, “just because I Curran, last week. felt like we were a lot closer than our result.”

“They felt he earned it,” Curran said of the Leafs. “They were most He’s found hope though in how Tampa Bay, for instance, appears to appreciative of his contribution, on and off the ice — his leadership.” have learned from past failures as they seek a second straight Cup.

This was a clear decision for the Leafs in an offseason that promises Spezza will undoubtedly fill a similar role with the Leafs next season. plenty of the opposite after another underwhelming finish in the He’ll line up somewhere on the fourth line (most likely at right wing), he’ll postseason. take important faceoffs and he’ll have some sort of role on the power play. Spezza was among the Leafs’ better players in the playoffs against Montreal. He matched Auston Matthews for third in team scoring with five And he’ll do it all in the same limited minutes for minimum money — for points (three goals and two assists) while playing just shy of 12 minutes a the third year in a row. night. It’ll be up to Dubas and his staff to dig up more bargains like him in free That followed another resoundingly positive regular season, in which agency to fill in the apparent gaps up front. Zach Hyman, Joe Thornton, Spezza ranked seventh on the team with 30 points in 54 games — Wayne Simmonds, , Alex Galchenyuk and Riley Nash are all logging around 11 minutes per game, a mark that placed him 13th free agents. among forwards to play at least 10 games with the Leafs. Spezza turned 38 on Sunday. Spezza’s 24 five-on-five points, rather remarkably, ranked just inside the top 70 leaguewide and were even with, among others, stars like Alex In addition to the offensive pop he brought, Spezza also won a team- Ovechkin, Blake Wheeler, and Anze Kopitar — in fewer minutes. leading 57 percent of his faceoffs (min. 100 draws) while absorbing the FOGO role on the penalty kill. He’s become a hugely influential dressing Spezza was the only reliable offensive contributor from the bottom half of room presence. the Leafs lineup, the one cog down there that head coach never had to worry much about. Everyone from Matthews and Marner to Adam Brooks and the now- departed Mikko Lehtonen has raved about Spezza’s sage-like Not unlike last offseason, Spezza was prepared to retire if the Leafs were leadership. unwilling to bring him back. And it’s a sure thing that Spezza would similarly walk away if the Seattle Kraken were, for some reason, to pluck It’s Spezza’s willingness to accept a minor, if still important, role at this his name in next month’s expansion draft. late stage in a prolific career that many close to him believe has fuelled his impressive performance with the Leafs. Some older players struggle It’s Leafs or bust for him at this point. to reconcile their fading abilities, and slip away quietly.

Unlike last offseason, when Spezza had to wait until early October before Spezza, instead, has stacked up 55 points in 119 games playing 11 the Leafs decided whether they could bring him back, this deal got done minutes per game. early — more than a month before the start of free agency on July 28. That removes the uncertainty most players his age (if they’re even still “Maybe I’m delusional, but I think I can get better, and I’m gonna try to playing) have to deal with every offseason. improve on last season,” Spezza said.

Spezza is already back to work in the gym knowing he’s got a team that He expects to get back on the ice sometime soon and wants to ensure wants him around. he’s in the best shape possible to avoid injury, a riskier proposition as he nears 40. It’s his unyielding belief in the Leafs’ ability to win the Cup, which has so far eluded him, that ultimately brought Spezza back to his hometown “I don’t feel like I’m ready to stop,” Spezza said. “I feel like I’ve carved out team yet again. It’s what brought him to the Leafs in the first place back a good role on this club, and that’s important. I think it’s important as a in 2019. player, whether you’re 38 or 18 or 28, that you have a role on your team, and you know what your role is, you understand it, and you’re willing to As Curran recalled of a recent conversation with Spezza: “I said to put the work in to be the best version of that. I feel like I’ve carved out a Jason, ‘I think (the Leafs are) getting ready to bring you back,’ and I said, niche.” ‘You’re getting a raise by virtue of the collective bargaining agreement, not my (negotiating) prowess.’ He started laughing, and he said, ‘Well, The Leafs would agree. we both know I don’t want you asking for anything more than the minimum.’ He said, ‘I’m coming back, but I’m coming back for all the hockey reasons. It’s not for the money.’ The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189748 Toronto Maple Leafs My understanding at the moment is the Leafs are thinking about their options for what could be possible with that space. If they don’t re-sign Hyman and lose Alex Kerfoot to Seattle in the expansion draft, they will have almost $15 million in cap room to reallocate between now and the Mirtle: This appears to be the end for Zach Hyman as a Maple Leaf start of next season.

That’s with seven forwards, six NHL defencemen and a goaltender (Jack Campbell) signed. By James Mirtle Of course, they’ll have some pretty big holes: first-line winger, second- Jun 16, 2021 line winger, third-line centre, a few depth forwards and a second goaltender. Filling all of that for $15 million — and not taking a step back, talent-wise — won’t be easy in free agency. If you’re a regular reader here, you may recall I’ve been somewhat optimistic about Zach Hyman remaining a Maple Leaf. Then again, this offseason isn’t going to be easy regardless of the path that Kyle Dubas and the front office choose. It felt like, for a long while, there was too much mutual respect and admiration for the two sides not to work something out. The argument for keeping Hyman is considerable. He plays nearly 20 minutes a game, including on the first line at even strength and on both Maybe he would have to take a hometown discount, shaving a few special teams. He adds an element of grit and physicality to a skill-first million off the overall package? Maybe Toronto would have to get top six, and he seems to improve every offseason, thanks to a fanatical creative with the deal, adding an extra year to bring down the cap hit? training routine.

Whatever the path, it felt like there was a way to get something done. Our stats man Dom Luszczyszyn calculates that Hyman’s value to the Leafs on his next contract would be more than $7 million a season. That Unrestricted free agency opens six weeks from today across the NHL. would peak at a value of $9 million next season. There remains time for the above to be true and for the two sides to meet and work something out. But the more I’ve talked to people around the There’s an age-related decline there, to be sure, but Dom’s model team in the weeks since the Leafs’ season ended in ugly fashion, the forecasts Hyman can offer first-line contributions until he’s 33-years-old, less that feels like where we’re headed. five seasons from now.

In fact, it feels downright unlikely anything is going to get done. Some of that extreme value likely comes from playing with two superstars in Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. But it’s not hard to Multiple sources said they didn’t believe any talks of substance had make the case, using analytics, that Hyman should be able to make good happened, going back months. No progress was made on extension talk on a $5 million cap hit over the next few years. at any point, really, going back to when Hyman first became eligible for a new deal last year. The case against signing him?

All that happened in that time frame was he put up his best season in the He turned 29 last week. He has had multiple knee injuries, including one NHL, scoring at a prorated 29-goal, 63-point pace during the regular that clearly slowed him in the playoffs. And to get to a cap hit that would season. And his value on the open market continued to climb. make sense for the Leafs, you’d be signing a six- or seven-year contract, at minimum. Other teams and agents around the league believe Hyman can now command close to $6 million a season on a long-term deal, an Players around the league are also reluctant to heavily front-load deals unthinkable sum only a year or two ago. these days, given how high escrow penalties are at the moment. So it would be harder for the Leafs to protect themselves by pushing all of the Josh Anderson’s mammoth seven-year, $38.5 million deal signed with salary into the front of the contract, the way they have with some of their the Canadiens last October often comes up as a comparable. other players with big deals. Anderson is two years younger than Hyman, but he’s only produced 82 What’s also clear is that the Leafs want to change the makeup of their goals and 139 points in the NHL over 319 games. Hyman, a late bloomer roster without dealing their highest-paid players. They’ve committed to who spent four years in college, has 86 goals and 185 points in 345 keeping Matthews, Marner, John Tavares and William Nylander, publicly career games. and behind closed doors. A $6 million cap hit might sound outrageous to some Leafs fans, who That’s going to mean difficult sacrifices elsewhere. And it’s a strategy that have watched as Hyman has gone from a Marlies checker to a bonafide may well mean a $5 million winger that can play all over the lineup is a NHL first-liner over the last six seasons. But, statistically speaking, luxury they can’t afford. Hyman falls in the same category as veteran UFA wingers like Nick Foligno, , Cam Atkinson and, yes, David Clarkson who all If Matthews and Marner are making a combined $22.5 million and playing signed for around 8 percent of the salary cap as UFAs over the last eight on the same line, they might have to elevate a teammate making only years. two or three million in order to make that work.

Even in a pandemic-induced flat cap world, that’s $6.5 million a season. There are candidates who may fit that bill available in free agency. Someone like Mikael Granlund, for example, has been a team target for There’s no plausible way for the Leafs to make anything close to that a while now and could make sense as a fit. number work. And while Hyman’s camp and the Leafs have both declined comment, I don’t believe a hometown discount here would be Whether or not the Leafs can find someone who can do all that Hyman extreme. does — even by splitting his projected salary among multiple players — remains to be seen. Perhaps a few million on the total, to account for the endorsements Hyman can get in Toronto and the ability to stay close to home. It certainly appears we will find out in 2021-22.

But if the estimated range of what he’ll get is between $30 million and The core four may be staying, but other pieces of the Leafs core are $35 million, even shaving off a few million and adding an extra year isn’t about to be on the move. going to get the Leafs to a very comfortable number on the cap hit. Maybe $4.5 million.

Maybe. The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021

As illustrated here earlier this month, the Leafs can make that number work. But given Toronto’s unshakeable commitment to keep the core four forwards together and the other players signed on the roster, returning Hyman at a bigger ticket would mean making any other substantial changes on the roster difficult. 1189749 Vegas Golden Knights

Canadiens rewarded for fast start against Knights in Game 2

By Adam Hill Las Vegas Review-Journal June 16, 2021 - 10:15 PM

The Montreal Canadiens got off to yet another good start against the Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup semifinals on Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena. This time it resulted in a lead that would hold up en route to a 3-2 win that evened the best-of-seven series. “You get that bounce early, you get that go-ahead goal and you get to play with the lead,” Canadiens forward Corey Perry said. “You’re not chasing the game. It just falls into place from there. I thought the guys responded well to keep that momentum and ride it.” It’s been a trait of the Canadiens during a postseason run that sees them seeking a third-consecutive series upset. Montreal improved to 9-1 when scoring first and is 0-3 when giving up the first goal during these playoffs. It’s also 6-0 when leading after two periods. One of those losses came in Game 1 when the Canadiens trailed 1-0 after the first period despite outplaying the Knights by nearly every relevant measure. First-period goals by Joel Armia and Tyler Toffoli were the rewards for the team’s early success Wednesday. Toffoli’s goal extended his point streak to nine games, the longest in the postseason this year. “I liked our start last game, too, and we had chances to score, but you have to give credit, and (Marc-Andre) Fleury made some big saves early on in Game 1 and kept it even,” Perry said. “Tonight, we got a bounce, and we rode that momentum.” Goalie Carey Price was a big factor in the lead standing up. He made 29 saves, several of the spectacular variety. The Canadiens endured a late onslaught from the Knights, who got within one goal with 5:14 remaining and turned up the pressure in search of an equalizer. “We felt the pressure when they were trying to come back, but I thought we showed good composure,” coach Dominique Ducharme said. “I still think we can do a better job. We wanted to support the puck better. I think we did that tonight, and it paid off. I think we can do better on a few occasions managing the puck and we will do that.” Price, whose best save of the game was a sliding denial of Alec Martinez at the doorstep in the second period, joked about how he was able to keep the puck out. “I’m just using all of my extremities,” said Price, who was quick to cite his team’s willingness to put their bodies on the line as they racked up 53 hits and blocked 26 shots in displaying a noticeably more edge physically. “These guys are out there paying the price every night,” he said. “It’s what the playoffs are all about, and you have to earn every victory. Every bruise is worth it at the end of the day.” The Canadiens, who return home to host Game 3 on Friday night, were buoyed by the return of defenseman Jeff Petry after he missed the last two games. Petry had an assist and a plus-1 rating in 20:47 of ice time in his return, though his impact may have been even greater. “It’s a huge boost to our team,” said defenseman Joel Edmundson, who had two assists in the win. “He’s been our best defenseman all year, so you want a guy like that back as soon as you can. “Definitely nice to see him back out there.” Petry had been listed with a hand injury, but also played through broken blood vessels in his eyes. “His eyes have looked like that for a week now. Kind of scary, but I don’t think it affected him tonight,” Edmundson said. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189750 Vegas Golden Knights “Chasing the game is not an easy task against anybody, but these guys play a good team game when they get the lead. We have to do a better job with our starts. We have to find our preparation.” Golden Knights sleep through alarm in Game 2 loss They need better alarms. Might want to check those iPhones, T-Mobile … By Ed Graney Las Vegas Review-Journal June 16, 2021 - 10:12 PM LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021

Hockey players talk often about pregame naps they like to take. I’m thinking those on the Golden Knights need better alarms. Tempt the fate of sleep-walking through a first period enough and you’re eventually going to pay for it. The Knights did on Wednesday night with a 3-2 loss to Montreal in Game 2 of an NHL best-of-seven semifinal series before 17,920 at T-Mobile Arena. Things are now tied at a game apiece and shift to Montreal for Games 3 and 4. It’s in the Eastern Standard Time Zone. Maybe that’s what the Knights need to get going. New body clocks. Consistent issue “It has been a tough conversation here for a little while now, the last series (against Colorado) too,” said Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who scored both of his team’s goals. “It’s something we have to continue to talk about. Not good enough in the beginning. Not good enough in the first period. “You can see when we get to our game what we can do, but not good enough to start.” Example: The Knights now have a minus-7 goal differential in first periods of these playoffs. But unlike Game 1 on Monday, the sluggish beginning ultimately did them in. Montreal led 2-0 after 20 minutes because the Knights couldn’t create any sort of breakouts as the Canadiens brought all sorts of pressure. Perhaps it’s to be expected. Montreal advanced to this round by winning seven straight games in which it never trailed. The Canadiens have better starts than Brad Keselowski off pit row. Playing with the lead against Montreal is your kid sliding gleefully down the slopes on a cardboard box. Playing from behind is an all-day hike through treacherous terrain. At one point, the Canadiens led 3-0. Might as well try scaling La Madre Mountain in skates. Think about it. In two games to open the series, Montreal had 15 high danger chances to just two for the Knights in the opening period. And when they gain an advantage, the Canadians go about their business of protecting the middle of the ice and blocking shots and impressively clogging up space as a five-man unit. Even when the Knights discovered good looks Wednesday, they would hit a post or miss the net or be at the mercy of Montreal goalie Carey Price. It’s a series, for sure. The odds might still trend heavily in favor of the Knights to emerge victorious from it, but that forecast before Game 1 of total domination has officially been put to rest. “Those people who said we were going to sweep are the same ones who said Colorado was going to sweep us,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said. “You don’t get to the Final Four without knowing this is going to be a battle. If it takes overtime and seven games, then it takes overtime and seven games. You just want to make sure you move on.” It’s off to Montreal, then, for games Friday and Sunday at Bell Centre. The largest hockey arena in the world with a capacity of 21,302 will reportedly welcome just 3,500 fans each night. Not as crazy It won’t be close to the party atmosphere of T-Mobile Arena. The ovations won’t be as deafening. All of that will change now. So better how the Knights approach a first period. “For whatever reason, our starts in the playoffs haven’t been good enough,” said Knights captain Mark Stone. “We’ve been burned before and we were burned again tonight. You can’t go down 2-0 and expect to win the game. 1189751 Vegas Golden Knights

Recapping Game 2 between Golden Knights, Canadiens

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal June 16, 2021 - 9:43 PM

Series recap Series tied 1-1 Game 1 — Knights 4, Canadiens 1 Game 2 — Canadiens 3, Knights 2 Game 3 — 5 p.m. Friday, Bell Centre, USA Game 4 — 5 p.m. Sunday, Bell Centre, NBCSN Game 5 — 6 p.m. June 22, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN Game 6 — 5 p.m. June 24, Bell Centre, USA* Game 7 — 5 p.m. June 26, T-Mobile Arena, NBCSN* *If necessary RJ’s three stars 3. Montreal defenseman Joel Edmundson — He had two assists and played well with partner Jeff Petry. The Canadiens had a 27-21 edge in shot attempts with him on the ice at five-on-five. 2. Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo — He continued his stellar postseason with the first two-goal game of his playoff career. He also made two excellent passes that could have easily resulted in goals. 1. Montreal goaltender Carey Price — The 2015 Hart Trophy winner was in rare form. He stopped 29 of the 31 shots he faced, including an incredible save on defenseman Alec Martinez in the second period. Key play Left wing Paul Byron’s second-period goal. The Canadiens were dominant in the first period and took a 2-0 lead. The Knights came out strong in the second and came close to cutting into their deficit several times. The score didn’t change until Montreal center Jesperi Kotkaniemi deflected the puck out of his own zone, and right wing Josh Anderson prevented Knights defenseman Nick Holden from getting to it first. That allowed Byron to skate in alone on a breakaway, and goaltender Marc- Andre Fleury missed on a poke check that left plenty of the net open. The 3-0 hole proved too much for the Knights to overcome. Key stat Three — The number of goals Montreal scored. The Canadiens have won 21 straight playoff games when scoring at least three goals. Price is 16-0 in his postseason career when Montreal scores three or more, according to ESPN. Knights quotable “A little disappointed obviously with our first 10 minutes. I think we should have been better. We had no excuse tonight. Unfortunately, you get to the final four, you spot a team two goals (in the first period), you’re playing with fire.” — Knights coach Pete DeBoer. Habs quotable “He does this every year. We just have to find a way to slow him down. He’s got a good wrist shot, and he finds lanes.” — Edmundson, on former St. Louis Blues teammate Pietrangelo. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189752 Vegas Golden Knights I also caught up with Vegas lounge legend Sidro Garcia, whose Sidro’s Armada band ruled the scene for decades in VegasVille. I last saw the act at Starlight Lounge at the Stardust in about 2001. Garcia celebrated his 80th birthday at the show, and dang he still looks like he can throw it Usher cranks it at Golden Knights playoff game down. Jerry Lopez introduced him as “the baddest mo-fo in the room.” No argument here.

Newcomers to the scene, too, were at the sold-put show. Erik Hamel and By John Katsilometes Las Vegas Review-Journal June 16, 2021 - 8:59 Victor Brodén of “27” at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas were in the room. Lopez PM had a couple weeks ago caught the rowdy rock retrospective at 24 Updated June 16, 2021 - 11:59 PM Oxford. You should, too. Add to this list … The Kats! Bureau at this writing is at The Perch at T-Mobile Arena, taking Michael Shapiro and his Reckless in Vegas lineup performed at TCS, a in the Vegas Golden Knights-Montreal Canadiens action (Knights lost, 3- reminder that the band was collateral damage in Caesars 2). We have seen Usher crank the siren. Not an usher, but rather the Entertainment’s cutting of live entertainment. RIV was planning to move R&B superstar who has the UshBucks stuffed in his pockets. into a new small-capacity room at Linq Hotel when the ax fell. Earlier, I heard a new Las Vegas resident headliner was turning the There is no path right now for the threesome, which refashions classic crank, so I texted Donny Osmond and asked, “Am I going to see you tunes in to rock performances, to perform in residency. tonight at T-Mobile Arena?” Newman returns Not quite. But catch Usher at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace Brian Newman is back! beginning July 16, Osmond at Harrah’s Showroom beginning Aug. 31, and yours truly at both. In New Jersey! Dig it: Coming soon to @CaesarsPalace, cranking it tonight The “After Dark” headliner and Lady Gaga’s bandleader is playing Aug. @GoldenKnights @Usher … #RJNow @reviewjournal 27 at The Borgata in Atlantic City. Same music-and-burlesque format as pic.twitter.com/KrdNOI05nT his NoMad Restaurant show, which follows Gaga — and will again, soon enough. Until then, we might take a road trip to A.C., a place we’ve yet to — John Katsilometes (@johnnykats) June 17, 2021 visit. More from this scene, and elsewhere: Cool Hang Alert Great Moments in Social Media Michelle Johnson, one of the highlights of the TCS show in her pairing Call it a VegasVille inevitability. with composer and piano great Jeffrey Neiman, brings “Let it Be” to The Vegas Room on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Neiman is again on Las Vegas Raiders QB Derek Carr and Mr. Las Vegas Wayne Newton keys with Johnson this weekend. met during the Golden Knights- Canadiens game on Monday. It was Carr’s turn to turn the crank, and afterward met up with Newton in the As the show’s title hints, this is a Beatles-themed music experience. crowd. Dinner is at 6:30 p.m., ambient Beatles revival action is at 8 p.m. (go to thevegasroom.com for reservations and info). “I met Wayne Newton, which was crazy,” Carr was quoted on the Raiders’ official website. “Couldn’t believe it. But super nice guy. His wife, Johnson, the esteemed First Lady of Jazz in Vegas, once sang very nice. Wayne Newton, shout-out to you. It was nice to meet you.” background for McCartney, alongside Ringo Starr, at the Hollywood Bowl. It was at a 1993 Earth Day festival. Johnson joined the full chorus View this post on Instagram of “Hey Jude” in the finale, and moved next to McCartney to close the night. A post shared by Wayne Newton (@waynenewtonmrlv) McCartney grabbed her hand, and that of another singer, and held it The shot of the two on Newton’s Instagram feed is all that. Great aloft. As Johnson says, “I’ve never recovered.” peripheral shout-out, too, to Kat Newton. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021 Our showcase The Composers Showcase of Las Vegas returned to full capacity Tuesday night at Notoriety at Neonopolis. Probably 160 in the room, based on its sellout status and from my own hasty headcount (and if I touched your head, sorry). Keith Thompson and Clint Holmes co-hosted in what was very much a love fest with a superior sound track. View this post on Instagram A post shared by John Katsilometes (@johnnykats1) We heard again from Richard Oberacker, music director of “Ka” who along with writing partner Robert Taylor brought “Bandstand” to Broadway. Oberacker’s “Bruce,” centered on Steven Spielberg’s development of “Jaws,” is being rescheduled for the upcoming season at Seattle Repertory Theatre. It will then head to Paper Mill Playhouse in Millburn, N.J. Oberacker has showcased much of “Bruce” at TCS, up until it was sidelined because of the pandemic. The composer has loaded a lot of content on his YouTube page, too. Tuesday he performed “Thank You Enough” from the musical. “Bruce” revisits Spielberg’s 1975 thriller, the title based on the film’s mechanical shark, named for Spielberg’s lawyer Bruce Ramer. As I said before everything went dark, keep an eye on this one, from start to fin-ish. Hah. The Healing redux Santa Fe & The Fat City Horns powered through their first live performance in 15 months at the Copa Room at Bootlegger Bistro on Monday night. Tony Davich’s cover of Ray Charles’ “You Don’t Know Me” brought the chills, and I never imagined how much I’d miss a five-minute bass solo until Rochon Westmoreland turned one loose in the finale. 1189753 Vegas Golden Knights Corey Perry dug out the puck behind the net and found defenseman Joel Edmundson at the point. His shot deflected off William Carrier’s skate to Armia at the back post, and Fleury couldn’t get across in time to stop the shot. Golden Knights’ comeback falls short against Canadiens in Game 2 Montreal went ahead 2-0 at 16:30 as Tyler Toffoli one-timed a pass from Cole Caufield to extend his point streak to eight games. By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal June 16, 2021 - 8:42 PM The Canadiens have a plus-nine goal differential (12-3) in the first period during the postseason.

“They’re a quick-starting team. That’s part of their identity,” DeBoer said. The brooms must be put back in the closet, and the jokes aimed at the “Going into Game 1, they had the lead in seven straight games, I believe. deficiencies of the North Division have to stop. That’s part of what they do. We’ve got to have an answer for that.” Any notion the Golden Knights would have an easy time in the Stanley LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021 Cup semifinals with the underdog Canadiens was put to rest Wednesday. The slow-starting Knights fell into a hole in the first period, and their comeback attempt fell short in a 3-2 loss to Montreal in Game 2 at T- Mobile Arena. The best-of-seven series is tied 1-1 and shifts to Montreal for Game 3 on Friday at Bell Centre. “Those people that said we were going to sweep are the same people that said Colorado was going to sweep us,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said. “We knew this wasn’t going to be easy, and we have a tremendous amount of respect for their team. They’ve beaten two very good hockey teams to get here and won a lot of games. “We’re in a better spot than we were last round after two games, and we’ll go into Montreal and look to win a game.” The Knights, who had their five-game winning streak snapped, played without first-line center Chandler Stephenson and fell into the trap of trying to do too much after the stingy Canadiens took the lead in the first period. The Knights scrambled forward lines at the start of the second period and attempted several home run passes that didn’t connect, resulting in icings. Once the Knights simplified their game, they chipped away at the deficit, with defenseman Alex Pietrangelo accounting for both goals. But Canadiens goalie Carey Price finished with 16 of his 29 saves in the third period, including Alex Tuch’s partial breakaway early in the period. “They protect the middle of the ice really well, especially in front of their net,” Pietrangelo said. “They take away the middle of the ice, especially in their defensive zone. It’s just a matter of us finding holes there and taking a look at how we can find a way to expose that.” The Canadiens, the lowest-seeded team remaining in the postseason, used the same conservative game plan that frustrated Toronto and Winnipeg in the first two rounds. Montreal generated 11 shots on goal in the final two periods while nursing the lead and improved to 9-1 when scoring first. The Knights, who rolled in the opener, made a push in the second period trailing 2-0 but gave up a backbreaking goal with 2:15 remaining. Paul Byron was left unchecked through the neutral zone and ended up on a breakaway after scooping up a loose puck. Knights goalie Marc-Andre Fleury went for the poke-check, but Byron easily stickhandled around the attempt and backhanded in his second goal of the playoffs. “Regretted that as soon as I did it,” Fleury said. “I made up my mind a little too early about it. He cut towards the middle pretty early, and I was too far away. I should not have done that.” Pietrangelo cut Montreal’s lead to 3-1 with 1:13 left in the second with a shot from the point that meandered through traffic. He added his third of the postseason with 5:14 to play, but the Knights couldn’t prevent Montreal from stealing home-ice advantage. “For whatever reason, our starts in the playoffs haven’t been good enough,” captain Mark Stone said. “The last two periods I thought we played pretty well, but chasing the game is not an easy task against anybody.” The Canadiens, who welcomed back defenseman Jeff Petry after a two- game absence, put the Knights on their heels in the first period with a strong forecheck. Joel Armia opened the scoring at 6:12 after spell of sustained pressure from Montreal’s fourth line. 1189754 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights make 1 lineup change for Game 2 against Montreal

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

The crowd is on their feet before Game 1 of an NHL Stanley Cup semifinal playoff series between the Golden Knights and the Canadiens at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Monday, June 14, 2021. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenschmidttt The Golden Knights will be missing one key player for Game 2 of their NHL semifinal series against the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday. First-line center Chandler Stephenson did not take warmups with the team. Center Nicolas Roy was elevated from the third line in Stephenson’s place between left wing Max Pacioretty and right wing Mark Stone. Stephenson has six assists in 14 playoff games. His speed has been a key asset between the Knights’ two best wingers. Roy has two goals and four assists in the postseason and had been clicking well with left wing Mattias Janmark and right wing Alex Tuch. “(He) had a little bit of a slow season, but he’s back to where we expected him to be at the right time here in the playoffs,” coach Pete DeBoer said of Roy on Wednesday morning. “I thought he was one of our best players the other night against Montreal.” Center Patrick Brown entered the lineup at fourth-line center to replace Stephenson. The Canadiens made two lineup changes after their Game 1 defeat. Injured defensemen Jeff Petry and Jon Merrill came in and rookie Alexander Romanov and Brett Kulak came out. Petry finished tied for seventh among defensemen in scoring this season with 42 points. Merrill was a Knight for the franchise’s first three seasons before signing a free agent deal with Detroit in the offseason. Here is what the Knights’ lineup looks like: Max Pacioretty-Nicolas Roy-Mark Stone Jonathan Marchessault-William Karlsson-Reilly Smith Mattias Janmark-Keegan Kolesar-Alex Tuch William Carrier-Patrick Brown-Ryan Reaves Alec Martinez-Alex Pietrangelo Brayden McNabb-Shea Theodore Nick Holden-Zach Whitecloud Marc-Andre Fleury Here’s what the Canadiens’ lineup look like: Artturi Lehkonen-Phillip Danault-Brendan Gallagher Tyler Toffoli-Nick Suzuki-Cole Caufield Paul Byron-Jesperi Kotkaniemi-Josh Anderson Joel Armia-Eric Staal-Corey Perry Ben Chiarot-Shea Weber Joel Edmundson-Jeff Petry Erik Gustafsson-Jon Merrill Carey Price LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189755 Vegas Golden Knights

Pete DeBoer calls relationship with Golden Knights fans ‘love-hate’

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal June 16, 2021 - 5:02 PM Updated June 16, 2021 - 7:43 PM

Pete DeBoer won over a lot of Golden Knights fans since he was hired as coach in January 2020. But not all of them apparently. “I can’t tell you how many people I run into in Vegas here who have told me (about) the love-hate relationship they’ve had with me in the last 12 months,” DeBoer said with a grin Wednesday. DeBoer coached the San Jose Sharks for four-plus seasons and was part of two heated playoff series against the Knights. The budding rivalry exploded in 2019 after DeBoer accused then-Knights coach Gerard Gallant of verbally taunting Sharks players during the Western Conference quarterfinals. Gallant responded by calling DeBoer a “clown” before Game 7. When he was hired to replace Gallant, DeBoer had to win over the locker room in addition to a passionate fan base. “I had a great run in San Jose with a great group of men. We had a lot of fun. Won a lot of playoff games,” DeBoer said. “When I got the call from (general manger) Kelly McCrimmon to take this job, was I surprised because of the rivalry and what had gone on? Yes. But was there any hesitation when he offered me the job? Not even a second.” Since DeBoer was hired by the Knights to replace Gallant, he is 55-19-4 during the regular season and won the Pacific Division title in 2019-20. The Knights are making their second straight appearance in the final four under DeBoer and reached that stage for the third time in their four seasons. Gallant was hired as coach by the New York Rangers on Wednesday. “I’m real happy for (Gallant) getting the Ranger opportunity. He deserves it. I think it’s a great fit for him,” DeBoer said. “That’s what we sign up for, and unfortunately in this business, I think out of the four major sports we have the shortest shelf life out of any of the coaches in those other leagues. We sign up for that, and you just come in and put your head down and do the best job you can every day.” Saw it coming Montreal Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki is not surprised by popularity of the Knights in Las Vegas. He could tell there was a buzz and energy around the team after he was drafted 13th overall by the expansion club in 2017. “They did a great job of bringing in interest right before the team was even selected,” Suzuki said. “They’ve had a great plan since the start.” Suzuki, 21, appeared in two preseason games with a goal and an assist, but never played a regular-season game for the Knights before he was included in the trade for winger Max Pacioretty in 2018. “The crowd’s great to play in front of, even for the away team,” Suzuki said. “It gave us a lot of energy, and it’s been fun to play here. Like I said, they’ve done a great job of putting the team out here, and the fans have really embraced them.” LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189756 Vegas Golden Knights again. When Vegas gained the zone, the forecheck wasn't there to get the puck back, leading to easier breakouts for the Canadiens.

And at 16:30, the Candiens got another one. Cole Caufield collected the Pietrangelo scores twice, but Golden Knights fall to Canadiens in Game puck at the right circle and instead of shooting, dished to Tyler Toffoli in 2 the slot. Toffoli one-timed it, but it didn't get all of it, sending a changeup at the Vegas net, fooling Marc-Andre Fleury and sliding into the net for a 2-0 Montreal lead. By Justin Emerson Vegas finished with a 12-4 disadvantage in shots on goal. Golden Knights looking for hot start in Game 2 against Canadiens The Golden Knights trailed by three goals late in the second period, and The Golden Knights took control of Game 1 and cruised to a victory over Alex Pietrangelo very nearly got them back in the game. the Montreal Canadiens, but it took them some time to get there. Tonight, they'll look to control action right from the jump. The Vegas defenseman scored two goals, the first multigoal playoff game of his career, but the lead the Montreal Canadiens built was too big The only nit to pick in Vegas' game Monday was the first few minutes for the Golden Knights to overcome, and they dropped Game 2 of their where Montreal came out flying and got a few dangerous looks at the third-round series 3-2 on Wednesday at T-Mobile Arena. net. The Golden Knights played a nearly flawless game otherwise, and tightening up the start could put Vegas on the path to a 2-0 series lead. It evened the series at a game apiece, and Game 3 will be in Montreal at Game 2 is set for 6 p.m. today at T-Mobile Arena. 5 p.m. Friday. "Come out stronger than we did last game," Vegas forward Keegan For the second game in a row the Canadiens were the better team early Kolesar said when asked for a key to Game 2. "I think we were all just in the first, and this time they capitalized. Joel Armia picked up a blocked wondering what this game was going to be like instead of just taking it to shot that kicked out to him and sent it into the net, putting Montreal on them, so I think we need to come out a little bit harder on the gas here to top 6:12. The Canadiens grabbed another later in the frame, a slot start." chance from Tyler Toffoli that dribbled its way into the net at 16:30. Golden Knights coach Pete DeBoer compared the sluggish Game 1 start The second period went by without much action for large stretches, but to the first game of the last round. Colorado, coming off a sweep, was the teams traded goals in the final two minutes. Paul Byron put the waiting for Vegas to finish its series and pounced with its fresh legs. Canadiens up 3-0 when he connected on a breakaway at 17:45, but Vegas didn't respond well in that one but did against the Canadiens, Pietrangelo put the game back within two goals on a long-range wrister taking it to them for the next 40 minutes in a 4-1 win. 61 seconds later. That's part of the talent disparity between the two clubs. The Golden Pietrangelo brought the crowd to its feet with 5:14 remaining in the game Knights finished second in the league standings, while Montreal was with his second of the game, and it started a furious push from Vegas to 18th. Vegas is a heavy favorite in the series — even more so after the find the equalizer. The Golden Knights had seven shots on goal in the victory in Game 1 — and the Canadiens need a lot of things to go right to final five minutes and had an extra attacker for the final 1:32, but couldn't pull off the upset. find the third goal they needed and Montreal ran out the clock. "They came out and got to their game right away and I thought we did a Vegas led in final shots on goal 31-23. It was the first loss at T-Mobile good job of weathering that right off the start, and once we kind of got Arena since Game 5 of the first round, snapping a five-game win streak. going with our job, we started to pick up the pace a little bit more," Vegas The second period saw a lot of action early on, a lull for most of the defenseman Zach Whitecloud said. "At the end of the day, it's whatever period then a pair of goals in the final minutest. When it ended, the team can establish their game and stick to that and stick to what they do Golden Knights trailed the Montreal Canadiens 3-1 at T-Mobile Arena on best for the longest period of time is going to have success." Wednesday. The Golden Knights have been "playing their game," controlling puck The Golden Knights came out with better jump in the second period, and possession, exiting the zone smoothly, forechecking strongly, going on had two grade-A chances early on. Keegan Kolesar sprang Max six games in a row. Since that Game 1 against Colorado, Vegas has Pacioretty for a breakaway, but he hit the post at the 3:22 mark, and then been the aggressor and has won five games in a row. The Golden after an extended shift in the offensize zone it took a spectacular save Knights can match a franchise record with their sixth consecutive playoff from Carey Price to deny Alec Martinez on the back door at 5:17. They win tonight. even had a power-play chance, but could not make the best of it. Vegas will turn to the same lineup in Game 2, including a seventh The rest of the period was a lot of the puck going from end to end without consecutive start for goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. The Golden Knights are many dangerous chances. Both teams had asome rushes, had some almost fully healthy, missing just Tomas Nosek from their usual rotation extended zone time, but nothing that turned into an opportunity to score. of skaters. He has skated with the team but is not expected to play tonight. That is until a traffic jam at the Vegas blue line allowed the puck to squirt through and give Paul Byron a breakaway. He went in alone on Marc- The Canadiens have a few game-time decisions, including a potential Andre Fleury, hesitated just long enough to get Fleury to commit and boon to their back end. Defenseman Jeff Petry, who finished tied for roofed it by him on the backhand at 17:45 to put the Canadiens up 3-0. seventh among league defenseman with 42 points, is a possibility tonight, as is forward Jake Evans and former Golden Knights Three goals going to the third would have been a tough ask, so Alex defenseman Jon Merrill, though Evans practiced in a noncontact jersey. Pietrangelo made sure it was only two. One minute and one second after Petry has missed two games with a hand injury and would provide Byron's goal, Pietrangelo sent an offering through traffic that wiggled its Montreal with an offensive threat from the blue line. way through everyone and into the net at 18:46 to make the score 3-1. Vegas has only ever taken a 2-0 lead in a series twice — in 2018 against Vegas looked better overall in the second though, and led 10-4 in shots the Kings and last season against the Blackhawks. In both instances, the as a result. series did not advance beyond five games. The Golden Knights are 4-1 in series in which they win Game 1, with the only loss coming in the 2018 Golden Knights give up a pair in first period to Canadiens Stanley Cup Final against Washington. For the second game in a row, the Canadiens came out of the gate hot Stanley Cup Playoffs Round 3 with pressure in the Vegas zone. It didn't hurt the Golden Knights in Game 1, but it put them in an early hole in Game 2. Series: Golden Knights lead 1-0 Montreal scored two in the first period, putting the Golden Knights in a 2- TV: NBC Sports Network (DirecTV 220, Cox 38, CenturyLink 640) 0 hole after 20 minutes of Game 1 at T-Mobile Arena on Wednesday. Radio: Fox Sports 1340 AM and 98.9 FM The Montreal fourth line did the kind of work asked for by a fourth line, forechecking well and creating chances from in close. On the fourth Betting line: Golden Knights minus-270, Canadiens plus-235; over/under: attempt Joel Armia capitalized, putting home a rebound and putting 5.5 (minus-140, plus-120) Montreal up 1-0 at the 6:12 mark of the game. Golden Knights (9-5, West Division No. 2 seed) The Golden Knights struggled to get much going at either end of the ice, Coach: Pete DeBoer (second season) but particularly in their defensive zone. Too often Montreal would keep the zone after a shot, picking up its own rebound and started the cycle Points leader: William Karlsson (12) Goals leader: Jonathan Marchessault (6) Assists leader: William Karlsson (8) Expected goalie: Marc-Andre Fleury (1.84 GAA, .927 save percentage) Canadiens (8-4, North Division No. 4 seed) Coach: Dominique Ducharme (first season) Points leader: Tyler Toffoli (11) Goals leaders: Four players (4) Assists leaders: Tyler Toffoli (7) Expected goalie: Carey Price (2.15 GAA, .929 save percentage) Golden Knights projected lineup Forwards Max Pacioretty—Chandler Stephenson—Mark Stone Jonathan Marchessault—William Karlsson—Reilly Smith Mattias Janmark—Nicolas Roy—Alex Tuch William Carrier—Keegan Kolesar—Ryan Reaves Defensemen Alec Martinez—Alex Pietrangelo Brayden McNabb—Shea Theodore Nick Holden—Zach Whitecloud Goalies Marc-Andre Fleury, Robin Lehner LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189757 Vegas Golden Knights 2-0 after two periods in Game 5 of that series and stormed back to win 3- 2. But it’s not a recipe for long-term success, especially against a conservative, defensive-minded team like the Canadiens. ‘We got burned again’: Slow start too much to overcome for Golden “The last two periods I thought we played pretty well, but chasing the Knights in Game 2 loss game isn’t an easy task against anybody,” Stone said. “These guys play a good, team game when they get the lead. We have to do a better job with our starts. We have to find our preparation.” By Jesse Granger Jun 17, 2021 Stone emphasized the importance of playing with a lead after Game 1, as did winger Reilly Smith and coach Pete DeBoer. On Wednesday, once Montreal grabbed a two-goal lead, it sat back in its defensive zone The capacity crowd at T-Mobile Arena was on its feet for nearly the entire and protected the slot. The Canadiens fired 26 shot attempts in the final five minutes of Wednesday night’s game. The 17,920 faithful roared opening 20 minutes, peppering Marc-Andre Fleury with 12 shots on goal. as the Golden Knights zinged shot after shot at the Montreal net. But in the final two frames, Montreal had only 23 shot attempts and 11 shots on goal combined. Alex Pietrangelo scored to pull Vegas within a goal with 5:14 remaining in the game. From that point on, the Golden Knights fired 15 shot attempts “They play as a five-man unit for the majority of the game,” Stone said. to the Canadiens’ two. Vegas had seven of those shots make it on goal, “In the D-zone, they fly out together. In the neutral zone, they fly out with seven being blocked by Montreal defenders. together.” It felt like Vegas was on the verge of tying the score, generating chance Playing with a lead allows Montreal to play conservatively. The after chance while completely dominating possession in the waning Canadiens don’t have to push the action looking for goals, allowing them moments of the game. The Golden Knights put immense pressure on the to keep a strong defensive structure and avoid turnovers that lead to Canadiens and goalie Carey Price, but it was too little, too late. Montreal transition chances for Vegas the other way. held on to escape Las Vegas with a 3-2 win, and now head home with “They protect the middle of the ice really well, especially the front of their the Stanley Cup semifinal series knotted 1-1. net,” said Pietrangelo, who scored both of Vegas’ goals on Wednesday. And despite the strong effort late, it was the first 10 minutes of the game “So they’re blocking shots and taking away the middle of the ice. It’s just that are a cause for concern. Especially because this isn’t a new a matter of us finding holes there and taking a look at how we can find a development for the Golden Knights, who have had a problem starting way to expose that.” games on time all postseason. Even with Montreal’s strong defense, Vegas was able to generate some “It’s been a topic of conversation here for a little while, in the last series offense. After only four shots and one high-danger chance in the first too,” Pietrangelo said of the Golden Knights’ slow starts. “It’s something period, the Golden Knights had 27 shots and eight high-danger chances we have to continue to talk about and fix. It’s not good enough in the in the final 40 minutes. beginning. Not good enough in the first period.” “They clog it up pretty good, but with that being said, we had a lot of good The Golden Knights have been outscored 15-8 in the first period, and looks,” Stone said. “We have to capitalize on some of those in the have lost the opening 20 minutes against all three opponents so far this second period. I think we had a post. We had a chance in the slot. We postseason. And it’s not just the goals, Vegas has accounted for a much had lots of chances to score.” smaller percentage of shots and high-danger chances in the opening Price was unsurprisingly exceptional in goal for a second straight game, period, and has been far less productive in the opening 20 minutes. robbing the Golden Knights on a couple of grade-A chances in tight. But STAT 1ST PERIOD 2ND AND 3RD PERIOD the Golden Knights also missed the net on several occasions, including a blistering wrist shot by Max Pacioretty that sailed wide of Price’s glove, Shot share but just off the iron. 48.40% Another concern for the Golden Knights is a lack of production from their forwards. Through two games, Vegas has received five goals from its 60.00% defensemen but only one from its forwards. The Golden Knights have High danger chance share generated offense from their blue line all season, leading all teams in the playoffs with 11 goals and 39 points from defenders. Compare that to 41.90% only one goal and 13 points by Canadiens defensemen. 56.50% Pietrangelo netted both goals on Wednesday, and through two games, Vegas has created the majority of its dangerous opportunities with shots Shots/60 mins from the point while screening Price with traffic in front of the net. That’s a solid strategy, especially against a goalie as talented as Price, but 28 eventually, the Golden Knights’ forwards will need to chip in. 33.4 Vegas’ three leading shot producers on Wednesday were all High danger chances/60 mins defensemen. Pietrangelo led the way with seven, followed by Alec Martinez (4) and Shea Theodore (4). Meanwhile, no forward had more 9.4 than two shots on goal. 11.8 “I thought the second period and the third period we did a lot of good things,” DeBoer said. “We put a lot of pressure on them and got some “For whatever reason, our starts in the playoffs haven’t been good good looks. Particularly over the last five minutes, but even prior to that, I enough,” Mark Stone said. “We’ve been burned before and we got thought we had some good looks. You can’t fall behind that much, that burned again tonight. You can’t go down 2-0 and expect to win the early. It’s not even one goal. When you get down two, it’s just really hard game.” to come back. We’ve done it before. We did it in the Colorado series, but Based on postgame comments and body language, the players appear you’re playing with fire when you do that, and we got burned tonight.” to be searching for an answer to the slow starts. It wasn’t an issue in the The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 regular season. In fact, Vegas actually had a higher goal share in the first period than in the final two, scoring 62.6 percent of goals in the opening frame, 55 percent in the second period and 61.6 percent in the third. But in the playoffs, the Golden Knights have allowed the opening goal in nine games and trailed the Colorado Avalanche in each of the six games in the second round. The Golden Knights have shown an incredible ability to come from behind all year, both in the regular and postseason. Vegas had an impressive 9-11-0 record when allowing the first goal this season, and was 6-9-1 when trailing after two periods. Those obviously aren’t winning records, but they’re more than respectable compared to other teams across the league. The Golden Knights fell behind 2-0 to the Wild in Game 3 of the first round, only to reel off five straight goals to win 5-2. They trailed Colorado 1189758 Vegas Golden Knights

NHL Final 4 In Vegas: Montreal Holds On For 3-2 Win Over Golden Knights Before 17,920 In Game 2 To Tie Series

By Alan Snel of LVSportsBiz.com

The winning team jumped out to a first period lead, relied on rock-solid goaltending and played opportunistic hockey tonight. No, it wasn’t the Vegas Golden Knights. It was the Montreal Canadiens, which flipped the script on VGK and came away with a split of the first two games in Las Vegas with a 3-2 win Wednesday in front of an announced attendance of 17,920. Montreal goaltender Carey Price showed why so many hockey fans were looking forward to this showdown of netminders between VGK goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and Price. The Golden Knights turned up the juice in the third period, applying pressure to try and tie the score. But Price stood tall. stopping 29 of 31 shots on goal. The VGK looked in the final period after starting sluggishly in the first period. VGK defenseman Alex Pietrangelo scored the sole goal in period three to cut the Canadiens lead to 3-2, but the Knights could not notch the equalizer despite lots of pressure on Price and the Habs. With the NHL semifinal tied at one game each, the Best-of-7 Final 4 series shifts to Montreal for the first games between a team from the U.S. and a team from Canada in the Canadian team’s home rink since March 2020. Games 3 and 4 are Friday and Sunday. The Montreal Canadiens played VGK-style hockey through two periods — opportunistic goal-scoring and relying on a dominant goaltender who robbed the Knights several times in the game. Price stonewalled VGK’s Alec Martinez and played well throughout the middle stanza until VGK defenseman Alex Pietrangelo scored from the point through a maze of players. Somehow the shot he flipped found its way through the web of players on both teams and past Price. After two periods, Montreal led Vegas, 3-1, with Paul Byron scoring for the Canadiens. Fleury tried to poke check the puck from Byron. But he missed and Byron flipped in an easy goal to give the Canadiens a 3-0 lead before Pietrangelo scored with only 1:14 left in the middle period. Vegas played with more passion and energy than it did in the first 20 minutes. The Knights outshot Montreal 10-4 in the second period. The Knights missed not having fast-skating center Chandler Stephenson in the lineup. He anchors a line with wingers Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. The Vegas squad is thin at center and it showed Wednesday when coach Pete DeBoer inserted Keegan Kolesar between Stone and Pacioretty. Pacioretty did his the post with one shot, but his line was held goal-less tonight. After one period in Las Vegas, the Montreal Canadiens lead the Vegas Golden Knights, 2-0. Montreal’s Joel Armia scored at 6:12 into the first period. VGK netminder Marc-Andre Fleury then allowed a weak goal by Montreal when Canadiens forward Tyler Toffoli let loose with a change-of-pace shot that got by Fleury with only 3:30 left in the first period. After one period: Montreal 2 Vegas 0 Take: VGK not playing with the same juice and passion they showed against Minnesota and Colorado the first two rounds. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189759 Vegas Golden Knights

LVSportsBiz.com Minute With Golden Knights Coach Pete DeBoer

June 16, 2021 Alan Snel Gerard Gallant, Kelly McCrimmon, Pete DeBoer

We asked VGK coach Pete DeBoer about his own personal wild ride from coaching the San Jose Sharks against the Vegas Golden Knights and Gerard Gallant one season in 2019, to coaching for the Vegas Golden Knights in the NHL playoff bubble in Edmonton the next season in 2020 to leading the VGK to the NHL semis again against one of the league’s standard bearer franchises, the Montreal Canadiens, in 2021. The highlights: Yes, he was surprised to get a call from VGK General Manager Kelly McCrimmon about coaching the Golden Knights. Yes, he was happy to take the job. He hears from VGK fans who tell him they have “love-hate” feelings toward him. He’s happy Gallant got the coaching job with the New York Rangers. LVSportsBiz.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189760 Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights Slow Start Blah, Blah, Blah… They Lost This Time

By Tom Callahan

The Vegas Golden Knights have a few patterns in their game. They have their defense join the attack frequently. They have great goaltending which gives them a chance to win almost every night. They like to use speed against the opposition both through the neutral zone and on the forecheck. Oh, and they start slow. Really slow. Even when the Golden Knights score first, they still tend to hit snooze until the second period and flush the initial lead. Sometimes they hit snooze again and sleep through more of the game. Then they fly out of bed like a bad cartoon, pillows and blankets flying, and jump suddenly into attack mode. It’s gotten to be so bad that after Game Two’s opening 20-minute nap a reporter asked head coach Pete DeBoer to talk about the things the team has done right because everyone always asks what’s wrong at the start. That’s probably your answer right there, boy-o. Mark Stone couldn’t explain why, but he knew it. And he knows it’s a pattern. DeBoer knows it. Marc-Andre Fleury has to be razor-sharp from the opening faceoff because anything else isn’t enough. Word has gotten around: attack Vegas early, before they wake up, and hold on at the end. The Montreal Canadiens are actually good enough to not only scrape out a few goals, get a lead and sit on it, but they have the ultimate snake charmer in Carey Price who is delivering his most clutch playoffs in years – if ever. Price bails them out and if the clock is favorable, the Habs escape with a win. Ask the Toronto Maple Leafs. Or the Winnipeg Jets. Believe it or not, the Canadiens have now won 9-of-13 playoff games. That’s a .693 win percentage. They’re not here by accident, no matter what you read from the doubters. Those who said the Golden Knights were going to sweep them, or those who said Montreal was here because the North was a weak division. Last year in the playoffs, the Habs did the exact same thing, but this year they have a little more jam. The veteran element is a bit different. They’re also one more year of experience along the path towards winning. The Montreal media loves to pound on GM , but he’s done a pretty darn good job building that team. They are solid all the way around if not spectacular, save in net. So once you decide to give the Canadiens the credit they deserve as a team, you realize that there’s not a single shift you can squander against this team, let alone an entire period. Yet the Vegas Golden Knights continue to miss the starting gun most of the time. For me, this falls equally on the players and the coaches. I don’t want to hear “we weren’t ready” from a single player or “I didn’t have them ready” from PDB. I’m equally fed up with the standards like “they (Montreal) come out of the gates hard” or “they’re a really good team” and ” we have to respect them”. Following Game Two, Alex Pietrangelo repeated some variation of “we weren’t good enough” in several ways. Absolutely none of it explains the slow starts. You’re professionals. Find some fire in your belly, or realize you aren’t the group that will bring a Stanley Cup to Vegas. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189761 Vegas Golden Knights

So Close; Vegas Late Push Falls Short, Montreal Wins Game 2

By Tom Callahan

The Vegas Golden Knights tried a furious third-period rally to tie Game Two late, but ultimately lost to the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, evening the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Semifinal series at one game apiece. The series will now shift to the Bell Center in Montreal. Alex Pietrangelo scored both goals as the Golden Knights attempted to erase a 3-0 deficit but could not find the tying goal. Carey Price finished with 31 saves, including 16 in the final period to seal the win. With the win, Montreal has taken home-ice advantage from the Golden Knights in the series. The Takeaways: I warned you. I said I was worried about the lack of scoring from the top six. About the slow starts. About how this Vegas team just doesn’t get off the couch for the first period. In Game Two, Montreal made them pay by playing physical, pesky hockey that the Golden Knights took far too long to adjust to. It’s getting embarassing how this team can only play 40 minutes (or less) a night, especially when given the talent on the roster a 60-minute effort almost equals victory. Four first period shots. Two first period goals against. Keegan Kolesar ended up centering the top line with Chandler Stephenson out, and had the usual post-game quotes of “it’s an honor to play with those guys” and “next man up”. It hides the fact that Kolesar actually played well, winning draws that led to Pietrangelo’s goals. It also highlights how incredibly disappointing the play of Chandler Stephenson has been. Unfortunately for Vegas, he’s been a passenger for the most part (along with Reilly Smith) at the worst possible time. The only Vegas Golden Knights goal by a forward in this series belongs to Mattias Janmark. The VGK defense has all the others, with Pietrangelo leading the way with three. Speaking of Pietrangelo, he’s perhaps the one Vegas Golden Knights player who has gotten stronger as the playoffs have gone along. It’s really good to see him perform the way he has. This is exactly what the VGK envisioned when they signed him. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189762 Vegas Golden Knights

Vegas Golden Knights Must Do These Three Things in Game Two

By Tom Callahan

Is it me, or does it seem like this series has already gone on forever and this is just Game Two? I’m not sure how this hockey wormhole opened up, but here we are. The Vegas Golden Knights lead the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in this Stanley Cup Semifinal matchup, and I’m slightly concerned. Vegas’ scoring goes up and down. Sometimes it’s the star players like Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty. Sometimes it comes from the blueline like it did in Game Two, when three of the four goals were by defensemen. The second line exploded the last series and that’s great to see. But in Game One, the top six were silent. Stoned by Carey Price at every turn, the goals had to come from elsewhere. Fortunately, they did. We’ve seen the Golden Knights go cold on the scoresheet. That’s why tonight it is absolutely critical that the top six forwards generate offense. It’s ok to be held off the sheet for one game. And I’m not saying both lines have to put up six points. But either the Stone line or William Karlsson’s unit with Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith must come out firing and make an impact in this game. Going two games without beating Price and heading into Montreal is not good for the mental state. The other thing Vegas must do to help itself is to find first gear at the opening puck drop. Too often we’ve seen then struggle out of the gate and have to play from behind. Yes, this is a veteran team that can occasionally pull it off. But that’s always a gamble, and facing a goalie like Price it’s a losing proposition. Especially at home, the Golden Knights can’t afford to waste any more time. They have to come out flying tonight. Finally, somehow on a talented team of goalscorers, the power play is just powerless. Montreal gave the Golden Knights so many chances to generate while up a man, and yet Vegas couldn’t do it. Don’t expect quite so many power plays from the Canadiens tonight, who came out to knock Vegas off their game and instead ended up chasing it. They’ll be far more disciplined tonight, so the special teams battle becomes even more important. If the Vegas Golden Knights can execute these three keys, they should be headed to La Belle Provence up 2-0 in the series. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189763 Vegas Golden Knights

Critical Matchup: Marc-Andre Fleury Downplays Clash With Carey Price

By Tom Callahan

Marc-Andre Fleury was his typical, smiling-after-a-win self. He deflected all praise to his teammates but said thank you when his play was complimented. On both the national TV broadcast and again by local media after the game, Fleury was asked about going head-to-head with Carey Price. Both times he gave the same response “I don’t really think of it as me playing (against Price),” said Fleury. “I’m more worried about the shooters I face and stopping them.” It’s natural for media on both sides to want more of an angle on this. Maybe some quotes to stoke a fire (which won’t come from either goalie I assure you). Especially considering that Marc-Andre Fleury is facing his provincial childhood team and the French-Canadian media do love a good local story, there will be even more of a spotlight on the two goalies. Especially since Fleury speaks French. How odd is it that Price really doesn’t and the goaltender in the desert does? No matter what he may say, the hockey world knows better. Both the Montreal Canadiens and Vegas Golden Knights have been carried this far by their goaltending and will continue to be so. The real difference is that the Golden Knights can occasionally dig their way out of a big hole with scoring spread across the lineup and a can-do attitude. The Canadiens are much better playing with the lead and have a harder time in desperation mode as we saw in Game One. “They (Montreal) were impressive early,” said head coach Pete DeBoer after Game One. “Price is as advertised… (Fleury) has been playing at an elite level all year. When our team isn’t on or we’re stumbling a little bit trying to find our game, he has that ability to make those big saves and allow us to get some confidence and get our legs.” DeBoer referenced how he thought Game Six against the Colorado Avalanche was much of the same, with Fleury holding the fort and making big saves until the Golden Knights got things in gear. Were it not for Fleury doing just that in the first period of Game One, it could have been a very different outcome. That’s not to say Price didn’t make his share of acrobatic saves. In particular, the glove save on Mark Stone that had Stone making an incredulous face and Price delivering a well-timed wink at him stands out. Jonathan Marchessault is still searching the heavens for the answer on how Price got across so quickly with his right pad to rob him from the faceoff circle on a one-time attempt. Indeed, Price was spectacular for the Canadiens, but he doesn’t have as complete a team in front of him as Fleury does. Marc-Andre Fleury is fortunate that his team is strong defensively in front of him. They collapse to the net when they need to. They dig pucks out of the crease. And of course, the VGK block shots like crazy. It all adds up to fewer goals against and is a major reason why the pitched battle between the Habs and Golden Knights is rolling Vegas’ way so far. When the scene shifts after tonight’s Game Two to Montreal, it will be interesting to once again revisit the topic. Especially if Price manages to steal the game which he is capable of doing. Both goalies will provide plenty of highlight-reel fodder for the comparison that will continue for the duration of the series. Regardless of who wins tonight, the heat from the spotlight on both goaltenders is going to continue to intensify, and their names inextricably linked. Vegas Hockey Now LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189764 Washington Capitals

Capitals service dog Captain placed with local veteran

BY RYAN WORMELI

Captain, the beloved service dog with the Washington Capitals over the past year and a half, is in training no longer. Now, the onetime star of the Capitals' Rock The Red Carpet event has a new home after being placed with a local veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps. We’re so proud of the amazing work Captain has been destined for from the start with @americasvetdogs. His extensive training has now prepared him to help retired U.S. Marine Corps Master Sgt. Mark and make him and his family happy and comfortable. pic.twitter.com/Qptev5H1z0— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) June 16, 2021 Master Sgt. Mark Gwathmey, a resident will receive assistance from Captain to "help mitigate his veteran's disability, including retrieving dropped items, counterbalance, summoning assistance, seizure response, positional cues to extend personal space, and PTSD cues such as rest, nightmare interruption and shake," according to an announcement released by the Capitals. The Caps were partnering with America's VetDogs to raise and train Captain beginning in October 2019. He began as a 10-week old puppy and helped learn basic training and social skills with the entire Capitals organization. In the process, he learned to "be a confident and calm service dog," at which point he returned to New York to begin formal service dog training, which he has undergone since February. Gwathmey medically retired 10 years ago, but he continues to serve his country as a civil service employee with the U.S. Navy as a disaster preparedness specialist. Captain won over the hearts of Capitals fans everywhere when they were introduced to him in 2019. Now, he'll take what he's learned and do even more good for a local veteran. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189765 Washington Capitals But if Kuznetsov leaves without a top-six center to replace him, the true high-end talent will have left the organization. There will still be depth available to coach , but the Capitals likely can't seriously contend for a Cup without a one-two punch at the top of their lineup. How strong are Caps at center with and without Kuznetsov? Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 06.17.2021

BY ANDREW GILLIS

Even as Alex Ovechkin hoisted the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after the Capitals won the Stanley Cup in 2018, anyone watching that spring knew the championship wouldn’t have been possible without the team’s center depth and standout play from Evgeny Kuznetsov. Now just three years later, with a roster featuring mostly the same faces that hoisted the Cup, the position is a major question mark for the Capitals. Nicklas Backstrom isn’t going anywhere, and it appears third and fourth line centers Lars Eller and Nic Dowd aren’t either. But Kuznetsov has been a rumored trade target for inconsistencies on and off the ice. The trio of Backstrom, Eller and Dowd are all over the age of 30, and Connor McMichael, the team’s top prospect, seems to be drawing ever closer to the NHL. The work for the Capitals now is to figure out how strong they are down the middle, and if there’s any room for improvement. “You need your best players playing at center, and you need to slot them right if you want to contend for a Cup,” general manager Brian MacLellan said at the beginning of the offseason. “Boston had health with their four guys, and they played well. Krejci played well, Bergeron played really well and I think that was the key to the series. They played well up the middle and we were thin because of injuries and because of performance." The easy part of the center equation in Washington is Backstrom, who has a no-movement clause. He’ll be a Capital for the foreseeable future, as many want. Everything else, though, is up in the air. Kuznetsov presents the most intriguing question of not only the team’s center depth, but likely the entire offseason as a whole. If the Capitals choose to hang onto the Russian centerman, who said he wants to stay in D.C., then they’ll likely trot out the four centers they had in the 2020-21 regular season. If Kuznetsov is on his game, he’s one of the best centers in the league and catapults the Capitals to a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference. If he’s not, his $7.8 million cap hit (which has four years left) becomes a burden rather quickly. In 41 games this season, he tallied 29 points but was on the COVID-19 list twice as the Capitals relied on T.J. Oshie, Michael Raffl and Eller to take the brunt of the load. "I think it's the key to our organization what decisions get made or how he plays or how he comes out of this,” MacLellan said. “We won the Stanley Cup because we had a great 1-2 punch and Eller in the third spot, so center depth is important. We need him to play at his highest ability, and if he can't play at his highest ability, we're not going to be a good team and we'd have to make some other decisions." Should the Capitals trade Kuznetsov, there’d be a gaping hole in the top six at center unless the return was another center who could fit into the top six. How likely that is remains questionable, at best, meaning it might be better for Washington to roll the dice with Kuznetsov back. But the center everyone wants to talk about has played just one NHL game in his career. McMichael scored 14 goals with 13 assists in 33 games with the this season and appears ready to make the leap to the NHL full time. The question will be if there’s room for him. “I think he finished up the year well,” MacLellan said. “I think it's going to be how his offseason goes, what improvements he makes. He's a young guy that we're not going to force into the lineup. We'll see how he does in camp and what he can handle, but he had a really good year. I think he finished up the year on a high, improved in all areas. So we're going to look for opportunities to play him, but we're not going to force him into a situation he can't handle.” The Capitals still have Backstrom and an excellent bottom-six duo of Eller and Dowd. Paired with McMichael, the Capitals remain deep down the middle organizationally. 1189766 Winnipeg Jets Derek Forbort, carried a positive shot share, and led Jets defencemen with 16 five-on-five points.

Pionk was Winnipeg’s best defenceman this season and there is a case Winnipeg Jets final report card: Grading the defence and goalies, from to be made that Winnipeg could have gotten even more out of him. Connor Hellebuyck to Josh Morrissey Pionk’s 117 power-play minutes were second among Jets defencemen (to Morrissey’s 160) and he led Jets defencemen with 10 power-play points (Morrissey had nine.) He’s going to get a big raise this summer but By Murat Ates Jun 16, 2021 Winnipeg’s strange commitment to Pionk as a second-unit player may save the Jets a dollar or two. Pionk’s point totals could easily have been higher with more prime-time power-play minutes. End of season report cards are a strange concept. Given the success of the Forbort/Pionk pairing (and the Dmitri A writer who has never played in the NHL uses their observations, the Kulikov/Pionk pairing last season) one wonders what heights Pionk could standard goals/assists stats, flow of play metrics, and whatever else hit with a higher-end partner. comes to mind to decide how well an elite, top percent of the top percent, The quote: “Coming over from New York, I got a ton of opportunity right make-the-best-player-you-ever-played-against-in-your-life-look-like-a- away and having that trust from the coaching staff really gave me a lot of toddler NHL player did their job this year. confidence to develop and grow as a player. It’s amazing what a little Fans, most of whom have also never played in the NHL, endorse the boost of confidence will do for you.” grades they see or rail against them. The grade: A Wheeler scored a lot of points! say some, looking to boost a grade in an Dylan DeMelo old-school way. Perreault’s underlying numbers were spectacular (again)! say others, looking to lean on a sense of what a player creates Age, contract: 28, $3,000,000 (UFA 2024) versus what they give up. Usage: Third-pairing minutes at even strength, first-unit penalty kill And we have our debates and call it a day. Production: Zero goals and nine points in 52 games played When it comes to the Jets’ defence, I expect the arguments to be just as intense. Winnipeg has a franchise cornerstone in Josh Morrissey whose Possession impact: Positive underlying numbers have only looked good over the past two seasons DeMelo is the on-ice equivalent of your favourite hot sauce, whether it’s when playing with Dylan DeMelo. For DeMelo’s part, much of what he Frank’s, Sriracha, Cholula or something a little more specialty. He just does is unspectacular — he’s not big, he’s not fast and he doesn’t have a makes things better. cannon from the point. Unless you’re watching every five-foot breakout pass, it’s easy to miss the why of his success. Morrissey? Better with DeMelo. ? Better with DeMelo. Stanley? You get it by now — better with DeMelo. Meanwhile, Winnipeg’s 6-foot-7 rookie, Logan Stanley, smashed everybody’s expectations this season by claiming a full-time NHL job. His only curse is that the things he does well aren’t obvious — a quick The Jets coaching staff kept him further away from top-six competition shoulder check, a five-foot pass that puts his partner in a slightly better than any other defenceman this season but, in that context, Stanley was spot or a little extra communication don’t hit home like thunderous checks very good. or timely shot blocks do. (That said, consider his “hand of God” block against Connor McDavid in the third period of Game 2 against Edmonton How do you grade that? — without that block, there’s no Nikolaj Ehlers overtime winner.) To be as transparent as possible, here is how I approach things: What’s most unique about DeMelo’s impact on his teammates’ Players whose production and possession stats are both strong get the possession stats is that it doesn’t seem to matter whether he’s playing on best marks. the first or third pair. Whereas players like Beaulieu or Tucker Poolman were successful on the third pair but got exposed playing higher up the I don’t adjust grades for salary. depth chart (or whereas Stanley looked good on the third pair but never played anywhere else), DeMelo’s impact was the same whatever his I do adjust for playing context. Decent results against top opposition get role. rewarded more heavily than good results against the bottom six. To move into “A” territory, he’d need the kind of point production that “All-in” stats like WAR and Game Score play a role, too. They give us a comes with bigger minutes and a more electrifying skill set. sense of penalty differential and other indirect stats which have substantial impacts on winning. The quote: “(The first round of the playoffs) was some of the best hockey I’ve ever played in my life and you want to carry that momentum, you I refer to possession impact as positive, neutral or negative based on want to help the team, and it sucked for sure,” he said on getting injured Evolving Hockey’s RAPM treatment of shot attempts and expected goals. on the first shift of the second round. “Selfishly, I’d like to think I could (Neutral: When a player’s impact in those categories is within one have had an impact on that series and helped us out, and was really standard deviation of the mean. Positive: When a player’s impact is crushed and disappointed that it happened so early.” greater than one standard deviation above the mean. Negative: When a player’s impact is worse than one standard deviation below the mean.) The grade: B+ The goal here is to respect how accurately RAPM isolates an individual player’s impact without overstating its precision. Logan Stanley Questions? Concerns? Age, contract: 23, $863,333 (RFA 2021) A desire to tell me why I was horribly unfair or far too kind to your player Usage: Third-pairing minutes at even strength of choice? Production: One goal and four points in 37 games played That’s what the comments section is for. Possession impact: Neutral Defencemen Stanley was Winnipeg’s best story on defence this season, going from an Neal Pionk uncertain place in Winnipeg’s prospect pool to a full-time NHL job. Age, contract: 25, $3,000,000 (RFA 2021) It should be noted that Winnipeg’s coaching staff went to great lengths to keep him away from top-six opposition — no Jets defencemen have Usage: Top-pairing minutes at even strength, first/second power-play been this sheltered since the Ben Chiarot/Tucker Poolman third-pairing unit, third unit penalty kill of December 2017. This is a big reason Stanley doesn’t get an even higher grade. The other reason is his lack of offensive production — his Production: Three goals and 32 points in 54 games played two goals against Montreal in Game 4 were twice as many as he scored Possession impact: Positive in 37 regular-season games. Winnipeg used Neal Pionk like a top-pairing defenceman this year and I don’t harp on Stanley’s sheltered minutes to suggest he was anything got a 49-point pace season to show for it. Second to only Morrissey in other than impressive but to keep expectations in check — it would be so five-on-five minutes per game, Pionk formed half of a shutdown pair with easy to look at his success, overlook its context, and then expect or Stanley. Morrissey stayed in his top-pairing role, either playing with an unrealistic things from him as a sophomore. injured Beaulieu (not a recipe for success) or DeMelo. To take this one step further: consider that DeMelo’s possession numbers were good on Finally: Before the end of this piece, there will be criticism of how the top pair but also very good on the third pairing. It’s going to look like Winnipeg handled some of its young defencemen. It’s important to note, DeMelo’s numbers take a hit with Morrissey, even in much more difficult then, that the Jets handled Stanley’s rookie season perfectly. minutes. Of course it’s going to look like Morrissey is a bigger drag on his The quote: “I don’t think a lot of people had me playing for the Winnipeg teammates’ numbers. Jets this year coming into camp, so it was my goal to make the team and In the end, we trust our eyes and credit Morrissey a little more and play this year. I achieved that.” Poolman a little less. It’s possible that this robs the 28-year-old Poolman The grade: B at the expense of the more established, 26-year-old Morrissey, but only one of these players has excelled in the top four before. Josh Morrissey The quote: “During the year I had some fun. Some guys were just telling Age, contract: 26, $6,250,000 (UFA 2028) me, ‘Save ’em up for an important time.’ I think (Josh Morrissey) during the year, I had a couple chances and he was like, ‘Oh, just save them for Usage: Top-pairing minutes at even strength, first/second power-play a good time.’ Kind of funny how that worked out.” (Poolman on scoring unit, second/third unit penalty kill his first goal of the year in Game 1 against Edmonton.) Production: Four goals and 21 points in 56 games played The grade: C+ Possession impact: Negative Derek Forbort The biggest mystery on Winnipeg’s blue line is how Morrissey went from Age, contract: 29, $1,000,000 (UFA 2021) having a positive impact in all three zones until the end of 2018-19 to such an analytical mess these past two seasons. I’ve seen analytics- Usage: Second-pairing minutes at even strength, first-unit penalty kill driven analyses of Morrissey’s play refer to him as among the NHL’s most overrated defencemen, citing his (extremely) negative impact on Production: Two goals and 12 points in 56 games played shot quantity (and quality) over the past two seasons. Possession impact: Negative To my way of thinking, the pendulum has swung too far. Derek Forbort was a revelation for a month, throwing his body in front of Morrissey has played with a revolving door of partners over the past two every shot attempt that came his way, and then came down to earth a seasons. The bulk of his minutes have come with Poolman, whose size, little bit as he played the bulk of his minutes with Pionk in a shutdown mobility and puck-moving look terrific in a third-pairing role but whose role. defensive shortcomings stand out against the NHL’s elites. As the season went on, Forbort’s lack of footspeed hurt him more than He’s played some time with DeMelo — the only partner with whom his willingness to sacrifice his body helped and his early-season Morrissey’s underlying numbers look good this year or last — while also excellence faded to something a little more raw. playing against top lines on his off-hand side with an injured Beaulieu There’s no denying he outperformed the expectatoins set by his $1 and spent time mentoring all of Stanley, Sami Niku and Ville Heinola this million contract but there are no bonuses to be had for that in these season. grades. He was a veteran option in the top four and should be lauded for This is not a recipe for success. his efforts but Forbort was a below-average top-four defenceman this season. The single biggest factor in a player’s performance is quality of teammates. Morrissey has largely been an island in that regard and has His five-on-five impacts were poor, hurting a good showing on the struggled as a result, making a less-than-dominant performance look penalty kill and he doesn’t score enough to boost his grade. much worse than it is. At the same time, there’s no way to say Morrissey The quote: “That’s kind of what I did in L.A., shutting down other team’s was so good he overcame the uniquely difficult role he was asked to top lines and being hard to play against. That’s what I (pride) myself on play. For the second straight season, Pionk was safer at five-on-five and and I just hopefully can keep doing it.” (In February, on the shutdown role more dangerous on the power play. A big part of making Winnipeg a he had carved out for himself in Winnipeg.) contender again will be finding Morrissey a partner that brings out the best in him. The grade: C+ Finally, there’s no denying that Morrissey and DeMelo did the best Nathan Beaulieu possible job of shutting down McDavid and Leon Draisaitl against Edmonton in the postseason — by far the strongest hockey of Age, contract: 28, $1,250,000 (UFA 2022) Morrissey’s 2020-21. But McDavid still carried 60 percent of scoring Usage: Third-pairing minutes at even strength, second-unit penalty kill chances, shots and expected goals. Hellebuyck helped a great deal. Production: Zero goals and one point in 25 games played The quote: “I’m proud of the improvement I made over the course of the season and, I think, the game that I got to late in the year and certainly Possession impact: Negative into the playoffs was some of the best hockey I’ve played in my career. So I want to try to build off of that and make that the template for myself It almost feels rude to criticize a defenceman who played through a torn going forward.” labrum in his shoulder and blocked shots and made hits but Beaulieu’s results were not good this season. The grade: B- The Jets don’t create offence with him on the ice while giving up a Tucker Poolman disproportionate amount of scoring chances in their own end. He doesn’t score. He’s game enough to play on the top pair through an injury but not Age, contract: 28, $775,000 (UFA 2021) so good that doing so helps the team. Winnipeg was outscored 7-2 with Usage: Second-pairing minutes at even strength, second-unit penalty kill Beaulieu on the top pair while earning just 38 percent of shots and 34 percent of expected goals. Production: Zero goals and one point in 39 games played The same player could earn a good grade next year just by being himself Possession impact: Neutral and staying limited to a third-pairing role. In the meantime, there’s no way to call Beaulieu’s injury-shortened, thoroughly outmatched season a Poolman is an exceptional third-pairing defenceman who was often used success. on the top pair this season. If Winnipeg were less inclined to shoehorn him into a role he’s not ready for, I think Poolman would be a good value The quote: “I try to pride myself in being versatile, playing up and down signing to play as a No. 5 or 6 defenceman. the lineup. We don’t have a lot of experience on the back end, considering I’m the veteran back there. It’s kind of a new role for me and As it stands, one regular-season point (and a vital Game 1 goal against I take pride in that.” (In February.) Edmonton) aren’t big enough highlights to earn an impressive grade. The grade: C To those wondering how Poolman’s “neutral” possession impact could land him below Morrissey’s “negative,” consider what happened when Ville Heinola Morrissey and Poolman were split this season. Poolman moved to the third pairing, where he played a much more sheltered role with DeMelo Age, contract: 20, $894,167 (RFA 2024) Usage: Third-pairing minutes at even strength have stopped, he was the second-best goaltender in the NHL this season behind only Marc-Andre Fleury. Production: Zero points in five games played Hellebuyck was spectacular in the playoffs, shutting down McDavid and Possession impact: Neutral Draisaitl while giving the Jets every chance to stay in the Montreal series. After an excellent season in and a dominant world juniors, Heinola The quote: “Nothing that happened this year was a fluke. We are very didn’t step into the NHL and tear things apart this season. close to being able to make runs and be a dynasty. It’s just going to take There is nothing unreasonable about a 20-year-old defenceman being a few more pieces and we will be there.” limited to AHL minutes, where Heinola’s 11 points in 19 games coupled The grade: A+ with a strong defensive showing to make him look truly dominant. Laurent Brossoit There’s also no denying that Heinola being pulled off that AHL team to accompany Winnipeg on a road trip and then going more than a month Age, contract: 28, $1,500,000 (UFA 2021) without playing a competitive hockey game — at the aforementioned, critical developmental age of 20 — is not ideal player development. Key stats: 14 GP, .918, 0.42 GSAx (25th in NHL) There are extenuating circumstances. Quarantine rules meant that it was Laurent Brossoit was one of the best backups in the NHL this season. I only pragmatic to call up or send down Heinola when the Jets and Moose can’t imagine it’s easy to back up a throwback workhorse like Hellebuyck, were in the same city, which only happened briefly during Heinola’s but as long as Brossoit has the job, there is a sense that goaltending is a game-less month. But the Jets had the opportunity to play him and chose decided area of strength. to play pending UFA defencemen instead — not the end of the world but The quote: “He’s been fantastic. Every game he comes in and gives us a obviously not ideal. chance to win, makes the big saves to keep us in it. We have two very, Was it about keeping Heinola’s games played total under the threshold very reliable goaltenders, and that’s huge for our team.” — that would start the clock on his entry-level contract? The grade: B+ GM Kevin Cheveldayoff said no during his exit interview, leaving us to The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 speculate or simply to accept at face value that the Jets coaching staff believed it was best for a 20-year-old top prospect to go a month without playing a game. VIEW THIS POST ON INSTAGRAM A POST SHARED BY VILLE HEINOLA (@VHEINOLA) The quote: “I was one month without playing so it was kind of hard to go in but I just tried to do those simple things first. Get that good first pass and try to battle hard and I think it was an OK game.” (On April 15, after playing in a game for the first time since scoring a goal and an assist for the Moose on March 13.) The grade: N/A Sami Niku Age, contract: 24, $725,000 (RFA 2022) Usage: Third-pairing minutes at even strength Production: Zero points in six games played Possession impact: Neutral Remember Niku? The quote: “I’ve got him solid in the top eight.” — Paul Maurice The grade: N/A Jordie Benn Age, contract: 33, $2,000,000 (UFA 2021) Usage: Third-pairing minutes at even strength Production: Zero goals and one point in eight games played Possession impact: Neutral Jordie Benn was an eleventh-hour trade deadline acquisition who played in eight regular-season games for Winnipeg and three more in the playoffs. The quote: “I actually got a text from Tommer (Nate Thompson), and it just said ‘Benny’ with a couple of Jets emojis. I hadn’t heard anything yet so I texted him back and said, ‘What’s going on, man?’ And he goes, ‘I hear you’re a Jet.'” The grade: N/A Goaltenders Connor Hellebuyck Age, contract: 28, $6,166,666 (UFA 2024) Key stats: 45 GP, .916, 13.7 GSAx (2nd in NHL) Hellebuyck’s save percentage dropped from .923 to .916 this season but his workload was as difficult as ever. He is Winnipeg’s runaway MVP and an important part of the Jets’ team success. Using Evolving Hockey to look at goals saved above expectation, which measures how many goals Hellebuyck stopped compared to an estimate of how many he should 1189767 Vancouver Canucks Owen Power and centre Matthew Beniers are off the board — gets scouts salivating.

There’s the versatile Kent Johnson of Michigan, a Port Moody native who Why there's buzz to deal ninth-overall pick for Sam Reinhart didn’t look out of place in the middle and wing as an NCAA rookie. Sam Reinhart, a versatile and productive restricted free agent who can The left-shot Johnson is better-suited at wing at the NHL level and his 27 effectively play centre and wing, wants out of Buffalo and wants to move points (9-18) in 26 games this season — including a record five-point west. outing Jan. 8 — showcased the skills he brought to the Wolverines after amassing 101 points (41-60) in 52 games with the BCHL Trail Smoke Eaters in 2019-20. Ben Kuzma “Hockey sense, puck skills and he’s slippery and smart to draw defenders in,” said an NHL scout.

There’s also centre Mason McTavish, who had a strong performance at Imagine Sam Reinhart on the right side with Bo Horvat. the Under-18 world championships in Frisco, Tex., with 11 points (5-6) Imagine the Lotto Line staying intact and Nils Hoglander and Vasily for gold-medal-winning Canada. After 42 points in (29-13) in 57 games Podkolzin as bookends on the third line with a centre to be determined. with the OHL Peterborough Petes in 2018-19, he was loaned to Olten EHC of the second-division Swiss league and the 6-foot, 198 pound This is what happens when Reinhart, a versatile and productive restricted centre responded with 11 points (9-2) in 13 European games. free agent who can effectively play centre and wing, wants out of Buffalo and wants to move west. Pulses race in this hockey-mad market at the “Think of Horvat — that style of player,” added the scout. prospect of parting with at least the ninth-overall pick in the NHL draft to Most importantly, the Canucks must decide where they want to be well in provide an instant fix to help power a Vancouver Canucks’ playoff push. advance of the draft. Do they need to make a play for Reinhart soon to The North Vancouver native proved during this compacted season that beat other suitors? he could flourish despite the absence of hurt centre Jack Eichel, who Or, do they think that ninth pick is too valuable to part with and will find missed the final 33 games with a neck injury and also wants to depart the another way to augment their roster for next season, especially if struggling Sabres. The 25-year-old Reinhart collected 25 goals, including Reinhart is too pricey? 10 on the power play, for a team-high 40 points in 54 games on the league’s worst club. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 06.17.2021 Amid a rash of injuries as the sorry season wound down, Reinhart centred Anders Bjork and Victor Olofsson on the first line and played the right side on the first power-play unit with Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens. Those who watched Reinhart this season saluted his ability to play the middle when called upon — a knock on the second-overall pick in the 2014 draft — and produce for a club that gave up the second-most goals and scored the fourth-fewest goals. That sent misleading plus-minus statistics plunging along with the daily despair of playing for an organization going nowhere fast. However, the Sabres could pocket first-round picks in trade packages for Eichel and Reinhart to trigger the rebuild. “We’re going to to look at everything,” Canucks general manger Jim Benning said after the June 2 draft lottery. “We’re going to call other teams and I know we’re going to get a real good player at No. 9. We’re going to have to get a young player who we feel is worth trading the pick. “We’re going to keep all our options open.” Reinhart has arbitration rights, but amid a flat cap and his expiring US$5.2 million salary cap hit, perspective from the player to play at home and financial gymnastics are required for a fit. And that could be tricky, but the trade-off here could be significant term to keep him satisfied and out of free-agency. A bump into Horvat and Brock Boeser territory — US$5.5 million and US$5.875 million respective hits — coupled with buyouts could clear the money hurdle. With one addition providing instant top-six symmetry, it’s worth more than just kicking the tires on Reinhart. He’s a speedy playmaker and Horvat’s line would welcome that element in the proven 6-foot-1, 192 pound veteran. He can also fill in at centre if there’s an injury or need to juggle lines and it would keep J.T. Miller at left wing to assist driving a first-line alignment with Elias Pettersson and Boeser. While Miller embraced the demanding centre position with Pettersson missing the final 30 games with a wrist injury, his true value is to get pucks to his Lotto Line hotshots and benefit from getting open for return feeds. That fuelled his game for a career season in 2019-20 with 72 points (27- 45) in 69 games and would be a catalyst to help get Pettersson off to a fast start and allow Boeser to build-off a team-leading 49 points (23-26) in 56 games this season. Of course, the Canucks must weigh a possible Reinhart pursuit against what they would give up at the draft. They could land a significant future roster piece — even though the future seems like now with pressure to make the playoffs. Still, the manner in which draft dominoes could fall their way July 23 — after consensus top-two picks in University of Michigan defenceman 1189768 Websites more and more like the club would be able to get things done with the head coach as well.

I’m not suggesting it’s 100 percent, but I think the club feels confident it The Athletic / LeBrun: The Jack Eichel sweepstakes have begun, NHL will get done, perhaps by the end of the week. coaching carousel news Which would be huge news for the franchise. It took a lot longer than anyone involved would have wanted, but it appears Brind’Amour will stay put. By Pierre LeBrun Jun 16, 2021 However, the Canes have given assistant coach Dean Chynoweth permission to speak to other teams. His contract is also up at the end of the month and while Carolina has made him an offer, it may not be quite Nobody said the Stanley Cup playoffs had to be over before Jack Eichel what he was looking for so the club has allowed him to look around and potentially gets moved. sources indicate Chynoweth has already started to speak to other teams And while I’m not saying the star center will get traded before the end of and we should know more on his situation by early July. the playoffs, what I’m hearing is that conversations between the Buffalo The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 Sabres and other interested teams are getting more intense and serious. So read into that what you will. The next few weeks could be intriguing on that front. And I would imagine Sabres GM Kevyn Adams would be counting on a first-round pick to be used the night of July 23 in this year’s draft in any package so the clock indeed is ticking. Eichel, 24, has five years and $50 million left on his contract but there’s no question there are teams — at a certain price — who believe a change of scenery will reset his career. Teams I believe make sense: Los Angeles, Minnesota, Anaheim, Columbus, Philadelphia and the Rangers, among others. The Kings want to make a splashy move for a top-6 forward, the Wild could use another top center, and the Jackets (who have three first-round picks this year) of course really, really need a No. 1 center. Gallant to the Rangers A wonderful hire by the New York Rangers in Gerard Gallant, who recently coached Canada to an improbable gold medal at the world championships in Latvia. Players who had him in Florida and Vegas have spoken glowingly of him. It sounds like Gallant came across really well in his conversations with Rangers GM Chris Drury, as far as communicating both what he felt were his positives and negatives from his previous NHL stops, a level of accountability that spoke to his genuine manner. Gallant, according to sources, agreed to a four-year deal worth just a little under $3.5 million per season on average. It’s not the kind of 5 year/$5 million deal the likes of Alain Vigneault in Philadelphia and Todd McLellan in Los Angeles got in pre-pandemic years. but given the adjusted NHL economy of the last year, it’s a real nice deal. The Rangers are on the rise and I think they just got the coach to bring them over that hump. Kraken coach Seattle GM Ron Francis has said he plans to hire his first head coach for the Kraken before the end of the month. We do know that Rick Tocchet, a former Francis teammate with the Penguins, has interviewed for the job and would be an ideal hire, I think, because he would bring a brand name to a new NHL market on top of being a good coach. Having said that, it is believed the Kraken have spoken to other candidates as well in their super-secret way. I do believe, for example, they chatted with San Jose Sharks assistant Rocky Thompson although he’s no longer in the running. One guy I thought all along the Kraken would want to wait and interview is New York Islanders assistant Lane Lambert. Just how far the Islanders keep playing playoff hockey into the summer might affect whether or not they have time to do that. Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes No doubt the Kraken might have been waiting to see how the Rod Brind’Amour situation played out in Carolina as well, and frankly, I think the Rangers were as well even though they were really high on Gallant. That the Rangers went ahead and cemented things with Gallant was a sign to me that they got intel Brind’Amour wasn’t leaving Carolina. Things still aren’t finalized in Raleigh but sources indicated Wednesday morning that as the Hurricanes went about offering new deals to much of Brind’Amour’s staff, which was important to him, things were looking 1189769 Websites These current attempts to pass laws around the country that restrict participation in women’s sports for trans athletes can also represent an opportunity for outlets of all sizes to humanize trans athletes on a local level. In my experience over the last decade, the more you remove the The Athletic / ‘Fear is a liar. The world is ready’: LGBTQ+ sports media stigma of being LGBTQ+, the more people get to know us and see members on their experiences there’s nothing to fear, and that’s when progress can be made and discrimination begins to fade.

Lin: The current coverage of LGBTQ+ athletes has, I think, broadened a By Richard Deitsch Jun 16, 2021 lot in the last four years. Mainstream sports coverage can really only improve through the hiring of more diverse voices across their newsrooms and more importantly, more voices in editor and producer Four years ago this month, after former NFL lineman Ryan O’Callaghan positions. revealed on Outsports.com that he had planned to take his own life after professional football, a result of O’Callaghan living life as a closeted gay Paul: Coverage is lacking, though it’s definitely gotten better over the man, I hosted a roundtable on Sports Illustrated’s website with seven years. Certain niche sites, like Outsports, do a great job, but it’s pretty openly LGBTQ+ sports media members. You can read the piece from remarkable that mainstream sites don’t follow up on Outsports stories 2017 here, which includes the panelists’ coming-out stories. when they lend themselves to a local angle. Staffing is one problem. Covering a bunch of different beats myself, I understand there’s often just This month I asked the same seven sports media members if they would not enough bodies to cover everything (and that’s not going to get any return to participate in a similar panel. They all agreed. Some in the panel better). But the stories are there to be done, and there’s an audience for have since moved to new jobs or assignments. them. Prioritizing is key here. Maybe a few less gamers and notebooks, and a few more outside-the-box features is the way to go. The panel: Scott: I get the majority of my LGBTQ+ athletic news from Britni de la • Steve Buckley, sports columnist, The Athletic Cretaz, Dr. Nefertiti A. Walker, Katie Barnes, SportsMediaLGBT+, • Chuck Culpepper, sports writer, GLAAD, Chris Mosier, Athlete Ally and Outsports on Twitter. I think the No. 1 thing mainstream shops can do to improve coverage of LGBTQ+ • Dave Doyle, Los Angeles-based freelance mixed martial arts reporter athletes is to hire more writers with a deep understanding of and and editor knowledge about our community, like Sports Illustrated did by having Britni write its cover story on Layshia Clarendon earlier this year. Comfort • Christopher Hine, Timberwolves writer, Minneapolis Star Tribune with the subject matters. It leads to better questions, which lead to better answers, which lead to the best content possible. Something I think is a • Esther Lin, photographer and voiceover talent. Check out her work necessary step in helping to push the conversation forward. here. I asked each of you this four years ago: “Do you think • Tony Paul, sports enterprise reporter, Detroit News viewers/listeners/readers care that you’re gay, positive or negative, and • Kate Scott, play-by-play announcer for NBC Sports and Fox Sports, why?” What is your opinion today? host of “The Morning Roast” on 95.7 The Game in San Francisco Buckley: On a day-to-day basis I’d say no, nobody cares. It just doesn’t The panelists were asked to go as long or as short as they wanted with come up much anymore. But when I write about LGBTQ+ issues, that’s their answers. They could omit any answer they wished. Some of the when some people do weigh in. Save for the occasional tired and answers have been edited for clarity. predictable insult, the messages I receive are overwhelmingly positive, even those from people who disagree with what I’ve written. How would you assess the current coverage of LGBTQ+ athletes and how can mainstream shops do a better job, more consistently, of Culpepper: I have never received any correspondence from anyone who covering LGBTQ+ athletes? ever cared in any sort of negative vein. Every once in a while, I’ll get something along the lines of, “Oh, I noticed that,” and a time or two I Buckley: All in all, it’s pretty good. I do run across some clumsy takes have gotten, “Oh, that helps explain why you’re so different,” but it’s now and then, but even those are well-intentioned. always something of a curiosity and nothing more. Or I’ll hear from gay people who find it helpful in some way, but if I think of it, I think I already Culpepper: In my lifetime, I never expected to see what I see now in knew most of those people. I’ll go back to my thought that around the terms of coverage, its breadth and its depth of understanding. There’s so world, most people are just trying to get through their own day. much understanding that it almost baffles me, with how many of the old misconceptions about gay people seem to have eroded all in an historic Doyle: When we were asked something similar last time around I whoosh. If we follow where the news and the national debates are answered in part, “People still value authenticity in a writer,” and I believe leading, it’s in covering transgender human beings that reporters are that even more strongly now than I did then. The 2017 panel was the first going to need the instruction, the understanding and the insight going time I spoke publicly about my sexual orientation in a professional setting forward. and I immediately felt a stronger connection to both my readers and my peers. To the degree it matters, it’s on that level. Doyle: I am going to take this and tie it to something specific to my beat, and I’m going to use a recent example: At a media day building up his Hine: I think my answer is the same as it was then. Some care, some most recent fight, the UFC’s Donald Cerrone made an inference that his don’t. Some have a problem with it. Others encourage it. In my day-to- opponent and opponent’s coach were having a gay relationship, and the day job as an NBA beat writer, my sexuality doesn’t really come up all assembled media hooted and hollered like they were at Friday night at that much in my writing, so maybe that affects my experience. Ninety- the Laugh Factory. I was embarrassed for them. Compounding matters, nine percent of the time I’m not writing about LGBTQ+ issues, so it’s a several outlets simply ran with Cerrone’s comments as just part of the little hard to tell how people really feel. story, as if casual homophobia is another piece of harmless trash talk. Reporters: You wouldn’t have laughed if an out, gay person was in the Lin: Today, I think viewers care that I’m bisexual, and I believe that’s a room, so why did you do it when there wasn’t? Outlets: If LGBTQ+ positive. I’m proud and excited to share, be visible. diversity in your newsroom matters to you as something more than just Paul: I’m not sure readers care that much that I’m gay, and I’m not sure window dressing, then do better than this in these situations, which in the traditional reader — the reader who just devours the stories I write, MMA still come up more often than they should. and might not even notice the byline — actually knows. But the social- Hine: I think the recent piece on Layshia Clarendon in Sports Illustrated, media crowd does, in fact, seem interested, and appreciative that I’m written by Britni de la Cretaz and edited by Julie Kliegman, should be willing to be out, honest and willing to address gay issues when it comes required reading for anyone working in sports media on how to handle to sports, or even when it comes to politics (and, boy, do my bosses love stories involving LGBTQ+ athletes. The care with which they told it when I talk politics, like a golfer loves a buried lie in the bunker). I’ve Layshia’s story was evident, and I learned a lot from reading it. It’s easy received lots of positive interaction over the years, particularly from to say outlets should just hire more LGBTQ+ writers and editors — ESPN followers who have gay children or family members, some of whom were has a great writer in Katie Barnes, by the way — but when you hire them, early in the stages of coming to terms with that and told me that I had listen to them as it pertains to how to tell these kinds of stories. Note the helped them. That feels good. way they alternated Layshia’s pronouns throughout the story. That kind Scott: Similar to the answer I gave you back in 2017, I think the majority of attention to detail is critical in telling stories that will resonate not just in don’t care, but there remains a small group of viewers and listeners that sports but beyond. These are human stories, and they don’t have to be do. I still get tweets, emails, and direct messages from folks thanking me put in a box of LGBTQ+ stories. You can educate readers about what life for being out and being a role model for our community. is like for all types of people whether gay, lesbian, trans, non-binary. How newsworthy is it in 2021 if a current professional athlete comes out thought you’d overcome, there’s nothing anybody can say that can bring during his or her career? you down. Buckley: These stories remain newsworthy. While there’s a sameness to Lin: Each day that passes is actually a slightly brighter day on social some of them, including my own, they still resonate with closeted folks media for me as a queer artist. It feels like every day is brighter, more who are thinking about opening up that door. When a professional athlete open, more loving in the way that makes me feel part of a broader comes out, that’s just huge. Consider the manner in which Jason Collins community of queer creatives online — which has really helped me came out (in 2013), and how it was received. What a guiding light that through the isolation of the last year. was for younger amateur athletes, whatever their sexual orientation. Paul: Same as before, honestly. I still don’t have a blue checkmark. Culpepper: How much of a star or an all-star is the athlete? I reckon that’s the lingering question at this point in history. Every single one of Scott: Nothing has changed, I think, due to the fact that I live in the San the hundreds of unknown or mildly known athletes who have come out, Francisco Bay Area and a good chunk of my followers do as well. The often in sports with smaller audiences, has contributed something to response to LGBTQ+ articles, photos and podcasts that I share remains humankind. What remains up ahead would seem to be what we might overwhelmingly positive. see in, say, 2041: a smallish constellation of stars who have made the Pride night at Rio Tinto Stadium, home of MLS’ Real Salt Lake. (Jeffrey step. Swinger / USA Today) Doyle: The fact another four years have passed and we still haven’t had Four years ago I asked you if you feel threatened by the current political a major star in North American sports come out during their prime kind of climate? How do you feel today? answers that one. Buckley: There’s this sudden focus on transgender people. As they are Hine: I still think it’s very significant whenever an athlete comes out. part of my community — that is, the community of human beings — I do Maybe it won’t get the headlines it once did, but I think any athlete that worry, yes. comes out is significant because it helps those that come after them. I’ve seen that across all sports and even in media itself because I looked at Doyle: Things got interesting in my little corner since we last convened. others who came out before me, even on this panel, like Tony, Steve and The UFC became deeply intertwined with right-wing politics. UFC Chuck, and they helped me find my own voice. So even if it doesn’t president Dana White is close with former President Trump. White spoke generate the news it might have at one point, it still matters to those who at the Republican convention in 2016 and 2020 and actively campaigned are in similar situations. for his re-election along with several of his star fighters. At the end of the day, White does not care if you are gay, straight, White, Black, or Lin: A professional athlete coming out today in 2021 is as newsworthy as whichever characteristics you wish to insert here, so long as you can they’d like such news to be! Always wonderful news and always make him money. Amanda Nunes was bantamweight champ back in welcome. Maybe I’m a romantic, but every pro athlete coming-out story 2017, she still holds that belt, has also become featherweight champ, still makes me proud, emotional. and White has put the company’s promotional might behind her. But the Paul: Some readers love to say, “Who cares,” whenever a story about an promotion has still made some questionable decisions. Chechen athlete coming out is written or reported. I always find that response strongman Ramzan Kadyrov has been credibly accused of running a hilarious, since, by making the comment, there’s a good chance you read pogrom against gay men in the republic he runs. He was seated in the the story and, thus, do actually care. The truth is, a lot of people care. front rows of a UFC event in Abu Dhabi. If you are an LGBTQ+ fighter on The metrics on such stories prove that. So an athlete coming out remains the UFC roster (or UFC employee, or media covering the card, or fan of very newsworthy, and will for quite some time, given so few professional the product, etc.), and someone accused of atrocities who has been athletes have come out, particularly before retirement. It’d be great if we drummed out of most of polite society is welcomed at your event, what get to the point where it barely registers as a blip, but we’re not there, not type of message does that send? I have to emphasize here that I’ve even close, and, sadly, we won’t be there anytime soon. never had anyone in the UFC (or any other major promotion, for that matter), give me negative feedback or make me feel less than welcome Scott: I think it depends on the league now. We’ve seen the WNBA and due to my sexual orientation. But when you see something like Kadyrov NWSL continue to lead the way when it comes to the inclusion and sitting cageside at a card, and you see that UFC parent company celebration and thus, normalization of their LGBTQ+ athletes. Meanwhile, Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel received an award for his work with the it’s been 40 years since MLB had an openly gay active player. I just LGBTQ+ community, you wonder if one hand knows what the other is finished reading “Singled Out,” the Andrew Maraniss-written book on doing. former Dodgers and A’s outfielder Glenn Burke, and that absolutely blew my mind. Forty years! Then I realized the NFL and most of the other Hine: I think there will always be parts of the country or certain places professional men’s leagues in the U.S. have never had an openly gay you go where you’re going to feel uncomfortable and anxious at the very active athlete, so hey, 40 years ain’t so bad! What I’m trying to get at is it least, and I don’t know how that’s ever going to change. The current would be a massive deal if an active NFL, MLB, NBA or NHL player were political climate overall is more favorable for me, a White cis gay man, to come out and I truly hope someone or a group of players band than it is for the Black LGBTQ+ community and the trans community, together soon to do just that. which has faced a barrage of attacks. I worry about that more than my own personal feelings or anxiety. I think the last six years or so has made What has been your experience on social media since the first panel some people think it’s OK to be intolerant and again, I don’t know if that’s came out? ever going to change or if those feelings will ever really go away. Buckley: Nothing much has changed. There isn’t much bad stuff; what’s Lin: The unease I have in the political climate is still around because the there just drifts out to sea. fight never seems to end. Women’s bodies are still overpoliced, anti-trans laws are still being passed, it’s still a struggle in that sphere, even if my Culpepper: Social media has been, in my experience, the same social media bubble feels warm and welcoming. irresistible, appalling, glorious, horrendous, enticing, repulsive, good, bad place all along. Paul: Four years ago, sure. I mean, on Day 1 of the previous administration, every mention of LGBTQ+ issues was stripped off the Doyle: It’s been interesting. I’ve absolutely had wonderful support from White House official website. Today, much less so, even though the readers and most colleagues. But there’s been a subset of social media previous administration’s (Supreme Court) overhaul is concerning. We which has gotten louder and more obnoxious over the past several years now have a President who supports equality, and the needle is really as well. The UFC became the most openly pro-Trump sports league of shifting for the gay-rights movement. According to a new Gallup poll, 70 note over the past few years, and with that, social media trolls became percent of Americans now support gay marriage, and for the first time, a bolder than ever. It’s not all that easy to stick to sports when the guy majority of Republicans now support gay marriage. Even in Michigan, the running the sport you cover is out campaigning for Trump’s re-election. Republican-led state Senate just officially recognized June as LGBTQ So if you want to stick to your guns, you basically have to just deal with it, Pride Month for the first time. Progress is progress, and there’s been a lot and dish out blocks on social media like you’re Manute Bol. of it in the last several years. Then again, as I write this, I’m reminded Hine: Not much has changed since then. In 2016, when I wrote about that it’s the fifth anniversary of the Pulse Nightclub massacre. There’s still being gay and covering a player (Andrew Shaw) who used an anti-gay so much hate in the world, too. slur in a playoff game, I saw the vitriol and also the positive attitudes that Scott: I think I actually feel more threatened today. While there is some exist simultaneously on social media and my email inbox. Since then I level of comfort in knowing that our President and Vice President are haven’t been afraid to be myself on social media, to make the occasional supporters of our community, there is a very angry section of this country joke that only other LGBTQ+ people would understand, for instance. intent on taking that anger out on anyone they deem an other. Look at all Some people still have a problem with it, but after you’ve come out to the states using their small handful of trans athletes — and it is an family and friends and faced the biggest hurdle of your life you never incredibly small handful — as the latest fabricated issue. Earlier this week my wife and I had to wash anti-gay and anti-Black slurs off of the street near our house. The slurs were written by some teenage boys who around the weight of your secret and spending so much precious energy live nearby and when an older neighbor confronted them about it, they on keeping it so, I promise you, yours will too. threatened him and confidently said their parents would have their backs if they hurt him. I live in one of the more accepting neighborhoods in a Anything you wish to add? part of the country that’s viewed as overwhelmingly accepting, right? So, Doyle: I’m putting this here because It doesn’t neatly fit with any of the what does that say about the climate of our country? Sadly, I’m always other questions. There’s been a noticeable uptick in open anti-trans on the lookout for trouble. bigotry over the past few years, and much of it has been about creating a On the WNBA and NWSL side, we’ve seen some of their biggest stars climate of fear of trans people in sports. The arguments are the same old come out, be embraced, be themselves and thrive. In the major men’s tropes that were used against gays and lesbians for decades. For some pro sports in this country, do you think we will see a big star come out in reason, my generation of Gen X White gay cisgender men seem to have the near future? And if not, why not? this blind spot about trans rights, and it’s not cool. This is not aimed at anyone in specific, but in general, I think sports reporters and the outlets Buckley: I’m as optimistic as ever that we’re going to see coming-out who employ them need to do a better job in calling out transphobia and stories in men’s pro sports. Lots of them. I must say I thought we’d be not allowing bad-faith actors to set the terms of the debate. well along on this by now, especially after Jason Collins was so well- received after he came out. But it took me nearly 10 years to sign the Hine: Sometimes I have to remind myself that using my voice and official coming-out papers after I had made the initial decision, so let’s platform still matters because sometimes I feel like I write things and they maybe chill and give these guys a chance to plan their parties. To just go out into the void of social media or nobody’s really paying anyone who has ever considered coming out, my message remains: attention. But people are paying attention, and using our voices to Make your announcement after you’ve decided it’s right for you. discuss important issues in the LGBTQ+ community can be an important thing, no matter what backlash we may receive. Culpepper: I think if we don’t see a major men’s pro athlete come out over the coming decade or so, it will owe to a gay athlete or athletes Lin: It’s been a rough year for a lot of people, and I’m definitely caught in refraining from the hubbub that would attend the coming-out. The athlete that tumble. It took me some time to answer these questions this time would avoid that largely in deference to his teammates, to the because I’m constantly vacillating between hope for the future and a organization. But then, teams have handled noise before, and then smoldering fear we might lose ground. maybe a coming-out up ahead in the future could happen with quick and Scott: If you consider yourself an ally of the LGBTQ+ community, be scant fanfare, especially given the rising generation at hand. We must vocal. Let people know. That’s how we create spaces in which others will always entertain the delightful possibility of winding up surprised. feel comfortable sharing their truths. Doyle: You can add the UFC to the WNBA and NWSL. The list of out The Ink Report lesbian fighters has gotten longer than ever. But that said, we’re four years on from the original panel and we still haven’t had a major male 1. Episode 148 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First up sports star come out at the height of their powers, so what does that tell is Michael Kay, the television play-by-play voice of the New York you? I’d still like to think it’s just around the corner. The current Yankees and the host of The Michael Kay Show, heard on ESPN Radio generation of athletes, by and large, seems more accepting and inclusive in from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Kay has a new book out — than ever, and Pride nights at sporting events are routine now. So Centerstage: My Most Fascinating Interviews — from A-Rod to Jay-Z, everything seems better lined up than ever for this to be a thing, and yet which is a collection of the interviews Kay has conducted with some of here we are. I’m left with my same answer as four years ago: Hopefully the biggest names in sports, film, and television. Kay is followed by Jon soon. Wertheim, a senior writer for Sports Illustrated, a correspondent for “60 Minutes,” and an analyst for the Tennis Channel. Wertheim is the author Hine: I don’t, unfortunately. I think what happened to Michael Sam had a of “Glory Days: The Summer of 1984 and the 90 Days That Changed deep, scarring impact on the idea of someone coming out in the top four Sports and Culture.” (The Athletic on Tuesday published an excerpt from men’s sports. That’s just my opinion. I think a lot of athletes who may the book.) In this podcast, Kay discusses what he thinks makes a good have been thinking about it and saw that it’s likely not worth the hassle longform interviewer; a memorable interview with Sylvester Stallone; how and potential to lose your job. It’s easier to just keep it inside and live his show has been able to book major names and the importance of the privately, at least while your career is ongoing. So I’m highly skeptical Yankee brand; how long he can reasonably call the Yankees; whether that this will become normal. I said this in 2017 and I’ll say it again now, I baseball broadcasters will continue to call road games; how he navigates think it’s going to take a star player or multiple star players coming out to being critical and working on behalf of a team; the challenges of doing help make this normal in top men’s sports. Someone who isn’t in danger sports-talk radio in New York City; why he thinks sports-talk radio still has of losing his job by coming out. I think that’s the only way this dynamic significant meaning in his city; his obsession to beat Mike Francesa in the changes. And also, I don’t know if any of the leagues are ever truly ready ratings; competing against Craig Carton and Evan Roberts; being thin- to handle that. skinned about criticism; the cost and rewards of responding to media Lin: Yes, absolutely. Major men’s sports will see more athletes and stars criticism about his work, and much more. Wertheim discusses the coming out. genesis for his new book, spending time with a young Michael Jordan in the summer of 1984; the cultural milestones in 1984; the challenges of Paul: I think it’s inevitable that a major men’s star comes out at some weaving his story into a narrative; his thoughts on Naomi Osaka; what point, though I probably said the same thing when you asked us this Osaka’s immediate future will be and much more. question four years ago, and it hasn’t happened yet. It’s going to take the right person to do it — a person who is wholly comfortable in his own skin You can subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, (and willing to put his truth before his wallet). That gay male athlete is, no Stitcher and more. doubt, out there right now, wrestling with whether to do it, or if so, when. 2. The viewership numbers for the Women’s College World Series A progressive and major sponsor could help this process along, too. continue to be exceptional. ESPN said this year’s tournament (17 games) Take Nike, for instance. Its line of #BeTrue gear is cool and refreshing, was the most-viewed ever, averaging 1.203 million viewers per game. but would Nike give a $10-million-a-year endorsement deal to an out The three-game championship series averaged 1.84 million, up 15 male athlete? Ralph Lauren was super quick to dump Justin Thomas percent from 2019. The final game between Oklahoma and Florida State after his unfortunate slur, but would Ralph Lauren invest in an out male drew 1.565 million on ESPN for a 3 p.m. ET start. athlete? Until that issue is resolved, it may take a while. Because, as we know, in all walks of life, money talks. 2a. CBS will air the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo, the nation’s only all- Black touring rodeo, from Las Vegas at 1 p.m. ET on June 19 — Scott: Gosh, I hope so. If we don’t, it’s fear. Fear that they won’t be Juneteenth. It will be the first all-Black rodeo to be carried on national accepted, fear of losing their job, their friends, their livelihood, everything broadcast television. they’ve ever worked for … it’s fear. The most intense fear I’ve ever encountered stemmed from the worst-case scenarios my imagination 2b. Episode 147 of the Sports Media Podcast features two guests. First convinced me would come to pass if I came out and I was just some up is Ian Darke, the lead play-by-play commentator of ESPN’s soccer random college student in Berkeley. What did I have to lose? What was I coverage. He will be in London this month calling Euro 2020 for ESPN. so afraid of? I can only imagine how overwhelming that fear would feel if I Darke is followed by Anthony Crupi, a sports media reporter for Sportico. were a big star with hundreds of people relying on me, my income and In this podcast, Darke discusses the favorites for the tournament; calling my success. And though a big star considering coming out probably isn’t the Euros from London’s Wembley Stadium and the IMG studios in reading this column, to anyone who is, trust me when I say fear is a liar. London; the in-stadium protocols Darke has to follow because of COVID; The world is ready. That doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy, but look at how he preps for the tournament; why Poland is the toughest team for the WNBA and NWSL stars who’ve come out. Their success has pronunciations; why the Floyd Mayweather-Logan Paul boxing exhibition skyrocketed on and off of their respective playing fields. My life has was cynical and dangerous; stories from his contemporaries about gotten exponentially better since I came out. When you stop carrying sparring with all-time greats, and more. Crupi discusses the first round of the NBA playoffs averaging 3.06 million viewers, up 46 percent over 2020 and up 3 percent versus 2019; what the viewership numbers mean; why the second round of the NBA playoffs will be a significant viewership challenge for the NBA; the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs averaging a total audience of 642,000 viewers across NBC, NBCSN, USA, CNBC and digital outlets; what those numbers mean; what the best viewership possibilities for the NHL, and more. 3. Non-sports pieces of note: • The Secret IRS Files: Trove of Never-Before-Seen Records Reveal How the Wealthiest Avoid Income Tax. By Jesse Eisinger, Jeff Ernsthausen and Paul Kiel of ProPublica. • Death threats are terrorizing election workers. By Linda So of Reuters. • A Scientist Who Said No to COVID Groupthink. By Adam O’Neal of . • CNN still hasn’t explained its decision to reinstate Jeffrey Toobin. By Eric Wemple of The Washington Post. • The Elephant Vanishes: How a Circus Family Went on the Run. By Laura Spinney of The Guardian. • Hit a Golf Ball in Yellowstone Park? Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time. By John Clarke for The Wall Street Journal. • How Working From Home Has Changed Employees. By Alexandra Samuel of The Wall Street Journal. • The Murder Scandalizing Brazil’s Evangelical Church. By Jon Lee Anderson of The New Yorker. • The Curious Rise of Twitter Power Broker Yashar Ali. By Peter Kiefer for Los Angeles Magazine. • Inside the bizarre Arizona audit fueled by Trump’s false claims of election fraud. By Jess Bidgood of . • The Pentagon Papers at 50: A Special Report. Sports pieces of note: • You Ain’t Never Been No Little Girl, Taylor Townsend. By Taylor Townsend, for The Players Tribune. • By Mitch Albom of the Detroit Free Press: Allegations against Bo Schembechler are devastating; so are the victims’ stories. • Via Daniel Kaplan of The Athletic: Judge tosses part of suit versus NBC, allows portion to continue. • Ultimate Glory: An oral history of Julio César Chávez versus Oscar De La Hoya. By Roberto José Andrade Franco for The . • He Made Sticky Stuff for MLB Pitchers for 15 Years. Now He’s Speaking Out. By Stephanie Apstein and Alex Prewitt of Sports Illustrated. • Vladimir Guerrero Jr., Juan Soto and Fernando Tatis Jr. define a group that could dominate baseball for years. By Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189770 Websites Dave Poulin, Flyers captain: They were hiding like little kids behind their curtain, so our guys hid like little kids behind our curtain, and they went out to meet them. The Athletic / ‘It was mayhem’: Inside the Flyers-Canadiens 1987 brawl Lemieux: So we come back on the ice, fans are cheering, and decided that changed the NHL forever (we) might as well go skate it in their end. Then next thing you know I’ve got a freakin’ goalie stick coming at my head.

Resch: I went in the corner to pick up my stick, and (Hospodar has) got Kevin Kurz Jun 16, 2021 Lemieux, wrestling with him and he gets him down. I go over there and he’s not hitting him, he’s just holding him down.

I remember saying to those guys, “What are we doing? This is A glance at the box score of Game 6 of the Wales Conference finals on ridiculous.” Claude looked up and said, “Yeah, this is stupid.” We were May 14, 1987, when Philadelphia advanced to the Stanley Cup Final with ready to quit, but the crowd is roaring, and then I look and see the a 4-3 win over Montreal, doesn’t reveal anything extraordinary. Rick Montreal Canadiens’ door is open and the team is coming back out onto Tocchet’s third-period goal broke a 3-3 tie, and eventual Conn Smythe- the ice. Then everybody came out there. winning goalie Ron Hextall made 29 saves to help the Flyers advance. Lemieux: (Hospodar) was a tough guy, but I flipped him over and I’m on What happened before the game, though, has resonated for more than top of him like, “What are you doing?” And then Chico was like, “What’s three decades. going on? What are you guys doing?” And I’m like, “What are you guys “The National Hockey League sank to a new low last night, and that’s an doing?” Then it was too late, and I saw, oh my gosh, all the players are (extreme) low indeed,” wrote Philadelphia Inquirer sports editor Frank coming on the ice, and it was over. Dolson. “Those were major hockey league players out there making a Poulin: One of our trainers (Jim Evers) ran into the room yelling, “Gotta mockery of their sport.” go, gotta go, gotta go!” Don Cherry, the acerbic Canadian broadcaster, said at the time: “I don’t Chris Nilan, Canadiens forward: All of a sudden an usher comes running mind the odd brawl, but I didn’t like that.” in (to the dressing room). “There’s a problem on the ice, they’re going Pregame emotions had been building throughout the series, sparked after Lemieux.” So I did my skates up, not real tight, but as quick as I mainly by Claude Lemieux and Shayne Corson. The two Montreal could, and out I went. forwards, after warmups had been completed, would shoot a stray puck Dave Brown, Flyers forward: Keenan at first said, “No, no, we can’t do into the Flyers’ empty net. Their routine irritated the Flyers, but it quickly this.” I was thinking we should do it now if we’re going to fight these guys. became part of a psychological game within a game. We didn’t plan anything out, but it was Game 6, and we’ve got to play Before Game 6 at the Montreal Forum, it all came to a head in one of the tough and play hard this game. most memorable brawls in league history, and one that had lasting Mike Keenan, Flyers coach: Normally, I would watch warmups, which I effects. Afterward, Flyers forward Ed Hospodar was suspended for the did. Then warmups had concluded, so I went into the coaching office in final round — the only player to earn any kind of ban. There was a total the old Forum. All of a sudden I hear this uproar. I didn’t want them to get of $24,500 in fines. involved in that. But more importantly, when players raced to the ice from both dressing Howe: I’m the first guy out, and I grab my stick as I’m going by. So I’ve rooms before the opening faceoff, there were no referees or linesmen to got my stick on the ice, because you don’t know what the hell is going on. break it up. The fracas forced the NHL to take a hard look at its Doug Crossman had been in the washroom and had on his sandals, so reputation. League executives knew that if they ever were going to make he’s out on the ice with his flip-flops on. the game appealing to a broader fan base, these types of moments would have to disappear. About four months later, the NHL introduced Al Morganti, Flyers beat writer, Philadelphia Inquirer: One of the great harsh penalties and fines for any players, coaches or teams involved in a traditions at the Forum was, obviously they had great hot dogs in the similar melee. A 10-game player suspension for coming off the bench to press room. For the playoffs, though, they put tablecloths out, and I think fight was among the new rules. there was actually wine. So I don’t think anybody was too anxious to leave that to go watch warmups, but word filtered down that something’s “Multiplayer brawls have no place in the National Hockey League,” said going on here, and then it was like, are we really seeing what we’re William Wirtz, then the Blackhawks’ owner and president. ”We feel that seeing? It was hard to believe. When you cover the Flyers, you’ve seen a this legislation will eliminate what has damaged the image of the league.” lot. Even for what we’ve seen, this is bonkers. And it got worse and What follows are the insights of more than a dozen participants and worse. It was surreal watching it and calling the office and saying, observers of the 1987 pregame brawl. “You’ve got to get ready for this because this is crazier than anything we’ve ever seen before.” Claude Lemieux, Canadiens forward: Shayne Corson and I liked to stay on the ice late and have a long warmup, and I was always the last guy to Of all the things that I remember from that, and all the stuff that was get off. It was kind of a superstition thing — flip a puck in the empty net. going on, I just can’t get over Doug Crossman on those stupid slippers. It And that was our routine. was like watching that guy who took off his clothes in “Slap Shot.” Mark Howe, Flyers defenseman: The whole thing started because of Lemieux: There were guys with no skates. One (fight) would break out superstition. and things would settle down. … I was obviously the instigator, I’m just trying to get this thing stopped. The Flyers always dressed five or six Chico Resch, Flyers goalie: In Game 4, I took the net off and I turned it extra guys, and they always skated over the (red) line. They started the around and pushed it against the back boards. (Lemieux and Corson) intimidation in the warmups. I knew we were outnumbered. So then my didn’t know what to do. They didn’t really do anything because I’m mind is thinking, we’re losing players here. We’re losing key guys. This is standing there in uniform, watching. not good. So I’m trying to tone it down, and while that’s happening, they’re trying to fuel it up. They’ve got guys that know they’re not playing, So then we beat them (in Game 4), and I’m thinking, OK, we’re getting in so they could care less. their heads. So I said I’m going to do that again back at the Spectrum (for Game 5). But they had their own plan. They went and took the net off the Howe: I saw Brownie come out and he looked like a heat-seeking back boards and placed it back on the pegs, and then they do their thing. missile. He was looking for Nilan. Then they caught eyes, and went And they beat us (5-2), and Lemieux had scored. straight to each other. So then I’m thinking, in Montreal (for Game 6) if I take it off they’ll just put Poulin: Dave Brown went out without a flak jacket, and nothing to hang it back on. And (Flyers coach) Mike Keenan said, “Do not let them score.” on to. He was looking for one guy. And that was Chris Nilan. Lemieux: This thing had picked up and became I guess somewhat Nilan: (Flyers defenseman Kjell) Samuelsson is kind of looking at me. I important where (Canadiens captain) Bob Gainey had said to me and know he’s a big guy, it’s not like I was scared of Kjell Samuelsson Corson, “You guys, don’t mess around out there. Just come off the ice because he was big. That didn’t bother me at all. Am I going to waste my and once they leave, you can go about your superstition.” Something like time fighting this guy, who doesn’t fight? I knew this wasn’t it. Sure that. And so we decided we were going to hide behind the curtain, which enough, both dressing rooms started trickling out, and then I saw big is what we did. We saw them leave and we asked the security guard, Brownie obviously come out with no jersey on. And, OK, here we go. “Are they gone?” And he’s like, “Yeah.” Morganti: Dave Brown was the king. He was the best fighter I ever saw. Brown: I always took my jersey off to cool off after warmups or in one of my teammates was like, get your ass back out there. So I was between periods. I had it off, and I thought, why should I put it back on if like, OK. we’re going back out there to fight? I just put my elbow pads on, if I fall down. We went to look for whoever we had to match up with, and I knew Clement: It was similar to a bench-emptying brawl, but at least there Nilan was my guy, because he was their tough guy, so I went and looked were three sheriffs to go around in a bench-emptying brawl back then. In for him. this brawl, there were no cops on the ice. Resch: One guy I felt bad for was Chris Nilan. Dave Brown was the Ron Hextall, Flyers goalie: I had just done up my last strap on my pads heavyweight champ. But now there’s nowhere to hide, and poor and I got up and I was right beside the door, and as soon as I got up — “Knuckles” has got to take on Brown. the timing was impeccable. Keenan walks in, shuts the door, and puts his back against the door and says, “You can’t go out there.” All I can hear is Nilan: We went at it. Then we grabbed, and then we’d go again. At one the fans screaming, and I’m thinking we’re down a man because I’m in time we’re swinging away, and I went to my knees and got back up, and the locker room. Emotionally, it’s killing me. So I said to Mike, “I promise then we both rested again. He was leaning on my shoulder, he had his you, I won’t fight. I’ll just go out there and grab on to someone.” He said, head in behind my head, by my ear. And he goes, “Have you had “No, no. They’ll sucker punch you. You’re not going out.” enough?” And I said “Nope,” and I just fucking hauled off and threw another shot, and off we went again. Keenan: He wanted to go out, and I said, “Not a chance,” and I locked the door. Now he’s screaming and swearing at me. I said, “Ron, there’s Brian Hayward, Canadiens goalie: When it was going on, you’re thinking, no way you can go out. I know you love fisticuffs, you want to get shit, they’ve got all these guys dressed, and they were definitely targeting involved, you want to protect your teammates. I can’t afford to have you some of our better players. I remember (Canadiens defenseman) Larry break your hand in a fight.” Robinson grabbing me and saying, “You’ve got to get the hell off the ice because they’re coming for you.” Because I was playing that series. Clement: Keenan was smart enough to know what to do right away. The Meanwhile, it was just absolute bedlam. one guy he could not lose was Ron Hextall. His instincts were really good to bar the door from Hexy. Hexy would have either hurt somebody or Don Nachbaur, Flyers forward: I skated across the ice to where I saw all been hurt himself, and most certainly would have been suspended had their tough guys, and before I could get into that pile with those players he made it back onto the ice. He would have been like a blood-crazed somebody had grabbed me and spun me around. When I turned around I weasel in a chicken coop not knowing where to go, who to hit, what to realized it was Larry Robinson that had me. After some conversations do. Hexy only knew one speed once the switch flipped. with Larry, I asked him three times to let me go because I didn’t want to be with Larry. Hayward: Probably fortunate that I didn’t end up with Hextall, because he would have kicked my ass. He said, “You’re not going anywhere. I’m not going to let you go.” And I told him, “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to start throwing punches.” He Resch: I come in after it’s all over and (Hextall is) sitting there, and his said to me, “You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.” eyes are red and he’s looking a little disheveled. And I said, “Hexy what’s going on with you? You weren’t even out there, what’s your problem?” Larry Robinson, Canadiens defenseman: I was paired up with Nachbaur, and Nachbaur tried to get me going, or whatever. So then we started a Hextall: When Chico Resch came into the locker room he looked at me bit of a scuffle. I think he might have tried to punch me and luckily I think and said, “What happened to you?” Nothing happened to me, but the he kind of missed. Then I guess there was a bunch of punches, and emotions were like … I figured we were one guy short. everything. Poulin: (Afterward) they actually brought (Gainey) and I into a little room Poulin: I remember at one point looking at Larry Robinson, who was on our side with the referee. They were trying to get some direction on about as classy an individual as you get, but he was drawn into it what started, who started it, how it started. Frankly, it was hearsay on our because of his size and his toughness. And I’m watching him and part anyway because we weren’t out on the ice. thinking … this is all just wrong. Morganti: We had no perspective on what’s going to happen. Are there Nachbaur: I feel bad to this day that I threw a punch at Larry. As a young penalties? Who’s thrown out? Is anybody thrown out? You go to the rule guy, I was one of those guys that looked up to him. There was a lot of book and there’s nothing there. There literally was nothing there. respect there. But I had a job to do. Brown: They just said we’ll kick Hospodar out because he started it, or Hayward: They had a lot of more guys dressed and it seemed like there supposedly started it. He got a lot of blame for starting it. He wasn’t really was intent there for some of their lackeys, if you will, to create as much the guy that started it, it was those guys that started it because they kept havoc as they could. And I don’t know if that’s true, but when you’re on on doing that shit in our end of the ice. the other side, that’s what it felt like. Poulin: In the little washroom in Montreal in the old Forum, (Hospodar) is Nachbaur: After I got away from Larry, I pushed (Tocchet) aside and me shaving and he’s actually showered and his hair is combed perfectly. He and Corson were squared up. Before we even had a chance to throw a looks like a little schoolboy angel. And I walk back in, and he asks, punch, or may have thrown one or two, somebody grabbed me by the “Poulie, I’m just double-checking, I’m not in the lineup, right?” I said, “You throat from behind and got me in a headlock and we fell backward. I was weren’t in the lineup before the game, Eddie, you didn’t work your way under a pile of players. I was taking punches from the side while I laid on into it.” the ice with my arms pinned underneath me. My hands were exposed, Lemieux: I remember for the game we were dead. You could see it just and I could see nothing but skate blades. That was a really scary took a lot out of our guys. I remember personally being drained. After moment where I thought I was going to get my fingers cut off. warmups, I’m thinking, oh my gosh, how are we going to play now? But Keenan: I was now on the sidelines. (Flyers owner Ed) Snider is asking they were fresher than we were. me to go out and break it up. I said, “Not a chance, I’ve got shoes on. I’m Resch: Anybody in life can say, oh, that’s stupid. Well, you’re probably not going out there in leather shoes.” right, except that you haven’t been there. You don’t understand the way Bill Clement, ESPN broadcaster: We weren’t on the air yet. ESPN was the game developed. Now, it’s become a game where there’s so many on SportsCenter. (Producer Bruce Connal) was explaining to them what rules and punishments, you’re never going to see anything like that. And was going on and was begging them to take our feed, because we were you probably shouldn’t. But I don’t think anybody who was involved lived hot. They could have dropped it right into SportsCenter, but SportsCenter their life (thinking) that was so sick. It wasn’t like anybody got being an entity unto itself and kind of a closed shop, they declined. I permanently hurt. thought, oh my God, this is like a train wreck. I don’t know who could look Robinson: I know that fighting and everything was more part of the game away from it. back then. I guess some people loved to see that more than they’d like to At one point, I remember looking at Doc (Emrick), and we were so see hockey games. So, I don’t really look at it as a memorable moment in frustrated. We’re announcers. We wanted to announce what was going my hockey career. Things happen and they happen for I guess certain on, but we didn’t have an audience. We weren’t on the air. So I reasons, but it’s not something that I fondly remember. remember going, oh my gosh, I wish we were calling this right now, Brown: I think that started leading to where we are now. It was another because it was mayhem and we had a bird’s eye view. factor that (reduced) fighting. Before that, we used to brawl probably Lemieux: You’re seeing family members in the stands, and the looks on three or four times a year. I think they knew at some point that they were their faces. … You could see wives, you could see parents. It was like, going to have to stop the brawls if they were going to be able to show this people just didn’t know what to think. And the players, we didn’t know on national TV. They didn’t want to have that kind of reputation, because what to think. Usually we’re told to stop and then something happens and they didn’t think they could grow the game, probably — and they’re it gets split up, but in this case, you’re looking around for referees, and probably right. there’s nothing. I remember trying to get off. I was going to go rest, and The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189771 Websites OK, at least as far as earworms go. The part of your brain that processes logic, maybe not so much.

Gentille: Tara Tara truly might have been a once-in-a-lifetime thing — it The Athletic / McIndoe vs. Gentille: Two fans forced to watch each was a) conceptually confusing enough to stick with you, b) one of the country’s most annoying 2021 NHL playoff commercials worst earworms in the history of recorded music and c) aired once every break, which in hindsight has to be because companies were terrified to spend money mid-pandemic. We should feel honored to have lived through it. By Sean McIndoe and Sean Gentille Jun 16, 2021 Anyway, here’s a guy who does things a little differently.

McIndoe: What … the hell. Last year, roughly halfway through the NHL playoffs, I had what I thought was a good idea. I feel like there was some point a few years ago where ads started trying to be weird for the sake of being weird. I guess that makes them I was watching yet another night of hockey and muttering to myself about memorable. This one isn’t funny, in any recognizable way. But I guess how Canadians always seem to have to sit through some combination of you notice it. the same half-dozen or so commercials at every ad break. I was also vaguely aware that many Americans on my Twitter feed were Gentille: Before this, I’d never experienced the delight of hearing a wet complaining about a similar phenomenon. But their ads were different — stuffed animal slap against parchment paper. Thank you, Liberty Mutual. I’d never seen them and they’d never seen any of mine. McIndoe: Hold on, let me try it again with max volume. Wouldn’t it be neat, I thought, to find an American hockey fan and set up a sort of international exchange program? I could have them watch the Yep, that’s what that is all right. most annoying Canadian ads, they could send me the worst the U.S. had Gentille: OK, so I think a pretty basic psychological principle explains the to offer, and we’d have fun reacting to them. So I reached out to Sean thought process behind this commercial and the onslaught of insurances Gentille, he agreed to participate, and we made it all happen. This would ads in general. It’s basic in the sense that I read the Wikipedia page and be fun! understood it relatively quickly. It’s called the Von Restorff effect. Then he showed me the “Tara Tara look at her go“ ad and my brain Basically, it states that if you’re presented with a bunch of similar items hasn’t worked properly ever since. and one superficial outlier, the outlier stands out. So if you’re reading a 10-item list with nine items written in red, the one green word will stick So yeah, it was not a good idea. But that doesn’t mean we can’t do it all with you. over again. Many of you have asked for a sequel, using this year’s new crop of annoying ads. Do I want to do this? No, I do not. But it’s either There are tons of car insurance ads, fundamentally, because everybody this or write another column about the Leafs being huge losers, so let’s who drives is compelled by law to buy that product. So there’s a ton of break up the monotony with some terrible commercials. competition, and thus a ton of pressure to stand out. If you see three car insurance ads, it stands to reason that the one with wet teddy bears will The format will be the same as last year. Other Sean and I have both stick with you, whether or not it makes sense. chosen three ads that are in heavy rotation in our respective countries but that the other person has never seen. We’ll each watch the other’s McIndoe: So this is why I still remember that one time the Leafs won a ads for the first time ever and react in real-time. Then you will go into the playoff series. Makes sense. comments section and argue about which country has it worse. (It’s your Gentille: And why all the failures blend together, yes. In due time, you’ll country. Everyone always thinks their country’s ads are worse.) forget about the Canadiens series. It’s science. I’ve been assured there’s nothing in this year’s American batch that’s as Here’s my punch-up for that commercial, by the way. Instead of wet annoying as Tara Tara, and so help me if this turns out to be a lie teddy bears — which are random for the sake of being random — the because then there’s a good chance you will never see me again. guy should be fishing more varied, obvious trash out of the water. Pregame Strategy Lots of people would say “printed out copy of the Maple Leafs parade McIndoe: As with last year, the big challenge is narrowing down my list to route” here, but not me. three. Many of you Canadians have been submitting nominations for McIndoe: “ goaltending plans.” weeks now, and you’ve made strong cases. Pretty much every gambling app ad is deeply weird. The one where a couple dances unironically to Oh hey, speaking of seeing the same thing 10 times in a row … “Time Of My Life” for some car website is disturbing. And yes, we can all agree that we want to punch our screen every time that some smug I’m going to start with an ad I actually don’t hate. It’s part of a campaign, know-it-all lectures a family member over their investment fees. and that’s the problem, which we’ll get to in a second. But on its own, stripped of context, this isn’t a bad commercial. You might even like it. But with all due respect to those awful ads, there was really only one spot The problem is that it’s part of a series of ads that run all the time up available this year, thanks to a certain burger joint and a coffee place that here. I literally think there are games where this dude shows up every apparently took being excluded from last year’s post as a personal single commercial break. challenge. I went back and forth a bit on the last spot, but decided to give some recognition to a series of ads that’s not exactly awful, but is It’s time for you to meet the Sportsnet life coach … certainly … what’s the word I’m looking for? Omnipresent. That’s it. If you’d like to see more of that guy, may I suggest tuning into Sportsnet It goes without saying that I’ll lead off with that one to lull Gentille into a for roughly 15 seconds at any given time of day. Or you could go to this false sense of security, then hit him with the burger ad when he’s page on Vimeo, which has about 20 of these damn things. Which I have vulnerable, followed by the coffee ad that should sap his will to live, or at to say, based on experience, does not seem to be close to the full least to ever talk to a Canadian hockey fan about their favorite player. collection. Gentille: My strategy here is simple. It’s also a basic rip-off of what I did Gentille: So I didn’t hate that, but the Vimeo index page fills me with last year. First two? Garden-variety obnoxious. Last one? Drop the dread. There appear to be 32 different spots. That’s a gamble for any hammer. commercial star, let alone this guy, who I’m … not sold on. A couple quick notes on two that missed the cut: First, is the Lexus ad “This isn’t the bus station” suggests an underlying darkness within our implying that a) individual empathy is a cure for structural racism and b) friend. I think I’d be on board if each ad were weirder than the last and buying a Lexus, actually, is the most empathetic thing you can do. That the campaign traced his descent into madness. I kind of doubt that’s one sucks on principle without being fun to joke about. Second is the what you’re dealing with, yeah? iPhone privacy/“Can I have a taste of your ice cream” ad. It sucks as McIndoe: His madness? Or ours? Because he seems fine. well, but it’s simply not yet pervasive enough. Maybe next year. Gentille: He’s a cross between Jeff Goldblum in those apartments.com Commercial No. 1 ads and … Eugene Levy’s other son. “What famous person does this McIndoe: Promise me there’s no Tara Tara equivalent this year. non-famous person evoke” is a fun game. Gentille: There’s not, but that’d also be impossible. McIndoe: He’s always dressed the same, same hair, same stubble. It suggests that they shot like 100 of these things in one day and are just McIndoe: Actually, I’m realizing something for the first time as we type releasing them in small batches until we all go insane, at which point this — my Canadian ads don’t have any songs. I think you’re going to be presumably our TVs stay on Sportsnet forever and they win the ratings Gentille: They could’ve just faked it and had the custom print sitting on a war? I think that may be the plan. stack of blank ones, like wrapping a wad of dollar bills with one 20. I also wonder how they decided on ending with a mic drop. What other played Gentille: I’m getting itchy just thinking about how often you see this dude. out references didn’t make the cut? “We stan a Canadian cheeseburger.” Between the sheer number of ads, that there are 15- and five-second ones mixed in and that they’re for Sportsnet (the network all this stuff is McIndoe: OK, but in fairness, if I’d come up to you and randomly asked airing on) … not good. A recipe for resentment. you to name “the most Canadian thing ever,” do you deny that your instinctive first answer would have been “a hamburger place planting a “We’ve got 15 unsold seconds? Just throw a life coach ad in there. No tree”? problem.” Gentille: And once the tree finds a little success, it moves to the United McIndoe: Yeah, I’m not joking when I say that there are days when I see States and wins a Grammy. this guy more than my own family. You guys are missing out. Commercial No. 3 Speaking of which, I’d like to see an American version of this where at the end he says “Fernando Tatis Jr.” in the Mr. Black voice from “The Gentille: I said there was no Tara Tara-caliber nightmare. I did not say Simpsons.” there were no earworms. Commercial No. 2 McIndoe: You bastard. Gentille: When I asked Twitter for suggestions, this was far and away the Gentille: I’ve had time to think about this — it almost ruined my life during No. 1 vote-getter. Hello, Rupert. the NCAA Tournament. That was almost enough to make me exclude it, but it seems like it found a new, horrified audience over the last month. McIndoe: This is that turtle you guys are always mentioning! McIndoe: What is even happening here? It feels like there must be a two- Gentille: Thaaaat’s Rupert! minute version of this that makes sense and then they cut it down to this. McIndoe: OK, so two things here. First, I’m currently trying to figure out if Gentille: The guy and his hood ornament are dueting on a song (by the the turtle guy here is the exact same actor from the ad I’m about to send Pet Shop Boys, I’m told) about teaming up to make lots of money. The you. I don’t think it is, which suggests that there’s just this category of advertisement is about how Allstate saves you lots of money. “weirdly punchable” actors that companies like to hire for their commercials. It’s a collaborative effort between the two characters, you see. Gentille: “Jamie from the Progressive commercials, that’s your cue” McIndoe: I know this song! I liked this song! Note the past tense, because it’s ruined forever now. McIndoe: Second … like, is the idea here that Rupert is magical? All turtles from fraudulent websites? All turtles period? Help me through this. Gentille: UH, UH, UH, UH Gentille: The vibes in this one are horrendous. First, our guy openly cops McIndoe: Please stop. to buying an animal on the black market, which … you can just go to PetSmart and get a turtle. They’re everywhere. No illegal animal Gentille: The harmony at the end is what haunts me here. trafficking necessary. His checkout cart, I assume, had one turtle and McIndoe: I want to read an oral history of the CGI here, and how late at $500 worth of horse meat. night it was when they said “You know what, it’s as good as it’s going to McIndoe: How long do you think the meeting was where they debated get, send it.” what to name the turtle? I don’t feel like Rupert would have been a The “Terminator 2” guy must be so disappointed in how his kid turned unanimous choice. out. Gentille: Oh god, absolutely. Anyone who’s ever had to name anything — Gentille: “You all know that cars don’t really have hood ornaments a band, a website, a child — knows how painful those sessions can be. anymore, ri—” “You’re fired.” They probably had to do it over Zoom, too. No “we’re just going to lock ourselves in the conference room until this is done” option was available. McIndoe: “Well at least we saved enough on the animation to be able to afford a singer with one day of training in her life.” McIndoe: They should do a hockey version of this where Julien BriseBoise is like “Oh no I have too many good players, I’m way over the Gentille: There had to be a discussion about getting a famous person to cap” and then shows him a message about how the NHL play the hood ornament, right? Idina Menzel must have been booked. rules are basically optional that’s glowing out from Nikita Kucherov’s hip. McIndoe: Are we sure that’s not Idina Menzel? Gentille: “Nice one, Nikita.” Gentille: Geico is in the process of remaking this with Tara behind the Also, Discover isn’t doing anyone any real favors here. Federal law wheel. It’ll be ready by 2022. forces credit card companies to refund fraudulent purchases — the max they can get back is $50 — and most cards offer zero liability anyway. McIndoe: That’s not funny. Do not even joke about that. It’s like making a car commercial and bragging about the cupholder. OK, on to the Canadian finale. There was really no question that Tim Hortons would be our closer this year. The big debate up here was which McIndoe: Your car has a cupholder? OK, moneybags. ad to use, because they have two that are absolutely unbearable. I didn’t end up using it, but on your own time please do take a moment to get Gentille: Two of ’em. Airbags as well. No big deal. acquainted with “velvety velvety smooth” guy and his friends, the poet McIndoe: OK, let’s meet turtle guy’s Canadian cousin … and the unhappily married comedian. Gentille: Oh this is bad. But no, the clear winner that emerged was this one, featuring several very real hockey fans having very spontaneous and relatable hockey McIndoe: Watch it a few more times. Really let it marinate. conversations. Gentille: “Really? An inferiority complex?” “Correction. A Canadian Gentille: “Do I really have to say, ‘Leon Draisaitl, best in the league?’ inferiority complex.” Silly me, I thought America had a monopoly on Because he’s not even the best player on his own—” shoehorning nationalism into TV commercials. “Ma’am, do you see a Connor McDavid collectible stick up there? No? This is similar to the turtle commercial, because it opens up the floor for a Read the line.” bunch of unwanted questions. Was Harvey’s bringing in American potatoes before this? Is the hook actually something worth bragging McIndoe: They should have a contest like in “Willy Wonka & The about? Chocolate Factory,” but instead of a golden ticket you have to find one real Oilers fan who thinks Leon Draisaitl is the best player in the league. McIndoe: ALSO: Where did the guy get the alternative napkin? Did he make that himself, bring it to the restaurant, and then get frustrated that Gentille: Imagine trying to hash out the order here.“Well, we all agree that his friend wasn’t mentioning it? the Canadiens go last, because they certainly won’t make it out of the first round. Right?” What’s even involved in doing that? Where do you go to fulfill an order for one custom napkin? McIndoe: “And we build this whole thing around Auston Matthews being unstoppable, because what could go wrong?” Gentille: I’ll say this, we can say for certain that the Bruins fan is both legit and actually from Canada — because if he were an American Bruins fan, the tattoo would’ve also featured Bill Belichick in a three-cornered hat. McIndoe: Counterpoint, he says 16 words without mentioning how Tuukka Rask sucks in the playoffs. Gentille: And using a Toronto fan as the cashier is great, too. Otherwise, how could he be in every shot? He even tries to force-feed Auston Matthews to the Habs fan. This is art imitating life. McIndoe: I will say that “Noooo, you heard Shea Weber” might be one of the best line reads of all time. Still perfectly polite, but just the slightest undertone of “Hey just curious, did I mumble or do you want to go get me my Shea Weber stick before I throw this scalding hot coffee back in your face?” Gentille: Even worse, some of it might get in his mouth. These ads are supposed to be bad! Come on! McIndoe: This might be the worst Canadian commercial I’ve ever seen. It’s tearing the nation apart. Gentille: That’s actually why the CN Tower was lit up in Habs colors. You must unite over a common cause. McIndoe: An underrated part of this ad is how it’s got all of Canada arguing about Shea Weber’s Hall of Fame candidacy. Gentille: Does that mean we’re just getting it out of the way now, as opposed to doing it in 2029 when he does, indeed, make it in on the first ballot? McIndoe: Hockey fans: Did you say Duncan Keith? HHOF: Noooo, I said Shea Weber. Side note: Tim Hortons also made sticks for Connor Hellebuyck and Elias Pettersson, but chose to use an American team in their ad instead. The Canucks lose out to the Bruins in the playoffs once again, I guess. Gentille: See, that’s the sort of disrespect Mark Scheifele was talking about. It’s what motivated them to not lose to Montreal in three. McIndoe: I’m disappointed they skipped the Flames and cost us all a chance to make the same joke about Johnny Gaudreau’s stick being life- sized. Gentille: “Speaking on behalf of all Sens fans, I demand an investigation into the whereabouts of your Eugene Melnyk stick.” McIndoe: Frustrated Tim Hortons promotion guy standing in front of crates labeled “Daniel Alfredsson,” “Erik Karlsson,” “Mark Stone”: LEAVE ME ALONE. Gentille: “DO NOT OPEN UNTIL 2023.” McIndoe: Should we make jokes about the guy in the Leafs jersey at Tim Hortons not knowing how to get his hands on a cup or are we done? Gentille: “No stick, but can I interest you in one of our Mitch Marner donuts? It costs 20 percent more than it should.” Yep, I’m done. McIndoe: I look forward to regretting doing this again next year. Gentille: You’ve got the brawn, I’ve got the brain — let’s make lots of money. McIndoe: (fry drop) The Athletic LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189772 Websites Then there was Carey Price, who made 29 saves in the win including one on Alec Martinez in the second period that required him to fling his entire body across the crease. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens’ heart on full display in crucial Game 2 win over “I’m using all my extremities so far,” said Price about the save. “It’s just Golden Knights about competing.” Remaining Time -0:41 Eric Engels Gotta See It: Price gets just enough of puck to rob Martinez on doorstep Jon Merrill jumped back in after missing 20 days with an upper-body injury. He skated 12:52 and made a couple of key shot blocks after not You could see the mark of this all-important win for the Montreal playing for seven games. Canadiens right across Brendan Gallagher’s cheekbone. Joel Edmundson was willing to eat the glass to execute a pass to Petry Oh yes, the man often branded for his efforts was willing to take Alex so the puck could get out of Montreal’s end with Vegas pressing in the Pietrangelo’s check to the face and risk the abrasion just to make the final minute of the game. He had his face pasted to it by William Karlsson right play and get the Canadiens out of Sin City even. He is often before the officials blew the play dead, worried he might be seriously described as the Canadiens’ heart and soul, and they all borrowed a hurt. page from his book for this 3-2 win. Edmundson was stunned, no doubt. But he dusted himself off and skated Start with Jeff Petry, who reportedly suffered dislocated fingers to his off the ice having done his job. right hand in Game 3 of the second-round series between the Canadiens and Winnipeg Jets. He missed Game 4 and then wasn’t able to play a “This time of year, all those little plays matter,” said Byron. “Taking hits to week later, when he and his teammates touched down in Vegas for make plays—those are the little things to sacrifice themselves for the Game 1 of this Stanley Cup semifinal against the Golden Knights. team. Joel’s a guy that’s won before and he knows what it takes to win. The guys that we brought in certainly help bring that attitude to the team, Petry was literally seeing red for this one, with bilateral subconjunctival and it’s making a huge difference right now.” hemorrhage clouding both eyes crimson — a fancy way of saying he had burst blood vessels that fortunately did not cause pain nor vision Remaining Time -5:37 impairment, according to his wife, Julie, who informed the public via Canadiens scored by committee in Game 2 win over Golden Knights Instagram while he was out on the ice playing his heart out. But, more importantly, with his fingers taped together in a customized gauntlet, he It’s not just the Cup winners like Edmundson and Corey Perry, who set gritted his way through 27 shifts, had an assist, two shots on net, two big up Armia’s goal and played the supervillain role to perfection in Game 2. blocked shots and finished plus-one. It’s Petry and Shea Weber, who entered these playoffs barely capable of holding a stick with his left hand after suffering a late-season thumb injury Remaining Time -4:13 that he played through for two weeks before he was forced out for the How Petry's return and play was a stabilizing force for Canadiens final eight games. It didn’t look like Petry was going to play after some gamesmanship from The 35-year-old captain played 24:42 in this one. He leads the players Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme in warmup. He didn’t take a remaining in the playoffs in time on ice per game, tied with his partner regular line rush, and the Canadiens tweeted out their lineup with him Ben Chiarot (25:24), who came back early from hand surgery to help the listed as a scratch. The league even had its roster report indicating he Canadiens clinch a playoff spot. was out, just 15 minutes before puck drop. Weber, Chiarot, Petry, just like Gallagher — guys so clearly willing to do But there Petry was in the end, ready to deliver a huge performance. what they must. “It means a lot,” Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said of Petry’s “That’s what it is playing at this time of year,” said Ducharme. “I think in presence and his character. “If he could’ve, he would’ve come back general, we have that throughout our whole team. You don’t get to this earlier. He wanted to try to play against Winnipeg on Game 4. So, it was point for no reason, and we’re not finished either. There’s a reason why, good to see him back and see the way he played after missing a couple and it’s because our players are engaged and they want to continue on of games and a few (10) days. their path.” “He’s an important player for us on both sides. The way he defends, the Their next opportunity to do exactly that comes at the Bell Centre on way he moves, the way he moves the puck is really good. And he’s a Friday, tied 1-1 with the Golden Knights. gamer. Every time you get in the critical moments, the big games, you Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.17.2021 see him at his best.” How many Canadiens can we say that about right now? The answer is, enough for them to be exactly where they are. Think of Joel Armia, who has gone through so many regular-season ups and downs since arriving in Montreal via trade from Winnipeg in July of 2018. He scored his fifth goal of these playoffs to put the Canadiens up 1-0 after he outmuscled Alec Martinez along the boards and forced his way back to the front to slide one off a skate and past Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. How about Paul Byron, who was waived three times this season and put under the spotlight — along with linemates Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Josh Anderson — to play a better game after the first one in this series left Ducharme saying he needed more consistency from his trio? He storms in on Fleury and scores his second of the playoffs with a beautiful forehand-backhand roof job that turns out to be the winning goal. Remaining Time -0:54 Gotta See It: Byron skates in alone and roofs puck past Fleury It was one of several plays that epitomized what these Canadiens have going for them against a team that was heavily favoured to trample them in this series. They have heart. How about Tyler Toffoli — who extended his point streak to eight games after making it 2-0 from Petry and Cole Caufield — diving to disrupt a great chance Mark Stone had to tie the game late? Pure desperation. 1189773 Websites “The last two periods we played pretty well,” Stone surmised. “Chasing the game isn’t an easy task against anybody, but these guys play a really good team game when they get the lead. Sportsnet.ca / Golden Knights slowed by Canadiens’ lockdown defence “They clog it up pretty good.” in Game 2 loss Remaining Time -5:37 Canadiens scored by committee in Game 2 win over Golden Knights Mark Spector June 17, 2021, 1:18 AM This is the Habs game plan, just as it was for the ’90s New Jersey Devils or Dallas Stars: get a lead, then drive the excitement factor to subterranean levels. All those teams were fun to watch when they fell Well… What do we have here? behind — when they had to hustle up some offence. That fourth-place team from the ultra-weak Canadian Division that was But like Darryl Sutter’s Los Angeles Kings, who had Jonathan Quick in going to get swept by the Vegas Golden Knights? his prime, a 2-0 lead for Carey Price is money, and the Habs are happy to lock it down after that. Ya, they’re heading home with home-ice advantage after winning Game 2 by a 3-2 score, proving to the hockey world that, yes, the Montreal “I’m not sure we got locked down tonight,” DeBoer disagreed. “We Canadiens can play with the Golden Knights. generated enough chances to scratch our way back into that game. I don’t think it was a case of us getting locked down once we fell behind. “Those people who said we were going to sweep,” dismissed Vegas We generated some good looks in the last 40 minutes.” head coach Peter DeBoer, “are the same people who said that Colorado was going to sweep us.” They may have, but the coach of a Vegas team knows all too well, there is no money in falling behind the Montreal Canadiens. One of hockey’s more accurate quips has always been, “A series doesn’t start until the road team wins a game.” The odds, they just aren’t going to pay. On Tuesday evening in Las Vegas this series got whittled down to a Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.17.2021 best-of-five, with the Canadiens stealing home-ice advantage. All of which doesn’t surprise the veteran Golden Knights coach. “You don’t get to the Final Four without knowing that this is going to be a battle,” DeBoer said post-game. “If it takes overtime and seven games, then it takes overtime and seven games. You just want to make sure you move on. “We knew this wasn’t going to be easy — we have a tremendous amount of respect for their hockey team. They’ve beaten two very good teams to get here, and won a lot of games,” he concluded. “We’re in a better spot than we were last series after two games (down 2-0 to Colorado). We’ll go into Montreal and look to win a game.” Remaining Time -0:41 Gotta See It: Price gets just enough of puck to rob Martinez on doorstep A trend that emerged through the opening two contests in Sin City had the Canadiens dominating the early minutes of both games. In Game 1, Marc-Andre Fleury held the fort until his skaters found their legs. In Game 2, however, it was 2-0 after 20 minutes, and the Habs’ defensive clog-up-the-middle game was on display for the final 40. “It’s been a topic of conversation here for a little while. Last series too,” admitted defenceman Alex Pietrangelo, who had both Vegas goals — the first two-goal playoff game of his distinguished career. “It’s something we have to fix. Not good enough at the beginning, in the first period. Not good enough at the start.” “For whatever reason our starts in the playoffs haven’t been good enough,” added captain Mark Stone. “We’ve been burnt before, we were burnt again tonight.” To make matters worse, Montreal is that team you simply can’t fall behind. They are masterful with the lead, with opportunistic forwards like Paul Byron who get sprung for breaks when the trailing team gets too aggressive offensively. Byron scored the third goal when he evaded a Fleury poke check, a move the Vegas goaler immediately wanted to take back. “I regretted that as soon as I did it,” Fleury confirmed. “I made up my mind too early. He cut to the middle early, and it was too far away. I shouldn’t have done that.” Remaining Time -0:54 Gotta See It: Byron skates in alone and roofs puck past Fleury It was that third goal that cemented this game for Montreal, even though Pietrangelo brought his team back to within one off a nice faceoff play with just over five minutes to play. The Habs, however, are most comfortable when defending a lead. Their neutral zone play eats potential comebacks like corn beef sandwiches, their burly, stick-wielding defencemen clearing the slot like a cop on Crescent Street. Vegas ended up with 31 shots, but there were some score effects to that. The Habs simply defended for the final 20 minutes, and looked very comfortable doing so. 1189774 Websites When they fall behind, they’re not great at creating for themselves. But up, tied, or even within one, the Isles simply wait for mistakes, then pounce. Sportsnet.ca / Six examples that explain how the Islanders find success Changes in pace I don’t know that you can build this into your roster on purpose, but part of what makes the Isles offence such a janky machine to defend is that Justin Bourne June 16, 2021, 12:58 PM you can’t game plan your gaps. If you’re playing a team that’s almost always fast, you can sag back. If they’re almost always slow, you can gap up. The Isles have such a mix of methodical, unhurried players The Islanders may have lost Game 2, but they’re leaving Tampa Bay with (some may say slower?), that the contrast when a Barzal or an Anthony a split and heading back to Nassau Coliseum, an outcome even their Beauvillier suddenly gets the puck seems to create gaps, and room for most hardcore believers would’ve labelled a success before puck drop on their offence to operate. Game 1. Those two players are lightning fast, and I think integral to what makes Those hardcore fans then listened in to analysis of their team — the Isles attack tick. That offence, by the way, has scored the most goals particularly after Game 1 — and heard a lot of this: in the post-season, and trails only Colorado in goals-for-per-game in the playoffs. They provide contrast, which keeps them unpredictable. • “That’s what the Islanders do.” Reliable play from their back-end • “It’s the Islanders way.” This is probably the area of play that’s most discussed around the • “Well, you know how the Islanders are.” Islanders. Even though they’re good at moving the puck up and out of their own zone, none of their D are expected to create and they don’t The New York Islanders have done something almost impossible in seem to care all that much if they do. The forwards can always trust today’s NHL — play a committed style of hockey so well that almost where the defence is going to be. nobody knows how to talk about them. It’s a lot easier to describe a bike with one pedal and a wonky wheel than it is one that just, y’know, works. For the past decade we’ve heard about the Boston Bruins and their players’ willingness to take a bit less money for the cause. I think we can It shines a light on how we talk about hockey in general — about 90 per fairly compare the Islanders D, only it’s not taking less money, it’s taking cent of the time we talk about flaws and where things went wrong, less points (the forwards, too). Because they focus on being where because that’s the type of game hockey truly is. (This is true of coaching they’re supposed to be, it makes the life of their goaltenders a lot easier. too. You’re constantly stuffing bubblegum in the holes of the dam, rather than reinforcing the parts that are holding up.) There’s a lot less to say I’m not making goaltending a heading, but it’s worth noting that none of when things consistently go to plan. this is possible without competent goaltending, which they absolutely have. But the Isles were a top-three team in preventing high danger Combine that with the reality that the Islanders probably aren’t Tier 1 in chances against this year, so whoever plays goal for them has an easier drawing eyeballs outside the local ZIP codes, and listening to analysts job than, say, Connor Hellebuyck. talk about the Islanders can be like watching a documentary on paranormal activity. “I’ve never seen it myself, but every time I’m asleep, Special skills: Barzal through NZ, Pulock bomb it sounds like they did something.” When you look around the NHL, there are a few elite skills you’d tell new In the Stanley Cup semifinals for the second season in a row, let’s talk fans “you gotta see this” while pointing with excitement. Not every team about “what the Islanders do” at least a little more specifically and why has someone or something like that. The Isles have two: Barzal’s ability it’s been so effective in the playoffs. to bring the puck up the ice by himself, creating offence from the D-zone, and Ryan Pulock’s slapshot, which needs to be in the league’s next They’re physical without being meatheads hardest shot contest. This is a big one. The Islanders were third in the NHL this season in hits I made this video a while back, but it’s just a good glimpse of how Barzal thrown (and yes, they were third in hits thrown on the road, if you think turns simple D-zone touches into danger the other way. He’s even more arena bias is why). They bang the body as part of the game plan. dynamic and exciting in this regard today. Along with that, they took the fewest penalties of any team in the NHL Pulock’s goal in Game 1 is all you need to know about his shot. It’s not this season. The two teams that finished ahead of the Islanders in total often you see a minimally-screened un-tipped slapshot just overpower an hits this season were the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators by NHL goaltender. the way, who finished 18th and 25th in the PIMs category, respectively. It’s hard to play that way and stay clean. Finally, they’re the inverse of many good teams. They’re… This is every coach’s dream, and really everyone’s team-building dream Patient in their own end, aggressive on the forecheck — the Islanders play a physical style but within the rules. The “New York Saints” thing is funny, but they’ve got the statistics to back it up. I’m convinced part of the reason people call the Isles “boring” is that they assume “good defence” means trapping and clogging the neutral zone Transition defence leading to offence up, and playing passively. That’s not the case — the Islanders send their players on the forecheck as hard as anyone in an attempt to win pucks The big story from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup semifinals was told by a back, and play no different than the majority of teams in the neutral zone. single stat: A quick google search shows just how aggressive (and un-boring) their What often happens with NHL teams is that their coach tells them to play forecheck actually is. within their structure, and they do for a while…until the offence doesn’t come. They get frustrated. Maybe not everybody, but a player or two Where they are different is they’re actually comfortable in their own end, does, and suddenly one of those antsy players makes an aggressive play which is an extremely rare trait (and one that’s almost impossible to have on a puck that isn’t so much 50-50 as it is 49-51, gets beat, and their below the NHL level). So many teams in the NHL have adopted some team’s structure collapses for a chance against. version of D-zone swarming. They try to create a loose puck or a bobble, then they attack like gangbusters, desperately pushing to get the puck No team that I’ve followed in recent years is as consistent as the back and end the possession. Islanders at sticking to their system, staying in their positions, and waiting for the other team to make a mistake. It’s not a perfect plan, but in a The Islanders … well, they’re pretty OK if you have it in their end. game with as much randomness as hockey, those moments almost Nothing kills a game of keep-away like a person not actively showing always eventually come. they want the object back. The Islanders protect the house well, and it’s when you try to get in there that you’ll experience layers and swarming This was Jon Cooper after Game 1: “Our work ethic was there. Our and pressure. Teams often feel like they’ve outplayed the Isles because compete was there. Our minds weren’t there. Some of our decisions they had the puck in New York’s end a lot, and maybe even took a lot of were poor. That’s what happens when you get this deep into the playoffs. shots from the perimeter, but they get left with “nothing went in today.” You have to have everything working in unison and we just weren’t there tonight.” A perimeter shot is a turnover, and the Isles are content to wait for those. When you get frustrated offensively and take chances, as Steven While this is not at all a comprehensive list of what makes the Islanders Stamkos did by forcing the play inside the Isles blue line that led to the so good — it’s worth noting they also roll four lines more than most NHL Mathew Barzal goal in Game 1, you’re playing right into the Isles hands. teams — it hopefully shapes their game plan for those who don’t often pay close attention to what it is they’re doing. The Islanders are up against what I think you can fairly call the best team in the world over the past year or two, and they’re still considerable underdogs in their quest to take down the defending Cup champions. But if the Bolts are going to defend that title they’re going to have to earn it. The Isles don’t make things easy for anyone. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189775 Websites consistent. I thought I had good consistency in my approach this year, and then just trying to stay healthy [was key].”

Once Spezza knew he wanted to give Toronto another chance, he just TSN.CA / Spezza re-signs with Leafs for third straight season had to clear a return with some very important people: his wife and four daughters. Jason Spezza signed on for his third consecutive league-minimum deal in Toronto on Wednesday because he believes the Maple Leafs are Last season, player’s families were under strict COVID-19 restrictions as continuing “to push” and can compete for the Stanley Cup, Kristen well. Those didn’t allow for Spezza’s children to socialize or participate in Shilton writes. what few activities were available to them. There’s enough hope that this coming year won’t require quite so much sacrifice though, which allowed the Spezza clan to hop on board with dad for another go-around. By Kristen Shilton “It was a longer conversation than normal [with them],” Spezza said. “But I don't feel like I'm ready to stop. I feel like I've carved out a good role on this club. I feel like I've carved out a niche. I feel like I can help the team TORONTO — Jason Spezza still believes in two things: That he can help out, and I want to be on a successful team and the Leafs, they touch on a team compete for the Stanley Cup, and that the Maple Leafs are all that.” capable of getting there. Spezza said he’s been back in the gym daily preparing for next season, That’s why Spezza has signed on for a third straight season in Toronto, and will start skating again soon as well. When Toronto’s campaign starts on a third consecutive one-year, league-minimum deal (this one being up, Spezza will be just 30 points shy of 1,000 in his career as well, a worth $750,000). The contract materialized just two weeks after the carrot that could prove enticing to chase. Only that’s not what Spezza is Leafs’ most recent playoff embarrassment, where they blew a 3-1 first- coming back for. round series lead over Montreal last month and lost to the Canadiens in That’s not even close. Game 7. “The feeling you have as a player when you're winning games, it's It was another sad chapter in Toronto’s playoff history, joining other unmatched,” he said. “The joy of coming to the rink, it's a fun atmosphere opening-round exits in 2017, 2018 and 2019, and their failure to qualify to be around. I got lots of points, I'm not too worried about that. I'm just for the NHL’s postseason tournament in 2020. Spezza knows how bad going to try to win hockey games so we can have fun coming to the rink. I that track record looks, but it doesn’t diminish what he sees remaining of find I'm a better version of myself when we're winning games and happy Toronto’s promise. so I'm going to keep trying to just strive for that.” “I know anything you're going to say at this time of the year doesn't really TSN.CA LOADED: 06.17.2021 matter because we lost and I'm still pretty angry about it and frustrated,” Spezza told reporters on Wednesday. “But I feel like the group has potential. We feel like we have work to do to get better but we're pretty close to having a chance to have a run. Until we do it, no one's going to believe us but internally we believe that.” Spezza knows better than anyone how few opportunities remain for him to pursue a Cup. The 2021-22 campaign will be his 20th pro season, and the veteran just turned 38 last week. But despite being the Leafs’ second-oldest player last season, Spezza only got better down the stretch and into playoffs. In that series against the Canadiens, Spezza scored the second-most goals (3) and fourth-most points (5) for Toronto in a fourth-line role that averaged the second-fewest minutes per game (11:44) among players who appeared in all seven tilts. Spezza made the most of every postseason shift, outshining Leafs’ superstars Auston Matthews (one goal in seven games) and Mitch Marner (zero goals in the series) along the way. It wouldn’t be enough to salvage Toronto’s once-promising season though, a fact that continues to both sting and motivate Spezza. “It's definitely a frustrating time; I still feel frustrated by the result,” he said. “But the only way to get there is to continue to come back and work harder and do more to put ourselves in an even better position to succeed next time we get to the playoffs. The group we have is extremely dedicated; we have young guys in their prime that are going to continue to push and get better and hopefully learn from these experiences. There's room for optimism there.” Both general manager Kyle Dubas and coach Sheldon Keefe made it clear to Spezza at his season-ending meeting that they wanted him back. And there wasn’t much negotiation needed, as Spezza happily accepted another minimum contract from the only team he wanted to be on. “I'll be honest: All I care about is playing on a good team and just trying to win. If I could take less [money], I would,” said Spezza, who has earned about $89 million in his career to date, per Cap Friendly. “I love playing the game, I love competing. Chasing the Cup is at the forefront of my mind daily, and anything I can do to help the team acquire better players, that's why I just take league minimum.” Spezza was also pleased with how the season played out for him personally. His 10 goals and 30 points in 54 regular season games was the most he’s tallied since 2016-17, and toggling between the centre and wing positions while anchoring Toronto’s fourth line proved easier than he thought. “I felt comfortable in my role,” Spezza said. “I was able to help the team with that matchup nightly; that was important for me. And just the comfort level of playing the wing this year was probably better than it's ever been. Every night, your role varies a tiny bit, and for me it's just trying to be 1189776 Websites

USA TODAY / Montreal Canadiens' Jeff Petry returns, plays key role in win despite 'scary' eyes

Mike Brehm

Key Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry returned to the lineup Wednesday night for the first time since June 6 and all anyone could talk about was his bloodshot eyes. But his strong play had the Vegas Golden Knights seeing red as the Canadiens won 3-2 and head to Montreal for the next two games, starting Friday, with the Stanley Cup semifinal series tied 1-1. Petry missed the past two games after suffering a hand injury in the second round against the Winnipeg Jets. He was a game-time addition to Wednesday's lineup, and when he appeared, attention was drawn to the red in his eyes. His wife, Julie, joked on Instagram that his condition wasn't related to allergies or a late night in Vegas. She said the eyes didn't bother him and he actually looked better than he did a week ago. Sportsnet said the condition was subconjunctival hemorrhaging or broken blood vessels. "His eyes have looked like that for a week now," said Petry's defensive partner, Joel Edmundson. "It’s kind of scary, but I don’t think it affected him tonight." Petry was the team's best defenseman in the regular season with 12 goals and 42 points in one of his strongest seasons. The Canadiens lost 4-1 in Game 1 with him out of the lineup, but he made a difference in Game 2. He played nearly 21 minutes, with a penalty, a plus-1 rating, two shots, two blocked shots and numerous smart plays. He drew an assist on Tyler Toffoli's first-period goal. "If he could have, he would have come back earlier (in the playoffs)," Canadiens coach Dominique Ducharme said. "It was good to see him and the way he played. He’s an important player for us." Ducharme called Petry a "gamer." "Every time you get in a critical moment, big games, you see him at his best," he said. USA TODAY LOADED: 06.17.2021 1189777 Websites

USA TODAY / Islanders irked by missed call in loss to Lightning, express frustration with refs

Lorenzo Reyes

New York Islanders coach Barry Trotz lamented a blatant missed call that almost certainly accelerated a loss Tuesday night in their Stanley Cup playoffs semifinal series against the Tampa Bay Lightning. It came in the second period when there were seven Lightning players (teams play with five skaters, plus a goalie) on the ice as Tampa Bay winger Ondřej Palát scored a goal that gave his team a 2-1 lead. "Obviously you guys know there was too many men on the ice there," Trotz said after the game, according to ESPN. "They had seven guys. Disappointed in that. But we tried to battle through." Trotz was very animated on the bench after the referees and line judges missed the call. Though the NHL has replay reviews in place, the call for too many men on the ice isn't one that is eligible for coaches' challenges or referee-initiated reviews. The Islanders would allow two more goals before they added one late in the game in 4-2 loss that evened the series at 1-1. "The second goal hurt quite a bit," Trotz said after the game. "(Because) if they get the third one, there's a little bit more separation." Added Islanders forward Matt Martin: "It was missed. That's hockey. It happens. Nothing we can do about it. Move on." Injuries continue to play a huge role in NBA postseason NBA needs to acknowledge ambitious regular-season schedule was mistake NFL reveals extensive restrictions for unvaccinated players Agent demands explanation from commissioner on illegal-substance rule But it wasn't just the Lightning who may have benefitted from questionable officiating. The Islanders' game-tying goal in the first period came on a power play after Lightning center Brayden Point was called for goalie interference, even though Point was checked by an Islanders player into goalie Semyon Varlamov. "We all saw the call," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "It was a tough decision for the refs to make. Especially when they tell you he put his hands up to hit the goalie, when he clearly didn't do that. It's a game of high rate of speed, and the refs are in a bind about that. But in those situations, you have to weather through that. In the end, you have to kill the penalty off, and we didn't." Game 3 in the series will be played Thursday at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. USA TODAY LOADED: 06.17.2021