SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 12/12/2019 1165741 Ducks welcome back Josh Manson in painless return 1165778 Avs extend points streak to eight games with win over 1165742 Kings take on Ducks again to start 6-game road trip Philly 1165779 Avs get Nazem Kadri back, but rookie Cale Makar still unavailable 1165743 Observations on the Bruins’ road setback against the 1165780 Avalanche defeat Flyers to move into first place in the Western Conference 1165744 Bruins’ Brett Ritchie told to start faster out of the gate 1165781 Avs Game 31 Grades: Back on the winning train 1165745 NHL’s top scorers— David Pastrnak and Alex 1165782 Rantanen takes star turn as Avs get back on winning path Ovechkin — prepare to face off as Bruins visit Capitals 1165746 Bruins fall short on scoreboard, not effort 1165747 Offside review burns Bruins again in loss to Capitals 1165783 Blue Jackets’ Emil Bemstrom out six to eight weeks with 1165748 Bruins notebook: Not-so-powerful power play a problem rib injury 1165749 Caps present chance for Brett Ritchie to show what he’s 1165784 Blue Jackets' depth on blue line tested got 1165785 Never let ’em see you wince: David Savard delights in 1165750 Bruins pregame notes: B’s try to rebound against rival blocking shots Capitals 1165751 Bruins and Capitals struggle in Week 11 of NHL Power Stars Rankings 1165786 The end of Jim Montgomery’s tenure will justifiably 1165752 Bruins encouraged by losing effort in Washington: 'That's overshadow the year-plus spent behind the Stars’ bench the kind of hockey we want to play' 1165787 Citing ‘unprofessional conduct,’ fire coach Jim 1165753 Bruins-Capitals Talking Points: Too much Oshie, not Montgomery enough DeBrusk 1165788 How will the Jim Montgomery era be remembered in 1165754 Tim Thomas drops puck ahead of Bruins-Capitals Dallas? 1165755 Bruins vs. Capitals live stream: Watch NHL game online 1165756 Slumping Bruins say matchup against Capitals 'should get our attention' 1165789 Detroit Red Wings send Filip Zadina, Dennis Cholowski to 1165757 Bruins' Torey Krug mocks teammate Brett Ritchie's minors factually inaccurate take 1165790 NHL promises to crack down on abusive coaches. It's 1165758 The evolving net front in the NHL power play: Once about time. reserved for giants, now the domain of the slim and fast 1165791 Detroit Red Wings 'can't seem to stop the bleeding' as blowouts balloon 1165792 Jeff Blashill's job under microscope as Red Wings near 1165759 Amerks double up Wilkes-Barre/Scranton longest skid in franchise history 1165760 Johan Larsson looking to continue offensive surge for 1165793 Niyo: Red Wings’ losing inevitable, but it doesn’t have to Sabres be this 'ugly' 1165761 Sabres prospect Taylor Leier's shoulder injury was 1165794 Dennis Cholowski heading to Grand Rapids as Red Wings life-changing continue to make moves 1165762 KeyBank Center goes all Aud as Sabres prep for '80s 1165795 Red Wings perplexed as they search for answers, Night victories 1165763 How Rasmus Dahlin's absence has affected the Sabres' 1165796 Red Wings assign Filip Zadina to Grand Rapids power play 1165797 Red Wings send Dennis Cholowski, Dylan McIlrath to Grand Rapids Flames 1165798 Red Wings reassign Filip Zadina to Grand Rapids 1165764 Mark Giordano's impact as good as gold, says 1165799 Winnipeg nets 3 goals in 2-minute span, deal Detroit 12th head coach Geoff Ward loss 1165765 Flames have earned improving luck, says Cam Talbot 1165800 Eric Comrie’s Red Wings opportunity comes with a fresh 1165766 Forged in fire: Five reasons why the Flames are now set of challenges rolling 1165767 Five ways Flames interim head coach Geoff Ward has righted the ship in Calgary 1165801 Willis: As James Neal slumps, it is important to remember his true value to the Oilers 1165768 The have a so-so record - but it contains some hidden gems 1165802 ’s 46 saves is not enough to lift Florida 1165769 Carolina visits after Aho’s 2-goal game Panthers against Lightning 1165803 Observations as the Lightning spring to life, beat Bobrovsky and the Panthers in Sunrise 1165770 Mike Gapski, the NHL’s longest-tenured trainer, will work his 2,500th Blackhawks game tomorrow. And the lifelo 1165771 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights, including what’s next for the defense without 1165772 Blackhawks’ recent salary cap issues forewarn of impending crunch in summer 2020 1165774 De Haan's absence on Hawks' defense another tough void to fill 1165775 Recently retired Kris Versteeg to be honored before Blackhawks game 1165776 Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane visit recovering Chicagoland hockey player for the holidays 1165777 Where do the Blackhawks go from here? Breaking down 3 possible scenarios 1165804 Kings take on Ducks again to start 6-game road trip 1165836 Shorthanded Flyers fall to Colorado, 3-1, as Mikko 1165805 With a big birthday, fights and a win, the Kings are Rantanen scores a pair enjoying a rare fun week 1165837 Flyers recall speedy winger David Kase from Phantoms to 1165806 STOCKTON 3, 2 (OT) – FRK, STOTHERS replace injured Oskar Lindblom 1165807 KUPARI, BJORNFOT WILL BE LOANED FROM REIGN 1165838 Suddenly, injuries piling up on Flyers, who are minus top TO NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAMS ON DECEMBER 16 goal scorers Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom, amon 1165808 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: DECEMBER 11 1165840 Shorthanded Flyers can't keep up with Avalanche to begin 1165809 PREVIEW – ONTARIO VS. STOCKTON, 12/11 road trip 1165841 With Oskar Lindblom injury, Flyers call up prospect David Kase from AHL affiliate 1165810 Wild-Edmonton game preview 1165842 Chris Stewart, Kevin Hayes building bonds with Nolan 1165811 With Koivu and Staal out, Ryan Donato gets bigger role Patrick through support with Wild 1165812 Wild defenseman Spurgeon 10 seasons into size-defying career 1165843 Minor league report: Penguins drop fourth straight to 1165813 Wild amateur scout, Hall of Famer Americans diagnosed with oral cancer 1165844 Penguins’ Chad Ruhwedel provides steady presence on 1165814 Suddenly shorthanded Wild need role players to step up defense 1165815 Catching up with Gaborik, Backstrom, Schultz and 1165845 Penguins get face-off practice assist from Matt Cullen Brodziak after their big surprise for Mikko Koivu 1165846 Tim Benz: Young Jedi Tristan Jarry should rebound after Penguins’ ‘Star Wars’ night loss MontrealCanadiens 1165847 How the Penguins are still learning lessons from last 1165816 In the Habs' Room: Primeau makes 35 saves en route to year's Islanders sweep first NHL victory 1165848 Penguins call on Matt Cullen to help with faceoffs 1165817 Canadiens win third straight game, with 3-2 OT victory 1165849 watched ‘boring’ Canadiens remind his over the Sens Penguins wins in NHL don’t come easy 1165818 Stu Cowan: Canadiens' Joel Armia letting his play do the talking 1165819 Canadiens Hall of Famer Guy Lapointe diagnosed with 1165850 The real reason the Sharks had to fire Pete DeBoer oral cancer 1165851 San Jose Sharks clean house, fire Pete DeBoer, three 1165820 Canadiens Game Day: Carey Price enjoys the Cayden assistants Primeau Show 1165852 Takeaways: Hertl hurting, Burns slumping as huge 1165821 Senators at Canadiens: Five things you should homestand awaits Sharks know 1165853 Why Sharks firing coach Peter DeBoer doesn't solve all 1165822 The ritual and ceremony of Cayden Primeau’s first NHL their problems victory served as a rite of passage 1165854 Sharks fire Peter DeBoer, hire Bob Boughner as interim 1165823 Video Review: Cayden Primeau gives fans a glimpse of head coach the future with his first career win 1165855 Seeking ‘a new voice’, the Sharks fire Pete DeBoer and name Bob Boughner interim coach 1165824 Vingan: I’m getting married, so who better to ask for St Louis Blues marriage advice than the Predators? 1165856 Preview: Blues vs. Golden Knights 1165857 Scoring is down as Blues struggle through three-game skid 1165825 Why Devils’ Alain Nasreddine had no issue with P.K. 1165858 Blues' mistakes show up on the scoreboard as they lose Subban’s 2 penalties vs. Stars third in a row 1165826 Why Devils’ weak performance vs. Stars is Alain 1165859 Blues suffer third straight regulation loss, 5-2 to Buffalo Nesreddine’s biggest challenge 1165860 Kyrou, Poganski in lineup as Blues face Sabres Islanders 1165827 Ross Johnston skates his way onto Islanders' top line 1165861 The Bruins and Capitals are coming to town and they 1165828 Why the Islanders can’t afford to lose Noah Dobson, even bring a challenge if it’s not the best path for him 1165862 Lightning play clean, defensive game to beat the Panthers 1165863 Former Lightning assistant named Stars interim head coach 1165829 David Quinn’s Rangers finally have a fourth line again 1165864 The Lightning are collecting for Toys for Tots 1165830 Rangers thrilled by Kaapo Kakko’s transition to North 1165865 Observations as the Lightning spring to life, beat America Bobrovsky and the Panthers in Sunrise 1165831 Kings game conjures painful memories for Henrik Lundqvist 1165832 Analyzing the underlying issues on offense and defense 1165866 The Leafs are changing under Sheldon Keefe — and even for the NY Rangers they can see the beauty of it 1165833 Rangers keep alternating surprising wins and unexpected 1165867 Leaf Snaps: Clean-up required losses 1165868 'GAME-CHANGING SAVES': Andersen shines in Leafs' win over Canucks NHL 1165869 Scratched to prime time: Justin Holl’s rise with the Leafs is 1165834 NHL Seattle GM speaks for the first time a study in perseverance since coaching abuse allegations 1165835 GARRIOCH GAME REPORT: Senators fall to Canadiens in overtime 1165891 Markstrom works to refocus on stopping pucks after 1165882 Laine leaves laser in holster; breakaway beauty all speed, 'messed up' months stickhandling 1165892 Canucks recall Zack MacEwen following Ferland injury 1165883 Doug Smail was initially ignored by NHL clubs, but the 1165893 The Armies: The Breakaway show, Jacob Markstrom’s small winger's detour to UND paid big dividends explanation and the latest from the Radio Wars 1165884 Ice-cold cameo for red-hot Hellebuyck 1165885 Masterful muckery 1165886 JETS GAMEDAY: Jets looking for more of the same in 1165870 Golden Knights ranked as 13th most valuable NHL rematch with Red Wings franchise 1165887 The reverse-Laine: Jets sniper a plus, all-around 1165871 NHL coaching culture undergoes sweeping changes 1165888 Neal Pionk has been turning heads in short 1165872 Golden Knights Smith, Karlsson continue shorthanded time with Jets wizardry 1165889 ‘I like me a lot better this year’: One-on-one with Blake 1165873 What makes Vegas’ Gerard Gallant a player-friendly Wheeler, whose personal transformation is changing t coach — ‘You’re not coaching against your players’ 1165890 How Mark Scheifele has lifted his play to another level, especially with the game on the line Washington Capitals SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1165874 These Capitals check all the boxes, especially against the Bruins 1165875 Capitals hold off Bruins in a clash of Eastern Conference heavyweights 1165876 In clash of NHL’s best teams, top goal scorers Alex Ovechkin, David Pastrnak face off 1165877 T.J. Oshie scores twice as Capitals win clash with Bruins 1165878 T.J. Oshie's skills, Carl Hagelin's smarts, and a huge video review 1165879 Oshie, Carlson lead 1st place Caps to victory over 2nd place Bruins 1165880 T.J. Oshie shows off his fancy skills with stellar dangle and finish 1165881 6 things to know for Caps-Bruins: Clash of the titans Websites 1165894 The Athletic / Pronman: Auditing the grades for the 2017 NHL Draft 1165895 The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Could an all-time team made up of NHL brothers beat one made up of NHL fathers 1165896 The Athletic / The Top 10 biggest disappointments of the 2019-20 season so far 1165897 .ca / Canadiens reap benefits of trusting their youth in OT win over Senators 1165898 Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Jim Montgomery firing hockey's latest bombshell 1165899 Sportsnet.ca / Jim Benning still looking for top-six forward to bolster Canucks roster 1165900 Sportsnet.ca / Breaking down the Flames' undefeated start to the Geoff Ward era 1165901 Sportsnet.ca / Analyzing Shea Weber's recent dominance and how much can be sustained 1165902 Sportsnet.ca / Monahan, Gaudreau quietly fuelling dramatic Flames resurgence 1165903 Sportsnet.ca / Leafs come out on top in battle of young guns over Canucks 1165904 TSN.CA / It’s an ‘open race’ for Canada’s goalie jobs at World Juniors 1165905 TSN.CA / Hockey's moment of reckoning is in its infancy 1165906 TSN.CA / Bettman: NHL ‘will not tolerate abusive behaviour of any kind' 1165907 USA TODAY / Report: Colorado Eagles staff member dressed in blackface as Akim Aliu during 2011 party 1165741 Anaheim Ducks went into the game with a 0-9-3 record when outshooting their opponent. The Ducks also were 12-4-1 when they were outshot.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.12.2019 Ducks welcome back Josh Manson in painless return

Defenseman said he didn't focus on sprained knee, which had sidelined him more than six weeks, during Tuesday's win

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 4:02 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 4:02 PM

Josh Manson was credited with two shots on goal in 21:08 of ice time during his return to the Ducks’ lineup Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, when he was reunited with defense partner Hampus Lindholm after a 19-game layoffs. Manson also played 4:15 on the Ducks’ -killing unit.

It took a few shifts to get his mind off the sprained knee that sidelined him for more than six weeks, but then he had to fight the rust that developed over the days and weeks. Practice could simulate game action only so much. The two activities cannot be compared.

“It kind of shuts your brain off thinking about your knee, do you what I mean?” Manson said when asked if he felt any pain in his knee. “The first two shifts, I felt it a little bit, but as the game went along, I got real comfortable and settled in a little bit after that.”

However, Manson was on the ice for both of the Wild’s goals, including Ryan Doanto’s tying strike only 2:03 into the third period. Zach Parise set up Donato for a close-range shot from near the left goal post, winning a battle for a loose puck behind John Gibson’s net.

“It was one of those plays where I was thinking I was going to bump him backwards and then we’d kind of go in (to the boards) together,” Manson said. “But the way we bumped, he kind of went toward the puck because the puck was going around the boards. It was unfortunate the way it happened.”

The Ducks are 7-5-0 with Manson in the lineup and 6-9-4 without him this season.

CARRICK CONTRIBUTES

Sam Carrick’s assist on Rickard Rakell’s first-period goal Tuesday was his fourth (one goal, three assists) in 26 games in the NHL. It also was the second point in seven games with the Ducks for the 27-year-old center since they acquired him March 1, 2017.

Carrick was the leading scorer for the San Diego Gulls of the AHL last season, with 61 points (32 goals, 29 assists) in 61 games. He led the Gulls in scoring with 16 points (10 goals, six assists) in 18 games when he was recalled Saturday, after sprained his knee Friday.

Right from the start, Carrick formed an effective line with Rakell and Jakob Silfverberg skating on his wings. Carrick gave all the credit to his linemates, who had been skating with Sam Steel until he was scratched for Tuesday’s game against Minnesota.

“I had some elite linemates and that always makes things easy,” Carrick said of skating with the Swedes. “Playing with those two guys, I just want to get them the puck. They create a lot of offense so it felt good. We created a lot of (scoring) chances.”

NOW YOU KNOW

Ducks coach Dallas Eakins had a list of potential shooters in mind when Tuesday’s game headed to a shootout, including Rakell to lead off. Max Comtois, 20, was an unexpected choice as their second shooter, however. Rakell and Comtois each scored and the Ducks grabbed a 3-2 victory.

“That was all Mark Morrison,” Eakins said, referring to one of his assistant coaches. “We were going to send Ricky for sure first and I had another thought on No. 2, and Mark was like, ‘Send Comtois.’ He’s been in lots of pressure situations like that before, just on a different level.

“The kid certainly delivered.”

STATISTICAL ODDITY

The Ducks outscored the Wild 3-2 and outshot them 33-24 on Tuesday, the first time they won a game and outshot the opposition. The Ducks 1165742 Anaheim Ducks

Kings take on Ducks again to start 6-game road trip

Kings have chance to show improved play away as eight of their next nine games and 20 of their next 28 are on the road

By ANDREW KNOLL |PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 2:45 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 2:45 PM

A long journey will begin with a brief excursion for the Kings, who kick off a six-game road trip Thursday in Anaheim.

The Kings lost to the Ducks 4-2 at Honda Center on Dec. 2, and now look to even this season’s Freeway Faceoff series. Beginning with the game Thursday, they embark on a stint with eight of nine games on the road as part of a broader stretch where they will travel for 20 of their next 28.

The Kings have been much more reliable at home, earning 10 of their 12 victories this season at Staples Center. Coach Todd McLellan was encouraged by his team’s play during a back-to-back set in Western Canada, where they lost one-goal games to Edmonton and Calgary.

“We have to take this game on the road and see what we can get,” McLellan said, stating that the team did so on the Alberta trip. “Eventually we’ll break the seal on the road if we keep playing the way we are and play as a team.”

Indeed, the Kings have played a steadier, albeit still unspectacular, game as the season has progressed. Contrasting their season opener in Edmonton to their next two meetings with the Oliers – a decisive 5-1 triumph at home, then losing a 2-1 squeaker in Edmonton – shows the Kings are no longer on their heels as often or as prone to emotional swings. They’ve also protected leads expertly at home thus far.

“If you compare back to early in the year when some leads got away from us, we’ve improved. We’ve moved the needle,” McLellan said.

Their most recent game was a 3-1 win against the New York Rangers, a team that, like Anaheim, has some physically imposing players in its lineup.

“We didn’t back down from it at any point. A big hit might have been made or a battle in front of the net. We were right there and we were playing in the dirty areas,” forward Austin Wagner said. “That’s the way that Kings should play.”

The Ducks, who beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday, are separated from the pit of the Pacific Division only by the Kings. Both teams have had largely futile power-plays this season as their conversion rates have gone wire-to-wire among the worst in the NHL. But even in the absence of highlight reels and high stakes, there is plenty of animosity between the two clubs, dating to before the peak of the rivalry in 2014.

That year, the teams faced each other in an outdoor game at Dodger Stadium. Then they met in a fiercely contested, seven-game playoff series that sent the Kings hurling toward a second Stanley Cup and marked the end of Anaheim right wing Teemu Selanne’s illustrious career.

Center Ryan Getzlaf remains the Ducks’ team captain and their leading scorer with 25 points in 31 games. John Gibson has continued to prove his mettle as a top talent in goal, even on nights where he hasn’t received much support.

First-year coach Dallas Eakins has moved up from the Ducks’ affiliate in San Diego to oversee a transition not totally unlike that of the Kings, where familiar faces and developing players have mingled with mixed results.

Kings at Ducks

When: 7 p.m. Thursday

Where: Honda Center

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West/iHeartRadio

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165743 Boston Bruins crosscheck in the corner to Jaroslav Halak’s left. Each of the pugilists landed a couple of solid shots. More punch than the office Christmas party. Combined tale of the tape for the two monster mashers: 13 feet 1 Observations on the Bruins’ road setback against the Washington inch and 470 pounds. Post game, Chara only acknowledged it was the Capitals crosscheck that drew his ire, but refused to comment.

Bruins captain Zdeno Chara (33) engaged Tom Wilson (43) the Washington Capitals in a first-period heavyweight fight. Combined tale of By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff, December 11, 2019, 9:52 p.m. the tape: 13-feet-1-inch, 470 pounds.

■ Cheap play of the night: Jakub Vrana’s near slew foot of Torey Krug after the Boston defenseman unloaded a shot in the high slot. As Krug let WASHINGTON — David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin were the go, Vrana used his right skate to take out Krug’s left boot. The call made headliners, but it was T.J. Oshie who stole the show here Wednesday against Vrana was tripping — but it was a dangerous and unnecessary night when the Bruins and Capitals, the NHL’s two best teams this cheap shot. season, went head to head at Capital One Arena. ■ Retired Ex-Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas, a recluse in recent years, Oshie, the Capitals’ 32-year-old right winger, typically overshadowed by was on the ice for the opening faceoff, the Capitals honoring the Yanks slicker teammates Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and the Great who will be inducted into the USA here on Ovie, popped in a pair of second-period goals that paced the Capitals to Thursday. Thomas was among four honorees to drop the ceremonial a 3-2 win over the Bruins. puck (along with ex-Bruin Brian Gionta). Thomas exchanged smiles, Oshie’s first erased a 1-0 Bruins lead. His second, only 3:30 later, handshakes, and words with Chara, Bergeron, and Marchand before provided the Capitals with a 2-1 lead. And when Sean Kuraly and John leaving the ice. Marchand: “He looks like he lost a little weight, so he’s Carlson traded strikes only 1:49 apart early in the third, the Capitals were looking good. Good to see him again.” left standing with two more points (51 total) atop the heap that is the ■ Marchand got stung on his first shift, a high stick by Backstrom Original 31. catching him around his right ear. Obviously in some pain, Marchand The Bruins (20-6-6, 46 points) suffered their third straight loss in made his way to the bench and shook off trainer Don Del Negro’s offer to regulation and also lost for a fourth time in a row (0-3-1), extending their help. season-worst skid. ■ The Bruins outshot the Capitals, 23-11, from the 3:00 mark of the first Sign Up until the end of the second. No extra points for shot lead.

So, not good for the Black and Gold, but it was better than they have ■ Oshie’s second of the night came on a delayed call against McAvoy. been of late — and the outcome might have been flipped had it not been Oshie blitzed by both McAvoy and Connor Clifton, closed to Halak’s front for having a Patrice Bergeron goal, good for a 2-0 lead, wiped off the porch, and put it away for his 13th of the season. scoreboard yet again when a forensic replay review found Jake Boston Globe LOADED: 12.12.2019 DeBrusk’s skate an itsy-bitsy bit over the blue line seconds before Bergeron struck at 15:35 of the first period.

Pastrnak (one goal) and Ovechkin (0-0—0 and not a single shot on net) were upstaged by Oshie, but it was the replay machine, in its lifeless and joyless splendor, that again forced its way onto the scoresheet and stole some of the night’s entertainment.

“Honestly, I had no idea until they started talking about it,” said Bergeron, denied what would have been his 10th goal. “I didn’t really get a good look at it. But with all the angles they have — and in Toronto, I am sure it’s the right call.”

Frustrating?

“Yeah, it is,” added Bergeron. “Obviously, when you are on the opposite side of it, it feels nice . . . so, yeah, obviously this year it’s one of those, when you come up short every time, and it happens 20 seconds after the play, it’s tough to swallow. But it is the rule, and we have to live with it.”

“That’s the game nowadays, you know, it’s frustrating,” added teammate Brad Marchand, “especially when you play for so long after the [infraction] — there’s got to be something implemented where you are not playing for a minute and it doesn’t affect the play. Just frustrating when it goes against you, but it all evens out in the end.”

Overall, focusing on his club’s 60-minute performance, coach Bruce Cassidy was encouraged after what were significantly weaker efforts against Colorado and Ottawa.

“Listen, we’re all frustrated,” said Cassidy, first referencing the goal lost to video review. “But as a coach, you like how the 60 minutes transpired better than some of the other nights. We’re in the game. We’re right there. We very easily could have won the game. Two or three things probably changed that, but in terms of the 60-minute effort we are getting closer to where we want to be.”

■ Pastrnak and Ovechkin lined up nose to nose for the opening faceoff. Only 9:36 later, Pastrnak added to his advantage in the goal-scoring race, popping in a forehander at even-strength off a silken dish from Charlie McAvoy. The 12th time this season Pastrnak has opened the scoring for the Bruins. His league-leading 26th strike of the season. Ovehckin remained locked in at 21.

■ All of 36 seconds after Pastrnak’s goal, team captain Zdeno Chara (6 feet 9 inches) and Washington strongman Tom Wilson (6-4) traded wild punches, the skirmish initiated when Wilson stapled Chara with a 1165744 Boston Bruins The NHL’s goal-scoring list on Wednesday morning counted three Americans, including Eichel, in the Top 10. The others: T4: Auston Matthews (19, Toronto) and 10. Jake Guentzel (17, Pittsburgh).

Bruins’ Brett Ritchie told to start faster out of the gate Last season, three Yanks finished among the top-10 goal scorers: Patrick Kane, 44 (Chicago), Cam Atkinson, 41 (Columbus) and Alex DeBrincat, 41 (Chicago). As of Wednesday morning, that trio had a total of 29 goals, By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,December 11, 2019, 6:26 p.m. a collective drop of roughly one-third vs. the rate that brought them a total 126 in 2018-19.

Slip and slide WASHINGTON — Bruce Cassidy’s advice to Brett Ritchie: get your motor runnin’. After winning a season-high eight in a row, the Bruins had hiccupped over the last three (0-2-1) prior to Wednesday night, a dip only slightly Ritchie, who signed with the Black and Gold in July as an unrestricted worse than their 1-2-3 slide prior to that eight-game run. They also free agent, suited up Wednesday night for his 18th game as a Bruin. scored a total of three goals in their losses to the Avalanche (5-1) and Nagging injuries have kept him sidelined for nearly half of the club’s Senators (5-2), their lowest back-to-back production since their two games (32) to date, and his ice time diminished in part by Cassidy still season-opening wins (Dallas, 2-1; Arizona, 1-0) . . . Boston’s once- tinkering with the forward mix. dominating power play has powered down over seven games prior to the “We just need to see him more,” Cassidy said prior to the Bruins facing stop here, going 2 for 20. Duly noted: No. 1 bumper Patrice Bergeron the Capitals, a game in which Ritchie’s size (6 feet 4 inches, 220 pounds) was absent for the first six of those games. “I thought we had enough was an asset against a Capitals’ lineup that includes some thickness and good looks [in Ottawa] to score at least a couple of goals — we got one,” muscle (No. 1, Tom Wilson). “Part of that is on me to stay patient with noted Cassidy. Two points to sharpen, according to Cassidy: quicker him. Part of it’s on him.” puck movement and finish around the net. “When I hear good things about our power play from other people,” mused Cassidy, “it’s typically For example: Monday night in Ottawa. Ritchie logged a meager 8:06, about how quick the puck moves.” . . . The Bruins’ PP stood No. 3 in the including just a five-second twirl on the power play, and finished minus-2 league at 28 percent efficiency (behind Edmonton and Tampa), and the in the 5-2 loss. Power plays and penalty kills (which he does not play) Caps were T5 (23.7) . . . Over the same stretch of seven games, the limited his looks. When he did get his No. 18 called to action, he often Bruins’ penalty killing was nearly flawless, snuffing out 17 of 18 had been sitting in cold storage. advantages. Through 31 games, their PK ranked 12th in the league with a 81.8 percent kill rate . . . Tuukka Rask (13-3-3), backup here to “He’s got to get his motor running coming out of it,” said Cassidy. “That’s Jaroslav Halak, will be in net Thursday night when the Bruins face the part of the job for a guy who’s not always playing high minutes — to get Bolts in Tampa. going after long stretches. I don’t know if that’s going to be an issue for us or not in the long term with him. Because that’s his role right now. Boston Globe LOADED: 12.12.2019 Maybe he earns more minutes, plays a regular role — gets more time on the power play. But time will tell that.”

Ritchie, 26, signed a one-year deal for $1 million with Boston after departing the Stars as a free agent, cut free when Dallas did not make him an offer.

He opted to take the Boston offer because of the team’s success — including last June’s trip to the Cup Final — and how Cassidy utilizes the entire roster. Some coaches have a way of severely dialing back the minutes of fourth line forwards.

“When I was healthy at the start of the year, the first 14-15 games, it felt like it was pretty smooth sailing,” said Ritchie, who potted the club’s first goal of the season in his Boston debut, opening night in Dallas. “I was in and out there with the [elbow] injury and it’s almost like a restart. You kind of have to find your game. But like I’ve said before, wherever you are in the lineup, it’s a pretty deep team, so like any good team, I don’t think you’re going to be put in a bad position.”

Stick salute

The NHL’s two hottest sticks, David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin, trade shots here and will do it again Dec. 23 at the Garden, just before the brief Christmas break.

Pastrnak, in a four-game goal-scoring dip, opened the night leading the NHL with 25 goals. The great Ovechkin, the greatest scorer of his era (eight time with 50 goals or more), stood second with 21 for a career total of 679. The 34-year-old flamethrower is closing in on Teemu Selanne (684) for the No. 11 spot on the league’s all-time scoring list.

North Chelmsford’s Jack Eichel (20) moved to No. 3 on the list when he picked up two more Tuesday night in the Sabres’ impressive win over the defending Cup champion St. Louis Blues.

Cassidy, when asked to compare Pastrnak (career total: 157) and Ovechkin, noted Ovechkin is more of a tried-and-true shooter while Pastrnak, at this stage of his career, is still building more playmaking into his game.

“Pasta’s developed his shot now to the point where he will use it more often,” noted Cassidy, his 20-5-6 Bruins second only to the Caps in the league’s overall standings when the night began. “I think Pasta still will use more one-on-one moves than maybe Ovie — that could have been Ovie 10 years ago, as well, and now he’s kind of settled in on what works for him. But Pasta still has a lot of that creative juice in him, still wants to try those and sometimes it works out, and sometimes it doesn’t.” 1165745 Boston Bruins

NHL’s top goal scorers— David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin — prepare to face off as Bruins visit Capitals

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff ,December 11, 2019, 11:00 a.m.

WASHINGTON — The NHL’s two hottest sticks, David Pastrnak and Alex Ovechkin, trade shots here Wednesday night when the Bruins face off against the Capitals (Capital One Arena, 7 p.m., NBC Sports Network).

Pastrnak, in a four-game goal-scoring dip, leads the NHL with 25 goals. Ovechkin, the greatest scorer of his era (eight times with 50 goals or more), is second with 21. His next strike will be No. 680 on his résumé. He is closing in on Teemu Selanne (684) for the No. 11 spot on the league’s all-time list.

North Chelmsford’s Jack Eichel (20) moved to No. 3 this season when he picked up two more Tuesday night in the Sabres’ impressive win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues.

Boston coach Bruce Cassidy, when asked following Tuesday’s workout to compare Pastrnak (career total: 157) and Ovechkin, noted that Ovechkin is more of a tried-and-true shooter while Pastrnak is still building more playmaking into his game.

“Pasta’s developed his shot now to the point where he will use it more often,” noted Cassidy, his 20-5-6 Bruins second only to the 22-5-5 Capitals in the league’s overall standings. “I think Pasta still will use more one-on-one moves than maybe Ovie. That could have been Ovie 10 years ago, as well, and now he’s kind of settled in on what works for him.

“But Pasta still has a lot of that creative juice in him, still wants to try those, and sometimes it works out and sometimes it doesn’t.”

The NHL’s goal-scoring list on Wednesday morning counted three Americans, including Eichel, in the top 10. The others: Auston Matthews (19, Toronto) and Jack Guentzel (17, Pittsburgh).

Last season, three Americans finished among the top 10: Patrick Kane, 44 (Chicago), Cam Atkinson, 41 (Columbus), and Alex DeBrincat, 41 (Chicago). As of Wednesday morning, that trio had a total of 29 goals.

■ After winning a season-high eight in a row, the Bruins have hiccupped over their last three (0-2-1), a dip only slightly worse than their 1-2-3 slide prior to that eight-game run. They also scored a total of only three goals in their losses to the Avalanche (5-1) and Senators (5-2), their lowest back-to-back production since their two season-opening wins (2-1 over Dallas and 1-0 over Arizona).

■ Boston’s once-dominating power play has powered down over the last seven games, going 2 for 20. Duly noted: No. 1 bumper Patrice Bergeron was absent for the first six of those games. “I thought we had enough good looks [in Ottawa] to score at least a couple of goals — we got one,” noted Cassidy.

Two points to sharpen, according to Cassidy: quicker puck movement and finish around the net.

“When I hear good things about our power play from other people,” mused Cassidy, “it’s typically about how quick the puck moves.”

Headed into the faceoff here, the Bruins PP stood No. 3 in the league at 28.0 percent efficiency (behind Edmonton and Tampa), and the Capitals were T5 (23.7 percent).

Boston Globe LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165746 Boston Bruins But as tough as the loss may have been, the points the B’s have amassed in he early portion of the season allowed Cassidy to take a long view of the performance. And though it was the B’s fourth consecutive Bruins fall short on scoreboard, not effort loss, third straight in regulation, there was a feeling that his team was back on the right track.

“We’re all frustrated, but as a coach, you like how the 60 minutes By STEVE CONROY | December 11, 2019 at 11:05 PM transpired better than some of the other nights. We’re in the game, we’re right there,” said Cassidy. “We easily could have won the game. Two or

three things probably changed that but in terms of a 60-minute effort, I WASHINGTON, D.C. — The belief here is that the Washington Capitals think we’re getting close to where we want to be.” are better than not only the Bruins, but every other team in the National Boston Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 Hockey League.

But judging from Wednesday’s matchup between the NHL-leading Caps and the second placed B’s, the gap between these two teams is miniscule. In fact, you could argue that B’s deserved a better fate than the 3-2 loss they suffered. It was easily the B’s best effort in a couple of weeks.

But when you’re as close as the B’s are to the Caps, having yet another goal called back for offside is not optimal and that’s exactly what happened. With the B’s already up 1-0, it appeared as though Patrice Bergeron had put them up 2-0 when he scored on a second chance shot at the top of the crease. The Caps, however, challenged and the goal was taken off the board because Jake DeBrusk was a fraction of an inch offside well before Bergeron jammed home his own rebound.

Perhaps sick and tired of talking about goals that were nullified – and he’s said his piece on it before – coach Bruce Cassidy did not want to cling to that as an excuse for the loss.

“Obviously, we have to have better discipline at the blue line,” said Cassidy.

But it was certainly a huge play, and the players were understandably frustrated.

“That’s the game nowadays. It’s frustrating, especially when you play so long after the (offside) there’s got to be something implemented where you’re not playing for a minute and it just doesn’t affect the play anymore,” said Brad Marchand. “There are plays when guys are on breakaways that are onside (and whistled offside) that result in goals and you don’t get those back. It’s just frustrating when it goes against you, but they all kind of even out in the end. We’ll get some going our way at some point here. And you get some that go against you. That’s just the way it goes.”

The B’s have learned to dread any delayed center ice puck drop after a goal scored..

“Especially with how long they get to look at it. They spend a good minute or two hanging out at the bench to let the teams know if it’s offside or not or if its goalie interference because they break it down for a couple of minutes. That’s a frustration thing where it knid of delays the game but that’s the way they want it and I don’t think they’re going to change it now,” said Cassidy.

Said DeBrusk: “Every single goal I think about it now because I think that’s my fourth or fifth one that I’ve been a part of. But I kind of know it when I saw the replay. It was one of the things that had no effect on the play, but obviously it’s not a goal.”

It’s hard to imagine that the league, supposedly always looking to increase scoring, will just quit with the offside reviews. Though they could limit the time a coaching staff has to look at replays. Adn a statute of limitation would be nice.

“It is (frustrating),” said Bergeron. “When you’re on the opposite side of it, it feels nice. But obviously this year, when you come up short every time, and it happens 20 seconds after the play, it’s tough to swallow. But it is the rule and we have to live with it.”

The B’s weren’t perfect on the night. Including the Bergeron goal that got called back, their struggling power-play went 0-for-5. They got a great opportunity at the start of the third when Tom Wilson ran David Pastrnak and was called for interference. They couldn’t capitalize on that one, nor the PP later in the period when John Carlson tripped Pastrnak. Cassidy sensed some impatience in their PP game, especially in the third.

“Listen, they’re good players and we’re going to let them do what they see fit on the ice, but I thought that one was the one power-pay where we thought we got out of our structure too much,” said Cassidy. 1165747 Boston Bruins

Offside review burns Bruins again in loss to Capitals

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 9:43 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 10:40 PM

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Bruins are on a losing streak.

For the first time all season, the Bruins have lost three games in a row. It wasn’t the first time, however, they were burned by an offside review and went on to lose, as the Bruins had a 2-0 lead washed off the board in the first period and went on to fall to the Capitals, 3-2.

“We’re all frustrated but as a coach I like how the 60 minutes transpired better than some of the other nights,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “We’re in the game, we’re right there, we very easily could have won the game. Two or three things probably changed them.”

Washington has defeated the Bruins 16 of the past 17 times they’ve faced off, including in November when the Bruins blew a late lead and went on to lose in the shootout.

Already ahead 1-0 in the second, Patrice Bergeron scored on a power play to end an 0-for-14 streak, but it was called back on an offside review; it was similar to when the Bruins lost to Colorado early in the season when they led only to have two other goals called back, and they went on to lose that game, as well.

Things started off well for the Bruins. With Alex Ovechkin trailing him by four goals, David Pastrnak widened the gap to put the Bruins ahead. The NHL’s leading goal-scorer took a feed from Charlie McAvoy and beat Braden Holtby in tight for a 1-0 lead 9:36 into the first frame.

It would have been 2-0 on a Bergeron power-play goal, but the Bruins saw yet another tally taken off the board via review. With 15:15 gone in the first, Bergeron — in his second game back from a lower body injury that sidelined him for seven games — buried a rebound, but the Capitals challenged, and officials ruled Jake DeBrusk had been offside 20 seconds before.

“I think about it every goal now,” said DeBrusk.

That gave the Capitals room to tie things up early in the second.

Following the Bruins’ third consecutive failed power play of the night, the Capitals went to the man advantage, T.J. Oshie went backhand to forehand and hit the crossbar, then snagged his own rebound behind Halak with 15:25 left in the second to make it 1-1.

Oshie deked Connor Clifton out of his skates 3:26 later to give Washington its first lead. Oshie slid the puck through Clifton and back to himself, and the Capitals went ahead, 2-1.

The Bruins power play continued to struggle generating chances but the B’s ended the second period outshooting the Capitals 23-14 as a team.

Torey Krug flipped the puck from the corner 2:53 into the third and Sean Kuraly tipped in his third tally of the year to tie the game at 2-2, but it didn’t last long. Norris Trophy favorite John Carlson blasted in his 12th goal of the year from the left circle less than two minutes later to put Washington back ahead 3-2.

The Bruins got their fifth-power play chance of the game in the third period, but, already two for their last 21 chances entering the game, they failed to get looks on net yet again.

“I thought they got impatient at the start of the third instead of down around the net,” said Cassidy. “There’s better ways and we have talked about ways to free up the shot. … They’re good players, we’re going to give them freedom to do as they see fit on the ice, but that was probably the one power play we were out of our structure too much.”

The Bruins continue their three-game road trip in Tampa Bay on Thursday night before heading to Sunrise to face the Panthers on Saturday.

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165748 Boston Bruins

Bruins notebook: Not-so-powerful power play a problem

By MARISA INGEMI

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Bruins have the third-best power play in the league.

The way December has gone, that’s hard to believe.

With a 27.9 power-play percentage heading into Wednesday night’s game in Washington, the Bruins trailed just the Oilers and Lightning and had a full percentage point better than the fourth-place Canucks, and four points ahead of the Capitals.

That’s why the B’s falling into an 0-for-13 slump on the man advantage following the Ottawa game Monday — and suffering just their second back-to-back regulation losses of the season — has been so jarring.

They don’t have a single power-play tally in December; for a team on which the man advantage makes up 24.3% of their total goals scored, that doesn’t bode well.

The team’s game results back that. The Bruins entered Wednesday with three consecutive losses. On Monday, a stronger power play could have come in handy, but it really burned them in the loss to the Avalanche on Saturday.

The power play isn’t the Bruins’ biggest issue, with defensive breakdowns hurting them the past couple games, along with playing catch-up hockey (which, for a while, they got away with).

They had a loose practice on Tuesday in hopes of finding some sort of a spark.

“Listen, our record is very good,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said after practice on Tuesday. “But we’ve got to get back to enjoying our game a little more while taking care of business and balancing the two.”

In some ways, the power play’s dominance had been masking the team’s issues. Now that the man advantage has struggled, some of the other problems have been exposed.

The power play shouldn’t be down and out for too long. The B’s still have players like David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. And, at some point, everything evens out. The Bruins just should hope the man advantage becomes an advantage again some time soon.

One or the other

Cassidy didn’t announce ahead of Wednesday’s game who would sit between John Moore or Connor Clifton, but he did say whoever didn’t play in Washington would be in Tampa Bay the next night.

“We’re gonna play Moore and Clifton one of each these two,” said Cassidy before the game on Wednesday. “We wanted to give Johnny a break on the back to back. We’re still mulling over who will go in (Wednesday) and who will go (Thursday) in that regard.”

Moore just returned from offseason shoulder surgery last week.

Goalie rotation

Jaroslav Halak got the start against his former team on Wednesday night, but Cassidy said Tuukka Rask would go back in against the Lightning.

Rask allowed four goals in the Bruins’ 5-2 loss to the Senators on Monday night. They’re still mostly sticking with a rotation, which was only interfered with when Halak was sick and didn’t play against the Wild two weeks ago. Halak started both games against the Capitals this season.

The Bruins combined save percentage of .923 is still the fourth best in the league.

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165749 Boston Bruins first time last year. That helped him score a four-year, $14 million contract with the Florida Panthers, for whom he’s on pace to top the 30- goal mark.

Caps present chance for Brett Ritchie to show what he’s got We’re not suggesting that the B’s take a whole year to decide if Ritchie is B’s winger gets first shot against physical Caps the guy or not. The B’s are in position to win now and they have to act accordingly. But it would be a shame if Ritchie had that in him and the B’s pulled the plug too early.

By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 4:30 pm | Boston Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 6:40 PM

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Like the Bruins, the Washington Capitals are a highly skilled group that knows how to win. Going into Wednesday night’s showdown between the NHL’s top two teams, the B’s and Caps had just 10 regulation losses between them. The Caps won the Stanley Cup two years ago and the B’s were a win away from raising it last year

But play between these two teams over the past five years has been anything but even. The Caps have had it all over the B’s. The B’s 1-0 win here last Feb. 3 snapped an 0-11-3 streak against the Caps that dated back to 2014.

As the teams have evolved to their current state, there’s an area to which you could point that the Caps have an edge — size and physicality. And Wednesday’s tilt should serve as a good barometer for whether, and how much, the 6-foot-4, 220-pound Brett Ritchie can help the B’s. Getting the answer to that question could be one of the linchpins to the B’s season.

The free agent signee (one-year, $1 million) had 2-2-4 total and is a team-low minus-4 in 17 games. But because of an infected elbow that kept him out of the lineup for 13 out of 17 games, it would be unfair to rule this as a failed experiment just yet. But he was set to play his third consecutive game on Wednesday and any understandable timing issues he may have had coming off the layoff should be close to ironed out.

The game against the Caps should serve as a good measuring stick not just for the B’s, but for Ritchie as well.

“We’re just trying to get him up and running on a regular basis. He missed some time. He’s been on different lines. Part of that is on us, part of that is on him to find his chemistry as well. But we’re still looking at that. Yeah, we’re hoping he becomes a guy in these type of games that we can rely on and brings out the best in him. We’ll see,” said coach Bruce Cassidy, who was set to start Ritchie on the second line with David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk on Wednesday.

Because of Ritchie’s missed time, Cassidy conceded that he doesn’t yet know what he can or can’t bring on a regular basis.

“I’ve seen him be willing to finish checks, get in on the forecheck. The puck’s found him a few times and he’s been off-net with some of his chances but you hope that that will straighten itself out with a bigger sample size,” said Cassidy. “He can certainly shoot the puck well, willing to take it to the net. We just need to see it more. Part of that is on me to stay patient with him. Part of it is on him, where the games like Ottawa, for example, where we got into the power plays and penalty kills, where he doesn’t play a big part in those, he’s got to get his motor running. That’s part of the job of a guy that’s not always playing high minutes to get going after long stretches. And I don’t know if that’s going to be an issue for us or not long-term, because that’s his role right now. Maybe he can earn more minutes, plays a regular role, I’d say more power play than penalty kill, but time will tell on that.”

The Twitter-verse seems to have reached a verdict on Ritchie and, as usual, it’s been swift and harsh. It may actually even be correct. But the B’s have time to make the right decision on this and it behooves them to take it.

The February deadline is still a couple of months away. If Ritchie can be the answer, then the B’s can hold onto assets they’d prefer to keep instead of dishing them to say, Los Angeles, for Tyler Toffoli (whether it’s related to a possible deal or not, the Kings have been a consistent presence at B’s games recently).

As the B’s continue their seemingly endless search for a second top-six right wing, many forget that the answer may have been sitting in front of them a few years ago. After the 2015-16 season in which he scored just nine goals, Brett Connolly was allowed to walk, and there wasn’t a whole lot of teeth-gnashing about it. He went on to be a useful player for the Caps, helping them win the Cup and breaking the 20-goal plateau for the 1165750 Boston Bruins

Bruins pregame notes: B’s try to rebound against rival Capitals

By MARISA INGEMI | December 11, 2019 at 11:52 am

WASHINGTON D.C. — The Bruins have struggled against the Capitals.

Every number points to an unbalanced dominance: the record, Braden Holtby’s stats against Boston, absolutely everything. The only time the Bruins have defeated the 2018-19 Stanley Cup champions was last February when Tuukka Rask shut the door on a 1-0 victory.

Washington has had the advantage against the Bruins since the 2012 postseason when the Capitals won in Game 7 of overtime at TD Garden. That was the B’s first introduction to Holtby.

They can’t turn back time and change any of the results, but the Bruins still believe they can compete with the team that’s given them fits over the past decade.

For now, they’re just focused on rebounding after two horrible losses in a row.

“We all are aware – every man in that room, all the coaches know – we’re not playing to our standard every night,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. “We get pockets of it like a lot teams, but that’s our goal now, to get to standard.”

The Bruins are strong enough to compete with good teams like the Capitals, who had been on a six-game winning streak before they faltered on Monday night. Entering Tuesday the power play, typically their strength, has been a struggle, so getting back to that operating as one of — if not, the — best unit in the league has to be one of the most important things they can do.

This is a game most hockey fans in general should have circled as a potential Eastern Conference Finals preview. Both teams are trying to find themselves, but that’s what makes it interesting.

Game notes

Cassidy said there would be a change on the backend potentially with John Moore as they try to continue to ease him in after coming back from shoulder surgery in the offseason.

David Pastrnak leads the league with 25 goals, but Alex Ovechkin of the Capitals is right behind him with 21 for one of the most marquee goal- scorer matchups of the season across the entire league.

Former Capital Jaroslav Halak gets the start in net with Tuukka Rask slated to start on Thursday night in Tampa Bay.

About the Capitals

The Capitals (22-5-5) are coming off a brutal 5-2 loss to the Blue Jackets on Monday night, the same score the Bruins had in their loss to Ottawa the same night.

That was likely Washington’s worst performance of the season. It’s easy to imagine they’ll be up to face the team trailing them by three points in the standings with a game in hand.

Last time the Capitals and Bruins faced off was mid-November, when Washington scored late in the third period to force overtime and eventually took the shootout victory.

The Caps lead the NHL with 114 goals and have the second highest shooting percentage with 11.3 percent.

Boston Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165751 Boston Bruins 24. Chicago Blackhawks: They still have some offensive studs, but the defense is awful and they just don’t have enough depth to be a contender.

Bruins and Capitals struggle in Week 11 of NHL Power Rankings 25. : Things have not gotten any better in Montreal.

26. Ottawa Senators: They’re not the pathetic doormat they’ve been, but By MARISA INGEMI | December 11, 2019 at 5:55 am that doesn’t mean they’re good, either; they’ve had a couple moments since November.

27. Minnesota Wild: Wildly enough, Minnesota has started to play kind of The Bruins and Capitals are likely the two best teams in the NHL and well in the past couple of weeks, but their hole might be too deep they play on Wednesday night, but both will be coming off brutal losses already. to lesser teams. So, they fall for now, but one of them is going to pick up a solid win. 28. Anaheim Ducks: They have not won very much lately and even John Gibson can’t save them. 1. St. Louis Blues: Jordan Binnington perhaps has covered up some flaws, but the Blues are getting results and don’t appear to have hit that 29. Los Angeles Kings: It’s wild how goaltending is the Kings’ biggest dreaded wall quite yet. issue, but they sure seem stuck with Jonathan Quick.

2. Washington Capitals: Likely played their worst game of the season 30. New Jersey Devils: John Hynes is gone but he wasn’t the entire against Columbus on Monday night. Their showdown with the Bruins on problem in Newark. They still haven’t gelled, even with the talent they Wednesday should have them motivated. have.

3. Boston Bruins: Like the Caps, the Bruins suffered a rough loss on 31. Detroit Red Wings: They’ve lost nine in a row and look like one of the Monday in Ottawa. They’ve lost back-to-back games in regulation for the worst teams in hockey because, well, they are. second time this season. Boston Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 4. Colorado Avalanche: Everyone (almost) is back, and then Cale Makar goes out. Avs are winning games and getting results, and arguably the best line in hockey is back together.

5. : Of course they were going to come back down to earth after their insane run, but the Islanders are still in the upper tier.

6. Philadelphia Flyers: A tale as old as time: Are the Flyers good?

7. : If their scorers started scoring they’d be even better, but the Coyotes might have something going in Glendale.

8. Edmonton Oilers: It finally seems like the Oilers lack of depth is catching up with them. They’ve lost half their games over the past month.

9. Florida Panthers: If they had goaltending even a little bit they’d be a scary team.

10. : They’re not on fire yet, but the Flames are starting to play better over the past couple of weeks.

11. Pittsburgh Penguins: Imagine when Sidney Crosby comes back.

12. Winnipeg Jets: Connor Hellebyuck might be the most important player in the league right now for how he’s kept the Jets from crashing.

13. Buffalo Sabres: Jack Eichel might drag the Sabres into a playoff position on his own.

14. Dallas Stars: Just when it finally seemed like the Stars had gotten their act together, Jim Montgomery was fired.

15. Carolina Hurricanes: It appears the storm hasn’t fizzled quite yet in Raleigh.

16. Vegas Golden Knights: There’s something wrong in Nevada, they should be so much better than they are.

17. Vancouver Canucks: Still one of the funnest teams to watch, but could be a year away from serious contention.

18. San Jose Sharks: It looked like they were turning things around and then had an absolutely dreadful road trip in Florida that looked a lot like their putrid start.

19. New York Rangers: If they rebound and salvage their season, it would be pretty impressive.

20. Nashville Predators: Goaltending continues to be their most glaring issue, but they have the forward depth to make a run.

21. Toronto Maple Leafs: They’ve had a couple of sparks under Sheldon Keefe but the Leafs still look like an exceptionally average hockey club.

22. Columbus Blue Jackets: Nice win against the Capitals on Monday night.

23. Tampa Bay Lightning: They have time to catch up, but performances like Monday’s against the Islanders continue to show something is off in Tampa Bay. 1165752 Boston Bruins

Bruins encouraged by losing effort in Washington: 'That's the kind of hockey we want to play'

By Joe Haggerty December 12, 2019 1:19 AM

WASHINGTON – It might have been the Bruins' fourth loss in a row and, for the first time all season, the B's have lost three consecutive regulation games, but there were glimmers of hope in the 3-2 defeat at hands of the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena.

The Bruins marched out to a 1-0 lead after David Pastrnak’s first goal in five games and it would have been a two-goal lead early in the game if a silly offsides challenge that had nothing to do with the actual goal hadn’t overturned Patrice Bergeron’s power-play strike.

B's-Capitals Talking Points: Too much Oshie, not enough DeBrusk

So, the Bruins had a better start than they have had recently, had a solid three periods of play while outshooting the Capitals 32-25 and played with more engagement, effort and urgency than they have shown in a couple of weeks. It was certainly encouraging that the Bruins are turning the corner back toward consistently good efforts rather than some of the forgettable, unfocused efforts of the past couple of weeks. Still, it was again a loss.

“We’re all frustrated, but as a coach, you like how the 60 minutes transpired better than some of the other nights. We were in the game, right there and very easily could have won the game,” said Bruce Cassidy. “Two or three things probably changed that, but in terms of a 60-minute effort we’re getting a lot closer to where we want to be.”

The good news is that the Bruins leadership group sees light at the end of the tunnel with another big game against the Tampa Bay Lightning awaiting them 24 hours later.

“I thought that’s the kind of hockey that [we] want to play and you want to get back to,” said Bergeron of a Bruins team that’s taken just one out of a possible eight points in their last four games. “There are still some things to rectify with us coming up short, but we’re trending in the right direction. But it’s a short turnaround with the game [against Tampa Bay].”

HAGGERTY'S Power Rankings: B's tumble from the top>>>

The Bruins are still sitting on a 10-point lead in the division over Buffalo and Montreal despite having dropped four in a row, so there’s clearly no panic or feeling like their backs are against the wall. On the contrary, that might be part of the lack of urgency that’s crept into the B’s game the past couple of weeks, but they showed Wednesday night that they still have a solid, consistent effort in them when the mood strikes them.

Perhaps the good, honest and hard-working losing effort against the Capitals can spin the Bruins back into a winning direction with a couple of road games in Florida staring them in the face.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165753 Boston Bruins

Bruins-Capitals Talking Points: Too much Oshie, not enough DeBrusk

By Joe Haggerty December 11, 2019 11:45 PM

WASHINGTON - GOLD STAR: All T.J. Oshie did was score a couple of goals that powered the Capitals for all of their offense in the second period while setting Washington up to win the third. The first score was a power-play goal right in front of the net that tied things up and the second was a nifty individual move where he split defensemen Charlie McAvoy and Connor Clifton before dangling around Clifton and roofing a backhander for a beautiful goal. Oshie finished with two shots on net and four shot attempts overall in 20:31 of ice time to go along with a blocked shot. Still, it was all about the offense provided when the Capitals needed it as a bit of a one-man goal-scoring show on a night when Alex Ovechkin was pretty much held in check.

Highlights: B's still can't solve Caps in 3-2 loss

BLACK EYE: Jake DeBrusk at least had a positive play when he fed Patrice Bergeron for a first-period, power-play goal that would have given the Bruins a 2-0 lead. Instead, the goal was wiped off the board by an offsides challenge and DeBrusk was a negative player for the Black and Gold for the rest of the night. DeBrusk finished with no points, no shots on net and had three giveaways in 20:50 while finishing with a minus-1 rating. He certainly wasn’t alone with not bringing enough to the table for the B’s, but it was him fading into the background in a physical, gritty game against a quality opponent that conjured up memories of his issues in the playoffs last season.

TURNING POINT: The Bruins tied the score by grinding for a third-period goal from their fourth line, but then they gave up a go-ahead goal less than two minutes later. Then the B’s proceeded to get outshot 11-9 in the third period despite never leading at any point in the final 20 minutes and never really mounting enough pressure to potentially tie it to pus things to the extra session. It’s a massive letdown for the B’s to claw all the way back and then watch as it goes up in smoke in just a couple of minutes, but it was about Nicklas Backstrom and John Carlson – two of Washington’s best players – stepping up and making the play when it needed to be made.

MORE HAGGERTY: Cassidy could shake things up with these line combos

HONORABLE MENTION: David Pastrnak snapped his longest goal- scoring drought of the season at four games as he scored the first goal for the Bruins on a sizzling wrist shot. It was a nice transition play from Charlie McAvoy bombing down the left side before moving cross-ice to Pastrnak at the bottom of the face-off circle. Pastrnak snapped it off the crossbar and into the back of the net for his NHL-leading 26th goal and got Boston off to a good start for the first time in a while. Pastrnak finished with the goal, seven shot attempts, a hit and three takeaways in 21:16 while playing a strong, solid, Pastrnak-like game.

BY THE NUMBERS: 4 – the number of consecutive losses for the Bruins. They have lost four in a row one other time this season, but it’s the first time they’ve lost three regulation games in a row.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "I just told him I'm happy for him and congrats. He looks like he's got a six-pack now, so I'm just happy for him. It was great to see him. It's been a while." –Brad Marchand, on what he said to former teammate Tim Thomas when he was on the ice for the ceremonial puck drop as a new inductee for the US Hockey Hall of Fame.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165754 Boston Bruins

Tim Thomas drops puck ahead of Bruins-Capitals

By Justin Leger December 11, 2019 8:52 PM

It's rare we see Tim Thomas make a public appearance nowadays, but he was in attendance for Wednesday night's Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals matchup at Capital One Arena.

Thomas was honored before the game as he was elected into the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and will be inducted on Dec. 12. The former B's goaltender and 2011 Stanley Cup champion topped off the ceremony by dropping the puck ahead of the game.

NHL Power Rankings: Bruins tumble from the top

Take a look below:

#NHLBruins legend Tim Thomas and his fellow 2019 U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame honorees – former B's forward Brian Gionta, Olympian Krissy Wendell, and Fort Dupont Ice Arena Founder Neal Henderson – dropped the ceremonial pucks before tonight's game in D.C. pic.twitter.com/zuUXk1HwZm

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) December 12, 2019

A great moment for the B's legend.

Joining Thomas as inductees are NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, Ex- NHLer and Bruins forward Brian Gionta, Fort Dupont Ice Arena founder Neal Henderson and U.S women’s star Krissy Wendell.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165755 Boston Bruins

Bruins vs. Capitals live stream: Watch NHL game online

By Nick Goss December 11, 2019 4:30 PM

The two-best teams in the Eastern Conference (and perhaps the entire NHL, too) will square off Wednesday night when the Washington Capitals host the Boston Bruins at Capital One Arena.

The Capitals lead the league with 49 points and have won seven of their last 10 games. Washington's offense has been red-hot with a league- leading 114 goals scored in 32 games.

The Bruins have 46 points atop the Atlantic Division, but their recent play has failed to impress. The B's have lost three consecutive games, including a lackluster 5-2 defeat to the Ottawa Senators on Monday night. Wednesday's matchup is the second in a four-game road trip for Boston. This trip also includes tough games against the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers.

The Capitals have owned this matchup in recent seasons. Washington has won 15 of its last 16 games against Boston, as well as the most recent playoff series between these teams in 2012.

Will the Bruins end their losing streak and send a message to the rest of the East with a statement win on the Capitals' home ice? Here's how to watch Bruins vs. Capitals on your computer or mobile device.

When: Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 7 p.m. ET

TV Channel: NBC Sports Network

Live Stream: NBC Sports

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165756 Boston Bruins

Slumping Bruins say matchup against Capitals 'should get our attention'

By Joe Haggerty December 11, 2019 4:48 PM

The Bruins are always wary going into Capital One Arena given the recent history between the Bruins and Washington Capitals, where the Caps have dominated the Black and Gold for the better part of the last 10 years.

Sure, the Bruins have sprinkled in a win here or there, but the big, fast and skilled Capitals team has routinely pushed Boston around in these matchups between Eastern Conference powers and was the victor in the only recent playoff series between the two teams way back in 2012.

This season, the Capitals and Bruins are No. 1 and No. 2 in the Eastern Conference in terms of record and points through the first two-plus months of the season, and Washington won in a shootout in the teams' only matchup earlier this season in Boston.

Both teams lost in their last games, so there will be hunger for both elite clubs to get back into the win column. But things should be a lttle more desperate for a Bruins team that’s lost three games in a row, including back-to-back regulation games for the first time this season, and has seen their lead in the division “drop” to 10 points with a surging Florida Panthers club chasing them.

Haggerty's NHL Power Rankings: B's & Caps own top spots

“Over the years they have had the better of us, so we’d better be ready to play. Their record this year backs that up,” said Bruce Cassidy. “We’re more concerned about ourselves, but the opposition tonight should get our attention. We’ll see how it all plays out.”

More than anything, however, the Bruins have seemed to lack focus or motivation in the last couple of weeks with forgettable opponents like the Senators and Blackhawks getting the better of them while they hold a commanding lead in their own division. It goes without saying that the challenge of the big, tough and dangerous Capitals should be exactly what the Bruins need to rise to the occasion, and that will be followed on Thursday night by a date with the Tampa Bay Lighting in Amalie Arena.

“[The Capitals] are obviously very dominant. They’ve had our number over the last several years, so it’s definitely one we tend to pay a little more attention to,” said Brad Marchand. “It’s always a hard building to play in. [It’s] a loud, obnoxious crowd so they gain energy from that. It’s a game we know we have to be prepared for. It doesn’t always go our way, so hopefully this one will.”

If anything can snap the Bruins out of their recent self-induced slumber over the last week, it’s the natural challenge of playing against a Capitals team that’s served as the ultimate challenge for them over most of the last decade.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165757 Boston Bruins

Bruins' Torey Krug mocks teammate Brett Ritchie's factually inaccurate take

By Dave Green December 11, 2019 11:56 AM

It was bound to happen for the Bruins.

The anticipated Stanley Cup Final hangover didn't happen at the start of the season, as Boston sprinted out of the gate with two separate point streaks of at least 10 games. But thanks to a three-game losing streak, the B's have finally hit a speed bump.

On Wednesday morning, Bruins winger Brett Ritchie had a measured — if mathematically inaccurate — take on the team's recent struggles.

“It’s an 82-game season," Ritchie said, per the AP's Stephen Whyno. We weren’t going to go 80-3 or whatever it was.”

Ritchie's gaffe didn't go unnoticed by his teammates, as Torey Krug quickly seized on the opportunity to take a jab at Ritchie on Twitter.

Stay in skool kids! https://t.co/tbefNGTxcD

— Torey Krug (@ToreyKrug) December 11, 2019

Krug, Ritchie, and the Bruins will look to snap their three-game losing skid Wednesday night, but it won't be easy, as they're facing the only team above them in the standings: the Washington Capitals.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165758 Boston Bruins companions — Krug, Marchand, Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak on the first unit — will be.

“It’s just get there,” Heinen said. “It happens fast. There’s usually a stick. The evolving net front in the NHL power play: Once reserved for giants, So you’re usually trying to get the first touch on it and know where your now the domain of the slim and fast outs are. You’re usually not going to have time to handle it. You might every once in a while. But most of the time, it’s just getting that first touch on it. Either putting it around the wall to where you know where your guys By Fluto Shinzawa Dec 11, 2019 are, or bumping it to the middle where you know your support is.”

Heinen grabbed the first-unit job on Nov. 5. Before then, it belonged to DeBrusk, who was back on the first unit during Monday’s 5-2 loss to Ten years ago, on the power play, the front of the net was reserved for Ottawa. Both have some touch around the net. It is no slight to either giants. Bill Guerin (220 pounds), Brenden Morrow (212 pounds), Rick player, though, to say the puck is better off on their playmates’ sticks. Nash (211 pounds) and Ryan Kesler (202 pounds) used their bulk to camp out in front of goalies, joust with surly defensemen and tip pucks “I think my puck recoveries have been big,” DeBrusk said. “My puck into the net. recoveries off faceoffs, loose pucks, that’s where I’m really focusing right now. I look at it and say if I can give our team a chance to get a second One could argue that nobody performed that task more efficiently than or third look from getting a recovery, maybe taking it to the net, we Tomas Holmstrom. The 200-pound wing practically buried his backside usually score off it.” inside goalies’ masks to screen, tip and irritate his way toward 122 power-play goals over 1,026 games. Sometimes the retrieval isn’t perfect. It doesn’t have to be. Against San Jose on Oct. 29, DeBrusk got enough of his stick on Brenden Dillon’s “He was always a pain in the other team’s side,” said Jake DeBrusk, one clearing attempt to disrupt the exit. Moments later, Pastrnak whistled of the Bruins’ keenest students of hockey history. “He cashed in on a home a shot. couple as well. Everyone just remembers him standing right in front of the net. But his recoveries really helped out that unit. Just the amount of The game has changed so that middleweights like Heinen and DeBrusk chaos he created there. Toward the end of his career, they started taking can do their work without being abused. Referees whistle blatant cross- him away and trying to have a defenseman front him, take away his checks and slashes to the backs of legs. presence.” Teams are rolling smaller defensemen with fleet feet and good sticks on Around that time, Bruce Cassidy was a Providence assistant. Through the kill. Matt Grzelcyk, who is 5-foot-9 and 174 pounds, is averaging 1:23 the tangle of NHL giants that blotted out the net-front sun, Cassidy’s eyes of shorthanded ice time per game. were drawn to Zach Parise, then working the territory for New Jersey. Coaches want their killers away from the net and filling shooting lanes. Parise, listed at 5-foot-11 and 195 pounds, could not trade jousts with That can leave the net-front man unmarked. Zdeno Chara. But the fiery Parise applied his strengths to master the net- front plot: fleet feet, a quick and strong stick, GPS-guided awareness and Last year, Carolina pressed its defensemen up the ice. In Game 4 of the a refusal to lose puck battles. As New Jersey’s net-front man, Parise Eastern Conference final, DeBrusk scored a net-front power-play goal punched in nine power-play goals in 2009-10. after several whacks at the puck. He had time for repeated swings because Jaccob Slavin and Brett Pesce had so far to travel. Parise caught Cassidy’s attention. “It hasn’t been that bad,” Heinen said of the physicality. “Different teams “Net-front guy, not a big guy. Interesting,” Cassidy recalled thinking at the kill different. But we’ve got so many threats on that unit. Not a lot of time. “Typically, it’s (Chara). Played net-front in Ottawa. You have bigger teams have been really worried about the net-front guy. They’re worried bodies in there screening goalies. I kind of liked it that way because about taking away other stuff. So, it’s been fine. You’re going to take a there’s more plays in front of the net. You’re getting more of your few cross-checks here and there.” offensive guys more involved in the power play. Even though they’re standing there, they’re recovering pucks and making plays in tight.” The job of retrieving pucks and shuttling them to skilled teammates sounds straightforward. It is not. In Providence, where Cassidy was in charge of the power play, he used Brad Marchand as his net-front man. Marchand is now listed at 5-foot-11 The subtleties of the position and 181 pounds. As a 21-year-old, he might have been even lighter. Penalty-killing defensemen are usually bigger, stronger and ruder than Ten years later, Cassidy is still thinking the same way. their offensive-minded counterparts. They are paid to get their sticks on pucks and get them out of harm’s way. It’s usually accepted that a slash Recovery is critical or hook en route to clearing a puck will not get called on a team killing a penalty. Penalty killers arrive in numbers, which can make it frantic for a Danton Heinen is 6-foot-1 and 188 pounds. DeBrusk is an inch shorter net-front man to get to the puck first. and the same weight. Neither would be out of place in a Peloton ad. “The main thing for me is just understanding where my outs are when the The relatively slender forwards, however, are front and center on the puck does come there. Because usually, they’ll flood,” DeBrusk said. “I’m power play. Heinen has two goals and two assists on the man kind of in the soup. I’m getting hit, usually. You’ve got to make a quick advantage. DeBrusk has two goals and an assist. play. If you make it to nobody, it’s out of the zone.” Points are not their priority. The way the Bruins’ power play is designed, Spacing is also critical. If their teammates get in trouble, Heinen and Heinen and DeBrusk are instructed to use the net-front area as DeBrusk have to be available for puck support. If they are too far away, launchpads for pursuing loose pucks. Even though Torey Krug has a the puck will not get there. good shot, the first power-play unit’s quarterback is distributing them more than launching them on net. It’s also critical for net-front disrupters to know where they are in relation to the crease. If their skates are in the paint, a goal can be taken off the “More important to have a guy recover pucks and make small-area plays scoreboard. Conversely, if they’re too close to the goalie, a point-blank than it is, maybe, to screen the goalie,” Cassidy said. “If you have a turn-and-swipe will thud off a pad. point-shot dominant sort of power play, a Shea Weber that’s hammering pucks constantly, I think the screen is probably more valuable than puck “I don’t want to be too tight to him,” Heinen explained. “Because if I turn recovery.” around, then I’m too in-tight, right? So, if I can maybe get a little buffer zone where I’m spinning and the puck’s most likely popping out a little bit, Relative to their bulkier brethren, Heinen and DeBrusk disappear when then I get it.” they turn sideways. That is not problematic. Both of the left-shot forwards have good 0-to-60 acceleration, strong sticks and sharp perception of For Heinen and DeBrusk, the bottom line is extending plays. If they’re their surroundings. first on pucks, that’s perhaps another chance or two for Pastrnak, who has 12 power-play goals. A penalty killer who believed his shift was over Even if they’re slighter than traditional net-front men, Heinen and upon a clear has to catch his breath and stay on the ice for more work. DeBrusk have other assets. By now, both know where their power-play It can be intimidating for a younger player like Heinen or DeBrusk to command a top-unit job. They are playing alongside some of the best players in the league. The last thing they want to do is disappoint them.

“Starting there this year, I was way more comfortable on the unit,” DeBrusk said. “You first come on, you’re like, ‘Fuck, I don’t want to make a mistake.’ You don’t want to make the wrong play. But if you’re going as aggressively as you can, they don’t really get mad at you.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165759 Buffalo Sabres

Amerks double up Wilkes-Barre/Scranton

By Staff

C.J. Smith, Jean-Sebastian Dea and Curtis Lazar each scored a goal and registered an assist in the ’ 4-2 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Wednesday night at Blue Cross Arena.

Andrew Oglevie had the other goal for the Amerks, who ended a four- game homestand. Rochester goes on the road for Friday and Saturday night games at Laval. The Amerks trail first place Toronto by a point in the American Hockey League North Division standings.

Besides the scoring, the big news for the Amerks was the return of left wing Taylor Leier, who missed 23 games after shoulder surgery. Leier was obtained last season from the Philadelphia Flyers organization in exchange for right wing . Leier had one shot and a minus-1 rating in his first game back.

Leier scored 12 goals among 23 points in 35 games for Rochester after scoring 10 goals with nine assists for Lehigh Valley.

Lazar opened the scoring with his sixth of the season in the first period. Dea and Oglevie scored in the second to make it 3-0, and Smith’s empty- net goal made it 4-0 before the Pens closed the gap on third period goals by Jan Drozg and Sam Miletic, the latter with only 1:56 left in regulation.

Andrew Hammond made 20 saves for Rochester.

Buffalo News LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165760 Buffalo Sabres Larsson then beat Blues defender Vince Dunn to the puck to bang it home.

"I carried it up and I felt like I had a lot of speed," Larsson explained. "I Johan Larsson looking to continue offensive surge for Sabres thought the D-man was going to shade on me if I went to the outside so I cut to the inside and he overcommitted and I got it by him. The next D came and I wanted to go to the net but he got too close so I just held on By Mike Harrington to it.

"I was at the end of my shift and I was trying to go on net. It bounced behind, Jimmy picked up, we got a shot and I got a lucky bounce. I was The hottest Buffalo Sabres player, non-Jack Eichel division, is easy to right there." pick out. Johan Larsson jams in a rebound off the boards 2-1 #sabres50 #stlblues Would you believe that it's Johan Larsson? pic.twitter.com/mWjucvrsZi A longtime punching bag of Buffalo fans, Larsson hasn't scored more — Buffalo Hockey moments (@SabresPlays) December 11, 2019 than six goals in any of the last four seasons with the team and has never had 20 points for a full year in his entire career. Two years ago, he After Larsson put the puck in, he exploded with a flying leap into the end was a minus-30 player with a Corsi rating of just over 42%. glass and then sprinted towards his bench.

But look at his recent numbers. They're eye-popping. "It's kind of a bad 'celly' there. I was so happy," he said. "It's really solid and I guess I don't know how to do it. Just trying to celebrate with the Over the last seven games, Larsson is on the best offensive stretch of his fans there." Buffalo career. In that span, he's got seven assists and nine points to go with a plus-9 rating. For the season, he's at 4-8-12 with a plus-8 rating "He's having a blast. You can see it in his face," Okposo said. "Obviously and 51.2% Corsi while clearly becoming one of the team's most he's so pumped up to score that goal." dependable forwards. Krueger seems set with Jack Eichel between Victor Olofsson and Sam Larsson has a three-game point streak for the first time since November Reinhart as his top line. The Larsson trio is clearly anchored as well. 2016 and can put together the first three-game goal streak of his NHL career if he tallies Thursday night when the Sabres host the Nashville "They’re an example for how we want to play as a team in general," Predators in KeyBank Center. Krueger said. "And the way early in the season already they’ve embraced the principles and the concepts and believed in them as a group, that Coach Ralph Krueger loves the line of Larsson centering Kyle Okposo synergy is creating some offense now which is a good sign for the other and Zemgus Girgensons. They can drive opponents crazy by cycling the guys to see. puck in the offensive zone, especially against top players bent on scoring. They're defensively responsible. And now they're scoring "We've just got to keep along that path. On and off the ice, just a really themselves. exemplary group. We’re really happy to see them get offensive production out of that now, too." Whereas Phil Housley almost never gave players like that a legitimate chance to play some offense, it's what Krueger wants to see and he's Even if it's not scoring, the line can frustrate opponents with his offensive- getting a response. zone possession time. Neither Connor McDavid nor Leon Draisaitl had a point against the Sabres Sunday in Edmonton. Ryan O'Reilly didn't have "He believes in that. If you have a good shift, he tends to roll you and put a shot on goal Tuesday for the Blues and the former Sabre was minus-3 you out there again," Larsson said after practice Wednesday in KeyBank in the game. Center. "He gets you belief and confidence. It's good to have and makes everyone better. I feel good. I've had a couple lucky bounces go my way "You have to be aware when they're out there, be on the right side of the and I'm going to keep going with it." puck," Larsson said. "The best medicine is play in their zone. Get in there, forecheck and keep it down there. They're not always the best "Confidence is something you can't really control. It's brewed from past defensive players. Maybe O'Reilly is but a lot of guys like that can get successes and it can be fleeting," Okposo said. "It comes and goes and frustrated. As much as you can grind down there, maybe get a couple 'Larry' has got it right now. I think you just want to maximize your play chances, maybe score a goal, it always helps." when do you have it, as high as it is for him, and he's doing a great job of that." Larsson added that he's hoping to collect more goals – and perfect his celebrations. ••• "Hey, I didn't want him to be face-planting into the glass like he did but Larsson's last six seasons I'm not gonna help him on that Lambeau Leap either. That's enemy territory for me," said a smiling Okposo, a Minnesota native clearly not Year GP G A Pts +/- fond of the Green Bay Packers. "But he's pumped up. He's playing great 2014-15 39 6 10 16 0 and we're all happy for him and what he's doing."

2015-16 74 10 7 17 -4 Buffalo News LOADED: 12.12.2019

2016-17 36 6 5 11 -7

2017-18 80 4 13 17 -30

2018-19 73 6 8 14 -8

2019-20 29 4 8 12 +8

•••

Larsson got a great bounce on Wednesday, taking Zach Bogosian's shot off the back boards and beating St. Louis' Jake Allen with 8.6 seconds left in the second period to give the Sabres a 2-1 lead in their 5-2 victory over the Blues.

The play may have ended with a stroke of luck but Larsson set it all up by confidently carrying the puck through the neutral zone and making an inside move past St. Louis defenseman Justin Faulk in the Blues' zone. The puck moved to Jimmy Vesey coming on for a line change and Larsson lurked near the net as it went back to Bogosian at the right point. 1165761 Buffalo Sabres “I was pretty scared,” he said.

Leier said he was nervous that teams would say, “Come talk to us when you’re healthy.” Sabres prospect Taylor Leier's shoulder injury was life-changing Following the injury, Tim Hodgson, Leier’s agent, called Sexton and explained what had happened. Sexton said the organization was still By Bill Hoppe interested in Leier.

“He’s a good prospect,” Sexton said.

ROCHESTER – At first, Taylor Leier couldn’t comprehend what had But to mitigate the risk, Leier, who spent all of the 2017-18 season in the happened to his right shoulder. NHL, was offered a one-year AHL contract.

In the immediate aftermath of his freak training accident, Leier said he On June 28, in addition to announcing Leier’s new deal, the Amerks said was in “complete shock.” he had undergone “successful offseason surgery” and was expected to make a full recovery. Later on, Leier, 25, said he would wake up during the night and wonder if he was dreaming about the injury. “They’ve been very supportive ever since that phone call,” Leier said. “They understand that I’m still young and stuff happens.” “Like, there’s no way my shoulder’s actually hurt,” he would would say to himself. Sexton said: “I really hope that we’re able to get him back on a two-way (contract) once he gets back and gets established.” Leier, who underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum, would ask himself why such an odd thing could happen to someone who dedicated himself By late June, Leier was progressing in his recovery and knew he would to the game. be OK. Still, reaching that point took an emotional toll on him.

In eight seasons of major junior and pro hockey, the Americans' winger Leier said “vicious things” went through his head regarding his career. had been a model of durability, never suffering a major injury. “Hockey is his life, his passion,” said Nicolette Peloquin, Leier’s girlfriend. But on May 18, Leier was stickhandling on roller blades at a tennis court “It’s so much more than just a job for him.” near his home in Saskatoon, Sask., a routine he said he had done When his best friend, Nelson Nogier, a defenseman, thousands of times. visited him in the emergency room, Leier said he “could see the sadness When a rock got caught in his right blade, he put his hand down to break in his eyes.” his fall. His shoulder popped out. Nogier experienced the same injury twice.

“Just the way it happened, it affected me, it affected my family, it affected “When he saw me, we just looked at each other, and my arm was my girlfriend,” an emotional Leier recently told The News. “It was hanging off the table,” Leier said. traumatizing, just because you don’t expect something like that to happen. It would be different if it happened during a game.” 'Zero pity party'

When Cindy Leier picked up the phone that day, she could barely Leier remembers all the significant dates. understand her son’s frantic voice. He underwent major shoulder surgery June 3. He finally ditched his sling “It’s my shoulder, Mom, it’s my shoulder!” he told her. July 17. He skated for the first time Oct. 10. After receiving permission from Sexton, he reported to the Amerks on Oct. 21, earlier than Despite the excruciating pain, Leier skated to his parents’ house two expected. blocks away. His brother, Keaton, happened to be visiting from Atlanta and drove him to the emergency room. Leier loves training so much he said it’s almost a second profession. For about five months, it was his life. When Cindy Leier and her husband, Tim, arrived at the hospital, their son was still in shock. “I was like, ‘As soon as you’re allowed to do things, zero pity party, let’s go,’” he said of his rehab. “He felt very frustrated and disappointed,” she said. “Like, he just thought, ‘Oh, my gosh, what have I done to myself here?’ ” He added: “I just said, ‘(Screw) it, I’m going to get better.’”

She said she wondered if he would ever play hockey again. Leier, who lost 16 pounds, would work out for five hours, seven days a week. “I could see it in their eyes,” Leier said. “They were so upset for me.” “Literally, I had to rebuild my whole body back again,” he said. Almost seven months later, Leier is ready to play again. He plans to make his season debut Wednesday against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton But Leier couldn’t do much early during his recovery. Even going for a Penguins at Blue Cross Arena. walk could be challenging.

Leier has made 261 American Hockey League appearances over the last He needed help from his family and Peloquin, who would visit from five years. Wednesday’s game will be among the most significant. Rhode Island.

“He’s been through hell, to be honest,” Amerks general manager Randy “It was 24-hour care for a couple weeks, that’s for sure,” Cindy Leier said. Sexton said. Thinking about the critical support his parents and Peloquin provided Sadness in his eyes made Leier break down crying.

After four and a half seasons in the Philadelphia organization, the Flyers “They were pretty reassuring I was mentally tough enough to get through traded Leier to the Buffalo Sabres for winger Justin Bailey on Jan. 17, a it,” he said. swap of former second-round picks playing in the AHL. Leier said the long recovery “teaches you a little bit more about yourself.” Leier, who has played 55 NHL games, quickly acclimated to his new surroundings, scoring 12 goals and 23 points in 35 games with the “In a way, it might be a blessing in disguise,” he said of the injury. Amerks. “There’s not many things that can challenge you as much as this does.”

“I loved the culture here and I was happy with how I played,” Leier said. Buffalo News LOADED: 12.12.2019 “The thought in my mind was to re-sign here. But at the same time, I was an unrestricted free agent for the first time.”

Leier figured he would have suitors on the open market. Then he hurt his shoulder. 1165762 Buffalo Sabres "He looked quite strong there, so it’s trending in that direction," Krueger said of a return. "Let’s not assume anything, because it was the first time he was in battles and contact. But he’s moving in the right direction, for KeyBank Center goes all Aud as Sabres prep for '80s Night sure."

We're going to see what this means for Dahlin. He's paired with Miller and back on the No. 1 PP. That could, in fact, be a sign he's in tomorrow. By Mike Harrington It's Montour-Ristolainen, Dahlin-Miller, Scandella-Bogosian, McCabe- Jokiharju #Sabres

There was quite a surprise in KeyBank Center when the Buffalo Sabres — Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) December 11, 2019 hit the ice for practice at the noon hour Wednesday. Another all-white night The seating bowl looked almost exactly like Memorial Auditorium. Because it's a decade night, the Sabres will be wearing their white 50th Golds by the ice. Then Reds. Then Blues (in the 200 level and suites). anniversary jerseys and white gloves. Buffalo is 3-1 wearing the jerseys And the "balcony" – the 300 level – was of course all orange. so far and the three victories have all included a lot of offense (wins over New Jersey by scores of 7-2 and 7-1, and a 6-4 victory over Toronto). The seats were actually covered by T-shirts of the corresponding color The lone loss was the 1-0 shutout defeat Nov. 2 to the New York for Thursday's '80s Night game against the Nashville Predators. In Islanders. addition to paying tribute to the team's second decade, the game will also be a celebration of the Aud, the Sabres' home from their birth in 1970 "I love them. I think it's great. Guys enjoy wearing them," Eichel said. "It's through 1996. something different, keeps things fresh and you know it's a more special night with more added to it for the fans. We've had pretty good success The team will be introducing '80s alumni in a pregame ceremony, using for the most part wearing them, too. That's a trend we want to keep '80s themed music and graphics and including several other special going." touches for the game. The Sabres will wear the 50th sweaters eight more times this season, After practice, coach Ralph Krueger gathered his players on the ice for next for the Dec. 27 visit by Boston. their daily post-practice chat and reporters watching could hear the word "Aud" used. Assistant coach Steve Smith, who played in the building with Buffalo a second home for Preds Edmonton, was chiming in. The Predators hit town on an eight-game winning streak in Buffalo. They "I was checking if there was anybody else that had the same level of lack have not lost here since the Sabres posted an 8-4 win on Feb. 27, 2008. of information I had," said a smiling Krueger, who never saw a game in But strangely enough, Buffalo has had excellent success in Nashville the franchise's former home. " 'Smitty' filled in the boys that he played with a 6-3 record in its last nine games in Bridgestone Arena. here. The Predators earned the 800th regular season win in franchise history "Now I've done my research and I'm up to speed. Didn't get any heads with Tuesday's 3-1 victory over San Jose. At 14-10-5, they are tied with up on that. Now I've seen it, saw the colors, it must have been a Minnesota for fifth in the Central Division and are one point behind passionate building for the Sabres to play in. I'm sure it will bring back a Vancouver in the Western Conference wild-card race. lot of memories and should add a spark to the game against Nashville for sure." Defenseman and captain Roman Josi leads the Preds with 26 points. Center Nick Bonino, whose two Stanley Cup victories for Pittsburgh Captain Jack Eichel said assistant equipment manager and Williamsville included the 2017 final over the Preds, is the leading goal scorer with 12. native George Babcock was filling the players in about the Aud and the seating arrangement. Buffalo News LOADED: 12.12.2019

"That would have been something to look at back at in the day," added winger Kyle Okposo. "Now I'm intrigued and I'm going to go look up some pictures later for sure. 'Smitty' said it was a small rink with the crowd right on top of you so that's pretty cool."

The list of '80s alumni attending is topped by Hockey Hall of Famer Dave Andreychuk and former captain Mike Foligno. Also scheduled to attend are: Adam Creighton, Mike Hartman, Val James, Uwe Krupp, , Wilf Paiement, Brent Peterson, Daren Puppa, Dave Snuggerud, John Tucker and John Van Boxmeer.

Peterson, acquired with Foligno as part of the 1981 trade with Detroit for Jim Schoenfeld and Danny Gare, has been with the Predators since their birth in 1998 as an assistant coach, broadcaster and ambassador.

#Sabres emerging for practice and look at the Aud Night prep! Colored T- shirts to rep the old seats. Beautiful. pic.twitter.com/qlugF25yG1

— Mike Harrington (@ByMHarrington) December 11, 2019

Dahlin's return possible

Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin, who has missed the last eight games with a concussion, took regular turns at defense alongside Colin Miller and was at his quarterback slot on the No. 1 power play at practice Wednesday. The Sabres will wait until Thursday morning before deciding if Dahlin can return.

"There’s definitely a step in the right direction," Krueger said. "We’re just going to assess him and wanted to see him in his customary role and see how he looks. So it was an opportunity to take a look at him, and we’ll make that call."

The workout was Dahlin's first real contact since the injury so the Sabres are obviously going to be cautious with him. 1165763 Buffalo Sabres behind the Sabres forwards on the power play has been generally ineffective:

Those are ugly numbers. While it’s impossible to say how much should How Rasmus Dahlin's absence has affected the Sabres' power play be apportioned to the loss of Dahlin, we know that in relative terms, Buffalo is hurting in his absence. I think more than anything it helps put into perspective what Dahlin’s “sophomore slump” actually means. By Travis Yost In the case of the power play or his play across all game states, Dahlin might not be exactly meeting Year Two expectations, but he certainly remains one of the best – if not the best – option for minutes on the Travis Yost has been involved in the world of hockey analytics for a Sabres' blue line. decade and is part of TSN's Hockey Analytics team. Prior to joining TSN, Yost was a contributor at the Ottawa Citizen, the Sporting News and NHL Buffalo News LOADED: 12.12.2019 Numbers, and he has been a consultant for an NHL franchise. He will be contributing breakdowns on the Buffalo Sabres for The Buffalo News this season. Follow Yost on Twitter: @travisyost.

Rasmus Dahlin was sidelined Nov. 25 with a concussion after incurring a blindside elbow to the head by Tampa Bay defenseman Erik Cernak. In his absence, the Sabres' coaching staff has had to blend nearly 19 minutes of ice time into the rest of the lineup.

The power play has been particularly affected. Before the injury, Dahlin was seeing nearly 70% of available man-advantage time. Dahlin’s injury hasn’t changed Buffalo’s mentality regarding setup – they still favor the nontraditional four forward, one defenseman strategy that’s taken hold in NHL circles over the last five years. But it obviously has changed deployment and personnel.

Without Dahlin, the team has moved minutes to veterans Rasmus Ristolainen and . It’s an interesting tweak made by Ralph Krueger as he tries to solve a couple of issues at the same time.

First, Dahlin has taken a step backward from his rookie campaign – he’s still been a meaningful contributor in most game states, but nothing to the degree that we saw last season. The Sabres separately have had trouble generating meaningful offense on the man advantage. Entering Tuesday's games, their power play is 19th in the league at 5.9 goals per 60 minutes. Not dissimilar to Dahlin’s year-over-year regression, the Sabres have seen a draw down in performance here, too: The Sabres scored 7.0 goals per 60 minutes up a man last season.

If we take a look at power play ice time allocation for the Sabres' defenders since the regular season started, you can see when Krueger made the personnel change – the 25th game of the regular season, a home game against the Calgary Flames on Nov. 27, the game after Dahlin's injury.

Though at first pass you would wonder why a player with Dahlin’s toolbox would ever be pulled from the power play, Krueger does have an interesting number of options.

If we use a regression-based measure such as Goals Above Replacement (via Evolving Hockey), you can compare each defender’s contributions and relative impact to his teammates on the power play over the last couple of seasons. Dahlin has been good, but so have Ristolainen and Colin Miller.

From our Goals Above Replacement measure, we assess Dahlin as the most impactful of the four skaters on the power play, but it’s worth noting that his contributions have only been marginally better than Ristolainen's.

Why is that? Because for an extended period, Dahlin has played with Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner (to name just a couple of the forwards at his disposal), two attackers with incredible scoring touch and prowess. Meanwhile, Ristolainen – at least since Dahlin was drafted – has been forced to pick up secondary duty, which means splitting more of his shifts between the first and second power play units. Broadly speaking, nearly 85% of Dahlin’s power play time has come with the trio of Eichel, Skinner and Sam Reinhart. Ristolainen has seen 65% of his power play time with that same group of players.

It’s these sort of contextual factors that a coaching staff needs to work through when trying to reset the lineup, especially after an impact injury such as Dahlin’s. Most teams are ill-prepared to lose a top-four defender of significance for an extended period of time, but Buffalo’s defensive depth – perhaps lacking in quality, but better than what we have observed in recent years – has allowed them to stem the tide for the time being.

And the team is already starting to see some rot on the power play with Dahlin on the mend. The combination of Ristolainen, Miller and Montour 1165764 Calgary Flames The 36-year-old Giordano, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, has played his best hockey of the season of late.

Just moments before Monahan’s overtime winner in Colorado, he made Mark Giordano's impact as captain good as gold, says head coach Geoff a superb defensive stop on Avalanche speed-demon Nathan MacKinnon. Ward He has blocked 20 (!) shots during this win streak.

“I think at the beginning (of the season), he was maybe trying to do a little Wes Gilbertson bit too much,” Ward said of Giordano. “I think now, he’s playing more inside himself. He’s letting the game come to him. And I think the one thing for a defenceman is when they’re trying to force the game and trying to do too much, that’s when breakdowns happen and things This is lofty praise. happen. When you let the game come to you and you just play from your Still perfect through six games as the Calgary Flames’ interim head instincts, then the game seems to come back to you. coach, Geoff Ward has been understandably understated, careful not to “That’s what we’re noticing with him a little more now is that he doesn’t crank the expectations for his suddenly surging squad. feel like the weight of the world is on his shoulders. He doesn’t have to Which is why it’s especially notable that, when asked about the impact of do everything. He’s just one member of a team and he knows exactly Flames captain Mark Giordano, he offered up a comparison to Boston what his role is and what he has to do, and now he’s playing within that Bruins lynchpin Zdeno Chara. more and he’s letting the games come to him. And as a result, his effectiveness is much greater.” Ward, remember, was there on the night that Chara lifted the Stanley Cup, waiting his own turn to hoist the historic hardware. It doesn’t show on a stat-sheet, but No. 5 has also been an important part of what’s happening behind the scenes as Ward settles in Calgary’s “When you have not only a good captain but a good leadership group, (still-undefeated) interim head coach. you know that the right messages are being sent in the room when they need to be sent, and you know that they’re going to hold each other “He’s a really good go-between from the coaching staff to the players,” accountable,” said Ward, who was an assistant coach in Beantown for Ward praised. “I think the biggest thing is he has a real good feel for the seven seasons, including their championship run in 2011. “That makes room. He has good relationships with every player in that room. He our job as a staff a lot easier, knowing you almost have an extra coach knows them as players and as people, he knows what they’re thinking, who’s playing on the team and working in the room. so he’s able to bring the proper messages to us from the dressing room.

“Gio is much like Zdeno Chara was in Boston. When you get a good “And at the same time, he’s able to relay the messages that we need him captain, they’re gold. When you get a good leadership group, they’re to relay back to the room. We are always talking about how important the gold. And the one I always use as a standard is the one in Boston. I had communication level is between us and the players and between players an opportunity to watch that leadership group grow, and they’re still and players, and he really does an excellent job of sort of interfacing that reaping benefits from how good those guys are as leaders, all these communication.” years later since I’ve been gone. Not yet aware that Ward has compared him to the widely-respected “It’s an important aspect, and Gio and our guys are really growing into a Chara, Giordano shrugs off his locker-room impact as just part of his job strong leadership core.” description.

Brian Burke, who was formerly president of hockey operations for the “Our team went through a lot there a couple weeks ago. Especially as an Flames and certainly has a lot of 403 numbers in his contact list, older guy and a leader … you try to be steady and consistent,” he said. mentioned this past weekend as an analyst on “And you know what? Wardo has come in and been really open. I already that Giordano’s presence has been key in easing Ward’s transition from have had some great discussions with him and just try to relay his associate coach to bench boss after Bill Peters’ resignation. message to the guys, and it’s been working really well so far. He’s the type of guy that will call guys in one-on-one and really have honest talks That hardly comes as a surprise, since Calgary’s captain has a with them, and I think guys really appreciate that.” reputation as one of the best in the biz. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.12.2019 “I think as a captain, you have to be that in-between guy from the coaching staff to the players,” Giordano said. “Your role is to relay the coaches’ message to the players, but you have to make sure that the players know you have their back. Those are your teammates. Those are the guys that you’re going out on the ice for. Sometimes, it’s tougher when it’s not always a great message to the group, but you just have to be that middle-man.

“I think Wardo has made it super easy on me, because he’s a straight shooter. There are no grey areas. He’s a good communicator, and he takes a pretty positive spin about everything, so it’s pretty nice.”

Certainly, there’s been plenty to be positive about under Ward’s watch.

The Flames just completed a sweep of a two-games-in-two-nights trek — scratching out a 5-4 overtime triumph against the Colorado Avalanche and following up with a 5-2 victory over the Coyotes in Arizona — to run their winning streak to six in a row.

Heading into Thursday’s meeting with the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Saddledome (7 p.m., Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan), they’re suddenly just two points out of the perch that many were expecting — top spot in the Pacific Division standings.

They’ve been getting goals from the starry likes of Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan, from the recently snakebitten Milan Lucic, from call-ups Dillon Dube and Zac Rinaldo and from everyone in between.

They’re getting saves from both David Rittich and backup Cam Talbot, who kicked aside 46 shots Tuesday against the Coyotes.

With so many storylines, perhaps overlooked has been the contribution of the captain. 1165765 Calgary Flames

Flames have earned improving luck, says Cam Talbot

Wes Gilbertson

Just a few weeks back, remember, this was a team that couldn’t score first, couldn’t gain a lead, couldn’t win…

Funny game, hockey.

Just two minutes into Tuesday’s clash in Arizona, one of their opponents clanked a shot off the post.

Ten seconds later, the Calgary Flames buried at the opposite end. They never looked back en route to a sixth straight victory.

“At the beginning of the year, those were the ones that were going against us — we’d miss an open net at one end and they’d come down and score,” said Flames backup netminder Cam Talbot. “It feels like the tables have kind of turned, but I think you play your way into those lucky bounces.

“I think that the way we’ve been playing with structure and the pressure that we’ve been putting on other teams, it’s not an easy thing to do for 60 minutes and we’ve really bought in, and you can see it’s paying off in spades.”

Talbot was Tuesday’s first star in Arizona, racking up 46 saves behind a tired bunch on the second half of a back-to-back set. (He has now won his past two starts, including Saturday’s comeback victory over the Los Angeles Kings.)

From his vantage point, the 32-year-old backstop stressed that more has changed besides the end results for a squad that has put a six-game losing skid from Nov. 9-21 in their rearview and remain perfect under interim head coach Geoff Ward.

The Flames are back in action Thursday, when they welcome the Toronto Maple Leafs to the Saddledome (7 p.m. MT, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan).

“Aside from the changes to the structure and all that kind of stuff, it’s confidence,” Talbot said. “You can see it on the bench anytime we get scored on. There’s no letdown. It doesn’t feel like the air has been taken out of us. We just pick our guys right back up and go about our business on the next shift, and I think that’s been huge. We are managing momentum shifts a lot better.

“We’re also scoring a lot more goals these days too, so that also helps. You know if you let in a couple early like I did (Saturday), I have a lot of confidence in the guys in front of me that they’re going to start putting the puck in the net and they’ve been doing that extremely well lately. We just have to continue playing the right way, and those goals are going to keep coming for us.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165766 Calgary Flames newfound confidence of Milan Lucic and Tobias Rieder and the slumps snapped of Gaudreau and Monahan, they are well-rounded.

4. BUYING IN Forged in fire: Five reasons why the Flames are now rolling This doesn’t happen if the Flames do not buy into Geoff Ward’s philosophies. A former teacher and longtime experienced coach in many Kristen Anderson, Postmedia different leagues, the 57-year-old understands what makes people tick. Ward has made a point to get to know all of his players one-on-one which has been, really, a continuation of his approach prior to the coaching change. Raise your hand if you would have predicted this scenario facing the Calgary Flames at the outset of the 2019-20 Understanding that normalcy is important — especially during a season. tumultuous time — he has tried to keep things similar in terms of their systems. The tweaks, however, have come in the form of ice time (a For the first time since sometime last winter, this team is piling up wins reduction for some, and an addition for many) and line changes and getting them in every way they can. For the first time this campaign, (Gaudreau to the third line?!?!). But it’s worked. And nobody has pouted. they are also starting to resemble the team that amassed 50 wins and That has been one of the biggest keys to this splendid streak. A total 107 points in 2018-19. team buy-in is crucial. They’ve faced a pile of adversity. A devastating knee injury to one of their 5. STAYING STRUCTURED best blueline prospects Juuso Valimaki. A six-game losing streak. A scary incident involving TJ Brodie. Slumping stars. A week-long coaching Geoff Ward has said this on multiple occasions: “If you work hard and controversy around Bill Peters which ultimately ended in the promotion of play with structure, you give your skill a chance to get into the hockey associate coach Geoff Ward. To this. game.” And that’s exactly what the Flames have been doing. The fact that they’ve been able to create bounces in the right direction and stay Six straight games. Points in their last eight games. Scoring from afloat in games when they should be taking on water shows how far everywhere. Good goaltending. they’ve come in the last eight games. It’s enough to make you scratch your head and marvel at the complete There is no panic in their game. Their powerplay has been productive, 180-degree turn. scoring in four straight games. Their penalty kill (apart from Monday’s But it’s also interesting to examine how the Flames have been able to get game against Colorado) has been stingy. And their defensive game has on a roll — and stay there: been buttoned down. They still believe there is room to grow, but this is all evidence that this group has been sticking to their processes. 1. PLAYING FOR EACH OTHER And, lo and behold, their talent has been able to emerge. Mark Giordano There’s something about going through the trenches together that makes is not playing with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Johnny a group of people stronger. But the players are also relying on each Gaudreau has been back to his creative ways. Sean Monahan is sniping other, and being accountable. It starts with captain Mark Giordano who like he usually does. And, as a result, it’s allowed them to roll to six held a closed door meeting in St. Louis on Nov. 21 to lay it all on the line. straight wins. Eventually, their streak will end, but if they can develop This is clearly a group that is loose and having fun, but also keeping each these good habits now, perhaps this will set them up better for the other in check. From the music at practice to the resurgence of the second half of the season — and, ideally, playoffs. Purple Gatorade, they are enjoying themselves again. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 12.12.2019 But it’s also important to note that Geoff Ward is putting the onus on the players, and giving them some control of this process. The coaching switch and change in communication style — from Peters to Ward — has seemed to have rubbed off on the group, too.

2. GOOD GOALTENDING

The Flames wouldn’t be where they are without David Rittich and, when he has been drawing into the lineup, Cam Talbot. Rittich has exceeded this team’s expectations this season as he was given the opportunity to earn the starter’s net. The 27-year-old from Jihlava, Czech Republic, has been tremendous — and the Flames have needed him to be. He’s kept them in games they shouldn’t have been in, and — especially in a time of uncertainty — has given them stability.

His questionable puck-handling, at times, can be forgiven based on his entire body of work. With a 14-7-4 record and a 2.74 goals against average and .913 save percentage, Rittich is the busiest netminder in the NHL. Already, he’s made 25 starts. This pace may not be sustainable through 82 games but the good news is, Talbot seems to have rediscovered his game with the Flames. The statistics don’t show it yet (the 32-year-old has a 3-5-0 record after Tuesday’s 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes). But the experienced Talbot has been a solid addition to the tandem.

3. SCORING DEPTH

No longer a one-line, predicable squad, the Flames have some tangible depth up front. In meeting with all of his players, Geoff Ward took their input and devised some new-look lines that seemed to have shaken things up. It’s also made them harder to handle for other squads.

The core of their offence still runs through their big three — Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm. But spreading things out has done wonders with this group. And, also, they’ve created a new dimension to their offence by putting Monahan and Mikael Backlund on the wing.

During this eight-game point spree, they’ve had 13 different goal scorers. With the emergence of Dillon Dube and Andrew Mangiapane, the 1165767 Calgary Flames game point streak and promoted onto a line with Elias Lindholm and Andrew Mangiapane Tuesday night, he didn’t look out of place.

Michael Frolik has goals in consecutive games, after scoring only once in Five ways Flames interim head coach Geoff Ward has righted the ship in his first 29 games. Calgary It’s not just the bottom of the roster that is looking good, either.

Sean Monahan has goals in four straight. After a slow start, he’s up to 10 By Darren Haynes Dec 11, 2019 on the season and is on track for 25. It shouldn’t surprise anyone if he ends up with 30 for a third straight season.

Captain Geoff Ward. Johnny Gaudreau is also producing again and looking like the Johnny Hockey of old. His dish to Monahan on Saturday was him in vintage form. How does that sound? Altogether, 11 forwards have goals during the winning streak and eight of That’s captain in the nautical sense, not the hockey sense. Think sea, not them have at least two. One of the two players that doesn’t is Mikael ‘C’. Think Jack Sparrow, not Jack Eichel. Backlund, but he’s chipped in four assists and is playing some of his best hockey. It’s maybe the best way to describe the impact Calgary’s interim head coach has had. All 20 skaters on the roster have at least one point.

Two weeks ago when Bill Peters resigned, the Flames were listing badly 2. Not afraid to rock the boat in the Pacific. Having lost five more games than they had won, an 11-12- 4 record had sunk them to second-last in the division, only ahead of Los Ward showed early on that he isn’t afraid to try some unorthodox things Angeles. The first-place Oilers were nine points up, with a game in hand. when it comes to player usage.

Contributing to the misery, Calgary’s average goals-for per game was Taking advantage of a four-day break after his first two games — two of 2.37, which ranked 30th in the league. Only Detroit (2.27) was worse. them complete days off for the players — he returned to the rink with some fresh thoughts on his line combinations. When he unveiled a One-third of the way into the season, the Flames were a team whose completely new-look top nine at practice last Tuesday, people didn’t playoff chances were already in serious danger of capsizing. know what to think. Was this a joke? Is he just keeping the players loose at practice? What on earth is he thinking? Well, turns out, he had been Then Ward took control. thinking about it and thinking about it a lot. After practice, he explained Since then, the club has reeled off six straight victories — the longest the method behind the madness and why he felt those combinations winning streak to begin a head coaching career in franchise history could work sometime. But he hadn’t yet committed to using them yet. (Brent Sutter won his first four games in 2009-10). But next practice, it was those same lines. Then on the morning of Over that span, Calgary has averaged 4.00 goals-for, third-best in the Thursday’s game against Buffalo, he revealed to the raised eyebrows of league. Only Colorado (4.29) and Vancouver (4.17) have been better. the local media that indeed, he was going to roll with those same funky lines. And just like that, the Flames have quietly crept to within two points of Edmonton and the division lead — and now even in games. The most curious trio was Gaudreau on a line with Milan Lucic and Derek Ryan. But according to Ward, who knows Lucic well as they each spent Ward has done a phenomenal job of righting the ship. Since taking over: their first seven NHL seasons together in Boston, Lucic has always played better with a right-shot centre, who can get the puck into his 3-2 overtime win in Buffalo on Nov. 27 corner where he can then get in the forecheck. Enter Ryan. 3-1 win at home against Ottawa on Nov. 30 Lucic is either the first guy in, and protects that puck with his 230-pound 4-3 win vs. Buffalo on Dec. 5 chassis, or he’s second to the puck in which case he lays a wallop and ideally collects the loose puck. Meanwhile, lurking out front is Gaudreau. 4-3 win vs. Los Angeles on Dec. 7 So far, it’s worked. 5-4 overtime win in Colorado on Dec. 9 Lucic has scored three times and has four points in the last six games, 5-2 win in Arizona on Dec. 10 finally being rewarded for what’s been a solid stretch of play going back to the Vegas game on Nov. 17 when Dillon Dube first got called up and While the pair of victories over the Sabres were nothing to scoff at — became his linemate. Buffalo is second to Boston in the Atlantic — it’s the past 48 hours that have really made a statement. Back out on the road and matched up There’s been a tiny bit of midgame adjusting, Dube and Gaudreau have against two of the top four teams in the Western Conference, Calgary flip-flopped spots at times, but the new look trios of Mangiapane- toppled both on consecutive nights. Lindholm-Tkachuk, Dube-Monahan-Backlund and Lucic-Ryan-Gaudreau have all contributed. In four games, they’ve combined for eight even- So how has Ward done it? How has the club’s new skipper been able to strength goals — four for the Ryan line, three for the Monahan line, one navigate the choppy waters and steer this club back on course? for the Lindholm line. Here are five ways. Another part of the shuffle and a noteworthy adjustment is Backlund and 1. Has everyone on board Lindholm flip-flopping positions. A centre his entire career, Backlund is now playing his off wing and not coincidentally, he’s been more involved The Flames have something special going on offensively and it’s up and offensively these last four games as he’s able to fly in on the forecheck, down the lineup. The secondary scoring the club is getting is unlike rather than hang back as the F3. Meanwhile, Lindholm is being deployed anything we’ve witnessed from this organization in a long time. at centre. Peters often talked about trying that, but only pulled that trigger The fourth line, which didn’t produce a single goal in the season’s first 30 twice this season. Ward has stuck to it and it’s now four games and games, suddenly has struck four times at even strength since Saturday. counting.

Zac Rinaldo, who totalled three points last season for Nashville, has 3. Sticks with guys through thick and thin three points in his last two games. Last night, drawing in for an injured Ward’s handling of players is deserving of praise. There are several Matthew Tkachuk, he had a Tkachuk-like night — 13:02 of ice time — his players, who have turned around their seasons under his guidance. One highest total in two seasons, a goal and an assist, plus-2, three shot more who is tracking toward potentially being another one of these attempts, a game-high four hits, a takeaway, no giveaways and he also success stories is the much maligned Mark Jankowski. drew two penalties. For perspective, Jankowski had not been on the ice for a single Flames Tobias Rieder, who failed to score a goal in 67 games with Edmonton goal for the first two months of the season. Then on Saturday night, with last season, continues to stand out. The speedy winger is on a three- him sitting out as a scratch (although not so much a healthy scratch, he was reportedly ill), he suffered the indignity of watching the fourth line But make no mistake, Ward does deserve a ton of credit. He’s made score its first goal in his absence. changes on the ice that are plain to see in how he deploys his players, but he is also approaching things differently off the ice, in terms of how Combined with an impactful evening for Zac Rinaldo, who had taken his he deals with players — and they’re responding. spot, it would have been easy to bow to public opinion and for Ward to go status quo the next game and leave Jankowski in the press box. But Every player on the roster right now is not just feeling like they’re Ward went right back to him. Sure enough, it paid off and on Monday in contributing, or being told they’re contributing, but they can see their Denver, Jankowski picked up his first point of the season. name right there on the score sheet.

Then last night, Jankowski’s line scored twice more and was Calgary’s The Flames will look to continue their smooth sailing under Ward on best unit with Jankowski logging a season-high 15:36 in ice time, even Thursday night against Toronto. more than Monahan. It’s been an interesting study in player usage. Under Peters, Jankowski was frequently held to less than 10 minutes in The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 ice time. Under Ward, he’s averaged at least 11 minutes every game. Rather than waiting for Jankowski to break through, then reward him, Ward’s given him more ice time and the team has gotten rewarded.

4. A team at close quarters

When Ward took over, he emphasized the importance he places on relationships and good communication.

“For me, then, it’s much easier to send messages to them. It’s easier for them to come in to talk to me about things,” Ward said. “Really, that’s what I’m all about. I’m all about communicating with people, trusting people, believing in people, empowering people, to come together as a group and try to become the best that we can be.”

While it’s an intangible that is impossible to measure, what we’re seeing right now is a team that seems to have grown closer. That appears to be playing for each other. It’s looking like they’re having fun again — purple Gatorade once again spotted on the bench and there was Lucic’s Blades of Steel goal celebration on Tuesday. It’s as if the coaching controversy that swirled around this team and eventually culminated in Peters’ exit, has galvanized the group.

The music at practice, the demeanour of the players in general. Winning obviously helps, but this just looks like a team that is in a different place now.

5. Allowing young guys to learn the ropes

Dillon Dube is fast, highly skilled and sees the ice well. In all respects, he’s the ideal player to use in overtime. But he is a rookie and for most coaches, he’d be well down the depth chart of forward options in extra time because of his lack of experience.

But Ward, apparently, is not most coaches. On Monday, before sending out Gaudreau or Lindholm or Tkachuk for a second shift of 4-on-4, Ward sent Dube over the boards for his first shift and the 21-year-old rewarded him for it.

DILLON DUBE'S FIRST CAREER NHL OVERTIME SHIFT:

– TOE-DRAG NATHAN MACKINNON

– SET UP SEAN MONAHAN FOR GAME-WINNER

– SILENCE THE PEPSI CENTER PIC.TWITTER.COM/NJZBP7UXMI

— DARREN HAYNES (@DARRENWHAYNES) DECEMBER 10, 2019

Only Monahan (4-3-7) has more points than Dube (2-4-6) over the six- game winning streak. That’s some pretty impressive strides taken by Dube, who only had five points (1-4-5) in 25 NHL games last season.

Letting young guys make mistakes and learn from it is something Ward seems prepared to do. That’s playing 22-year-old defenceman Oliver Kylington and if you take him out of the lineup to keep a guy like Michael Stone fresh, it’s getting Kylington back in there the next night.

That’s giving a long leash to Mangiapane in a high profile spot alongside the team’s top two goal scorers, Lindholm and Tkachuk. Did that trio strike at even strength in their first game together? No. Second game? No. First two periods of the third game? No. But Ward stuck to it and 12 seconds into the third period on Monday, Mangiapane broke a 2-2 tie with the Avs, neatly converting a give-and-go with Tkachuk.

To give Ward all the credit for Calgary’s turnaround would be oversimplifying it.

In doing that, one would be conveniently forgetting the legitimate challenges this club faced over the first couple months such as having the league’s busiest schedule (translation: having the least practice time) and arguably the most demanding road schedule. 1165768 Carolina Hurricanes

The Charlotte Checkers have a so-so record - but it contains some hidden gems

BY STEVE LYTTLE CORRESPONDENT

Hidden in what has been a so-so season for the Charlotte Checkers are some sparkling special teams statistics.

A season after winning the , Charlotte is lodged near the bottom of the AHL’s Atlantic Division standings, but the Checkers are by far the league’s best team at killing off penalties.

Charlotte has a 92.7 percent success rate on the penalty kill, 5 percentage points better than Utica, the next-best team. The Checkers also are sixth in scoring on the power play, converting 20.4 percent of the time.

A lot of that reflects on head coach Ryan Warsofsky, who was hired as Checkers’ assistant coach last year by Mike Vellucci to improve special teams play. Under Warsofsky, Charlotte led the league in most of those categories.

Vellucci is gone, and Warsofsky is now head coach, but the strong play continues.

“The system that we run is pretty aggressive and makes everyone be on the same page,” Warsofsky said this week, according to the Checkers’ website. “I’ve had success with the system before, so we really didn’t want to change it.”

“It can change the game in a split second. If you kill off a 5-on-3 or if you kill off back-to-back power plays, all of a sudden the tide changes in the game.”

The exception to this is also on the power play. When skating with a man advantage, the Checkers are far more likely than any other AHL team to give up a short-handed goal. Charlotte has allowed nine goals to short- handed opponents this season. The next-most is six, by Grand Rapids.

Here is a look at the past week, plus a look at the week ahead, which includes a lengthy home stand:

Last Wednesday: Julien Gauthier scored twice in 83 seconds, and Anton Forsberg played a strong game in goal, as Charlotte beat host 5-1.

Friday: The Checkers lost 4-0 at red-hot Rochester, despite outshooting the Americans 9-1 and having a two-man advantage early in the game. Rochester broke it open with three goals midway in the second period.

Saturday: The Checkers handed Rochester its first loss in regulation since Oct. 30, winning 3-1. Gauthier and Morgan Geekie scored power- play goals, and Forsberg got his second assist of the season.

Personnel changes: Gauthier, whose 10 goals lead the Checkers, was promoted to the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday for their five-game Western trip. The Hurricanes sent Clark Bishop and Brian Gibbons down to Charlotte.

Week ahead: The Checkers open a six-game home stand with contests Friday and Saturday night at Bojangles’ Coliseum against Syracuse. Game times are 7 p.m. Friday and 6 p.m. Saturday.

Charlotte is then home against Atlantic Division co-leader Hartford at 7 p.m. Tuesday and next Wednesday, and against Lehigh Valley on Dec. 21 and 22.

News Observer LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165769 Carolina Hurricanes

Carolina visits Vancouver after Aho’s 2-goal game

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS DECEMBER 11, 2019 03:25 AM

Carolina Hurricanes (19-11-1, fourth in the ) vs. Vancouver Canucks (15-12-4, fifth in the Pacific Division)

Vancouver, British Columbia; Thursday, 10 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Carolina visits the Vancouver Canucks after Sebastian Aho scored two goals in the Hurricanes' 6-3 win over the Oilers.

The Canucks are 7-4-3 on their home ice. Vancouver leads the NHL with 31 power-play goals, led by Elias Pettersson with six.

The Hurricanes have gone 9-6-1 away from home. Carolina ranks seventh in the league averaging 5.6 assists per game, led by Teuvo Teravainen with 0.8.

The matchup Thursday is the first meeting this season for the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS: Pettersson has recorded 33 total points while scoring 12 goals and adding 21 assists for the Canucks. J.T. Miller has five goals and six assists over the last 10 games for Vancouver.

Teravainen leads the Hurricanes with 24 total assists and has collected 31 points. Aho has totaled 13 points over the last 10 games for Carolina.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 6-4-0, averaging 2.8 goals, five assists, 3.6 penalties and eight penalty minutes while giving up 2.3 goals per game with a .918 save percentage.

Canucks: 5-5-0, averaging 3.4 goals, six assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.4 goals per game with a .899 save percentage.

INJURIES: Canucks: None listed.

Hurricanes: Erik Haula: day to day (lower body).

News Observer LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165770 Chicago Blackhawks He believes one reason he landed the job was because he made it clear he wasn’t going to rubber-stamp what the coach or management wanted. If a player wasn’t healthy enough to be in the lineup, he would say so.

Mike Gapski, the NHL’s longest-tenured trainer, will work his 2,500th “That drives everything,” Gapski said. “I’ve had a few coaches that Blackhawks game tomorrow. And the lifelong Chicagoan shows no signs accused me of protecting players and I said: ‘You know what? I’ve got a of slowing down. job to do. And I’m going to do my job. I don’t care, it doesn’t make a difference what you say. I’m here to give you the healthiest players when you need them. And I’m going to do that no matter what. I’m not going to By JIMMY GREENFIELD change from my philosophies.’

“I don’t think I’d be here if I was just a yes man. You have to be your own person. And there’s many times you’re not going to agree with Mike Gapski was sure he was doing the right thing. management. But then you sit down as a man and discuss things and The Blackhawks had fired coach Bob Murdoch after the 1987-88 season figure out what’s best for the team and for the players, and you go from and replaced him with , one of the fieriest personalities in there.” NHL history. The responsibilities of a head trainer are seemingly endless. Gapski is Under Murdoch, when a player suffered an injury, Gapski’s instructions most visible as the guy behind the bench managing injuries during were to rush onto the ice and tend to the player. That made sense to games. While that’s the biggest part of his job, it’s not the only thing. Gapski, who was in his second season with the Hawks when Keenan “After that, it’s just to support and make sure that the days function,” he took over. said. “Make sure the players are getting what they need, whatever it may So during Keenan’s first game behind the Hawks bench, when one of the be.” Hawks players went down, Gapski immediately jumped the boards, just Gapski arrives at the United Center at 8:30 a.m. on game days — 11 as he always had done. hours before the puck drops. He and assistant trainer Jeff Thomas start “Boom, run right on the ice, and Mike Keenan is looking at me,” Gapski making energy drinks, turning on the hot and cold tubs and getting said. “I thought, OK, I did my job. I went out there and found out what’s everything set so the clubhouse is ready to go for the players. going on. I’m going to go tell him what’s going on.” To make the day flow, Gapski needs to know what time each player likes [Most read] Federal agents and Chicago police were confiscating drugs to come in for a stretch, receive treatment or soak in the hot tub. He has and guns from luggage when rapper Juice Wrld suffered seizure at to be one step ahead so players can move through their day comfortably Midway, officials say » to prepare for practice or the evening game.

Keenan had other ideas when Gapski returned to the bench. “It’s like we’re a jack of all trades, master of none,” Gapski said. “We have to have our hands in everything and do a good job in maintaining “He looks at me (and says): ‘You ever (bleeping) go out there like that their health and well-being. Setting appointments, making sure the guys again, you’re fired,’ ” Gapski recalled. are getting there. Whether it’s surgery, picking them up from the hospital and getting them set up in hotel rooms, making sure they have care Gapski survived that moment and others like it over the years. In his 33rd when they’re there. season with Hawks, he has been around hundreds of players and dozens of coaches and served as the eyes and ears of the organization. “You have to be observant. It’s not a job where you have to be told what to do all the time. You need to figure out how to make it easier for When the puck drops Thursday against the Coyotes in Glendale, Ariz., yourself, easier for players so the players aren’t rambling all over the Gapski will be in his usual spot behind the bench for his 2,500th game as place. Their job is to focus on what they need to do to play hockey. Our the Hawks trainer. He’s the longest-tenured active trainer, and only job is to do everything else around them to make sure that they can do retired Kings trainer Pete Demers worked more games in NHL history. their job.” Not bad for a South Side kid who was raised on Blackhawks hockey. That requires a great deal of trust on the players’ part. Shortly after Blackhawks head athletic trainer Mike Gapski stands behind the bench Jonathan Toews entered the league, he was getting sick all the time and before a game against the Blues on Dec. 2 at the United Center. didn’t know why. Gapski was the first one Toews asked to help him figure out what was going on and how he could take better care of himself. “Every Saturday night, my mom would make a big bowl of popcorn (and) we’d sit on the floor and watch the Blackhawks games,” Gapski said. “Sometimes he comes off as old school, but he knows a lot more than “Maybe once or twice my dad would take me to a game back in the old you would ever think,” Toews said. “A guy that’s been around like that, Chicago Stadium. Me and my buddies, when we were in college, we it’s easy to fall into certain patterns and get comfortable. But he’s always would get together at a bar and (say), ‘Hey, let’s go to a Blackhawk game educating himself and looking for ways for our guys to get better, whether and ... do a standing-room type of thing.’ ” it’s their bodies, their nutrition, their health, connecting us to resources. He’s definitely a wealth of knowledge and experience.” After graduating from St. Rita High School, Gapski went to UIC and initially was a chemistry major with the goal of becoming a sports As Gapski learned from his early encounter with Keenan, a big part of his nutritionist. Then he met with the school’s athletic trainer, who suggested job is knowing what not to do. And he never takes anything personally. Gapski take a class in that field. “Nik Hjalmarsson, I knew you don’t go near him when he’s hurt,” Gapski “I took a course,” he said. “And here I am today.” said. “He knows where I am. And when he needs me, he’ll tell me. If I go near him when he’s hurt and ask him how he’s doing: ‘Get the (bleep) out It wasn’t that simple, though. After finishing school, Gapski took a job of here!’ So you just get to know all the little personal nuances. with UIC and spent five years teaching classes and working as a trainer for the athletic department. At the time, the Flames had a Division I “Some things are going to be said during the games and during hockey program that was part of his responsibilities. competition that you’re not going to like, but after the game you talk to them and they can’t remember what they said. Denis Savard was big for “I never thought I’d go pro,” Gapski said. “I enjoyed college athletics and that. Because we’re in the winning business, and in order to win, you the teaching part of it, and then my mom would always say, ‘Hey, why have to be intense.” don’t you call the Blackhawks?’ You know what, they’ve got their own guys. I’m not interested.” No head trainer could survive 32 years without being well-liked by players. Gapski has developed close friendships over the years with But he was interested. So when Murdoch called him before the 1987-88 many of them, including Troy Murray, Brent Sutter, Greg Gilbert, Dirk season to see if he wanted to interview for the Hawks job, Gapski met Graham, Ed Olczyk and Brent Seabrook. with him at Chicago Stadium. Three others were up for the job to replace longtime Hawks trainer Skip Thayer, but Gapski was hired. Olczyk tagged Gapski with the nickname “Frank” about 20 years ago after seeing him stand up one day and appear to walk around like Frankenstein’s monster. Some people might not like being named after a monster, but Gapski viewed it as a term of endearment and even dressed the part for Halloween one year.

Seabrook snapped a picture and texted it to Olczyk, who couldn’t stop laughing.

“The trainers are the lifeline of a hockey player,” said Olczyk, now a Hawks television analyst. “If you take care of those guys, they’ll take care of you the rest of your life. You build up relationships with them. You know how important they are to your teammates and the organization and the franchise.

“I only had Gapper for a couple years, but we always maintained a relationship. He’s from the South Side, I’m from the South Side.”

Chris Chelios was another South Sider who developed a close friendship with Gapski. He has been to Gapski’s Crestwood home for barbecues and still stops in to see him when he visits the United Center.

Last month, Chelios had a painful ear infection and went to Gapski for help in finding a doctor.

“Thank God he’s still around and available for me,” Chelios said. “He set me up right away. He takes it real serious. It’s good that I had that relationship and I could just have the same things as a player and have the same treatment. (Team doctor Michael Terry), all of them. Unbelievably caring and gracious. They all really care.”

Gapski and his wife, Lynne, have four children ages 19 to 27. He spends his free time at their lake house in Michigan or gardening.

At 61, Gapski has no plans to retire. Not when he still has his dream job.

“There’s only two teams I would have worked for,” Gapski said. “I like football but I didn’t want to work football. So if the Bears would have called, I probably would have said no. Cubs? I’m a South Sider. I’m not going to take a Cub job. If the White Sox called, I probably would have taken the job.

“The Blackhawks would have been my No. 1 job. If I was going to go pro and anybody called me, it was going to be the Blackhawks. And lucky for me, they did.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165771 Chicago Blackhawks Boqvist should be afforded that same chance, and being a defensemen he may even need more time to find his way in the NHL. Getting him on the ice won’t be hard if Duncan Keith and Calvin de Haan aren’t playing. 3 takeaways from the Blackhawks’ 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights, But once one or both of them return, the numbers game becomes an including what’s next for the defense without Calvin de Haan issue again.

The instant the Hawks determine this season is a lost cause — and that may happen after this weekend — then finding Boqvist a permanent spot By JIMMY GREENFIELD CHICAGO TRIBUNE |DEC 11, 2019 | 7:54 AM in the lineup becomes a priority.

Jeremy Colliton didn’t have a problem with how Boqvist and Dennis Gilbert played against the Golden Knights and seems comfortable having LAS VEGAS-Even with inconsistent play and a smattering of injuries, the two rookies on the blue line. Blackhawks have been maintaining the appearance of a team that could still somehow pull things together. "We're going to need it," Colliton said. "I thought they were good, they performed well. It'll be good experience for them and hopefully they give No more. us something. I thought they did tonight." The season is on the brink of turning into a disaster after the Blackhawks 3. The Hawks suffered a total breakdown after Calvin de Haan got hurt. lost Calvin de Haan to a right shoulder injury during a complete meltdown in Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights. It’s possible Calvin de Haan’s injury wasn’t the reason the Hawks suddenly forgot how to get back in transition and turned the puck over It’s not known yet how much time de Haan will miss, but he won’t be like it was a hot potato. But the timing sure was suspect. available for the last two games of the road trip. Jeremy Colliton said afterwards de Haan would return to Chicago to have his shoulder The Hawks and Golden Knights were in a scoreless game with a couple evaluated — the same shoulder he had surgery on last spring. of great goalies performing at their best when de Haan got hurt. From that point on it was like a flip was switched. "It's not good," Colliton said. "It's tough to lose Haaner," Brandon Saad said. "When that stuff happens The loss of de Haan is difficult enough, but with Duncan Keith already out you just got to stick to your structure. You know you're not going to have indefinitely with a groin injury, the Hawks are facing the prospect of an your full lineup or have your legs every night but when you play a good extended period without their top two defensemen. team game that kind of helps you. When you don't, they exploited us. This is not a test. This is a real emergency. And the Hawks know it. Especially down a guy.

Here are three takeaways from Tuesday's loss: “We got to help out our goaltenders. It starts as a team thing. It’s not one certain thing that comes to mind. It’s having five guys in the picture 1. The immediate future of the defense is bleak. all over the ice.”

The Hawks sure do seem prescient for taking eight defensemen on their The Knights' Ryan Reaves reacts after scoring against Blackhawks current 3-game road trip. goaltender Corey Crawford during the third period.

One of the eight is Olli Maatta, who has been trying to build his strength The low point probably came late in the second period when the Hawks back up after having a hard time recovering from what the Hawks have were on the power play and ostensibly still in the game. Alex DeBrincat called "flu-like symptoms." He was unavailable Tuesday for the fourth had possession in the offensive zone and plenty of time to pass to a straight game. teammate. He held the puck too long, allowing Reilly Smith to force a turnover and get a 2-on-1 break with William Karlsson, who beat Corey If Maatta can’t go Thursday against the Coyotes, the Hawks are likely to Crawford for the shorthanded goal. send out a defensive unit of Connor Murphy, Erik Gustafsson, Brent Seabrook, Slater Koekkoek, Dennis Gilbert and Adam Boqvist. "(Crawford) deserves to be frustrated," Connor Murphy said. "It’s not fair what we give up against him. I mean, it’s not just chances, it’s Blackhawks defenseman Erik Gustafsson skates with the puck against breakaways, 2, 3-on-1s, it’s just unbelievable what our goalies have had the Golden Knights during the third period. to deal with all year with some of these games. We hang them out to dry. Koekkoek has been a healthy scratch more than he’s been in the lineup, It's nice to see that (emotion) because it’s a wakeup call for us players to and Gilbert and Boqvist are rookies with a combined 15 career games play better in front of them." between them. It’s underwhelming not only because of the dramatic The Hawks were so bad the last two periods of the game, it was hard to absence of skill and experience, but because reinforcements aren’t remember the game was even early on. Maybe that’s a sign the Hawks coming. need to try and remain steady until the injury problems subside. But The top defensemen at Rockford right now are Philip Holm and Ian there’s no promise that they will, or that they’ll stay healthy during the McCoshen, who might fill the roles currently taken by Koekkoek or Gilbert second half of the season. but won’t make anyone forget Duncan Keith or Calvin de Haan. “I thought the first period was not bad, we still gave up more than we Nevertheless, the show must go on. should,” Jeremy Colliton said. "But obviously losing de Haan was a big blow, and we got worn down as the game went on back there for sure, "The next man in has got to step up," Murphy said. "It’s something as a asking a lot of guys. team you’re going to have a lot of ups and downs throughout the year and stuff like that’s going to happen, and the next guy’s got to be ready to “But whether it was managing the puck or being sharper in transition, play. We believe we have players that are good enough to make that they were better than us tonight, so we’ve got to regroup, get some rest impact and step in when there’s injuries." (Wednesday), and have a better effort.”

2. Adam Boqvist should get the full Kirby Dach treatment. Here’s coverage from Tuesday’s game:

If the purpose of this season becomes preparing for next season, then What started out looking like it might be a track meet ended with the Adam Boqvist needs to remain with the Hawks from this point forward. Blackhawks simply run out of the building.

No more honing his game in Rockford. No coddling. Let him stay in the The Golden Knights re-established their dominance over the Hawks with NHL for the remainder of the season so he can begin making mistakes a 5-1 victory Tuesday night at T-Mobile Arena, asserting themselves with that he hopefully won’t make next season. a commanding second period after Hawks defenseman Calvin de Haan left the game with a shoulder injury. As promising as Dach has been at times, he's been largely an unproductive player. He doesn't have a point in his last 10 games while The Hawks beat the Golden Knights last month for the first time ever. averaging just under 13 minutes of ice time. Of course, that's not good After an action-filled yet scoreless first period, with both teams racing up enough. But it's the price you pay to help a young player get better. and down the ice, it looked like the Hawks had a chance to make it two in a row. But they weren’t the same team when they came out for the second period without de Haan, who left late in the first period after getting knocked backward by Mark Stone. Officials gave Stone an interference penalty on the play.

The Hawks announced de Haan suffered an injury to his right shoulder, the same one he had surgery on last spring that caused him to miss the first two games of this season.

Reilly Smith, Deryk Engelland and William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights in the second period. Max Pacioretty and Ryan Reaves each had a goal in the third to drop the Hawks to 12-13-6.

Smith’s goal came on the power play, Engelland scored at even strength and Karlsson’s short-handed tally with 44 seconds left in the second was the backbreaker.

Marc-Andre Fleury returned to the net for the Golden Knights for the first time since Nov. 23 after the death of his father and stopped 28 shots. Dominik Kubalik’s power-play goal with 27 seconds remaining prevented Fleury from finishing off the 59th shutout of his career.

Hawks goalie Corey Crawford was superb early on but couldn’t withstand constant pressure over the last two periods. He finished with 32 saves.

Already without Duncan Keith (groin) and Olli Maatta (flu), the Hawks had to make do with five defensemen that included rookies Adam Boqvist and Dennis Gilbert. They even resorted to using the offensive-oriented Boqvist and Erik Gustafsson on the penalty kill.

Before Tuesday, Gustafsson had played a total of 2 minutes, 10 seconds on the penalty kill in 29 games, an average of about 4 seconds per game. Boqvist, who was playing his first game since getting called back up from Rockford, had been on the penalty kill for 10 seconds during his first six NHL games last month.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165772 Chicago Blackhawks cap, hoping to scrape by for another week, another month, another season.

Last week, they were burned for that lack of leeway. Next summer, they Blackhawks’ recent salary cap issues forewarn of impending crunch in could be toasted. summer 2020 Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 The Hawks may not have to play another game with only 17 skaters this season, but the cap squeeze that caused that debacle could bite them after this season.

By Ben Pope Dec 11, 2019, 6:55am CST

LAS VEGAS — The worsening of Andrew Shaw’s concussion has moved the Blackhawks out of salary cap purgatory for now.

But the paralyzing cap crunch of the past couple weeks, even if out of sight now, was only a sample of the conundrum that will confront the Hawks next summer.

General manager Stan Bowman can consider that a warning shot.

Shaw’s Monday placement on long-term injured reserve takes his $3.5 million cap hit off the books until at least Dec. 27 — the first day Shaw will be eligible to return — and gives the Hawks plenty of money to work with in the meantime.

They were able to recall Adam Boqvist and Matthew Highmore for this three-game road trip and actually carried both a forward (Highmore) and defenseman (Slater Koekkoek) healthy scratch for Tuesday’s matchup against the Golden Knights.

Thus, the unfathomable reality of playing an entire game a man down, with so many injuries and so little cap space that an AHL recall was impossible, will probably not happen again this season — even if last week’s 17-skater loss to the Blues lives on forever as the go-to example of how things can always get worse.

This tight cap situation will remain very relevant, though, especially when this season’s Feb. 24 trade deadline and the inevitable glances ahead to the coming offseason draw nearer.

Right now, the Hawks have roughly $70.1 million tied up in just 16 players for the 2020-21 season. If the salary cap rises by $2 million again (as it did last summer), the Hawks would have $13.4 million to work with next summer, although Sportsnet recently reported a larger cap increase — perhaps in the $4 million range — could occur.

Regardless, Bowman will have his work cut out for him.

Dylan Strome will be a restricted free agent (RFA) and will presumably ask for a salary approaching the $6.4 million Alex DeBrincat will annually receive on his extension. Strome alone could eat up half the Hawks’ space.

Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford — who currently tout $6 million and $5 million hits, respectively — will both be unrestricted free agents (UFA), and the Hawks will almost certainly only have the room to retain one. That will be a painful choice to make.

Erik Gustafsson will also be a UFA and his asking price should well exceed what the Hawks can afford, thus making it very likely he’ll be dealt in February if the Hawks aren’t in close playoff contention.

Koekkoek, Dominik Kubalik and Drake Caggiula will be RFAs, as well. Even if they aren’t retained, the Hawks will need to sign some depth pieces simply to fill out the roster.

All told, the Hawks face an exceedingly unfavorable financial outlook for the coming offseason, and that’s with a team that will likely be coming off a third straight playoff miss — the Hawks’ odds entering Tuesday were 22.2 percent, per MoneyPuck, sitting more than 30 percentage points lower than any of the other six stacked Central Division teams.

At some point, Bowman will need to make a decision about his loyalty to the Hawks expensive, aging core. Come summer 2021 and the Seattle expansion draft, that mass of no-trade clauses could cost the Hawks the ability to protect a key member of their planned future core.

But that decision doesn’t seem imminent. For now, the Hawks will continue to operate in the slim margins directly beneath the NHL’s hard 1165773 Chicago Blackhawks cap, hoping to scrape by for another week, another month, another season.

Last week, they were burned for that lack of leeway. Next summer, they Blackhawks’ recent salary cap issues forewarn of impending crunch in could be toasted. summer 2020 Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 The Hawks may not have to play another game with only 17 skaters this season, but the cap squeeze that caused that debacle could bite them after this season.

By Ben Pope Dec 11, 2019, 6:55am CST

LAS VEGAS — The worsening of Andrew Shaw’s concussion has moved the Blackhawks out of salary cap purgatory for now.

But the paralyzing cap crunch of the past couple weeks, even if out of sight now, was only a sample of the conundrum that will confront the Hawks next summer.

General manager Stan Bowman can consider that a warning shot.

Shaw’s Monday placement on long-term injured reserve takes his $3.5 million cap hit off the books until at least Dec. 27 — the first day Shaw will be eligible to return — and gives the Hawks plenty of money to work with in the meantime.

They were able to recall Adam Boqvist and Matthew Highmore for this three-game road trip and actually carried both a forward (Highmore) and defenseman (Slater Koekkoek) healthy scratch for Tuesday’s matchup against the Golden Knights.

Thus, the unfathomable reality of playing an entire game a man down, with so many injuries and so little cap space that an AHL recall was impossible, will probably not happen again this season — even if last week’s 17-skater loss to the Blues lives on forever as the go-to example of how things can always get worse.

This tight cap situation will remain very relevant, though, especially when this season’s Feb. 24 trade deadline and the inevitable glances ahead to the coming offseason draw nearer.

Right now, the Hawks have roughly $70.1 million tied up in just 16 players for the 2020-21 season. If the salary cap rises by $2 million again (as it did last summer), the Hawks would have $13.4 million to work with next summer, although Sportsnet recently reported a larger cap increase — perhaps in the $4 million range — could occur.

Regardless, Bowman will have his work cut out for him.

Dylan Strome will be a restricted free agent (RFA) and will presumably ask for a salary approaching the $6.4 million Alex DeBrincat will annually receive on his extension. Strome alone could eat up half the Hawks’ space.

Robin Lehner and Corey Crawford — who currently tout $6 million and $5 million hits, respectively — will both be unrestricted free agents (UFA), and the Hawks will almost certainly only have the room to retain one. That will be a painful choice to make.

Erik Gustafsson will also be a UFA and his asking price should well exceed what the Hawks can afford, thus making it very likely he’ll be dealt in February if the Hawks aren’t in close playoff contention.

Koekkoek, Dominik Kubalik and Drake Caggiula will be RFAs, as well. Even if they aren’t retained, the Hawks will need to sign some depth pieces simply to fill out the roster.

All told, the Hawks face an exceedingly unfavorable financial outlook for the coming offseason, and that’s with a team that will likely be coming off a third straight playoff miss — the Hawks’ odds entering Tuesday were 22.2 percent, per MoneyPuck, sitting more than 30 percentage points lower than any of the other six stacked Central Division teams.

At some point, Bowman will need to make a decision about his loyalty to the Hawks expensive, aging core. Come summer 2021 and the Seattle expansion draft, that mass of no-trade clauses could cost the Hawks the ability to protect a key member of their planned future core.

But that decision doesn’t seem imminent. For now, the Hawks will continue to operate in the slim margins directly beneath the NHL’s hard 1165774 Chicago Blackhawks Crawford showed some uncustomary frustration in the latter parts of the contest, something that didn't surprise Connor Murphy.

"He deserves to be frustrated," Murphy said. "It's not fair what we give up De Haan's absence on Hawks' defense another tough void to fill against him. I mean, it's not just chances. It's breakaways, 2, 3-on-1s.

"It's just unbelievable what our goalies have had to deal with all year with John Dietz some of these games. We hang them out to dry. ... It's nice to see (Crawford upset) because it's a wake-up call for us players to play better in front of them."

LAS VEGAS -- As soon as a hunched-over Calvin de Haan began Slap shot: skating toward the bench late in the first period of Tuesday's 5-1 Blackhawks loss to Vegas, all of his teammates knew something was The Blackhawks will honor Kris Versteeg with One More Shift before wrong. Sunday's game against Minnesota.

Seconds earlier, de Haan was ridden into the sideboards by Mark Stone Daily Herald Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 and fell backward, injuring his right shoulder. The veteran defenseman grasped his wrist, went to the dressing room and did not return.

"You feel for a guy who battles hard every night and does so much to help our team," a somber Connor Murphy said afterward.

De Haan, who has had surgery on that shoulder twice before, flew back to Chicago for further evaluation. The Hawks (12-13-6) did not practice in Arizona Wednesday and there was no immediate update on de Haan's condition.

If de Haan is lost for a considerable period of time, it puts immense pressure on a blue line that is already without Duncan Keith, who is week-to-week with a groin injury.

"He's a great player, so anytime you lose someone that good it's going to have a big effect," Murphy said. "It put more pressure on us, but we've still got to be able to play with whoever we have."

In addition to veterans Murphy, Brent Seabrook, Erik Gustafsson and Olli Maata, the Hawks must hope Slater Koekkoek (121 NHL games), Dennis Gilbert (8) and/or Adam Boqvist (7) can fill the void.

But it's not just the defensemen who must step up. Each forward must do a better job backchecking, cleanly moving the puck through the neutral zone and making crisp, sure passes. The Hawks have done that in spurts, but lately have returned to a careless, turnover-prone squad.

"You've just got to stick to your structure," Brandon Saad said. "(Vegas) exploited us, especially down a guy. We've got to help out our D, we've got to help out our goaltenders. It starts as a team thing.

"It's having five guys in the picture all over the ice."

De Haan came to the Hawks in a trade with Carolina last off-season. He injured his shoulder March 31 and returned April 18 despite still being injured and was a big part of the Hurricanes' run to the Eastern Conference Final.

"Played with pretty much half a straitjacket on to keep it in," de Haan said during training camp. "But it was a good experience. I would do it again."

After missing this season's first two games, the 6-foot-1, 195-pound de Haan has proved to be one of the Hawks' most reliable defenders. He's blocked a team-best 73 shots and is third in the league at 2.5 per game. The 28-year-old was even stepping up his offensive game in Keith's absence, notching assists at Boston last Thursday and Sunday against Arizona.

"He's been really good for most of the season. He's had a high minimum level," coach Jeremy Colliton said before the Hawks faced Vegas. "Kind of know what we get every night."

Murphy, Saad and Colliton all agreed the Hawks must adopt a next- man's up philosophy if they're going to survive without two of their top defensemen.

And it starts Thursday in Arizona.

"You're going to have a lot of ups and downs throughout the season and stuff like that is going to happen," Murphy said. "The next guy's got to be ready to play and we believe we have players that are good enough to make that impact and step in."

Murphy minces no words:

Corey Crawford gave up 5 goals on 37 shots during Vegas' 5-1 victory Tuesday, but the Hawks' goalie also stopped the first 20 shots he saw -- many of which were of high quality and right around the net. 1165775 Chicago Blackhawks

Recently retired Kris Versteeg to be honored before Blackhawks game

By Dan Santaromita December 11, 2019 1:26 PM

Kris Versteeg recently retired and now the Blackhawks are honoring him with the team’s “One More Shift.”

Versteeg began the season with the Blackhawks’ AHL affiliate, the Rockford IceHogs, but retired in November after playing six games for the IceHogs this season.

The 33-year-old wrote an emotional letter to the Blackhawks organization after requesting his contract with Rockford be terminated.

Versteeg will be honored before Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. He will join the team on the ice for the national anthem and highlights of his career will be featured in the United Center.

Versteeg won two Stanley Cups with the Blackhawks, in 2010 and 2015. He is part of the Blackhawks celebrating the 10-year anniversary of that 2010 Cup win. Brian Campbell was given the same treatment on Nov. 21.

The first 10,000 fans into the UC can get replicas of the 2010 ring.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165776 Chicago Blackhawks

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane visit recovering Chicagoland hockey player for the holidays

By Kelly Twardziak December 11, 2019 12:44 PM

Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane recently surprised recovering hockey player Payton Bruns in the hospital, spreading some cheer across Chicagoland this holiday season. The players spent time with Bruns and his family talking hockey and his recovery.

“I had no clue that they were coming,” Bruns told the camera.

Bruns cited Kane as one of his favorite players, making this moment even sweeter.

You can watch the heartwarming video here.

When @88PKane and I heard Payton’s story, we wanted to join the Chicago community in supporting his brave recovery. We teamed up with @bauerhockey to surprise him with a day of games and gifts at the @AbilityLab. @JackHughes43 now it’s your turn to give the gift. #TheGameIsAGift pic.twitter.com/0VoqQ66LVp

— Jonathan Toews (@JonathanToews) December 11, 2019

Bruns, a senior at Lincoln-Way East High School in Frankfort, broke two of his vertebrae sliding into the boards while chasing down a loose puck this past September. He was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery and has since been recovering and doing physical therapy at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab in Chicago.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165777 Chicago Blackhawks Another year of middling mediocrity won’t sit well with fans, but until that next wave of talent is ready to carry the Blackhawks back into contention, it’s not hard to imagine the Blackhawks adopting the Bulls’ old strategy of Where do the Blackhawks go from here? Breaking down 3 possible staying just relevant enough to keep people in the seats. A most scenarios unpleasant puck purgatory.

2. Youth movement

By Mark Lazerus Dec 11, 2019 As hopeless as things might seem right now, there’s actually quite a bit of reason to be encouraged about the long-term fate of the franchise. Out of both merit and necessity, the Blackhawks dressed 10 players under the age of 25 against Vegas. Kirby Dach is just 18, and has limitless GLENDALE, Ariz. — Corey Crawford sat at his stall in T-Mobile Arena in potential. Boqvist is 19 and is just getting his feet wet. Alex DeBrincat is Las Vegas, calmly peeling off his equipment and untying the laces on his scuffling this season, but he turns 22 next week and is a proven, elite skates. He leaned back, closed his eyes briefly and sighed audibly. goal-scorer. Dylan Strome is 22, and is backing up his breakout season He was patiently waiting for the small throng of reporters to finish talking with another productive campaign. Dominik Kubalik is 24 and looks like a with Brandon Saad before doing his part. But then Connor Murphy keeper, an active, aggressive player on the attack who’s finally in his walked into the room, and given the sudden state of the Blackhawks right spot in the lineup alongside Saad and Toews. Alex Nylander has defense with Calvin de Haan joining Duncan Keith on the injured list, his been maddening in his inconsistency, and Jeremy Colliton’s insistence voice was more pressing than Crawford’s. As Murphy talked about the on keeping him on the top line for so long was curious, but he’s just 21 Blackhawks’ “next man up” mentality, Crawford quietly slipped out of the and has at least flashed some of the skill that enticed Bowman to send room and back to the showers. his top young defenseman, Jokiharju, to Buffalo to get him.

What was he going to say, anyway? Besides maybe, “Help?” So go all in on the kids. Take the training wheels off. Put Dach in the top six and play him 18 minutes a night. Put Boqvist on the top pair and have It’s an odd thing to say after a modest 2-0-1 stretch that included a road him quarterback the top power-play unit. Give Holm a look; he was win at Boston, but Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to the Golden Knights felt like a impressive in training camp and the preseason. Throw Dylan Sikura into new low point in a season full of them. Keith is “week to week” with a a major role and see if that long, long, long-awaited breakthrough finally mysterious groin injury. And now de Haan, who had stepped up so well in comes. Keith’s absence, could be gone for who-knows-how-long after re-injuring his surgically repaired right shoulder. That leaves the Blackhawks with If at some point the season truly becomes lost, at least make it useful. just four proven NHL defensemen — Murphy, Brent Seabrook, Erik See what you have in the kids, and maybe expedite the learning curve. Gustafsson and Olli Maatta (assuming he can get past this extened Toews and Kane got thrown into the fire a dozen years ago, and that illness he’s been dealing with) — along with a couple of rookies in Adam turned out pretty well. Give Dach, Boqvist and the rest a chance to do the Boqvist and Dennis Gilbert, and a journeyman in Slater Koekkoek. same.

If you’re feeling a sense of hopelessness over the Blackhawks’ It’s unlikely that Colliton and Bowman — who could be coaching and immediate and long-term future, you’re not alone. My Twitter mentions managing for their jobs — would be willing to make such drastic lineup during and after the game were a horror show of apocalyptic, reactionary decisions, especially at the expense of well-compensated veterans. But despair. Hope is dwindling. Enthusiasm is waning. Confidence in at the very least, it would give fans something to be excited about. management is at an all-time low. 3. Blow it up? So where do the Blackhawks go from here? Here are three possible It’s the most common refrain from frustrated fans after every opposing scenarios. A word of warning: None of them are going to be pretty. odd-man rush, after every lopsided period, after every loss: Blow it up. 1. Stay the course Start from scratch. Tear it all down and rebuild from the studs.

The Blackhawks love to tout their organizational stability. For more than a But how? Seabrook has four more years left on his contract, and he’s not decade now, the Blackhawks brass and core have remained largely going anywhere. He, Keith, Kane and Toews all have full no-movement unchanged. Stan Bowman is in his 10th full season as general manager. clauses. And Kane is still one of the top players in the world. On top of Keith and Seabrook have been patrolling the blue line since the 2004-05 that, de Haan is signed for two more seasons at a reasonable $4.55 lockout ended. Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane have been the faces of million cap hit. His injury likely makes it impossible to trade him, and you the franchise for 13 seasons. don’t get better by losing him, anyway. Same with Murphy, who’s just 26 and is signed through 2021-22. For better or for worse, the Blackhawks generally don’t make rash decisions. Even the shocking-on-the-surface firing of Joel Quenneville If the Blackhawks are ready to punt on the season — and they’re last November came after seven or eight months of rampant speculation certainly not there yet — there are pieces that can be moved. Maybe you about his job security. can move Maatta, who’s signed for two more seasons beyond this one. Maybe Shaw when he’s healthy. Maybe Zack Smith. The Blackhawks will And the one time the Blackhawks did act rashly, it blew up in their faces. almost certainly deal Gustafsson at the deadline, because he’ll be an Dealing Artemi Panarin and Niklas Hjalmarsson in separate trades a half unrestricted free agent and far too expensive for them to re-sign. hour apart in June 2017, done in the name of cost certainty, was an over- reaction to a first-round sweep at the hands of the eighth-seeded The other option is to deal one of the goalies to a goaltending-starved Nashville Predators, a team that was much better than it seemed and contender. Lehner is nearly seven years younger than Crawford, so the went all the way to the Stanley Cup Final. Brandon Saad and Murphy, smart money is on the Blackhawks signing him long term beyond this acquired in those deals, are excellent players and they’re signed long season. Crawford has a modified no-trade list, but a two-time Stanley term. But that 2016-17 team won 50 games. Even if that record was Cup champion who’s playing as well as he is would probably be the “flattering,” as Kane put it afterward, it was still a good team. Keeping Blackhawks’ biggest trade chip, especially with Gustafsson coming back Panarin and Hjalmarsson could have kept the championship window to earth a bit this season. propped open a couple more years. Instead, the Blackhawks quickly fell But there’s no blowing it up. No wholesale rebuild. It’s just not structurally out of contention and haven’t been back since. possible with the current contract situation. Yet another retooling is the So the likeliest course of action is the least exciting one. With Andrew best you can hope for. Shaw, Drake Caggiula, Keith and de Haan all out, it’s easy to just shrug Of course, the biggest and boldest move the Blackhawks could make and chalk up a tough season to injuries, like the Blackhawks did in 2017- would be to blow it up on the management side, and to pick a new GM 18 when Crawford missed the second half of the season after suffering a and a new coach to lead the team out of darkness. A fifth straight year concussion. Plug the holes with the likes of Gilbert, Koekkoek, Philip without a playoff series win, and a third straight year without a playoff Holm, Matthew Highmore and the like, hope that Crawford and Robin appearance, would certainly justify such a house-cleaning. But it’s only Lehner can keep stealing points and keep the Blackhawks on the fringe mid-December, and injuries aren’t the coach’s or the GM’s fault. So it of wild-card contention, and kick the can down the road until closer to the certainly hasn’t come to that yet, and this being the Blackhawks, it likely Feb. 24 trade deadline, when the full picture will be clearer. won’t. This is who the Blackhawks are, and this is who they likely will be for the rest of the season, and maybe another season or two after that. A fringe playoff team when fully healthy and fully engaged, but without the organizational depth to withstand injuries to top players the way Colorado has, the way Pittsburgh has, the way Winnipeg has. And that’s unlikely to change too dramatically anytime soon.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165778 Colorado Avalanche morning skate, about 24 hours after he was reassigned to the Avs’ AHL affiliate. He served as Francouz’s backup for the second straight game. Regular starting goalie Philipp Grubauer is dealing with a hamstring issue Avs extend points streak to eight games with win over Philly and might have tweaked it Wednesday morning.

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.12.2019

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 10:22 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 10:48 PM

With its top 12 forwards playing together for the first time since taking a 7-0-1 record into St. Louis on Oct. 21, the Avalanche carried confidence and a seven-game points streak into Wednesday night’s nationally televised game against the visiting Philadelphia Flyers.

Make it eight, as right winger Mikko Rantanen scored twice on beautiful passes from centers Nathan MacKinnon and Nazem Kadri in a 3-1 victory at the Pepsi Center.

Colorado (20-8-3) became the first Western Conference team to reach 20 wins and surpassed St. Louis, the defending Stanley Cup champion, with a conference-most 43 points.

“It’s good depth. It’s really good depth,” Avs coach Jared Bednar of having his top-six intact. “If we play the way we can we’re going to win a lot of hockey games.”

Winger Matt Calvert also scored and goalie Pavel Francouz pitched a shutout until he allowed a late goal to Flyers captain Claude Giroux. Francouz made 17 saves in the second period when Philly dominated possession but ultimately lost the period 1-0 when MacKinnon found Rantanen for a 2-0 lead.

“Timely goal for sure,” MacKinnon said. “But Frankie bailed us out. We had a tough second period. They’re a tight defensive team. They play really hard D. I guess scoring on our opportunities was great but we have to clean up some stuff.”

Kadri became the Avs’ latest forward returning from injury. He missed the previous three games with an upper-body injury. Colorado’s top six were its preferred six, with MacKinnon beginning the game with Andre Burakovsky and Joonas Donskoi and Kadri between Gabe Landeskog and Rantanen.

MacKinnon, who entered the game as the NHL’s third-leading scorer, was often double-shifted and logged more than 20:04, most among Avs forwards.

The Avs took a 2-0 lead into the third period despite being dominated by the Flyers in the second. Philly outshot the Avs 17-5 in the middle frame, but Francouz was excellent and one Colorado rush was the difference in those 20 minutes.

“In order to be consistent and keep winning hockey games you need above-average goaltending and he’s been good,” Bednar said of Francouz, who played in his fourth consecutive game because of the hamstring injury to Philipp Grubauer. “He’s been really good coming in all year in relief when there have been injuries. He’s been good when he’s given sporadic starts. And now he’s been good in stringing some starts together.”

MacKinnon took a drop pass from J.T. Compher late in the period, drove to the left circle, put on the breaks and slid a hard pass to Rantanen in front of the paint. Rantanen directed the puck inside the far post before crashing into goalie Carter Hart.

Minutes earlier, Hart made an extraordinary glove save on Rantanen’s one-timer from the right circle.

The Avs took a 1-0 lead 5:21 into the game. A shot from the point by defenseman Calle Rosen pinballed off forwards Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and Valeri Nichushkin before linemate Calvert beat Hart with a backhand from the right post. The Avs dominated play the rest of the period but failed to double their lead before the first intermission.

Footnotes. Avs rookie defenseman Cale Makar missed his second game with an upper-body injury, believed to be to his left shoulder. Makar, 21, skated on his own Tuesday and Wednesday but is only stick-handling, not shooting. He might be cleared to play Friday when Colorado concludes a two-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils. …. Forward Vladislav Kamenev was the Avs’ only healthy scratch. … Goalie Adam Werner was recalled from the Colorado Eagles after Wednesday’s 1165779 Colorado Avalanche

Avs get Nazem Kadri back, but rookie Cale Makar still unavailable

By MIKE CHAMBERS | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 11:58 am | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 5:26 PM

Second-line center Nazem Kadri returned from a three-game injury absence Wednesday night when the Avalanche, minus Colin Wilson, hosted the Philadelphia Flyers with a full complement of forwards.

“We’re healthy up front for the first time in a long time,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said after a morning skate at the Pepsi Center.

The Avs have seen just three forwards play all 30 games. They have played without their top two wingers, Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog, for 16 games apiece — 14 simultaneously. But they still lead the NHL in scoring at 3.70 goals per game. Kadri is Colorado’s third- leading goal-scorer with 10, behind Joonas Donskoi (13) and Nathan MacKinnon (19).

MacKinnon, Donskoi and Pierre-Eduoard Bellemare are the only forwards to have not missed the game.

“It kind of seems like that’s the story — one guy in, one guy out, one guy in, two guys out. That’s definitely something that we’ve struggled with — staying healthy,” Kadri said. “But the depth on team has carried us through those stretches. We’ve been able to put ourselves in a good situation even with those guys out. Now that they’re coming back, we feel really encouraged.”

Wilson, a healthy scratch in Colorado’s first two games, remains out long-term. The depth forward hasn’t played since Oct. 26.

The Avs still have a major injury loss in rookie defenseman Cale Makar, who missed his second game Wednesday with an upper-body injury — believed to be his left shoulder. Makar, the Avs’ second-leading scorer, is skating on his own.

“He’s not shooting yet. He’s handling the puck yesterday and today. Kind of waiting for him to get a little more pain-free before we start shooting and moving on from there,” Bednar said.

Footnotes. Forward Vladislav Kamenev was the Avs’ only healthy scratch. They are carrying just 12 available forwards and six defensemen. … Colorado recalled goalie Adam Werner of the AHL’s Eagles to serve as Pavel Francouz’s backup for the second straight game. Francouz and Philipp Grubauer were the goalies at the morning skate but Grubauer has been struggling with a hamstring ailment.

Denver Post: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165780 Colorado Avalanche Rantanen has appeared in 15 games. In the 14 he has finished without an injury, Colorado is 12-0-2. Rantanen has eight goals and 20 points.

milehighsports.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 Avalanche defeat Flyers to move into first place in the Western Conference

By Aarif Deen - December 11, 2019

For the first time since October, the Avalanche are first in the Western Conference.

Forward Mikko Rantanen scored two goals, helping the Avalanche to a 3- 1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday at the Pepsi Center. Colorado (20-8-3) now has 43 points, one better than the St. Louis Blues with a game in hand.

“We had a really good start,” Rantanen said. “First period we were really good. Second period was no flow, really. Lots of whistles. But we battled through it, it wasn’t our best. The third period was still not our best, a little bit sloppy, but we found a way most importantly.”

The Avalanche scored early in the first as Matt Calvert picked up a rebound that had rung off the post and beat Flyers netminder Carter Hart to make it 1-0.

The Flyers controlled the second period. They had the first 11 shots of the frame but were unable to solve Colorado’s goalie Pavel Francouz. Rantanen eventually added a late goal off a feed from center Nathan MacKinnon. The Avalanche were outshot 17-5 in the second but Francouz held them off the board.

“They tried to come back,” Francouz said. “I think a huge part of this game was that we stayed patient, we didn’t panic. We tried to keep them out of the zone, we blocked a lot of shots and then we scored the second goal and that was huge for us.”

Rantanen added another goal in the third, this time receiving a pass from forward Nazem Kadri from behind the net. Rantanen played the majority of the night with Kadri at center and Gabe Landeskog on the left-wing as Avs coach Jared Bednar flipped his top two centers from the opening faceoff.

“It’s nice to have the depth options,” Bednar said. “If someone is having an off night and someone else is having a good night we can jumble some things around.”

Takeaways

The Avs are finally sporting a healthy forward lineup. Other than Colin Wilson, who is out long-term after having surgery, the Avalanche’s forwards are the healthiest they’ve been all season. Nazem Kadri returned, centering a line with Mikko Rantanen and Gabe Landeskog. MacKinnon centered a line with Joonas Donskoi and Andre Burakovsky, leaving Valeri Nichushkin, Matt Nieto, Matt Calvert, J.T. Compher, Tyson Jost and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare to round out the bottom six.

Barring any trade acquisitions, this may very well be the 12-man unit Colorado relies upon in the playoffs.

Still without Makar, Johnson, and Grubauer, Avalanche shut down the Flyers offense. The Avs are without two of their biggest minute-munching defenseman in Cale Makar and Erik Johnson. They are also missing starting goalie Philipp Grubauer. Despite the injuries, Colorado held the Flyers to just eight shots in the third period to secure the win.

Philadelphia entered tonight’s game with 33 goals over its past nine games, two less than the Avalanche. The Flyers were 7-1-1 during the stretch.

Speaking of Francouz, how about the season he’s putting together? Tonight’s victory pushes the second-year Av to 8-2-1. Francouz has not lost in regulation since Nov. 2 and leads the Avalanche in save percentage and goals-against average this season.

The Ryan Graves plus/minus tear continues. After finishing plus-1 on Wednesday, Graves increased his consecutive streak of positive games to eight games. Graves continues to lead the NHL with a plus-23 rating.

Stat of the Night 1165781 Colorado Avalanche Kadri looked a little rusty after a week off, and had some issues with the puck most of the evening. He can get into trouble trying to do too much. Did make a nice play on Rantanen’s second goal of the game, and that Avs Game 31 Grades: Back on the winning train one pretty much sealed it.

Tyson Jost – C+

BY EVAN RAWAL DECEMBER 11, 2019 Another game where Jost had really good process but no production to go with it. Hit the post in the first period on what looked to be a great chance for the Avs to extend their lead. For as dominant as the Avs were with him on the ice in the first period, it flipped completely the final two Mark Barberio – C periods. Barbs was an adventure sometimes in his own end tonight, and seemed Gabriel Landeskog – F to sit out a few shifts towards the end of the second period, as I saw him at the end of the bench with his head down. He did finish a +2 on the Just a rough night overall for the Captain. Tried to do way too much with night, so some luck was on his side. the puck overall, and it got him into a lot of trouble. Overhandled the puck on the second power play, and ended up taking a penalty trying to Pierre Edouard Bellemare – A recover. The top six was not great, for the most part. Bellemare was a monster down low in this one. His ability to control the Nathan MacKinnon – C puck along the boards halfway through the first period really got the Avs a lot of momentum to finish that period out. A big shot block on the PK in The Flyers have a very good center to matchup against MacKinnon the third period looked to have him in pain but he finished the game. tonight, and Couturier did a lot of good work against MacK for the most part, keeping him quiet and not allowing him to get a ton of speed Andre Burakovsky – F through the neutral zone. He still managed to create a nice tap in for I really disliked Burakovsky’s game tonight, but he wasn’t alone. He Mikko in the second period. seemed unsure of himself with the puck on his stick, and refused to shoot Valeri Nichushkin – B+ the puck, ending up with only one shot attempt on the evening. That’s two straight games where he hasn’t gotten a puck on net. He ended with Nichushkin picked up another point in this one, although this one was the worst shot metrics on the team. from the puck just hitting his giant body on the way to the net. You take it either way, but he’s in a groove right now and you love to see it. Lots of Matt Calvert – A good board work tonight. A manimal. There’s not much else to say at this point. He set the tone in Matt Nieto – A the first period and got the Avs started with his rebound goal. This was a game in which the bottom six carried the Avs for a while and Calvert led Nieto did everything but score in this one, and he had plenty of chances. the way. Led the Avs with five shots on goal and seven attempts overall. You won’t see that every night. Ian Cole – B Mikko Rantanen – B+ Cole was very low event in this one, and that’s not a bad thing. That pairing really didn’t give up a ton, but also didn’t create a lot. Without Mikko, like a stealth assassin, scored two goals where the puck was on Makar and Johnson, they’re just getting by and quietly solid nights like his stick for a total of half a second. The rest of the night, he was this from Cole will do the job. relatively quiet, but elite players don’t need much to score. Hart did rob him of a goal in the second period with an absurd glove save. J.T. Compher – B Calle Rosen – B Compher made the play of the game I thought, when he caught a long stretch pass from Girard in his skates and got it to MacKinnon prior to the Rosen had an assist taken away from him in the first, but good for him to Rantanen goal. That was not an easy play to make, and it created the get his shot through a lot of bodies to help create that goal. He got it back biggest goal of the night. in the third period with a smart play to not force a shot on net but shoot it down low instead. Also showcased some speed in the first period on a Joonas Donskoi – F nice rush. I feel confident in saying that was Donskoi’s worst game of the year by Nikita Zadorov – C far. He fumbled the puck all night long, and seemed to fall over every time he was on the ice. Just one you throw in the trash and move on to Z got caught watching a bit on the Giroux goal, but was quietly steady the next. most of the net. The Avs gave up a ton of shots with him on the ice, but the majority of them were from the outside. Did well to join the rush in the Pavel Francouz – A first period, including a nice move that resulted in a good chance. That’s how you respond, as a goaltender. Bednar called his performance BSN DENVER LOADED: 12.12.2019 last game “sub-par” and Frankie bounced back. I really thought the Avs kept a lot of shots to the outside in this one, and allowed Frankie to see the puck, and cleared up anything he let loose in the slot. A really nice game from him.

Samuel Girard – C

That pair was very high event, but were on the ice for more scoring chances for than against. I am not a fan of Girard on the top power play unit, as he just does not look natural there, and him trying to get too fancy with the puck led to an easy clear by the Flyers in this one. He needs Makar back to ease some of the pressure on him with the way this defense is built.

Ryan Graves – B+

Like Cole, a quiet game where not a lot happened when Graves was on the ice. He’s +1,000,000 at this point, and was on the ice for another goal tonight. Had a nice hit in the open ice in the third period.

Nazem Kadri – D 1165782 Colorado Avalanche adjustment period. The guys coming back from injury look like they’re still knocking loose some of the rust and the guys they’re playing with are all working through the usual chemistry issues that happen with lots of Rantanen takes star turn as Avs get back on winning path moving parts in the lineup.

There was some frustration over the summer about the Avs continuing to spend resources on their bottom six but you have to give it to Colorado’s BY AJ HAEFELE DECEMBER 11, 2019 pro scouts; they crushed it. We’ve seen teams like Vancouver invest heavily into this strategy and it just hasn’t gotten the much but the Avs

acquiring Matt Nieto, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Matt Calvert, and Valeri There was something my DNVR Avalanche Podcast co-host Nathan Nichushkin for the low cost of money and playing time has had a Rudolph said this week that has stuck with me all week. transformative effect on them. Every roster is top-heavy to some extent but there were multiple stretches tonight where the Bellemar-centered “Good teams don’t let themselves go on losing streaks.” line was just tearing the Flyers up on the forecheck and the cycle. So much of Colorado’s skill is built around capitalizing on transition It’s a simple premise, and one that’s obviously true, but 82 games in a opportunities and then Jared Bednar can throw out a heavy line with size, regular season is a LOT. The Avs have already had one stretch this year speed, tons of physicality and tryhard and enough skill to regularly where they went 0-4-1 and everything was terrible and the world seemed change games. It’s the change-up line that knocks teams off-kilter as like it was ending. they try to gameplan for how to attack Colorado’s skill and speed guys. And then it just…didn’t. The sun kept coming up, the world continued When the Avs inevitably get into the postseason, this line will become the spinning, and the Avalanche woke up and started winning again. Since x-factor in just about any series. then, they haven’t really stopped. Hell, since that five-game losing streak Calle Rosen had the kind of night where the coaching staff can say that ended on November 7 in that 9-4 shellacking of Nashville, the Avs “Okay, we don’t need Conor Timmins just yet” as long as they continue to only lost four times total. deal with injuries on the back end. With Makar looking like he’ll be a So that got me to thinking about tonight’s Avalanche game. They lost to short-term injury (another game or two), Rosen needs to make his case Calgary two nights ago in disappointing fashion and a very good to stay in the lineup when the great eight returns. Tonight was a good Philadelphia Flyers team was coming into town. step in that direction.

The Avs have been plenty resilient in the face of endless injuries but Rosen actually had an assist on Calvert’s opening goal but after the without their starting goaltender and two of their top-six defensemen, the second period, it was determined his point shot hit both Bellemare and Flyers’ potent offensive attack presented a different kind of challenge Nichushkin before going off the post and to Calvert. Had that stuck, he from Calgary. would’ve had a two-assist night. He still finished with one so life isn’t so bad. Ultimately, the answer was once again there from Colorado in a 3-1 win over the Flyers. Adam Werner is living the life right now. Twice this week he’s gotten called up, gotten paid for NHL service time, and hasn’t had to lift a finger It certainly wasn’t pretty as there were long stretches of the action where as the team continues his very cautious approach with Grubauer’s lower- Philadelphia dominated play but that’s why you pay a goaltender and body injury. With the Eagles in town and not playing, this was a good Pavel Francouz was fantastic tonight. example of Colorado’s luxury in having their AHL affiliate right down the road. And what a deal for Werner! Colorado was good and dangerous in the first period and Matt Calvert opened the scoring in the first period when a Calle Rosen deflected off Taylor Hall comes to town on Friday. There definitely won’t be any two Avs players and the post before landing on Calvert’s stick. conversations about that in the coming two days. Definitely not.

The Avs rolled into the first intermission feeling good about themselves BSN DENVER LOADED: 12.12.2019 and their game as they had the 1-0 lead.

Despite absolute Flyers domination in the second period, that lead became 2-0 when Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen converted one of their classic transition plays into a goal.

Francouz was the real story of the second period, however, as the Flyers stomped Colorado all over the ice and it just didn’t matter because goals are more valuable than shot attempts and Francouz refused to let Philly in on the fun.

Rantanen scored again just minutes into the third period to mostly put the hammer down on the Flyers. This one was a nice play from Calle Rosen to keep the play alive and Nazem Kadri found Rantanen from behind the net for the one-timer.

A Claude Giroux goal with just over five minutes remaining kept the Avs honest and ruined the Francouz shutout but two points in the standings are the only numbers this team really cares about in the end they got them.

The terrible New Jersey Devils come rolling into Denver on Friday night with Taylor Hall in tow as Hall will have to see what could be when he goes against this buzzsaw in Pepsi Center.

Before that hype train gets into town, the Avs will look to the injured list and hope for quick recoveries from Grubauer and Makar.

GAME TAKEAWAYS

This was a seriously ugly game from Colorado. Had the Avs been on the other side of it, they’d be talking about deserving a better fate and running into a hot goaltender and all that. Instead, the Avs are taking their two points and not apologizing for a damn bit of it.

That said, two games in a row now against quality opponents where they’ve been pushed back on pretty hard. We were all excited when the forwards got healthy but it looks like everyone is going through an 1165783 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets’ Emil Bemstrom out six to eight weeks with rib injury

Jacob Myers The Columbus Dispatch

The injury report became a bit busier for the Blue Jackets on Wednesday with another player slated to miss significant time.

Rookie forward Emil Bemstrom will miss six to eight weeks because of a dislocated rib and broken cartilage, the club announced.

Bemstrom was injured Saturday against Florida on a hit by Brian Boyle with 7:17 left in the second period. Bemstrom finished his shift but did not return to the game after that. Bemstrom was in Columbus being evaluated when the team was in Washington on Monday for a game.

He had recently showed some signs of growth on a line with Pierre-Luc Dubois and Sonny Milano. But in general, the 20-year-old Swede has struggled in his first NHL season.

After leading the Swedish Hockey League in scoring as a teenager last season, Bemstrom hasn’t made the adjustment to the NHL as quickly as the Jackets had hoped. He has three goals and six assists in 28 games.

With Bemstrom out, Eric Robinson will likely see the most playing time in Bemstrom’s place. The Jackets have no other forwards available on their roster, so they could call one up from the Cleveland Monsters.

Bemstrom joins Zach Werenski, Kole Sherwood, Markus Nutivaara and Brandon Dubinsky (out indefinitely) on the injury report.

Injury updates

Werenski and Sherwood were back on the ice at practice. Nutivaara is missing more time after he was expected to return from an upper-body injury that has kept him out since early November.

The Dispatch was told that Nutivarra is out because of a separate health issue. There’s no timeline for the defenseman’s return.

Coach John Tortorella said after practice that he did not have an update on where Werenski is in his recovery from a shoulder injury.

Bank shot

When Cam Atkinson steps onto the ice before practice to get his legs warmed up, he said he usually takes some pucks and fires them the length of the ice at an empty net. Sometimes he’ll use the boards and try to bank it in, trying out his geometry skills.

The Jackets forward put those to use on an empty-net goal to seal the win at Washington. With a defender closing in on him in the Jackets zone, Atkinson threw the puck off the board to clear it out of the zone but ended up scoring.

"I know the angle," he said. "I didn't realize that (the puck) was going to go that fast. I was just trying to get it out and it just kept going and it looked like it kept speeding up. One of those I'll take."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165784 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets' depth on blue line tested

Brian Hedger The Columbus Dispatch Dec 11, 2019 at 5:31 AM

It was late October and things were sorted out with the pecking order among Blue Jackets defensemen.

Coach John Tortorella had found his top six, which left Dean Kukan and Scott Harrington on the outside of the regular rotation.

Zach Werenski and Seth Jones formed the first pairing, as usual. Ryan Murray and Markus Nutivaara had become the second pair, who also moved the puck up the ice skillfully. The third duo was a bit of a throwback to the 2017-18 season, with stout rookie Vladislav Gavrikov and even stouter veteran David Savard as the stoppers.

“I think we've settled on the six,” Tortorella said Oct. 26 in Philadelphia before a 7-4 loss to the Flyers. “Right now, we're pretty satisfied with our three pairs, with Kuks and Harry being our depth guys. I don't want to put a number on them, but they're the guys that are out.”

As it turned out, it took only the game that followed to make those comments obsolete.

Murray suffered a broken hand against the Flyers, knocking him out for the next six games and throwing the Jackets' defensive zen out of whack.

Kukan, who also played against the Flyers that night while filling in because of Nutivaara's lower-body injury, wound up staying in the lineup and hasn't left it since. Harrington also played four games during Murray's absence, skating twice while Nutivaara was a healthy scratch.

Then came another blow. Nutivaara was struck in the head by the puck Nov. 5 against the Vegas Golden Knights and hasn't played since — missing 15 games and counting.

Murray returned two games later, but the original pairings were still not possible. Nutivaara was still out, Murray missed another game because of a swollen knee, after getting drilled with a shot in Montreal, and next came the biggest blue-line injury, on Nov. 30 at the New York Islanders.

Anders Lee ran into Werenski's left shoulder — the surgically repaired one — and caused a sprain of his AC joint that could him keep out another three weeks.

That prompted rookie Andrew Peeke to be recalled from the Cleveland Monsters a week ago, and he made his NHL debut Thursday against the New York Rangers. The current pairings are Kukan and Jones, Murray and Savard, and rookies Gavrikov and Peeke.

Harrington also played a game before Peeke made his debut, so finding consistency among defense partners hasn't been easy for any of them. The Blue Jackets started the season with eight defensemen and have played nine, leaning heavily on their wealth of organizational depth.

“Losing (Werenski's) a big blow to us, but we don't spend much time thinking about it,” Tortorella said. “You go and play, so there's no sense in wasting a lot of thought on it. You get the next guy in that you think is ready to go, (who's) up, and you go play.”

This wasn't the plan, though.

The plan was to let those six who'd forged ahead drive the Blue Jackets' engine from the back, which hasn't been easy with so much turnover.

“I think we've done a pretty good job away from the puck with our back end, with a major injury (Werenski) out of the lineup,” Tortorella said. “It's hurt us offensively for sure, but I think we've done a pretty good job with those injuries in handling it.”

His defensemen agree.

"When you get so many injuries, you've got change line pairings and all that stuff," Savard said. "It can be hard defensively, but I don't think it's a reason to (struggle). Everybody should know their job."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165785 Columbus Blue Jackets indication that a shot is likely coming. A slow pass across the top of the zone to a waiting shooter is the most predictable, but painful, to stop.

“You put yourself in the right position, and you learn what that is the more Never let ’em see you wince: David Savard delights in blocking shots you do it,” Savard said. “We have padding and stuff.

“There’s always a few that aren’t as, you know, comfortable. But you By Aaron Portzline Dec 11, 2019 learn how to position yourself so you don’t get hit in a weird spot or a bad spot where there isn’t protection.”

Ankles and wrists are the worst, Savard said. “Not a lot of protection,” he COLUMBUS, Ohio — David Savard is stumped by the question because said. And the face, of course. asking him his earliest memory of blocking shots is like asking him about the first time he wore skates. “Savvy has some really good blocks where he kind of sells the farm,” said Blue Jackets defenseman Ryan Murray, who’s 1.7 blocks per game “I don’t think I ever had to be told to block a shot,” Savard said. “Ever is among the highest in franchise history. since I started playing hockey, I guess, I’ve just always been a guy that would get in front of pucks. “He’ll go down on one knee, get right down on the ice in the shooter’s lane when he knows it’s coming. That takes a lot of guts because you “I know I did it in midget (15 years old). For sure, I was doing it then never know where it’s hitting you.” because the goalies were always laughing that I should wear their equipment. That’s when people actually noticed, but I don’t ever Savard says he doesn’t ever remember missing a game because of an remember not doing it.” injury suffered from blocking shots. Maybe a shift here or there, but no big deal. This will surprise exactly nobody in the Blue Jackets’ dressing room because nobody has more welts, bumps and bruises by the end of a He also declined to say which opponent’s shot — Shea Weber? Brent season than Savard, courtesy of that six-ounce chunk of vulcanized Burns? Zdeno Chara? — is the hardest or most painful to absorb. rubber. It’s all part of Savard’s personality that Tortorella said he admires the It can be difficult to quantify the value of a rugged, stay-at-home most. Never let ’em see you wince. defenseman like Savard — points don’t tell the story — but one such “The thing I love about him … he’s just such a big pro,” Tortorella said. number has been coming into focus in recent weeks. “He blocks it and he goes to the bench and gets ready for his next shift.

Savard had three blocked shots in the Blue Jackets’ 5-2 win over “There’s not a lot of pain on his face. He’s not moving his leg up and Washington on Monday, giving him 766 blocked shots in his 519-game down, even if it hurts. He never shows it. He just gets to the bench and NHL career, believed to be a franchise record. gets ready for his next shift. That’s what I’ve always respected about The phrase believed to be is key here, because the NHL didn’t start Savvy.” logging blocked shots until 2005-06 when the league returned after an Savard acknowledged there are times where he’s been in enormous owner’s lockout wiped out an entire season. pain, agony even. But he doesn’t want to give the shooter any (It’s possible, in other words, that former Blue Jackets defenseman satisfaction, or any indication that he might have second thoughts about Rostislav Klesla would have something to say about this. He’s credited blocking the next shot. with 544 blocked shots, but that doesn’t count the blocks he would have “I try not to show too much,” Savard said. “There are some that hurt more made in 202 games before 2005.) than others, but I’ve kind of always played that way.

The Blue Jackets, per a spokesman, are counting Savard as the “I”m not going to be the guy that lays on the ice and stays there forever. franchise record-holder — he passed Jack Johnson on Monday — and it I’ve never done that. Get up, get going. Maybe it’s just mental with me, just seems wholly appropriate. but I want to keep going, battle through it.”

Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella often incorporates shot-blocking clips Foligno said he’s looked down the bench at Savard after a particularly into the film he shows players. He did so the other day after Vladislav painful shift and marveled at Savard’s stoic presence. He’s not grimacing Gavrikov blocked three consecutive shots — and almost a fourth — in a or crying; he’s not even rubbing the welt. painful display against Florida. “It’s actually really cool,” Foligno said. “Some guys want you to know “I’ve never mentioned a word to (Savard) about blocking shots,” they’re hurting, and some other times it hurts so bad you don’t care what Tortorella said. “He’s just there. He is that willing. He always has been anybody thinks because it fucking kills. that way. Him and Jens (Boone Jenner) I don’t have to say a word to. “He never seems to show it. It’s crazy. You’re like, ‘How did you take that “There’s more of a want-to with them to block shots than with some other off the back of your leg?’ — because you know there’s no padding there. people. If you want to block that shot you find ways to get big. You can He’s had some beauties. He just eats ’em. Crucial ones.” turn your body bigger. Other guys get smaller. If players are given silver sticks for playing 1,000 games, what should a “With other guys, it’s ‘The coach told me to block this shot. I really don’t club’s record-setting shot blocker receive? A bronze ice bag? A silver want to do it, but I’m going to try.’ You get small that way. These guys, shin guard? they want to block it.” Savard will likely have to settle for his teammates’ respect. On a Blue Let’s be perfectly honest here: nobody wants to block a shot. There are Jackets’ blue line with first-round draft picks Seth Jones, Zach Werenski far fewer slap shots in today’s NHL than 15-20 years ago. The composite and Ryan Murray, Savard has often flown under the radar. sticks allow players greater velocity with wrist shots, which are far more accurate and quicker to release. But not in the dressing room.

But this much hasn’t changed: “It fucking hurts,” Blue Jackets captain “I know goaltenders love him,” Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo Nick Foligno said. said. “He puts his body on the line every night. You can’t ask anything more of a guy.” “You have to have balls to do it, but then you also have to know how to do it, without getting hurt,” Foligno continued. “You have to know how to When Savard was drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey put yourself in position to block it with the part of your body where there’s League in 2009 (fourth round, No. 94 overall) he was regarded as an enough padding, and Savvy is really good at that. offensive defenseman.

“He’s also a thick boy, which helps. He’s taken some in spots where I But the game changed dramatically a few years later. Defensemen move don’t even know how it hasn’t hurt him.” like forwards now, and the pace of the game makes it difficult for stay-at- home types to survive. Through years of getting pelted and blasted, Savard said he’s learned a few tricks. The pivot of the hips and a certain movement of skates is an Savard has had to change to survive, too, not just to stay in the NHL, but to find a role with the Blue Jackets. He’s the one constant on the Tortorella’s “shut-down” pair, with Jack Johnson, Ian Cole, Murray, Gavrikov, and others.

“Savvy reinvented himself, knowing the situation we’re in,” Foligno said, “and what selflessness there. He could have said, ‘No, I am this guy.’

“He has a big role, and I think he realizes it’s gotten bigger within this club with the way he plays and the way he’s out there for crucial moments. He’s looked upon by everybody in here as a leader.

“Watching him from when we first came into the NHL to now … what a pro he’s become, and what a difference he’s made in this room.”

Late last season, Savard had a conversation with goaltending coach Manny Legace that should surprise nobody. He asked him if he had any extra goaltending equipment.

Legace, in fact, had a full extra set in his basement. It was the perfect size for Savard.

Maybe his midget teammates were on to something. Savard may follow in the steps of Fox Sports Ohio’s Jean-Luc Grand-Pierre, a former NHL defenseman who now plays goaltender in adult leagues in Columbus.

He may be blocking shots long after his NHL days are finished.

“When I can’t skate anymore, maybe I can sit in net and maybe block a few there,” Savard said.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165786 Dallas Stars It resulted in a trip to double overtime in Game 7 of the second round against the eventual Stanley Cup champion Blues, and the Stars viewed themselves as legitimate Cup contenders entering this season.

The end of Jim Montgomery’s tenure will justifiably overshadow the year- After Tuesday’s 2-0 win over New Jersey, the Stars are in the second plus spent behind the Stars’ bench wild-card position in the Western Conference, just three points behind Central Division-leading St. Louis. Dallas has won three games in a row.

By Matthew DeFranks “Say what you want about whatever’s going on here, Monty built a great foundation here and has put us back in a great position,” Seguin said Tuesday morning. “We’re fighting for playoffs here. We’re not getting four new coaches here. Everyone’s been here. The players have been here, When the Stars hired Jim Montgomery on May 4, 2018, the hope was so we’re looking forward to the opportunity tonight.” that the first-time NHL coach would stabilize the franchise. The remaining coaching staff in Dallas will be part of Montgomery’s On that day, Montgomery became the team’s third coach in three years stamp with the Stars. Montgomery assembled one of the most and joked that he hoped his coaching career in Dallas would last longer experienced staffs in the league this season, with three assistant than his nine-game playing career in Dallas. CEO Jim Lites said the aim coaches who had also been NHL head coaches at one point in their of the coaching search was that he wouldn’t have to introduce another career. new coach. General manager Jim Nill lauded Montgomery’s rise through coaching and his ability to relate to people. Interim coach Rick Bowness has coached more NHL games (as an assistant or head coach) than anyone in league history, while Todd Five hundred and eighty-five days later, it came crashing down Tuesday Nelson and John Stevens have also been head coaches. Bowness and morning in a bizarre finish to Montgomery’s coaching career in Dallas. Montgomery also share coaching philosophies, meaning the rest of the The Stars fired Montgomery due to “unprofessional conduct” but did little season could look much like the Stars did when Montgomery was at the to explain specifics of the act in question. helm. Instead, Nill said what it was not: it was not criminal, did not involve any Dallas Morning News LOADED: 12.12.2019 other Stars employees, did not involve any current or former players, was not related to the NHL’s four-point plan on personal conduct, had no connection to his past that the Stars were aware of. It happened last week, Nill began an investigation Sunday and the decision was made Tuesday morning.

The Dallas Morning News confirmed that Montgomery was dismissed with cause, voiding the final 2 1/2 years of his coaching contract.

The end of Montgomery’s career in Dallas will understandably and justifiably overshadow the year-plus he spent behind the Stars bench. Players are left with questions, fans are left with questions, and details are sparse. Montgomery has not spoken publicly and Stars executives have declined comment.

Off the ice, Montgomery’s tenure was met with drama.

Montgomery was sometimes blunt in his assessment of situations. Last season, after a Jan. 12 loss to St. Louis, he said he was disappointed he hadn’t changed the “culture of mediocrity” around the organization. Last month in Winnipeg — 11 months after Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin were publicly criticized by Lites — Montgomery said he was “very disappointed” in the production from Benn and Seguin. He later apologized to both players.

Montgomery twice scratched high-scoring winger Alexander Radulov, once for being late and once for a performance-related healthy scratch. He also benched him for a period after Radulov talked back to him on the bench.

As far as his 114-game coaching career with the Stars, Montgomery’s on-ice results will view him favorably. Of the 16 coaches in Stars and North Stars history who have coached at least 80 games, Montgomery’s .579 points percentage ranked third behind Dave Tippett and Ken Hitchcock. He was the third coach in Dallas Stars history to make the playoffs in his first season.

Montgomery preached puck possession and puck pressure when he accepted the job, and marketed himself as a cross between Hitchock’s defensive philosophy and Lindy Ruff’s offensive principles. The Stars wanted to be stingy in their own zone, and then create offense in transition with odd-man rushes.

Under Montgomery, just one team allowed fewer goals than the Stars’ 274. But the Stars also outscored just three teams across the same span. Franchise cornerstones Seguin and Benn struggled to replicate their career-long success under Montgomery, while goaltenders Ben Bishop and Anton Khudobin posted career years.

Montgomery also preached a balanced four-line approach instead of relying on his superstars like Hitchcock did. Seguin’s 18:54 average time on ice this season is the second-lowest since he joined the Stars in 2013- 14. Benn’s 16:50 is the lowest since his rookie season. If forwards were kept between 12 and 18 minutes, Montgomery was pleased. 1165787 Dallas Stars In additional moves, the club promoted head coach Derek Laxdal to the role of assistant coach on the Dallas Stars. Neil Graham was named the head coach of the Texas Stars.

Citing ‘unprofessional conduct,’ Dallas Stars fire coach Jim Montgomery Star-Telegram LOADED: 12.12.2019

BY MAC ENGEL DECEMBER 10, 2019 09:58 AM

The Dallas Stars have been one of the best teams in the NHL for the past month but fired their head coach on Tuesday morning.

The club announced that coach Jim Montgomery has been immediately dismissed.

The club released a statement from general manager Jim Nill: “The Dallas Stars expect all of our employees to act with integrity and exhibit professional behavior while working for and representing our organization. This decision was made due to unprofessional conduct inconsistent with the core values and beliefs of the Dallas Stars and the National Hockey League.”

Translation: the head coach really screwed up, and we had no choice.

Sources said the head coach displayed a repeated pattern of unprofessional behavior. That covers a wide array of potential sins, but for the Stars to fire this coach at this moment means it’s no small act.

Nill told reporters during a press conference Tuesday that the team was made aware of “a material act of unprofessionalism” on Sunday.

Club officials convened with lawyers, and the team decided to fire Montgomery. This likely means the team fired Montgomery with cause, and they will not have to pay him the remainder of his contract.

“(Montgomery) was very disappointed,” Nill said at the press conference.

As to what specifically Montgomery did, the club is not saying.

Montgomery was replaced by assistant Rick Bowness, who has been with the team since June 2018. Bowness will be the head coach for the remainder of the season, according to Nill, on an interim basis.

Bowness has been an NHL head coach for Winnipeg, Boston, Ottawa, the New York Islanders and Phoenix Coyotes. He typically took over bad rosters in his previous head coaching jobs. He has a career record of 123-189-48; he’s had a winning record, and made the playoffs once: In 1992 with the Bruins.

The Stars will be the best team he has ever coached.

The Stars opened the season at 1-7-1. They have since then been one of the best teams in the NHL. They are 17-11-3.

There has been no hint of a problem with this team.

Nill said “there is the right thing to do” and that “it had to be done.”

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announced on Monday that the league has a new policy regarding racism and bullying. He also told reporters on Monday after an NHL Board of Governors meeting that he wants to create a “hotline” for people to report such incidents.

This all comes after Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters resigned last month when a former player alleged the coach used a racial slur against him in the minor leagues more than 10 years ago. Peters was also accused of physical abuse when he coached in Carolina.

The Chicago Blackhawks suspended assistant coach Marc Crawford, who was the head coach of the Dallas Stars from 2009-11, after two former players alleged physical abuse.

Nill said the decision to fire Montgomery is not related to anything regarding the new initiatives by the league or Bettman.

The Dallas Stars’ hiring of Montgomery last year was considered a bold move considering his background as a head coach was in college rather than the NHL. He had been a successful college coach at the University of Denver.

The move worked. The team reached Game 7 of the 2019 Western Conference semifinals in his first year.

In a little more than one year, Montgomery was 60-43-10 as the head coach of the Stars. 1165788 Dallas Stars Montgomery was fired two weeks to the day after that streak ended. At this point, we don’t know what Montgomery did to lose his job, and if the Stars have their way, we’ll never know.

How will the Jim Montgomery era be remembered in Dallas? It’s hard to judge Montgomery’s exit — or how the Stars handled it. As much as we want to jump to conclusions, the lack of context or knowledge at this point leaves any opinion piece toothless and potentially By Sean Shapiro Dec 11, 2019 false. For that matter, it’s hard to judge his legacy.

Montgomery’s former players aren’t sure how to evaluate him, either. Current Stars players were stunned by the development. His former DALLAS – Jim Montgomery was in a good mood on Monday morning. players – both NHLers and NCAA products – around the league Guiding a team that had won back-to-back games and had just expressed similar confusion about the biggest news on what had been a celebrated its annual holiday party on Sunday, the then-Dallas Stars slow NHL news day. coach was in both an analytical and jovial mood during his media session Montgomery may have had some tiffs and growing pains in Dallas when after the Stars’ practice that day. He broke down the intricacies of Dallas’ it came to connecting with top-tier players, but in general, he was well- forecheck, then later ended the session joking about how we could bet liked and the players believed in what he was trying to do. on who would be the Stars’ starting goalie. There will be changes with interim head coach Rick Bowness in charge, Less than 18 hours later, he was fired. but Montgomery’s impact is going to last even though he’s been relieved It’s a drastic swing that somehow appropriately embodies the 18-month of his coaching duties. He and Bowness often worked hand in hand, with Montgomery era in Dallas. Whether it’s his fault or not, the Stars were the older assistant acting as a mentor at times. When it came to their one of the NHL’s most dramatic franchises during his tenure – drama that hockey approach, they had similar worldviews, particularly at even culminated with his sudden, shocking departure. Now that he’s gone, strength. we’re left to grapple with what that 18-month era meant. As a hockey coach, Montgomery appears to have been the right hire for Montgomery arrived as the highly heralded pick of the NCAA ranks after Nill after Hitchcock stepped away. Reaching the second round of the a five-year run at the University of Denver in which he led the Pioneers to playoffs was a success for a rookie head coach, and as of Dec. 9, the the 2017 national championship. He was pursued by both the Stars and Stars were undoubtedly in a better place than they were in prior to his New York Rangers, and his interview in Dallas went so well he turned out hire. to be the only candidate the Stars truly considered after Ken Hitchcock’s But Montgomery, the person, made a mistake that is apparently so forced retirement. heinous we aren’t allowed to hear the nature of it. This, too, will be his But after preaching a puck-possession style and relentless hockey, legacy – perhaps his ultimate one in Dallas. Montgomery’s first season was more Hitchcockian. The Stars became a That puts the Stars and Nill in a rather precarious situation. This was defensive-minded team, one which struggled offensively as numerous Nill’s hire. Montgomery was the coach he felt was the solution to the players had career-low offensive numbers. Stars’ longstanding playoff woes and the key to bringing another Stanley It led to a December of drama in 2018 followed by a January of Cup to Dallas. He was also the person that Nill wanted around his frustration in 2019. organization, and Nill has always spoken about putting a premium on having good people in the right situation. Three days before Jim Lites’ infamous comments, Montgomery rather loudly told his team they were “fucking inconsistent” on the ice before a Whether it was a one-off event or the culmination of something larger, morning skate against the Nashville Predators. Dallas went out and won Montgomery’s firing reflects on Nill. You can tell the firing stung for Nill, the game thanks to Anton Khudobin, but it wasn’t enough to save Jamie and while legalities likely came into play, it’s another reason he likely Benn and Tyler Seguin from the Lites’ scud missile headed their way. didn’t want to divulge any more. A public indictment of Montgomery would also amount to an indictment of his hiring process, deserved or The Stars later condemned the language of Lites’ comments, but Nill and not. Montgomery both stood by the message, effectively proving it was a full management call-out of Benn and Seguin. As Nill said publicly, and a couple of other sources confirmed, the Stars had no choice but to fire Montgomery. It’s something the organization Less than two weeks later, a frustrated Montgomery stated he hadn’t took little joy in, but not firing him would have been an even worse call. been able to change the culture of mediocrity that had plagued the franchise. That came after a loss, fascinatingly, against a St. Louis Blues We don’t know what that was, which has resulted in rampant speculation team that was one of the worst in the NHL. that’s unlikely to die anytime soon. It all makes Montgomery’s time difficult to digest. You want to credit the hockey coach for what he did on Those two lowly teams – the one with a mediocre culture and the one the ice without romanticizing the man himself. That’s no simple task, with one of the NHL’s best records – would meet in a seven-game playoff which is only fitting. Little about the Jim Montgomery era was ever easy. series in the second round of the playoffs. Dallas went from seemingly self-imploding to an overtime of the league’s final four. The Stars fell just The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 short, and the Blues won the Stanley Cup.

The St. Louis series seemingly offered the Stars further proof that Montgomery was the right coach for the job – that if Benn had scored on a wrap-around in overtime, or if they had a bit more size on the defensive end, it might have been them hoisting the silver chalice in June.

It set up the first summer in two seasons when the Stars would have the same coach the following October, an exciting development for a franchise still seeking its first back-to-back playoff appearances in more than a decade.

That October nearly got someone fired. The Stars were 1-7-1, they were a disappointment and if things didn’t turn around, either Montgomery or Nill could have been out of a job.

But in true Montgomery era fashion, the Stars had a major swing, going from one of the NHL’s worst teams to one of the best in November by ripping off a 12-game point streak and a seven-game win streak. It saved jobs and saved a season, even if it included a moment when Montgomery called out Benn and Seguin before walking back the comments. 1165789 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings send Filip Zadina, Dennis Cholowski to minors

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 4:35 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 4:47 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019

The Detroit Red Wings cleared their roster of two young players and a veteran.

Forward Filip Zadina and defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Dylan McIlrath were assigned to the in staggered announcements Wednesday afternoon.

The Wings have a 12-game losing streak after dropping to the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday, 5-1.

The Wings face the Jets again Thursday at Little Caesars Arena. The Griffins are on a six-game road trip spanning California and Iowa.

Zadina, drafted sixth overall in 2018, had his third assist in four games Tuesday. He has three points in seven games, and if he plays fewer than 10 games with the Wings, his entry-level contract does not kick in. He was called up Nov. 24 after the Wings lost leading goal scorer Anthony Mantha to a knee injury (Mantha has yet to rejoin practice).

Cholowski, the 20th pick in 2016, appeared to have gained a foothold as he began his second NHL season, but he has just two assists and is minus-12 his past 12 games.

McIlrath has spent most of his pro career in the minors. His and Cholowski’s assignments, which came a day after defenseman Madison Bowey was assigned to the Griffins, leaves the Wings with six defensemen: Filip Hronek, Mike Green, Alex Biega, Trevor Daley, Patrik Nemeth and Jonathan Ericsson.

Defenseman Danny DeKeyser has been sidelined by injury since Oct. 22 and has yet to start practicing.

Likewise, Zadina’s departure leaves 12 forwards: Dylan Larkin, Tyler Bertuzzi, Robby Fabbri, Valtteri Filppula, Darren Helm, Luke Glendening, Justin Abdelkader, Christoffer Ehn, Brendan Perlini, Frans Nielsen, Adam Erne and Andreas Athanasiou.

Athanasiou did not play Tuesday because of an undisclosed injury.

The Wings did not practice Wednesday.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165790 Detroit Red Wings These are important steps, and a long time coming. That Bettman and the league felt pressure to address the allegations and consider real change is a sign of how differently we view coaching now ... in all sports.

NHL promises to crack down on abusive coaches. It's about time. This isn’t to say that a coach can’t get frustrated, or raise his or her voice, or throw the occasional clipboard in the locker room. But using demeaning language as a means of motivation is finally losing its cultural cachet. Shawn Windsor, Detroit Free Press Think about how often you see a football coach — at least in the NFL or Published 6:00 a.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 8:37 a.m. ET Dec. 11, big-time college football — meet a player on the sideline spewing fire, or 2019 spittle. Think about how often you see a football coach grab a player’s face mask or jersey.

It’s easy to be appalled now, after more than a decade has passed, and Think about the reaction when you do. Not just your reaction, but the the coach is long gone. But what would you have thought back in July reaction from others. Like when Tennessee coach Jeremy Pruitt yanked 2008? his quarterback’s face mask in October after a fumble. Or when he yanked a player down the sideline by the jersey in November. A few weeks after the Detroit Red Wings had won the Stanley Cup, as you bathed in that euphoria, as you reveled in the identity of Pruitt’s responses were derided. Maybe not by everyone, but by enough Hockeytown? people to make them national stories.

What would you have thought had you heard how Mike Babcock treated Everyone likes a tough coach; no one likes a bully. And while Pruitt and his players? Would you have ignored the allegations because of the coaches who still resort to such tactics may not be bullies, their actions in parade? Would you have convinced yourself it was just coaching? That those moments sure feel like bullying. players need to be toughened up? This isn’t to say that yelling in coaching will ever go away. Few places It's hard to believe the NHL wasn't aware of how some of its coaches deal in such high-stakes psychological leverage as sports. Tempers get treated their players. At the very least, the league office had to have loose. heard stories. But to demean players as a principal strategy like Babcock purportedly On Monday, the NHL announced it was finally doing something about the has done? That can no longer happen. culture that has allowed Babcock — and a handful of other coaches — to And while it may be surprising that the NHL was the last bastion for old- berate and humiliate players in the name of coaching. world bullying, it says something that the league is promising real It's about time. change, even if it took too long to make that promise.

“The world is changing for the better,” Bettman said in a statement. “This “We will not tolerate abusive behavior of any kind,” Bettman said. is an opportunity, and a moment, for positive change and this evolution The NHL is finally changing. should be expedited — for the benefit of everyone associated with the game we love. And even while change is taking effect, we still must Because we've changed, too. acknowledge things that were wrong in the past.”

Bettman spent Monday meeting with the league’s board of governors in Pebble Beach, California. His statement was meant to reflect part of the Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.12.2019 day’s discussions.

Those discussions came after several stories surfaced detailing various kinds of abusive behavior by a handful of coaches, including Babcock, who was fired by the Toronto Maple Leafs last month for poor performance.

After Babcock was let go, some of his former players in Detroit and Toronto came forward with a series of allegations of manipulative coaching tactics. Hall of Fame defenseman and former Red Wing Chris Chelios told Barstool Sports' Spittin’ Chiclets podcast that Babcock had verbally assaulted former Red Wings forward Johan Franzen during Game 5 of the Wings' 2012 playoff series against Nashville.

Franzen later confirmed Chelios’ words during an interview with Expressen, a newspaper in Sweden, when he acknowledged that while Babcock may have been a great coach, he was a “terrible person, the worst I’ve ever met.”

This story followed allegations from former NHL player Akim Aliu, who said that while playing in the minor leagues, Bill Peters addressed him using racial slurs. After that became public, Peters resigned as head coach of the Calgary Flames. Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Marc Crawford also is under investigation after allegations of physical abuse were made. And on Tuesday, the Dallas Stars fired Jim Montgomery "due to unprofessional conduct."

Bettman is right that the world is changing for the better in this regard, and that allegations we were more willing to overlook a decade ago must be dealt with differently now.

Toward that end, Bettman announced the league would be encouraging teams to come forward immediately when they hear allegations of abuse, that the league will be rolling out mandatory counseling programs designed to help with “consciousness-raising, education and training on diversity and inclusion,” that discipline for abuse would be severe and appropriate, and that the league would look into creating a hotline so players could report abuse. 1165791 Detroit Red Wings “Although the results aren’t showing it, there is definitely a togetherness in this locker room that fans wouldn’t see from the outside, you guys wouldn’t see, but I do feel we’ve stuck together through this time and right now, that’s about all we can do and try to find answers to get out of Detroit Red Wings 'can't seem to stop the bleeding' as blowouts balloon this.”

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.12.2019 Published 6:29 a.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 8:00 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — The Detroit Red Wings sound as miserable as they look. Nothing is going in for them, nothing is going right for them. Even their airplane had issues.

They ended up overnighting in Winnipeg on Tuesday because their jet had a mechanical issue. They found that out shortly before they lost to the Jets, 5-1. There’ll be a rematch Thursday in Detroit, with the Wings stretched beyond desperation to end what has grown to a 12-game losing streak, two losses shy of the franchise record.

The hope they carried into the season, the swagger they earned with a 3- 1 start, has been pulverized, blown into pieces as the blowouts balloon. They’ve lost 15 games by three or more goals. They’re 7-22-3, their goal differential bloated to minus-62.

“When things go bad — they are really bad right now,” Dylan Larkin said after the game at Bell MTS Place. “The injuries we’ve had … we don’t have an answer for that. We don’t have an answer for that right now, but we need to find it. It’s not even Christmas yet and this has happened too many times. It’s not acceptable. We have to find an answer, we have to do it internally as a group and we have to go out and execute. That’s what it comes down to right now.”

The first period against the Jets was a good summation of the state of the Wings. They had several excellent shifts in a row, getting the puck behind the Jets and cycling down low. But none of their chances went in, and instead, the Jets scored during a Wings power play, and that was that. The Wings didn’t generate another shot on net the rest of the period.

“The reality is we have to find a way to stay with it for longer even when it goes bad,” coach Jeff Blashill said. “There is no easy answer to that except to continue to look in the mirror and say we have to be better.

“Our goal differential is terrible. Right now, we have to find a way to win a hockey game. We have to find a way to get some confidence and moxie back. We’re not a good enough team right now. The only people that can change that is us.”

Larkin called goalie Eric Comrie the only positive in the game. He was acquired via a trade Nov. 30, three days after an injury sidelined Jimmy Howard, and made his Wings debut. There wasn’t much he could do on the three goals in two minutes the Wings allowed at the end of the second period. His teammates gave him no help, paralyzed as yet another opponent put on a beatdown.

“We can’t seem to stop the bleeding,” Luke Glendening said. “Once it starts, we have a tough time slowing it down.

“We’re all part of the problem here. We all want to be a part of the solution. We have to take a look in the mirror and see how individually we can be better to help this team. It’s not for lack of desire, it’s not for lack of want, but we're not getting it done. We have to be willing to fight for the guy next to you, be willing to fight for the logo on the front of your jersey, be proud of this team, this organization.”

The Wings have scored eight times since leading goal scorer Anthony Mantha suffered a knee injury Nov. 23 (he has yet to start practicing). Their best defenseman, Danny DeKeyser, has been out since Oct. 22 with a lower-body injury. Andreas Athanasiou missed Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed injury. On a team that lacks talent, such absences are magnified.

“When we get our guys back, we feel our top six is dangerous and it frees us space for our line and other guys to match up well against other teams,” Larkin said. “Obviously it’s not going our way right now, but we battle. As hard as it is to say after a 5-1 loss, when it’s happened a lot, we battle. 1165792 Detroit Red Wings

Jeff Blashill's job under microscope as Red Wings near longest skid in franchise history

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press

Published 6:32 a.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 2:45 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — Coaches can pay the price if their teams don’t do well, and the Detroit Red Wings are doing terrible.

They are 7-22-3, and their goal differential is minus-62. They return home to Little Caesars Arena on Thursday tarnished by a 12-game losing streak, just two losses from the franchise record. Their playoff hopes are crushed — at this point, they’re just trying to find a way to win a game. They have the fewest points in the NHL.

General manager Steve Yzerman has not given any indication he will make a coaching change. He has said he wants to spend this season observing. This is the second prolonged losing stretch of the season, with the Wings going 1-11-1 from Oct. 12 to Nov. 6.

Yzerman took over a team in rebuilding mode in April. The roster is a patchwork of talented young players, underperforming veterans, and AHL players called up to offset injuries. The organization knew this would be another tough one, that the team most likely would miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season.

It is startling, though, how bad the Wings have looked — they have lost by three or more goals in 15 games — and that shines a spotlight on Jeff Blashill.

“I get that,” he said after the 5-1 loss to the Jets at Bell MTS Place. “For me, all I’m doing is what I always do and that’s be solution-based and worry about what we can control. What we can control right now is learning from this game and make sure we are helping our team get better. Find solutions. Come Thursday and worry just about that. That’s it.”

Blashill is in his fifth year behind the Wings' bench. He was signed to a two-year extension last summer. He is well liked and respected within the organization. It is more likely that if Yzerman decides on a coaching change, he will make it during the offseason.

Still, the Red Wings are in their longest losing streak since dropping 14 straight in 1981-82. They could pass that mark this week, with games remaining against the Jets, Montreal Canadiens and Western Conference-worst Los Angeles Kings.

The Washington Capitals (1974-75) and San Jose Sharks (1992-93) share the longest losing streak in NHL history at 17 games.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165793 Detroit Red Wings with a smile, “We just started and we haven’t lost a game yet, so everything’s hunky-dory.”

Firing line Niyo: Red Wings’ losing inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be this 'ugly' It is decidedly not at the moment. And it’s worth noting that since Blashill’s team last won a game, five other NHL head coaches have been fired or forced to resign, though only three of those pink slips — in John Niyo, The Detroit News Toronto, New Jersey and San Jose, which dumped Peter DeBoer on Wednesday — were due to their team’s on-ice performance. Published 6:54 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 4:34 a.m. ET Dec. 12, 2019 With a loss Thursday at home in a rematch against the Jets, the Red Wings would own one of the 10 longest losing streaks in NHL history.

Already, it’s the league’s third-longest streak in the last 20 years, and one This is what they were afraid of all those years. shy of the franchise record of 14 set in 1981-82, the season before late owner Mike Ilitch bought the team in the midst of the “Dead Things” era. This is why “tank” was a four-letter word as the Red Wings played out the string at Joe Louis Arena and prepared to move into a new arena And with just 17 points in 32 games, this current group is on pace for 44 downtown. points — and 18 wins — this season, which would put them in some awkward company, way down there with first-year expansion teams and Quite frankly, this also is why Ken Holland had to make way for Steve the woeful '85-86 Wings. Yzerman as general manager in Detroit before things got really ugly. Yzerman lived through that himself — broken collarbone and all — and And make no mistake, losses like the one we saw Tuesday night — a 5-1 was named the Wings’ captain that next season. Everyone expects a meltdown in Winnipeg that marked Detroit’s 12th consecutive defeat — similar transition here with Larkin, who has taken another step forward “They are ugly, for sure,” admits Jeff Blashill, the Wings’ head coach. with his overall game this season even if the statistics don’t show it. He also showed some fight in the recent loss to Pittsburgh, leading a late They’ve also become startlingly routine in a season that’s threatening to rally that ultimately came up short. And after Tuesday's loss, Larkin turn historically awful here in Detroit. Blashill’s team hasn’t won a game pushed back against the notion this team is accepting its fate. in a month, yet it goes beyond that. The Wings have allowed five goals or more in 16 of their 32 games and been outscored by three goals or more But coming up short on a regular basis does accomplish one other goal, in 15 of them. And by way of ugly comparisons, while the Los Angeles even if it's one no one wants to admit. Kings had the league’s worst goal differential last season at minus-61, the Wings already are at minus-62 this season — with 50 games yet to The Wings haven’t had any lottery luck since their playoff streak ended a play. few years ago. They dropped from seventh to ninth at the draft lottery in 2017, from fifth to sixth in ‘18 and from fourth to sixth last spring. But after “When things go bad, they’re really bad right now,” center Dylan Larkin this horrific start, they’ll probably be a lock for a top-four choice in 2020, told reporters after Tuesday’s loss to the Jets. “We don’t have an answer with a 50-50 shot at a top-three selection — assuming they finish with the for that right now. But we need to find it. It’s not even Christmas yet and NHL’s worst record — and a 35-percent chance at one of the top two this has happened too many times. It’s not acceptable.” picks in next June’s draft, where most analysts have winger Alexis Lafreniere penciled in as the No. 1 choice. No, it’s not, even if it’s at least understandable when you look at the lineup that’s hitting the ice of late. Injuries have robbed the Wings of their Until then, we can expect more aggressive moves from Yzerman. He has top forward in Anthony Mantha and one of their few reliable defensemen, made three trades in the last six weeks or so, acquiring young players in Danny DeKeyser, among others. On a team that’s largely bereft of high- need of fresh starts — forwards Robby Fabbri and Brendan Perlini and end talent, any losses are hard to cover up. To wit: In the seven games goalie Eric Comrie — in exchange for players and prospects who didn’t without Mantha driving play offensively, the Wings have scored eight have much of a future in Detroit. The Fabbri deal looks like a steal at this goals. point, and in Comrie the Wings might’ve found their backup for next season as well. And what little confidence this group carries with it into each game seems to disappear in a flash, as it did again late in the second period Tuesday Beyond that, though, Yzerman seems to be practicing the patience he night, when the rink tilted and the Jets scored three goals in a span of was preaching all spring and summer. The Wings’ last six first-round two minutes to blow the game open. picks are now all in the AHL, after Wednesday’s moves to send winger Filip Zadina, who had three points in his last four games despite limited “We can’t seem to stop the bleeding once it starts,” forward Luke ice time, and defenseman Dennis Cholowski, who had another rough Glendening said. “I feel like I keep saying the same things. but it’s outing Tuesday, down to Grand Rapids. enough talk. We gotta go do something about it.” Those transactions suggested more to come, perhaps. But whatever All of this reflects poorly on Blashill, of course, and that’s where the happens next, what the Wings need right now probably isn’t a firing or spotlight will shine brightest now. another trade. “I get that,” the coach said after Tuesday’s loss, before mechanical “Right now, we’ve got to find a way to win a hockey game,” Blashill said. trouble with the Wings’ plane made a long night even longer, forcing the “We gotta find a way to get some confidence and moxie back into us. team to spend the night in frigid Manitoba. “For me, all I’m doing is kind We’re not a good enough team right now. The only people that can of what I always do, and that’s be solution-based and worry about what change that is us. There’s no secret answer.” we can control. So what we can control right now is learning from this game and making sure that we’re helping our team get better. Find solutions, find ways to get better come Thursday, and worry just about that — that’s it.” Detroit News LOADED: 12.12.2019

That’s about all he can say publicly at this point, really. He knows the hand he has been dealt here with this roster, from the AHL call-ups to the veterans who are still around because of their immovable contracts.

“We can’t seem to stop the bleeding once it starts,” Wings forward Luke Glendening said after Tuesday's 5-1 loss at Winnipeg.

But Blashill’s not above blame here, nor should he feel secure in his job despite that contract extension he signed last spring. If it’s simply a club option for the 2020-21 season, as The Athletic reported last month, then Blashill really is in the same spot he was in a year ago. Only now he’s working for a new boss in Yzerman, who certainly sounded impressed with Blashill back in September when he praised his organizational skills, his open-mindedness and his track record. But, the GM also noted then 1165794 Detroit Red Wings

Dennis Cholowski heading to Grand Rapids as Red Wings continue to make moves

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News

Published 4:44 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019

Detroit — The Red Wings made additional personnel moves Wednesday, assigning defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Dylan McIlrath to Grand Rapids.

Cholowski, the 2016 first-round pick, has played in 29 games with eight points (two goals, six assists), and an alarming minus-22 rating.

Cholowski, 21, is averaging over 19 minutes per game (19:34), but has continued to struggle with consistency, and has regressed defensively in recent weeks.

McIlrath, 27, has played in 16 games since being recalled from Grand Rapids, with no points but 48 hits (third on the team), while giving the Wings a physical presence in 14:49 of ice time per game.

The moves leave the Wings with the minimum of six defensemen — Filip Hronek, Patrik Nemeth, Mike Green, Trevor Daley, Jonathan Ericsson and Alex Biega — with Danny DeKeyser (lower body) apparently no closer to a return.

Earlier Wednesday, the Wings assigned Filip Zadina to Grand Rapids.

Detroit News LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165795 Detroit Red Wings The Wings could get back forward Andreas Athanasiou, who is day-to- day with an undisclosed injury, Thursday against Winnipeg. Goaltender Jimmy Howard (mid-body) has begun some light drill work, too.

Red Wings perplexed as they search for answers, victories A common theme after the loss was the need for the Wings’ players to turn this around on their own, to not expect any help anywhere else.

And to do it soon, before this situation goes even more off the rails. Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News “When things go bad, they’re really bad right now,” forward Dylan Larkin Published 4:19 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 4:22 p.m. ET Dec. 11, said. “The injuries we’ve had, we don’t have an answer for that right now. 2019 But we need to find it. It’s not even Christmas yet and this has happened too many times.

“It’s not acceptable. But we have to find an answer, do it internally as a Winnipeg, Manitoba — The look on Luke Glendening’s face pretty much group. That’s what it comes down to right now.” told the story of where the Red Wings are right now.

This was after Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to Winnipeg, another rough evening for the Red Wings, who started fine but gave yet another game away in the Detroit News LOADED: 12.12.2019 second period with bad hockey.

The Jets' Anthony Bitetto (2) checks Red Wings defenseman Patrik Nemeth (22) during the third period Tuesday in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

Detroit was too loose defensively, and didn't generating anything offensively.

It also happened to be the Red Wings’ 12th consecutive defeat. The losses are certainly piling up.

So, here was Glendening afterward, looking shell-shocked and perplexed. Angry. And at a loss for words.

“We expect better of ourselves,” said Glendening, one of the Wings’ alternate captains. “I apologize. I don’t have a lot (of answers). I feel like I keep saying the same thing. But it’s enough. We have to do something about it.”

The Wings have lost a lot lately, obviously, but Tuesday’s defeat seemed to hit a nerve.

The eerily similar way the Wings lost, allowing three goals in two minutes to see a 1-1 game deteriorate to 4-1 deficit, has been way too familiar.

When the opposing teams scores, the Wings’ seem to implode.

“We can’t seem to stop the bleeding,” Glendening said. “Once it starts we have a tough time slowing it down. Basically three shifts in a row, and part of that is we get stuck in our own zone and we’re too tired to get it (the puck) out.

There was a definite sense of frustration in the locker room. Coach Jeff Blashill mentioned the need for his team to regain its confidence and moxie.

“Obviously our goal differentiation is terrible,” said Blashill, noting the Wings have allowed 62 goals more than they’ve scored. “Right now, we have to find a way to win a hockey game. We have to find a way to get some confidence and moxie. We’re not a good enough team right now. The only people that can change that is us.

“There’s no secret answer.”

When things are as bleak as they appear right now, certainly speculation about the head coach becomes intensified.

Blashill is in his fifth season, with the Wings’ headed to a fourth consecutive season of missing the playoffs while also finishing with worst record in the NHL.

The Wings' current .274 winning percentage (7-22-3 record) would rank third-worst all time in organization history — behind the 1985-86 team (17-57-6, .250 percentage) and the 1976-77 roster (16-55-9, .256 winning percentage).

Progress has stalled this season, and the pressure from fans on social media is boiling over, though general manager Steve Yzerman has done nothing but showed support toward the coaching staff.

“I get that,” said Blashill of the attention focused on him. “For me, all I’m doing is what I always do and that’s be solution-based and worry about what we can control. What we can control right now is learning from this game and make sure we are helping our team get better.

“Find solutions.” 1165796 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings assign Filip Zadina to Grand Rapids

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News

Published 1:17 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 2:50 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019

Detroit — Filip Zadina is heading back to Grand Rapids.

The Red Wings reassigned the young forward Wednesday — the Wings' 2018 first-round pick — after Zadina had played seven games, assisting on three goals.

Zadina, 20, had all three assists in the last four games, including setting up Christoffer Ehn for the Wings’ lone goal in Tuesday’s 5-1 loss to Winnipeg.

After a timid start, Zadina was a bit more noticeable in the last several games.

But this transaction likely has more to do with contracts then performance.

If Zadina plays less than 10 games, his entry-level contract extends another season, until the completion of the 2021-22 season.

It also might be a good idea to get Zadina away from the losing atmosphere right now. The Red Wings have lost their 12 consecutive games.

Zadina will join the Griffins on a six-game road trip on the West Coast.

Zadina has 13 points (seven goals, six assists) in 20 games with the Griffins, who are having their own difficulties.

Grand Rapids (9-13-1) is tied for last in the American Hockey League's Central Division, and is winless in seven games (0-6-1).

When asked about Zadina after Tuesday’s loss, Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill said the forward has "done a solid job. (But) he’s got to make sure he’s real dangerous on the power play. Ultimately you got to have tons of confidence and moxie and make plays out there.

“He’s done a good job, he’s certainly learning how to battle and compete and understand how to win pucks.”

Detroit News LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165797 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings send Dennis Cholowski, Dylan McIlrath to Grand Rapids

Updated Dec 11, 2019;Posted Dec 11, 2019

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

The Detroit Red Wings assigned defensemen Dennis Cholowski and Dylan McIlrath to the Grand Rapids Griffins on Wednesday.

The moves came a few hours after right wing Filip Zadina was sent to the Griffins, who open a six-game Western trip tonight in San Diego. The club also demoted defenseman Madison Bowey on Tuesday.

The moves leave the Red Wings with six healthy defensemen heading into Thursday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets at Little Caesars Arena (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) – Patrik Nemeth, Filip Hronek, Mike Green, Trevor Daley, Jonathan Ericsson and Alex Biega.

Danny DeKeyser has been out since Oct. 22 with a lower-body injury and hasn’t resumed practicing.

Cholowski, 21, has two goals and six assists in 29 games, along with a minus-22 rating. He has struggled of late (as has the whole team), with a minus-13 in his past 10 games.

This leaves the Red Wings needing a left-handed shooter at the point on one of its power-play units. Or they could put righties Hronek and Green on separate units.

McIlrath, a big, stay-at-home defender (6-5, 236), had no points and a minus-4 rating in 13 games with Detroit.

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165798 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings reassign Filip Zadina to Grand Rapids

Updated Dec 11, 2019;Posted Dec 11, 2019

By Ansar Khan | [email protected]

The Detroit Red Wings have reassigned right wing Filip Zadina to the Grand Rapids Griffins.

He will join the Griffins for their six-game Western road trip that starts tonight at the San Diego Gulls.

Zadina, 20, had been playing better lately, with three assists in his past four games. He has appeared in seven games this season for the Red Wings. If he plays in fewer than 10 his entry-level contract will slide another season and extend through 2022-23.

Zadina has played 16 games with Detroit over the past two seasons (one goal, five assists).

He has played in 20 games with the Griffins this season, picking up seven goals and six assists.

The Red Wings (7-22-3) have lost 10 in a row in regulation and are winless in 12 (0-10-2). They face the Winnipeg Jets Thursday at Little Caesars Arena (7:30 p.m., Fox Sports Detroit) in the back end of a home-and-home series.

Michigan Live LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165799 Detroit Red Wings Wheeler got his 200th goal with the Jets franchise, Copp deflected in a Josh Morrissey point shot and Laine made it 4-1 after he stick-handled his way through defenders and beat Comrie.

Winnipeg nets 3 goals in 2-minute span, deal Detroit 12th loss The Jets had outshot the Red Wings 26-12 through two periods.

Scheifele's goal extended his point streak to four games with five goals and one assist in that span. Staff Report Detroit had a two-man advantage for just over a minute midway through By The Associated Press the third period but couldn't capitalize.

Dec 11, 2019 Updated 21 hrs ago NOTES: Both teams had some players back after lengthy injuries. Detroit forward Justin Abdelkader returned after missing 15 games with a hand

injury and defenseman Trevor Daley had sat out 16 games with a lower- WINNIPEG, Manitoba (AP) — Laurent Brossoit was glad the Winnipeg body injury. Winnipeg forward Gabriel Bourque was back after missing Jets didn't ease up against the reeling Detroit Red Wings. 14 games with a lower-body injury.

Blake Wheeler, Andrew Copp and Patrik Laine scored in a two-minute span in the second period and the Jets dealt the Red Wings their 12th Macomb Daily LOADED: 12.12.2019 straight loss, 5-1 on Tuesday night.

"That was definitely a team win, especially against a team that's been struggling this year," said Brossoit, who made 15 saves in his eighth start in net this season.

"It's nice to see us come out and give it the same effort that we normally do and not take them easy."

Wheeler began the barrage at 16:43 of the second when he beat Eric Comrie, who was making his first start in goal since Detroit acquired him in a trade with Arizona on Nov. 30.

Copp and Laine followed with goals 11 seconds apart, boosting the score to 4-1 by the 18:43 mark.

"When we play with pace and one line gets it going, you start to roll over with some momentum and we kind of feed off that," Copp said. "You saw that in the second (period), too.

Adam Lowry scored a first-period, short-handed goal and Mark Scheifele added his team-leading 14th of the season on the power play at 5:04 of the third. Copp and Wheeler also each had an assist for the Jets (19-10- 2).

Christoffer Ehn scored his first goal of the season for the Red Wings (7- 22-3), who are 0-10-2 during their skid. Detroit has the worst record in the NHL at 7-22-3.

The Jets have won four straight at home and are 9-2-1 in their last 12.

"(Comrie) made some great saves on tips that I thought were going to bounce in, but he sucked them in," Red Wings center Dylan Larkin said. "I thought he was the only positive tonight out of this game."

Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck came into the game for one minute and nine seconds during the second period when Brossoit left the ice to deal with an equipment problem. Hellebuyck faced two shots, one of them Ehn's goal.

Comrie stopped 25 shots in a familiar arena. The Edmonton-born netminder was given a video tribute during the first period to recognize his time with the Jets organization. Comrie was drafted by Winnipeg in 2013 and spent parts of six seasons with the franchise, mainly with its American Hockey League affiliate, the Manitoba Moose.

"It was a lot of fun seeing that and how welcome they were and how much the guys were giving me a lot of stick taps and all that stuff. It was awesome," Comrie said.

Lowry scored at 12:17 of the first after he and Copp went in alone on Comrie while the Jets were killing Kyle Connor's slashing penalty.

After a rebound and scramble in the crease, Comrie had the puck under his arm and Lowry banged at the puck with his stick until it went into the net. Detroit challenged for goaltender interference, but the official announced the puck hadn't been completely frozen, so the goal stood.

"I thought I did (cover the puck) but, I mean, I think any goalie would think they would," Comrie said. "(The officials) think they made the right call, I thought I had it so it is what it is."

Ehn tied it 1-1 at 7:39 of the second before Winnipeg responded with the onslaught. 1165800 Detroit Red Wings showing up for him, and he shows up for us in his first game against his old team.”

So here’s the thing about all of that, then — the praise from Comrie’s Eric Comrie’s Red Wings opportunity comes with a fresh set of current and former teammates and coaches, the optimism around this challenges new opportunity, and the harsh reality of it, too: Tuesday was not really a fluke. And that has little to do with Comrie.

Thirty-two games into the season, the Red Wings have now allowed at By Max Bultman least five goals in half of them. It’s happened to Jimmy Howard. It’s happened to Jonathan Bernier. And now, for the first time, it’s happened Dec 11, 2019 to Comrie.

The goaltending in Detroit could certainly stand to improve, and that’s WINNIPEG — Officially, Eric Comrie has been a Detroit Red Wing for 11 partly why Comrie was added the fold to begin with, but the netminders days. He is so brand new to the organization that when he made his first themselves are not solely on the hook for that stat. Getting beaten that start Tuesday night, his goalie helmet was not an intricate team-themed way, that often, takes a whole team. design; it was just plain white. He made that start in the city in which he But for someone in Comrie’s situation, trying to break through and get his spent the first four years of his pro career, against two goalies with whom first sustained NHL look after merely playing five scattered games over he shares a trainer, and against a coach who, talking to reporters the last three years, it ultimately shows this opportunity is not going to be Tuesday morning, said Comrie “might be the nicest guy on the face of a perfect one — much like his old stops weren’t. Just for much different the earth.” reasons. This all to say: desire to sweep the Red Wings in this week’s home-and- On Comrie’s last two teams, backing up Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit home aside, there were plenty of Eric Comrie fans around the home in Winnipeg and then the tandem of Antti Raanta and Darcy Kuemper in locker room at Bell MTS Place on Tuesday. It’s been just over two Arizona, the chances of playing were minimal because of how solid the months since the Jets lost Comrie on waivers, so when his former goalies ahead of him were. That’s likely the reason the Red Wings were teammates and coaches talk about him, they’re not just talking about a able to acquire him in exchange for AHL defenseman Vili Saarijarvi. player they used to know. They’re talking about a guy they watched and worked with all the way until the start of this regular season. And at the very least, those situations were an impediment to Comrie getting the reps needed to break into the NHL and progress in his game. Jets goaltending coach Wade Flaherty thought back Tuesday morning to Comrie’s draft day in 2013, and how excited the team had been to get “Experience trumps all,” Hellebuyck said. “You’ll get better with Comrie. He talked about the “very good” American Hockey League experience. And he’s got all the skill in the world. Now he just needs to career the goaltender has turned out so far — he posted four straight see how to use it. And the NHL game is different than any other level. It’s seasons with save percentages above .905 in the AHL, including the two all about learning what you can do and what you can’t do. What you can most recent at .916 and .917 — and reflected on how the rare NHL looks get away with and what you shouldn’t. I think this year, he’s looking very the Jets had been able to give Comrie had usually put him in a “little bit of good, and he’s kind of got a grasp on the NHL game.” a tough spot” to succeed. In Detroit, Comrie now has his opportunity to learn all that for himself. “I think he’s a great kid — hard working. Love him,” Flaherty said. “Was sad to see him go. But with that being said, for him, I think it’s an But there’s always a catch. unbelievable opportunity for him, and a National Hockey League team’s His new team gives up an astounding four goals per game. The Red going to get themselves a hell of a goalie.” Wings also allow the third-most expected goals per 60 minutes in the That was just a couple minutes after Jets starter Connor Hellebuyck had league (though just the 10th most at even strength), and have had finished talking about Comrie a few steps away. persistent struggles letting in goals in clusters. How, especially for a young goalie, is that going to work out? “You see him every year, he comes back with more energy and more poise in the net,” Hellebuyck said. “Every part of his game is getting fine- If you’re being optimistic, the answer might be just in Comrie’s nature. tuned, you can tell. Now, I think he is absolutely NHL-ready and is just is Those interviewed for this story praised Comrie’s work ethic and his waiting for his opportunity.” personality as key traits. And similarly, they all pointed to a specific step they say he took this offseason, using different words but making the There was a lot of well-wishing and optimism for Comrie’s fresh start. same point. And that was before Jeff Blashill officially announced Comrie would start that night. “I would say he’s got the poise now,” Hellebuyck said, “and the trust in himself. Not that he didn’t have it before, but there’s a different level of Flash forward about 11 hours, though, and Comrie was in the visiting trust. You can see that he’s got it.” locker room, getting his first real baptism as a 2019-20 Red Wing: answering questions after a 5-1 loss. He had played perfectly fine in his “Took a little bit of pressure off himself and tried to enjoy the moment,” first NHL start of the season and just the sixth of his career — the first added Flaherty. goal he allowed came on a play that Comrie might have reasonably “More mental than anything else,” said Comrie himself. “Almost more expected to be blown dead, then Detroit gave up a flurry of three goals in enjoying the moment, instead of putting as much pressure and going out two minutes in the second period, plus one more in the third on a well- there and almost needing to succeed, instead of just going out there and placed one-timer. Comrie seemed to understand, all things considered, letting it happen and really enjoying the ride.” that a lot of that game was out of his control. But few remember many details from the goalie on the losing end of a score like that. Those are skills, on a team like the Red Wings, that will be essential if he’s going to have success. And for Comrie, they might just be tested. If “You never want to let that many goals in,” he said. “It’s the goalie’s job to you’re going to be in net for a team allowing four goals a game, you have win games, and we didn’t win a game tonight. So I didn’t do my job to win to be able to roll with the punches. the game.” But if he can, and if the Red Wings are willing to be accordingly patient His new teammates saw things a bit differently. with him, then there’s some payoff potential here for both sides. “We gotta give him more help,” said Luke Glendening. “I thought he was “Eric’s extremely (good) at down-low coverage, post play,” Flaherty said. great. I thought he came in and played really well. We left him out to dry “I’ve always said he’s one of the best in the National Hockey League multiple times, and it’s unfair to him. It’s not what we expect of ourselves. that’s not in the National Hockey League, at that.” But I thought he was great. I thought he was composed in there and did a nice job.” This is a goalie who was a second-round pick six years ago, with a solid AHL resume now at age 24. That’s still pretty young in goalie terms. The “It’s not acceptable,” Dylan Larkin said. “He’s a great teammate. Works Red Wings, meanwhile, have no obvious, immediate successors to extremely hard. That’s probably the worst, other than the loss: Not Howard and Bernier coming up their ranks. Even more so with how top prospect Filip Larsson has struggled this season in Grand Rapids and Toledo.

From that perspective, the fit (and timing) could work. Comrie should get the most consistent NHL opportunity he’s had so far. At least in the near- term.

But if Comrie’s first start as a Red Wing showed anything Tuesday, it’s that this opportunity has it’s own challenges, too. Even on top of the usual ones goalies face.

“It’s almost like, when you break into the American League, you’re coming into the American League and you have to prove yourself,” Flaherty said. “You’ve gotta work hard you’ve gotta do all those things. Then you get to the National League and you’ve gotta do it all over again. He’s in a new organization, he’s got … (a) fresh start, he’s got a great opportunity in front of him and I’m extremely happy for him to have that opportunity. And I think Detroit’s got themselves a good goaltender.”

As Comrie wrapped up his press scrum Tuesday night, he declined to deflect any blame for the “5” on the other side of the scoreboard. Asked what he saw in the three-goals-in-two-minutes stretch that ultimately defined the game, he said, simply: “Good players scoring good goals. They’re a good team, they’re going to get their chances, and it’s my job at the end of the day to make those saves. And I didn’t do it.”

Whether that’s being too hard on himself or not, the good news, in his current situation, is that he shouldn’t have to worry about getting another start as a result.

The bad news is, it’s not likely going to be any easier, either.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165801 Edmonton Oilers thirds over twice the remaining term of the deal, theoretically increasing flexibility.

The trouble was that in Lucic’s case so much of his contract was in Willis: As James Neal slumps, it is important to remember his true value signing bonuses that little flexibility would have been gained. Right off the to the Oilers bat, we see that the Oilers would only clear $2.5 million in total cap hit (one-third of his $7.5 million base salary) and displace another $2.5 million.

By Jonathan Willis Using Article 50.5 of the CBA, we can calculate where those savings would have fallen based on the structure of Lucic’s contract. The vast Dec 11, 2019 majority would have come in 2019-20 when his base salary ($3 million) was relatively high:

James Neal is in a long slump, particularly at even-strength, and some of The buyout scenario is in some ways actually worse if Calgary were to the early enthusiasm for his acquisition has faded. It’s worth decide to pursue it this summer, because it would save the team just remembering what he does well, and more importantly the key difference $1.5 million in total cap hit (one-third of his remaining $4.5 million in base between him and the player for which he was traded. salary).

A glance at point totals suggests that Neal is far superior to Milan Lucic. Neal’s contract is structured differently. It’s entirely in base salary, A coaching change in Calgary seems to have worked in Lucic’s favour, meaning the Oilers could theoretically buy out the entire amount as soon and he has closed the gap lately with three goals and four points in four as this summer. On the day of the trade, we suggested that Neal had a games. Yet he was also goalless through his first 27 contests of the year, single year to recover from last season’s struggles and that if he failed to and Neal still has 14 goals and 20 points. do so a buyout was the logical outcome.

What that superficial examination misses is the degree to which Neal’s Here’s what that would look like: contributions are confined to a single discipline: the power play. A buyout is a less than ideal solution. The basic takeaway from the five-on-five section is that no NHL team Often, after articles like this, readers will write in to say that the Oilers should particularly want either of these guys on the ice. Both struggle to can’t afford to have any more dead money against the cap, given the score at a fourth-line clip. commitments to Benoit Pouliot ($1.33 million through 2020-21), Lucic Outside of scoring, Lucic adds toughness and his lines have strong flow- ($750,000 through 2022-23) and Andrej Sekera ($2.5 million through of-play metrics, but he also takes too many penalties. Neal’s points are 2020-21, then $1.5 million through 2022-23) already stretching out past disproportionately goals and while he doesn’t have the penalty problem, this season. his lines get a heavy dose of offensive zone starts to attain their middling That’s the wrong way of thinking about the problem. The dead money is possession numbers. already committed, first to Lucic’s contract and now to Neal’s. A buyout It’s also true that relatively speaking Lucic is hot and Neal is cold. Just simply reduces and restructures that commitment. The question a team one of Neal’s five-on-five points has come in his last 22 games. Lucic has always has to ask itself when considering one is whether the savings three in his last 10 after recording just two (both assists) in his first 21. created by a buyout exceed the contributions of the player. Again: neither of these guys is particularly desirable at five-on-five. In Lucic’s case, the answer was always going to be ‘yes’ because a What Neal has added this year is quality on the power play. Even if we buyout created such minimal savings. The same isn’t true in Neal’s case. omit his ridiculous nine goals in the first eight games, he has four goals The best thing about the summer trade of the two players from an and eight points in his last 25 contests on the power play. That ranks him Edmonton perspective was that it gave the club the flexibility to walk 11th in the NHL by power-play goals over that span. Expand the look to away from the player if his performance fell below a certain threshold. include the whole season, and he trails only David Pastrnak in five-on- Now the question is whether James Neal, power-play specialist, is worth four goals this year. more than $1.92-million annually. That’s the total savings a buyout would It’s fair to say that Neal probably isn’t the primary driver of results on a create, divided by the remaining term on his deal. It can be argued that man advantage unit that includes Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and the Oilers have already supplied the answer: this summer they signed long-time power play witch Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. It’s also fair to say that Alex Chiasson to a two-year, $2.15-million contract to fill what in many the unit is better for having integrated a high-end finisher, which Neal still ways is the same role. is even as some of his other skills erode. That question will persist for the remainder of Neal’s time in Edmonton. It’s debatable which of the two contributes more to his team. Evolving Right now he has value in a specific role. If that should change, we’ll see Hockey’s GAR model, for example, actually calculates Lucic as being the Oilers take advantage of the flexibility their trade with the Flames this slightly above replacement value and Neal as being marginally below it. summer bought them. On the other hand, the same site’s xGAR model flips their rankings, with

Neal ranking above replacement value and Lucic being right on the line. In both cases, the gap between the two is small. The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 If I had to pick, I’d rather have the guy who is driving results in at least one discipline, which in this case is Neal. His five-on-five issues can be handled to some degree by reducing his usage. The Gaetan Haas line is a natural fit for a player whose primary contributions are offensive but whose overall ability is questionable since it reduces his role while leaving him in situations that mostly fit his skillset. The unit’s effort against Carolina on Tuesday was uninspired but it is an experiment that should continue.

What this subtle parsing of the two players’ games misses is the primary reason why it is preferable to have Neal instead of Lucic. It has nothing to do with ability, and everything to do with contract status.

Edmonton’s starting position last summer was the Lucic contract. That contract was made up of a combination of base salary ($7.5 million) and signing bonuses ($11.5 million). Bonus money is guaranteed, leaving the Oilers to pay that full amount and more importantly preserving it against the cap even after a buyout. What a buyout does is allow the team to negate one-third of a player’s base salary, and stretch the remaining two- 1165802 Florida Panthers

Sergei Bobrovsky’s 46 saves is not enough to lift Florida Panthers against Lightning

BY WALTER VILLA MIAMI HERALD WRITER

DECEMBER 11, 2019 11:37 AM

In a battle between Russian goalies who are now Florida transplants, it was tough to tell who was better.

The win went to Andrei Vasilevskiy, who made 27 saves to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 2-1 win over the host Florida Panthers on Tuesday night at the BB&T Center.

But Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky posted a season-high 46 saves and came close to a third straight win.

A would-be third-period goal by Panthers winger Brett Connolly was wiped out because of a high stick. But that’s the way it went for the Panthers, who didn’t get a call on Tampa Bay star Steven Stamkos, who tripped Florida defenseman Mike Matheson just before he stole the puck and then scored the game’s opening goal.

Stamkos has a team-high 11 goals, including four in his past three games. Before this surge, he had gone six straight games with no goals and just two assists during that span.

Alex Killorn added a goal and an assist for the Lightning, who are 8-5-2 on the road this season. Yet, in an odd recent trend, the Lightning are 1- 4-0 in their past five home games.

Overall, this season the Lightning entered Tuesday ranked second in the NHL in goals per game (3.64).

The Panthers, who entered the game ranked fourth in the league in goals per game (3.52), went 0 for 3 on the power play and could not get on track until late.

Evgenii Dadonov scored the only goal for the Panthers. It came with 2 minutes left in the third period and Bobrovsky pulled for an extra attacker.

With the loss, the Panthers are now 3-2-0 on this nine-game homestand, the longest in franchise history.

Tampa Bay opened the scoring with 6:42 left in the first period. After Stamkos stole the puck from Matheson, he deked Bobrovsky and reached around him, hitting the back of the right side of the net.

The Lightning extended the lead to 2-0 with 4:51 gone in the second. Bobrovsky gave up a long rebound on an Anthony Cirelli shot, and linemate Killorn cleaned up for the goal.

Florida appeared to cut its deficit to 2-1 with 8:51 left in the third as Connolly’s deflection of a MacKenzie Weegar shot got past Vasilevskiy. But the goal was waved off when it was ruled that Connolly’s stick was high — just above the crossbar — when he made the deflection.

THIS AND THAT

The Panthers entered the game with several of their players ranked high in league stats:

▪ Center Vincent Trocheck was tied for second with three shootout goals. He has missed twice.

▪ Connolly, who leads the team with 14 goals, was second in shooting percentage (26.4).

▪ Center Aleksander Barkov ranked second with 20-even-strength points.

▪ Defenseman Keith Yandle and winger Jonathan Huberdeau were tied for third with 13 power-play assists.

Miami Herald LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165803 Florida Panthers Moments later, the call automatically went to video review where it was overturned.

“I keep looking at it and can’t see the difference,” Quenneville said. Observations as the Lightning spring to life, beat Bobrovsky and the “Usually they stay with the call. They may have a different view than what Panthers in Sunrise I looked at. It was close and I thought (Connolly) did a good job of being patient, getting it down. I thought he did a good job of tipping it the way he did. It’s a tough one.”

By George Richards The Panthers also had a couple of calls either go against them or not be called in the first period, which could have changed things a bit. Dec 11, 2019 On the opening goal of the night, Steven Stamkos tripped Florida

defenseman Aaron Ekblad along the back wall then took off, found a SUNRISE, Fla. — It was definitely hard to tell who played on Monday loose puck and worked it past Bobrovsky 6:42 into the game. night and who had the night off. Later in the period, the Panthers had a sustained push in the offensive The Panthers were the more rested team Tuesday night, yet the zone when Anton Stralman caught a loose puck before it crossed the line Lightning absolutely took it to them. — only the linesman said it did not and Florida lost possession.

In a third period in which the Lightning held a 2-0 lead on the host Tampa Bay was called for three penalties Tuesday and the Florida power Panthers, Tampa Bay refused to sit back despite having played the night play failed to score. before and went hard at the Panthers, hemming them in their own zone Stamkos appears to be heating up as he has four goals in the past three for almost the entire third period. games and has 11 through the first 29 games of the season. With about three minutes left, Florida coach Joel Quenneville signaled for In 53 career games against the Panthers, the Lightning captain has 33 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky — his best player on the ice this night — to goals and 65 points. come to the bench. Stamkos was held off the scoresheet in the opener at Amalie Arena but Finally, with six skaters on, the Panthers showed signs of life and scored. did score in the loss at Sunrise two nights later. Too little, too late. Alex Killorn picked up his ninth goal of the season by following up a long “They are a good team and I do not think we were ready tonight,” rebound off a shot from Anthony Cirelli at 4:51 of the second to make it 2- Jonathan Huberdeau said after Tampa Bay left BB&T Center with a 2-1 0. Killorn has three goals in his past four games. win for its second win in three tries against the Cats this season. “I felt For the first time all season, Bobrovsky has gone three consecutive like they were all over us and that cannot happen, especially at home games surrendering two goals or fewer. against a divisional team. We needed these points. … They were good, but this one is our fault. We have to be better than this if we want to win On Tuesday night, Bobrovsky didn’t get much offensive support as games.” Florida was outshot 48-28 and out-chanced 80-65.

Said MacKenzie Weegar: “We just didn’t have the legs for whatever “Our whole game fell apart,” said Stralman, the former Lightning reason, had a tough time getting up in the play.’’ defenseman who signed with the Panthers on July 1.

Quenneville was desperate to get anything going in a third period where “We didn’t create anything offensively. I didn’t think we had much of a the visiting team dominated the pace and the play. forecheck, just all-in-all a poor performance. … (Bobrovsky) played unbelievable tonight. Without him, it would have been an ugly score. We Midway through the third, despite being down two goals, the Panthers were not up to par.” had mustered just two shots on goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. The Panthers’ lone goal came with two minutes remaining when Evgenii Sit back and hold the lead? Rest those legs a bit? Dadonov pounced on a loose puck that got behind Vasilevskiy off a Forget it. Huberdeau shot.

“We didn’t change anything after having some success, especially in the “It wasn’t our night,” Huberdeau said. “They outshot us almost double second,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. and we left Bob all alone out there.”

“We couldn’t change our game. We wanted to protect the lead but still Said Quenneville: “Very good game again tonight, I thought he was have that attack mentality. The guys were really committed. … We outstanding. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t help him out.” definitely thought we should get points tonight but we were greedy in After giving up one to both Columbus and San Jose this past weekend, wanting two and not giving up one.” Bobrovsky had a more challenging night as he not only faced a very In total, Florida put up six shots on goal in the third (three of which came good offensive team in the Lightning but also got hit a few times. in the frantic final minutes) and ended up with only 16 shot attempts in In the second period, Bobrovsky got run over by Ondrej Palat, which led the final 20. to Florida’s third power play of the night. He also got hit a few more times “This was one of those games where you’re just trying to get something and lost his stick on three separate occasions. going and we didn’t have much whether it was pace or possessions,” “They forecheck hard, they play fast,” Bobrovsky said of the Lightning Quenneville said afterward. team he swept out of the playoffs last spring with the Blue Jackets but is “They played a good game, played it like it was the biggest game of the 1-2-0 against this season with the Panthers. season for them. This was a good measuring stick for us to meet that “They have a lot of good skill up front. Unfortunately, we lost the game type of challenge. It’s a learning curve and we need to be better. We because it was big for us. Again, we still did some good things in the expect a much better performance from our team and as we go along game. I thought we defended well. I thought the guys allowed me to see we’ll have some big games and need to match that.” the puck, they cleared rebounds, so we try to take positives out of this Here are some observations from Florida’s loss to the Lightning on game. Tuesday night: “Obviously, it’s unfortunate to lose to a divisional opponent, but we still The Panthers appeared to pull within a goal of the Lightning at 11:09 of have lots of hockey. We take the positives and move on.” the third when Weegar fired a shot toward the net that Brett Connolly With 27 saves, Vasilevskiy was named first star of the game; Bobrovsky redirected past Vasilevskiy. had 46 and was second. It was definitely a close call whether Connolly used a high stick to deflect Lightning wing Ondrej Palat (18) collides with Panthers goaltender Sergei the shot, but after a quick huddle, the officials on the ice ruled it a goal. Bobrovsky during the second period. (Steve Mitchell / USA Today) Tuesday appeared to be a nice time to kick the Lightning when they were down.

After having the best regular season in franchise history (and one of the best in modern NHL history), the Lightning came into Tuesday with not only a loss the night before to the visiting Islanders but also in five of the past seven.

Tampa Bay came into the day hanging out in sixth place in the Atlantic Division (after running away with it last season), four points behind the Panthers.

Well, now the Lightning are two back of Florida.

Before the game, Quenneville basically said there was no reason to look at the standings when it came to the Lightning.

Although Tampa was closer to the bottom of the division than the top (Boston is now running away with things), the Lightning have the second- best goal-differential behind the Bruins and are, well, still the Lightning.

“They are a team we know are going to get on a roll this year,” Quenneville said Tuesday morning.

“We’re fighting for space in our playoff race and this is an important two points for us. They are not going anywhere. They’re in the mix.”

On Monday night, the New York Islanders went into Tampa and beat the Lightning 5-1. On Tuesday, the two teams were sharing a hotel — in South Florida.

The Islanders don’t play the Panthers until Thursday night, but they came to town early and plan on practicing at the arena on Wednesday.

The Long Islanders did not come south for the beaches, either: They are camping out in western Broward County.

Thursday’s game against New York will be No. 6 in Florida’s franchise- record nine-game homestand. After Tuesday, the Panthers are 3-2-0 so far.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165804 Los Angeles Kings

Kings take on Ducks again to start 6-game road trip

By ANDREW KNOLL

PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 2:45 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 2:45 PM

A long journey will begin with a brief excursion for the Kings, who kick off a six-game road trip Thursday in Anaheim.

The Kings lost to the Ducks 4-2 at Honda Center on Dec. 2, and now look to even this season’s Freeway Faceoff series. Beginning with the game Thursday, they embark on a stint with eight of nine games on the road as part of a broader stretch where they will travel for 20 of their next 28.

The Kings have been much more reliable at home, earning 10 of their 12 victories this season at Staples Center. Coach Todd McLellan was encouraged by his team’s play during a back-to-back set in Western Canada, where they lost one-goal games to Edmonton and Calgary.

“We have to take this game on the road and see what we can get,” McLellan said, stating that the team did so on the Alberta trip. “Eventually we’ll break the seal on the road if we keep playing the way we are and play as a team.”

Indeed, the Kings have played a steadier, albeit still unspectacular, game as the season has progressed. Contrasting their season opener in Edmonton to their next two meetings with the Oliers – a decisive 5-1 triumph at home, then losing a 2-1 squeaker in Edmonton – shows the Kings are no longer on their heels as often or as prone to emotional swings. They’ve also protected leads expertly at home thus far.

“If you compare back to early in the year when some leads got away from us, we’ve improved. We’ve moved the needle,” McLellan said.

Their most recent game was a 3-1 win against the New York Rangers, a team that, like Anaheim, has some physically imposing players in its lineup.

“We didn’t back down from it at any point. A big hit might have been made or a battle in front of the net. We were right there and we were playing in the dirty areas,” forward Austin Wagner said. “That’s the way that Kings should play.”

The Ducks, who beat the Minnesota Wild 3-2 in a shootout Tuesday, are separated from the pit of the Pacific Division only by the Kings. Both teams have had largely futile power-plays this season as their conversion rates have gone wire-to-wire among the worst in the NHL. But even in the absence of highlight reels and high stakes, there is plenty of animosity between the two clubs, dating to before the peak of the rivalry in 2014.

That year, the teams faced each other in an outdoor game at Dodger Stadium. Then they met in a fiercely contested, seven-game playoff series that sent the Kings hurling toward a second Stanley Cup and marked the end of Anaheim right wing Teemu Selanne’s illustrious career.

Center Ryan Getzlaf remains the Ducks’ team captain and their leading scorer with 25 points in 31 games. John Gibson has continued to prove his mettle as a top talent in goal, even on nights where he hasn’t received much support.

First-year coach Dallas Eakins has moved up from the Ducks’ American Hockey League affiliate in San Diego to oversee a transition not totally unlike that of the Kings, where familiar faces and developing players have mingled with mixed results.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165805 Los Angeles Kings Here’s why: The earlier fight was between Kings forward Austin Wagner and Rangers

defenseman Brady Skjei in the second period. With a big birthday, fights and a win, the Kings are enjoying a rare fun This presented an opportunity to chat with Wagner after the game. week Wagner, along with Luff, is often full of random but pertinent information.

“I held my own,” Wagner said. “I didn’t have one last year. I should have By Lisa Dillman had like four or five. Everyone says, ‘You annoy people.’”

Dec 11, 2019 Earlier, Wagner spoke about the bigger picture, detailing what the Kings did right against the Rangers and how it might carry forward.

“A big hit might have been made,” Wagner said. “Or a battle in front of LOS ANGELES — Yes, it was one game, a 3-1 win against the New the net. We were right there. We were playing in the dirty areas. That’s York Rangers. But it was one the Kings desperately needed before the way the Kings should play and we have a lot of skill in our lineup, up starting what looks like a challenging six-game trip, which is an and down it. We can play any way we want to play it, as a fast team, as a understatement considering they own the league’s worst road record (2- heavy team. Tonight is an example of one of the games we played that 12-1). way.”

Of course, the opening game of the “road trip” is Thursday night at Back to the fight with Skjei… Honda Center in Anaheim, about 30 miles from Staples Center. “I don’t think guys like my game too much anymore,” Wagner said. “It Against the Rangers, Tyler Toffoli, dropped to the fourth line, scored his annoys people. I did my job. Should have had a couple of goals tonight, first goal in 10 games. Goaltender Jonathan Quick had his first victory in but that’s OK, we’re working on that, it’ll come.” four starts and was 31 seconds away from what would have been his first shutout of the season and his first since last season on Jan. 5. I teased him that he was taking some of the enforcement burden off Clifford. So what did Toffoli and Quick also have in common? “Try not to,” Wagner said. “I don’t want to take that role on exactly. I try to The NFL. be like (Rangers forward) Chris Kreider a little bit there. He’s a good player.” Toffoli and Quick were among the Kings in attendance at the Coliseum on Sunday night when the Rams played the the Seattle Seahawks. Sometimes it’s just good to escape from the daily hockey grind, the losing, and let off some steam. Judging from this footage and tweets they The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 had no problems accomplishing that. Plus, the Rams won 28-12.

Also worth celebrating was a milestone for defenseman Drew Doughty, who turned 30 on Sunday. And it happened to be Los Angeles Rams Night, as a matter of fact, on Tuesday at Staples Center.

“It was Drew’s birthday, so we have to do everything for him,” said Toffoli, joking. “It was a lot of fun. You know what? It was good to kind of get as a group and support another L.A. sports team. They (the Rams) came, and I’m sure they had a great time tonight and (we) got a win as well, so it was good.”

Toffoli wears No. 73 and it was noted that 73 was a good number for a defensive lineman.

“D-lineman or O-lineman?” Toffoli asked. “I don’t know. Don’t think I’m as big as those boys.”

This wasn’t the first time Toffoli, who will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1, quickly responded to a form of demotion. He was a healthy scratch on Oct. 30 against the Vancouver Canucks and responded with two assists in the next game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

Kings coach Todd McLellan steered the post-game questioning away from Toffoli, in terms of message-sending. But the drought has been concerning with Toffoli recording just one assist in that nine-game goal- less run.

“No, let’s not talk about an individual,” McLellan said. Let’s talk about the group. We hadn’t gotten much from Mods, Pro, Carts and Toff together there.”

That’s a substantial list of underachievers.

“When you lose four or five players, you have to do something,” McLellan said. “So we shuffled it up, hoping that we could find two lines. We did for the most part. I thought the Carter, (Trevor) Lewis and (Kyle) Clifford line played well.”

Fight Club

There were two meaningful scraps in the Kings-Rangers game and the biggest surprise was that Clifford wasn’t involved in either.

Then again, his last one, a brief dust-up with Zac Rinaldo on Saturday at Calgary, won’t be forgotten for a long time.

Brendan Smith squared off with Kings defenseman Kurtis MacDermid in the third period — a one-sided affair, which surely wasn’t one of Smith’s better career moves. 1165806 Los Angeles Kings

STOCKTON 3, ONTARIO 2 (OT) – FRK, STOTHERS

ZACH DOOLEY

DECEMBER 11, 2019

In a back and forth affair, in which the Ontario Reign twice came from a goal down to tie the game and force overtime, the hosts came out on the wrong side of a 3-2 OT defeat, following Austin Czarnik’s goal 2:15 into the extra session.

That’s not to say Ontario didn’t have its chances. The Reign did, as did the Heat in a game that could have gone either way. A pretty good midweek tilt, as Stockton earns 4-3 points advantage from the Ontario – Stockton Wednesday series that has spanned the past three weeks.

Forward Martin Frk extended his goal streak to four games in defeat, while forward Gabriel Vilardi also scored, for the third time in four games. Frk also provided an assist on Vilardi’s goal and has two points in three of his last four games with seven points (3-4-7) in total over that spell. Defenseman Kale Clague also tallied an assist and has seven points (2- 5-7) over his last seven games.

In net, Cal Petersen turned in another stout performance, as he made 37 saves on 40 shots against, in what was his 24th start in 25 games for the Reign this season.

Ontario now has points in three of its last four games and looks to get back into the win column with a pair of games against Iowa this weekend. The Reign and Wild square off on Saturday and Sunday at Toyota Arena.

Yeah, I thought it was a real good game, a very entertaining game for a midweek I guess. I thought our team played well, I thought their team played well and I think it’s fitting that it went into extra time and unfortunately they got the last shot that went in. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, no complaints as long as there’s an effort and we had that tonight. You know what, we played well.

On Martin Frk getting that one to go, and how things have gone for Frk as of late

Well he fanned on it, but that’s what goalscorers do, they just find ways to [get the puck] to cross the goal line. There’s other guys that can shoot a puck 100 times and it’s just not going to go in, but Marty’s got a gift. He’s responsible for a lot of our offense.

On the Reign PP unit’s improvements as of late

They’ve had some good looks. I think Kale’s made some real good plays on it, he’s making some great passes and Gabe’s made some good plays and I think that makes a different for it too. It’s a vital part of the game and we’ve got to get some scoring from it and we have, so it’s been good lately. We’ve just got to hope that it keeps up.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165807 Los Angeles Kings

KUPARI, BJORNFOT WILL BE LOANED FROM REIGN TO NATIONAL JUNIOR TEAMS ON DECEMBER 16

JON ROSEN

DECEMBER 11, 2019

There’s no surprise here. It was shared amidst a prospect update last week that hockey operations had been contacted by the various national junior teams, though the paperwork was yet to be completed and no release dates were official at that time.

Bjornfot and Kupari will miss up to eight AHL games to participate in the tournament, which runs annually from December 26 through January 5. Finland and Sweden are part of Group A along with Switzerland, Slovakia and , while the United States, Canada, Russia, German and host Czech Republic are part of Group B. The tournament will take place in Ostrave and Trinec, Czech Republic.

Bjornfot has two goals, eight points and a plus-five rating in 20 games with Ontario and no points in three games with Los Angeles. He captained Sweden to a gold medal in the U-18 World Championship in Ornskoldskvik this past May. Kupari, who will return for his third WJC, won gold with Finland at last year’s event and silver the year before. He has six points in 11 appearances with the Finnish national junior team and five goals and seven points in 24 games with Ontario. He also has a U-18 gold medal and an SM- championship with Oulu Karpat.

Bjornfot, 18, is currently in his first season of professional hockey in North America after being selected by the Kings in the first-round, 22nd overall, at the 2019 NHL Draft. The 6-0, 200-pound defenseman made his NHL debut earlier this season, appearing in three games with the Kings before he was assigned to Ontario (AHL). Through 20 games with the Reign, Bjornfot has posted eight points (2-6=8), a plus-5 rating and eight penalty minutes.

The Upplands Valley, Sweden native will be representing his nation in IIHF play for the third straight year. A year ago, he captained Sweden’s under-18 men’s national team on home ice to the nation’s first-ever gold medal at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship. In 2018, he was also part of the Sweden contingent that won a bronze medal at the same event.

ABOUT KUPARI

Kupari, a 19-year-old native of Kotka, Finland, was selected in the first- round, 20th overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft and is playing in his first professional season in North America with Ontario. He has posted seven points (5-2=7) and nine penalty minutes in 24 games this season with the Reign.

Internationally, the 6-1, 185-pound forward has represented Finland on multiple occasions, including twice at the IIHF World Junior Championship (2018, 2019 – gold) and twice at the IIHF Under-18 Men’s World Championship (2017 – silver, 2018 – gold). Last year, he tallied five points (1-4=5) in seven games to help Finland capture the gold medal at the 2019 IIHF World Junior Championship in Vancouver. During his two stints with Finland’s under-18 men’s national team, he won both a gold medal (2018) and silver medal (2017) while collecting six points (2- 4=6) in 11 appearances.

With Bjornfot and Kupari joining their respective federations, the Kings will have nine players on preliminary rosters ahead of this year’s tournament. Should all nine players make their respective teams, only the Philadelphia Flyers have had as many prospects compete in this tournament over the last five years, when they did so in 2017.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165808 Los Angeles Kings formerly drafted in the second round) and Matt Beleskey (the expensive part, but 50% of his $3.8M cap hit through 2020 was retained). He hauled in those players (including Beleskey, currently in the AHL) by trading Rick Nash, a rental who’d amassed 18 goals and 28 points in 60 games with WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: DECEMBER 11 New York as a 33-year-old and would retire the following off-season. Los Angeles is a year behind New York in reshaping the roster – the

Rangers’ 26.1 average age on Tuesday depicted the youngest group in JON ROSEN the league – and as shared around the Anaheim game, would open up a Ralph’s to get a #1 or #2 overall pick. The market will ultimately DECEMBER 11, 2019 determine what the Kings receive for the players who aren’t nailed down, but it’s silly and unrealistic to expect any sort of similar haul for an

individual asset. New York is very young and headed in the right direction GAME STORY with a dynamic and productive young blue line behind a growing crop of stars with immense offensive potential. It’s not possible to predict exactly Tuesday’s game seemed poised for a wide shotsball discrepancy how the roster will be reshaped in a year from now, but Los Angeles’ between a top shot-metric team that had been playing well at home and direction and the types of players they’re targeting are similar. We’ll see if a visiting team depicted by statistics as doing a good job of holding the the market bears any unexpected fruits. fort despite an assault on their goaltenders. Those predictions turned out to be almost 180 degrees inaccurate, as New York checked and This is my last full day to take care of Life Stuff in Los Angeles before the pressured Los Angeles and directed high-quality chances on Jonathan holidays, so I’ve scheduled a few necessary appointments and errands Quick, whose excellence allowed his team to find their legs and this afternoon that can’t be put off. I’m leaving El Segundo now – wave if opportunistically pot an important late period goal. This time, it wasn’t the you’re on the 405! – and don’t think I’ll be able to get many updates from Kings ruing their lack of finishing ability after a first period in which they today’s skate or quotes from McLellan at a reasonable hour. (Thank you, dominated one very late shift but were defending regularly, especially as always, for your patience.) There didn’t appear to be any alignment after the Rangers’ five-shot power play. But that wave of momentum changes at today’s practice, which included all active participants. More carried into the second period, where they scored a decisive win and to come via Twitter, Insiders. Let’s talk soon. benefited from Tyler Toffoli outbattling Ryan Lindgren to pounce on a heavy Matt Roy shot that snuck up on Henrik Lundqvist. Toffoli was rewarded for his efforts on Tuesday, and while he wasn’t as sharp in the LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.12.2019 Alberta games over the weekend, had still largely been showing well along the boards, in transition and deserved better than the six goals he’d scored entering the night. He played some of the more efficient 14 minutes of his career, using his only shot on goal to register the game- winner and slinging the puck to Dustin Brown across the slot to punctuate a dominant shift and open the scoring.

Juan Ocampo/NHLI

Roy, meanwhile, assisted on both of those goals and continues to demonstrate tremendous growth. Working with all of his facilities in concert, he’s a very good demonstration of a player with raw and natural skill whose athleticism has been shaped well by a number of coaches and developers at the NCAA, AHL and NHL level. One indicator of the type of value they might be receiving with the former seventh round pick came when approached Mike Donnelly during a 2016-17 Michigan Tech game both were covering to share a positive impression of the defender, then a junior with the Huskies. Donnelly offered a highly detailed scouting report and projection of Roy as a professional, which proved remarkably accurate given his breakthroughs with the development staff and Mike Stothers in Ontario. Amateur Scout – United States Tony Gasparini was among those to advocate strongly for Roy, who was coming off a goalless season and had already passed through two drafts and 193 draft slots when L.A. nabbed him in the seventh round in 2015. It’s not exactly a touchstone for the team, given that the most dynamic player of the three was traded for a goaltending rental near the end of a season in which they failed to qualify for the playoffs, but the Kings drafted well without a first round pick in 2015, claiming Erik Cernak in the second round, Austin Wagner in the fourth and Roy in the seventh. After a straightforward early season meeting with Todd McLellan in which he was asked to improve his play, the coachable and honest Roy has done so, continuing the crescendo of momentum he’d established last year when he provided coaches no reason to remove him from the lineup.

Since New York was in town, it’s smart to take a look at another team navigating a rebuild, just as we did with Detroit and Anaheim after several recent encounters. In February, 2018, Senior Advisor to the Owner Glen Sather and General Manager Jeff Gorton articulated the direction in which they envisioned the Rangers heading by sharing that “some familiar faces” could be exchanged to help shape a new generation of “young, competitive players that combine speed, skill and character.” Since then, their rebuild has been fairly model, though one obviously based on good fortune provided by the ping pong balls. (Kaapo Kakko took eight shots on Tuesday and used his legs and hips to protect the puck as if he thought he was Anze Kopitar and would, man, well, you know what, forget it.) But beyond leaping into the #2 draft spot, Gorton made a tremendous trade in which he acquired a first round pick (later turned into Wisconsin’s K’Andre Miller), Ryan Spooner (later turned into Edmonton’s Ryan Strome, who has 26 points in 30 games and played 20 minutes last night), Ryan Lindgren (a 21-year-old NHL defenseman 1165809 Los Angeles Kings

PREVIEW – ONTARIO VS. STOCKTON, 12/11

ZACH DOOLEY

DECEMBER 11, 2019

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Reign take on the for the third consecutive Wednesday, with tonight’s game in Ontario. Each team has won once over the last two weeks, with the Heat victorious on 11/27 at Toyota Arena and the Reign 3-2 winners last Wednesday at Stockton Arena.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Ontario Reign are expected to skate in an 11-7 alignment tonight, with forwards Boko Imama, Drake Rymsha and Jacob Doty out late after morning skate today, along with goaltender Matthew Villalta. All seven healthy defensemen on the roster are expected to play, with goaltender Cal Petersen expected to start again between the pipes for the Reign, for the 24th time in 25 games.

MAMBO NO. 5 (STRAIGHT): The Reign currently in the midst of a five- game homestand, one of two slates this season with five straight games on home ice. Ontario began the stead at 1-1-0, as it split a pair of games last weekend at Toyota Arena against the San Jose Barracuda. Ontario’s 5-4 shootout victory on Saturday moved it out of the Pacific Division basement in home winning percentage, with the Reign jumping to a tie for fourth at .455 this season.

SHOOTOUT SUCCESS: Ontario played in a shootout for the first time this season, in Saturday’s win over San Jose. Forwards Gabriel Vilardi and Martin Frk scored for the Reign, while goaltender Cal Petersen did not concede either of his two attempts faced in the victory. Vilardi’s shootout goal was his first, on his first career AHL attempt, while Frk improved to 2-of-7 lifetime in AHL shootouts with his first tally since 2014.

GOALS, GOALS, GOALS: Reign forward Martin Frk scored for the third- straight game on Saturday, as he picked up the game-tying goal midway through the third period. With his three tallies last week, Frk now has 12 on the season, which ties him for eighth across the AHL in goals scored. Frk has amassed 18 points (12-6-18) from 20 games played to lead all Ontario players, and is also tied for the Reign lead with a +5 rating.

MADE IT OUT OF CLAGUE: Ontario defenseman Kale Clague set a season-high, and tied an AHL career-high, with three points (1-2-3) on Saturday. Clague now has 13 points (5-8-13) from 24 games played this season to lead all Reign defensemen, with his five goals tied for third in goals by a blueliner in the AHL this season. The second-year rearguard is tied for the overall Reign lead in assists (8) and ranks second in points (13) so far this season.

CATCHER IN THE RY: Ontario defenseman Ryan Stanton scored for the second time in as many games, as he found the back of the net in the third period on Saturday. Stanton’s tally was the Reign’s first of three third-period goals in the comeback win. The veteran blueliner scored his first goal in a Reign jersey in Friday’s defeat and now has four points (2- 2-4) from 15 games played this season.

DON’T CALL IT A COMEBACK: The Reign overturned a three-goal deficit on Saturday, as they turned what was once a 3-0 San Jose lead into an eventual 5-4 Ontario shootout victory. The Reign won for the third time this season when conceding the game’s first, and won for the second time this season when trailing after the first and second periods respectively in their largest come-from-behind victory of the season to date.

SCOUTING THE HEAT: Stockton will be without its leading scorer in tonight’s game, as forward Matthew Phillips was recalled to the NHL by the Calgary Flames yesterday afternoon. Leading the Heat in active scoring is point-per-game center Glenn Gawdin, who has 22 points (8- 14-22) from 22 games played, as well as team-leading goalscorer Buddy Robinson, who top the Stockton charts with 11 tallies on the season.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165810 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Edmonton game preview

Staff Report

DECEMBER 11, 2019 — 8:50PM

Power play missing some juice

Preview: The Wild extended its point streak on home ice to 10 games (7- 0-3) Tuesday but went 0-for-5 on the power play. … The Oilers have been sliding lately, dropping five of their past seven games. They also lost the first matchup with the Wild 3-0.

Injuries: Oilers D Matt Benning (concussion) is out. … Wild G Devan Dubynk (family illness), Ds Jared Spurgeon (hand) and Greg Pateryn (lower body) and C Mikko Koivu (lower body) are also out. C Eric Staal (upper body) left Tuesday’s game after colliding with a linesman, but his status is unclear.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165811 Minnesota Wild Nico Sturm, another center, was recalled last week before getting reassigned to the American Hockey League on Monday. Although he was sent back to Iowa to play Tuesday, Sturm wasn’t in the lineup after tweaking something so he might not be an immediate option; the team With Koivu and Staal out, Ryan Donato gets bigger role with Wild did, however, recall winger Gerald Mayhew from the AHL on Wednesday, a move that suggests surviving this adversity is likely to

require a patchwork effort like the one Donato has started. By Sarah McLellan Star Tribune “It’s definitely tough, but we’ve got a lot of guys that are going to step up,” DECEMBER 12, 2019 — 12:32AM Donato said. “I’m confident in that.”

The Wild’s top six was at maximum capacity at the start of the season. Star Tribune LOADED: 12.12.2019 That gridlock among the team’s top forwards pushed Ryan Donato to the fourth line, even though he held a more elevated role upon his arrival from Boston in February.

But a lower-body injury to captain Mikko Koivu busted the logjam, and Donato was promoted Tuesday to work between wingers Zach Parise and Kevin Fiala. He responded by scoring the game-tying goal in an eventual 3-2 shootout loss to the Ducks, and the significance of this latest opportunity only grew that night.

With center Eric Staal’s status uncertain after he left the action injured, the Wild’s depth could be further tested when it resumes a three-game homestand Thursday against Edmonton — a challenge Donato can help the Wild overcome if he continues to settle into his new spot in the lineup.

“He’s been playing fine,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “He was the most dangerous guy we had in overtime. He’s taken advantage.”

When he debuted with the Wild late last season after a trade from the Bruins that sent forward Charlie Coyle the other way, Donato was a regular in the top nine and produced as such.

He contributed at nearly a point-per-game pace, finishing with 16 in 22 games amid a shoot-first style that looked like a welcome addition to the Wild’s forward group.

Ryan Donato, center, scored a game-tying goal against the Ducks on Tuesday and will get more chances to contribute.

At training camp in September, the Wild did experiment with Donato at center in the upper half of its lineup, but the 23-year-old was ultimately assigned a support role.

“He’s handled it really well,” Boudreau said. “We’ve asked more of him, more of a 200-foot game rather than just an offensive game. So, when he was playing six minutes a night and he was starting to do the right things, then all of a sudden you can get a little more faith in that individual and you start to play him more.

“And when somebody goes down like Mikko and he gets the opportunity to get in, he’s got five goals now. There’s a lot of guys who play a lot more minutes that don’t have that at this stage.”

Despite scoring his fifth goal Tuesday, which is his fourth over the past seven games, Donato wasn’t pleased with his play against Anaheim.

“It was nice to get that goal,” he said, “but I think we all could have done a lot better.”

No doubt he recognizes the chance that’s in front of him and the need to capitalize, especially since Donato acknowledged it’s been tough waiting for it.

“I just gotta stay positive always,” Donato said. “I know I can be a guy that creates given the opportunity, and I think I’m showing that. Again, I wasn’t happy with the way I played [Tuesday] especially, but I do think that there’s something to build off for sure.”

That kind of stability would serve the Wild well right now, particularly if Staal remains out; the veteran left Tuesday’s game in the first period after colliding with a linesman, hitting his head and left shoulder, as he chased the puck up the boards. Boudreau didn’t have an update on Staal’s condition after the game, and the team didn’t practice Wednesday.

“It reminded me very much of [my] first year in the playoffs when he went in and knocked him out of the series against St. Louis,” said Boudreau, referring to the concussion Staal suffered when he crashed headfirst into the boards during Game 5 of the team’s first-round series. 1165812 Minnesota Wild foot-10 or less, and three at 5-foot-9 and under. Twenty years ago, there were fewer still: 22 players at 5-foot-11 or shorter, eight at 5-foot-10 or less, and just one at 5-foot-9 and under.

Wild defenseman Spurgeon 10 seasons into size-defying career The Wild have two 5-foot-9 blue-liners with Spurgeon and Brad Hunt. Boston's Torey Krug is another standout in the club. Those lanky veterans around the league like St. Louis' Colton Parayko (6-foot-6), Carolina's (6-foot-6) and Boston's Zdeno Chara (6-foot- By DAVE CAMPBELL Associated Press 9) have obvious advantages with reach and strength, but there's plenty DECEMBER 11, 2019 — 3:05PM more to sound defense than being able to poke a stick at a puck.

"We have the quickness and the first two or three strides in order to close plays so that they don't get the possession of the puck and move on. I ST. PAUL, Minn. — The defining moment of Jared Spurgeon's hockey think it's just using our skating abilities," Krug said. "I think it's been a career came when he was just 13: His peewee coach in Edmonton long time coming, especially with the real changes in the way the game is moved him from forward to defenseman. trending. It's funny, years ago to have one of those guys on your team, people kind of scoffed at that. Now we've got two and sometimes three in There was no going back for Spurgeon, even though he hasn't grown the lineup at once, and it creates really mobile back end." much bigger since then. Minnesota's 5-foot-9, 167-pound stalwart on the blue line has been defying size stereotypes ever since. STREAKING

"I just fell in love with the position," Spurgeon said. Pittsburgh goalie Tristan Jarry had a franchise-record scoreless run of 177:15 that ended during a 4-1 loss to Montreal on Tuesday, just the The Wild have felt the same way about him over the last 10 seasons. second defeat in eight starts for the backup to Matt Murray. Jarry stopped The 30-year-old Spurgeon, who set career highs in games (82), goals 82 consecutive shots during the streak, the longest in the league this (14), assists (29), shots (152) and hits (91) during the 2019-19 season, season. signed a seven-year, $53 million contract extension at the beginning of training camp. SLUMPING

Not bad for a sixth-round pick the New York Islanders ultimately declined The Detroit Red Wings are sliding toward a four-year absence from the to sign, paving the way for a tryout with the Wild two years after he was playoffs after the end of their famous 25-season streak of making it. The drafted. Red Wings are on a 12-game winless streak, going 0-10-2 since Nov. 12, and have the worst record in the NHL at 7-22-3. They've dropped 10 "Probably the best in the NHL at breaking the puck out. Unbelievable on straight games in regulation by a 47-16 margin. his edges. One of the smartest players in the game," said Buffalo defenseman Marco Scandella, who played with Spurgeon in Minnesota LEADERS (through Tuesday) for seven seasons. "He's got a lot of things in his toolbox, and he doesn't even need the size." Goals: David Pastrnak (Boston), 25; Assists: Connor McDavid (Edmonton), 36; Points: McDavid, 55; Wins: Frederik Andersen (Toronto) Spurgeon, who is halfway through an expected two-week absence for a 15, Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg) 15, Braden Holtby (Washington) 15; hand injury sustained while blocking a shot, has ranked over the last four Goals-against average: Tristan Jarry (Pittsburgh), 1.92; Save years in the top 20 among NHL defensemen in goals, power play goals, percentage: Jarry, .938. blocked shots and time on ice. GAME OF THE WEEK "That's one of those players that you're just like, 'How?' " Scandella said. "You just have to watch him over a season. Play with him, and you Boston at Washington on Wednesday. understand how good he is." The two top teams in the league face off in downtown D.C. Both squads The ability to skate — and pass — quickly will always be critical for a are 7-2-1 over their last 10 games, with the Bruins leading the Atlantic player with Spurgeon's frame. Part of that is being fast enough to elude Division with 46 points and the Capitals on top of the Metropolitan opponents, but it also means maximizing his power by maintaining Division with 49 points. The Capitals beat the Bruins 3-2 in a shootout in leverage and balance for the moments when he does initiate or absorb Boston on Nov. 16 after T.J. Oshie scored the tying goal in regulation contact. with 59 seconds remaining.

"You don't need to be huge and massive to be strong on your skates," said St. Louis center Ryan O'Reilly, who faces Spurgeon frequently as a Star Tribune LOADED: 12.12.2019 Central Division rival. "You go in and forecheck, and he is so strong. It's like going against a big guy."

Awareness is just as important as fearlessness to succeed as a 5-foot-9 player, of course.

Spurgeon simply doesn't get pushed around much because he's rarely caught off guard by a big hit. The advantage of vision from the blue line, being able to see the plays develop in front of him, was one of the benefits that immediately drew Spurgeon to defense. He tried to emulate players who came before him like Brian Rafalski and Dan Boyle, sub-6- foot defensemen who were offensive threats but never a liability in their own zone.

"The emphasis of moving the puck and getting up ice and being able to contribute offensively as well is a whole lot different than it used to be, where maybe you had one of those guys before and a bunch of a big, mean guys," Spurgeon said. "But I think now the game is so fast that I think it gives the ability for smaller guys to play."

According to Sportradar data, there are 41 defensemen who have appeared in at least one NHL game this season and are listed at 5-foot- 11 or shorter. That number drops to 18 at 5-foot-10 or less and to six at 5-foot-9 and under.

In the 2005-06 season after the lockout, which brought rule changes to encourage more free-flowing action in the neutral zone and increase goal scoring, there were only 29 defensemen at 5-foot-11 or shorter, 11 at 5- 1165813 Minnesota Wild

Wild amateur scout, Hall of Famer Guy Lapointe diagnosed with oral cancer

By Sarah McLellan

DECEMBER 11, 2019 — 12:33PM

The Montreal Canadiens announced Wednesday that former defenseman, Hall of Famer and current Wild amateur scout Guy Lapointe was diagnosed with oral cancer.

Lapointe, 71, will begin treatment in the coming weeks. The cancer is located at the base of his tongue. This form has a high cure rate, the Canadiens said in the release.

One of the longest-tenured members of the Wild, Lapointe was hired in 1999 after an illustrious playing career.

He won six Stanley Cups in the 1970s with Montreal, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993 as one of the game's best defensemen and had his No.5 retired by the Canadiens in 2014.

Before abbreviated stops in St. Louis and Boston, Lapointe spent 14 years with Montreal – scoring 166 goals and recording 572 points in 777 games as part of the Canadiens' "Big Three" with fellow Hall of Famers and Larry Robinson.

Star Tribune LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165814 Minnesota Wild

Suddenly shorthanded Wild need role players to step up

By DANE MIZUTANI | [email protected] | Pioneer Press

PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 2:46 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 2:46 PM

Wild coach Bruce Boudreau had no update on Eric Staal’s injury suffered in Tuesday’s loss to the Anaheim Ducks. He provided little clarity about Mikko Koivu’s lingering lower-body injury. And he has completely glossed over any mention of Jared Spurgeon’s recovery process over the past few days. .

Perhaps the 64-year-old coach is trying his best to forget that the once- streaking Wild are suddenly without three of their best players.

Asked how the Wild are going to fill those voids moving forward, Boudreau saw it as a chance to publicly issue a challenge to some of the role players within the organization.

“What are we going to do? Just phone it in and say, ‘We got a couple of injuries. Can everyone just not let us play for a while?’ ” Boudreau quipped. “No. You’ve got to play. This is freaking the greatest opportunity for guys.”

Whether that’s someone like Ryan Donato, who recently was elevated to the top of the lineup, or Victor Rask, who has been buried near the bottom of the lineup, or even Nico Sturm, who is in the minor leagues still awaiting his opportunity, the Wild need someone to step up, and soon.

“There’s a lot of guys in this lineup that can step up and play different roles,” winger Ryan Hartman said. “Obviously, it (stinks) losing (Koivu and Staal). They have 2,200 games combined between them. That’s a lot of experience. But I think we have guys who can step up and fill those shoes for the time being.”

That’s exactly what Boudreau is hoping for. He remembers being a role player himself during his playing days and impatiently waiting for a chance to show his skills.

“You were praying when you were in the minor leagues for guys to get hurt to give you an opportunity to play,” Boudreau said. “We need somebody (to say), ‘This is my opportunity. I’m going to show them how good I am.’ ”

Just like Donato has done over the past couple of weeks.

While Donato was extremely critical of his own play after Tuesday’s loss, Boudreau praised him, noting how he’s making it impossible to take him out of the lineup.

“He’s taken advantage,” the coach said. “He’s jumping in, and when we’re calling up a guy like Nico Sturm and (Donato) might be the guy that’s sitting, he comes in and is our best forward. That’s somebody that’s stepping up.”

That said, if the Wild want to continue their crawl up the NHL’s Central Division the standings with Koivu and Staal out of the lineup, they need more than Donato to step up.

“We have a lot of guys that are going to step up,” Donato said. “I’m confident in that. I think a lot of guys here are confident in that. Let’s see what we can do.”

Pioneer Press LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165815 Minnesota Wild But things did become more complicated once Koivu was hurt last week in Florida and it became clear he would not be able to play Tuesday’s game. Originally, the plan was for Koivu’s ex-teammates to slip into the loading docks of Xcel Energy Center at 6:28 p.m. when warmups began. Catching up with Gaborik, Backstrom, Schultz and Brodziak after their big surprise for Mikko Koivu But now Koivu wouldn’t be in warmups and worse would just be loitering in the hallways in the bowels of the arena as he waited for his ceremony. So, the Wild approached Koivu with a brilliant idea of taking part in the ceremony by putting on his full gear and skating out to the carpet. By Michael Russo This way, when warmups began, Koivu could enter the locker room and Dec 11, 2019 get suited up. At that point, Backstrom, Brodziak, Gaborik and Schultz could enter the arena and hustle into the office of Andrew Heydt, the Wild’s director of team operations and player relations, where they’d hide Mikko Koivu didn’t know what to expect. out until Koivu walked down the tunnel to the Wild bench.

He had to figure the Wild had a few surprises up their sleeves to “I thought it was a cool idea (to skate onto the ice) … just for me and celebrate playing 1,000 games all in a Wild sweater. But when the injured when I look back that I was actually in my gear,” Koivu said. “That was captain turned around and saw old friends and teammates Niklas the one thing that I was kind of bummed about when I get a little bit of an Backstrom, Kyle Brodziak, Marian Gaborik and Nick Schultz join him and injury and know I can’t play. It’s something that I obviously wanted to be his family on the “green carpet,” the guy who usually keeps his emotions a part of (in full uniform).” so closed off from the public couldn’t help but smile widely. Koivu, in his 15th season with the Wild and 18th year since being drafted “I was kind of hoping he was going to cry, but give him credit: he held it sixth overall in 2001, is 36 and in the last year of his contract with the together,” Brodziak said, laughing, from outside Suite 55 during the Wild. He has had 208 different teammates and is the fourth longest- second intermission of Tuesday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. serving captain in the NHL and the 55th player in history to play his first 1,000 games with the same franchise. Inside that suite, Koivu was wearing a sharp blue suit and silver tie. The smile never left his face as he caught up with those former teammates In Wild history, Koivu is the all-time leader with 1,001 games, 497 and others, including Stephane Veilleux, Ryan Carter and Mark Parrish. assists, 700 points, 292 even-strength assists, 425 even-strength points, Injured current teammate Jared Spurgeon stopped by to join in the fun, 190 power-play assists, 250 power-play points, 15 shorthanded assists, which included several of Koivu’s friends, all of the ex-players’ significant 25 shorthanded points, 151 multi-point games, a plus-70 rating, 2,242 others and, of course, Koivu’s proud parents, Jukka and Tuire. shots, 42 shootout goals, 10,169 faceoff wins, 18,952 faceoffs taken, 25,270 shifts and 19,353 minutes, 52 seconds played. He ranks second It meant everything to Koivu that his parents, wife and three kids were with 203 goals, 60 power-play goals and 10 shorthanded goals. part of the ceremony that included Wild owner and general manager Bill Guerin. His 700 points rank fifth among all Finland-born players in NHL history (Saku ranks third with 832 in 1,124 games). “Obviously emotional when you see your family coming in,” Koivu said. “That kind of actually relaxed me a little bit there. It was kind of weird not But nobody knows what tomorrow will bring. (being) in the warmup and not getting ready for the game. That’s not the fun part. Once I saw them, my family, I got a little bit more calm. But Will the Wild re-sign him? Would he accept a trade elsewhere in advance when (Backstrom, Brodziak, Gaborik and Schultz) came out after that, I of the trade deadline if the Wild are not in the playoff picture? Will he sign don’t remember anything. It was a surprise.” elsewhere next season or opt to retire from the NHL if the Wild don’t have a place for him? The Wild produced a video tribute with 18 of Koivu’s current and former teammates, including Brian Rolston, Andrew Brunette, Mikael Granlund Saku Koivu told The Athletic a few weeks ago that, for his part, he can’t and Nino Niederreiter, coach Bruce Boudreau and his older brother, envision his brother would be willing to wear any other sweater. Saku, who attended Mikko’s 1,000th game but couldn’t return for the Seeing his former teammates on the carpet fresh off the ice was another ceremony. Then, throughout the first period, other congratulatory clips reminder to Koivu to live in the moment and cherish what he’s achieved were played from people like original Wild coach Jacques Lemaire, the during an admirable NHL career because it can be over in a snap. person Koivu credits for turning him into the player he became. “You keep hearing that when you’re a young player coming in playing in “I’ve got to say thank you to the organization about everything. It’s been the league, people trying to tell you to just enjoy it because it goes fast,” first-class,” Koivu said after the game. “That was something that I’ll never Koivu said. “It’s like life. Everybody keeps saying how fast it goes forget. Not only for me, but for those guys, too, it shows (the whatever we do. But I think today I really realized that. Just how fast it organization’s) appreciation for those guys and what they’ve done and goes. You always look back a little bit about the trip so far with this team how they built the culture around here early on when the team first got and with the organization. here and then when I first got here. “You really get a chance to see the players and your best friends with the “Gabby and Shultzy were the guys that really showed me the way things game and you don’t (anymore). I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen were done here and showed me how we did business around here. And those guys. I think it makes you realize that and makes you appreciate it. obviously Backy coming all the way from Finland and Brodzy. I tried Like last year getting hurt (with a torn ACL) and being off ice and now I calling and talking to those guys the last couple of days and no one can be back again and all that. That all adds up and you really, really answered. Now I understand why.” appreciate the game and just being part of it.” The Koivu celebration had been in the works for months. Koivu was readying to leave the locker room and head to the How would the Wild fly Backstrom in from Helsinki, Gaborik in from Downtowner for his after-party. Vienna, Schultz in from Philly, Brodziak in from Edmonton and Rolston in “It’ll be a long night,” Gaborik said … with that trademark Gaborik grin. from Detroit (Koivu’s early mentor unfortunately was a late cancellation because of a conflict) without Koivu finding out? With the four former players in town, it was a good opportunity to catch up with each player. How would the team hide the players out in the Twin Cities for a few days without being seen? Gaborik held a press scrum during the first intermission, and The Athletic got to spend time chatting with Brodziak and Schultz and conducted a How would they sneak them into the arena without Koivu seeing them? very enjoyable podcast with Backstrom, where we discussed his turtle As it turns out, it was easy to hide the players. walk, Wild prospect goalie Kaapo Kahkonen, his relationship with the late Derek Boogaard and his admiration for Koivu. With the temperature hovering around zero, the players either didn’t leave the St. Paul Hotel much or bundled up from head to toe and were The one thing that was evident was how much each player was excited mostly unrecognizable when they did leave. to return to Xcel Energy Center and the Twin Cities in general. Wild history: Only goalie to win his first three NHL games in relief; led the honored that they thought I should be one of the guys on the ice with NHL in goals-against average and save percentage as a 28-year-old Mikko.” “rookie” in 2006-07; shared the Jennings Trophy with teammate Manny Fernandez for the Wild allowing the fewest goals against in 2006-07; On how he became so tight with Koivu: “Pretty early on we had a pretty Wild’s all-time leader with 409 games, 194 wins, 10,321 saves and 28 good bond. When I was in Edmonton earlier on, playing against each shutouts. other, there was a little bit of that competitive side between us. Then I got here and that kind of translated where he started making fun of me about Where is he now: Backstrom retired from professional hockey at age 41 how he owned me when I was in Edmonton. We always kind of had that and within hours received a call from Columbus Blue Jackets GM Jarmo competitive edge with each other. Every day, day after day in practice. Kekalainen offering him a job as European scouting and goaltending Everything we did we kind of competed against each other a lot, but at coach. the same time, we formed this pretty special bond between us.

On the cold Minnesota weather, something Gaborik forgot about: “I’m “For me, there’s a pretty high respect level for how he did things and how from Finland. I’m used to it. Gabby’s a little sensitive. I don’t know he he … it’s really tough to explain. The way he views things is a lot different forgets it. Like it wasn’t that cold. That’s how winter should be.” than a lot of other people. He’s got a lot of drive in what he does every day, and how he goes about himself, and how he thinks things are done On celebrating Koivu: “I know it means (a lot) to him to do it with right. I have a high respect level for that. It’s something that I always Minnesota. I know how much the state means to him and the appreciate and will remember honestly the rest of my life. The way I organization. … conduct myself, I really try to think about how Mikko would do it.”

“He’s playing the game the right way. He’s not cheating. He could On how Koivu is taking all this unwanted fanfare: “Mikko’s the kind of guy probably have a lot more points if he would cheat, but it’s never about who doesn’t really strive for the praise. A little bit of praise here and there him. … His attitude, his heart, he cares about everyone and never gives feels good, but that’s not his motivation, is to get praise. But this is up. He leads by example. Every practice for me as a goalie was tough to something that’s beyond well-deserved, just the way he goes about. I play against him because he wants to score. He’s not going to give you hope he’s enjoying it because for a guy that’s probably scared to get old any freebies and same with the other guys. He’s battling hard and he’s and gray, it doesn’t even do justice for the things he does on a day-to- leading by example every day.” day basis setting that a lot of people don’t see.”

On his love of Minnesota: “Me and my family lived here for 10 years, so it On playing 1,000 games with one team: “To be honest, when he got hurt still feels like home for us. My son was born here, my daughter was born last year, I remember when he got hurt I looked it up to see how close he in Finland, but this is their first home. We still have a lot of friends here was to 1,000. He was at 960-something and I thought to myself, ‘Shit. I and we want to keep our roots here and enjoy it. … don’t know if he’s going to be able to come back at this stage in his “For me, everything worked perfect. I got to the right organization. You career.’ But thinking back on it, I should have known better. You know never know what’s going to happen, but for me, everything’s really good how stubborn he is and how much of a competitor he is, I should have back home. If I have to go back, then I go back, but this was my dream. known that this one would come back. It’s another little milestone he … I was fortunate to have Jacques Lemaire as my coach. It was unreal could be very proud of.” how fast you learn about NHL hockey, and then get with (longtime Wild On how special Minnesota is to him: “My wife and I really look at this as goalie coach) Bob Mason. We started a great relationship and just a home. Our oldest boy, he’s the only one who would remember a few great human being and a coach.” things here, but we brought up all three boys here. Biggest chunk in my On expecting to be in Houston his first year but never ending up there: “I career, ever, was playing here. There’s so many good memories; the still joke with (equipment manager) Tony (DaCosta). The other trainer buildings, restaurants, people we know here, just tons of things that when Ricky (Bronwell), probably second day of camp, he sits next to me in the we come back here it just feels good. It feels like it was a big part of our locker room (and says), ‘So, when you come down to Houston, what life and we’ve always said it. Even right after we left, it really was sad. It number do you want to play with there?’ Ricky actually gave me the just holds a special place for us.” Houston Aeros jersey when I left Minnesota. Everything turned out really Wild history: Wild’s first-ever draft pick when selected third overall in well for me. … I look back at it, and sometimes you’re mad that it 2000; is the Wild’s all-time leading goal scorer with 219 and ranks first (started) when I was 28. I wish I could have come over when I was 18.” with 43 game-winning goals; tied with Eric Staal for most goals in a On his last NHL game coming in the perfect building in the most perfect single-season in Wild history (42) and scored the most goals in a single way — with Calgary in April 2016, he was named the game’s first star game (5). after making 35 saves and giving up one goal in a 2-1 win over the Wild Where is he now: The 2014 Los Angeles Kings Stanley Cup winner lives at the X: “That was a bad goal. I just laughed. I was in training camp in in Slovakia and is on injured reserve with the Ottawa Senators because Columbus and Zac Dalpe, he’s there with Cleveland now, he scored a of a back injury. He has two years left on his seven-year, $34.125 million baaaaad backhand shot in my five-hole. It was his first goal (with contract. Minnesota) and the last goal I let in. But that’s how it goes. On walking into Xcel Energy Center again: “It’s unbelievable. It’s “Yeah, it was (fitting) end. For sure you would like to win the Cup and definitely different to come here under these type of circumstances. I can walk away … but for me, it was great to play in the rink where everything actually enjoy a little bit the times and memories and see a lot of familiar started and I played most of my NHL career. I had the best years of my faces that I haven’t seen in years. And obviously to be here for Mikko’s playing career. The game before that, it was really emotional, it really 1000th game — it’s very nice that the Wild brought us up here to surprise was hard for me to handle, but then for the second one, I felt more ready Mikko. He had no idea. I was kind of worried that he would find because you went through it once and pretty much knew what to expect. something out. It was well-organized that it was surprise. … I stayed at Actually it was, I think, one of the best games I played in this league.” the old St. Paul Hotel and walked around in this freezing weather. I totally Wild history: The first player Chuck Fletcher traded for when he became forgot how cold it is here. Just great memories. … I had goosebumps. Wild GM in 2009; in his 14-year, 917-game career, the majority (six Next year will be 20 years, which time flies so fast.” years, 446 games) was spent in Minnesota; assisted on Nino On what makes Koivu special: “We had great times on the ice and off the Niederreiter’s 2014 Game 7 playoff series’ clincher in OT at Colorado; 72 ice. I remember him coming in he was drafted the year after me and goals and 169 points in his Wild career. stayed in Finland for two or three years and came back and we could see Where is he now: Is currently in the last year of his contract with the that he was ready to be in the big leagues and ready to be an impact Edmonton Oilers but won’t play another NHL game because of a player. He’s the face of the Wild the way he plays and (what) the Wild is degenerative back issue. all about. We weren’t just teammates on the ice. We were also friends off the ice. It wasn’t just going out to dinners and talking small talk. We had On how there was no way he’d miss Koivu’s celebration: “I got a call from some serious conversations and I think I guided him through (his early (Heydt) probably about three weeks ago, and I was at my boy’s years). I’m grateful I got to play with him. We had some good times.” swimming lessons so I stepped out. Normally I’m kind of an introvert, I guess. I don’t like to leave the house, but I couldn’t have been more On what it would’ve been like if he had re-signed with the Wild instead of excited. They brought it up that they wanted to bring a few guys in to leaving the following summer via free agency for the Rangers: “Definitely come be part of the celebration and I couldn’t be more thrilled and frankly crossed my mind, especially when I left here a couple years after. It was on my mind. But now I’ve moved on, and everything happens for a reason. It would definitely have been nice to play for one organization, but not many players have done that. I’m thankful and grateful for my time here, but I’m not having any regrets (I) left here or which way I would have gone.”

Wild history: Wild’s second-ever draft pick when selected 33rd overall in 2000; Wild’s all-time leader in games played for defensemen at 743 and hits at 644; ranks second to Spurgeon with 1,027 blocked shots.

Where is he now: After 1,069 NHL games, Schultz retired and was hired by the Wild GM that traded him to Edmonton, Fletcher, as a Philadelphia Flyers’ player development coach.

On being back in Minnesota: “Just even coming into the city, when we were landing, my wife’s like, ‘I miss it here.’ This was home for us. We spent 10 years here. She moved here, we got married, had our kids here, we can be a part of the team and the organization. So, when you land it almost feels like home. You’re kind of back. It was pretty cool now to come to St. Paul Hotel and being around the rink, and coming in and seeing a lot of the same people that worked here. The guys parking the cars, Wes (doing security at the locker room door), all the whole training staff. Everybody is a familiar face and very special to me. It’s fun to be back and then to be here for Mikko and his night, you know, to play a thousand games for one organization, it’s pretty cool to surprise him.”

On how touched was Koivu to see the guys: “You could feel it a little bit and he was very appreciative of us being here and coming. I think Kyle said today that as soon as they called, there was no question we wanted to be here for him. It’s pretty cool that the organization would bring us back to a place we genuinely loved playing for.”

On what it is about Mikko that made him hop on a plane: “Well, one of my best friends ever, but I think he’s just like the ultimate team guy, right? We’ve talked about battling against him in practice, and I was on defense and I always want him to go against him one-on-one ‘cuz I knew he was going to give me everything he got. He just played hard and practiced hard and everything he did was about the team, and the guys on the team. And if it was off the ice and having dinner and being together, or if it’s at the rink or whatever it was, it was, everything. His entire existence here is for the team. I think guys just really respected that and that’s why he’s being the captain and been with one team for a long time.”

On his post-career: “I miss playing, but it comes to the point where you kind of know. Like, my last year there I kind of knew. I was in and out of the lineup and I wasn’t the same player. You just kind of feel when it’s done, right? You’re someone that played (regularly) through your career, and then you’re not. When it comes to the end, you kind of feel that and you know it’s time to move on. And with a young family, I was at that point, and I got a chance to coach my son the last three years, which has been great.

“I’m at a great age to help young guys learn and pass on all the information and knowledge you have of the game. So it’s kind of been fun and helped with being away from the game and not playing. Obviously, you miss it when you come here and you see the guys who are getting ready for the game and you watch the game. You miss it, for sure, because that’s what you know and love to do.”

On Fletcher paying him back for trading him: “Exactly. When he reached out to me, he even said how he knew I had been through a lot. I was here for 10 years and Chuck knew how much it affected our family when I got traded. He kind of knew that and we still had a great relationship after that happened. I mean, it’s business. First place, I think at Christmas that year, and the new year we fell out of our playoff spot by the trade deadline. So changes need to happen and I was just part of it, right? So, I respect that.

“So after I ended in Philadelphia, he reached out to me. It was great to have him and Brent (Flahr) there and other guys from the Wild organization. It’s been fun and they know how to do it the right way. They did it here for a lot of years and now to have them there in Philly getting the team on the right track has been awesome to watch.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165816 MontrealCanadiens

In the Habs' Room: Primeau makes 35 saves en route to first NHL victory

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: December 12, 2019

Cayden Primeau said his first week in the NHL has been like a roller- coaster and he took the Canadiens along for the ride Wednesday night as Montreal defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-2 in overtime at the Bell Centre.

The 22-year-old goaltender made 35 saves to post his first NHL win. The victory extended the Canadiens’ current win streak to three games and they moved into third place in the Atlantic Division.

Primaau was on the wrong end of a 3-2 count in his NHL debut last week against Colorado. He experienced some nerves in the opening minutes of that game, but he was composed throughout Wednesday’s game.

After the first couple of minutes, it was a new experience and there were so many emotions,” Primeau said about his debut last week. “It was definitely a different experience tonight. You want to get the win in the first game, but it was a learning experience and I took that over the weekend and worked with it. “Today, I wasn’t concerned about winning and just focused on the next shot (knowing) the results will come.”

Primeau has settled into a routine working with starter Carey Price and goaltender coach Stéphane Waite.

“I’m impressed with just how hard they work,” Primeau said. “They don’t work super-long, but they make sure they get their work in. That’s been the biggest eye-opener, how hard they work.”

Primeau joined the team from the Laval Rocket when Montreal was going through its biggest slump of the season, but he said he didn’t feel any extra pressure.

“You come up and your job is to get the team going,” Primeau said. “If Carey’s going, I’m his No. 1 cheerleader and if my name’s called, I just try to give the team the best chance to win.”

Captain Shea Weber has been impressed with the young netminder.

“He’s huge, he covers a lot of net,” Weber said. “The composure he has for such a young kid is great. At his age, he’s steady and he’s only going to get better.”

“You look at tonight and he was calm and he made big saves on a couple of 3-on-2s and 2-on-1s where he played the shooters,” coach Claude Julien said. “Whether you see him tomorrow or next week, he’s got a good future in front of him.”

Primeau was named the first star of the game, while Ben Chiarot was awarded the second star after scoring the game-winner at 1:11 of overtime. It was Chiarot’s first overtime goal.

“I’m grateful that the coach had confidence to send me out there in overtime,” Chiarot said. “I played in overtime early on in my career in Winnipeg, but I didn’t play a lot the last few years because they had a lot of offensive defencemen. They had Byfuglien, Myers, Trouba, a whole laundry list of guys.”

Ryan Poehling was called up from Laval earlier Wednesday and he earned praise from Julien for playing what the coach called a “man’s game.” The Canadiens’ roster included five rookies — Primeau, Poehling, Cale Fleury, Otto Leskinen and Nick Suzuki.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165817 MontrealCanadiens

Canadiens win third straight game, with 3-2 OT victory over the Sens

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: December 11, 2019

An overtime goal by defenceman Ben Chiarot allowed rookie goaltender Cayden Primeau to pick up his first NHL victory Wednesday as he backstopped the Canadiens to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. Primeau made 35 saves as the Canadiens extended their current win streak to a modest three games.

Primeau played with a razor-thin margin through the first two periods and there was only a brief respite after Tomas Tatar scored 29 seconds into the third period to give Montreal a 2-0 lead. Brendan Gallagher chased down a long pass in the corner and then went to the net to screen Anders Nilsson as Tatar launched a shot from 30 feet out.

That goal proved to be crucial because the Senators cut the lead to one goal when Brady Tkachuk scored a power-play goal at 4:30, 22 seconds after Gallagher went off for tripping and Tkachuk set up Connor Brown who scored on a backhander to tie the game with 6:55 to play.

The Canadiens had a sluggish start, which was to be expected after playing Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, where they beat the Penguins 4-1. Ottawa had an 8-1 edge in shots after seven minutes and the Canadiens could be grateful that Primeau looked more comfortable than he did in the first period of his NHL debut last week.

The Canadiens picked up some momentum when Cody Goloubef was assessed a penalty for tripping Nate Thompson. Shea Weber gave Nilsson a scare when he unleashed a slapshot from the blue line. The captain passed on a second opportunity to wind one up. He passed to Max Domi at the top of the right faceoff circle and Nick Cousins was in front of the net to deflect Domi’s shot for his fourth goal of the season.

The crowd showed its appreciation for the rookie netminder when they began to chant “Pri-meau, Pri-meau” after he made a stop on Tkachuk midway through the second period. The chants grew louder at the end of the period when he stopped two Ottawa breakaways.

It was another good night for the Montreal penalty-killing unit. The Canadiens came into this game ranked 28th on the PK, but there are signs that they are beginning to get it right.

Ottawa went 1-for-5 on the night and, over the past eight games, the Canadiens have killed 20 of 22 opposition power plays.

Coach Claude Julien said there are a number of factors that have gone into the turnaround.

“We’re blocking shots, we’re more aware of our positioning, we’re taking away the seam passes,” Julien said. “It’s also important to stay disciplined and not find yourself in a position where you’re short-handed.”

The Canadiens made life easy on Primeau during the first Ottawa power play by not letting a single shot reach the goalie.

The Canadiens will make their annual visit to the city’s children’s hospitals Thursday and will be back in action Saturday when the Detroit Red Wings visit the Bell Centre.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165818 MontrealCanadiens not going to say night and day, because we saw some flashes of him last year. But consistency this year in his play has been much better.”

Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot played with Armia in Winnipeg and Stu Cowan: Canadiens' Joel Armia letting his play do the talking isn’t surprised to see what the big Finn has been doing this season.

“It’s all a confidence (thing) with him,” Chiarot said after a practice last week. “We kind of came in (the NHL) together a few years ago and you STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE could see right away the skills that he has. The hands … I’ve said for a long time he has the best hands on a guy I’ve ever played with. I think Updated: December 11, 2019 now I see his strength on the puck and his hands combined. He’s the toughest guy to stop one on one in practice, by far.

The Canadiens’ Joel Armia is a man of few words. “Just because he’s so strong and he’s a big guy and he can handle the puck so well,” Chiarot added. “I think he’s one of the most undercover Very few. players in the league and I think teams are starting now to realize how good he is and how dangerous he can be. You see him strip pucks all the One of the toughest challenges for Montreal journalists covering the time from defencemen, kind of like a (Pavel) Datsyuk that way where he Canadiens on a regular basis is trying to get Armia to say more than a can pick your pocket real quick. He’s a great player for us and he’s only handful of words during an interview. He’s always polite and friendly, but getting better.” seems very shy.

But Armia hasn’t been shy on the ice this season and has let his play do the talking with 11-6-17 totals in 29 games heading into Wednesday Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 night’s matchup with the Ottawa Senators at the Bell Centre. Armia ranked second in goals on the Canadiens, trailing Brendan Gallagher’s 14, and needed only two more to match his career high of 13 set last season.

The 26-year-old was on pace for 29 goals and is showing why the Buffalo Sabres selected him in the first round (16th overall) at the 2011 NHL Draft when he was ranked fourth among European skaters behind three Swedes: Edmonton Oilers defenceman Adam Larsson, New York Rangers centre Mika Zibanejad and Minnesota Wild defenceman Jonas Brodin.

Ville Touru is a Finnish journalist based in Montreal this season and covering the Canadiens’ Finnish contingent — which includes Artturi Lehkonen, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Otto Leskinen — and other players from his home country for Ilta-Sanomat, one of the country’s two prominent tabloid newspapers.

Touru says Armia isn’t really shy.

“He’s very calm and he’s thinking his answers,” Touru said in the media lounge between bites of a hot dog during the first intermission Wednesday night. “He’s a really smart guy, but he’s not any kind of showman. But I don’t think he’s shy.”

Touru remembers when Armia was a 17-year-old star in the Finnish Elite League, posting 18-11-29 totals in 48 games with Assat Pori.

“Everybody was writing a lot about him then,” Touru recalled.

In 2013, Armia helped Assat Pori win the Finnish championship after posting 19-14-33 totals in 47 games. Kotkaniemi, who like Armia is from Pori but is seven years younger, had a poster of Armia on his bedroom wall as a kid. After the 2012-13 season, Armia came to North America, but would play only one game with the Sabres and spent the rest of his first three years in the AHL. He was also traded to the Winnipeg Jets.

At that point, Touru said Armia was ready to go back to Finland.

“He came to North America as a first-line player and a goal-scorer in Finland,” Touru said. “He came here and played on the fourth line. It’s a different game with the smaller rink and everything. It’s taken him some time to get going.”

Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin acquired Armia on June 30, 2018 — along with goalie Steve Mason, a seventh-round pick at the 2019 NHL Draft (defenceman Kieran Ruscheinski) and a fourth-round pick in 2020 in exchange for defenceman Simon Bourque. Coach Claude Julien has given Armia a chance to show what he can do and it’s now paying off.

Armia has the full package of size, strength, skill, speed and shot. You almost wonder if he realizes just how good he can become if he can be more consistent and play with a bit more of an edge. But there’s no doubt he is gaining confidence. When Armia decides he’s going to keep the puck, it’s almost impossible to get it off him and he’s also very good at stealing pucks from the opposition.

“Right now, what he’s shown me is confidence that this year more than last year he’s shown that confidence in wanting to be an even better player and wanting to make a difference,” Julien said. “It’s been … I’m 1165819 MontrealCanadiens

Canadiens Hall of Famer Guy Lapointe diagnosed with oral cancer

STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: December 11, 2019

The Canadiens, at the request of Guy Lapointe and his family, announced Wednesday that the Hall of Fame defenceman has been diagnosed with oral cancer.

“Dr. Keith Richardson, the treating physician from the McGill University Health Centre (MUHC), indicated that the cancer is located at the base of the tongue,” the Canadiens announced in a statement. “Lapointe will begin his treatments in the coming weeks. This form of cancer has a high cure rate.

“The family wishes to thank the personnel at the MUHC as well as all hockey fans and asks for respect of their privacy as they face this challenge.”

Lapointe won six Stanley Cups with the Canadiens and was part of their Big Three on defence, along with fellow Hall of Famers Serge Savard and Larry Robinson. The Canadiens retired Lapointe’s No. 5 during an emotional ceremony at the Bell Centre in 2014.

“The emotions are impossible (to describe),” Lapointe said that night, adding he was sorry only that his late parents couldn’t have been there to share the moment.

“My dad would have been proud to see it,” Lapointe said, his father having convinced his son to attend a mid-1960s Canadiens training camp just to give his hockey dream a shot.

“Hopefully, there’s something up there and he was able to see it and I saw he had a big smile, (saying) ‘Geez, I’m glad you listened to me just once that day.’ ”

Lapointe, 71, has been the Minnesota Wild’s director of amateur scouting since 1999.

On Dec. 1, the Canadiens announced that Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur, 68 had surgery to remove a lobe on one of his lungs as well as to remove ganglions.

“Guy Lafleur underwent surgery at the Centre Hospitalier de l’Université de Montréal (CHUM) on November 28,” the Canadiens said in a statement. “The operation was successful. Guy Lafleur will remain under observation at the hospital and is expected to return home in the coming days to continue his recovery.”

Lafleur, who won five Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, also had quadruple-bypass surgery on Sept. 26.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165820 MontrealCanadiens pretty certain, though: the Canadiens found a pretty good goalie in the seventh round of the 2017 NHL Draft with the 199th overall pick.

Monster game for Chiarot Canadiens Game Day: Carey Price enjoys the Cayden Primeau Show Canadiens defenceman Ben Chiarot capped off a monster game when he scored the winning goal in overtime on a beautiful setup from Max Domi. STU COWAN, MONTREAL GAZETTE Chiarot logged 25:50 of ice time, had a team-high six shots, along with Updated: December 12, 2019 four hits and finished plus-2. Nick Cousins (power play) and Tomas Tatar also scored for the Candiens, while Domi had two assists.

“Every time I feel like my minutes go up or I’m getting some points or Carey Price was sitting back and enjoying the show in the Canadiens’ offence or something like that I feel like it’s kind of seen like: Oh, I’m locker room after Wednesday night’s 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa playing the best hockey of my career,” Chiarot said. “But I feel like even if Senators at the Bell Centre. I’m not doing those things I still kind of have a base of a solid game that I While Cayden Primeau — who made 35 saves for his first NHL victory — play, which is solid defensively and moving the puck pretty simple. And was swarmed by the media, Price sat quietly in his stall to the left of the then when things are going well for me I’m using my skating, I’m joining rookie goalie with a little grin on his face. in the offence. So I think you just see another level to my game when I feel that way.” Was it cool to watch? Chiarot is also enjoying being paired often with captain Shea Weber, who “Absolutely,” Price said. “It’s fun to see a young guy go through logged a game-high 26:26 of ice time. something that you’ve gone through before. It’s exciting times. It’s something that you’ve worked for your whole life and now you’re kind of “He’s playing amazing,” Chiarot said about the captain. “He’s a great thrust right into it. Especially not starting the season here. All this defenceman and I think we work well together. We know where each probably happens pretty quickly going from Laval to here.” other are on the ice. We play a similar style with him, obviously, having a bit more offence and me being a little bit more defensive mindset. I think From the Laval Rocket to the Canadiens to the first star at the Bell we just work well together.” Centre Wednesday night in his second NHL start — all in a span of only 10 days. Primeau made 33 saves in his first NHL start last Thursday, a 3- The Man Mountain 2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche at the Bell Centre. Weber picked up an assist on Cousins’s goal that opened the scoring at “It’s been a roller-coaster,” Primeau said. “Being able to get called up, 13:36 of the first period and has 9-11-20 totals in his last 21 games. He especially to a team like this in an organization like this. It’s crazy. You ranks fifth among NHL defencemen in scoring with 10-16-26 totals in 32 know you want to get the first win during the first game, but it was a games and is plus-11 while averaging 23:55 of ice time. learning experience. I took that over the weekend and really worked Weber also had enough of Senators forward Brady Tkachuk at 7:39 of towards that and then today not trying to (just) come out with the win, but the second period, cross-checking the 20-year-old forward and then focus more on just the next shot and the results will come.” pulling him out of a scrum and dragging him to the ice. Primeau credited Price for helping make his roller-coaster ride a little “I obviously don’t like when anyone hits our goalie or pushes us into him,” smoother. the 34-year-old Weber said. “I felt like he cross-checked me into “He’s been nothing but nice to me and he’s been great,” Primeau said (Primeau) and over him.” about Price. “Just super helpful. Can’t ask for anything else.” Roster moves Price likes what he’s seen from the 20-year-old Primeau both on and off The Canadiens called up forward Ryan Poehling and defenceman the ice. Christian Folin from the Rocket Wednesday morning, while forward “He’s quiet and goes about his business,” Price said. “He’s very Jesperi Kotkaniemi was placed on the injured-reserve list with a professional at such a young age. It’s good to see. I’m sure he is a little concussion. bit (nervous) but he handles it well and keeps his composure. Poehling got in the lineup against the Senators, playing left wing on the “I’m getting to know him … he’s got to say something sometimes,” Price fourth line with Nate Thompson at centre and Riley Barber on right wing. added with a smile. “He’s a very professional kid and he’s quiet and goes Poehling had 9:48 of ice time, the second lowest on the team with Barber about his business … It’s getting to be quite the home show.” playing 9:31. But Julien liked what he saw from Poehling, saying the forward played a “man’s game” while being physical and strong in the And Price was enjoying every minute of it on his night off. corners and in front of the net.

Where they stand “Honestly, I just tried to go out there and have fun,” Poehling said. “Just enjoy the process. At the end of the day, you’re getting paid to play The Canadiens improved their record to 15-11-6 and moved back into a hockey. So you don’t know when that opportunity could end. So for me playoff spot in third place in the Atlantic Division, one point ahead of the Florida Panthers (15-10-5) and two points ahead of the Toronto Maple Peca sidelined with injury Leafs (15-13-4). The Panthers hold two games in hand. A roster spot opened for Poehling after Matthew Peca injured his right leg After going through an eight-game winless streak (0-5-3), the Canadiens after falling awkwardly under the weight of Penguins centre Evgeni are now 4-1-0 in their last five games while allowing only nine goals. Malkin during Tuesday night’s 4-1 win in Pittsburgh.

What’s next for Primeau? Julien said Peca had an MRI on Wednesday morning and would be re- evaluated by team doctors Wednesday night. The Canadiens now have to decide what they’re going to do with Primeau moving forward. Do they keep him as Price’s backup, or send “Obviously, it was an unlucky break for him late in the game yesterday him back to Laval to play more games? and I thought he was playing good hockey for us,” Julien said. “He was doing exactly what we wanted him to do. He skated well. So it’s a loss for “You look at tonight, I didn’t see the nervousness that I saw in the first us and it’s an unfortunate loss for him, too.” period of (his) last game,” coach Claude Julien said. “So it was another step in the right direction for him. He was calm, he made some big saves Youth movement and I liked his game tonight. A couple of two-on-ones and he played the shooter and made some big saves there. So again, I think whether you The Canadiens had five rookies in their lineup against the Senators: see him tomorrow or whether you see him in a few years from now, no Primeau, Poehling, Nick Suzuki, Cale Fleury and Otto Leskinen. matter what I think he’s got a nice future ahead of him.” “You can always second-guess yourself afterwards and say: ‘Geez, Julien said a lot of factors will come into play before the Canadiens should I have had him on the ice?’” Julien said after the game. “But the decide what’s best for Primeau — and them as a team. One thing looks only way we’re going to get better is by giving them a chance to play and if the results are there at the same time, then great. You’re always trying to put them in positions to succeed. Doesn’t mean that always happens.”

December 12, 2019

Attendance Wednesday night was 21,055, marking the 10th time in 18 homes games this season the Canadiens have failed to sell out the Bell Centre, which has a capacity of 21,302.

The Canadiens now have an 8-7-3 record at home and rank second in the NHL in attendance with an average of 21,028, which is 98.9 per cent capacity. The Chicago Blackhawks are averaging 21,356 fans.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165821 MontrealCanadiens

Ottawa Senators at Canadiens: Five things you should know

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: December 11, 2019

Here are five things you should know about the Canadiens-Senators game at the Bell Centre on Wednesday (7:30 p.m., SN, RDS, TSN 690 Radio).

The matchup: This is the second of four meetings between these Atlantic Division rivals. The Senators were 2-1 winners at the Bell Centre on Nov. 20 when Brady Tkachuk scored in overtime. The Senators have an 8-5 record at home, but have struggled on the road, where they are 5-12-1. Ottawa is coming off an impressive 5-2 win over Boston Monday at home and is 4-6 in its last 10 games. After winning in Pittsburgh Tuesday night, the Canadians stood 9th in the Eastern Conference and have a seven- point edge over the Senators in the division standings.

The goaltenders: This is the tail end of a back-to-back set and that means rookie Cayden Primeau will probably get his second NHL start. He was on the short end of a 3-2 count last week against the high- powered Colorado Avalanche, but he made 32 saves and appeared to gain confidence after a shaky start. Ottawa’s Craig Anderson, who made 35 saves in that overtime win over Montreal, is on the injured-reserve list with a knee injury. Anders Nilsson will get the start for the Senators. He’s 8-8-1 with a 3.03 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage, but has a career 0-2 record against the Canadiens.

Domi behind last season’s pace: Max Domi had a career year in 2018-19 and one of the questions going into this season was whether he could repeat that performance. The answer so far is no. Going into Tuesday’s game, Domi had 18 points, including six goals on 78 shots for a shooting percentage of 7.7 per cent. After 30 games last season, Domi had 14 goals on 69 shots — a 20.3 per cent shooting percentage — and 31 points. An injury to linemate Jonathan Drouin and an unproductive stint on the left wing haven’t helped, but Domi has to be better.

Gallagher on pace for 30: Brendan Gallagher extended his goal-scoring streak to four games with an empty-netter Tuesday night. He has 14 goals and is on pace for a third consecutive 30-goal season. Most of his goals aren’t pretty, but the feisty winger capitalizes on going to the net and scoring on deflections and rebounds. Gallagher is the team leader in goals, with 14, while Joel Armia has 11 and Shea Weber and team scoring leader Tomas Tatar (26 points) each have 10. Armia has learned to use his size and strength to full advantage and he’s having a breakthrough campaign after scoring a career-high 13 goals in 57 games last season.

Ottawa features French flair: A trio of francophones are leading the way for the rebuilding Senators. Jean-Gabriel Pageau, an Ottawa native who played junior hockey for the Gatineau Olympiques, leads the team in goals (16) and points (23). Pageau, who has a 21.9 per cent shooting percentage, has three short-handed goals and three winning goals. Anthony Duclair, a Laval native who played for the Lac St. Louis Lions and , has 15 goals and 22 points. Thomas Chabot, a defenceman from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., who played for the Saint John Sea Dogs, has 19 points, including three goals, while averaging more than 25 minutes a game.

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165822 MontrealCanadiens you’ve got to kind of let them do their thing.’ I just kind of stood there and started laughing. I said, ‘go,’ and he was just in a zone.

“I figured he didn’t hear me, and then I was like, ‘Alright, let’s let him be. The ritual and ceremony of Cayden Primeau’s first NHL victory served as He’ll go when he wants to go.'” a rite of passage Both snapshots might give the impression that Primeau didn’t look like he belonged. But once the game began, once these rituals were behind him, Primeau put those concerns aside. The Senators jumped out to an 8-1 By Arpon Basu lead in shots on goal midway through the first period, none of them particularly dangerous, but still a territorial advantage you would expect Dec 11, 2019 from a rested team facing one that played the night before. Primeau did his job. Like he belonged.

There are two specific rituals in the NHL that lets everyone know who the By the middle of the second period, after stopping a Brady Tkachuk shot starting goalie is on a given day. One of them is leaving the ice first in the on a three-on-one opportunity with the Canadiens clinging to a 1-0 lead, morning, the second is getting on the ice first in the evening. Primeau made the save, and the Bell Centre responded by chanting his name. To understand fully to what extent Cayden Primeau is going through something somewhat unexpected, getting his first NHL win less than 30 He stopped a partial breakaway by Jean-Gabriel Pageau. He got across months after being selected with the No. 199 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, on Tkachuk again on a two-on-one. He held the fort until the Senators let’s take a look at those two rituals. finally beat him on their 27th shot of the night, then scored again to tie it 2-2. The first came last week, on Dec. 5, the morning of Primeau’s NHL debut against the high-powered Colorado Avalanche. As the morning skate But after playing well enough to win a week earlier, Primeau was was wrapping up, as Carey Price began doing all the drills the backup rewarded this time when Ben Chiarot scored in overtime. And that’s normally does, special teams work, stuff like that, Primeau was hovering when another ritual took place. around the neutral zone. He skated around, dropped to his knees to When an overtime goal is scored, most skaters immediately head for the stretch a bit, his Laval Rocket teammate Charles Hudon came by to give goal scorer. Shea Weber is not most skaters. his mask an encouraging rub, but Primeau was basically killing time. He jumped over the boards and headed straight for Primeau. Finally, Primeau skated over to the boards, right next to the door that leads to the Canadiens’ dressing room at their practice facility in “I just feel the goalie always gets the short end of the stick,” Weber said. Brossard, and he stood there. He grabbed a bottle of water and drank “Everybody goes to the guy that scored, but the goalie, I tend to go there from it. He stood and he waited, as if he couldn’t quite believe that he first because I feel like he’s down at the end by himself. I mean, in this was supposed to leave the ice while everyone else stayed and worked, case, it just ended up being more special because it’s his first win. that this whole thing was real. “I wish I could lie to you, but that’s just kind of a habit.” Eventually, as some of the veterans started leaving the ice, he joined them, with Phillip Danault in particular letting him know that it was time Following Weber, of course, was Price. His time with Primeau was brief for him to get off the ice and embrace this role. because he had other priorities on his mind.

Later that evening, Primeau still appeared to have trouble believing what After a quick congratulations for his rookie backup, Price skated across was happening as it took him a few minutes to get into the game in his the ice and straight to Tkachuk, intercepting him on his way to the NHL debut. But by the end of that night, he had impressed coach Claude Senators dressing room to collect the puck from Primeau’s first win. Julien enough to earn this second start. Tkachuk had it. And Price knew. “I would expect him to be ready to go here tonight,” Julien said two hours “I think so,” Price said when asked if Tkachuk was trying to steal the before the Canadiens game against the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. puck, as he untied his skates in the dressing room. “I was watching to “We have full confidence in this young goaltender that’s been good since see what happened to the puck and just saw him scoop it up.” the start of the season.” “Of course he was,” Gallagher said when asked the same question. Those words revealed a lot because the last time the Canadiens faced this situation, having played the night before in another city and facing After getting congratulations from the rest of his teammates, Primeau and the Senators at home on the back half, Julien opted to start Price against the Canadiens left the ice. He was called back out as the game’s first Ottawa instead of Keith Kinkaid, who has now taken Primeau’s place in star, making 35 saves in his first career win, and Primeau emerged to a Laval. roar from the crowd holding three pucks in his hand, his mask still on his head, unaware, of course, that you usually take it off for these things. He The Canadiens’ warmups follow the same pattern every home game. had to fling those three pucks into the stands. His third one barely Organist Diane Bibaud belts out the team fight song, “Halte là — les cleared the glass and nearly struck a security guard. Canadiens sont là,” but then the house cameras turn to the tunnel leading out from the Canadiens’ dressing room to show the fans already The crowd chanted his name again as Primeau finally took off his mask in their seats the players making their way to the ice. to be interviewed at centre ice by Marc Denis of RDS, who waited to begin so the scene could last. Primeau, of course, was the first player in line and was told to wait before hitting the ice, because they want that camera shot on the scoreboard. “You dream of playing here,” Primeau told the crowd, his voice barely So, just as he did along the boards in Brossard last week, Primeau audible above the cheering and chants. “Just the support from everyone waited. And he waited some more. is unbelievable.”

At one point, the camera picked up Brendan Gallagher saying something Primeau then left the ice, did a live television interview and entered the from behind Primeau and then he started laughing. Phillip Danault, as he dressing room, where he did even more interviews still dressed in his full always is, was seen in the camera shot behind Primeau, while Gallagher equipment, not knowing the starting goaltender is normally allowed to get was off to the side. Primeau began walking not long afterward to lead his undressed before this one, final ritual takes place. team onto the ice. Next time around, Primeau will leave the ice after the morning skate The starter’s role. without being bashful about it. He will lead his team on the ice for warmups in a timely fashion without his teammates laughing behind his “They told us not to go on the ice yet, so I just waited,” Primeau said. “I back. Price won’t need to hunt down that game puck. He will get more don’t think he said anything to me. Or if he did, I didn’t hear him.” distance on those first-star pucks he throws into the stands, so the Oh, he did say something. security guards don’t need to take cover. He will take off his equipment before doing interviews. “I was telling him to go and he wasn’t moving,” Gallagher said, laughing. “So, I just looked at Phil and said, ‘Alright, maybe he’s a goalie and “Pricey,” Gallagher said, “just knows these things.” Primeau will too.

His NHL journey has begun, and though no one knows how long it will last, how frequent these starts will be or for which team he will ultimately become a bonafide starting goaltender, in one short week Primeau has confirmed what has seemed apparent since he was the No. 199 pick in the 2017 draft.

“There are many factors to consider,” Julien said on how Primeau will be used this season. “Do we play him once every four or five games or should we play him more often (in Laval) to give him a chance to improve? These are decisions we’ll need to make along the way. We see a goalie who is doing a good job and who has a nice future ahead of him, but as far as how we will manage him this season, that’s a question that’s not only being asked here, but internally as well.”

The fact that is indeed a delicate question speaks to Primeau’s potential because it is that potential that makes his proper development important to the organization.

Learning and becoming comfortable with rituals is the easy part. Stopping pucks is what really matters. And Primeau appears to already have a decent handle on the hard part.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165823 MontrealCanadiens If you’re wondering how appreciative the Canadiens were that Primeau kept them in a game early, Cousins confirmed it shortly after his goal.

He didn’t light the league on fire while playing for the Laval Rocket, but Video Review: Cayden Primeau gives fans a glimpse of the future with Ryan Poehling’s season point totals do not accurately represent his play his first career win of late. He’s been scoring a lot more, but more importantly, he’s been creating a lot of opportunities and open ice for his teammates, just as he did a few times against the Senators.

By Marc Dumont The pass to Gallagher, which resulted in a great scoring chance, is the perfect example of how he’s changed his game since turning pro. At the Dec 11, 2019 start of the season, he would have attempted to deke every single player in front of him in a desperate bid to gain the zone, and in all likelihood, it would have resulted in a giveaway. The Ottawa Senators are in the midst of a full-fledged rebuild, but when you take a look at the rosters, it’s the Canadiens that are the ones giving Lesson learned: rookies crucial roles within the team. Poehling also came quite close to scoring his first goal of the season, With 19-year old Jesperi Kotkaniemi injured, 20-year-old Nick Suzuki though it was the way he bounced back up after being hit that impressed took his place as the third-line centre. Cayden Primeau, 20, took over me most because it kept the play alive, and incidentally, 200 feet away backup duties, at least temporarily, though if he starts to pick up wins that from Primeau. That’s the kind of smart hockey that may extend his stay temporary tag might quickly disappear. Otto Leskinen, 22, and Cale in the NHL. Fleury, 21, form the third defensive pairing, while 20-year-old Ryan It takes a lot for Weber to Hulk out, but Brady Tkachuk knows exactly Poehling recently returned to the lineup. what buttons to push to get him going. In other words, maybe we’re not being entirely accurate when we say the However, Weber is not . In terms of strength, he’s closer future is bright in Montreal, because in a lot of ways, the future is now. to three Scott Laughtons in a trenchcoat. With five rookies in the lineup, Claude Julien would have to balance Tkachuk learned that the hard way after he purposely bumped Weber protecting his younger players while entrusting them with key into Primeau. assignments, a situation that he’s navigated rather well this season given the rash of injuries. The usual suspects

Much like the game the previous night against the Penguins, the While Weber provided the kind of net-front presence you’d expect in his Canadiens lost the shot battle, but they won the all-important quality own zone, so did Gallagher at the other end of the ice. Tomas Tatar’s scoring chance battle. After Primeau held the fort following a slow start, goal, his 11th of the year, was made possible due to some fancy passing the Canadiens took over, allowing the Senators only three high-danger by Phillip Danault as well as the giant magnet in Gallagher’s body that chances at five-on-five on their way to a 3-2 overtime win. consistently draws him to the net.

There’s no denying that Brendan Gallagher is willing to put his body on We’ve been over this already. Next step, Norris Trophy! the line to win a game, nay, a puck battle. Also, there’s no need to discuss just how wrong I was when I said But with all the attention given to his relentless work ethic, his hockey IQ Chiarot probably wouldn’t move the needle much when he signed with tends to be overshadowed. the Canadiens. No need at all.

Just 30 seconds into the game, Gallagher was caught off guard and took Things are looking up for the Canadiens, mostly because they’re solving a hit from Mark Borowiecki that stopped him in his tracks. The very next a lot of problems that led to too many losses in November. shift, Borowiecki attempted an identical hit. But Gallagher learned his lesson. He baited Borowiecki and quickly dipped around him, all the while For example, their backup goaltending. Primeau did end up conceding generating a controlled entry into the offensive zone. two goals, though you’d be hard-pressed to argue he was at fault for either of them. He provided the kind of backup goaltending the The way I look at it, he’s definitely a hard worker, but more than anything, Canadiens have lacked for quite a while now. The kind of goaltending Gallagher is a smart, talented hockey player who also happens to work that gives a team a chance to win. very hard. As for their defensive woes, the Canadiens haven’t just improved in that It seems like every third game has been a back-to-back situation for the department, they seem like a brand new team. In terms of allowing high- Canadiens, which explains a lot of their slow starts this season. danger chances, going from double digits to low single digits is exactly what they needed, especially since they’re still generating a lot of quality And while the skaters didn’t hit the ground running against the Senators, chances of their own. Primeau was definitely ready to go. Unlike his NHL debut, he looked very comfortable in the early going, directing pucks into low-danger areas on There’s a lot of hill left to climb, but thanks to a few great efforts, several occasions. suddenly, it’s looking a lot less like a trek up Mount Everest and more like a leisurely stroll up Mont Royal. His puck tracking was also on point, even when he was dealing with heavy traffic.

Overall, the Canadiens did a very good job limiting the high-danger The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 chances they allowed, but when the Senators did manage to gain the zone with control of the puck, they had very little net to shoot at due to Primeau’s excellent positioning.

To top it all off, he even neutered Canadiens-killer Jean-Gabriel Pageau with an excellent save at the end of the second period to preserve the team’s fragile 1-0 lead.

The Canadiens rewarded Primeau’s great early play by giving him a one- goal lead to work with, the first lead of his NHL career.

Here’s what I absolutely adore on this play: After some great movement, Max Domi used Shea Weber’s shot to open up a passing lane and find Nick Cousins who made a perfect tip. Weber doesn’t necessarily need to shoot to generate chances. Goalies are well aware of what he can do with the puck. Most of them have nightmares about it.

The threat of a Weber shot can do just as much damage. 1165824 Nashville Predators As I explained to him, it’s complicated. If I may brag for a moment, I have excellent rhythm, the product of playing trombone and bass guitar when I was younger. But that has never translated to competent dancing.

Vingan: I’m getting married, so who better to ask for marriage advice “Get some jams going and get out there,” Turris said. than the Predators? “The No. 1 thing is you’ve got to have good drinks, and you’ve got to let people order what they want,” Duchene said. “If you feed them wine all dinner, they’ll be asleep by the time the dancing comes around.” By Adam Vingan Players and others have asked me if I’m nervous, and truthfully, I’m not, Dec 11, 2019 at least not yet.

“For me, I was super nervous,” Rocco Grimaldi said of marrying wife Abby. “I wasn’t nervous until the night before. I don’t even know why. It For as long as I can remember, my father has given me one piece of just kind of came upon me. I couldn’t eat breakfast.” advice about love: Never get married. I love Brigid. She puts up with the crazy hours and travel that come with Of course, he was kidding; my parents have been married for 35 years, this job, and she has supported me through it all. I can’t wait to be her and on Saturday, I’m taking the plunge with my fiancée Brigid in husband. Charleston, S.C. “I think if you keep it as it was before the marriage, I think you’ll be good,” But since I didn’t heed my father’s tongue-in-cheek advice, I figured I’d Matt Irwin said. “I don’t think there’s anything that needs to be changed. look elsewhere for guidance on how to have a successful marriage. For Obviously, there’s a reason why you’re getting married. the past five years, I have spent more time around the Predators than my friends and family, so who better to go to than them? “You know the old saying: Happy wife, happy life.”

When I first considered doing this, I assumed the players would razz me, Now, if only I can convince Brigid to let this story count as my vows. (Not since NHL players are expert ballbusters. There was some of that; Matt likely.) Duchene advised me not to call my wife-to-be by the wrong name when exchanging vows. Dan Hamhuis said, “When you make love a verb, you make more love.” As a juvenile 30-year-old, I couldn’t help but snicker. The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 “It’s a joke, but it’s true, too,” Hamhuis said. “It was actually a joke I learned in church.”

Mostly, I discovered that the Predators’ dressing room is full of romantics.

“I think your marriage starts before you actually get married,” said Duchene, who married wife Ashley two years ago. “You’ve got to be on the same page. You’ve got to communicate. Communication’s huge. You’ve got to make each other better, so you can’t be afraid to say the tough thing to your spouse to make them better when they need to be, and they need to do the same for you. I know my wife and I have always pushed each other to improve on our weaknesses. It brings you closer and makes you a better couple.”

“It’s a team effort in every aspect,” Kyle Turris said. “Sacrifices come in different ways. I’m lucky to have an amazing wife (Julie) who sacrifices for our family every day. Whenever I get the chance to return the favor, I do. I’ve been married six years, and we’ve been together for 11. It’s just gotten better and better. I thought it was good to begin with, but I love her way more today than I did when we first met or when we first got married.”

Even Terry Crisp, as only he can, offered words of wisdom on the Predators’ pregame radio show Tuesday.

In regards to the wedding day itself, the players gave me two main tips.

First, it’s important to spend time alone with your spouse amid the craziness of the day.

“The one (piece of) advice I would give you for the wedding day — this is what people told me — is to make sure you take some time with your wife that day,” said Roman Josi, who married Ellie Ottaway on July 20. “Obviously, there’s so many people there, but it’s supposed to be you guys’ day, so make sure you take some time away from all the people and just spend some time with her during the day.”

“It’s the best day of your life,” Duchene said. “It goes by too quick, so take it all in.”

The second was to avoid fretting over the details, even though they’ve been carefully planned over the past several months.

“There’s going to be a random thing that doesn’t go according to plan, but nothing can ruin that day,” Turris said. “It’s the perfect day, no matter what.”

As for the reception, it’s all about letting loose.

“I’m not sure if you’re a big dancer,” Turris said. 1165825 New Jersey Devils

Why Devils’ Alain Nasreddine had no issue with P.K. Subban’s 2 penalties vs. Stars

Updated Dec 11, 2019;Posted Dec 11, 2019

By Chris Ryan

DALLAS -- P.K. Subban’s pointless streak now stands at 18 games after failing to register a point in the Devils’ loss against the Dallas Stars on Tuesday at American Airlines Center.

On top of not scoring, he didn’t help the team’s cause by taking consecutive penalties to begin the third period.

Subban’s penalties ultimately didn’t play much of a factor in the outcome — a 2-0 Stars win — since Dallas didn’t score on either power play. But they did cost the Devils four minutes of 5-on-5 time, and even in a game where they failed to generate much of anything on offense, that was valuable time they could have used to get on the scoreboard.

Despite the bad optics of the back-to-back minors, Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine didn’t have a major issue with Subban spending four minutes in the box. Given how the game was going, he saw Subban just trying to make something — anything — happen.

“I didn’t like to call on his first penalty. I think it could have easily been a double minor, and then the other one, he was engaged. He showed passion, he showed with emotion. I’ll deal with that," Nasreddine said. “To be honest, try to stay out of the box, but those penalties, we said before the game, if they’re hard penalties, we’ll kill them.”

When Subban was called for roughing on his first penalty, it came after he was tangled up with Stars captain Jamie Benn at the Devils’ offensive blue line. Benn appeared to hold on to Subban’s stick, preventing him from getting further involved in the play. Subban eventually pushed Benn in the back, sending him to the ice, resulting in the roughing call.

On the second penalty, Subban rushed out of the box and delivered a big hit along the boards in the Devils’ defensive zone, trying to help kill the play. That resulted in a rarely-called charging penalty.

“We didn’t want to take any bad penalties with the stick,” Nasreddine said. "So that to me falls into the category of hard penalties. The timing in the game, nothing was happening in the first 40 (minutes), so I like how he came to play in the third.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165826 New Jersey Devils can’t just go for the home run right off the bat when you’re lacking confidence.”

Why Devils’ weak performance vs. Stars is Alain Nesreddine’s biggest Star Ledger LOADED: 12.12.2019 challenge

Updated Dec 11, 2019;Posted Dec 11, 2019

By Chris Ryan

DALLAS -- The Devils had some glaring, but fixable, mistakes to take away from their last game against the Nashville Predators.

An off day on Sunday plus practice Monday gave interim coach Alain Nasreddine plenty of time to address those issues, and between player meetings and Monday’s hour-long practice, things went well. The Devils looked ready for Tuesday’s game against the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center.

But as soon as the puck dropped, all that progress seemingly vanished.

“I don’t have the answer for you. I really don’t. But it’s been ongoing since the start of the season,” Nasreddine said. “I told the team between the second and third (periods), so far the last three games we showed up, we worked, we were in games, and for some reason, after two great days that were very productive I thought, we show up like that. I don’t have the answer, but I’m going to seek those answers tomorrow or the next couple of days, talk to the veteran players and our core players and see why, and see if we can find some answers.”

And ultimately, that might be Nasreddine’s biggest challenge as interim head coach.

Introducing Devils Insider: Sign up for exclusive news, behind-the-scenes observations and the ability to text message directly with beat writers

The Devils lost their sixth straight game, including their fourth since Nasreddine took over for fired coach John Hynes, in a 2-0 defeat to the Stars on Tuesday. Between ending plays in the defensive zone, making breakout passes and generating shot chances, the Devils had little traction over the first two periods.

Results aside, the Devils are just looking for come consistency in their play on a game-to-game and day-to-day basis. Even though the wins weren’t there in Nasreddine’s first three games, the effort and life was clear. They showed progress and made some plays.

Over the first 40 minutes Tuesday, they had just eight scoring chances. Their 10 in the third period gave them some glimmer of hope, but it was far from enough to overcome the early two-goal deficit. The only reason the Devils any chance at a comeback was the play of goalie Mackenzie Blackwood, who settled down after allowing a soft goal in the opening two minutes.

“There’s no excuse. We had two days off got here a couple days ago, had a good practice (Monday),” Devils forward Kyle Palmieri said. “Guys had the option to go on the ice this morning. No reasons to start like that. Wasn’t good enough, top to bottom.”

Devils forward Blake Coleman said some players were dealing with some flu-like symptoms, which wasn’t too shocking, given the time of year and the fact Nico Hischier missed his third straight game due to illness. But Coleman wouldn’t let that be an excuse, either.

Coleman recently explained how the Devils have a “Jekyll and Hyde” nature, where it’s hard to predict which version of the team will show up on a given night.

With the level of talent on the Devils’ roster, the floor for execution on a given night should be much higher. Every NHL team has games and stretches where its play isn’t as crisp or clean as it would like, but the Devils have never been able to shake away their lows this season.

“It’s about having a strong focus, strong mentality there, knowing what you’re going to do with the puck before you get it," Devils defenseman Andy Greene said. "Not get it and then hope and make a play. It’s all those little things that go into it, and yeah, it’s tough when you don’t get rewarded or come away with wins. That’s obviously the best way to get some confidence, but you got to start small, build your game, make small, little plays here and there, and then kind of build your game. We 1165827 New York Islanders

Ross Johnston skates his way onto Islanders' top line

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated December 11, 2019 6:34 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. — Ross Johnston knows it’s easy to look at his 6-5, 235- pound frame and have some preconceived notions of what kind of player he is.

“When you see a bigger guy on paper coming into the league, the picture is already kind of painted before it starts,” Johnston said after the Islanders’ brisk, 35-minute practice on Wednesday at BB&T Center that emphasized breakouts, battle drills and hard skating.

“Sometimes, it just kind of takes some time to paint your own picture.”

The Islanders will conclude a three-game trip — and a stretch of 10 of 13 on the road — against the Panthers on Thursday night and Johnston is expected to start on ’s top line for the fourth straight game.

He scored a shooter’s goal in Monday night’s 5-1 win over the Lightning, beating goalie Curtis McElhinney over his shoulder and off the far post with a right-circle wrist shot.

The physical edge will always be there for the 25-year-old Johnston, who has played in just 57 games for the Islanders since his NHL debut on April 10, 2016 and has been a healthy scratch 14 times this season. He has two goals in 15 games.

But coach Barry Trotz said Johnston “gets up and down the ice way better than people think.”

“If you go once around the rink, you’d be surprised,” Trotz said. “He’d finish in the top third, for sure, on our team.”

Trotz also noted that pairing Johnston with a sleek-skating playmaker in Barzal is not a new experiment. Johnston did start on Barzal’s left wing along with in the Islanders’ second preseason game, a 3-2 win over the Flyers at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum on Sept. 17.

Johnston has logged 12-plus minutes of ice time in his three games on Barzal’s line after exceeding nine minutes in just two of his first 12 games this season.

He has slid into captain Anders Lee’s former spot on the top line. The 6- 3, 231-pound Lee developed into a top-six power forward who notched a career-high 40 goals in 2017-18.

“If you’re getting results, I don’t think it matters how you look like skating,” Lee said. “If you’re making plays and you’re doing what the team and the coaches are asking for and you’re producing, I don’t think it matters.”

“Yes, you’re portrayed a certain way, you have to time shake that portrayal out of there,” Johnston said. “At the end of the day, it’s just knowing your job and knowing what you’re good at. If you’re playing to that, I don’t think it matters what the other view is. All the outside noise is just noise.”

Notes & Quotes: Defenseman Nick Leddy returned to practice after missing Monday’s game but Trotz said it was questionable whether he would be in the lineup against the Panthers. “It’s too early right now,” Trotz said. “He felt good today but I kept him out of one drill at the end just to be safe.” Leddy hobbled off the ice seemingly unable to put weight on his left skate late in the third period of Saturday night’s 3-1 loss at Dallas.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165828 New York Islanders you’re a young guy. Why you can see sometimes a young player get the ball rolling his first year, then the next year it doesn’t even look like the same player. The NHL will take your confidence.

Why the Islanders can’t afford to lose Noah Dobson, even if it’s not the “I’d rather bring a guy a little slower, one rung at a time, rather than best path for him starting him at the top of the ladder. Once you’re at the top of the ladder there’s only one place to go. Building your game, building your confidence, understanding that a little bit slower is a lot surer process. Some of these young players are on the first line, the league ramps up By Arthur Staple and then they’re on the second line. Then the third line, fourth line and Dec 11, 2019 then they’re not playing and everyone wonders what went wrong. Well, nothing went wrong — it’s the league, it can take your confidence. You have to build it, earn it and that confidence will have some substance to it. We’re just trying to take it slow with him. I know at the end, Noah’s In a normal year, Noah Dobson would be with the other elite Canadian going to be a pretty solid player.” teens in Oakville, Ont., preparing to head to the Czech Republic for his second World Junior tournament. So there likely won’t be a World Junior trip for Dobson. And possibly not more than 25 NHL games despite being healthy all season. It’s not a This has not been a normal year for Dobson or the Islanders, who feel normal year for the Islanders or their top prospect, and that’s not likely to Dobson’s best place is with them, even as he remains the seventh change anytime soon. defenseman who plays sparingly. Dobson, who turns 20 on Jan. 7, got into his eighth game in Tampa on Monday, but Barry Trotz basically went with five defensemen in the 5-1 win. The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 Dobson played just 9:34 while the Isles’ top four defensemen all went over 20 minutes. The results — the Isles were out-attempted 71-44 in the game — may have reflected a tired top four in some ways. Nick Leddy’s injury may leave Dobson in the lineup another time or two this week, but it’s clear as the Isles inch closer to the halfway mark of the season that Trotz believes Dobson is better off watching than playing.

That doesn’t mean Lou Lamoriello would be interested in loaning Dobson out to Team Canada for the World Junior tournament. It would be beneficial for Dobson to be a leader on a team of his peers, play good minutes in an elite event and return to the Isles with a bit more pep in his step — and maybe a gold medal to boot.

Here’s what Lamoriello told The Athletic recently about the possibility of Dobson and the other three World Junior-eligible players currently in Bridgeport — and Bode Wilde for the U.S. and Simon Holmstrom for Sweden — going to World Juniors:

“It’s not a yes and it’s not a no,” Lamoriello said last month. “That’s been communicated to the different programs, so we’re not saying it’s a yes. It could be yes to one and no to another. Time is on our side and we’ll use it.”

Lamoriello would not have chosen this path with Dobson had the AHL been available to the young defenseman. Since he’s ineligible for that league, however, the Islanders chose to keep Dobson on the roster and waive/demote Thomas Hickey, who almost certainly would have been the seventh D-man.

And now, with Dobson a reluctant choice to play, the Islanders are somewhat stuck. Hickey’s season in Bridgeport has been a mess. He was leveled in open ice in the season opener, missed a game as a precaution, then got hurt two more times with separate injuries. He’s played only 11 of 27 games and isn’t skating yet with this most recent injury.

Beyond Hickey, the Sound Tigers have AHL veterans Sebastian Aho and Parker Wotherspoon, both of whom are playing better as Bridgeport has started to steady its game after a woeful first six weeks. Aho is second on the Sound Tigers with 15 points and has taken the mantle from Devon Toews as the next defenseman up if the Isles need someone to play. Aho is also a lefty, so if Leddy’s injury is longer term, Trotz could go left- right on all three pairs, as he seems to prefer. Dobson barely played the left side on Monday after a rough go in his prior game against Los Angeles two weeks ago.

Wotherspoon has six points in his last seven games, and is also a lefty in his third full pro season.

But the gap is pretty large between what the Islanders have on defense and what their depth options are should they want a recall. Dobson is their best option and, even with the decreasing ice time and playing frequency — he played five of the first 15 games and just two of the past 14 — the plan still seems to be on target.

“I was talking to him and told him, the plan was we were going to try to get you stronger, bring you along slower, get a couple games in a row, then maybe there’s a third or a fourth,” Trotz said last month. “But we were just talking about this, how the NHL can just take your confidence if 1165829 New York Rangers

David Quinn’s Rangers finally have a fourth line again

By Brett Cyrgalis

December 11, 2019 | 11:43PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — It seems as if David Quinn finally has found a fourth line he is comfortable playing with regularity.

Into his second season as the Rangers coach, Quinn has shown to be quick in shortening his bench, even more so this season with a rotating cast of fourth-liners. But starting with the 5-0 win in Las Vegas on Sunday that kicked off this four-game road trip, Quinn has had a fourth line including part-time defenseman Brendan Smith on the left, Greg McKegg in the middle, and Jesper Fast on the right.

Following the dull 3-1 loss in Los Angeles on Tuesday night, the Rangers traveled north for Thursday night’s game against the Sharks — and Quinn is starting to have a semblance of a four-line team.

“I would like to play our fourth line more. I know you may not believe it, based on the minutes they’ve played. But I really liked their game,” Quinn said. “That’s a line that, when they’re on their game, they can really influence a game.”

The group got a relatively large amount of ice time Tuesday, with Fast playing 11:35, followed by McKegg (8:11) and Smith (7:32). Quinn made it clear how much deeper his lineup looks since the return of top-line center Mika Zibanejad on Nov. 27 following a month-long absence due to a neck injury. It also helped once McKegg was available again on Dec. 6, after missing six games with a lower-body injury.

Tuesday was a rare rough night for 21-year-old rookie defensemen Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. Fox was on for both of the Kings’ even- strength goals, and was caught on for a long shift late in the first period after joining the rush, eventually leading to Dustin Brown’s goal with 10.1 seconds left in the period.

“If you’re going to join the rush, you’ve got to have enough energy to come back,” Quinn said. “We got caught.”

Lindgren was on only for the second one, getting beat to a loose puck in the crease by Tyler Toffoli, who batted it in.

Quinn was not pleased with Tuesday’s officiating duo of Tim Peel and Kendrick Nicholson, and had an extended conversation with the veteran Peel in the third period.

“It was a general conversation,” Quinn said in his most restrained voice possible.

The Rangers canceled their scheduled practice in Los Angeles on Wednesday, opting for a full morning skate Thursday instead. … The Sharks (15-16-2) fired coach Pete DeBoer, according to reports.

New York Post LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165830 New York Rangers

Rangers thrilled by Kaapo Kakko’s transition to North America

By Brett Cyrgalis

December 11, 2019 | 9:42PM

SAN JOSE, Calif. — Kaapo Kakko has the body of a man and the Rangers’ second-overall pick plays like one. But taken out of the context of hockey, he is a 18-year-old from Finland playing in a foreign land, surrounded by people, some of whom have children his age.

That includes general manager Jeff Gorton, who has two teenage sons and intimately understands that every night for Kakko is not going to be perfect — even if more nights than not he has been impactful.

“I think he’s doing really well,” Gorton said, as the Rangers took Wednesday to travel up the coast and prepare for Thursday night’s game against the Sharks. “Having two teenagers, I can relate to how hard it must be to walk into the best league in the world and make an impact.”

Kakko played one of his most assertive games in weeks on Tuesday night in Los Angeles, registering eight shots on goal in 10 attempts during a 3-1 loss to the Kings. It was a game in which the Rangers didn’t shoot nearly enough, nor get to the net with enough regularity. There were even times when Kakko passed up shots, the most glaring moment just three minutes into the game, when he got the puck at the left porch and deked his way around the net.

An early goal would have changed the whole tenor of the game, and not allowed the Kings to sit back and suck the life out of the contest following a Dustin Brown goal with 10.1 seconds left in the first period. But that’s what happened, and Kakko didn’t score for the 12th straight game, all since he missed the two-game Florida swing in mid-November due to the flu.

Kakko had scored three goals in the preceding two games before the illness, and five of his six goals total in the preceding seven contests.

“Definitely before he got sick, he was really coming on,” Gorton said. “I feel again he’s starting to come back.”

Coach David Quinn made it clear just over a week ago that he had a decision to make with Kakko — either limit his ice time as he worked his way through some struggles or give him a bigger opportunity and see if he could pull himself out.

Quinn chose the latter, putting Kakko back on the first power-play unit and adding him to a line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome. Mika Zibanejad took over for Strome at center in the opener of this road trip, a 5-0 win in Las Vegas on Sunday, when Kakko picked up an assist. Kakko also assisted on Panarin’s late six-on-four goal Tuesday.

So Kakko has six goals and eight assists through his first 28 NHL games. It’s not the type of production that would get him mentioned in the race for the Calder Trophy, but every player develops at his own pace.

The Rangers are happy not only with the way the 6-foot-2, 200-pound Kakko is developing as a player, but also with how he is adjusting to the lifestyle of pro hockey. He lives with a billet family in Westchester County when the Rangers are home, and he spends a lot of extra time at the rink. He almost always is one of the last players off the ice following practice. His English is getting better, and he seems to be getting along with his teammates.

He’s dedicated, and he clearly has a love for the game. Gorton said that during the game against the Golden Knights, he “saw some really good things” in Kakko’s play, and it is starting to go beyond just his offense.

“Especially without the puck, he’s starting to grow that way,” Gorton said. “I think the coaches have done a really good job with him, I think his teammates have done a really good job with bringing him along, helping him. Really encouraged by where it’s going, and his future.”

New York Post LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165831 New York Rangers “I think about what a great team we had, all the good guys we had, all the success we had,” Kreider said. “We had a really good run, it was a lot fun. Good memories. Obviously didn’t end the way we wanted it to.”

Kings game conjures painful Stanley Cup memories for Henrik Lundqvist No, it didn’t, and every return trip to the sunny Pacific coast rips a Band- Aid off the old wound.

“I’m not going to deny it — you think about it,” Lundqvist said. “Anytime By Brett Cyrgalis you get that close, especially in the final, you’re going to remember that — what went wrong, why you didn’t win. You definitely move on, but it’s December 11, 2019 | 12:23PM part of your memory, for sure.”

LOS ANGELES — Henrik Lundqvist said he counts himself among those New York Post LOADED: 12.12.2019 who can’t come to the urban sprawl of the City of Angels and not think about June 2014, when the Rangers were oh-so-close to winning a championship.

That Stanley Cup final against the Kings, which ended in five games, was a study in heartbreak, with post hits still ringing in their ears and the image of Lundqvist facedown on the ice after Alec Martinez’s clinching goal in double-overtime still burned into the memory. Even more indelible is the image of Lundqvist slumped over in the locker room, his pads still on an hour after the game, sweat dripping down from the equipment hanging above him.

It’s awkward to bring up, but there was no reason to deny the memories and emotions come back to the surface when the Blueshirts return once a year.

“Excitement and pain, combined,” Lundqvist said Monday. “That’s what pops up every time you walk into that building. But it’s in the past now.”

It could be that was as close as the 37-year-old Lundqvist will ever get to winning a Stanley Cup, with the Rangers now so young and rebuilding. A lot of things have happened in the interim, including the two-time Cup- winning Kings also rebuilding, coming out of their 3-1 win over the Rangers Tuesday night with the third-worst record in the league.

“Feels like a long time ago, doesn’t it? When you look at the makeup of our team and the guys we have left,” said Chris Kreider, who, with Lundqvist and defenseman Marc Staal, are the only players remaining from that 2013-14 team.

Alec Martinez celebrates scoring the Stanley Cup-clinching goal against Henrik Lundqvist in 2014.

The Rangers made an exciting run to that final, including an epic Eastern Conference final against the Canadiens that they won in six games, and the overwhelming emotion of the unexpected death of Martin St. Louis’ mother, after which the Rangers rallied from a three-games-to-one deficit in the second round against the Penguins. Then came the Cup final — one overtime game, two double-overtime games; the puck bouncing over Dan Girardi’s stick in Game 1, the post Kreider hit in overtime of Game 2, getting outshot 15-1 in the third period of Game 4, but still managing to win.

And then the bottom falling out when Martinez scored on a rebound, and suddenly, the whole thing was over. The Rangers had lost.

“When you’re skating in that rink, and you see the banner for them winning, yeah, I think about it,” Kreider said. “But we have to focus on the task we have at hand, right?”

The task at hand is the Rangers trying to get back there, and for two years then have shed veterans and compiled a group of young, talented players they think can be the core to reach that goal. The rebuilding might end up sending Kreider away before the Feb. 24 trade deadline, as the pending unrestricted free agent might not fit into the financial plan.

Lundqvist has one more year after this one left on his deal, carrying an annual salary-cap hit of $8.5 million, and the club has two terrific 23-year- old netminders behind him in Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin. It was Georgiev who excelled over the past week, collecting two shutouts in his past four starts, including the 5-0 blanking of the Golden Knights on Sunday to start this four-game road trip off on the right foot.

“I know I have perform well if I want to play games,” Lundqvist said. “This week has been incredible for Georgie, and the way he’s been playing has helped the team win. And that’s the most important thing.”

That 2013-14 Rangers team won a lot, too, with a very similar version taking the Presidents’ Trophy the following year before losing to the Lightning in the conference final. 1165832 New York Rangers By “clogging the middle of the ice” with their “neutral zone forecheck,” the Kings were able to slow things down against the smaller and less- physical Rangers.

Analyzing the underlying issues on offense and defense for the NY The Rangers could benefit from a more aggressive forecheck Rangers themselves, which would make it tougher for teams to penetrate their zone and pepper their goaltenders with shots.

'Get pucks to the net' Vincent Z. Mercogliano, NHL writer Shoring up the defense would surely help the Rangers in their playoff Published 3:04 p.m. ET Dec. 11, 2019 | Updated 4:05 p.m. ET Dec. 11, push, but creating more chances for themselves is the other half of the 2019 battle.

They’re averaging 3.1 goals per game, which was tied for 12th in the NHL heading into Wednesday, and they’re finding ways to score despite LOS ANGELES – What to make of these New York Rangers? taking few shots than any other team ranked in the top 15. We’re inching toward Christmas and the answers remain unclear. In fact, they're the only team in the top 15 that's averaging less than 30 On one hand, the Baby Blueshirts are 15-12-3 and in the thick of the shots on goal per game. (The Rangers are at 28.8, with the Buffalo Eastern Conference playoff race. Sabres next at 30.8.)

On the other, they’ve been maddeningly inconsistent, trading wins and What does that tell you? losses for eight consecutive games now. “We have a lot of skill guys holding onto pucks, and it’s something we’ve And then there are the underlying issues, with the Rangers ranking as talked about — get it to the net, get in front of the goalie,” Lundqvist said. the worst team in the NHL in terms of shot and expected goal rates. “We score a lot of good-looking goals, but we also need to score some simple — just throwing pucks to the net and get some bounces.” They’ve made a habit of giving up more scoring chances than they create, placing a big burden on their two goaltenders — Henrik Lundqvist Shooting more pucks has been a common theme from both Quinn and and Alexandar Georgiev. players after losses. They have several young players who seem to opt for the extra pass rather than simply pulling the trigger. How to assess all of that is up for debate. It’s been well-publicized that the Rangers have the youngest roster in league, and there are several “You can't break a team down going East-West when they're playing like young players who are gaining valuable experience and showing they that,” Chris Kreider said after the loss to the Kings. “So, we need to have can be part of the long-term solution. a little more snarl and get pucks to the net. … If you’re firing stuff there, that’s how you break down the 'D.' It’s easy (for the opponent) to stay in Growing pains are to be expected and learning how to win can’t always your structure when guys are playing around the perimeter.” be measured with stats. But if the Rangers want to accomplish their stated goal of making the playoffs, they'll need to limit the roller-coaster If they can find ways to shoot more, limit turnovers and elevate their performances. forecheck — all easier said than done — then the Rangers may just find the consistency they've been striving for. Tightening things up on defense "We know we haven't played perfect games," Quinn said. "We've had What’s not up for debate is this: The strength of this team is goaltending. some real tough ones throughout the season, but we continue to show growth and that's what we’re focusing on." Lundqvist had a stretch earlier in the season in which he carried the team, and Georgiev took his turn last week with four goals allowed in four starts — including two shutouts. Bergen Record LOADED: 12.12.2019 According to Hockey Reference, the goalies have stood up to an average of 43.1 scoring chances allowed per game (defined as “all shot attempts from within a certain range of the net”), while the Rangers have only generated an average of 31.1.

In terms of high-danger shots, which are defined as “shot attempts from the ‘slot’ area and rebounds,” the Rangers are allowing an average of 18.7 while creating 13.6 of their own.

“You show me a team that wins without great goaltending and it’ll be the first time I’ve seen that,” Rangers coach David Quinn said Tuesday when asked if goaltending has masked poor defensive performances.

“We've been very fortunate for our goaltending,” he added. “No one's hidden from that. No one's not acknowledged it. We want to tighten things up defensively.”

While the stats highlight the problem, the solution isn’t as simple as identify.

Quinn believes the biggest issue is turnovers created by young players trying to do too much.

“We try to force plays too often,” he said. “That's our No. 1 problem. And it's something that we're going to have to continue to work on throughout the season, and we're going to have to continue to grow and be more mature. You can go out there and have a shift and nothing good or bad happens, and that can be a pretty good shift. I don't know if we're there yet as a group. I think when we get out there, we always want to make something good happen.”

Limiting those reckless plays would be a huge step in the right direction, but Quinn hit on another key point while talking about Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the L.A. Kings. 1165833 New York Rangers

Rangers keep alternating surprising wins and unexpected losses

By Colin Stephenson [email protected] @ColinSNewsday

Updated December 11, 2019 6:20 PM

LOS ANGELES — Since Thanksgiving eve, when they beat the Hurricanes at the Garden for their third win in a row, the Rangers have followed each win with a loss. Including that Nov. 27 game against Carolina, the Rangers are 4-3-1, having alternated wins and losses. In some cases, the wins have been surprising and/or impressive, and sometimes the losses have been just as unexpected and/or deflating.

It happened again Tuesday in Los Angeles, when the Rangers — who were feeling pretty good about themselves after a 5-0 win in Las Vegas in the opener of a four-game Western trip — were humbled in a 3-1 loss to the rebuilding Kings, who are in last place in the Western Conference.

Before the game, Rangers coach David Quinn spoke about his team being in the hunt for a playoff spot, but the loss to the Kings dropped the Rangers five points back of the second wild card position in the East.

Dustin Brown’s goal with 10.1 seconds left gave the Kings the lead in the first period of a sleepy game at a relatively quiet Staples Center, and Tyler Toffoli — whose sharp cross-ice pass had set up Brown’s goal — made it 2-0 midway through the second period.

The Kings were able to shut the Rangers down after that, though Artemi Panarin finally broke the shutout with a six-on-four power play goal with 29.7 seconds left. Adrian Kempe added an empty-netter for L.A.

The loss was a major downer after the high of beating Vegas on Sunday. Similarly, Friday’s 2-1 home loss to Montreal, where the winning goal was scored with 1:07 left, also was a bummer on a night the Rangers played much better than they had the previous night, when Alex Georgiev’s 45 saves stole a 3-2 win for them in Columbus.

Tuesday night, Quinn rationalized that sometimes you just have to accept that the bottom-line record (15-12-3, 33 points) usually is fair.

“At the end of the day, I think your record is what it is, and it usually evens out,’’ Quinn said. “So, probably the hockey gods [are] righting wrongs.’’

Chris Kreider, who assisted on Panarin’s goal with a nifty flick-on pass from the goal crease to the low slot, insisted that the Rangers’ win-one- lose-one trend is different than it was earlier in the season.

“It’s not quite the same, where early on in the year we’d play a really good game we felt good about, and then… we’d get away from our structure, get away from the smart work that put us in the position to win the game prior, and get our teeth kicked in after playing some pretty good games and winning against some pretty good teams,’’ Kreider said. “But now it feels like our structure’s been a lot better, [and] now it’s just taking the next step: pucks to the net — especially a team like that that’s so good in the neutral zone.’’

After Wednesday off, the road trip continues Thursday in San Jose against the Sharks, when the Rangers will once again try to bounce back after a loss. They’ve gone 8-1 in the games following their last nine losses.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165834 NHL At the time, he said, players and coaches felt he’d handled things correctly and he never heard further complaints. Current Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour, an assistant under Peters, confirmed as much to reporters two weeks ago. NHL Seattle GM Ron Francis speaks for the first time since Bill Peters coaching abuse allegations “Listen, it’s easy at this point to look back on things,” Francis said. “But when you’re in the situation, you deal with it the way you think is best at the time. And that’s what I tried to do.”

Dec. 11, 2019 at 5:30 pm Updated Dec. 11, 2019 at 5:47 PM There have been subsequent reports out of North Carolina that longstanding relationships within the organization were ruined because By Geoff Baker Peters stayed on. Also, that Francis allowing Peters to name Jordan Seattle Times staff reporter Staal and Justin Faulk as co-captains in 2016-17, instead of newly returned veteran Justin Williams, contributed to a deterioration of the coach’s relationship with players.

NHL Seattle general manager Ron Francis said Wednesday he hopes to “The captaincy thing, there are different decisions on how that’s made,” learn from his experiences with the Carolina Hurricanes and put fallout said Francis, a captain much of his playing career. “The two guys that from the Bill Peters situation behind him. shared the captaincy wanted it. It’s an internal decision.”

In a sit-down interview near the team’s Queen Anne headquarters, his He added: “We went from 86 points the year before to 87 points that first since his one-time Hurricanes coach, Peters, resigned last month year.” from the Calgary Flames following accusations of past racist remarks and physical abuse, Francis addressed some lingering issues. Most notably, But clearly, recent events have stung — especially hearing about how he explained why he gave Peters a two-year contract extension in July Peters, the first coach Francis hired, was alleged to have used a racist 2016 after earlier having imposed unspecified corrective action on him for slur toward black player Akim Aliu a decade ago in the minors. striking two players on the bench during a game. “It’s a tough situation to hear about,” Francis said. “I think our league’s “We looked where the team was and how it was playing,” Francis said. taken some steps that are encouraging. I think where we are as a game “It was moving in the right direction. We’d made a huge increase from and as a society, we’re better than five years ago. And five years ago we where it was the year before to where we were that year. And quite were better than we were 10 years ago, and hopefully we continue honestly, we looked at that (physical-abuse) situation, we addressed it moving in that direction.” and we felt it was behind him.” After the Aliu accusations surfaced, former Hurricanes defenseman The Hurricanes had jumped from 71 points the previous season to 86 Michal Jordan tweeted that Peters had kicked him in the back and points. punched a second Carolina player during a game.

Francis would not specify what corrective action he took, saying such Peters resigned from the Flames on Nov. 29. personnel issues are “not for public discussion.” He was asked whether Francis knows he has a chance now to build on his experiences from his he’d handle the situation — including the contract extension — any first stint as a general manager. differently today given what’s come out lately about coaching abuses. “When you look back, there were some things we did well and certain “I think you deal with it the best you can with the situation you have at the things we need to improve on to get better,” he said. “That’s part of the time,” Francis said. “I think within the last week there have been some learning process, I think.” changes the league has made. I think that’s positive moving forward. I don’t claim to be perfect. I make mistakes. I try to learn every day from Francis said he always has tried to respect people he works with and the people I talk with in situations. That’s what I try to do and take that earn their respect. knowledge moving forward. And hopefully you’re never in that situation again.” He had a reputation in Carolina for keeping things “close to the vest” — even from ownership. But he’s been heavily engaged with NHL Seattle NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Monday, addressing reporters at CEO Tod Leiweke and owners in Seattle, given the ’s the league’s board of governors meetings in California, said physical situation and need for multiple presentations and ownership approvals on abuse and homophobic and racist comments will not be tolerated. myriad topics. Bettman added the league “doesn’t like surprises,” and the Peters situation was just that. Leiweke said he fully supports Francis and believes the GM is “a man of utmost integrity who stands behind his word, and just about anyone Going forward, he expects the league office to be informed by teams of who’s ever dealt with him will tell you that. I talked to a lot of people about any conduct incident they become aware of. what happened in that (Peters) situation and I have every reason to believe he handled it in a professional and appropriate manner he felt “There will be zero tolerance for any failure to notify us, and in the event was best.” of such failure the club and individuals involved can expect severe discipline,” Bettman said. Francis said he’s “learned a lot already” and hopes to be a better GM for it. Bettman also said he continues to explore discrepancies between former Carolina owner Peter Karmanos, who said in an interview with The “I’ve been very impressed since I’ve been here — getting to spend time Seattle Times he was never told about the physical abuse, and Francis, with Tod (Leiweke) and some of our owners,” he said. “It’s been who later claimed he had briefed ownership. articulated very clearly what we expect the standard to be here in Seattle.

Francis said Wednesday he stands by his statement and won’t engage in “And it’s my goal to build that operation to meet those standards. That’s a back-and-forth with Karmanos, who sold majority control of the what we’re focusing on. Trying to build the people and the staff and the Hurricanes to Thomas Dundon in December 2017. Francis was fired a players that can accomplish that.” few months later, and Peters opted out of his contract and took the Flames job.

Francis couldn’t recall having personally witnessed a coach physically Seattle Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 abuse a player at any point during his 23-season playing career. He added that no red flags came up on Peters ahead of hiring him as coach.

“We did our due diligence (before hiring Peters),” Francis said. “We talked to a lot of people, and there was nothing that popped up at that point.

“We took it (the player abuse) very seriously and addressed it.” 1165835 Ottawa Senators The Senators got exactly what they expected from the Habs, but Ottawa looked like the team that was supposed to be battling for a playoff spot. There were a lot of times in this game when the Senators looked like they were in the driver’s seat, and it’s no wonder the Habs are concerned GARRIOCH GAME REPORT: Senators fall to Canadiens in overtime about where they’ll end up in April.

Tkachuk was a central figure in this one. After knocking over Primeau in the crease, Tkachuk had Montreal captain Shea Weber so frustrated he Bruce Garrioch gave him an ugly crosscheck into the boards behind the net. A scrum ensued and both players ended up in the box with for roughing.

MONTREAL — The road hasn’t always been kind to the Ottawa Anthony Duclair was given an extra minor for his actions during the Senators this season. pushing and shoving behind the net, which meant the Habs ended up with a power play. Well, at least this wasn’t totally pointless. While the Senators had no complaints about their start and even The Senators were able to erase a two-goal, third-period deficit, but they dominated the Habs by outshooting them 8-1 through the first 10 weren’t able to get the result as they dropped a 3-2 overtime decision to minutes, Montreal started using its speed and then pulled ahead with a rookie goalie Cayden Primeau and the Montreal Canadiens on power-play goal with 6:24 left in the first and, as a result, Ottawa trailed Wednesday night at the Bell Centre. 1-0 after 20 minutes. The goal came when Cousins deflected a shot by Max Domi past Nilsson with Cody Goloubef in the box. Nilsson didn’t Only wingers Brady Tkachuk and Connor Brown were able to beat the have a chance on that one, but the Senators had pushed the pace and 20-year-old Primeau, who picked up his first career win in only his deserved to be in a better position, but Primeau stood his ground. He second NHL start by making 35 stops. Tomas Tatar and Nick Cousins looked solid and didn’t give up many big rebounds. did the scoring on Ottawa goaltender Anders Nilsson in regulation. “It was a good effort by us down by two going into the third and to battle Ben Chiarot scored at 1:11 of overtime on an odd-man rush for the Habs. back,” said defenceman Thomas Chabot, who played 28:42 and picked Coming off a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins on Monday at home, the up his 100th NHL point with an assist “To battle back and to get a point Senators were sitting in Montreal waiting for the Habs while they spent on the road, we’re proud of that, but we wanted to get the two in Tuesday night skating to a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins on overtime.” the road. PAGEAU HITS 400-GAME MILESTONE The Senators knew the challenge was to try to pick up where they left off Jean-Gabriel Pageau couldn’t have picked a better stage for a milestone against the Bruins, and, for the most part, they did that by playing well game in his NHL career. defensively and outplaying the Habs. There aren’t many places with an atmosphere like the Bell Centre across “We battled back and I thought we played well for the second half of that the NHL’s map, and that’s why Wednesday night against the arch-rival game,” said Tkachuk, who had a goal and an assist with eight shots on Canadiens felt like the perfect stage for the Senators centre to suit up for net. “They took it to us a little bit in the first. We knew if we just kept his 400th career game. getting pucks on net there was going to be a bounce that goes in. We really focused on getting pucks on net. It’s been a long, sometimes difficult road for the 5-foot-10 Pageau, but the 27-year-old has worked hard to become an impact player since being “We just knew if we kept getting pucks on him there would be chances to drafted No. 96 overall from the QMJHL’s Gatineau Olympiques in 2011. score, and that was our main focus.” He’s proud of the accomplishment and is hopeful he has plenty of Brown tied it up 2-2 with 6:55 remaining by beating Primeau with a racetrack left in what’s a been a good career thus far. backhander and suddenly this game had a different feel because it “It’s fun. When you grow up, you always dream about playing in the NHL certainly didn’t look like he was going to give up two goals after shutting and you always dream about playing that first game, the draft and then to the door most of the night. be able to play this game for so long I’m so grateful for all the teammates It looked like the Habs had taken control of the game when Tatar scored I have and I’ve had,” Pageau said before facing the Habs. only 29 seconds into the third to give the club a 2-0 lead. “It’s because of them that I’m still in the league, I think, (along with) all Tkachuk’s 11th of the season was a big one when he scored on the the staff and all the coaching that I’ve had along the way. I’m very power play by beating Primeau from the slot at 4:30. grateful for all of that.”

That made the third period a whole lot more interesting. When the Ottawa native says those words, he means them. He’s carved out his spot in the NHL, but he appreciates all the help he’s received “Overall, our effort was good,” Senators coach D.J. Smith said. “Every along the way. He had to overcome the odds because a lot teams looked team has there ups and downs, but we’ve played hard for most of the at his size and took a pass. games, even the ones we haven’t won. This is certainly a special building, Original Six and how historic it is, so this is an easy one to get You can’t measure the size of someone’s heart, though, and Pageau up for.” plays with it every night, which is what general manager Pierre Dorion saw in him when the draft was held. #Sens Head Coach D.J. Smith speaks to the media following tonight’s 3- 2 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens. pic.twitter.com/vyWErTM3hM “Everyone has had their different path to the NHL,” he said. “Mine was the same way, I was smaller than everyone and not strong enough like — Ottawa Senators (@Senators) December 12, 2019 everyone was saying so proving everyone wrong was my focus. So far Making only his second NHL start after stopping 32 shots in a 3-1 loss to it’s been going pretty well.” the Colorado Avalanche on Dec. 5, Primeau returned to the net and was An unrestricted free agent on July 1, Pageau has been one of the solid for the Habs as the Senators were ahead on the shot clock 26-20 league’s most consistent goal scorers this season. He went into the through 40 minutes but were down 1-0. game against Montreal with 16 goals and 23 points in 31 games, and The fans were chanting Primeau’s name late in the second period and he those are pretty strong numbers. was able to get across the net to halt Tkachuk on a 2-on-1. There’s no “He’s a guy that’s been dependable for a long time and I think he’s doubt the Senators were a frustrated lot because Primeau simply shut playing more of an extended role in an offensive situation this year,” the door and when the Habs had a chance at the other end Nilsson was Smith said. “Through good defence, he’s creating some offence and he’s there to stand tall. been great for our guys right from the start.

“Overall, we played a pretty good game,” said Nilsson, who faced 29 “He comes to play and we’ve got a good relationship and every so often shots. “Montreal did a pretty good job of boxing us out. We didn’t get in I’ll tell him I need a little more here and a little more there. He’s a true pro front of their goalie as much as we wanted. It’s a tough way to lose. You and he’s been doing a great job.” always want those two points.” DUCLAIR HAS BEEN A BIG CONTRIBUTOR

A nice surprise this season has been the play of Duclair.

Dorion and the Senators’ pro scouts identified him as a player they wanted back as part of the Ryan Dzingel trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets last February, but the organization wasn’t sure how he’d perform in Ottawa.

The Senators looked at this as an opportunity to get a first-hand look at him, and he’s carried over his strong play from the end of last season into this year. He went into Wednesday’s visit to Montreal with 15 goals and 22 points in 31 games and in 52 games with Ottawa over parts of the last two seasons Duclair has 23 goals and 36 points.

His role has expanded under Smith, including using his speed to kill penalties, and Duclair has embraced the job he’s been given.

“You want to stay consistent. It’s a long year,” Duclair said. “Things are going well right now and I’ve just got to bring that every day. You’ve got to bring it to practice and you can’t really take any days off. You’ve always got to remember how you got here, how you got off to a hot start, and that’s why I’m working hard every day.”

Certainly, Smith has been pleased with what he’s seen from Duclair.

“He’s confident, he’s skating, he’s shooting the puck, and he’s at the point now where he’s in real good shape and he’s starting to see that, when he brings his best effort, he’s going to get chances in this league every night.

“There will be stretches where he’ll be streaky for sure, but he’s been good on the penalty kill and he got a shorty in Philadelphia the other night. For me, as long as he’s playing stress-free hockey and having fun, he’s going to score goals.”

THE LAST WORDS

Smith made no changes against the Habs. That meant defenceman Max Lajoie was a healthy scratch for the third straight game. Smith says if that’s going to continue to be the case, then the club will return Lajoie to its AHL affiliate in Belleville because Ottawa wants its young players on the ice. … Smith gave kudos to anthem singer Sophia Pierce for the strong start in the win over the Bruins on Monday. “I thought the job the little girl did with the anthem had the building alive and our players,” Smith said. “I’ve got to credit her for our start.” … The Senators will make their annual Christmas visit to the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario on Thursday afternoon at 3 p.m. It’s always special to see the smiles at this event.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165836 Philadelphia Flyers Colorado controlled most of the first period and left the ice with a 1-0 lead at the intermission.

If not for Hart’s strong goaltending, it could have easily been 3-0. Shorthanded Flyers fall to Colorado, 3-1, as Mikko Rantanen scores a The Avalanche took a 1-0 lead as Matt Calvert gathered a rebound off pair the post and put a backhander into the net with 14:39 left in the first. Hart had trouble finding the rebound, and Calvert deposited his sixth goal of the season. by Sam Carchidi, “Kind of a weird broken play," Hart said. "... That’s the game of hockey. Sometimes the bounces are going to go your way, sometimes they’re not.” DENVER -- Minus their leading goal scorers, injured wingers Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom, the Flyers figure to huff and puff to add The Avs (20-8-3) had the last nine shots of the first period and it seemed points on a three-game road trip that started Wednesday night in Denver. like they had a power play over the last eight-plus minutes of the session. In a late flurry over the last 36 seconds of the first, Hart denied Making matters worse, they faced a gifted Colorado team that would MacKinnon and Samuel Girard and might have gotten his pad on Tyson have been difficult to beat with Konecny and Lindblom. Jost’s rebound at the doorstep after his initial shot hit the right post. So it wasn’t exactly shocking that the Flyers fell to the Avalanche, 3-1, at The Flyers (17-9-5), who had points in 16 of their previous 19 games, the Pepsi Center. had little attack time against Francouz in the opening 20 minutes. Their Mikko Rantanen scored a pair of goals and backup goalie Pavel best chance came with 9:30 left in the period when Giroux, who Francouz made 32 saves as the Avalanche handed the Flyers just their appeared to have an open net, pounced on a rebound but had his slot second loss in the last eight games. Francouz, 29, was playing because shot blocked by defenseman Nikita Zadorov. of an injury to Philipp Grubauer. Hart went into the night with poor road numbers: a 2-4-1 record, with a Francouz lost his shutout, which would have been the first of his 15- 3.78 goals-against average and an .849 save percentage. game NHL career, when Claude Giroux scored with 5 minutes, 12 At home, he has been dominating, going 8-1-2 with a 1.62 GAA and .940 seconds left. save percentage. The Flyers outshot the Avalanche, 33-27. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.12.2019 “Obviously, we didn’t finish (plays) as well as they did,” center Sean Couturier said, “but it could have went one way or the other. It was a hard-fought battle and they just executed a little better than us."

“I liked the way we started the game, and then they had that 10-minute, really unbelievable push in that first period,” coach Alain Vigneault said of the Avs. ”That’s as quick as I’ve seen a team come at us. But after that, I really liked our game. I liked our effort. We did a lot of things that should permit you to score some goals and we weren’t able to capitalize on some of our real good looks.."

Colorado is on a 7-0-1 run.

Rantanen, left all alone in front, scored his second of the night and eighth of the season to give the Avs a 3-0 lead with 17:29 left in the third period. Rantanen took a pass from Nazem Kadri, who was behind the net, and virtually ended the Flyers’ hopes.

The Flyers’ lineup included four rookie forwards: Morgan Frost, Joel Farabee, Misha Vorobyev, and David Kase, who was recalled from the Phantoms earlier in the day and made his NHL debut.

“We have some young guys pushing, trying to make a mark for themselves,” Couturier said before the game. “So this is an opportunity for them to step in and show” what they can do.

The Flyers, cycling the puck and using an active forecheck, had the first 11 shots of the second period but couldn’t get the equalizer against Francouz. The Flyers finished with a 17-5 shots domination in the second but were outscored 1-0 and fell into a 2-0 hole.

“We had a lot of good looks; things like that are going to happen,” said Jake Voracek, who finished with four shots and set up Giroux’s goal. “I think we played a pretty good hockey game.”

“I thought we tilted the ice in the second and their goalie made some good saves,” said Kevin Hayes, who also had four shots but finished minus-3 on the night. “If a couple of those go in, it’s a totally different game.”

Flyers goalie Carter Hart made one of the best saves of his young career with 6:22 to go in the second, a stop that will be replayed over and over on all the sports shows.

Rantanen, racing down the right side on a two-on one, whipped a shot that a diving Hart somehow snared with his glove hand.

About 2 1/2 minutes later, Hart wasn’t as fortunate. This time, Rantanen tapped in a slick goal-mouth feed from Nathan MacKinnon after a defensive breakdown by the Flyers down low. That gave the Avs a 2-0 lead with 3:55 remaining in the second. 1165837 Philadelphia Flyers Both teams are rolling. Colorado is on a 6-0-1 run, and the Flyers have won six of their last seven. … Carter Hart will start for the Flyers; he has been excellent at home but has struggled on the road (2-4-1, 3.78 GAA, .849 save percentage). At home, he is 8-1-2 with a 1.62 GAA and .940 Flyers recall speedy winger David Kase from Phantoms to replace save percentage. … Nazem Kadri, a feisty center who had 10 goals and injured Oskar Lindblom 20 points in 27 games before being injured, is ready to return to the Avs’ lineup tonight. ... Pavel Francouz (2.50, .923 in 12 games) is expected to

be in goal for the Avs. Colorado’s No. 1 goalie, Philipp Grubauer (2.76, by Sam Carchidi, .914 in 18 games), has been battling a lower-body injury. ... Wednesday is the start of a three-game trip for the Flyers, who also have stops in Minnesota on Saturday and Winnipeg on Sunday.

DENVER — The Flyers have recalled speedy winger David Kase from Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.12.2019 the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, and he will be in the lineup Wednesday night against talented Colorado, replacing injured Oskar Lindblom.

Flyers coach Alain Vigneault said he “wasn’t quite sure yet” about the seriousness of Lindblom’s upper-body injury.

Injuries to Lindblom and Travis Konecny (concussion), who share the team lead with 11 goals, have scrambled the Flyers’ lines for Wednesday’s game. Here is how they will look:

* Sean Couturier centering Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek.

* Kevin Hayes centering Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee.

* Morgan Frost centering James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Pitlick.

* Misha Vorobyev centering Kase and Chris Stewart.

Kase, 22, a fifth-round selection in the 2015 draft, had three goals and three assists in 21 games with the Phantoms this season. He is an undersized player who plays with a lot of grit.

Vigneault said reports from general manager Chuck Fletcher and Phantoms coach Scott Gordon, call Kase a solid two-way player “who brings a lot of energy and is a quick skater, a guy who gets in on the forecheck. They were really pleased with his progress. They’re a little bit like us right now. They have quite a few guys who are out, so on their list of guys who are playing well, he was the next guy on the list."

Kase (pronounced kayh-SHEH) will become the sixth Flyer to make his NHL debut this season. The others: Carsen Twarynski, Connor Bunnaman, Farabee, German Rubtsov, and Frost.

The 5-foot-11, 170-pound Kase served as the 2017 captain of the Czech Republic team in the World Juniors. He did not arrive in time for Wednesday’s morning skate in Denver.

Kase’s brother, Ondrej, is a 24-year-old winger with Anaheim who scored 20 goals for the Ducks in 2017-18.

Makar sidelined

Colorado’s Cale Makar, a 5-11, 187-pound defenseman who looks like a superstar in the making, will not face the Flyers on Wednesday.

He missed Monday’s game with what is believed to be a shoulder injury, suffered when checked by Boston’s Brad Marchand on Saturday.

Makar, 21, the heavy early favorite to win the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year, has eight goals, 28 points, and a plus-10 rating in 29 games this season.

In 2017, he was drafted No. 4 overall — after New Jersey took center Nico Hischier at No 1, the Flyers took center Nolan Patrick at No. 2, and Dallas took defenseman Miro Heiskanen at No. 3.

Boston's Jake DeBrusk (74) pursues Colorado's Cale Makar (8) during the first period Saturday. Makar, a standout rookie, was later injured in the game.

After being drafted, Makar was asked if he modeled his game after any NHL players.

“I would say a little bit of a mix between Erik Karlsson and Shayne Gostisbehere,” he told reporters. “I watched quite a bit of Gostisbehere coming out of college and noticed the deceptiveness from his game right away. I think that is one factor I have always had to my game. In terms of Erik Karlsson, we have very similar tendencies in the ways we break pucks out, join the rush and especially off the line."

Breakaways 1165838 Philadelphia Flyers games on the road, and they are either traveling or playing road games (or practicing on the road) for 20 of the next 29 days.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.12.2019 Suddenly, injuries piling up on Flyers, who are minus top goal scorers Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom, among others

by Sam Carchidi,

DENVER – The Flyers have been playing their best hockey of the season in recent weeks, but they will suddenly have to overcome a series of injuries if they are going to sustain their momentum.

They played Wednesday’s game in Colorado without Oskar Lindblom (upper-body injury) and Travis Konecny (concussion), wingers who share the team lead with 11 goals.

In addition, rookie defenseman Phil Myers (team-best plus-14 rating) was sidelined by back spasms, winger Michael Raffl was out with a broken finger, and center Nolan Patrick has not played all season because of a migraine disorder.

“That’s part of the game,” coach Alain Vigneault said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “I really believe that in an 82-game schedule, all teams go through it at some point or another. It’s a great opportunity for some other guys.”

On Wednesday, the Flyers had to recall winger David Kase from the AHL’s Phantoms to replace Lindblom, and seldom-used right winger Chris Stewart also went into the lineup.

The injuries to Lindblom and Konecny, who was leveled by Mark Borowiecki in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Ottawa, forced Vigneault to scramble three of his four lines Wednesday. Only one line – Kevin Hayes centering Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee – remained intact.

The other lines: Sean Couturier centering Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek; Morgan Frost centering James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Pitlick; and Misha Vorobyev centering Kase and Stewart.

Vigneault said he “wasn’t quite sure yet” about the seriousness of Lindblom’s injury. Konecny is out indefinitely, Myers is day to day, Raffl will miss about another three weeks, and Patrick is week to week.

Kase, 22, a fifth-round selection in the 2015 draft, had three goals and three assists in 21 games with the Phantoms this season. He is an undersized player who plays with a lot of grit and energy.

“He doesn’t turn the motor off,” said Frost, who was Kase’s teammate with Lehigh Valley earlier this season. “He’s easy to play with because he works really hard.”

On Wednesday, Kase (pronounced kayh-SHEH) became the sixth Flyer to make his NHL debut this season. The others: Carsen Twarynski, Connor Bunnaman, Farabee, German Rubtsov, and Frost.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Kase served as the captain of the Czech Republic team in the 2017 World Juniors. He did not arrive in time for Wednesday’s morning skate in Denver.

“He’s a real smart player with a lot of skills,” said Voracek, a fellow Czech, before the game. “He has good hands and sees the ice very well. Obviously, the size isn’t going to make this guy, but as long as he skates well and can read the game well,” he’ll be fine.

Kase had a question for Voracek when he found out he was being promoted.

“He asked me what he was supposed to pack,” Voracek said with a smile. “I told him I’m a bad packer myself.”

Kase’s brother, Ondrej, is a 24-year-old winger with Anaheim who scored 20 goals for the Ducks in 2017-18.

Breakaways

Colorado was missing rising star Cale Makar, a rookie defenseman sidelined by a suspected shoulder injury. The Avs got center Nazem Kadri (10 goals, 20 points in 27 games) back into the lineup. … Carter Hart went into Wednesday’s start with a 7-2-2 record, a 1.80 goals- against average, and a .932 save percentage over his last 11 games. … Wednesday started a stretch in which the Flyers play 10 of their next 13 1165839 Philadelphia Flyers games on the road, and they are either traveling or playing road games (or practicing on the road) for 20 of the next 29 days.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 12.12.2019 Suddenly, injuries piling up on Flyers, who are minus top goal scorers Travis Konecny and Oskar Lindblom, among others

by Sam Carchidi,

DENVER – The Flyers have been playing their best hockey of the season in recent weeks, but they will suddenly have to overcome a series of injuries if they are going to sustain their momentum.

They played Wednesday’s game in Colorado without Oskar Lindblom (upper-body injury) and Travis Konecny (concussion), wingers who share the team lead with 11 goals.

In addition, rookie defenseman Phil Myers (team-best plus-14 rating) was sidelined by back spasms, winger Michael Raffl was out with a broken finger, and center Nolan Patrick has not played all season because of a migraine disorder.

“That’s part of the game,” coach Alain Vigneault said after Wednesday’s morning skate. “I really believe that in an 82-game schedule, all teams go through it at some point or another. It’s a great opportunity for some other guys.”

On Wednesday, the Flyers had to recall winger David Kase from the AHL’s Phantoms to replace Lindblom, and seldom-used right winger Chris Stewart also went into the lineup.

The injuries to Lindblom and Konecny, who was leveled by Mark Borowiecki in Saturday’s 4-3 win over Ottawa, forced Vigneault to scramble three of his four lines Wednesday. Only one line – Kevin Hayes centering Scott Laughton and Joel Farabee – remained intact.

The other lines: Sean Couturier centering Claude Giroux and Jake Voracek; Morgan Frost centering James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Pitlick; and Misha Vorobyev centering Kase and Stewart.

Vigneault said he “wasn’t quite sure yet” about the seriousness of Lindblom’s injury. Konecny is out indefinitely, Myers is day to day, Raffl will miss about another three weeks, and Patrick is week to week.

Kase, 22, a fifth-round selection in the 2015 draft, had three goals and three assists in 21 games with the Phantoms this season. He is an undersized player who plays with a lot of grit and energy.

“He doesn’t turn the motor off,” said Frost, who was Kase’s teammate with Lehigh Valley earlier this season. “He’s easy to play with because he works really hard.”

On Wednesday, Kase (pronounced kayh-SHEH) became the sixth Flyer to make his NHL debut this season. The others: Carsen Twarynski, Connor Bunnaman, Farabee, German Rubtsov, and Frost.

The 5-foot-10, 170-pound Kase served as the captain of the Czech Republic team in the 2017 World Juniors. He did not arrive in time for Wednesday’s morning skate in Denver.

“He’s a real smart player with a lot of skills,” said Voracek, a fellow Czech, before the game. “He has good hands and sees the ice very well. Obviously, the size isn’t going to make this guy, but as long as he skates well and can read the game well,” he’ll be fine.

Kase had a question for Voracek when he found out he was being promoted.

“He asked me what he was supposed to pack,” Voracek said with a smile. “I told him I’m a bad packer myself.”

Kase’s brother, Ondrej, is a 24-year-old winger with Anaheim who scored 20 goals for the Ducks in 2017-18.

Breakaways

Colorado was missing rising star Cale Makar, a rookie defenseman sidelined by a suspected shoulder injury. The Avs got center Nazem Kadri (10 goals, 20 points in 27 games) back into the lineup. … Carter Hart went into Wednesday’s start with a 7-2-2 record, a 1.80 goals- against average, and a .932 save percentage over his last 11 games. … Wednesday started a stretch in which the Flyers play 10 of their next 13 1165840 Philadelphia Flyers Colorado goalie Pavel Francouz, who came in 5-0-1 with a 2.36 goals- against average and .926 save percentage over his last eight games (six starts), finished with 32 stops.

Shorthanded Flyers can't keep up with Avalanche to begin road trip • When Philippe Myers (back spasms, day to day) is ready to return, Robert Hagg should be the odd man out on defense. Shayne Gostisbehere has found some of his offensive mojo and Myers has shown way too much promise to be sitting when healthy. By Jordan Hall December 12, 2019 12:57 AM A stay-at-home guy like Hagg was far too noticeable against the

Avalanche. He committed a penalty and was a minus-2 in 15:21 minutes. From the moment it was announced that Oskar Lindblom would miss • David Kase was summoned to Denver this morning to make his NHL Wednesday night's game, the Flyers' chances at Pepsi Center felt bleak. debut and become the ninth rookie to play for the Flyers this season. No Lindblom, no Travis Konecny and facing the NHL's highest-scoring The 22-year-old winger had a nice scoring chance and two shots in 7:47 team in its building was not a promising script for the Flyers, who lost to minutes. the Avalanche, 3-1. • The Flyers head to the old stomping grounds of general manager In stretches this season, the Flyers have struggled to bury goals. And Chuck Fletcher and assistant general manager Brent Flahr when they that has been with Lindblom and Konecny — their two leading goal- visit the Wild on Saturday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP). scorers at 11 apiece — in the lineup. Fletcher was the GM in Minnesota from 2009 to 2018 and Flahr was his The Flyers (17-9-5) did some good things but Colorado finished plays AGM from 2010 to 2018. behind its world class talent up top. The Flyers have not lost consecutive games in regulation since Oct. 27- The Avalanche (20-8-3) are on an eight-game point streak (7-0-1) in 29. which they've scored 4.13 goals per game. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 • Without Konecny (concussion) and Lindblom (upper body), the Flyers had difficulty putting the puck in the net. They were going to have to put up some goals against the Avalanche, who entered scoring an NHL-best 3.70 goals per game. For the second time in the last three games, the Flyers scored only one goal.

The lone tally came from Claude Giroux when the Flyers were trailing 3-0 with just over five minutes remaining in regulation.

The @NHLFlyers aren't done yet!@28CGiroux lights the lamp. 

: NBCSN

: https://t.co/YdPH8DehkA pic.twitter.com/hmurtJVdKL

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) December 12, 2019

• Following a first period in which they survived, especially in the back half of it thanks to Carter Hart, the Flyers actually played a solid second period. At one point during the middle stanza, the Flyers were outshooting Colorado 11-0.

But as the Flyers kept pushing to no avail, the Avalanche changed the whole complexion of the period with one play by their two best weapons. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen hooked up for a nasty marker to make it 2-0 with 3:55 left in the period, a deflating goal to allow for the Flyers.

Considering Colorado was 14-0-1 when leading after the middle period, the Flyers were in a serious hole, even after a hard-working period.

MacKinnon ➡️ Mikko. 

A lethal combo. @Avalanche | #PHIvsCOL pic.twitter.com/LMhrXFd3AQ

— NHL on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) December 12, 2019

• Hart, who entered 8-2-2 with a 1.96 goals-against average and .928 save percentage over his last 12 starts, faced the Avalanche for the first time in his career.

He made a highlight-reel save and gave the Flyers a fighting chance in tough circumstances.

OH MY GOD CARTER HART! pic.twitter.com/C5XkMwxyIz

— NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) December 12, 2019

The 21-year-old has been impressive during the first period all season long, allowing the Flyers to find their legs and rhythm. He converted 12 of his 24 saves in the opening stanza against Colorado.

On the Avalanche's first-period goal, Scott Laughton won a defensive zone faceoff but the Flyers failed to clear the puck, resulting in Matt Calvert's tally.

Rantanen added his second goal early in the third period and that was pretty much the game. 1165841 Philadelphia Flyers

With Oskar Lindblom injury, Flyers call up prospect David Kase from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms

By Jordan Hall December 11, 2019 12:07 PM

This is not how the Flyers wanted to open their three-game road trip.

Playing against the NHL's highest-scoring team Wednesday night, the Flyers will be without their two leading goal-scorers Travis Konecny (concussion) and Oskar Lindblom (upper body).

The Flyers knew on Monday they would not have the services of Konecny. Lindblom was added to the list of injuries Wednesday afternoon.

Konecny and Lindblom have a team-high 11 goals apiece. The 22-year- old Konecny leads the Flyers with 28 points, while the 23-year-old Lindblom is projected to finish with 30 goals after a promising rookie season in which he scored 17. The Flyers are also without forwards Michael Raffl (broken right pinkie finger, out approximately four weeks) and Nolan Patrick (migraine disorder, out indefinitely).

Earlier in the morning, the Flyers called up David Kase from AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. He will now make his NHL debut tonight against the Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET/NBCSN).

Kase, 22, is a smaller (5-10/168) but quick, hard-working winger who has six points (three goals, three assists) in 21 games with the Phantoms. The 2015 fifth-round pick is constantly active with his bursts of speed and quality skill.

Originally, it was unlikely he would play without any practice. However, the Flyers need him, hence why he was summoned to Denver this morning. After they play Colorado, the Flyers visit the Wild on Saturday (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP) and the Jets on Sunday (5 p.m. ET/NBCSP+).

Czech out who just arrived in Colorado and is ready for his @NHL debut. #FlyOrDie pic.twitter.com/Lav8Np8KzY

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) December 11, 2019

The Flyers had the roster space and cap space for another forward. Lindblom missed Monday's skills practice for maintenance but practiced Tuesday. Joel Farabee also sat out Monday after getting his wisdom teeth taken out but practiced Tuesday and said he's good to go.

“I took a pretty funny picture of myself that I don’t remember taking.”

- Joel Farabee on getting wisdom teeth taken out

— Jordan Hall (@JHallNBCS) December 10, 2019

When Lindblom returns, Kase, Chris Stewart or Mikhail Vorobyev will serve as the Flyers' lone extra forward.

Kase becomes the ninth rookie to play for the Flyers this season. Alain Vigneault's team is 12-3-4 with 28 points since Nov. 1, tied for most in the NHL.

Here are the projected forward lines for tonight, according to Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer and Charlie O'Connor of The Athletic:

Claude Giroux-Sean Couturier-Jakub Voracek

James van Riemsdyk-Morgan Frost-Tyler Pitlick

Scott Laughton-Kevin Hayes-Joel Farabee

David Kase-Mikhail Vorobyev-Chris Stewart

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165842 Philadelphia Flyers “We’re all playing for the same goal, everybody wants to play,” Stewart said. “If you’re not playing, there’s part of a leadership role, accountability and things that you’ve got to buy into and take pride into. I’d give anything to be playing out there with my teammates but if I can’t, I’m Chris Stewart, Kevin Hayes building bonds with Nolan Patrick through going to do what I can to bring the energy in the room and be that guy for support the boys.

“Internal competition is only healthy for the team. Everybody is good enough but you can only dress 12 guys. Whoever is in that night is going By Jordan Hall December 11, 2019 7:00 AM to give a hell of an effort and if you’re not, cheer them on.”

That mindset is part of why the Flyers were intrigued by the veteran Chris Stewart is 32 years old and worked his butt off to return to the NHL winger this offseason, bringing Stewart into camp on a pro tryout and after a yearlong hiatus in which he played 23 games for the EIHL’s signing him Oct. 15. Nottingham Panthers. “Stewie has been around the NHL a long time, he knows what it takes to He does not take wearing an NHL jersey for granted. play and stay at this level,” Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault said last week. “His reputation, and rightfully so, is a great team guy. … I’m happy “It’s the National Hockey League, it’s a blessing to be here, it’s a privilege that Nolan feels the same way. Stewie is a good influence in a dressing to be here,” Stewart said last week. “That year away definitely changed room.” my perspective on life.” And a great influence for Patrick. In his 11th NHL season, he often finds himself in the shadows, when few are watching. During those unglamorous moments, Stewart has grown We talk all the time, when we’re on the road, we keep in contact, like to close to a 21-year-old who was picked second overall in the 2017 draft check in on him every couple days about the stuff that he’s going by the Flyers. through.

While a fierce competitor like Stewart would love to be playing, the Let him know that I’m here, just be a shoulder to lean on, to talk to, an byproduct of not suiting up every game is his support for Nolan Patrick open door and that’s how we’ve been. through trying times. Patrick has battled a daily fight with a migraine Chris Stewart disorder. As Stewart stays ready and vies for a spot in the Flyers’ lineup, Patrick joins him in pursuit of playing again. Alongside Stewart, Kevin Hayes was also one of the fresh faces in the Flyers’ locker room entering the 2019-20 season. Patrick has yet to play in 2019-20. He was diagnosed with the migraine disorder in September and last week called the recovery process “sh---y” After signing a seven-year, $50 million contract in June, Hayes has and “pretty wavy.” settled in with his new team and surroundings, also becoming one of the Flyers’ alternate captains. Stewart has played in nine of the Flyers’ first 30 games, serving mostly as a healthy scratch. Instead of wearing a scowl across his face, he is He has built a bond with Patrick away from the ice as the two live persistently positive — especially for Patrick. together.

“I’m not in the lineup right now and he’s hurt, so it’s oddly that we’re “He’s a great kid, a young guy,” Hayes said last week. “I bought a place spending a lot of time together — working out together, skating together here that’s pretty big to live by myself and invited him in. He’s been great. every morning,” Stewart said. “For me personally, I’m just trying to be He’s a professional, he handles himself the right way. He’s been traveling positive for him. Toughest job in the league is being hurt and not playing. a lot with seeing some doctors and stuff, but we pretty much see each You get caught up trying to look at the big picture every night as opposed other every day. to just looking at the small picture — what do I’ve got to do today, what do I’ve got to do next. Then that building up over time, hopefully you start “We’re pretty tight. It’s not easy being a new guy here on the team and feeling better.” living with him makes it a lot easier. I feel super comfortable now with where I’m at, but earlier in the season, it was a little different. We spend a Recently, Patrick has been skating more, getting in work with the Flyers’ lot of time together, he’s a great kid. We’ve had different type of healthy scratches, skills coach Angelo Ricci and the assistants. upbringings but we’ve definitely become pretty close this year.”

I’m just trying to be a positive reinforcement in his life. You can tell, he Patrick played 73 games his rookie year and 72 last season. He expects wears a lot on his shoulders and he wants to play. He has his good days to play in 2019-20 but there’s no set date for his return as this type of and his bad. Our worst day is someone’s best day. You look at the bigger recovery process can be difficult to predict, specifically timeframe-wise. aspects of life, it’s not that big of a deal. He’s coming along nicely. I noticed since he’s been back, he’s upbeat, his energy, you can see his While Patrick and the Flyers attempt to find what works for the third-year glow starting to come back in his face, so it’s good. center, Hayes sees the process in which his teammate goes through on a day-to-day basis. - Stewart I’ve been lucky enough to kind of not have a serious injury in this league Chris Stewart, Nolan Patrick and I hope I don’t ever have to go through something like that. I’m sure it’s never fun to be away from the guys. The best part about playing on a When Stewart was scoring a career-high 64 points with the Avalanche in sports team is going to battle with your teammates — that’s how you 2009-10, Patrick was only 11 years old. build friendships around here. The 2006 first-round pick of Colorado has played 661 games and scored I’m sure he’s doing everything in his power to get back. I mean, I’m 322 points (160 goals, 162 assists) between seven NHL teams. witnessing it firsthand. I think the biggest thing for him is getting correct Patrick is grateful to have a guy like that in his corner. with his head and then going from there.

“I’ve spent a lot of time with him,” Patrick said last week. “He’s helped me - Hayes stay positive, he always brings a good energy, so it’s nice to have him Just like Stewart, Hayes wants to be there for Patrick — on and off the around. ice. “He’s helped me a lot through it. I can’t really thank my teammates “We’ve all had to deal with stuff in our lives before,” Hayes said. “You can enough.” tell when someone is up or down. He handles it on his own way. I’m a Stewart didn’t grind his way back to the NHL to be complacent with pretty outgoing person, I can kind of figure out when he wants to talk and watching. He’s hungry to have an impact in games. However, he when he wants to just go hang out and chill in his room. I don’t really understands the concept of team. push anything too much on him, he’s a great kid and it’s been a blast living with him.” It’s bigger than him. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165843 Pittsburgh Penguins

Minor league report: Penguins drop fourth straight to Americans

SETH RORABAUGH | Thursday, December 12, 2019 3:11 a.m.

Forward Jan Drozg had a goal and an assist for the Wilkes- Barre/Scranton Penguins in a 4-2 loss to the Rochester Americans at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester, N.Y. on Wednesday.

Forward Sam Miletic scored the other goal for the Penguins (13-9-3-1) while goaltender Casey DeSmith made 26 saves in the defeat which extended a losing streak for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to four games.

Highlights:

The Penguins’ next game is against the Cleveland Monsters at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland on Friday, 7 p.m.

Forward Nick Saracino had a goal and an assist for the in a 4-3 win against the Rapid City Rush at Rushmore Plaza Civic Center in Rapid City, S.D.

Goaltender Jordan Ruby made 32 saves for the Nailers (10-10-4-0).

Highlights:

The Nailers’ next game is on the road against the Rush on Friday, 9:05 p.m.

Tribune Review LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165844 Pittsburgh Penguins Defensemen often are linked with different partners, but Pettersson said the Penguins system makes it easy to adapt.

“Sometimes, it can be (difficult),” he said, “but we have great structure to Penguins’ Chad Ruhwedel provides steady presence on defense lean back on, and I think that helps us. You can always lean back on the structure and the system.

“Everybody plays the same way, so we’re easy to read off each other JERRY DIPAOLA | Wednesday, December 11, 2019 7:48 p.m. and we’re predictable.

“If you have a new guy, just focus on quick ups and get the puck up north quick.” Thanks in no small part to goaltender Tristan Jarry’s recent efforts, the Pittsburgh Penguins have allowed only 85 goals in 31 games. Tribune Review LOADED: 12.12.2019 But don’t ignore the defensemen’s contributions.

Only two Eastern Conference teams, the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins, have surrendered fewer goals this season, and the Penguins have won three of their past four games.

Maybe, as defenseman Marcus Pettersson suggested, it’s nothing more than simple physics and logic.

“Pass it,” he said of the puck.

“Tanger (Kris Letang) and Schultzie (Justin Schultz) are the only two (defensemen) who are good enough to skate it up. That speeds up the game. You know, you can’t travel faster than the puck. That’s physically impossible.”

Passing — when done right — also keeps the puck out of danger.

“We don’t want the puck on our defensemen’s sticks very long in the neutral zone,” Pettersson said. “Feed the forwards, because we have such a skilled forward group.”

Which is the way coach Mike Sullivan wants to see his team play, and few defensemen follow the script closer than Pettersson’s defense partner, Chad Ruhwedel.

When he’s on the ice.

The road to the NHL has not been easy for Ruhwedel.

He grew up in San Diego and had to travel coast to coast to find ice.

“When I was younger, it was a lot harder than it is now,” he said of finding ice time in Southern California. “There are a lot of rinks by my old house, and the only thing is there are a lot of people, too.

“So there’s not a lot of availability. A lot of time it was early in the morning or later at night.”

Ruhwedel’s parents had Chad and his sister skating at a young age. She chose figure skating. Chad picked hockey.

Ruhwedel often traveled north of Los Angeles and even into the Midwest and East Coast to find good competition.

Before he joined the Buffalo Sabres in 2012, he was on teams in Los Angeles, Sioux Falls, S.D., and Lowell, Mass. Finally, he signed with the Penguins in 2016.

This season, he has played in only eight games, but he recorded his only goal of the season and one of his two assists Saturday in a 5-3 victory in Detroit.

If the lack of ice time bothers him, he’s not showing it.

“Still trying to play my game, play it simple and just try to help the team win,” he said. “Just playing within myself, making good, crisp passes, getting out of the D-zone and trying to help the offense when we get the chance.

“(Inactivity) can be (difficult), but you try to not let it affect you, so when you do get in, you play well.”

Sullivan said Ruhwedel “defends with his mobility and his stick, and he’s competitive.”

“Chad’s at his best when he keeps the game simple. He defends hard. He makes outlet passes for us. He gets the puck through from the offensive blue line.”

Pettersson likes it when he’s paired with Ruhwedel.

“You always know where he is,” Pettersson said. “He’s reliable. He plays hard, so it’s kind of easy to read off him and work together with him.” 1165845 Pittsburgh Penguins Also, fourth-line center and right winger Teddy Blueger and Brandon Tanev were promoted to the third line, and Sam Lafferty and Stefan Noesen were dropped down.

Penguins get face-off practice assist from Matt Cullen Beware the forecheck

The Penguins (17-10-4) meet the Columbus Blue Jackets (12-14-4) for the third time this season Thursday at PPG Paints Arena. Sullivan said JERRY DIPAOLA | Wednesday, December 11, 2019 6:14 p.m. his team needs to be ready for the Blue Jackets’ strength: forechecking.

“They tend to dump the puck a lot,” he said. “The strength of their game is in their forecheck. They come at you with a heavy forecheck and lots of Matt Cullen was back at practice Wednesday with the Pittsburgh pressure. Penguins but with no intention of making a comeback at the age of 43. “We are going to have to be ready for it.” At the request of coach Mike Sullivan, Cullen conducted face-off practice, a job he occasionally has performed throughout the season. The Penguins are 1-1 against the Blue Jackets, winning, 7-2, at home and losing, 5-2, in Columbus. “It’s an area of the game where we believe we can get better at,” Sullivan said. “Culley was a really good center iceman in all the years that he Tribune Review LOADED: 12.12.2019 played and a smart center icemen as far as some of the strategies he deployed over the years against different opponents.

“He has the ability to share his experience with some of our younger centermen or all of our centermen, for that matter.”

Cullen played 21 seasons in the NHL, the last being last season with the Penguins. He retired with a 53.3% success rate on face-offs.

The Penguins are 20th in the NHL with a 49.2 percentage. Sidney Crosby leads the team at 55%, even though he has missed 14 of 31 games.

Sullivan said Cullen helps on and off the ice when he visits from his home in Minnesota.

“Watching video with (players),” Sullivan said, “and trying to give them different strategies and some ideas and things to think about and how we can get better in that aspect of the game.”

What if …

Near the end of his chat with reporters, Sullivan was given a hypothetical situation to consider. He was asked to choose between assistant coach , Penguins TV and radio analysts Bob Errey and Phil Bourque or himself if he desperately needed a body to help his injury- riddled team.

All men are in their 50s and played at least 11 years in the NHL (Recchi lasted 22 years), but Sullivan — the youngest of the group at 51 — said in a self-deprecating manner, “I could eliminate one right away.”

But he did come up with an answer.

“That’s a tough call,” he said. “I would probably have to go with Recchs because he gets more reps out there in some of our practices. If you guys have noticed, he’s been pretty good. He’s a smart player. All three of those guys are smart players.”

When Sullivan was asked if co-owner Mario Lemieux, 54, would be someone to consider, Sullivan said, “I’d be crazy not to.”

Not bad

Kris Letang said he likes what he has seen from rookie defenseman John Marino, whose plus-11 rating is tied for second on the team with Jared McCann and Bryan Rust.

“I like a lot of things,” Letang said. “The fact that he moves his feet a lot. He’s involved in both sides of the puck. He brings a physical aspect of the game. He’s showing that he has a lot of confidence in his assets and his game.”

Letang said Marino also is showing admirable composure for a 22-year- old.

“That’s what he’s shown all year, and that’s why he’s in a position that he can play those big minutes and play against a tough opponent,” Letang said. “He’s been good for us.”

Line shifts

Sullivan made slight adjustments to his forward lines at practice after the 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night.

He flipped Dominik Simon from right wing on the second line to left wing on the fourth line, replacing him with Zach Aston-Reese. 1165846 Pittsburgh Penguins “Something I’ve been working on is managing my rebounds and putting them in a better spot for me to be able to get to. It’s something that, as you keep growing as a player, it helps as you go along,” Jarry said.

Tim Benz: Young Jedi Tristan Jarry should rebound after Penguins’ ‘Star So, for a night, maybe Jarry’s deflector shields weren’t as sturdy as the Wars’ night loss Millennium Falcon’s. Perhaps he wasn’t wearing his Mandalorian beskar iron.

But the good news for the Penguins is that “the force” appears to be TIM BENZ | Wednesday, December 11, 2019 6:44 a.m. strong with this one.

At least for now.

AT&T SportsNet’s Penguins reporter Dan Potash got into the mood for Tribune Review LOADED: 12.12.2019 “Star Wars” night at PPG Paints Arena Tuesday.

The Force is with me…how about you?? Puck drop is seconds away! - DP #StarWarsThemeNight @penguins @NHLNetwork pic.twitter.com/QaAPxD9Yqk

— AT&T SportsNet™ PIT (@ATTSportsNetPIT) December 11, 2019

Unfortunately for the Pens, the Montreal Canadiens were wielding their sticks like Potash’s lightsaber, slicing the Penguins defense along the way to a 4-1 road win.

Through the first period, it appeared that goaltender Tristan Jarry may be en route to a third straight shutout after carrying a 1-0 lead into the locker room for the first intermission.

But his franchise-record scoreless streak was snapped at 177:55. That’s when Tomas Tatar scored a power-play goal 12:24 into the second period that tied the game at 1-1.

Tuna brise la séquence de 177min sans but du gardien Jarry.

Tuna ends Jarry’s 177-minute shutout streak.#GoHabsGo pic.twitter.com/TkVYbd2hVe

— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) December 11, 2019

Tomas Vokoun previously held the record with a stretch of 173:06 in the 2012-13 season.

The Canadiens went on to score twice more in the second period. Then they added an empty netter to make the final score 4-1.

Despite the loss, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said that he still saw the traits that made Jarry so solid during his hot stretch.

“I thought he was good,” Sullivan said of Jarry. “For me, it’s his compete level. His focus. He was tracking the puck. He made some big saves for us in the second period.”

But the Penguins collectively were so bad in those 20 minutes of the middle period that the Canadiens still had a multitude of scoring opportunities despite some of the saves Jarry made.

“They put a lot of pressure on,” Jarry said. “They are a hard team. They get a lot of pucks on (net). They shoot from everywhere. It’s just one of those things where we have to be ready at all times.”

Being ready at all times is something that has been a point of improvement for Jarry this year. Rick Tocchet had high praise for Jarry Friday night after the young goalie blanked his Arizona Coyotes 2-0. The former Penguins assistant coach can see some maturation in Jarry’s game.

“He’s a lot quieter in the net,” Tocchet said. “A couple of years ago, he was still a good goalie. But side to side, he kind of got out of control.

“Now, when he is going side to side, he is really locked in. He’s there for the second shot. The really good goalies make that first stop when they are out of the net. Then they make the second stop. The really good goalies — (Marc-Andre) Fleury, (Matt) Murray, (Darcy) Kuemper — they make that second save. They stop that first shot then they get into that position to make that second save.”

With the defeat, Jarry’s record dropped to 7-5-0. But even after allowing the three goals, his save percentage is .938 and his goals against average is 1.92. Both those marks lead the NHL.

It appears he is now reaching the potential that intrigued the Penguins enough to make him the 44th pick in the draft back in 2013. After playing in 26 NHL games back in 2017-18, he suited up just twice for the Penguins last year, spending most of his time in the AHL. 1165847 Pittsburgh Penguins Not all dump-ins are created equally. Sometimes, they can create offense. Other times, they are a way to, as Jack Johnson put it, “live to fight another day.”

How the Penguins are still learning lessons from last year's Islanders One turnover by Alex Galchenyuk in Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Montreal sweep Canadiens serves as an example of when it makes sense to simply give it up. Puck-carriers have done a better job of picking their battles at the blue line It was during the second period, so the Penguins had the long change, and their two defensemen desperately needed a breather. Instead of getting the puck deep to buy them some time, Galchenyuk tried to dangle through a pair of defenders. He quickly lost the puck, forcing Kris Letang PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE to double back to their end.

The Canadiens couldn’t capitalize. But Sullivan, who briefly benched Zach Aston-Reese had been in the Penguins locker room at UPMC Jake Guentzel last season for doing something similar, surely wasn’t Lemieux Sports Complex for barely a minute Wednesday when a thrilled by that. reporter sidled up to him, wanting to know if he had a few minutes to chat Sullivan made it clear Wednesday that, “We’re not telling our players to about his favorite thing. dump it in all the time.” He recognizes the Penguins have elite offensive “Skittles?” he replied, sliding off his elbow pads and plopping down at his talent and isn’t about to ask Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to chip stall. and chase all game. Instead, he encourages his players to make the right reads on the fly. Told the topic of the day would be “getting pucks deep,” the winger chuckled. And if the other team is littering their blue line with bodies, why not lob the puck into open space in the corner, race to retrieve it then resume the Aston-Reese, a bright dude with a sly sense of humor, is well aware that attack? his NHL peers throw out that clichéd phrase in interviews as if there is standard language in their contracts awarding them a bonus if they do it “Establishing a forecheck and creating offense in different ways is an 1,000 times in a season. He says it from time to time, too, poking fun at important aspect of us becoming … a team that’s hard to play against,” himself for it afterward. Sullivan said.

On the ice, getting pucks deep can also seem pretty bland, especially in The Penguins did that early in last week’s 3-0 win over the St. Louis Pittsburgh, where the Penguins have won five Stanley Cups with flair. Blues, another team that is no picnic. After Teddy Blueger won a faceoff But of all the tweaks they made this season, that has arguably been as in the neutral zone in the first minute of the game, the Penguins went to impactful as any. work on the forecheck.

Last season, the Penguins dumped in the puck on 51.6% of their entries “It’s pretty similar to how we drew it up last year,” Aston-Reese said when into the offensive zone, according to Sportlogiq, as opposed to carrying it asked what is different about the forecheck. “But now, it’s easier to in over the blue line. This season, that rate is up to 54.6%, which is 22nd- forecheck [because] you anticipate it being [dumped] in instead of being most in the NHL. surprised by it.”

But that increase, not massive but not insignificant, doesn’t tell the whole Marcus Pettersson rimmed the puck around the boards, and Brandon story. It’s not just how often the Penguins are dumping in the puck; it’s Tanev made a beeline to the opposite corner. A ferocious forechecker when. who craves contact, he checked Carl Gunnarsson as the puck got to the Blues defenseman. Penguins puck-carriers have done a much better job of picking their battles at the blue line after trying too often in 2018-19 to stickhandle “We kind of knew where the puck was going if we won it,” Blueger said. through a crowd. “Tanev was going to be the first guy in on it. The other guys try to help and support him, kind of read off him because off the forecheck the puck With a number of ghastly giveaways at the blue line, the Penguins were can go anywhere.” often exposed in transition. No goalie faced more shots off odd-man rushes per game than Matt Murray, who on average saw 1.76, per With Gunnarsson pinned to the glass, Blueger grabbed the loose puck NaturalStatTrick.com. and started a cycle. From below the goal line, Tanev banked a pass off the side boards to Pettersson, who fired a shot that Blueger tipped past It was ultimately their undoing in the playoffs, when they displayed little Jordan Binnington. patience against the New York Islanders, who killed them on the counterattack. By the final game of that first-round sweep, Mike Sullivan The Penguins, who rank seventh in the NHL in goals, have retrieved the was practically begging the Penguins to stop skating into the wall of puck before the other team gained possession on only 31.2% of their Islanders at the blue line. dump-ins, which ranks 29th in the league per Sportlogiq. So there’s room for improvement. “That was one thing Coach was pretty pissed about coming into the season, the amount of odd-man rushes we gave up,” Aston-Reese said. But in some cases, an empty chip-and-chase still beats the alternative. “A lot of that is from not getting the puck deep. When we didn’t have a “I think we learned an important lesson [against the Islanders],” Aston- play last year, we would still try to force it instead of playing it behind Reese said. “It’s always defense first. They always had five guys back. them and trying to get it back.” They just used our aggressiveness against us. They just waited for us to Penguins call on Matt Cullen to help with faceoffs make a mistake. So we took a little page out of their book. But why not if it’s having success, you know?” There are a number of reasons why the Penguins are in the NHL’s top 10 in goals against right now, including stellar puck-stopping from Tristan Post Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 Jarry and the play of standout rookie defenseman John Marino. Players more often making responsible decisions when entering the offensive zone ranks highly on that list, too.

As a result, they’ve allowed just 38 shots off odd-man rushes in 33 games.

“When our team has had success, and we’ve been pretty consistent with it this year, is when we manage the puck pretty well in those situations,” Sullivan said. “When we don’t have numbers or support or speed … we just simplify the game and put pucks behind them and force them to go goal line to goal line.” 1165848 Pittsburgh Penguins Forecheck focus For the second time in less than two weeks, the Penguins will meet the

Columbus Blue Jackets. Pittsburgh knows well what to expect from a Penguins call on Matt Cullen to help with faceoffs John Tortorella-coached team.

“They tend to dump the puck a lot,” Sullivan said. “I think the strength of their game is in their forecheck. They come at you with a heavy PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE forecheck and lots of pressure. We’re going to have to be ready for it.”

Hypothetically speaking …

A familiar face picked up a stick and skated to center ice at the UPMC At the end of his interview session, Sullivan was asked a hard-hitting Lemieux Sports Complex on Wednesday. question: If the Penguins were desperate for a player, who would the coach suit up: assistant coach Mark Recchi, former Penguin and current Former Penguins and current player development coach Matt Cullen was broadcaster Bob Errey, former Penguin and current radio man Phil in town. And before you ask, no, Pittsburgh’s recent injury issues hadn’t Bourque or himself? forced the club to lure him out of retirement. Rather, he was there to help the team with one specific nuance of the game: faceoffs. “Well I can eliminate one right away,” Sullivan said when his name was entered to the conversation. This year, the Penguins have won 49.2% of their faceoffs, which ranks 20th in the league. Penguins coach Mike Sullivan has given Cullen, a “That’s a tough call. I’d probably have to go with [Recchi] just because he career 53.3% faceoff man during his 21-year career, the assignment to gets more reps out there through our practices. If you guys have noticed, work with centers on this aspect of the game — both on the ice and with he’s pretty good.” video. Post Gazette LOADED: 12.12.2019 “It’s an area of the game we believe we can get better at,” Sullivan said. “Cullen was a real good center-iceman in all the years that he played and a smart center-iceman in terms of the strategies that he deployed over the years against different opponents. I think he has the opportunity to share his experience.”

This aspect of the game is a bit more critical with Sidney Crosby injured. The Penguins captain had turned himself into one of the game’s best in the circle. Before he left the Nov. 9 game against the Blackhawks, Crosby had won 55.4% of his draws, 15th best in the league.

Evgeni Malkin, a career 44.2% faceoff man, is having the best years of his career in the circle. He’s won 55% of his draws this year. If he can keep it up, it will mark the first time in his career that he’s above 50%.

However, the Penguins’ other three regular centers — Jared McCann (46.3%), Teddy Blueger (47.1%) and Sam Lafferty (47.6%) — are all well below the 50% mark.

“We’re trying to get better at that nuance of the game,” Sullivan said. “It’s an important aspect of the game. We know that’s an area we can improve.”

Kahun changes sides

When the Penguins traded for Dominik Kahun this offseason, they imagined he’d provide the versatility to move up and down the lineup and play on both wings. However, when they thrust that upon him initially — left wing one game, right the other; second line one game, fourth the next — he struggled with all the moving pieces, tallying just two points in the first 11 games.

But now he’s emerged from that slow start to become one of the most productive offensive players on the team. He’s recorded 15 points in the last 19 games, including eight goals.

After allowing him to settle into that left side, the Penguins are starting to tap into some of his versatility. They lined him up on the right wing for the first time since Nov. 7. The line featured McCann at center and Zach Aston-Reese at left wing.

While there are differences now that he’s playing on his off side, Sullivan doesn’t see it as a disadvantage.

“With the way the game is being played today, when you look at how aggressive teams pinch the walls on the breakouts, I actually think it’s an advantage being on your off side,” Sullivan said. “You get down to that puck on your forehand, a lot of times you have to either go back to your defenseman or lateral across to your center, or you bump to your center underneath because of how aggressively teams are pinching the walls.”

Reshuffled lines

The line featuring Jake Guentzel, Malkin and Bryan Rust remained intact at practice on Wednesday. However, the other three saw some changes.

Aston-Reese skated in what appeared to be a top-six role on the McCann line with Kahun. Alex Galchenyuk moved from Lafferty’s left wing to play on a line with Blueger and right wing Brandon Tanev. Dominik Simon, Lafferty and Stefan Noesen made up the fourth line. 1165849 Pittsburgh Penguins card spots, and now the Canadiens are within four points of making that a four-team contest.

Oh, and the New York Rangers are closing the gap, too. Mario Lemieux watched ‘boring’ Canadiens remind his Penguins wins in Point is, all the points matter for coach Mike Sullivan’s squad. So, when NHL don’t come easy facing a Montreal club that had surrendered 44 goals in 11 previous games, the Penguins probably needed to do better than come up empty in the first of three consecutive home games before a weeklong swing By Rob Rossi Dec 11, 2019 through Western Canada.

As for what “better” looks like, well, that’s, uh, simple.

Tuesday night, Mario Lemieux returned from his holiday in Florida to the “When you see the game going that way, you just need to simplify,” hockey house that Sidney Crosby got built for Pittsburgh. And what defenseman Kris Letang said of the second period against the Lemieux witnessed at PPG Paints Arena could have just as well Canadiens, who were +4 in shot attempts during their 3-0 scoring run. happened at Civic Arena, Bell Centre or the Montreal Forum. “Maybe it’s going to be a boring game, but I think we have to stick with it. “That’s the way they play: boring hockey,” Lemieux said during a pause Maybe we tried to do a little too much and we got caught in some areas.” in conversation with Crosby and Pierre Larouche, the Penguins stars who respectively followed and preceded his playing days in Pittsburgh. Sure, some bad bounces went against the Penguins (particularly Letang, who played much of the game on the left side because of Dumoulin’s “They always have.” absence.) Still, a lot of the Canadiens’ best opportunities appeared to be the result of forced passes or lost battles by the Penguins. Those weren’t sour grapes being offered by Lemieux. He almost sounded impressed the Canadiens, the historic NHL team from his The eras of Larouche, Lemieux and Crosby featured Penguins teams hometown of Montreal, had borrowed so heavily from their traditional that were guilty of trying to do too much or relying too much on skill, but blueprint to take down the Penguins, the salary cap era’s standard- this group has mostly made a habit of winning races to loose pucks and bearing team from his adopted hometown of Pittsburgh. making smart decisions once in possession of them.

Suck ’em in, then suck the life out of ’em. It’s the Canadiens’ way when The Force was not with these Penguins against the Canadiens on Star they’re at their best, and they were indeed that in the second period of Wars Night. This was not the performance they were looking for. what became a 4-1 win over the Penguins on Tuesday night. “We made some poor decisions. We weren’t strong enough on pucks. Though, to a player, these Penguins blamed themselves for their first And as a result, we didn’t control the period like we’re capable of,” regulation home loss since Marc-Andre Fleury — a French Canadian (uh, Sullivan said of the second period. anybody else noticing a trend here?) — blanked them in a visit by the Vegas Golden Knights on Oct. 19. He noted, correctly, that nothing the Canadiens did was revelatory. They forechecked fairly consistently and their defensemen were active on the “It hasn’t happened very much where we beat ourselves,” winger Jake boards, but the Penguins see a lot of that from most opponents. Guentzel said of only the Penguins’ fourth home game without claiming at least a point. “I think tonight was one of those nights where we weren’t What they have given most opponents a look at is a team that brings a playing simple, we weren’t getting behind their (defense), and they took tenacious, speed-based attack that comes in waves, even if only one of advantage of us.” those waves — the top line of Guentzel-Malkin-Rust — does most of the damage. Either Malkin or Guentzel had played a part in 12 of the With three goals in the second period, the Canadiens completely flipped Penguins’ previous 22 goals scored, and their combined 22 points had a game that seemed to be going the way the Penguins had planned. fueled the Penguins’ 4-2-0 mini-march before this defeat. Guentzel’s team-leading 17th goal early in the first period completed a picturesque sequence on which he, fellow winger Bryan Rust and center Unrealistic it is the expectation of 3.83 points per game from Malkin and Evgeni Malkin nearly broke in three-on-none against Canadiens goalie Guentzel. Should not the Penguins think that 94 percent of shots Tristan Carey Price. Jarry will save, either.

Pittsburgh Penguins Because there is no Master Yoda. Or Baby Yoda. Or any Yoda.

✔ It’s simply unsustainable for an NHL team to rely on a couple elite offensive players such, as Malkin and Guentzel, or a goalie, such as @penguins Jarry, performing way beyond expectations.

We'd like our half-off Jake Shakes with blue milk, please! #StarWars | Sullivan said Jarry was “good” against the Canadiens. He stopped 22 #LetsGoPens shots, including 14 in a second period during which the Penguins played as though they had been frozen in carbonite. Not a lot was asked of Jarry Embedded video in the first and third periods, but he stopped each of the eight shots he 561 faced then, and nothing about his performance against Montreal merits him giving the crease back to Matt Murray when the Penguins face the 12:17 AM - Dec 11, 2019 Columbus Blue Jackets at home Thursday night.

Twitter Ads info and privacy This is not to suggest Murray might not take the crease for that game.

90 people are talking about this The big picture is keenly on Sullivan’s mind, and getting Murray, who has struggled, back on track is viewed as paramount within the organization. A route by the Penguins seemed possible, if not likely. Giving him the start in a game the Penguins figure to approach with a lot Instead, they were harshly — and perhaps necessarily — reminded that more energy — if not urgency — than they did against the Canadiens victories are hard to come by in this league, especially when the likes of probably wouldn’t be the worst strategy. Crosby, winger Patric Hornqvist and defenseman Brian Dumoulin are out It will be a wait-and-see situation for the Penguins. of the lineup because of injuries. Along with those players, forward Nick Bjugstad’s absence stretched the Penguins’ total for man-games lost to That’s what it was for too much of the middle period against the 119. Canadiens. They paid for it.

The Canadiens are at only 42. Had more of them grown up watching the Canadiens’ glorious 1970s teams, as did Lemieux, perhaps these Penguins would have known what Considering the 77 man-games lost difference, there probably shouldn’t awaited them on at PPG Paints Arena. be as much space as there is between Pittsburgh and Montreal in the Eastern Conference standings. Then again, the Penguins are already Lemieux called it “boring hockey.” And as Admiral Ackbar said in some involved in a three-team game of leapfrog for the first and second wild- movie, “It’s a trap.” The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165850 San Jose Sharks in. All those lessons that he learned after his Florida ouster? He’ll get to implement them right away.

One can only hope that he does, because in Florida, he wasn’t exactly a The real reason the Sharks had to fire Pete DeBoer hockey radical — and that’s what San Jose needs right now.

The San Jose Sharks fired coach Pete DeBoer after five straight losses. Perhaps Boughner will be game to throw caution to the wind, to take off Can Bob Boughner revitalize Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns? the reins on Karlsson, Burns, and wingers like Evander Kane and Timo Meier, and let the team play the kind of fast-paced, free-wheeling hockey that defines this day-and-age. A coach that is ok with winning games 6-4 and 7-5. By DIETER KURTENBACH |PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 6:15 pm | UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 7:55 PM There’s no system, no coaching ideas, that can fix what really ails the Sharks — Jones and Dell’s play — but trying to cover it up only made it

their play worse and more obvious. Sharks owner Hasso Plattner couldn’t fire the entire team, so he fired And at a certain point, it becomes pragmatic to ignore your weaknesses head coach Pete DeBoer on Wednesday. and go all the way in on your strength. After five straight losses and amid a season where expectations were The Sharks are well past that point. high, talent was ample, and disappointment has far outweighed success, the move was necessary. DeBoer — trying to recapture the rock-solid nature of deeper, more veteran teams past in San Jose — refused to acknowledge that or The Sharks problems aren’t completely tied to DeBoer, who coached the couldn’t get his team to buy into the new style (my bet is on the former). team for four-plus seasons — far from it — but he was not providing any Either way, that’s why he had to go. solutions to the issues this team — which still fancies itself a Stanley Cup contender — was facing, so he needed to be the first to go. And if Boughner can’t find a way to make it happen, he’ll follow this summer — with plenty more will go out the door with him. The Sharks real issue is that they have the worst goaltending tandem in the NHL in Martin Jones and Aaron Dell. Corsica’s advanced player San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.12.2019 rankings have Dell as the worst goalie in the NHL — 66 of 66. Jones is No. 64.

In turn, the Sharks have allowed the second-most goals in the league and have the third-worst goal differential in the NHL.

Firing DeBoer isn’t going to change that. The team is probably going to let in 250 goals this season no matter what.

But DeBoer was a defense-first coach whose defense wasn’t executing. Blame injuries or absent/offensive-minded defensemen all you want, but the structure of the team’s defense has been shambolic all season.

And worse yet, DeBoer wasn’t doing was helping the Sharks realize their offensive potential.

DeBoer believed in puck possession — that the best defense is not letting the other team have it. He wanted the Sharks to play a controlled, physical game in a league that is increasingly about speed and skill.

That led to conflicted feelings and conflicted play from two of this era’s best offensive defensemen — Erik Karlsson and Brent Burns — who have not been anything close to forces this year (though Karlsson has been better as of late).

It led to offensive play that was compressed and oftentimes wrought — overly reliant on power-play opportunities to score. (The Sharks have converted on one of their last 30 power plays)

The truth is that you can’t play that style of hockey when you’re giving up 10 goals for every three games you play.

And when there’s no system that can even shave two, three, four goals off that weekly total, so all you can do is try to fight fire with fire.

Given the Sharks’ salary cap situation (it’s dire, with less than $340,000 in projected space, per CapFriendly), there’s almost no chance this team will be able to make any move for new goalies. General manager Doug Wilson already made its desperation skater signing too, bringing back Patrick Marleau earlier this season. There’s no young hot-shot prospect on the horizon or injured player that can come back and spark something special.

Yes, the players that have underperformed all season are the players the Sharks are going to have to use the rest of the season.

Was this roster ever good enough to win the Cup? Probably not. It certainly has high-end talent, but the pieces are yet to fit together.

Will they ever? That’s for new coach Bob Boughner to figure out. It’s clear that DeBoer had run out of ideas.

Boughner was fired as the Florida Panthers’ head coach last season in large part because he couldn’t get his team to overcome back goaltending and inconsistent play from defensemen, so he should fit right 1165851 San Jose Sharks The Sharks lost former captain Joe Pavelski, and Joonas Donskoi and Gus Nyquist, to free agency in July, and their hope was that younger players in the system would seize the opportunity to win NHL jobs.

San Jose Sharks clean house, fire Pete DeBoer, three assistants The Sharks started the year with four rookies on their roster, although just defenseman Mario Ferraro and forward Dylan Gambrell remain in the NHL. Erik Karlsson was signed to a eight-year, $92 million contract extension in June, making the two-time Norris Trophy winner the highest By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 4:53 pm | paid defenseman in the NHL. UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 9:31 PM But the team, which got off to an 0-4-0 start to the season, has struggled

in several areas. SAN JOSE — Frustrated by a lack of consistency and seeing a need for After 33 games, the Sharks have scored an average of 2.64 goals per a new direction, Sharks general manager Doug Wilson cleaned house game, 24th-best in the 31-team NHL, and ranked 21st in the league in 5- Wednesday, firing Pete DeBoer and naming Bob Boughner interim coach on-5 scoring. in an effort to spark the team back into a playoff position. On special teams, the Sharks ranked first in the NHL on the penalty kill Assistant coaches Steve Spott, Dave Barr and Johan Hedberg were also but had fallen to 23rd in the league on the power play, overseen by Spott, let go amid a rare and sweeping midseason purge by the Sharks, who at just 16.0 percent. are in danger of missing the playoffs for just the second time in the last 16 seasons. Hedberg, the former goalie coach, took the fall for the team’s save percentage of .887, which, as of Wednesday, is the third-worst in the The Sharks flew back to San Jose on Wednesday, a day after they lost NHL, ahead of only New Jersey (.884) and Detroit (.876). 3-1 to the Nashville Predators to finish a four-game road trip at 0-3-1 and fall to 15-16-2 on the season. The Sharks are in sixth place in the Pacific After starting the season with four straight losses, and falling at one point Division, five points out of a playoff spot. to 4-10-1 by late October, the Sharks rebounded with six straight victories and won 11 of 15 games in November. “When you have had a level of past success, change is never easy, but we feel this team is capable of much more than we have shown thus far This month, though, began with a 5-2 home loss to the Washington and that a new voice is needed,” Wilson said in a statement. Capitals. The Sharks started the road trip with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Carolina Panthers last Thursday, but were then smoked 7-1 by the “As a team and as individuals, our play has not met expectations this Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday and 5-1 by the Panthers on Sunday. year and our level of consistency has not been where it needs to be. This group of individuals who will lead our team moving forward are very DeBoer was first hired by the Sharks on May 28, 2015. He took over as familiar with our players, and we think this change can provide our group coach roughly a month after the Sharks and Todd McLellan mutually with a fresh start.” parted ways after the team missed the playoffs that spring.

The Sharks will hold a news conference with Wilson and Boughner at DeBoer previously coached the New Jersey Devils for three-plus noon on Thursday at SAP Center. They play the New York Rangers that seasons from 2011-2014, helping the team reach the Stanley Cup Final evening. in 2012 before losing to the Los Angeles Kings. He also coached the Panthers for three seasons from 2008-2011. Boughner will be joined on the Sharks’ bench by associate Roy Sommer, who has coached San Jose’s AHL affiliate since 1998. Former Sharks In 855 NHL regular season games coached, DeBoer has a career record player and development coach Mike Ricci and goaltending coach Evgeni of 415-329-111. With 198 victories, he is the third-winningest coach in Nabokov were named assistants. Dan Darrow will remain in his current Sharks history, trailing only McLellan (311) and Ron Wilson (206). role of assistant coach, video. This marks the first time Doug Wilson, who took over as general DeBoer, 51, had a record of 198-129-34 in 361 games over four-plus manager in 2003, has fired a coach midseason. Ron Wilson was let go in seasons in San Jose as he led the team to its first and only appearance May 2008 after the Sharks lost in the second round of the playoffs. in the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. The Sharks, though, have lost five straight games and with just 32 points, are off to their worst start after 33 San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.12.2019 games since the 2002-03 season.

If you have not already, we strongly encourage you to sign up for a digital subscription, which gives you access to all content on the Mercury News and East Bay Times websites. With your support, we can continue bringing these stories — and much more — to your screens. Here’s where to sign up for the season pass: Mercury News, East Bay Times.

Per Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, the Sharks decision to fire DeBoer was solely hockey-related. DeBoer had this year and next year left on his contract at a salary of $3 million per season.

The Sharks made the playoffs in each of DeBoer’s four seasons, as the team also advanced to the Western Conference Final this spring before they lost to eventual Cup champion St. Louis in six games.

Boughner, 48, spent the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons as DeBoer’s assistant before he was hired as the Florida Panthers’ head coach in 2017. Boughner was brought back to be an assistant with DeBoer in May after he was fired by the Panthers in April.

Sommer, the AHL’s all-time leader in wins and games coached with a record of 772-664-48-153, has been with the Sharks organization since the 1997-98 season when he was an assistant under then-head coach . Ricci and Nabokov are both former fan favorites as Sharks players who have been in development roles with the organization in recent years.

The moves to bring Sommer, Ricci and Nabokov appears to be an indication the Sharks want to give fresh starts and new looks to some younger players in the organization. 1165852 San Jose Sharks without a point was during the first half of the 2006-07 season, when he went scoreless for 20 games from mid-November to late December.

This is not to put this all on one or two players — far from it. Several Takeaways: Hertl hurting, Burns slumping as huge homestand awaits players are mired in goal droughts, including Goodrow (11 games), Joe Sharks Thornton (33 games) and Patrick Marleau (six games).

It’s to highlight that when the top guys aren’t producing, the Sharks, for the most part, do not have enough players picking up that slack right By CURTIS PASHELKA | PUBLISHED: December 11, 2019 at 8:39 am | now. UPDATED: December 11, 2019 at 12:06 PM 2. Too many penalties: Of course, it did not help Tuesday that Evander Kane sat for close to one whole period for the second straight game after he was assessed 19 minutes in penalties after altercations with Dan NASHVILLE — The Sharks flew back to San Jose on Wednesday Hamhuis and Austin Watson. morning in nearly the same predicament they were in six weeks ago when they got back home after a dismal road trip. If Burns and Hertl are having a tough time getting going, the Sharks certainly can’t afford to be without Kane for long stretches. In need of goals, a spark and plenty of wins. “The last three games, one goal, one goal, one tonight and it was with This time, though, going on a run figures to be a tougher task. the goalie out,” Sharks coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought we had our After their 3-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Tuesday, the Sharks are opportunities. I thought we defended pretty well. Still taking too many 15-16-2, five points out of a playoff spot and in sixth place in the Pacific penalties, but it was our best 60-minute effort of the trip. Division. “It’s unfortunate we didn’t get something to show for it.” They play five straight games at home before the Christmas break, The Sharks were shorthanded seven times Tuesday, and were 13 for 18 starting with Thursday’s game against the New York Rangers. That’s on the kill for the trip. followed by dates with Vancouver, Arizona, St. Louis and Vegas, all teams ahead of the Sharks in the Western Conference. 3. Help is needed, but is it coming?: There have been legitimate concerns about the Sharks’ depth since the offseason. The Sharks need to rediscover what makes them successful over these next 11 days or they might be in too deep of a hole to escape to make If any of their top six — or even top nine — forwards became injured or the postseason. unavailable, the Sharks were going to feel their absence.

Because right now, there’s enough evidence to suggest that these But here’s what general manager Doug Wilson said about the Sharks’ Sharks — as currently constructed — do not have a roster deep enough play after losses to Washington, Carolina and Tampa Bay. to consistently win games on the road. After two more games at SAP Center after Christmas, the Sharks play eight of 12 games away from “They’re all good teams, and they’re all playing the right way for 60 home from Dec. 31 to Jan. 18. minutes. To make mistakes against good teams, they’re going to make you pay,” Wilson said. “There’s such parity. You see a lot of teams go On road trips of three games or more so far, the Sharks are 2-8-2. That through streaks where they win games, lose games, whatever. You’ve includes a 1-3-1 trip that ended in late October. got to be on top of your game.

“We have a lot of big games coming up,” Sharks forward Barclay “We’ve talked about this for a while. You’ve got to play the right way for Goodrow said. “We need to take advantage of home ice and try and long periods of time to be successful.” make up these points we kind of let slip away the last week or so.” Not to put words in Wilson’s mouth, but it sounds like he feels the Sharks’ Takeaways from Tuesday night. woes are more about a lack of execution than a flawed roster. At least for now, it appears it’s up to the players already in Sharks uniforms to turn 1. Goal scoring woes: Let’s not make this real complicated. this around. The Sharks’ leading point-producer from last season, Brent Burns, does San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 12.12.2019 not have a point in nine games, his longest such drought in over a decade. Their second-leading point producer, Tomas Hertl, is playing through an injury right now (he’s probably not alone in that regard) and has three assists in seven games and has not scored in nine.

Their leading goal scorer from last season, Joe Pavelski, is wearing another team’s uniform.

Without Pavelski, and to a lesser degree, Joonas Donskoi and Gus Nyquist, the Sharks this year were going to have a tough time approaching the total amount of goals they scored last season, a team- record 289. With two of their top offensive players in extended slumps, and not a whole lot coming from the bottom six forward group, that task is impossible.

Tuesday’s game might have been the Sharks’ best of the trip from a defensive standpoint, but it was also the third straight game in which they’ve scored just one goal. They’ve scored two goals or less in nine of their last 12.

Right now, Hertl is playing at far less than 100 percent, still feeling the effects of a lower body injury he suffered Nov. 19 in a game against the Edmonton Oilers.

“He’s still dealing with something,” DeBoer said Sunday before the Sharks played the Florida Panthers. “He’s been playing at less than 100 percent for at least a week or since he’s got back in. I think every day gets a little bit better. But he’s not, health-wise, where he needs to be yet.”

Burns had a terrific chance to score in the first period but was stopped by Juuse Saros on a one-on-one. The last time Burns went nine games 1165853 San Jose Sharks

Why Sharks firing coach Peter DeBoer doesn't solve all their problems

By Chelena Goldman December 11, 2019 9:44 PM

SAN JOSE -- It was time for a shakeup, there’s no question about it. And when things go sideways, the head coach typically takes the bulk of the blame.

But, the Sharks still have a lot of work to do.

So while those calling for Peter DeBoer to be out of a job have gotten their wish, it needs to be understood that his firing isn’t the beginning nor the end of San Jose's problems.

Don't get me wrong. The first stretch of the Sharks' 2019-20 campaign has been downright rough. They lost the first four games of their season and, despite having plenty of talent in the lineup, have struggled mightily to dig out of the hole they are in. Even during the six-game winning streak, those games weren't always pretty.

And through that stretch of wins, there were issues that San Jose needed to address, whether it was goaltending or lack of offensive depth or the penalty kill getting overworked.

Long story short: This isn’t just about coaching. Honestly, the Sharks might still lose a lot of games.

Please remember -- DeBoer took the Sharks to the Western Conference finals last season with Martin Jones and Aaron Dell posting save percentages under .900. And he took the team to a Stanley Cup Final in 2016 after beating two stacked teams in the Nashville Predators and St. Louis Blues. This isn't the story of someone who can't coach a Cup- contending team.

So, what's the issue?

Even before DeBoer's firing, the Sharks have been in a team in flux. After the first four defeats, DeBoer had his own list of complaints as to how the team was playing defensively. And offensively. Quite frankly, he wasn't happy with how the team played as a whole during the winning streak in November.

Whatever the core reason is for San Jose's woes, something still has to change now that DeBoer is out the door. After nearly erasing their October deficit with a phenomenal record in November, San Jose has gone 0-4-1 so far in December, a slide that has dropped the team five points out of a playoff spot.

December is a weird month to try to right the ship. The Sharks a homestand coming up, but with two long breaks shoved in the middle. They have a three-day layover ahead of a back-to-back with St. Louis and Vegas and then another a few days later with the Kings and Flyers.

The Sharks absolutely could go on a run before the new year. Just don't expect the coaching change to solve all of their problems.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165854 San Jose Sharks

Sharks fire Peter DeBoer, hire Bob Boughner as interim head coach

By Brian Witt December 11, 2019 4:50 PM

In the midst of a five-game losing streak, the Sharks have decided to make a coaching change.

San Jose announced Wednesday that the team has parted ways with head coach Peter DeBoer. Assistant coach Bob Boughner will take over as the interim head coach. Also joining the Sharks' coaching staff are associate coach Roy Sommer, assistant coach Mike Ricci and goaltending coach Evgeni Nabokov.

#SJSharks name Bob Boughner interim head coach.

Joining the coaching staff are Roy Sommer, Mike Ricci, and Evgeni Nabokov. https://t.co/P9AZMuGZvn

— San Jose Sharks (@SanJoseSharks) December 12, 2019

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman was the first to report the news.

The Sharks currently own a disappointing a 15-16-2 record, and are coming off a recent four-game road trip where they went 0-3-1. They currently sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division.

"When you have had a level of past success, change is never easy, but we feel this team is capable of much more than we have shown thus far and that a new voice is needed," Sharks general manager Doug Wilson said in a team statement. "As a team and as individuals, our play has not met expectations this year and our level of consistency has not been where it needs to be. This group of individuals who will lead our team moving forward are very familiar with our players, and we think this change can provide our group with a fresh start."

In a related move, assistant coaches Dave Barr, Steve Spott and Johan Hedberg were relieved of their duties.

"Under the leadership of Pete, along with Steve, Dave and Johan, our franchise accomplished some great things, culminating in reaching the 2016 Stanley Cup Final," Wilson continued. "We want to thank them for their contributions to our organization's success over the last four years."

Boughner rejoined the Sharks as an assistant coach prior to the start of the current season, but recently served as head coach of the Panthers, leading Florida to a combined 80-62-22 record over the last two years. He originally joined San Jose's staff in 2015, and helped the Sharks reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.

Sommer, most recently the head coach of the San Jose Barracuda, is the all-time leader in games coached and wins in the history of the American Hockey League, and has promoted more than 130 players to the NHL.

Nabokov played for the Sharks for 10 seasons and remains the franchise's all-time leader in almost every major statistical goaltending category, including games played (563), wins (293) and shutouts (50). For the past five seasons, he has served as a scout and goaltending development coach, where he has worked closely with the Barracuda, who have had a goalie named to the AHL All-Star Game in each of the last three years under his tutelage.

Ricci played in 529 games over six-plus seasons in San Jose and has spent the last 12 as a development coach within the organization.

DeBoer had one more year left on his contract worth $3M per season, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun. In four-plus years at the helm in San Jose, he led the Sharks to a 198-129-34 regular-season record and playoff appearances in each of the last four years.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165855 San Jose Sharks free agents. The team’s hope was that some of the organization’s young prospects would be able to fill the holes that were left up front, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Seeking ‘a new voice’, the Sharks fire Pete DeBoer and name Bob The addition of Sommer, Ricci and Nabokov to the coaching staff likely Boughner interim coach signals that the young players in the organization will get more of an opportunity this season than they have to this point.

Further, general manager Doug Wilson didn’t appear to have many other By Kevin Kurz Dec 11, 2019 1 options when it came to shaking up the team. Just about all of the Sharks’ core players are locked up on long-term contracts, most of which

have full or very limited no-trade clauses. Another earth-shattering move, After more than four seasons behind the Sharks bench, coach Pete like the trade for Karlsson, almost certainly isn’t possible. DeBoer was fired Wednesday. DeBoer leaves San Jose as arguably the most successful coach in Bob Boughner will replace DeBoer beginning with Thursday’s home franchise history after he was named to the post on May 28, 2015. He game against the New York Rangers, on an interim basis. Boughner, 48, guided the team to its first-ever Stanley Cup Final in 2016, losing to was the coach of the Florida Panthers for two seasons from 2017-18 Pittsburgh in six games. In his four full seasons behind the bench, through 2018-19, and rejoined the Sharks coaching staff this past DeBoer’s Sharks played 60 games in the Stanley Cup playoffs over that offseason after serving on DeBoer’s staff for two seasons from 2015-16 span, second only to the Penguins. The Sharks are one of just four through 2016-17. His duties have focused primarily on the defense. teams to qualify for the playoffs in each of the last four seasons, and their six playoff-series wins is the most of any four-year span in franchise Sharks assistant coaches Steve Spott (in charge of the forwards and history. power play), Dave Barr (forwards/eye in the sky) and Johan Hedberg (goalies) have also been fired. In 361 regular-season games, DeBoer’s Sharks posted a 198-129-34 record (.596). According to a source, the changes were made purely for hockey reasons. Prior to coaching the Sharks, DeBoer, 51, coached the Florida Panthers for three seasons from 2008-09 through 2010-11 and New Jersey Devils In two seasons under Boughner, the Panthers were 80-62-22 and failed for three-plus seasons from 2011-12 to 2014. He took the Devils to the to qualify for the playoffs. He was replaced by Joel Quenneville. 2012 Stanley Cup Final, losing to the Los Angeles Kings.

Joining Boughner’s Sharks’ staff are longtime AHL/Barracuda coach Roy DeBoer’s firing marks the first time that Wilson has ever dismissed a Sommer, Mike Ricci and Evgeni Nabokov. Sommer has been named as head coach in the middle of a season in his more than 16 years as GM. an associate coach, while former longtime Sharks Ricci and Nabokov have been named as assistant coaches. Sommer is the AHL’s all-time In a statement Wednesday evening, Wilson said: wins leader, last serving as an NHL assistant coach for the Sharks in “When you have had a level of past success, change is never easy, but 1997-98 under Darryl Sutter, while Ricci and Nabokov were serving as we feel this team is capable of much more than we have shown thus far development coaches for the organization working primarily with the and that a new voice is needed. As a team and as individuals, our play prospects. With Sommer’s departure, Jimmy Bonneau and Michael has not met expectations this year and our level of consistency has not Chiasson will split head coaching duties for the Barracuda. been where it needs to be. This group of individuals who will lead our After re-signing defenseman Erik Karlsson in the offseason, the Sharks, team moving forward are very familiar with our players, and we think this who reached the Western Conference final last season, have been one change can provide our group with a fresh start. of the more disappointing teams in the NHL this season with a 15-16-2 “Under the leadership of Pete, along with Steve, Dave and Johan, our record for 32 points. They sit in sixth place in the Pacific Division, five franchise accomplished some great things, culminating in reaching the points out of a playoff spot, and just completed a four-game road trip in 2016 Stanley Cup Final. We want to thank them for their contributions to which they earned just one point and were outscored by a 17-5 margin. our organization’s success over the last four years.” The Sharks lost their first four games in regulation this season and sat at The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 4-10-1 after a loss to the Canucks on Nov. 2. They reeled off wins in 11 of their next 13 games — five of which came via overtime or a shootout — only to go 0-4-1 immediately after that.

DeBoer, who signed a multiyear contract extension in the 2018 offseason, had one additional season remaining on his contract at a $3 million salary, according to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun.

The Sharks’ issues this season have been numerous.

• They have been outscored 88-58 during 5-on-5 play, for the second- worst percentage in the league, better than only Detroit. The Sharks’ minus-25 goal differential overall is the third-worst mark in the NHL, ahead of just the Devils and Red Wings, who are both in last place in their respective divisions.

• The power play, run primarily by Spott, has scored just one goal in its last 30 opportunities. It sits at 23rd overall in the NHL (16.0 percent).

• For the second straight season, the goaltending tandem has been among the worst in the NHL. Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have combined for the lowest even-strength save percentage in the league (.878), while the Sharks’ 3.38 team goals-against average is 29th overall.

• Depth scoring has been non-existent. Third-line center Joe Thornton is still looking for his first goal of the season and top-line forwards Timo Meier and Kevin Labanc have been inconsistent, while the Sharks’ fourth line has been a mishmash of mostly young players who have yet to prove they belong at the NHL level.

Of course, whether these problems are mainly the fault of DeBoer and his staff is up for debate. The Sharks front office had a quiet offseason after making Karlsson the NHL’s highest-paid defenseman, sitting idle as forwards Joe Pavelski, Gus Nyquist and Joonas Donskoi all departed as 1165856 St Louis Blues

Preview: Blues vs. Golden Knights

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 3 hrs ago 0

BLUES VS. VEGAS

When, where: 7 p.m. Thursday, Enterprise Center

TV, radio: FSM, WXOS (101.1 FM)

About the Golden Knights: Vegas arrives in St. Louis on a hot streak, at 5-1-1 over its last seven games and most recently posting a 5-1 victory Tuesday over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks. That game marked the return of Marc-Andre Fleury in goal following the death of his father; it was Fleury’s first game since Nov. 23 (against Edmonton). His numbers are rock solid as usual: a 12-6-2 record with a 2.46 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.

The Knights are 16-12-5 overall, currently holding the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference. They put a lot of shots on goal (33.7 per game) and have five players with nine or more goals, led by Reilly Smith (13) and Mark Stone and Max Pacioretty with 11 apiece.

Former Blue Paul Stastny has eight goals and five assists, but is tied for the team low in plus-minus at minus-7. Another former Blue, Ryan Reaves, has three goals, two assists.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165857 St Louis Blues And then there's the scoring from the team's defensemen. has seven goals – fifth most on the team – Vince Dunn has four and the other five have a total of five goals. Jay Bouwmeester, Carl Gunnarsson and Robert Bortuzzo aren’t supposed to be providing Scoring is down as Blues struggle through three-game skid offense, but more than a third of the way through the season, Colton Parayko and Justin Faulk have three. Last season, with Parayko in St.

Louis and Faulk in Carolina, they combined for 21. By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch “That’s a big part of our offense, our D,” Berube said. “Getting involved. We’ve got some guys who can really shoot the puck back there. Their shot totals can go up, hitting the net more, just being a little bit more In hockey, ultimately, it all comes back to goals, the ones you score and aggressive offensively by them would be good. the ones you don’t. “Our D are very active. When we’re a real good team, we’re firing on all Yes, there were bounces that didn’t go the Blues’ way on Tuesday in cylinders, our defense, they really lead the way.” Buffalo, with three shots that hit the iron and two Sabres goal that last touched a Blue before going into the net. But as long as that’s how they Some of that decline is a product of the Blues’ success. The team’s decide winners in the NHL, it’s goals that are going to matter. The Blues scoring from their defense last season – 46 goals – has caused defenses have lost three games in a row in regulation for the first time in over a to play them more tightly. One way to open up space for them to shoot is year, and while they still had the most points in the Western Conference by getting more forwards forward. “Our forwards have to do a little bit going into Wednesday’s play (but not the best points percentage, which better job of making plays to them quicker from below the goal line so belongs to Colorado), they also were tied for 16th in goals scored and, in they have a little more time,” Berube said. a stat that flows from that one, tied for seventh in the number of one-goal But if there’s one team that knows about getting out of holes, it’s the games. Blues, whose turnaround last season has become a source of optimism “The last couple games we’ve had some bad bounces early,” center for every team in the league that’s struggling. But only the Blues have Ryan O’Reilly said Wednesday. “It’s tough to climb out when that first-hand experience in doing the sport’s biggest 180. happens. Early in the year we were getting bounces our way and finding “Obviously we’re not happy with it,” goalie Jake Allen said, “I don’t think ways to win.” we’re in panic mode. It’s three losses. We’ve played a lot of great hockey And now they’re not, which explains a lot of the Blues season. In one this year, and in the last nine months. We should have a lot of belief and stretch, the Blues won five straight overtime games. Yea bounces! Since confidence and optimism. We just need to get back on the horse, do the then, they’ve lost all three that have gone to overtime or a shootout. Boo best we can to forget about these last couple of games and put together bounces! Math has a funny way of sneaking up on a team. When you a nice homestand before Christmas.” play a lot of one-goal games, you should expect the unexpected. David Though he soon added: “We need to stop the bleeding quicker rather Perron lifts the puck a few inches higher with a minute to go on Tuesday than later.” and scores, the game goes to overtime. He doesn’t and two empty-net goals make it a 5-2 loss for the Blues. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 One way for the Blues to improve their chances is to score more, and that’s proved to be the toughest thing for them to do. In their past nine games, they have scored two goals or less five times, and it would have been six if not for an empty-net goal in one of them. In those nine games, when the Blues scored three or more goals, they were 4-0. When they scored two or less, they were 0-4-1. For the season, they’re 16-1-1 when they score three, 2-7-5 when they don’t. You spot the trend.

“You’ve got to find ways to win games,” coach Craig Berube said. “Last couple of games, we’re not. We made mistakes that we normally shouldn’t make and they go in our net and offensively we’re a little snakebit right now in my opinion. Hit three, four posts last night. We had plenty of opportunities. We didn’t score enough goals.

“There’s little things and details that are missing that we didn’t do right. Offensively, the Toronto game (a 5-2 loss), we had plenty of opportunities in that game to score goals, and we didn’t. We’ve got to play and we might have to win 2-1. We’ve got to play the game.”

When it comes to scoring, the loss of Vladimir Tarasenko hurts significantly. Take a consistent 30-goal scorer out of the lineup, and that’s a sizable hole to fill. For the past two weeks, the Blues have been down four forwards from their opening day lineup and for the Buffalo game, they were also without Zach Sanford. For even the deepest franchise, that’s a lot of holes to fill.

But there are other issues. O’Reilly had 13 goals through 32 games last season. This year, he has six, and he has just one in the past month.

“The biggest thing, with these injuries, is putting the puck in the net,” O’Reilly said. “Obviously, that’s my job, that’s what I’m paid to do, and I’m not doing it. I’ve got to help contribute more because when things don’t go your way, you have to rely on certain guys and I’m one of those guys that needs to perform a lot better.”

O’Reilly had no shots on goal on Tuesday and just one shot attempt. In his past 14 games, he has one goal and has taken just 18 shots on goal, just a little over one per game.

“I’m not doing a whole lot of anything,” he said. “I have to get to the net. I think I’m trying to make plays too much and I’ve got to go to the net. That’s where the puck goes and that’s where goals are scored. I’ve got to find a way to get there and stay there.” 1165858 St Louis Blues “I thought he was fine,” Berube said, “moved his feet, had a couple scoring chances. I thought he created speed for us. I thought he dug in there. I thought he was a good player tonight.”

Blues' mistakes show up on the scoreboard as they lose third in a row Buffalo scored just 18 seconds into the game when the puck deflected into the net off the skate of Perron. The Blues got even 3:37 into the period when Ivan Barbashev made a nice feed from behind the net to Brouwer, who was alone in front of the net and chipped through the small By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch hole left by Ullmark. It was the first goal of the season for Brouwer, and one that Berube forecast when he said before the game new linemates Barbashev and Thomas “are going to get him the puck and he’s the type BUFFALO, N.Y. – The last time the Blues lost three games in a row in of guy that can get to the net.” regulation was early last season, and when the streak started, the Blues coach was Mike Yeo and when it ended, the coach was Craig Berube. In the closing seconds of the second period, a shot by Zach Bogosian off the end boards bounced to Johan Larsson, whose shot with the rebound Times have changed. would have gone through the crease had it not hit Allen and caromed into the goal with 8.6 seconds left in the period. The Blues dropped their third in a row in regulation on Tuesday, falling to Buffalo 5-2 though it was a 3-2 game with a minute to go and would have The Blues power play is not helping. The Blues had one in the first, one been tied had Sabres goalie Linus Ullmark not got over to stop a shot by in the second, and nothing to show for them. The second one ran their David Perron, which was soon followed by two empty-net goals for streak of power play failures to 11 in a row, and in those 22 minutes with Buffalo. In the three losses, to Pittsburgh, Toronto and now Buffalo, the one more player on the ice, they have just 14 shots on goal. Blues have scored just four goals. The Blues tied the game in the third, on the 100th goal of Alex Still, the game easily could have gone the other way. The Blues hit the Pietrangelo’s career, set up by a nice move by Perron to break free, but post or the crossbar three times in the second period with the game tied. Buffalo quickly regained the lead when Eichel scored. Right now, the breaks are not finding the Blues and it’s leaving a sting. “There’s no reason to panic,” Perron said. “We hit crossbars, stuff like “It’s the way the game goes,” said goalie Jake Allen, who had to make that. They had good bounces. When you lose games, there are bounces some quality saves to keep the game close. “Sometimes they go your you don’t get and we have to work for them. ... We know what we’re way, sometimes they don’t. We had some chances to capitalize, had going through right now and we need guys to step up for sure and I’ve some spurts in our game that I thought were good. We agree in this room got to be one of those guys. We know it’s not always going to be easy. we’re not consistent enough. Our execution wasn’t sharp. We needed to That’s the way it is right now.” find a little bit of momentum to build on. I think we should still have a lot of confidence in our self, in this group. We’ve got a good team and a lot With less fanfare, forward Austin Poganski made his NHL debut but got of belief in ourselves. We have to start building something here.” only 5:54 of ice time as Berube used three lines much of the game.

“We have enough veteran guys that we know, the goals will come,” said St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 forward Troy Brouwer, who got his first goal of the season in the first period. “We have to keep them out of our net. This is a great defensive team. We’ve had a couple lapses and we’ve played some opportunistic teams in Toronto, tonight and Pittsburgh. When we make those mistakes, it’s costing us. A lot of times, I feel this team can cover up these mistakes.”

But not lately.

“We’ve got to find a way to win,” Berube said. “We’ve got to fight through this adversity. You’re going to hit bumps in the road like this, you have to fight through it and get through it. … (The mistakes are) showing up for sure on the scoreboard. Other teams are capitalizing on them.”

Buffalo got its first goal on a puck that bounced in off Perron’s skate. The second was a long bounce off the end boards. The third was a terrible defensive breakdown, when the team let Jack Eichel, one of the hottest players in the league right now, have the puck for about 10 seconds, finally letting him move out from behind the net and score. (Vince Dunn and Robert Thomas were conspicuously uninvolved on that play.) It was the 20th goal of the season for Eichel and gave him points in 14 games in a row. There were no bounces, good or bad, in that one.

“Got to close on him,” Berube said. “That’s a mistake. Can’t make them.”

“He had obviously lots of time,” Allen said. “He circled back, was very patient. I could’t get up because he would have made one move and would have slid it through me. He looked off the short side, got to the middle of the ice and found a corner.”

Berube has seen the three losses as being unfortunately unique in their own ways.

“This game is different than the last two,” he said. “We were right in the game, made a couple mistakes. One mistake, they made it 3-2. We’re having a tough time scoring goals. I thought we had a real good second, hit three posts. Their goalie made a great save twice. If we score in the second with a couple goals, it’s a different game. That’s how I saw the game.”

The search for goals, for some form of offense, has dogged the Blues recently and led them on Monday to their ace in the hole, calling up highly touted forward Jordan Kyrou from San Antonio. Kyrou was placed on a line with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn, one of the best spots the team can give a young player, and got a place on the power play. He had two shots on goal but didn’t score. 1165859 St Louis Blues Each team had a power play opportunity in the opening period, and in both cases were unsuccessful. For the Blues it made it 10 consecutive power plays without a goal _ a season-high drought.

Blues suffer third straight regulation loss, 5-2 to Buffalo The drought went to 0-for-11 when the Blues were unsuccessful on a second period power play.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch Dec 10, 2019

For those wondering when the defending Stanley Cup champions would hit a lull, here it is.

A 5-2 loss Tuesday in Buffalo extended the Blues' losing streak to three straight games in regulation. The Blues (18-8-6) haven't lost three in a row in regulation since November of 2018 _ a stretch that included Mike Yeo's last two games as Blues coach and Craig Berube's first game as interim coach.

Colorado, which was idle Tuesday, is just one point behind the Blues in the Central Division standings with 41 points to the Blues' 42, and has two games in hand.

"We gotta find a way to win," Berube said. "We gotta fight through this adversity. You're gonna hit bumps in the road like this, you gotta grind through it and get through it."

Alex Pietrangelo's 100th career goal tied the game at 2-2 less than four minutes into the third period. Only Al MacInnis (127) has more among Blues defensemen in franchise history.

PIetrangelo's seventh goal of the season came after a nifty pass by David Perron.

But less than two minutes later, Jake Eichel gave Buffalo a 3-2 lead on a peculiar-looking play. Eichel was behind the Blues' net on the play, covered by Robert Thomas. But Thomas dropped off Eichel, towards the slot.

That left no one on Eichel, one of the most dangerous scorers in the league. Left undefended, Eichel quickly skated to the front of the net where it was only him and Jake Allen. Eichel's 19th goal of the season, at the 5:46 mark, proved to be the game-winner for Buffalo (15-11-6). It extended Eichel's point streak to 14 games.

"One mistake and they made it 3-2," Berube said. "And we're having a tough time scoring goals. We hit three posts in the second period. I thought we had a real good (period). We had a couple looked like empty nets and the goalie (Linus Ullmark) made a great save twice."

Buffalo later added two empty-net goals in the final 51 seconds.

The Blues outplayed Buffalo for much of the second period. They hit two posts and a crossbar. At one point in period, they had outshot the Sabres 10-2. But the Sabres had the only goal in the period, and it came with just nine seconds left in the period Tuesday at KeyBank Center.

A puck off the end boards bounced right to Johan Larsson, who had a relatively open net for his fourth goal of the season. Buffalo regained the momentum over the final five minutes of the period, getting the final eight shots on goal with the aid of a power play following a tripping call against Robert Bortuzzo.

In Austin Poganski’s first NHL game, and Jordan Kyrou’s first Blues game of the season, veteran Troy Brouwer scored his first goal of the season, giving St. Louis a 1-1 tie after one period.

The Blues fell behind 1-0 just 18 seconds in when a Buffalo shot deflected in off the left skate of Perron in front of the net and past Allen. The goal was originally credited to Victor Olofsson but later changed to Sam Reinhart.

It was the third goal scored by a Blues’ opponent in the opening minute of a game this season, and the earliest goal scored against the Blues this season.

Brouwer’s goal came at the 3:37 mark on a quick flick of the wrist. He was skating down the slot uncovered when he was fed from behind the goal line from Ivan Barbashev.

It was the 182nd career goal by Brouwer, 34, who’s in his 14th NHL season. And his first since April 1 of last season when as a member of the Florida Panthers he scored against Washington. 1165860 St Louis Blues Does he think he'll be able to take a nap? "Last night it as tough to sleep, so we'll see if I can get any sleep this

afternoon," he said. Kyrou, Poganski in lineup as Blues face Sabres ALLEN IN GOAL

Berube said this was already identified as a game for Allen to play, which By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch Dec 10, 2019 is not surprising with the Blues next four games at home.

In his career vs. Buffalo, Allen is 6-1-1 with a 1.58 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. BUFFALO, N.Y. – Austin Poganski will make his NHL debut and Jordan Kyrou will make his season debut tonight when the Blues play the Sabres "played extremely well the last three games," Berube said. "He was at Key Bank Arena. definitely getting back in the net. We had this pinpointed here. He's played well here and well against Buffalo." Kyrou, making his long-awaited but possibly ahead-of-schedule debut as he recovers from offseason kneecap surgery, draws a plum assignment, UPDATES skating with Jaden Schwartz and Brayden Schenn on the top line and Berube said Zach Sanford was day-to-day with his upper body injury. being on the second power-play unit. Poganski will be on the fourth line with Mackenzie MacEachern and Jacob de la Rose. Nathan Walker will Alexander Steen and Oskar Sundqvist are on the trip and took part in the be a scratch tonight and Troy Brouwer moves up to the third line with morning skate as they prepared for a return to the lineup, possibly as Ivan Barbashev and Robert Thomas. soon as Thursday.

Jake Allen is in goal. "They're getting pretty close," Berube said. "They'll get a good push out there today at the end of practice with the coaches and do some different "For two years now, he's been one of the top scorers in the American things, some battling, things like that. With their injuries, that's going to be Hockey League," coach Craig Berube said. "That's what he is. You have important to see where they're at after doing that kind off stuff. We'll know to put him with players where he has an opportunity to produce. With more after practice. They had a good skate yesterday, felt good, so those guys, he'll have an opportunity to produce. That's where he fits in. they're getting really close." ... We all know Kyrou. He's a scorer. We need a guy that can hopefully come up here and do a good job with one of our lines, got him with LINES Schenn, Schwartz, looking that he might provide some offense." Blues Kyrou said that he's felt 100 percent for about a week. In that time, he had four goals, including a hat trick. Berube said the Blues would have Forwards liked to have waited even longer. Perron-O'Reilly-Bozak

"We might have wanted to leave him a little bit longer," Berube said. "It's Schwartz-Schenn-Kyrou a situation that occurred and he played well down there. With his injury from last year, it takes a long time." Barbashev-Thomas-Brouwer

"It's been a process obviously," Kyrou said. "Each game down there I've MacEachern-de la Rose-Poganski felt a lot better, I feel more confident in my knee. It's been a process and I'm excited to be back." Defensemen

Kyrou has 15 points in 16 games in San Antonio after starting his season Bouwmeester-Faulk on Nov. 2 after being in camp, but no games, with the Blues in the Parayko-Pietrangelo preseason as he recovered from his surgery. Dunn-Bortuzzo "I just want to continue the way I've been playing," he said. "The big thing for me is playing without the puck. I've got to be strong, it's what the Goalie coaches are looking for and it's how this team plays. I watch a lot of their games, want to play their style and get in there." Allen

Kyrou's offense has never been questioned, but it's his play without the Sabres puck has been where the team wanted to see more. Forwards

"The whole beginning of the year this year, that's what I've been focused Olofsson-Eichel-Reinhart on, without the puck," Kyrou said. "playing hard, always moving my feet." Vesey-Johansson-Asplund The Blues and Kyrou are both hoping that this callup will be the last one, that Kyrou will be here for good now. Skinner-Mittelstadt-Rodrigues

"I want to be here for the rest of the year and help this team win," he Girgensons-Larsson-Okposo said. "That's my goal." Defensemen Poganski's family is coming in from Minnesota for the game. He's been a Montour-Ristolainen healthy scratch five times, got sent down to the AHL to play in Toronto on Sunday, and was called back on Monday. Bogosian-McCabe

"Poganski's an up and down winger," Berube said. "He had a real good Jokiharju-Miller camp, (he can) forecheck, get on people, a simple player but he plays hard, disrupts the other team. That's his game." Goalie

"Extremely excited," said Poganski, whose parents, sister and girlfriend Ullmark are coming in for the game. "Hope for this, dream of this your entire life. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 12.12.2019 You put so much hard work and dedication and timing and finally it's going to pay off tonight so I can't be any more excited."

Poganski and Kyrou are roommates for the day.

"I might bug him during pregame nap and see if he has any advice for me," Poganski said. "You've got to play your game and it should be fun tonight." 1165861 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Bruins and Capitals are coming to town and they bring a challenge

The Lightning face the NHL’s top two teams Thursday and Saturday

By Diana C. Nearhos

TAMPA — The top two teams in the league are on their way to Amalie Arena. The Lightning take on the Bruins on Thursday and the Capitals on Saturday in one of their toughest sequential matchups of the season.

So far in this measuring-stick week, the Lightning committed costly mistakes against the Islanders and then won on a strong defensive effort against the Panthers. What will they do against the league’s top two goal scorers?

Boston’s David Pastrnak (25) and Washington Alex Ovechkin (21) lead the league through Tuesday’s games. The lead up to Wednesday’s Bruins-Capitals game in Washington was a mutual admiration society, as both said nice things about the other in interviews.

Ovechkin told reporters: “I’m happy for guys who get those results. The league’s changed. You can’t be always No. 1. At some point, somebody going to get you and you just have to try to do your best thing that you can do.”

And from Pastrnak: “Four goals for Ovi is nothing. Obviously he’s an unbelievable goal scorer, and he’s been doing it for a lot of years. We all know what he’s capable of. He’s a big key for their team.”

The Lightning have a goal scorer of their own, but Steven Stamkos’ numbers aren’t very flashy at this point. He has 11 goals, putting him in a tie for 42nd with 24 other players (including three Capitals). Stamkos is on a mini-streak, though, with four goals in the last three games.

The point is that Bruins and the Capitals both bring potent offenses that will challenge the Lightning’s defense.

The Lightning clearing out the zone, limiting scoring chances and making Andrei Vasilevskiy’s job in Tampa Bay’s 7-1 win over San Jose Saturday was encouraging but came with an asterisk. The Sharks’ 89 goals rank 20th in the NHL.

Doing so against the Panthers (fourth in the league with 106 goals) was more impressive. But the Bruins and Capitals will be a much tougher test.

The Lightning put up a special-teams stinker Oct. 6 against the Bruins in which they barely pulled out a 4-3 win in the shootout. They started the Nov. 29 game in Washington with a lead but fell 4-3 in overtime. These two games are a chance for the Lightning to make a statement.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165862 Tampa Bay Lightning play defense, it’s a team game, you can’t just sit there and depend on your goalie.”

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 Lightning play clean, defensive game to beat the Panthers

Tampa Bay doesn’t make costly mistakes and pays attention to details on defense, just like the team has been talking about.

By Diana C. Nearhos

SUNRISE — Defense brings offense. The Lightning have been saying it for months and they showed it to be true on Tuesday.

Tampa Bay played out of its own zone, demonstrating defensive responsibility without making any of the costly mistakes that have cropped up recently. Doing exactly as they said led to few Panthers’ chances, 48 shots of their own and a 2-1 win.

“Not often in the last couple has two goals been enough to win,” Steven Stamkos said. “But we really tightened it up tonight and it was nice to see.”

The Lightning captain called it a good response to Monday’s 5-1 loss to the Islanders, another game the Lightning felt they had mostly played well but for some mistakes.

There was no “mostly” on Tuesday. The Lightning scored first and held the lead throughout.

Stamkos scored late in the first period. He, Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn forechecked hard. Killorn forced a turnover along the boards, after Stamkos might have gotten away with a trip. He passed over to Stamkos, who made a move to get around Sergei Bobrovsky and made the goal look easy.

The response to their own goals has been questionable lately, but the Lightning came out hard after scoring.

“I was really happy with our effort once we got the lead,” Killorn said. “It didn’t seem like we sat back at all. It seemed like we even elevated our game a bit more.”

They protected the lead without giving up the attack mentality, and without sitting back, then lapsing somewhere.

The Lightning played a consistent game throughout. The only thing that made coach Jon Cooper a little nervous was not getting the third goal to put the game out of reach. But they didn’t end up needing that one.

They had plenty of chances with the 48 shots, but Sergei Bobrovsky, the goalie who stymied the Lightning in the playoffs last year, held up in net.

“The less time you spend in your D zone, the more time you’ll spend in your O-zone,” Killorn said. “Structurally, if you’re better defensively, you’re not going to spend as much time there. I think we tightened some things up in the past couple games.”

Killorn scored the second goal with a nice backhanded rebound of Cirelli’s shot to give the Lightning an insurance goal they ended up needing.

Evegenii Dadonov tipped in a shot with two minutes left to break up the shutout bid. It was the second time in the past four days that Vasilevskiy has lost a shutout late.

“You have to feel for Vasy at the end,” Cooper said. “It takes a big-time tip to beat him. But it was a great effort all the way around.”

The Lightning only allowed 28 shots on net and while there were some good chances, for the most part Vasilevskiy had space to see them coming.

What Cooper liked most about his team’s game overall was the lack of second and third chances they gave the Panthers. Vasilevskiy controlled rebounds, typically a strength of his, and players cleared out pucks.

The Lightning paid attention to the defensive details, again, just like they’ve been talking about.

“Guys were getting in lanes, they were blocking shots,” Cooper said. “They were making their clears and it helped us out tonight. If you want to 1165863 Tampa Bay Lightning

Former Lightning assistant named Stars interim head coach

Dallas fired coach Jim Montgomery under odd circumstances and promoted Rick Bowness.

By Diana C. Nearhos

A former Lightning assistant is now at the helm as Dallas’ head coach, but it came about under odd circumstances.

Dallas fired coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday due to a “material act of unprofessionalism,” the term used by general manager Jim Nill. Rick Bowness has been promoted to interim head coach.

Bowness was the Lightning assistant coach responsible for defense for five seasons. Jon Cooper hired him in June 2013, after Cooper’s partial first season in the NHL. The Lightning parted ways with him before last season.

The 64-year-old Bowness has been head coach of five different NHL teams, but none since a 20-game interim stint with the Coyotes in 2004.

Nill said Montgomery’s firing was separate from the four-point plan NHL commissioner Gary Bettman laid out on Monday concerning a code of conduct. He said there is no criminal investigation is underway and the incident does not involve current or former players.

That separates whatever happened from the abuse allegations that have come out against hockey coaches at all levels after Calgary fired Bill Peters as head coach.

Dallas is now the fourth team to fire a coach this season. Toronto and New Jersey also fired their coaches for the more common reason of losing too many games.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165864 Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning are collecting for Toys for Tots

Bring a new, unwrapped toy to either (or both!) of the next two games

By Diana C. Nearhos

The Lightning are collecting toys the next two games for Toys for Tots.

Fans are asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy to the PODs containers on Thunder Alley before Thursday’s game against the Bruins and Saturday’s game against the Capitals.

Anyone who does so will be entered to win an invitation to a Lightning morning skate session.

The better reason to do so, though, is to provide a Christmas present for a kid who might not otherwise get one. If everyone attending these games brings at least one gift, Toys for Tots could probably give out something like 30,000 more gifts this year.

Okay, that number is a completely unofficial ballpark guess based on the idea of a full arena for two big games and that maybe half of the fans in attendance will repeat from one game to the next. But the point is, a lot of gifts could be given.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165865 Tampa Bay Lightning Moments later, the call automatically went to video review where it was overturned.

“I keep looking at it and can’t see the difference,” Quenneville said. Observations as the Lightning spring to life, beat Bobrovsky and the “Usually they stay with the call. They may have a different view than what Panthers in Sunrise I looked at. It was close and I thought (Connolly) did a good job of being patient, getting it down. I thought he did a good job of tipping it the way he did. It’s a tough one.”

By George Richards Dec 11, 2019 The Panthers also had a couple of calls either go against them or not be called in the first period, which could have changed things a bit.

On the opening goal of the night, Steven Stamkos tripped Florida SUNRISE, Fla. — It was definitely hard to tell who played on Monday defenseman Aaron Ekblad along the back wall then took off, found a night and who had the night off. loose puck and worked it past Bobrovsky 6:42 into the game. The Panthers were the more rested team Tuesday night, yet the Later in the period, the Panthers had a sustained push in the offensive Lightning absolutely took it to them. zone when Anton Stralman caught a loose puck before it crossed the line In a third period in which the Lightning held a 2-0 lead on the host — only the linesman said it did not and Florida lost possession. Panthers, Tampa Bay refused to sit back despite having played the night Tampa Bay was called for three penalties Tuesday and the Florida power before and went hard at the Panthers, hemming them in their own zone play failed to score. for almost the entire third period. Stammer owns the Panthers With about three minutes left, Florida coach Joel Quenneville signaled for goalie Sergei Bobrovsky — his best player on the ice this night — to Stamkos appears to be heating up as he has four goals in the past three come to the bench. games and has 11 through the first 29 games of the season.

Finally, with six skaters on, the Panthers showed signs of life and scored. In 53 career games against the Panthers, the Lightning captain has 33 goals and 65 points. Too little, too late. Stamkos was held off the scoresheet in the opener at Amalie Arena but “They are a good team and I do not think we were ready tonight,” did score in the loss at Sunrise two nights later. Jonathan Huberdeau said after Tampa Bay left BB&T Center with a 2-1 win for its second win in three tries against the Cats this season. “I felt Alex Killorn picked up his ninth goal of the season by following up a long like they were all over us and that cannot happen, especially at home rebound off a shot from Anthony Cirelli at 4:51 of the second to make it 2- against a divisional team. We needed these points. … They were good, 0. Killorn has three goals in his past four games. but this one is our fault. We have to be better than this if we want to win games.” Bob gives Panthers a chance

Said MacKenzie Weegar: “We just didn’t have the legs for whatever For the first time all season, Bobrovsky has gone three consecutive reason, had a tough time getting up in the play.’’ games surrendering two goals or fewer.

Quenneville was desperate to get anything going in a third period where On Tuesday night, Bobrovsky didn’t get much offensive support as the visiting team dominated the pace and the play. Florida was outshot 48-28 and out-chanced 80-65.

Midway through the third, despite being down two goals, the Panthers “Our whole game fell apart,” said Stralman, the former Lightning had mustered just two shots on goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. defenseman who signed with the Panthers on July 1.

Sit back and hold the lead? Rest those legs a bit? “We didn’t create anything offensively. I didn’t think we had much of a forecheck, just all-in-all a poor performance. … (Bobrovsky) played Forget it. unbelievable tonight. Without him, it would have been an ugly score. We were not up to par.” “We didn’t change anything after having some success, especially in the second,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. The Panthers’ lone goal came with two minutes remaining when Evgenii Dadonov pounced on a loose puck that got behind Vasilevskiy off a “We couldn’t change our game. We wanted to protect the lead but still Huberdeau shot. have that attack mentality. The guys were really committed. … We definitely thought we should get points tonight but we were greedy in “It wasn’t our night,” Huberdeau said. “They outshot us almost double wanting two and not giving up one.” and we left Bob all alone out there.”

In total, Florida put up six shots on goal in the third (three of which came Said Quenneville: “Very good game again tonight, I thought he was in the frantic final minutes) and ended up with only 16 shot attempts in outstanding. It’s unfortunate that we didn’t help him out.” the final 20. After giving up one to both Columbus and San Jose this past weekend, “This was one of those games where you’re just trying to get something Bobrovsky had a more challenging night as he not only faced a very going and we didn’t have much whether it was pace or possessions,” good offensive team in the Lightning but also got hit a few times. Quenneville said afterward. In the second period, Bobrovsky got run over by Ondrej Palat, which led “They played a good game, played it like it was the biggest game of the to Florida’s third power play of the night. He also got hit a few more times season for them. This was a good measuring stick for us to meet that and lost his stick on three separate occasions. type of challenge. It’s a learning curve and we need to be better. We expect a much better performance from our team and as we go along “They forecheck hard, they play fast,” Bobrovsky said of the Lightning we’ll have some big games and need to match that.” team he swept out of the playoffs last spring with the Blue Jackets but is 1-2-0 against this season with the Panthers. Here are some observations from Florida’s loss to the Lightning on Tuesday night: “They have a lot of good skill up front. Unfortunately, we lost the game because it was big for us. Again, we still did some good things in the Calls go against Florida game. I thought we defended well. I thought the guys allowed me to see the puck, they cleared rebounds, so we try to take positives out of this The Panthers appeared to pull within a goal of the Lightning at 11:09 of game. the third when Weegar fired a shot toward the net that Brett Connolly redirected past Vasilevskiy. “Obviously, it’s unfortunate to lose to a divisional opponent, but we still have lots of hockey. We take the positives and move on.” It was definitely a close call whether Connolly used a high stick to deflect the shot, but after a quick huddle, the officials on the ice ruled it a goal. With 27 saves, Vasilevskiy was named first star of the game; Bobrovsky had 46 and was second. Lightning wing Ondrej Palat (18) collides with Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky during the second period. (Steve Mitchell / USA Today)

Take advantage of Tampa? Not so fast

Tuesday appeared to be a nice time to kick the Lightning when they were down.

After having the best regular season in franchise history (and one of the best in modern NHL history), the Lightning came into Tuesday with not only a loss the night before to the visiting Islanders but also in five of the past seven.

Tampa Bay came into the day hanging out in sixth place in the Atlantic Division (after running away with it last season), four points behind the Panthers.

Well, now the Lightning are two back of Florida.

Before the game, Quenneville basically said there was no reason to look at the standings when it came to the Lightning.

Although Tampa was closer to the bottom of the division than the top (Boston is now running away with things), the Lightning have the second- best goal-differential behind the Bruins and are, well, still the Lightning.

“They are a team we know are going to get on a roll this year,” Quenneville said Tuesday morning.

“We’re fighting for space in our playoff race and this is an important two points for us. They are not going anywhere. They’re in the mix.”

Hanging with the gators

On Monday night, the New York Islanders went into Tampa and beat the Lightning 5-1. On Tuesday, the two teams were sharing a hotel — in South Florida.

The Islanders don’t play the Panthers until Thursday night, but they came to town early and plan on practicing at the arena on Wednesday.

The Long Islanders did not come south for the beaches, either: They are camping out in western Broward County.

Thursday’s game against New York will be No. 6 in Florida’s franchise- record nine-game homestand. After Tuesday, the Panthers are 3-2-0 so far.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165866 Toronto Maple Leafs Maybe it’s coming. Tavares talks about how the process of cutting off opposing cycles and exiting clean is starting to improve. Defenceman Tyson Barrie talks about how this team wants to move without the puck more, to replace one another and interchange, to create triangles and The Leafs are changing under Sheldon Keefe — and even they can see openings. the beauty of it “There’s definitely a learning curve, especially when you’re trying to get all of, you know, 22 guys to play the same way,” says Barrie. “There’s gonna be some mishaps and some communication things, and just By Bruce Arthur chemistry and feeling out. But I think it’s worth it. I think in the end it’ll be beneficial for us.”

CALGARY—Back in his hometown of Sault Ste. Marie, Kyle Dubas Of course there are still problems to solve, habits to fix, weaknesses that trusted Sheldon Keefe to save his butt. The Greyhounds general can’t be entirely hidden. Backup goalie, for instance. And the Canucks manager was 25 and running a team in the , and dominated the third period Tuesday night. This team changed coaches Keefe was a high-risk play. Dubas’s future in hockey, he figured, might midstream and doesn’t have endless practice time. Progress isn’t always ride on that. a linear rise.

Well, the pressure is different now, but the song is the same. Dubas’s Still, there have been times this season where you looked at this team immediate future isn’t in danger. Neither is that of his new coach, same and saw confusion, a lack of clear identity, a lack of shared purpose. as the old coach. If the Toronto Maple Leafs somehow manage to miss Now, if you squint, you can see the idea forming. And they think they the playoffs in a year where they expected to compete for a Stanley Cup, can, too. nobody up top is losing their job. Toronto Star LOADED: 12.12.2019 But as the Leafs begin to turn on this western trip, the pressure is also palpable. This is the first real Dubas team: he cleared out the unappetizing Lou Lamoriello leftovers, signed his stars to huge deals, built a team built to push the trend of speed and skill further than it has been pushed. Dubas’s vision is riding on how Keefe fixes things. And maybe, just maybe, it’s starting to turn.

“When you get a new coach and try to implement a new system, it takes time,” said defenceman Morgan Rielly, after a rollicking 4-1 win over Vancouver on Tuesday night, pushing Keefe to 6-3 as Toronto’s head coach. “Whether that’s D-zone, O-zone, power play, or penalty kill. It takes time to get used to it, and obviously the D-zone is a crucial part of the game, and it’s starting to come a little bit but, like anything, you’ve just got to stick with it, keep working, pay attention during meetings, and make sure the group is grasping it. And I think we’re getting there.”

They are starting to see it, or say they are. Against Vancouver, as against St. Louis in a 5-2 win Saturday night to start this road trip, the picture of who the Leafs want to be is slowly coming into focus. There were more defensive-zone takeaways. There were more breakouts that didn’t break apart, though the third period against Vancouver made it look like the Leafs were conducting a breakaway raffle. There were more interlocking zone entries, with passes finding players as they swing and slide into open spaces.

And there was a more effective attack in the offensive zone, especially after turning back the Canucks’ rushes, and the Leafs got to the net in abundance in the first two periods. They looked dangerous, and that has been far from a given this season. Keefe talked late last week about how they were living on the perimeter too much.

That’s changing. Expected goals, as measured by the website Natural Stat Trick, measure probability based on where shots are coming from. Under former coach Mike Babcock, the Leafs were the league’s No. 2 possession team, and their expected goals were bottom-10. In the short nine games under Keefe, they are the No. 9 possession team, and ninth in expected goals.

“Well, you don’t want always think the perfect play is going to be there,” said John Tavares, who scored two goals and added an assist against Vancouver for his first three-point game of the season. “Sheldon talks a lot about earning those opportunities: as much as he promotes the creativity and wants us to play off instinct, at times you’ve got to play straightforward and just have to put pressure on the opponent and break them down.

“And those opportunities are going to come there. So I think it’s just always people moving, but always having someone there in the middle of the ice, and reading off one another and having just a good feel for that. And, eventually, you should find some space.

“I think you know right off the bat we felt excited about what he was preaching, when he came in and we got some good results early and then as teams start to get a feel of what we’re doing, and things kind of settle in, we’re trying to build into a structure and have a good understanding of how we’re going to play offensively. And then that the freedom and the creativity to kind of take over once you do the good things and you earn those opportunities.” 1165867 Toronto Maple Leafs Auston Matthews, whose opening goal Holl assisted on, said the Minnesota native’s play with the puck beyond centre has been a revelation.

Leaf Snaps: Clean-up required “I think his role has been a bit expanded and he has a little more freedom to utilize his skill set. He’s a guy who can skate well for his size, has a good shot and sees the ice well. He can jump in the play and catch other teams on their heels.” Lance Hornby Tavares, who also benefited from a Holl helper, praised the blueliner’s

mental make-up for surviving almost a full 2018-19 season as a healthy CALGARY — No matter who plays net for the Maple Leafs here scratch, protected from waivers, but not used much by Babcock. Thursday, they can’t allow another bizarre version of the overtime “You can just see him get better and better,” said Tavares. “He didn’t play shootout — in regulation time — as they did against the Canucks. a lot last year and did such a good job of sticking with it, buying time and Yet coach Sheldon Keefe saw turnovers preceding the breakaways as believing in himself. He’s playing a really solid 200-foot game for us and fixable, more than as a chronic problem. Unlike blown coverage or that confidence is growing. Making plays at that (late) time of the game is giveaways (Leafs skaters were charged with just three in Tuesday’s 4-1 a real asset for us.” win despite the multiple free passes down Main St.), Keefe noted his LOOSE LEAFS team was just funneling too many pucks into the middle of the ice, which they corrected by the end of the game to add an insurance goal. Tuesday was Tavares’ first three-point night of the season. “Just trying to play my game and get more comfortable with Mitch (Marner) back on our Up to Tuesday’s 39 shots against, foes had been held to 30 or less the line and that familiarity we’ve had” … Last week Keefe joked he was previous five games. So rather than another crisis, Frederik Andersen learning the hard way about no days off in the NHL, compared to the five took his first star bows, the Leafs improved to 6-3 under their new coach and six-day breaks the Marlies often had in the weekend-based AHL and 2-0 halfway through this road trip and life went on. schedule. After Tuesday, he was surprised by something else. “That’s “The breakaways I’m thinking of came off turnovers, off entries where we the fastest game I’ve been a part of in the league in terms of the speed tried to force the play,” Keefe noted. “Then it was quick transition as part and competitiveness, start to finish,” he marvelled. “It was a game we’re of (Vancouver’s) strategy. We fed into that a bit and obviously don’t like going to have to go back and watch on video at some stuff that that. But we survived and that’s a very teachable moment for is. happened” … Calgary goaltender David Rittich and Andersen rank one- two in NHL total saves, 723 and 721. “What I liked is there were mistakes, but the guys competed. The biggest thing I’ll take away is how we composed ourselves late in the third Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.12.2019 enough in the offensive zone, to settle the game, make a play and virtually end the game with that (John Tavares) goal.”

The captain addressed the breakaways, too.

“You don’t want to think the perfect play is going to be there,” Tavares said. “Sheldon talks a lot about earning those opportunities. As much as he promotes the creativity, you have to have a playoff instinct, playing straightforward at times, put pressure on the opponent, break them down and those opportunities will come.

“At times, especially in the third period (Tuesday), we were trying to be aggressive, but have to be a little smarter. We put some pucks to the middle of the ice and there are plays to be had, but we have to make sure.

“I think we’re getting more comfortable defending in our zone, when teams seem to gain some momentum. Once we do get the puck, we’re exiting and getting to our outs. We’re doing a good job when we dig in, defending well when we have to. We’re building a better confidence in our team.”

HOT FREDDY VS. FLAMES?

Back to Thursday’s goaltending call, where perhaps Keefe regrets saying Michael Hutchinson would likely get a game on the trip. Not to say the back-up doesn’t deserve a chance to get his first win, but Andersen’s play has created a great vibe in the room with six wins in his last eight starts, including against Cup champion St. Louis and the Canucks on this trip so the Leafs can stay tight to the playoff pack. There’s no back-to- back until the end of next week that would see Hutchinson get in.

“The schedule has been favourable for us in that regard,” Keefe said of rest between games this week. “We’ll regroup (Thursday) knowing we’ve two tough games to go. We’re at that point where the trip starts to be a bit of a grind on you. We’ll make our decision then.”

HOLL IN ON OFFENCE

All those games big defenceman Justin Holl sat last year under Mike Babcock did not make him timid on offence.

With the extra ice time and latitude granted to him by Keefe, Holl is up around 18 minutes a game. Tuesday was his first multi-point night in 43 NHL starts.

“Sure, that’s something I’d like to incorporate more and more,” Holl said. “But you don’t want to be riverboat gambling out there. Just try to do the right thing at the right time.” 1165868 Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto Sun LOADED: 12.12.2019

'GAME-CHANGING SAVES': Andersen shines in Leafs' win over Canucks

Lance Hornby

VANCOUVER – The Christmas rush was on, but Fred-Ex delivered again for the Maple Leafs.

After getting shots down to a manageable 30 and under the past few games, the Leafs’ yen for more offence was flipped to a series of breakaways and difficult deflections that needed Frederik Andersen at peak power of intuition. Versus the dangerous Brock Boeser in particular, with eight of the Canucks’ 39 shots, Andersen kept raising his big left mitt to halt the threat.

With the 4-1 win, the Leafs have now guaranteed a split on their four- game road trip that pulls into Calgary on Thursday. After coming out for this Pacific time zone start knowing some Eastern Conference rivals had already won, Toronto jumped Tampa Bay and the Rangers in the standings to tie Montreal and remain a point out of the wildcard spot.

Andersen could laugh off that his own teammates made it tougher on him, including a soft pass by William Nylander in the third for one of Boeser’s gifts. Andersen was only beaten by ex-Leaf Josh Leivo, who kept chopping away at a loose puck.

“It’s fun to make those saves, be a difference maker, help the team,” Andersen said of NHL win No. 199. “They took care of everything up in their end and had some huge goals.”

Two were by captain John Tavares, including the winner and third-period insurance. Where Andersen was frustrating the Canucks by tracking some tricky tips, Tavares re-directed Cody Ceci’s shot past Jakob Markstrom to support Auston Matthews’ goal early in the period. Tavares had assisted on that first one with a great a great backhand pass from behind Vancouver’s net and completed his first three-point game of the season on a goal that gave Justin Holl his first ever two-point game in his 43rd start.

Andersen had already locked it down with his second highest save total of the season, putting him second to the Flames David Rittich in the league with 721 overall.

“I’m trying to read off what they’re showing and react,” said Andersen, simplifying his explanation of the evening’s work. “A couple of those deflections in the second period, I saw them do that a lot when the Sedins were here. I tried to remain square to the play.”

The post-game accolades poured in.

“Ideally, you probably wouldn’t want to see him make five breakaway saves,” deadpanned Matthews. “But that’s just a credit to him. He was just dialled in.”

Matthews now has goals in consecutive matches and Tuesday was his 100th even-strength goal in 243 games, a mark bettered only by Alex Ovechkin among active players. Tavares has also tied Nylander for second place on the Leafs with 23 points.

“It was a great game overall in terms of energy (close to a split of Leaf and Canucks fans amid 18,000-plus) and in pace,” said Tavares. “(On his tip goal) you’re just fighting for every inch of ice and anything you can do to get some production. It’s the same defensively.”

As coach Sheldon Keefe repeats in measured tones, the Leafs still need to find balance between creativity and the turnovers it can create if they don’t support it with defensive positioning.

“We know if we make a mistake, (Andersen) will be there. It’s great he was up to the challenge and those were game-changing saves. But I thought except for those breakaways, we were doing a good job defending him.

“We feel pretty strongly that if teams threaten (only) from the perimeter, Freddy is going to handle those quite easily. There were mistakes, but the guys competed.” 1165869 Toronto Maple Leafs duo top line competition, including Elias Pettersson and Brock Boeser in Vancouver on Tuesday night.

In some ways, Holl is only here thanks to Dubas, but also Keefe — the Scratched to prime time: Justin Holl’s rise with the Leafs is a study in coached who saw something in him from the very start. perseverance “I don’t really look back and think about that because I guess you could look back on a lot of things and think maybe if something happened even earlier I’d be in the NHL earlier,” Holl said. “So you never know.” By Jonas Siegel Dec 11, 2019 Could Holl have gotten to this point sooner if Babcock had given him a real chance last season? What if the organization discovered then that Holl could play in their top-four? (We still don’t know for sure that he can If it seems unlikely now that Justin Holl — Justin Holl! — would be but the early signs are encouraging.) How would that have changed the emerging on the Leafs’ shutdown pair this winter after a season which offseason? Would Dubas have insisted on trading for and/or keeping saw him scratched 71 times, then consider where Holl was just over four Cody Ceci, for instance? years ago. What’s interesting about Holl is that amid all that turbulence he never It starts back in 2015 at training camp, the first in Toronto for Mike seemed (at least on the outside) to lose faith, or consider drastically Babcock, Sheldon Keefe, and Holl. The defenceman had been a second- altering who he was to fit in for Babcock. Even at camp, when he hadn’t round pick of the Chicago Blackhawks who spent the previous season yet broken through the seemingly impenetrable Babcock wall, Holl playing for the Indy Fuel of the ECHL. sounded confident that he could do the job defensively in the NHL. The Leafs had so many exhibition games that most expected members A forward until high school in Minnesota, Holl said he improved that side of the Toronto Marlies to hang around NHL camp right until the end. So of his game at the University of Minnesota. when the “Marlies” started their first training camp under Keefe, it was basically a group of likely ECHLers. They then headed east for a tour of “I don’t think that defensive zone is a huge flaw for me,” Holl said in Newfoundland. September, after an on-ice session at training camp in Paradise, N.L. “I just think that it’s a lot easier to play hockey when you don’t have to play “Justin Holl was there. He was the only player in that tournament that in the defensive zone.” made the Marlies that season,” Keefe said last month. “That’s kind of how far he’s come is from being in Newfoundland, kind of on an island — “I’m not a perfect player,” Holl went on, “and there are improvements to literally — and working his way here.” be made in all facets of my game so I’m not satisfied with where I’m at. But I think that I can contribute and play well and do the things I do well.” Keefe remembered Holl as a “dominant player in that event, to the point that he didn’t belong there.” It was the always other stuff, the skills and skating especially, that made Holl stand out at Marlies camp four years earlier. “That much was very clear,” Keefe said, recalling how Holl “could really skate the puck (and) transport it up the ice.” His role with the AHL team continued growing, to the point of top pair minutes on the Calder Cup championship squad in 2018. Interestingly, Keefe remembered how eager Kyle Dubas, then the Marlies GM, was to Holl recalled one thing Keefe often stressed with him was physicality, get Holl signed. He was exactly the type of player Dubas wanted to putting that 6-foot-4, 210-pound frame to work, “because I think that’s target; a higher draft pick who hadn’t panned out quite yet. obviously what Babs wanted to see.” Holl grins when remembering the meeting in which he was told he had “I can’t say for sure if that was Sheldon’s emphasis, you know,” Holl said. made it; when they told him he would suit up for the Marlies opener. Keefe’s ascendance onto the Leafs bench means more emphasis on the “That was the beginning of something nice in Toronto,” he said. stuff that really defines Holl. He talked in camp about wanting to It seems fitting that Holl’s long-awaited breakthrough with the Leafs showcase more of his offensive game, to join the attack more often, and would go down in the same season Keefe became the franchise’s head do it with confidence. coach. “I think I was able to do it a little bit under Babs, just play instinctively and What’s odd though is that Holl emerged when Babcock was still in charge try to find the open space,” Holl said recently, “but I think it’s more of an — not right away certainly, far from it, really. emphasis now too with Sheldon. We’re supposed to be an option on the breakouts. We’re supposed to be an option in the O-zone. So, it’s just “Technically, I’m a returner on the team,” Holl said back in September, making yourself available and trying to help your teammates out.” “but I don’t feel like I really am because I didn’t play as much (last season), you know what I mean. So I want to be an everyday guy, and Like Tuesday night against the Canucks, when Holl set up John Tavares then I’ll really feel like I’m on the team and I’m part of the deal.” for the third Leafs goal.

Throughout training camp in Newfoundland, it looked like the 27-year-old PATIENTLY PICKS HIS SPOT #LEAFSFOREVER was destined for either another season of countless scratches, a spot on PIC.TWITTER.COM/F1UPGMYBZW waivers or the type of release program Dubas offered Josh Leivo, another Babcock no-go. Holl was paired with Kevin Gravel and Ben — TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS (@MAPLELEAFS) DECEMBER 11, 2019 Harpur during exhibition play, long shots to make the Leafs. When those Holl added a second assist in the 4-1 win for the first two-point game of guys disappeared and the regular season got underway, Holl was his NHL career. predictably sidelined again: scratched in the season opener against Ottawa for Martin Marincin, and again, two days after that, against All 10 of Holl’s points this season have come 5-on-5. He’s got more Montreal. points there than Tyson Barrie (eight) and the same number so far as Victor Hedman, Seth Jones, and Brent Burns. Holl is tied with Roman It’s a testament to Dubas’ patience and stubbornness, that Holl even Josi for 13th in 5-on-5 points per 60 minutes (1.51) among the 170 stuck around that long. It would have been easy, given Babcock’s defencemen to log at least 300 such minutes. reluctance to play him, to free him for an opportunity elsewhere, even with the Marlies. Holl and Muzzin got word from the coaching staff last week that they would start tussling with top lines, beginning with Nathan MacKinnon and But Dubas kept bringing him back until, finally, Holl won Babcock over. Mikko Rantanen when Colorado was in town. It went well that night, if Rarely uttering a positive word about his play before that, Babcock began less effectively opposite Pettersson, Boeser, and J.T. Miller this past describing, fondly, how Holl never seemed to be involved in scoring Tuesday night. Still, in the 10 games they’ve been paired together, the chances against. He didn’t get scored on either, a strike against him Leafs are pushing a 56 percent expected goals mark with Holl and (unfairly) over 11 games last season. Muzzin on the ice — and outscoring teams 6-5.

In what would have seemed unthinkable only a few weeks earlier, in “We’re still learning each other and stuff like that, but I think as far as Babcock’s final game behind the Leafs bench, Holl was moved onto the defending we’re on the same page,” Muzzin said the other day, second pairing with Jake Muzzin. Last week, Keefe began handing the describing Holl as a “great skater, big guy.” One aim of their efforts, as Muzzin described it, was to make the neutral zone into something like a moat, where players are forced to wade through before getting chance to play offence. Stopping plays in that moat — “eliminating controlled entries,” Muzzin said — is the goal, and it’s contingent on the two defencemen operating as if tethered.

“Wherever he goes, I go,” Muzzin said. “And then it’s just eliminate the play, and then the only play they have — if it’s eliminated — then the play is done.”

When opponents inevitably cross those dangerous waters and get into the Leafs end, Muzzin (6-foot-3, 217 pounds) and Holl are both physically equipped to shove competitors off the puck. Holl seems to have a knack, too, for putting his long reach to use in deterring forwards rushing wide.

“It’s just been growing on the defensive side of the game and realizing how he can use his skating and his size and his reach to be a great defender,” Keefe said last month.

Then last week, Keefe said the following: “We think Holl has really been making great progress, not just in his defending but also he’s using his feet and his skating to move the puck up the ice, which is a big part of playing against the other teams’ best players.”

What’s really notable about Holl is how late this career turn is happening: He’ll celebrate his 28th birthday at the end of January.

More and more, it’s looking like the Leafs can pencil him in as part of their future on defence (and start considering what his next contract looks like; he’s a UFA next summer). He’s effectively replacing Nikita Zaitsev on the second pair for a sliver of the price. In fact, his $675,000 cap hit this season is tied for the lowest in the league among defencemen, and also below the current NHL minimum of $700,000; only a few others at that price are even playing, let alone grabbing almost 18 minutes per game as Holl has since he moved up in the lineup.

“Personally, I’ve matured obviously,” Holl said. “Physically I’ve matured. I’m a late bloomer for sure. So I think in the four or five years that I’ve been here I’ve gotten physically stronger for sure, and that’s a factor too.”

Muzzin is considered a late bloomer as well, though not quite as late as Holl, having truly broken out (with injuries limiting him before that) for the Kings at 24. Now 30, Muzzin says it was a mental grind to stick with it, an approach personified by Holl throughout last season when all those scratches piled up.

“There’s different challenges that come along with that,” Muzzin explained, “staying with it, believing in yourself, staying patient, waiting for your opportunity.”

It didn’t sound easy.

“It helps though,” Muzzin said. “When you’ve made it, you really understand yourself and what it took to get there, and you don’t want to waste it.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165870 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights ranked as 13th most valuable NHL franchise

By Dennis Rudner Las Vegas Review-Journal

December 11, 2019 - 9:08 PM

For the fifth straight year, the NHL’s most valuable team is the New York Rangers, according to Forbes.

The Rangers, who missed the playoffs in each of the past two years, are worth a whopping $1.65 billion. The business magazine released its annual rankings Wednesday.

The Vegas Golden Knights, who have played in the postseason in each of their first two years of existence, are ranked as the 13th most valuable franchise at $580 million, a 1 percent increase over the past year.

According to Forbes, the average value of the league’s 31 teams is $667 million, an increase of 6 percent over 2018.

In April, Forbes released its Major League Baseball most valuable team list, and no surprise, the New York Yankees sit atop the list at $4.6 billion.

The world’s most valuable sports team for the fourth straight year is the , who Forbes calculates is worth $5 billion.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165871 Vegas Golden Knights Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice began his career in 1995 at age 28 with the and has witnessed the league’s evolution.

The game has changed — “A toe-drag, 22 years ago, in between NHL coaching culture undergoes sweeping changes somebody’s feet, if they didn’t two-hand you on the way by, you were fighting them the next shift,” Maurice said — and coaching styles have adapted, as well.

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal For example, rather than dressing down a player in front of teammates, coaches now can simply critique players through video. December 11, 2019 - 4:27 PM “I still maintain the most important coach is the guy that’s sitting beside

you when you ask that question. The players on the bench,” Maurice said Jon Cooper wasn’t sure if the word was appropriate, since the Tampa in January. “Those guys can teach the game at a different level.” Bay Lightning coach had a spotlight shining on him at last season’s All- Cooper said despite all the sweeping changes to the hockey culture, Star Game and was careful not to create a viral moment. successful coaches, regardless of their method or style, must hold “Can I say ‘hard-ass?’” he asked sheepishly to a crowd of reporters in players accountable. January. “If you raise your voice, does that make you a hard-ass? Or if you pull Months before the NHL started to investigate allegations of racism, and them aside in a private meeting? There’s so many different ways to do it,” verbal and physical abuse by coaches, Cooper recognized a shifting Cooper said. “I don’t know how other guys do it. It’s just how I am. A lot culture across the league. of my coaching is done behind closed doors aside from visibly on HD.”

The old-school coaching methods of fear and intimidation were no longer effective with this generation of players. Being a “hard-ass” doesn’t work. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.12.2019 “Is coaching now — my assumption and what I’ve heard through my peers and how things used to be — are they a little different now? It sounds like it,” said Cooper, in his eighth season after guiding the Lightning to a record-tying 62 wins in 2018-19. “You’ve got to let a lot of these players breathe and let them play to their strengths, let them play to their confidence.

“For me, it’s a respect value. When you respect the player, you respect the game, everything kind of comes back and forth. They do the same. That’s kind of been my approach. But I think it’s definitely been a little different than it was, say, 20, 30 years ago.”

The NHL has been rocked in recent weeks by revelations about several coaches, a chain of events that started when Toronto fired Mike Babcock.

After tales leaked of Babcock’s questionable motivational methods with Maple Leafs rookies, former pro Akim Aliu disclosed incidents of racism by Calgary Flames coach Bill Peters while in the minor leagues.

One of Peters’ former players in Carolina then alleged that Peters physically abused him and another player on the bench, an account that was verified by current Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour. Peters resigned from the Flames on Nov. 29.

“There’s hard coaching and then there’s stepping over the line,” said Knights right wing Ryan Reaves, whose father is African-American. “There’s no place in the world for that. It doesn’t matter who it is. Evander Kane doesn’t deserve that, and I don’t like that guy. There’s just no place for that.”

The reverberations have been felt across the sport. The Swift Current Broncos of the junior fired their athletic trainer for “a recent pattern of demeaning and derogatory comments, threatening behavior and unprofessional conduct,” according to a team statement.

Blackhawks assistant Marc Crawford was placed on leave Dec. 2, and the team is investigating allegations that he kicked a player as coach of the Los Angeles Kings in the 2006-07 season.

Nashville coach Peter Laviolette last week wanted to “get in front” of any allegations and denied he bullied players into fighting or punched a player during his time in Philadelphia.

Dallas, which hosts the Knights on Friday, fired coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday for “a material act of unprofessionalism.” By all accounts, that move was unrelated to the four-point plan on coaching conduct that was outlined Tuesday by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

“I started 20 years ago, and for me it’s just, I come to the rink every day, I have fun every day, and I enjoy coaching,” Knights coach Gerard Gallant said recently. “You’re not coaching against your players. You’re coaching with your players.

“We’re all together. I think if you ask my players what type of coach I am, I think they feel like I’m a teammate of theirs. That’s the way I work. I can’t comment on anyone else, but that’s the way I work.” 1165872 Vegas Golden Knights

Golden Knights Smith, Karlsson continue shorthanded wizardry

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

December 11, 2019 - 7:59 am

The phrase “man advantage” becomes a misnomer when William Karlsson and Reilly Smith are on the penalty kill.

The two Golden Knights forwards are shorthanded terrors, always a deflection or a pokecheck away from an odd-man rush. They pounce on any opportunity an overly aggressive power play gives them.

That continued Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Smith forced a turnover in the defensive zone, rushed down the ice and patiently waited for Karlsson to get open for a tap-in goal.

“Just trying to get us back to even,” Smith said. “I definitely owe him for a lot of backdoor tap-ins that he’s given me over the last few years.”

The goal continued the duo’s staggering work on the penalty kill this season. Karlsson has five shorthanded points (two goals, three assists), while Smith has four (two goals, two assists).

Only six NHL teams have outscored the pair’s four combined goals on the penalty kill. Karlsson has been on the ice for more shorthanded goals (five) than power-play goals against (four).

”We have the mindset of trying to attack when we can,” Karlsson said. “There are some spaces that open up, especially when teams have only one guy on the blue line. It’s been working pretty well.”

The two are uniquely gifted to take advantage of those openings. Karlsson and Smith are two of the Knights’ best defensive forwards and keep their sticks active in the defensive zone to hunt for turnovers. They’re also both blazing fast but keep their heads up when skating through the neutral zone.

That allows them to find each other when they’re going full speed to the net. Even when they don’t see each other, they’ve played together for three seasons so they usually know where the other one will be anyway.

That’s what leads to shorthanded goals off the rush like Saturday’s, or Smith’s in the season opener against the San Jose Sharks. Smith created a turnover at the blue line with his stick, passed to Karlsson, got the puck back and scored for his first goal of the season.

“It’s fun to watch,” defenseman Deryk Engelland said. “I get to kill with them lots. Any time we can get a puck to the neutral zone, you never know what’s going to happen with those two out there.”

Smith seems to be enjoying their chemistry too, especially since his first two NHL teams, the Dallas Stars and Boston Bruins, barely trusted him on the penalty kill. But then he was traded to the Florida Panthers, who were led at the time by Knights coach Gerard Gallant.

He earned Gallant’s trust on the penalty kill then, and now no coach would think about not putting him on the ice shorthanded. Same goes for Karlsson, and he and Smith have celebrated their combined success by setting each other up for plenty of goals.

“I owe him probably 10 more,” Smith said. “But, you know, don’t tell him that because he’ll start shooting it on 2-on-1s. I enjoy backdoor tap-ins too.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165873 Vegas Golden Knights “He’s old school, but he’s a good, honest guy too,” Stastny said. “You can be mean, strict and hard on people, but you want the best for people. You see people who are honest guys and want to see the best for their people. When you see him away from the ice he’s always talking to you, What makes Vegas’ Gerard Gallant a player-friendly coach — ‘You’re not and it’s not always about hockey, hockey, hockey.” coaching against your players’ According to multiple Golden Knights players, one of Gallant’s best attributes is his ability to connect on an individual basis to every player on the team. By Jesse Granger “He’s so approachable, and the way he communicates with us is Dec 11, 2019 somewhat like a teammate,” Nick Holden said. “You can openly have a conversation with him and speak freely without thinking you’re going to get in trouble or something. I’ve had a couple coaches that are like that. Allegations levied in the past month have put a microscope on the way The thing that’s different with Turk is no matter whether you’re young or hockey coaches treat their players and led commissioner Gary Bettman an old guy, everyone can talk to him. Where as with other coaches it’s to release a four-point plan on how the NHL would deal with abuse. sometimes just the older guys who have that relationship with their coach, and the younger guys don’t have the same say.” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant is the embodiment of old-school hockey to his very core. The former Red Wings’ bruiser was a good Last season Nate Schmidt told a story that serves as a perfect anecdote hockey player — tallying 211 goals and 269 assists over his 11-year for Gallant’s in-game coaching style and persona. Schmidt had just career from 1984-95. He was an even better protector of his highly- committed a turnover that led to an odd-man rush the other way, and talented Red Wings teammates — racking up more than 1,600 penalty when he climbed over the boards, Gallant went directly over to Schmidt. minutes, most of which were fighting to defend his teammates. “He comes over and just lights me up on the bench,” Schmidt said. “He’s A quarter-decade later, as a well-established head coach, Gallant’s screaming at me, ‘You can’t make that play!’ I’m kind of bummed out and team-first philosophy of togetherness makes him one of the most he just keeps ripping into me.” respected and well-liked coaches in the NHL. Shortly after, Gallant and defensive assistant coach Ryan McGill When questioned about the recent revelations with coaches around the deployed Schmidt right back onto the ice for a power play, and he league, Gallant gave an example of what hockey culture often is – and responded by dishing a gorgeous pass to help set up a goal. should be all the time. “He comes over to me right after that and yells, ‘I love the way you’re “You’re not coaching against your players. You’re coaching with your playing tonight! You’re playing amazing,’” Schmidt says with a laugh. players,” he said Saturday. “The way he can just put things away and have a short memory is impressive. Yeah, he gets fired up and we know he’s an emotional guy, “We’re all together. I think if you ask my players what type of coach I am, but you know underneath it he really cares about his players. When I think they feel like I’m a teammate of theirs. I can’t comment on anyone things go right he is even more fired up, in a good way. He quickly else but that’s the way I work.” forgets about all of the bad things, which is something I admire in a The upheaval around the league is an obvious topic of discussion coach.” amongst NHL players, and the Golden Knights dressing room is no Animosity between coaches and players isn’t usually sparked by one different. particular play or incident. It can be a product of frustration over time, and “We talk about it,” veteran center Paul Stastny said. “Everyone thinks, ‘oh Golden Knights players say Gallant’s short memory when it comes to man, what did I do when I was coaching, or what did I do as a player.’ mistakes make him the player-friendly coach that he is. Because everyone has those situations where you get mad, and you say “His best attribute is not carrying things on to the next day,” Theodore something you probably shouldn’t have said, but there’s a line you can’t said. “Sometimes you make a mistake and then it’s in the coach’s head. cross. Someone like (Gallant), who has been a player before and Then you get into the doghouse. With him he says it how it is, and once understands what we’re going through, he doesn’t cross it. He that’s done, it’s over. On to the next shift. You’re still playing.” understands that when guys are messing up they aren’t doing it on purpose.” Does a coach’s doghouse even exist in Vegas?

In The Athletic’s anonymous player poll a year ago, 23 percent of NHL “I don’t think it does,” Theodore replied. “On previous teams guys would players voted Gallant as the coach other than their own that they’d most definitely feel that pressure of the doghouse. You get playing time cut, or like to play for. That was tied for first with Jon Cooper in Tampa Bay. you start finding yourself in and out of the lineup. That doesn’t really happen here.” Gallant won the Jack Adams Award in 2017-18 for leading the expansion Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup final, but his coaching resume is far Gallant doesn’t address his team as often as most coaches, according to from the most impressive in the NHL. He’s done phenomenal things in a multiple players. He’s a man of few words. It’s how a player who thrived short time in Vegas, but the main reason Gallant is so highly-regarded by in “old school hockey culture” as a player, has adapted to be a player- players is the respect he reciprocates. friendly coach in a completely different NHL landscape.

“I think he brings a different presence,” said Golden Knights’ defenseman “I think he’s firm and fair,” Holden said. “When he needs to put his foot Shea Theodore, 24. “Obviously there are some coaches out there that down on something that’s creeping into our game, he has that capability. are more old school, but he’s a guy that when he’s walking around the He does a great job balancing that.” locker room you can just say ‘hey.’ I think that’s what he does best is just being able to connect to all of us individually, and I think that’s what makes him a great coach. The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 “I don’t think you see that very often now days. It’s good to have that relationship with him, but at the same time he tells it to you straight. If you make a mistake he’ll let you know.”

Some coaches demand respect from the players without returning it. That’s never been Gallant’s style.

“I come to the rink every day and have fun every day,” Gallant said. “I enjoy coaching.”

Gallant is far from docile on his bench. He coaches with the same fiery passion that he played with, constantly yapping at his players and the officials. His beet-red face is often captured between whistles, but according to his players, he doesn’t cross the line. 1165874 Washington Capitals with a hockey season — some avoidable, some not. The Caps have endured all varieties. Evgeny Kuznetsov was suspended for three games at the beginning of the year for what the NHL called “inappropriate conduct,” and happened to follow a positive test for cocaine while he was These Capitals check all the boxes, especially against the Bruins playing for his native Russia. Garnet Hathaway, a new fourth-line winger, was suspended three games for — let me double-check this — spitting

on an opponent. (Ick.) Barry Svrluga Throw in injuries to Nicklas Backstrom, Carl Hagelin, Richard Panik, Nic Sports columnist Dowd and Michal Kempny, and Monday was the first time the lineup is fully intact. On Wednesday, they added more than players. They added December 12, 2019 at 12:53 AM EST an edge because the Bruins — well, the Bruins ain’t the Blue Jackets.

“These are the games you get up for,” Hagelin said.

It was T.J. Oshie with his best moves of the year and then John Carlson Yes, Boston had stumbled some headed into Wednesday night. But all reminding people he’s leading the way to take the Norris Trophy, if not those categories the Caps lead the league in — most wins, fewest the Hart as the NHL’s MVP. It’s December, so no definitive conclusions regulation losses, most points — the Bruins were in second. These are about hockey teams should be made at the moment. But this version of the past two Eastern Conference champions. Boston’s top line of Patrice the Washington Capitals is the best the NHL has to offer right now. It Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak is among the league’s looks potential losing streaks in the face and scoffs. most dangerous. These two teams are using the first part of the season to establish themselves as the most likely to meet in the conference The latest bit of evidence was Wednesday night’s 3-2 victory over the finals next spring. Boston Bruins, as marquee a matchup as the sport can offer before the holidays. Oshie scored twice, Braden Holtby made 30 saves, the penalty “It was fun to play in that atmosphere,” Carlson said. kill snuffed all five of the Bruins’ chances, Carlson broke a tie early in the third period, and the Caps forgot what might have been their worst And be honest: For the Capitals, it’s just fun to play the Bruins. There are performance of the season two nights earlier against, against . . . who still people with the Caps who grit their teeth when the end of the last was that against again? season comes up. The Stanley Cup from the previous spring has a way of healing all wounds, and the franchise is forever changed because of it. “We didn’t go over one shift of that game against Columbus,” Coach But if you want to curdle the cheese of Caps officials, bring up the Game Todd Reirden said. 7 loss in the first round last season to Carolina. Not just because Washington was better than Carolina. But because of who awaited — the Right, right. Columbus. It was against Columbus. And they lost, 5-2. upstart New York Islanders, followed by Boston. “That game was over and done with,” Reirden said, “and we’re not going The Capitals essentially lock the Bruins in a closet and bring them out to talk about it.” only for their own amusement. Since beginning of the 2014-15 season, That’s a strength not of who these guys are becoming but who they are they have gone 16-1-0 against Boston. That’s not, say, 16-1-0 against already. No hockey team is fully formed before half the season is gone, Florida. That’s 16-1-0 against a franchise that has averaged 100 points a and there are obstacles — unforeseen obstacles — still ahead. But these season over the past five years, that came a win away from the Cup last Capitals are buoyed not only by their best-in-the-league record, which we spring, that annually expects deep playoff runs. will get to, but by the way they handle themselves daily. That first period So excuse the lingering frustration for the Caps’ franchise that the against the Blue Jackets? It stunk, and no one hid from it. upcoming opponent, had they beaten the Hurricanes in the first round, “We’re a pretty self-aware team,” Carlson said. would have eventually been Boston. And for whatever reason, Boston has no chance against Washington. Capitals hold off Bruins in a clash of Eastern Conference heavyweights “Half the battle, I think, is believing you’re in a good spot against an This isn’t a Caps group from, say, five years ago that might have taken a opponent,” Reirden said, “and you have a mental, I’d say, feeling of performance like that and argued, “But we’ve been so good for so long.” superiority or confidence.” This is a group that takes a performance like that and is embarrassed that they weren’t better. If this was, then, a preview of a playoff matchup in four or five months, so be it. The Caps can handle it. Holtby’s record against Boston now: 18-3- “One of the, I would say, strengths between the coaches and players is 0. Fine, Tuukka Rask, Boston’s top goalie, gave the net to backup there’s very honest evaluation,” Reirden said. Jaroslav Halak on Wednesday night. But make a date for the spring, and So let’s honestly evaluate the Caps to this point: They’re pretty darned the Caps would relish it. good. To review: Shoot. There’s 49 games till the playoffs start.

Before this week, they played four straight on the road. They won all four, “We’ve just got to keep rolling and keep building and keep getting better,” including an unprecedented accomplishment for this franchise in Backstrom said. “We can’t be satisfied even if we’re in a good spot right sweeping the always perilous three-city California segment. In 33 games, now.” they have gained at least a point in 28. They haven’t lost back-to-back in regulation all season. Do that, and it’s hard to do anything but move They’re in a very good spot because they’re a very good team. Enjoy forward. Oshie’s goals from Wednesday night because the second one, in particular, was spectacular. Embrace what is developing into Carlson’s “We believe we can win any game we play,” said Holtby, whose mastery career year because he now has 45 points and anything seems possible. of the Bruins is otherworldly, “and whatever happened in the past doesn’t Know that they can win when Alex Ovechkin doesn’t score. They believe matter.” they can beat any team any way on any night in any building — because That includes Monday night’s clunker against Columbus. There are 82 they have proved exactly that. games. The inexplicable happens. This group knows: When it does, flush it. Washington Post LOADED: 12.12.2019 So with the holidays approaching, not a bad place to be. No team has more wins. No team has fewer regulation losses. No team has more points.

And yet . . .

“We’re still definitely a work in progress,” Reirden said.

Even after more than a third of the season, that makes sense given two factors: a roster that is working in five skaters who weren’t in the organization at this point last year, and the maladies that come along 1165875 Washington Capitals intensity. But it was Boston sniper David Pastrnak who broke open the scoring, beating Braden Holtby on a short-side rush for his league- leading 26th goal of the season. Holtby had 30 saves on the night.

Capitals hold off Bruins in a clash of Eastern Conference heavyweights “We did a great job tonight,” said Holtby, who improved to 16-3-4. “That’s a tough power play to go against, especially the first three or so. . . . Trusted each other and worked hard. They have a lot of options and move the puck quick. Our guys stuck with it and got some huge plays.” Samantha Pell Just 38 seconds after Pastrnak’s goal, the heavyweight fight offered a December 11, 2019 at 10:29 PM EST truly heavyweight fight when Tom Wilson and Zdeno Chara dropped the gloves in the corner, after Chara looked to initiate the exchange. The two traded punches, and both were assessed five minutes for fighting. Wilson Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie put the puck on a string as he got two additional minutes for cross-checking. It was only Wilson’s skated up ice, cutting between a pair of Boston Bruins defenders, gliding second fighting major of the season. with the puck on his forehand before seamlessly putting it on his backhand, then flipping it past goaltender Jaroslav Halak. The Bruins couldn’t convert on that power play, but on their next man advantage they appeared to go up 2-0 on Patrice Bergeron’s goal. The It was a stunner of a goal, his second in a span of about 3 minutes 30 Capitals challenged, claiming offsides, and the goal was overturned. seconds, and while it wouldn’t go as the game-winner — that belonged to Washington is 2 for 2 in offsides challenges in its past three games. Norris Trophy candidate John Carlson early in the third period — it certainly seared itself in the memory of those at Capital One Arena for “It’s huge, actually. . . . I think that’s good for the game,” Backstrom said Washington’s 3-2 win in a clash of Eastern Conference heavyweights. of the challenge rule. “What’s right should be right, you know?”

“I felt like I had [Jakub Vrana’s] wheels on the bench,” Oshie said of his skating abilities that led to his second goal of the night. “I had to check Washington Post LOADED: 12.12.2019 my skates, make sure there wasn’t a ‘13’ under there. I don’t know. Like I said, I haven’t seen it. It felt pretty lucky for the puck to squeak through.”

He designed a beer label for the Caps. Now he wants to make it a career.

Oshie’s goals gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead entering the third period. The Bruins equalized on a goal from Sean Kuraly just 2:53 in, but Carlson one-timed a pass from Nicklas Backstrom less than two minutes later, a blast that beat Halak for Carlson’s 12th goal and 45th point. Carlson currently has a 15-point lead over the next highest scoring defenseman.

Carlson’s five game-winning goals through 33 games are one shy of the Capitals’ single-season record by defensemen (Kevin Hatcher had six in 83 games in the 1992-93 season).

“I was just trying to shoot it in the net,” Carlson said. “I mean I had enough chances before. I was pretty frustrated and it was nice to at least find the back of the net.”

The game matched the NHL’s points leaders but saw the Capitals continue their mastery of the Bruins dating back to 2014. Washington has won 16 of the past 17 meetings, outscoring the Bruins, 51-26, in that span. Boston has lost eight of the past nine meetings in D.C.

The Capitals (23-5-5) had their full lineup for the second game and, unlike Monday’s dismal 5-2 loss to Columbus, this time very much looked like a team in full. The Bruins (20-6-6), meanwhile, dropped their second straight.

“It was a good game from both teams,” Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said. “They have a strong team and it was a good challenge. Their top line is exceptional. We needed to be at our best or close to it. I think it lived up to all it was meant to be.”

The win marked the seventh time the Capitals had come back from trailing after the opening period. Oshie and Carlson were instrumental in the rally, with Carlson feeding Oshie on the power play for a blast in front of Halak. The initial shot clanged off the crossbar, but he hammered home his own rebound to knot the game at 1.

A few minutes later, Oshie delivered the game’s highlight, accounting for his second two-goal game of the season and his 13th tally of the season. That is Oshie’s 27th career multi-goal game. Last season, he tallied 25 goals in 69 games.

“I think the work he put in this summer, working on skill development, talking about how he can score more goals, skating I think is improved and it’s tough to improve skating when you become an older player and I think it’s evident,” Reirden said. “[Oshie’s second goal] for me sums it all up. But he leads the way for our team.”

The Capitals killed off two crucial penalties in the third period — the Bruins were 0 for 5 on the power play on the night — and a flurry of late shots to hold on.

The Capitals, playing in front of a national TV audience and looking to shed Monday’s shaky showing, came out with a notable increase in 1165876 Washington Capitals

In clash of NHL’s best teams, top goal scorers Alex Ovechkin, David Pastrnak face off

Samantha Pell

December 11, 2019 at 12:34 PM EST

Alex Ovechkin knows 23-year-old David Pastrnak is taking a run at his goal-scoring supremacy this season. The 34-year-old Capitals captain has led the league in goals six out of the previous seven seasons, scoring 50-plus goals in four of those six years as his transcendent resume continues to expand in his 15th NHL season.

Ovechkin is second in goal scoring with 21 goals through 32 games; Pastrnak leads the league with 25 goals in 31 games. Ovechkin has 679 career goals and is six goals shy of passing Teemu Selanne (684) for 11th in NHL history.

“I’m happy for guys who get those results,” Ovechkin said of Pastrnak, whose nickname is Pasta. “The league’s changed. You can’t be always No. 1. At some point, somebody going to get you and you just have to try to do your best thing that you can do.

“It is impressive and it’s nice that somebody did in this type of hockey that teams are playing and goalie style and goalie skill. I think he’s played great hockey this year. Their line is connecting well, [Brad] Marchand, [Patrice] Bergeron and Pasta. He’s a great shooter, a great skater and he’s on the next level this year.”

Wednesday night, the NHL’s top two teams and top two goal scorers will go head-to-head at Capital One Arena. Washington leads the league with 49 points; Boston is second with 46.

Both teams lost to subpar teams on Monday: The Capitals fell to the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Bruins to the Ottawa Senators. The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Washington, which will face a tough comeback challenge against a strong Bruins team.

In the previous meeting between the two on Nov. 16 in Boston, the Capitals pulled out a 3-2 shootout win. Boston’s lineup is a healthier than it was last month, when Bergeron was out with a lower-body injury. Washington is playing with its full, optimal lineup for only the second time this season.

“They are a tremendous team and a great challenge,” Capitals Coach Todd Reirden said. “Tremendous players and well-coached. Should be a good game.”

Ovechkin always gets up for games such as Wednesday’s, Reirden said, and the goal-scoring race will most likely be in the back of his mind against Pastrnak.

“Four goals for Ovi is nothing,” Pastrnak said. “Obviously he’s an unbelievable goal scorer, and he’s been doing it for a lot of years. We all know what he’s capable of. He’s a big key for their team, so we need to be ready.”

Ovechkin also has praised Pastrnak’s game. In his six years in the NHL, through 351 games, Pastrnak has scored 157 goals. He scored 38 goals last season, 35 in 2017-18 and 34 in 2016-17.

“Obviously Ovi is farther along than Pasta, but Pasta is now being talked about in the same breath so I think it’s good for the fans,” Boston Coach Bruce Cassidy said. “They enjoy seeing two of the top guys go at it. Only Pasta can answer it, but I’m sure he looks at it like a challenge. I don’t know about Ovi, who has always been at the top, but I assume for Pasta, the next night it’s [Nikita] Kucherov, always someone coming down the line.”

Washington Post LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165877 Washington Capitals “I was just trying to shoot it in the net. I mean I had enough chances before. I was pretty frustrated and it was nice to at least find the back of the net,” Carlson said.

T.J. Oshie scores twice as Capitals win clash with Bruins But Backstrom was a tad surprised by how open the Bruins left Carlson, who leads all NHL defensemen in goals and assists.

“Yeah, a little bit, but he’s pretty mobile back there,” Backstrom said. By Adam Zielonka - The Washington Times “And especially like that too, I think Ovi came on the far post or the middle there too, so it’s kinda hard to protect everyone out there … Yeah, Wednesday, December 11, 2019 a hell of a shot.”

The Capitals‘ next three games are all away from home, starting T.J. Oshie adjusted the bright red Washington Nationals batting helmet Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They’ll meet the Bruins again covered in autographs, the prized possession the Washington Capitals later this month, Dec. 23, in Boston. are passing around this year to game MVPs after wins. “It’s a little big,” he said. Washington Times LOADED: 12.12.2019 That probably wasn’t of great concern to Oshie, though. Not after he scored two key goals in one of the best games of the NHL season.

Oshie gave the Capitals their first lead and John Carlson slapped in the game-winner as the Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins, 3-2, Wednesday in an anticipated meeting of the clubs with the two best records in the league.

Washington improved to a NHL-best 51 points (23-5-5), while the Bruins stayed put at 46 points (20-6-6).

Oshie had scored just one goal in the previous 10 games, but Wednesday he potted two in a span of 3:30 of game time. Carlson had an assist along with his goal, and Braden Holtby improved to 18-3-0 all- time against Boston by making 30 saves.

The matchup lived up to its billing as one of the biggest games of the regular season to date. It managed to include both plenty of skill — with multiple highlight-reel goals — and noticeable physicality, with one fight, 10 total minor penalties and Alex Ovechkin’s game-high six hits.

“It’s always fun to play (when) the two best teams right now in the league play against each other,” Ovechkin said. “You can see how tough the game was. We play hard, they play hard. It’s always nice to get two points. We knew it’s not gonna be easy game because they have a very good team out there.”

Washington came out firing, possessing the puck for most of the first five minutes, but the Bruins drew first blood when the NHL’s leading goal scorer David Pastrnak sniped a puck over Holtby’s shoulder on an odd- man rush. It was Pastrnak’s 26th tally of the year.

Boston initially took a 2-0 lead, but the Capitals challenged the play looking for offside and successfully overturned it — Jake DeBrusk entered the offensive zone just ahead of the puck.

Coach Todd Reirden praised video coaches Brett Leonhardt and Tim Ohashi for making the crucial save, the second successful overturned goal for the Capitals in three games.

“I don’t mention this when I’m talking about my staff, is my challenge tonight. I think that had a huge, huge impact on the game,” Reirden said. “Having two talented guys in there and how they go about their business and the responsibilities they each have, letting us know that that was a challengeable call, to me that’s a major deciding factor in tonight’s game.”

Oshie’s goals arrived early in the second period. First, with Chris Wagner in the box, Carlson fed Oshie a pass in the slot. His first shot flew off the crossbar, but he put the rebound past Jaroslav Halak.

Shortly thereafter, the 32-year-old beat defenseman Connor Clifton with a right-to-left move and popped in a backhander to move to 13 goals on the year.

Oshie said in the locker room that he had yet to watch a replay of the goal, which appears destined for his career retrospective.

“I felt like I had (Jakub Vrana’s) wheels on the bench. I had to check my skates, make sure there wasn’t a 13 under there,” Oshie joked. “Like I said, I haven’t seen it. It felt pretty lucky for the puck to squeak through there. You just try to put it upstairs with a couple sticks on you, so happy it went in.”

Sean Kuraly tied it in the third by redirecting a long Torey Krug shot. But Carlson answered less than two minutes later when Nicklas Backstrom skated behind the net and fed him in the right circle for a fierce one-timer. 1165878 Washington Capitals This will go down as one of the top plays of the season for the Caps. Oshie went outside, in on Connor Clifton, split the defense, got hooked and still roofed the puck with the backhand.

T.J. Oshie's skills, Carl Hagelin's smarts, and a huge video review Oshie wanted to make sure everyone got their due after a big win.

"You are probably just going to talk to a couple of guys here, but a lot of guys had really good nights. A lot of guys did their job, whether it was on By J.J. Regan the PK, you know Holts, guys blocking shots, guys getting the puck in, making smart plays, the video guys in the backroom calling the offsides December 12, 2019 12:21 AM there on the no goal. We had everyone in tonight.”

Third line continues to progress and at least one of those 3 scores an The Capitals and Boston Bruins battled in one of the best games of the even strength goal tonight. season as Washington narrowly managed to edge out the Bruins for the Hagelin was good. Lars Eller was pretty quiet. Richard Panik...this was 3-2 win on Wednesday. not a great game for Panik who played only 9:52 for the night and 54 Check out a recap of the game here. seconds on the penalty kill.

This one lived up to the hype. A Tom Wilson-Zdeno Chara fight, a back and forth game, T.J. Oshie taking over, physical play, everything you Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 could have wanted from a hockey game.

In hockey, we are rarely treated to the matchups we want to see in the playoffs, but I wouldn't mind this as an Eastern Conference Final.

Since returning to the lineup from an eight-game absence due to injury, Nicklas Backstrom looks like he has not missed a beat. He set up John Carlson for the game-winner on Wednesday and looks as lethal as ever. If there is one aspect of his game he needs to improve on, however, he needs to shoot more on the power play.

Backstrom has a deceptively good shot which he does not use nearly enough. OK, so he likes to distribute the puck more. That's fine. But on the power play, Boston clearly did not respect Backstrom's shot. The penalty killers made it very clear they did not expect him to shoot at all.

When they are giving you the room and the lane, you have to take it. It's not just about scoring, it is about forcing the penalty kill to account for the possibility that you may shoot.

Backstrom plays the half-wall on the power play on the right side. You know who's on the left? Alex Ovechkin. So if the penalty kill has to cheat over to account for Backstrom's shot, they are giving Ovechkin more space. If teams do not have to account for Backstrom, they won't and their penalty kill will be tougher to beat because of it.

The penalty kill was great

I know people are not happy about Carl Hagelin having no goals, but the Caps did not sign him for offensive production. The signed him for all the other things he brings to the table, especially the penalty kill.

Boston entered Wednesday's game with the sixth-best power play in the NHL. They had five opportunities against Washington and, after a successful offside challenge, did not score a single power play goal. Hagelin played a game-high 6:13 of shorthanded ice time.

The problem with players like Brett Connolly and Andre Burakovsky is that they did not contribute much if they were not producing offensively. The Caps needed different types of players who could still have an impact on a game even when they were not scoring. Hagelin had zero points on Wednesday but was absolutely one of the reasons Washington won.

Turning point

Patrice Bergeron thought he had put the Bruins up 2-0 in the first period with a power play goal. Todd Reirden challenged the goal as offside, just the second time he has done so all season. A review of the goal showed that Jake DeBrusk had his back skate off the ice.

For some reason, this is the standard in which we want to hold players to on offside reviews. It doesn't make any sense at all why we would want to slow the game down and take goals off the board to analyze pixel by pixel if a player is offside even though if he was it had zero effect on the play, but I digress. The successful challenge took Bergeron's point off the board allowing T.J. Oshie the chance to take over the game in the second period.

As an aside, the offside video review is garbage and the league should get rid of it. But as long as it is still a thing, you better have a good video staff to make those calls. The Caps certainly do.

Play of the game 1165879 Washington Capitals

Oshie, Carlson lead 1st place Caps to victory over 2nd place Bruins

By J.J. Regan

December 11, 2019 9:53 PM

WASHINGTON -- There was plenty of hype surrounding Wednesday's matchup between the Capitals and Boston Bruins and it delivered as Washington escaped with the narrow 3-2 win. The win is the Caps' 16th win in 17 games against Boston. Here is how Washington won.

Patrice Bergeron thought he had put the Bruins up 2-0 in the first period with a power play goal. Todd Reirden challenged the goal as offside, just the second time he has done so all season. A review of the goal showed that Jake DeBrusk had his back skate off the ice as the puck as David Pasrtnark entered the zone, thus drawing the play offside. Reirden had not challenged for offside once until Dec. 6. He has now done it twice in less than a week and won both challenges.

It's not hard to figure out who the player of the game was. Boston nearly scored twice in the first period but held a one-goal lead through the first 20 minutes. Then Oshie took over with two goals in the second period to give Washington back control of the game.

As the Caps entered into the offensive zone on the power play, right defenseman Brandon Carlo came over to the left to cover a pass to Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom retreated to the boards drawing Carlo completely over to the left side. As the puck tipped back to the blue line, it was kept in the zone by John Carlson who passed to a wide-open Oshie who was all alone in front of the net thanks to Carlo being drawn out of position. Oshie went backhand to forehand and chipped the puck over Jaroslav Halak. Just about everyone thought it was a goal, but the referee immediately waved it off. Oshie followed up his shot and hit in the rebound for the actual goal.

Oshie's second goal was more of the highlight real variety as Evgeny Kuznetsov fed him in the neutral zone. Oshie went outside-in on Connor Clifton, then split Clifton and Charlie McAvoy to go in on net. He drew the hook from McAvoy but was still able to backhand the shot bar down to give Washington its first lead of the game.

Who else?

Torey Krug tied the game at 2 less than three minutes into the third period. Then it was Carlson to the rescue.

When there is a defenseman whose numbers are rivaling those of , opposing teams can't lose track of him in their own defensive zone. As Backstrom carried the puck into the offensive zone, all eyes were on him. He wheeled around the net and every head of the four Bruins players who were back were watching him. None were watching Carlson coming up to the faceoff circle to set up for the shot. Backstrom saw him though.

Backstrom teed up Carlson for the one-timer which of course he fired past Halak because that's just the kind of season Carlson is having this year. He would finish the game with a goal and an assist.

The penalty kill

The offside challenge erased Boston's lone power play goal of the night. The Bruins entered the game with the sixth-ranked power play in the NHL but finished the game 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165880 Washington Capitals

T.J. Oshie shows off his fancy skills with stellar dangle and finish

By Ethan Cadeaux

December 11, 2019 8:35 PM

The oohs and ahhs were in full force on Wednesday as fans rose to their feet at Capital One Arena midway through the second period.

That's because T.J. Oshie put his tremendous stickhandling on display against the Bruins, perfecting a dangle around a pair of Boston defenders before scoring backhanded, finishing top-shelf.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165881 Washington Capitals

6 things to know for Caps-Bruins: Clash of the titans

By J.J. Regan

December 11, 2019 11:20 AM

The Capitals (22-5-5) return to the ice Wednesday looking to erase Monday's ugly loss. A win against the Boston Bruins (20-5-6) certainly would go a long way towards erasing the memory of that loss. Tune in to NBC Sports Washington for pregame coverage starting with Caps FaceOff Live at 6 p.m. followed by Caps Pregame Live at 6:30 p.m. bringing you up to the 7 p.m. puck drop on NBCSN. Tune back to NBC Sports Washington after the game for Caps Postgame Live, D.C. Sports Live and Caps Overtime Live.

Here's what you need to know for Wednesday's game.

No line changes

Monday was a tough loss, but when you have been playing as well as the Caps are there is no reason to overreact. Based on the morning skate there were no line changes from Monday's game.

A battle of the top teams

This game will feature the top two teams in the league according to the standings. Washington sits atop the NHL with 49 points while the Bruins sit just behind them with 46. Boston has a game in hand so while a loss for the Caps tonight would not technically drop them to second place, it would give Boston the inside track on passing them in the near future.

You are going to hear the phrase "measuring stick" a lot before and after this game.

Washington dropped Monday's game 5-2 at home to Columbus. Yikes. That is not the way you want to go into a big matchup, but hey, the Bruins are in the same boat. Boston lost on Monday 5-2 to the Ottawa Senators so both teams are coming into this game off a bad loss.

When last we met

The Caps and Bruins met once this season already back on Nov. 16 in a game that would result in a crazy shootout victory for Washington. T.J. Oshie scored a last-minute goal to tie the game in regulation and Jakub Vrana would win it in a shootout with this absolute gem:

Ovechkin has won the last two Rocket Richard Trophies as the league's top goal scorer and six of the last seven. David Pastrnak may finally end that run this season. Pastrnak currently leads the league with 25 goals. He hit 25 goals in his 27th game which made some wonder if he could hit the fabled 50 in 50 mark, but he currently finds himself in a four-game goalless drought, his longest drought of the season.

Ovechkin sits second with 21 so he remains well within striking distance.

Washington lost to Boston on Feb. 3, 2019. That was the first time the Bruins had beaten the Caps since 2014. Washington has completely owned Boston in this matchup with the Caps winning 15 of the last 16 games they have played one another. While Tuukka Rask may be one of the top netminders in the league, Washington sure seems to have his number. He is a woeful 2-11-5 against the Caps with a .889 save percentage and 3.10 GAA.

That probably is why Washington played Jaroslav Halak the last time they met and why Halak will be getting the start again on Wednesday.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165882 Winnipeg Jets Scheifele's line mean he also often facing off against an opponent's top trio.

"I think I'm way better than last year," said Laine. "Last year I was just Laine leaves laser in holster; breakaway beauty all speed, stickhandling maybe more thinking about offence. This year focusing more on defence, because that's the way I'm gonna earn more ice time, if I play good defence. Because I'm not a liability out there and the opponent is not always going to score against us. So that's the way I'm gonna earn more By: Mike Sawatzky ice time." Posted: 12/11/2019 4:43 PM Maurice agrees, but takes the analysis one step further.

"Part of it is you defend when you don’t have the puck in all three zones Patrik Laine is accustomed to scoring highlight-reel goals but Tuesday and maybe it’s a function of coming through the system on the big night's breakaway special against the Detroit Red Wings was something (international) ice — those forecheckers, a lot of times, will anticipate completely different. where they think they puck is going and really not pressure the puck carrier," he said. Taking a neutral-zone feed from centre Mark Scheifele and tearing through the heart of the Detroit defence like a runaway freight train, Laine "That’s a hard thing to take out of your game, which would have been turned Wings blue-liner Dennis Cholowski inside out before freezing true of (Nick Ehlers) and really a lot of the young guys who are cheatin’ goaltender Eric Comrie and depositing the puck in the net. on where they think the puck goes.

It looked easy but it came with some premeditation. "These defencemen just look you off and then you’re out of position and we have no pressure on the puck. So his defensive game has improved "Scheif did a good job winning the draw," Laine said Wednesday before in all three zones and I think some of it is just years in the league." the Jets departed for Detroit and Thursday's return matchup with the Wings. "After that our plan was kind of put one guy a little bit higher and then he would bump it back to somebody who has a ton of speed. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.12.2019 "Now I was the guy who, I never had a ton of speed, I'm not the fastest guy, but average amount of speed, and I had a pretty good chance to challenge that guy one-on-one. And just tried to go outside-inside and it worked."

Laine was asked if breakaways might become a staple in his game.

"It's probably my first or second breakaway in four years, so not really," he said. "I haven't really had too much time to work on those moves. I consider myself as a pretty good breakaway player. I have some moves, like you saw yesterday. But probably going to get the next one in four years."

"Now I was the guy who, I never had a ton of speed, I'm not the fastest guy, but average amount of speed, and I had a pretty good chance to challenge that guy one-on-one. And just tried to go outside-inside and it worked."

Laine's answer was self-deprecating but Jets head coach Paul Maurice sees the possibilities as the 21-year-old Finn continues to develop his game.

"As he gets stronger he gets faster and he's gonna be able to do that more often," Maurice said. "We’ve talked in the past – I have no problem with him trying that – it’s all based on the speed that he’s carrying. It’s tough to pull off when you haven’t built speed through the neutral zone and it’s also tough to pull off from one end to the other, because by that time the defenceman has matched your speed, he’s got a cadence on you.

"Off a neutral-zone transition, you’re carrying more speed than a defender is — absolutely, he’s got the green light to try it.

In his fourth NHL season, Laine has an unusual stat line: nine goals, 20 assists and a plus-7 rating. In three previous years, he's never registered more assists than goals. Did he see that coming?

"I did," said Laine. "I think I've always been a good passer. But the last three years every time I get the puck I'm just thinking 'shot.' And now I'm playing with two elite scorers (Scheifele and Kyle Connor) as well, so they're going to be open eventually. So I'll try to find them, too, so they're not gonna hate me out there. So, yeah, I think that's been the difference."

He's also coming off a minus-24 campaign.

"It was kind of a tough stretch on a winning team last year being minus- 24," said Laine. "And a playoff team. That's not very good. Obviously there's some mistakes, too. But there were some unlucky bounces quite a bit. And six-on-five empty-netters, quite a bit. That's just the way it is sometimes.

"This year I've been defensively more responsible, and played some good hockey with my linemates as well. So that helps."

With experience and an adjustment in thinking, Laine is certain his defensive play has improved even though his first-line minutes on 1165883 Winnipeg Jets call came in the 1989-90 season, when the Jets had a 3-1 series lead, but Mark Messier and the boys rallied to win three straight to advance.

"It was difficult to accept that we never made that next step. A lot of us Doug Smail was initially ignored by NHL clubs, but the small winger's have talked over the years, a lot of us have seen things. You watch what detour to UND paid big dividends certain teams are willing to do and what some teams aren't willing to do," said Smail, who had 11 points in 41 playoff games with the Jets.

"The economics come into play on what a team can and can't afford and By: Taylor Allen all the guys understand what's affordable and what's not. All the guys understood back then that Winnipeg was one of the lowest-budget teams Posted: 12/11/2019 7:00 PM in the NHL, so you might not get that extra player or two to put you over that hump. So, it was frustrating at times but, gosh, I call Winnipeg the best team in the NHL that nobody ever heard of because we were on the When you think of the Winnipeg Jets, Doug Smail likely isn't the first edge three times of maybe winning a Cup in that decade, but we were player that comes to your mind. just a little short."

This is the first instalment in a periodic series from Taylor Allen called While Smail never got a Stanley Cup ring, he does own two records that Catching Up. perfectly exemplify the type of hard-working player he was throughout his career. In a game against the St. Louis Blues on Dec. 20, 1981, Smail Taylor will retell the stories of former Manitoba sports icons while also scored five seconds into the contest — setting a new NHL record. He providing an update on what they're up to today. Have a certain sports now shares the record with and . After figure in mind? Email [email protected] with your suggestion. 11 seasons with the Jets, Smail is also the franchise leader in short- That's not a knock on him. After all, there have been some pretty good handed goals, with 25. ones over the years. There were the legends in the 1970s who brought Today, Smail is helping the next generation of players who have an uphill the Avco Cup to Portage and Main not once, but three times. There was battle to get to the pros. He's the head coach of the under-18 Rocky The Finnish Flash in the '90s, and today, there's another guy from Mountain RoughRiders triple-A hockey team, based out of Superior, Finland on the team who happens to be pretty good at putting the puck in Colo. He said the scenic route he took to the NHL has helped make him the net. the coach he is today. But perhaps no player is a better representation of this city and the "It helps give some determination to them about what the road has to be, history of the franchise than Smail. He was a small guy, from a small especially today. You have to be on top of it so much more than you town who wasn't even drafted. Nothing about Smail's hockey journey was were in my day," Smail said. easy and, perhaps, that's what made fans admire the five-foot-nine winger from Moose Jaw, Sask., during his 11-year playing career in "From off ice, to nutritionally, to your emotional, social, intellectual, Winnipeg from 1980 to 1991. psychological places where your mind is at. Your sport psychology areas, your nutrition, health, your off-ice training, everything we try to commit to Smail played Tier 2 junior hockey for his hometown Moose Jaw Canucks our boys down here is just pushing them to understand how important it and averaged nearly two points a game, but it didn't garner the attention is. Not just for the sport of hockey and to further their careers but for life, of pro scouts and his name wasn't called during his draft-eligible years. in general." But Smail wasn't quite ready to throw in the towel. From there, he'd go play three seasons at the University of North Dakota. When Smail isn't at the rink, he's likely spending time with his wife of 14 years, Wanda, and chasing his four, soon to be five, grandkids. Towards "I was there to play hockey and my goal was to play pro hockey after," the end of his playing career, Smail wasn't so sure if he'd get into Smail told the Free Press in a phone interview from his home in Denver. coaching once he retired. He did, however, have a hunch that his life "I went there for that purpose and I knew I had a little longer route. I was after hockey would involve living in Denver. able to get into a real strong training methodology with the coaches there "The bottom line for me was I was in college and we were playing Denver and how they encouraged me to get on a weight gain, muscle-building in my very first year at North Dakota. I think when we left Grand Forks, program that really helped me. Between my freshman and sophomore N.D., it was 30-below. We landed in Denver and when we got off the year, I put 27 pounds of muscle on my body and that basically made me plane it was (+17 C). I remember turning to one of my teammates and an NHL-calibre player." saying 'Oh my gosh, look at this place. This is where I've got to live one Smail's physical transformation, in addition to scoring 43 goals and day.' adding 44 helpers in 40 games as a junior in the 1979-80 campaign at "So, I always kept it in my mind that it's a place I wanted to be. The UND, had NHL teams knocking on his door. But what arguably helped weather is great, there's still a change in seasons. You still get a bit of a Smail's cause the most was the 1980 Winter Olympics, when a bunch of cold snap here and there, but it's a very great climate, you get 300 days American college kids did the unthinkable and won gold in men's hockey. of sun a year and there's no mosquitos. It's good stuff down here." "I think it raised the eyebrows of the competitiveness of college hockey to another level," Smail said. "I was a free agent after that year. We won nationals (at UND), we'd been there two years in a row, so we had a very Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.12.2019 good hockey club. We had eight or nine guys off our team play NHL games. It was a good group of guys. I was scouted, as the depth of scouting in college hockey became a lot heavier. So, I actually had 14 offers. I left after my junior year and I had 14 teams offer me a contract to play in the NHL."

Smail narrowed his options down to three teams: the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers and Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg wasn't the best offer on the table, but Smail chose the Jets, feeling it was the best club for him to get a chance to establish himself at the NHL level.

The Jets were dreadful in the 1980-81 season, finishing with a league- worst record of 9-57-14. But one of the very few bright spots that year was the undrafted rookie, who scored 10 times and added eight assists in 30 games.

Over the next couple of years, he would become one of the key cogs for the Jets, helping them transform from a laughingstock, to a legit Stanley Cup contender. Now, nobody around these parts needs to be reminded which team owned the '80s. The Oilers, who'd win five Stanley Cups, took the Jets down in the playoffs an astounding six times. The closest 1165884 Winnipeg Jets

Ice-cold cameo for red-hot Hellebuyck

By: Mike Sawatzky

Posted: 12/11/2019 3:41 PM

Connor Hellebuyck looks to be on a Vezina Trophy-winning pace early in 2019-20 but a cameo appearance in Winnipeg's 5-1 triumph over the visiting Detroit Red Wings Tuesday was probably his most uncomfortable performance of the season thus far.

The 26-year-old goaltender went in cold off the bench when starter Laurent Brossoit required some repair work on his pads. The stint lasted 1:09 on the game clock, just long enough to face two shots, one of which found the back of the net.

It was the briefest appearance of Hellebuyck's career, with the previous low coming during his rookie season, lasting all of 4:33 against the Carolina Hurricanes on Feb. 4, 2016. He stopped three of six shots in that one.

Did he have much time to think about his predicament against the Wings?

"Not necessarily," Hellebuyck said following practice Wednesday morning at Bell MTS Place. "You just go in and battle. Try to have as little impact on the game as possible. Because I know Brossoit was going back. Just tried to hold down the fort. Unfortunately they got one."

Hellebuyck, unquestionably Winnipeg's MVP through 31 regular-season games, isn't interested in comparing his start in 2019-20 to his breakout year of 2017-18 when he backstopped the Jets all the way to the Western Conference final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

"I don't want to compare to two years ago," said Hellebuyck, currently carrying a .933 save percentage and 2.24 goals-against average. "I'm a better goaltender than two years ago. I just want to continue getting better every day... sometimes it's going to be statistically beautiful, and sometimes it's not."

Jets blue-liner Luca Sbisa, a member of the Golden Knights two seasons ago, marvels at Hellebuyck's competitive drive.

"That's one thing I've got to know about him — he doesn't need to be on the ice," said Sbisa. "Even off the ice, if we play a little soccer or whatever, he wants to win...

"So, he's got that compete level that is really, really high. He plays like that in the net. He never gives up on a play. I think he's pretty good at looking through screens and covering his second chances. The rebounds are going to come but never gives up on a play."

If Hellebuyck ever needed extra incentive, he'll have it Thursday night when the Jets travel to Detroit for their lone visit of the regular season and he'll get the start in his hometown.

"The schedule worked out well for us in this one," said Hellebuyck. "It's real easy to get going for this. I'm going to have a lot of friends in the crowd, and family. It's easy to get the juices flowing. It's a good feel."

Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.12.2019 1165885 Winnipeg Jets zone," said Lowry, selected in the third round (67th overall) of the 2011 NHL Draft.

"You never just give up the offensive part of the game. It's still there. This Masterful muckery year, my offensive numbers are pretty poor but our team is doing extremely well, and you look at the way the (penalty kill) has played the last month-and-a-half (84 per cent efficiency since Nov. 1). There are definitely other areas of the game where... our line (with wingers Andrew By: Jason Bell Copp and Mathieu Perreault) are having an impact on." Posted: 12/11/2019 11:47 AM | Last Modified: 12/11/2019 6:06 PM | The former Swift Current Broncos star, who fired 45 goals and added 43 Updates | Comments: 7 assists in 72 games in his last of four Western Hockey League seasons, accepted the reality that his job description would change dramatically at the pro level. There was towering centre Adam Lowry on Sunday afternoon at Bell MTS Place, settling a bouncing puck in the Winnipeg end and moving it While Lowry possessed elite hockey IQ and an interminable work ethic, north, lurking as the trailer, accepting a pass in the slot and zipping a he was a fraction of a gear slower and didn't quite have the finish at the shot through a narrow cranny between Anaheim Ducks goalie John big-league level, limiting his opportunities to hit the scoresheet. Gibson's left shoulder and the crossbar. "Different role, right? A lot of the time in Swift Current I'd play on two It was old-time Lowry, a glimpse of the fashionable goals he produced lines. We were dressing 11 forwards and I'd double-shift. Playing close to with relative ease in junior. 25 minutes a night, I'm on the power play staying out the whole two minutes if I want, plus the penalty kill and five-on-five," Lowry said. Lowry is a reliable, rough-and-tumble third-line centre routinely tasked with matching up against the opponent's best. (David Santiago / Miami "Sometimes, it's frustrating. You go back to your junior years and you put Herald files)

up pretty good numbers and you're like, 'Why can't you replicate that at the NHL level?' But you look across the board and pretty much everyone Lowry is a reliable, rough-and-tumble third-line centre routinely tasked could score in junior but now it's about adapting and finding that niche with matching up against the opponent's best. (David Santiago / Miami and finding that role where you're going to be successful. There's Herald files) different ways that you find to become a useful NHL player. For me, that was the defensive side of the puck and being hard to play against, and And there he was at home again Tuesday night, stationed in the blue that's something I've tried to get better at." paint, banging away at the partially smothered puck beneath the blocker of Detroit goalie and former teammate Eric Comrie before finally Lowry credited former ex-IceCaps coach Keith McCambridge, a knocking it in. And then awaiting validation from video review before Thompson product, and veterans on the AHL squad with a patient celebrating his fourth goal of the 2019-20 season. approach to teaching the value of playing responsibly without the puck.

It was quintessential Lowry the NHLer, doing the muck work with the Jets "Keith did a good job of instilling that in me, and I got a big role on the shorthanded. penalty kill there with Patrice Cormier. For most of the year, I played with JC Lipon and Jerome Samson, and then later with Cormier, and we And that's exactly the effort that keeps the 26-year son of Brandon Wheat started going more into that checking role. So, I was starting to get Kings coach and former 19-year NHL veteran Dave Lowry, everlastingly, groomed for it early. The sooner you recognize it's an area you can excel in head coach Paul Maurice's good graces. at, the sooner you can get better and perfect that craft." The trust factor was established early on between bench boss and It's not like Lowry hasn't enjoyed abbreviated scoring streaks before. He's player. fired goals in back-to-back NHL contests five times, including twice in the "I had gone to see (him) play in the American Hockey League (in 2014) 2016-17 season, but has yet to stretch the run to three in a row. and he had a really good defensive stick, and that is as much a talent as The opportunity to change that comes Thursday at 6:30 p.m., at Little a guy who can pass or a guy who can score. You can kind of steer a Caesars Arena in midtown Detroit, as the surging Jets (19-10-2) hook up player to be in the right spots but there are guys who have the talent of with the lowly Red Wings (7-22-3) to complete a home-and-home series. knowing where they're supposed to be and knock an awful lot down with that stick and break passes up. So, he had that," Maurice recalled this Overall, Lowry has accumulated 57 tallies — including a career-high 15 week. three years ago — and helped set up 62 others in 388 games for the Jets. He's also had five two-goal games in his career, including a pair last He had replaced Claude Noel behind the Winnipeg bench in mid-January season, but is still seeking a hat trick. 2014 while Lowry was in his first full pro campaign with the St. John's IceCaps, the Jets' minor-league affiliate. By the fall of that year, Lowry "You'd like to be on the scoresheet and score goals. There certainly has was cemented on the NHL roster just as Maurice was settling into his first been chances this season and I think I could have more goals," he said. full campaign in the Manitoba capital. "Sometimes, when you're slumping you try to find a softer area rather than going to the areas where you've scored goals in the past." "Big man that was going to grow into his size, grow into his feet in terms of speed, and he gets going at a fairly big rate and he's a big, powerful Such as invading Comrie's personal space Tuesday to fetch the game- man. With Adam, he's a Winnipeg Jet. He likes being here, he likes opener in an eventual 5-1 romp. playing here, and we value that greatly," acknowledged Maurice. "Everybody wants to score goals. So, when Adam scores everyone Lowry, listed at 6-5, 210 pounds, has just six points in 29 games — he jumps about three inches higher on the bench," Maurice said. "Yeah, served a two-game suspension a month into the season for boarding we're happy when Patty (Patrik Laine) and Scheifs (Mark Scheifele) Calgary Flames defenceman Oliver Kylington during the Heritage Classic score. We've seen that, everybody enjoys the goal. But when a guy like in Regina — but isn't someone on Winnipeg's payroll whose merits are (Lowry) scores a goal — because you know it means something to him, gauged on offensive production alone. and he blocks shots, and he drops the gloves if he has to, and he's done all the heavy lifting — you're cheering harder for him." Now in his sixth season, he's a well-established, defensively reliable, rough-and-tumble third-line centre routinely tasked with matching up against the opponent's best. He's Winnipeg's busiest and heaviest hitter, kills penalties and handles most of the crucial faceoffs in the vicinity of Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 12.12.2019 goalies Connor Hellebuyck and Laurent Brossoit.

"It's different here in the NHL. Everyone has a role on this team and it's important that you accept it. We have a lot of dynamic guys offensively, and it's important that we can take some of the load off them defensively, whether that's working on the penalty kill or at five-on-five and getting a lot of defensive-zone starts so that they can flourish in the offensive 1165886 Winnipeg Jets

JETS GAMEDAY: Jets looking for more of the same in rematch with Red Wings

Ted Wyman

December 11, 2019 11:06 PM CST

Jonathan Bernier vs. Connor Hellebuyck

The Jets won 5-1 on Tuesday with their backup goalie Laurent Brossoit going against Detroit backup Eric Comrie. It’s expected to be a battle of the No. 1 goalies on Thursday and Bernier will have the significant task of outplaying Hellebuyck, who is having a Vezina Trophy-calibre season. This game is an absolute mis-match on paper but if the Red Wings can get a Herculean effort from their goaltender, they just might have a chance of ending a 12-game winless streak.

Five keys to the game

RINSE, REPEAT

The Jets were the far superior team on Tuesday, and while they let the Red Wings hang around for a while, they eventually pulled away after scoring three goals in a two-minute span late in the second period. More of the same kind of play from the Jets should make it difficult for the Red Wings to get anything going.

SIZZLING SCHEIFELE

Jets centre Mark Scheifele has scored in four straight games and has taken over the team lead with 14 goals on the season. He has been an absolute sniper of late and has been getting great feeds from the likes of Kyle Connor, Patrik Laine, and Blake Wheeler. It won’t be easy to slow the red-hot Scheifele down.

WINNING DEFENCE

You would not have expected the Jets to be a shutdown defensive team, after they lost four of their starting six defencemen in the off-season, but here they are, having allowed just 10 goals in the last seven games. The defence is growing into its own and has benefitted greatly from the play of goaltender Connor Hellebuyck.

DESPERATE WINGS

Despite a 12-game skid, the Red Wings are certainly a proud hockey team and they are desperate to get back in the win column for the first time since Nov. 12. Playing at home, against the same team they just faced on Tuesday, could give the Red Wings a bit of an emotional boost and increase their chances to winning.

BAD BLOOD

There were 34 minutes in penalties on Tuesday and there were a couple of scrums — one involving the Jets’ Connor and Filip Hronek of the Wings and another mini-scrap between Nathan Beaulieu of the Jets and Adam Erne of Detroit. With this being a home-and-home, it’s possible the bad blood will return early and often in Motor City.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.12.2019 1165887 Winnipeg Jets I suggested the leap in his plus-minus must be a bit of an exaggeration. Surely he’s not that much better defensively.

“Yeah, I am,” he said, unwilling to poke fun at this part of his work. “I’m The reverse-Laine: Jets sniper a plus, all-around way better than last year. This year focusing more on defence, because that’s the way I’m gonna earn more ice time. Because I’m not a liability out there.”

Paul Friesen Bingo, says his coach.

December 11, 2019 5:21 PM CST “Part of Patrik playing in the three-hole when he first came in was you’re hiding him a little bit,” Maurice said. “So the biggest compliment I could

give Patrik is where I play him and who I play him against.” It was the self-deprecating Patrik Laine who came off the ice after Maurice says the surprising plus-minus of his sniper is a product of what practice, Wednesday. he’s doing in conjunction with his linemates. The Winnipeg Jets winger was asked to relive his breakaway goal Ditching the fancy play as often as not, sacrificing goals at times — that’s against Detroit the night before, and this is how his mental replay began. not easy for skilled players to learn. “Scheif did a good job winning the draw,” Laine said of Mark Scheifele, “Well, playing’s more fun than sitting on the bench and watching when his centre. “After that our plan was put one guy a little bit higher and then everybody else plays,” Laine said. “So as a guy who wants to play and he would bump it back to somebody who has a ton of speed. Now I was be out there to help his team win, it’s a lot of fun.” the guy who…” As for having to wait four years for his next breakaway, nobody’s going to Laine hesitated, realizing the words “ton of speed” fit him about as well feel sorry for the guy. as the word “goon” fits his buddy, Nik Ehlers. Not even his coach. “I never had a ton of speed,” a grinning Laine continued. “I’m not the fastest guy. But average amount of speed…” “God doesn’t give you everything,” Maurice said. “He just gives you enough. He’s got a lot of enough.” The Finn went on to describe how he deked Red Wings defenceman Dennis Cholowski, then goalie Eric Comrie to score his ninth goal of the season. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.12.2019 His favourite breakaway move?

“It’s probably my first or second breakaway in four years, so not really,” Laine said. “I haven’t really had too much time to work on those moves. I consider myself as a pretty good breakaway player. But probably going to get the next one in four years.”

Throwing a poke-check at his own play is nothing new for Laine. Just last week he was talking about using his “bad hands” to score a goal against Dallas.

But the 21-year-old’s stat line this season is new.

In fact, it’s close to the reverse of what he was doing a year ago.

Through 29 games last season: 21 goals, five assists, minus-4.

Through 29 this year: nine goals, 20 assists, plus-7.

At this time last season Laine was coming off a November in which he scored 18 times. He’s on pace for a career-low 25.

“As a team we’ve won a lot of games, so that’s good,” he said. “And I have a ton more assists than I have goals, so that’s kind of weird. But points are still points and the team’s winning, so hockey’s still fun.”

The man with the golden touch says he’s never finished a season with more assists than goals, at any level, and he doesn’t plan on this becoming the new normal.

“Absolutely not,” he said.

Not that he didn’t think he had it in him.

Laine’s passing has always caught some people by surprise, but not him.

“I’ve always been a good passer. But the last three years every time I get the puck I’m just thinking shot. And now I’m playing with two elite scorers… so I’ll try to find them, too, so they’re not gonna hate me out there.”

Scheifele and Kyle Connor have plenty of love for Laine these days. The trio sits one-two-three in team scoring, after all.

Perhaps some people saw this coming whenever coach Paul Maurice got around to splitting up Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.

But I can guaran-damn-tee nobody saw Laine among the Jets leaders in plus-minus, after the team-worst minus-24 beating he took last season.

“Yeah, it was kind of a tough stretch on a winning team last year being minus-24,” he said. “And a playoff team. That’s not very good. Obviously there’s some mistakes, too. But there were some unlucky bounces… and six-on-five empty-netters.” 1165888 Winnipeg Jets “The offensive part, we felt was there, and then anybody that you take and you give him a bigger role, more minutes, more chances, if they’re capable, then they’re gonna grow,” Maurice said. “That’s what has happened. Defenceman Neal Pionk has been turning heads in short time with Jets “He is a version of Josh. His ability to evade, make plays in small areas, in his own end, make quick breakout plays. All the things we saw on video are still there. He picks up his reads, his switch-offs, he closes the Ted Wyman gap real well.” December 11, 2019 5:06 PM CST Morrissey sees the similarities, too. Neither of them are huge players, but they both skate well, move the puck well and are solid contributors at both ends of the ice. DETROIT — Ask Winnipeg Jets fans which player on the team this year has surprised them the most and many are likely to say Neal Pionk. Among the differences: Morrissey shoots left and Pionk shoots right and Morrissey was a first-round draft pick, while Pionk didn’t get a sniff. The 24-year-old defenceman has been somewhat of a revelation with the Jets this season, playing big minutes, showing strong offensive skills and “I’m sure there’s a lot of people asking themselves ‘Hey, how did playing a solid defensive game. somebody not pick this guy?’ ” Morrissey said. “There are phenomenal players that, for whatever reason, develop later or weren’t seen at the When he was acquired in a trade for stalwart blue-liner Jacob Trouba in right time. It is crazy. Pretty amazing that he somehow slipped through June, fans were far less enthusiastic about his potential. In fact, many the cracks.” were scrambling to figure just who he was. The Morrissey comparison almost took Pionk aback when it was Even at the start of this season, many wondered if the Jets were getting mentioned to him. a poor return for the veteran Trouba, and Pionk had more than his fair share of detractors among those who watched him play with the New “That’s a heck of a comparison because I think Josh is a heck of a York Rangers last season. player,” Pionk said. “The deal he got this summer shows it. To be mentioned in the same sentence as him is a good thing.” And yet, Pionk has been stellar through the first 31 games of the season, helping the Jets and their rebuilt defence to a surprising 19-10-2 record. Perhaps the most important factor for Pionk is just how well he fits into the Jets’ system. With Dustin Byfuglien suspended, Pionk has become “It’s been awesome. I love it here,” Pionk said on Tuesday night after the No. 1 point man on the power play, and logs heavy minutes on a picking up an assist in a 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings at Bell MTS nightly basis. Place. “Obviously, winning helps but from top to bottom, the trainers, the coaches, the staff, everybody has been awesome. “Neal has come here and his skill set suits perfectly our needs on the blue-line, so he was able to adapt very quickly,” Maurice said. “So far it’s been a great experience and when you have a good environment like that, it makes you comfortable. You start winning, guys “He’s a fast player and he competes really hard, sort of the same things are getting more confidence, guys are making more plays and that I would say about our team and what our identity is trying to be,” everyone’s playing better.” Morrissey added.

There’s plenty of weight to the argument that Pionk has actually played Pionk is proud of his play so far and he’s not even talking about the stats. better than Trouba this season. “Throw the points out the window,” he said. “Those will come, those will The 6-foot, 180-pound defender has put up three goals and 13 assists go, whatever they are. But just the way I’ve been playing, I feel and is plus-8 while averaging 23.05 minutes per game for the Jets, while comfortable. I feel confident in making plays and defensive zone reads. Trouba has five goals and 12 assists and is plus-1 in an average of 22.51 That’s stuff that doesn’t necessarily show up on the scoresheet, but I’m minutes per game for the Rangers, who have a 15-12-3 record and are happy with that too.” five points out of a wild card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Neal Pionk got the chance he had been waiting for throughout his NHL What’s interesting is that Pionk is actually averaging more minutes per career on Tuesday night. game this year than Trouba played last year for the Jets (22.53). Moments after stepping out of the penalty box, the strong-skating For those who hate plus/minus and prefer the fancy stats, Pionk has a defenceman found himself on a breakaway against the Detroit Red Corsi for percentage that is 10 points higher than Trouba’s (52.67% to Wings. 42.79%). That means the Jets generate far more shots when Pionk is on “That’s something you always dream of as a defenceman,” Pionk said. the ice than the Rangers do when Trouba is skating. The Jets give up a “Every time you take a penalty you say, ‘Maybe this is the one time I get lot fewer shots with Pionk in action as well. it.’ All this is more impressive when you consider Pionk was never even “I got it and not much happened.” drafted and signed as a free agent with the Rangers after playing college hockey at the University of Minnesota-Duluth. On the play, Pionk streaked in on former Jets goalie Eric Comrie and deked on the backhand to try to give Winnipeg a 6-1 lead. A self-described late bloomer, Pionk is doing the kinds of things you would expect from first-round draft picks. “Coms made a good save,” Pionk said.

“Honestly, if I’m a scout, I’m not drafting me either,” said Pionk, who hails While Neal Pionk and Josh Morrissey have received a great deal of credit from Hermantown, Minn. “I was small, I was playing in a small school in for how well the Winnipeg Jets’ defence has played as a whole this Minnesota. I didn’t have elite skill level. season, coach Paul Maurice believes there’s plenty more praise to go around. “I think it helped me in the end. It put a chip on my shoulder and motivated me even more to prove to everybody that I could play in this “I felt we made a pretty significant shift to our blue-line at the end of the league.” October and we’ve been a pretty good team ever since then,” Maurice said. When the Jets were looking at trade partners for Trouba, who had expressed a desire to play in the United States, they liked the look of The shift he’s referring to included the return of defenceman Nathan Pionk, who had six goals and 20 assists and was minus-16 with the Beaulieu from injury and the arrival of veteran Luca Sbisa off waivers. Rangers last year. Those two players changed the dynamic of a Jets defence corps that had After they acquired him along with a first-round pick that turned into included 18-year-old rookie Ville Heinola and waiver pickup Carl promising blue-liner Ville Heinola, coach Paul Maurice started to notice Dahlstrom up to that point. similarities to defenceman Josh Morrissey, whom the Jets signed to a $50-million, eight-year contract in the off-season. Heinola is now playing back in Finland and Dahlstrom is the team’s seventh defenceman. Since the beginning of November — Sbisa’s first game was Oct. 29 in Anaheim and Beaulieu’s was Nov. 5 versus New Jersey — the Jets have a 14-2-1 record.

“I loved Ville Heinola, I mean, he was good, he had good numbers,” Maurice said. “But there’s a difference in style. We weren’t screaming at him to block shots or take the guy out in front of the net.

“When Beaulieu came in off of his injury and Sbisa came in, we added two guys that changed our back end pretty drastically.”

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 12.12.2019 1165889 Winnipeg Jets For me, outside of being taken with the fifth pick back in the day, it hasn’t necessarily been an easy path. The team that drafted me didn’t want to sign me. I had to earn a spot on a tough Boston team. I wasn’t really going to make my way up the ladder there. Then I had to reestablish ‘I like me a lot better this year’: One-on-one with Blake Wheeler, whose myself in another organization and just work your way up in a new city. personal transformation is changing the Jets, too It’s just been one of those things where, like all of us do, you have to fight for every opportunity you’re given to get to a certain point.

I think I was just a little bit worn out of having to do that 24 hours a day, By Murat Ates you know what I mean? I wanted to, ultimately, be successful — more Dec 11, 2019 than anything — but I also wanted to recapture myself. Who I am. I’m a lot more laid back and just kind of a normal guy than the captain of the Jets. I think, to do that, you’ve got to let some barriers down. You’ve got to open yourself up a little bit and be a little bit more vulnerable with the Blake Wheeler’s personal transformation began on an airplane bound for guys. And when you lose a tough game, it’s OK to come to work the next Florida. day and still enjoy it. You focus on the next day and ultimately try to win You wouldn’t have known it to look at him, sitting in silence next to his the next game. That’s more important. It’s little things you learn about wife, Sam. But as soon as Winnipeg was eliminated from the 2019 yourself. You learn about being in this league, being successful in this playoffs, Wheeler went to work. As the couple flew to Florida — away league. I think I was able, last summer, to remove myself, my emotions, from the ice, away from Wheeler’s teammates, away from the spotlight and what I want for myself from the equation. I tried to figure out, as a entirely — Wheeler asked himself a difficult question: What if he were to team, how to get the most out of everyone. That’s what makes me blame for the Jets’ early playoff exit? happy. This is kind of a run-on answer but it’s just kind of been where my head’s been at. Of course, it’s never that simple. Wheeler had just finished a second consecutive career season, scoring 91 points and appearing in his I looked at last year and I just so badly wanted everyone to be happy. I second all-star game. He produced on the power play and at even wanted all of my teammates to love their role and love being a Jet and strength and he also wore the “C” — as he’s done since his 30th birthday love everything about it but it’s just not possible. No matter how hard you on August 31, 2016. try, there’s just so much that goes into this and you’re not going to be able to make everybody happy. Not everyone’s going to be happy in their At 32, Wheeler had put together a great individual season. Still, his team role and I just kind of carried that all year, you know? How do we try to fell well short of expectations. And as he and Sam flew to Florida, he set get everyone happy? I kind of changed my tune this summer — instead out to understand why. of trying to make everyone happy, how do we get the most of everyone? “I had a pretty good season last year so it’s not like I was holding the And that includes me. I’m willing to put myself anywhere and if that team back,” Wheeler told The Athletic this December. “But you start to means a lesser role or lesser minutes or less responsibility, I’m happy to feel like, ‘OK. Put myself in player X’s shoes or player Y’s shoes and, if do it because I think I can still make an impact in whatever I do. If we can we can get more out of him, then that makes us a better team.'” get the most out of five other guys that way, then that makes me happy.

Wheeler was days removed from perhaps the most painful playoff loss of I know that’s kind of a lot of different angles but I think all of those things his hockey career but, as soon as he got on the plane and his mind play into having a better view of my relationship with all the guys. started to wander, he found a place of empathy. That empathy led to Ultimately, it creates a bit better vibe around the room every day. personal growth. And Wheeler’s growth has led Winnipeg to a One of the things I take away from that, especially because you started remarkable 19-10-2 record despite absences, injuries, critics, and a by putting your whole career into context, is that there’s a year-over-year defence that’s largely been stitched together by shards of waiver wire. grind. But when you’re talking about summer and removing yourself from After a slow start to the season, Wheeler isn’t the Jets’ top right winger the equation, it strikes me as a hell of a schema break, if that makes anymore, stapled as he was to Mark Scheifele’s wing for the past two sense. seasons. Instead, Wheeler is Winnipeg’s second-line centre, playing out Yeah. Yeah. of position between young scorers in a mentorship role. As a centre, he is thriving: Wheeler has scored 15 points in 15 games, including 2.58 So for me, my question becomes how? points per 60 minutes at 5-on-5 — a rate that equals his 2015-16 to I was on an airplane going down to Florida. 2017-18 peak. And he’s doing it without “spitting nails” at his teammates, as he says he has done in the past. Sam and I went down to Florida after the St. Louis series. It was just the two of us. We got on the plane and ultimately, what you end up thinking But how? about is that type of stuff. I’m like, as much as Scheif and I have such a In a candid interview, Wheeler told The Athletic how a transformation that great thing and I love playing with him and he loves playing with me and, began at the end of last season led to real, meaningful growth for himself when it’s good, I think it’s one of the best one-twos in the league … does as a person and a player — and ultimately, as the captain of the that make he and I better players? Yeah, it does, but does that make us Winnipeg Jets. better as a team? And those are the conversations you start to have with yourself. Am I better suited playing on a different line and trying to How are you feeling about your shift in leadership style, as a process? elevate those guys and make those guys better players? And then I would say that I like … I like me a lot better this year. I think (I’m) trying Scheif’s gotta do the same thing. He’s gotta play with other players and to find that fine line between spitting nails day in and day out every day make them better players. Now, instead of having Scheif and I feeling and being who I really am. You know what I’m saying? Outside of the like we’re at our best, maybe we have two lines clicking on all cylinders game. Outside of this rink. Outside of a meeting room. I’m not really a and that trickles down throughout the whole team. You start to play with guy that’s looking to grind and tell guys what to do and be a hard-nosed some of those ideas. type of guy. It feels good to try to find some of that balance between When you’re having those conversations with yourself, do you look inside being myself, being happy with that and — also, when the puck drops: for those decisions? Do you talk to Sam out loud about that? busting my ass every shift. Because that’s ultimately the most important part of my job. I think there’s a little bit of figuring that out and doing that Ultimately, I talk to my wife about everything. every day but, for the most part, I’m enjoying being around the guys She’s not going to have an answer to these types of things but more. And opening myself up a little bit more. And relating to them in sometimes, when you say things out loud it either sounds better or more of just a guy-to-guy relationship rather than having the young guys worse, you know what I’m saying? Just talking about it out loud is being scared to go around me because “Wheels is in a bad mood today.” sometimes helpful. She’ll look at me like, “Really?” And it’s kind of like, I wanted to follow up on the idea that, in the various roles that you play in “Yeah, I know. That was stupid.” life — on and off the ice — you like “you” better this year. What are you With some of these things, there are moments where she’s like, “Well, seeing in yourself that gives you that feeling? yeah, but do you think that makes you a better player? Yes or no. Does For such a long time … I think I’m just so driven. You just want to be that make your team better? Does that make your line better?” So she’s successful so bad. really good at, not necessarily understanding the context or the sport but she’s able to follow up with insightful questions. It helps you lead to a yes or no answer, ultimately. Through all of it, that’s who I go to. When things aren’t going well, she’s the one that’s more rational than sometimes you can be when you’re the one in the moment.

Is there a specific conversation or moment that you two shared that we can get into?

I knew that Patty’s potential was so sky high. When he’s playing at his best, he’s scoring 18 goals in a month and, I mean, we’re a really good team when he’s playing really well. And yeah, he wants to play first-line minutes. He wants to play on a first line.

There’s half of me that’s like, “OK. Well, earn it.”

Then the other half of me’s like, “But does that mentality help? Does that mentality make him better? Does it make us a better team?” And, I guess after last season, my answer to that question was no.

As much as I feel like I put 10 years into being that player and earning that spot, that’s part of removing yourself from that equation. He should have to earn his stripes, too. Well, maybe that’s not necessarily how it works anymore. Maybe him playing on a first line and Scheif making him a better player makes us a better team. Ultimately, that’s going to make me a better player and put our team in better situations. That’s part of a specific (example of) trying to remove some of those hard-headed moments that are maybe good in spots but, in other spots, doesn’t make you a better team. That’s ultimately all that matters.

And that’s such a cliche. And we all give those answers all of the time but I’m at the point of my career now where there’s nothing else that matters. I still want to be productive, I still want to have an impact on the team, I still want to have a role on the team — that’s just part of human nature and of being a player. But ultimately, if I’m doing those things and the team isn’t in a position to win, then what’s the point? I mean the clock is ticking whether I want it to or not. Whether it’s five years from now or eight years from now. I’m on the back nine of my career, for sure, so that’s all that matters.

There is a sincerity here.

I think I would have told you the same answer five years ago — or whenever — but I still needed a contract. I still needed other things. But I’ve been blessed by this organization. There’s a lot of things that go into being a pro athlete that I’m lucky I don’t have to worry about. I’ve been given those great opportunities and been taken care of so well by these guys that, the fact is: the only thing I care about is winning. Right?

You started by putting your career into context. You mentioned the 10- year push, year over year over year. You were part of lines that drove at 5-on-5 forever. And now, with the power play over the past two years, it’s like, OK, now you’re putting up career numbers. It’s an odd path, I think, compared to a lot of players. And I wonder how that even affects your end-of-year reputation. You could easily have been at all star games for years.

I think that’s part of it, too. The numbers, consistently, are there. I play in games and I feel like, “Man, I dominated that game.” And then nobody’s talking about me. Nobody’s putting me in the category of player that I believe that I’m in. And I think that (the all star game) was such an awesome thing for me because you were never validated, you know what I mean? Quite honestly, I didn’t really care what anyone said about me — whether I was put in the context that I believe I should have been by the media or not — but there was a part that pisses you off and drives you, too.

It’s not something where it’s ruining my day but it’s like, “Come on, are you fucking kidding me?” A lot of guys get a lot of ink and have gotten a lot of ink in the past and I’m like, “Hey, man. The numbers have been there for a long time.” And even now, the past — I don’t even know how many years — there’s three or four players in the league that have had better numbers than me and those are Hall of Fame–type players and people laugh when they see me on that list. It’s like, “Yeah, I’ve done it for a long time. You can show me a little love, too.”

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165890 Winnipeg Jets junky about it. But I’d rather have that feeling than to not be the guy who had it on their stick. You’ve got to keep going to the right spots and capitalize when you have the chance.”

How Mark Scheifele has lifted his play to another level, especially with Scheifele’s ability to process his decisions in critical moments has caught the game on the line the attention of Jets head coach Paul Maurice.

“There has to be a confidence base to that and he’s earned the confidence to want that puck. Normally the coach’s decision is to shoot By Ken Wiebe the puck, please don’t defer to anybody else,” Maurice said. “But he’s got a great balance there. He’s not passing pucks he should shoot and he Dec 11, 2019 doesn’t shoot pucks that he should pass. He’s got a really good balance. He’s found himself surprisingly alone a bunch of times lately. He’s feeling it now.” It’s difficult to describe anything Mark Scheifele does these days as quiet. Whether he’s the one distributing the puck to the open player or playing Since he became the first draft pick of the 2.0 edition of the Winnipeg the role of trigger man, Scheifele is playing at an elite level. Jets back in 2011 at Xcel Energy Center in Minnesota, Scheifele has been under the spotlight – at least around these parts. “He’s an unbelievable player and the thing I like about him is that he’s never satisfied,” Jets forward Andrew Copp said. “He’s always working to The photo of Scheifele standing on the podium in the generic dark NHL get better, he’s always trying to perfect his craft. He’s one of the most jersey – remember it was before customized jerseys that featured the dedicated people I know.” team name and logo – is ingrained in the minds of many Jets fans. With his game-winning goal on Sunday, the Kitchener, Ont. product hit His passion for hockey was evident immediately and he quickly became an impressive mark, reaching 400 points in what was only his 478th NHL a fan favourite. game.

Scheifele surprised many by making the team as an 18-year-old, though “It’s pretty humbling,” Scheifele said, who also has 16 goals and 26 he was returned to the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League in points in 27 playoff games with the Jets. “It didn’t come easy, but I’m each of his first two cracks at becoming an NHL regular. definitely very happy. I got a lot of texts about it and my parents were pretty pumped for me. I’ve just got to keep it going, 400 doesn’t make it a But since securing his spot full-time during the 2013-14 campaign, career.” Scheifele has been a household name and a consistent point producer. For Scheifele, it’s simply a matter of moving on to the next game – and What began as a mostly chaotic season for the Jets – filled with training continuing the chase to the next milestone. camp drama which included a late no-show by Dustin Byfuglien and a couple of prominent free agent signings that didn’t come until late – has recently turned to a semblance of normalcy. The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 The Jets are beginning to find their collective identity. They aren’t leaning quite as heavily on elite-level goaltending from Connor Hellebuyck and the team has fully bought into the “stay in the fight” mantra. They are figuring out how they need to play in order to have sustained success.

Obviously, some areas require constant attention and can be cleaned up further, but the results are impossible to ignore and following a 5-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, the Jets improved to 19-10-2.

If you’re looking for a point of reference, the Jets were 20-9-2 last season through 31 games and 18-8-5 the year before – when they piled up a franchise record for points in a season with 114.

This is not to suggest the Jets are anything close to a lock to keep up the pace of 2017-18 – when Winnipeg reached the Western Conference final – or even last year, when a stumble down the stretch resulted in getting knocked out of first place in the Central Division on the final weekend of the season (with 99 points) and a first-round exit at the hands of the St. Louis Blues.

It’s far too early to tell which direction this season is going to go, but it’s safe to say, Scheifele will be in the middle of things for Winnipeg. One only needs to look at three recent one-goal games to see how Scheifele has factored prominently late in games.

He scored the game-winning goal from the slot on the power play against the Anaheim Ducks.

Sent the game against the Dallas Stars into overtime with his extra- attacker goal.

Found himself alone in front of Kings goalie Jack Campbell in the waning seconds and the only reason Scheifele didn’t send that game into overtime was because of an impressive save by the Los Angeles netminder.

All of those were recent examples of Scheifele having the puck on his stick with the game on the line.

As far as he’s concerned, the more of those that come his way, the merrier – although he realizes they aren’t always going to go in.

“I like that feeling of when the game is on the line, I’d rather it be on my stick than someone else’s. I relish that opportunity,” Scheifele said, who leads the Jets in goals with 14 and is up to 30 points in 31 games. “Obviously, it’s going to go like L.A. sometimes, when you’re going to feel 1165891 Vancouver Canucks the hours away from practices and games, how you get quality rest and sleep. It all adds up.

When he was younger, he thought getting better was all about practise, Markstrom works to refocus on stopping pucks after 'messed up' months practise, practise.

“But experience is huge, too. You see the game a different way, that you don’t have to make the game so hard, trust yourself. PATRICK JOHNSTON “When you trust yourself, you need a good system, you need a good December 11, 2019 5:35 PM PST play. And when you have that you can trust yourself that you’re going to stop every puck. And make sure you’re having fun.”

He first switched to goaltending full-time when he was 13. Partly it was Professional athletes tend to be immensely hard on themselves. Even because his older brother wanted somebody to shoot the puck at. And he when outsiders say they’re playing well, they’ll often insist they can do didn’t like sitting on the bench as a player — he always wanted to be on much better, that they missed a defensive assignment here, a scoring the ice. chance there, they left a loose rebound, they got lucky over there. That endless energy had him playing all kinds of other sports in the In professional sports, there are few jobs harder than being a hockey summer, including soccer and golf. goalie, but even they will talk about the shots they missed more than the great saves they made. “My parents didn’t push me at all. They were super supportive and never pushed me to do anything I didn’t want to do. That last line of defence thing is a heavy burden. “Of course it’s different now, with social media and the easy access you In Jacob Markstrom’s case, there’s the pressure from an opponent, the can get to workout accounts and goalie schools right on Instagram. What pressure he puts on himself, and over the past six months, the weight of I had growing up was just what you saw on TV. You had to come up with knowing his father, Anders, was in a fight for his life. it yourself.” “This whole month, October too, has been messed up, for obvious Sometimes parents will ask him about what their kids should be doing reasons,” the Vancouver Canucks’ goalie said after Wednesday’s and he has a simple message: keep having fun. practice. “When I was six, seven, I practised, but to have fun. I went only to have The veteran netminder left the NHL team last week to be with his family fun. That was my only reason to go practice.” in Sweden as they celebrated his dad’s life. Markstrom’s father lost his battle with cancer and died just over a month ago. That energy still drives him and it’s clear he has no problem harnessing it toward his efforts to make himself a better goalie. He didn’t go into detail, but the netminder said it was good to be with his family. “I’m never satisfied when it comes to playing or performing. I always feel like I can get so much better and that’s what pushes me every day.” He’s also had the support of teammates and coaches all the while, which has, of course, meant everything to him.

“I can’t even start to take a guess at what he’s gone through,” Canucks’ Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.12.2019 head coach Travis Green said Wednesday. “I think anyone in the room today wouldn’t be able to understand what he’s gone through unless you’ve gone through it yourself.”

The bench boss said he was in awe of how the veteran goalie performed while he was carrying such an emotional and mentally draining load.

“I think he’s handled it unbelievably.”

For Markstrom the off-ice challenge is difficult, but it’s the on-ice challenge he prefers to focus on and discuss.

He hadn’t played in more than a week when he faced the Toronto Maple Leafs on Tuesday. And even though his team lost 4-1, it was still fun to be back in net.

“It’s tough to go a week off,” Markstrom said. “I feel like I play my best when I practise every day and I play a lot of hockey.”

Hockey-wise, Markstrom is looking forward.

“I’m hoping to get ahead, to get up to the level where I want to play,” he said.

The battle to keep his spot in the crease motivates him. He was a backup for many seasons and while there may seem to be a hierarchy between him and rookie goalie Thatcher Demko, he said it’s nothing like that. It’s just an endless drive for both to be the best they can be.

“He’s really willing to learn and he puts in the time and the work … I appreciate it. And, you know, we push each other every day. We both want to be in net and we both want to play and we’re both very competitive guys,” he said of his partnership with Demko, who moved up to the Canucks from the AHL’s Utica Comets last January.

“Obviously I’ve been in the league and have played a lot more games so anything I can do to help him prepare and give him tips with equipment or playing or stuff like that, I’m happy to do that. And we both help each other.”

Now 29, Markstrom said he didn’t always understand how much he needed to take care of all the small details. It’s about what you do in all 1165892 Vancouver Canucks

Canucks recall Zack MacEwen following Ferland injury

PATRICK JOHNSTON

December 11, 2019 4:30 PM PST

The lanky winger is back in the NHL, just four days after being reassigned to the AHL.

The Vancouver Canucks have brought Zack MacEwen back to the NHL.

The 6-3 rookie forward was recalled from the Utica Comets roughly 12 hours after the Canucks lost Micheal Ferland to an undisclosed “upper body injury.”

It wasn’t clear when Ferland was injured during Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs, but he only skated one shift in the second period before leaving the bench with athletic therapist Jon Sanderson.

After a lightly-attended Wednesday practice, Canucks coach Travis Green said Ferland is not dealing with a new concussion but was meeting with doctors.

Green didn’t reply directly to a question about whether Ferland had suffered a head injury during the game at Rogers Arena, but he emphasized the winger is “not in (concussion) protocol.”

It was Ferland’s second game back after missing 17 games with a concussion suffered at the end of October during a fight with the Los Angeles Kings’ Kyle Clifford.

MacEwen has played seven games with Vancouver this season. He scored his first NHL goal and also has an assist. He was assigned Saturday to the Utica Comets, the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, to make room on the roster for Ferland, who had been on the team’s injured reserve list while recovering from his concussion.

MacEwen has also appeared in 14 games for the Comets and has scored three goals and added six assists.

LISTEN: In this week’s White Towel podcast, beat writer Ben Kuzma and columnist Ed Willes join Paul Chapman to discuss the Canucks “microcore” and the challenges they face going into the rest of the season. The group also looks at the job Jim Benning has done, the increased social media presence of owner and whether that places any extra burden on Benning, as well as the dilemma of what to do with the goaltending situation looking ahead to the off- season. The podcast finishes off with a look back at the 1982 Canucks team that caught fire and rode it all the way to the Stanley Cup Finals.

He may be in Thursday’s lineup when the Canucks host the Carolina Hurricanes, or he could be a healthy scratch, which would allow for Loui Eriksson to return to the lineup. Or neither could play and the Canucks could finally activate Brandon Sutter from long-term injury reserve.

Sutter, who has been dealing with a groin strain, said Wednesday he felt more sore than he expected before Tuesday’s morning skate and was ruled out from making his return against the Maple Leafs. But he remained upbeat about the chances of playing against the Hurricanes.

If Sutter is activated off the LTIR, either Ferland or Alex Edler — who will be re-evaluated for an upper-body injury next week — will have to be placed on LTIR, or both Tyler Motte and Tyler Graovac will have to land on LTIR.

Motte has been out for six weeks with a broken bone in his foot, while Graovac was spotted using a walking boot and mobility scooter during the weekend.

Vancouver Province: LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165893 Vancouver Canucks And after Andersen turned him aside again, Boeser, understandably, took out his frustration on Pontus Aberg as he made his way back down the ice.

The Armies: The Breakaway show, Jacob Markstrom’s explanation and “The first time I thought I tried to shoot a little too hard rather than picking the latest from the Radio Wars my spot,” Boeser explained of his approach to his breakaways on Tuesday night. “So the second time I tried to just pick my spot there and I thought I shot everywhere on him tonight and props to him, he had a really solid game.” By Thomas Drance Boeser suggested postgame that he hasn’t been playing that well of late, Dec 11, 2019 hasn’t necessarily been meeting his own standards. He said he hadn’t been moving his feet enough, that he was looking to Tuesday’s contest as “a statement game,” which made the way Andersen stymied him all Two solid teams that represent hockey-mad cities played a high-quality the more frustrating. game in Vancouver on Tuesday night and the team with more horses came out ahead 4-1, thanks in part to an otherworldly goaltending “It sucks, but it’s part of the game,” Boeser said, later adding, “I’ll go performance. practice tomorrow and make sure I score the next time I get those opportunities.” If the game script was straightforward, then at least the day of hockey conversations leading up to it was more dramatic. TINK!

From pink toques, to words from a local kid that raised the stakes, to Andersen was as clutch on Tuesday night as it was that the SkyTrains overwrought arguments about the state of two “rebuilds” that entirely were still running on Tuesday morning, but Pettersson did beat him twice ignored how one of the teams is already a perennial playoff club — the in the third period. It’s just that both of those attempts hit the crossbar. mighty blue and white rolled into town and with them came the circus. “We had our chances,” Pettersson said of the club’s overall offensive And then the puck dropped and the game was fast. The hockey was well performance Tuesday. “I had two crossbars in the third. If I score on my played. first crossbar it’s a tie game, so it’s frustrating, but it is what it is.”

Travis Green described it as “fantastic hockey.” Bo Horvat suggested it The first shot that hit the bar would’ve tied the game at two, and it was was “one of our better games of the year.” Elias Pettersson noted the the result of a scintillating piece of team play from the Canucks’ top line: Canucks were “skating and working hard” and that they “had our “Yeah, that was a good shift,” Pettersson said, clearly still frustrated. “I chances.” got the puck from Miller at the top of the circle and tried to go top corner, There weren’t a ton of mistakes either way. There was only 6:07 of but it hit the bar. It’s just frustrating, but I’ll practice more.” combined power-play ice time. There wasn’t really much in the way of The second one was off the rush, and it would’ve been an absolutely post-whistle shenanigans (until late) either. incredible goal to give the Canucks a chance to tie it in an end-game Ultimately John Tavares took over and scored twice and Freddy scenario late. It was also probably the only time Pettersson found any Andersen was nigh unbeatable and that was the difference. time and space through the neutral zone, with the way the Leafs were Unfortunately for the Canucks, they get nothing out of a game in which shadowing him beginning 150 feet away from their net all evening: their top-six shined against top competition. That happens though, Pettersson has now hit the post or the crossbar with nine shot attempts particularly against a Maple Leafs team that is probably an awful lot this season, a total which ties him for the NHL lead with Edmonton Oilers better than the early season drama they’ve limped through to this point superstar Leon Draisaitl. might have you believe. Worst lines The breakaway show Perhaps if Travis Green hadn’t dressed eight P.K. Subbans at forward, While the club played well overall — particularly their top two lines — I’m the Canucks would’ve found a way to grind out a point … not sure the Canucks were as good or as consistent as they felt they were on Tuesday night. The club started exceedingly well, but for the The Ferland non-update middle 35 minutes of the game, I thought the Maple Leafs generated a significantly higher volume and calibre of scoring chances: Micheal Ferland, in his second game back in the Canucks lineup, was playing pretty well. That arithmetic changed entirely in the third period, when the Canucks strung together 20 minutes as dynamic and imposing as anything they’ve He took a shift with Pettersson and Boeser after a Maple Leafs power managed all season. play and supported them well. He broke up a John Tavares chance on the backdoor late in the first. He threw a bone-rattling hit on Alex Kerfoot As good and as opportunistic as Tavares was, Andersen was clearly that had the Arena buzzing: Toronto’s best player. After the Kerfoot hit, Ferland played three shifts. He was full value for the “Freddy, Freddy!” chants the Maple Leafs fans serenaded him with at Rogers Arena, to the reasonable disgust of the We went back and rewatched them. There isn’t much there, in terms of Canucks faithful. additional contact. He had a long shift that featured the aforementioned backcheck on Tavares, he had a neutral zone turnover on his next shift, “I don’t know how many breakaways (Brock Boeser) had,” Horvat said and he went up and down the ice and looked normal on his only shift in postgame, “and I had one myself. Sometimes you have to tip your cap.” the second period. Then he was off the Canucks bench, done for the night with what the Canucks are publicly calling an upper-body injury. Andersen, in particular, had Boeser’s number Tuesday night, even as Boeser did well to generate looks in bunches. The Canucks winger had Green offered no update postgame, sticking with upper-body injury even 10 attempts and eight shots on goal. He tested Andersen consistently all when pressed for whether or not Ferland was in protocol. evening, it’s just that Andersen was up to the task. Expect some level of further details tomorrow. Obviously you really have Probably the Boeser chance Andersen had the most trouble with was on to feel for a player like Ferland, who just returned from a lengthy absence this partial first-period break, which was created by an unreal Alonzo as he worked his way back slowly through concussion protocol. Mourning-esque shot block by J.T. Miller, followed by a pass that keyed the transition game: Best scrum lurker

When Boeser got an early third-period breakaway and tested Andersen Canucks backup goaltender Thatcher Demko got a hold of Canucks.com glove-side high, Andersen looked insanely cool making the stop look an writer Derek Jory’s microphone and lurked in on a Jay Beagle scrum awful lot easier than it was: following the club’s optional morning skate on Tuesday:

Finally, Boeser got a third glorious chance in all alone on Andersen. This time he released his snap shot even more quickly, went block side low. Demko didn’t ask a question, which is fine, but it would be poor form television was so long ago that the game was played at Maple Leaf based on the ius non scriptum of Vancouver’s hockey media to really Gardens. lean into using the quotes. Radio Wars Dispatch: The Fall Book Anyway if you watch to the end of the video, at about 1:16, the reporter, Jeff Paterson, decides to have some fun with the situation, asking The Armies knows the micro-updates from the front lines of the Beagle, “What about Thatcher Demko and his performance these days?” Vancouver sports talk radio wars aren’t for everybody, but let’s get real here: it’s The Athletic Vancouver tradition. If it’s the sort of content the Beagle: “Yeah, unbelievable. He’s been really good, standing on his VIPs demand (and they do), then it’s content we’re going to deliver. head for us. Made some big saves on the PK and saved my butt a little bit, and I heard he’s a great reporter too.” After cutting staff two weeks into the hockey season and punting on the fall book, we’d be remiss if we didn’t note that Sportsnet 650 got Demko: “Good answer Jay, good answer.” relatively good news in the fall book. 650 had a stronger showing in the fall book than I’d expected. They achieved year-over-year growth across Now the video ends, and it’s too bad it does, because it ends right before the board. They managed a showing that defied the gravity of much JPat drops the hammer. JPat cocked his head a bit and squinted at tougher fall numbers in the Toronto radio market especially, but in Beagle, before opining, on the subject of Demko’s reporting skills, “Oh? I Calgary, too. haven’t heard that.” The problem for the local Canucks radio rights holder, though, is that this It’s a bit of a relief to have a Vancouver-area scrum lurker again, actually. wasn’t just a strong showing for 650, but an example of a rising tide lifting It’s been pointed out to The Armies that since our preseason plea to Jay all boats. and Dan to stop featuring Vancouver lurkers caught on JPat’s wide shooting camera, there have been no Vancouver-based scribes featured The Canucks aren’t just a playoff calibre team, they’re a hot ticket item as scrum lurkers. again. It’s in evidence across the board, including at the box office where the Canucks say their walkup — single game tickets sold on game days Markstrom’s explanation — is up 75-100 percent on game days this season over last.

Jacob Markstrom took an opportunity to be a bit self-critical in his So even as 650 gained year-over-year across the board, TSN 1040 postgame availability, suggesting that he should’ve come up with a big similarly grew — often by a more significant margin. save on Toronto’s late second-period goal or their insurance marker in the third period. (This is where I will disclose, in good faith, that I’m a contributor to TSN 1040.) “I thought we played a great game and obviously I gotta come up and make some saves late in the second and late in the third,” Markstrom Before getting into the data, remember that 650’s part of the fall book said. “That’s when you’ve got to come up with some stops and I didn’t, contains only four weeks with their revamped lineup. Most of this data and that’s why we lost today.” reflects the period from late August to mid-October, when Rick Dhaliwal was still on the morning show and Scott Rintoul was still on The Program The comment caused some eyebrows to furrow. The late second-period in the afternoon with A&W. Leafs goal was a deft Tavares tip-in, scored with Tyler Myers draped all over him. The goal in the third period was scored by Tavares from the Additionally, ratings data for radio isn’t as pristine as we might like. It’s slot, with all kinds of time and space to pick the low corner. the best anyone can do, but it should be taken with a grain (or even a significant heap) of salt. He was asked directly if he really should’ve had either of those chances and Markstrom explained that he felt responsible for the way he directed Now let’s go slot by slot, and we’ll get deeper into the data as we go, traffic as Myers headed back for the puck on the third Leafs goal: before offering some key takeaways at the end. All data included covers only the key demo, which is men aged 25-54. “I’m telling Mysie, Huggy’s behind Mysie when Mysie comes and grabs the puck and I’m telling him to dink it into the wall,” Markstrom explained. We’ll begin with the morning show, where Mike Halford and Jason “And right when I’m yelling at him, Huggy goes in front of the net. It looks Brough go up against Perry Solkowski and James Cybulski. This is the bad on Mysie but that’s all on me and they score five seconds later.” first meaningful book for TSN’s new-look morning show, and Brough and Halford have broken into the top-10: If you watch it closely, you can actually see the moment Markstrom’s describing where he gave Myers those precise directions: Mornings, 6 a.m.-10 a.m.

Markstrom was solid Tuesday night, he kept the Canucks in it in the 2019 second frame in particular. Clearly he’s got sky-high expectations for himself, and while this sequence isn’t on him by any means, I can’t help 1040: 3.2 Share/10th in market but admire the way he consistently goes out of his way to take 650: 1.8 share/T-15th in market responsibility for his and his club’s performance. 2018 It’s been a while 1040: 2.2 Share/15th in market In the Connor McDavid era, the Canucks versus the Leafs is no longer the key Hockey Night in Canada broadcast date. 650: 0.5 Share/19th in market

So the Edmonton Oilers will have the early Saturday home start to This is a solid showing for both stations, but the most important thing to accommodate the Ontario viewing audience on this Western Canadian note is the combined share for sports talk radio in Vancouver in morning swing for the Maple Leafs. And the Canucks, for the first time in a long, drive time has nearly doubled, rising from 2.7 overall to 5.0 year-over- long time, got to play the Maple Leafs with a 7 p.m. local start: year.

The start time resulted in a good deal of hilarity pregame, as tongue-in- Moving along to Middays, where Don Taylor and Bob “The Moj” cheek conspiracy theories about the “Vancouver media machine” were Marjanovich now face off against Scott Rintoul and his three distinct bandied about: shows in four hours:

It also resulted in what has to be the best Vancouver joke I’ve seen out of Middays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. someone other than Wyatt Arndt in a long, long time: 2019 Also, because the Canucks and Leafs played a weekday game in 1040: 3.9 Share/T-8th in market Vancouver at 7 p.m. local time, the game was called by John Shorthouse. Prior to tonight, Shorthouse hadn’t called a Canucks versus 650: 2.2 Share/14th in market Maple Leafs game in 21(!) years. 2018 How insane is that? If you want to try and understand why Canucks fans get a bit resentful, it’s not about the eight Leafs stories every day on the 1040: 2.1 Share/14th in market TSN.ca homepage. It’s more that the last time Vancouver’s regional play- 650: 1.6 Share/16th in market by-play broadcaster called a Canucks and Maple Leafs game on Once again, a decent showing for the house radio squad, but a really At 1040, meanwhile, there’s a sense that TMart has just absolutely strong showing for Donnie and the Moj who leap into the top-10. slayed things with a variety of smart, low-cost, forward-thinking bets that have paid off in spades. But enough about bringing me on as a And once again, the combined share for sports talk radio in Vancouver in contributor … the midday slot has just about doubled, rising from 3.7 overall in 2018 to 7.1 overall in 2019. In all seriousness, there’s a belief among the rank and file at 1040 that the goodwill created by repatriating Dhaliwal and Rob Fai and Dave Finally we get to the real battleground, afternoon drive time. Tomlinson has permitted the station to connect more effectively with their Afternoon drive time is critical for a variety of reasons, but mainly listeners. There’s a certain swagger about jumping into the top-10 in because this is the slot where 650 is most obviously gunning for 1040 every slot after frittering away in the mid-teens over the past few seasons with their revamped lineup. Not only do Canucks road games against since 650 launched. And there’s a fair bit of wide-eyed amazement at the Eastern Conference teams inflate 650s numbers here, but they’ve also meteoric success of Sekeres & Price. moved their most promising young star in Satiar Shah into this slot to And that’s the key overall takeaway, perhaps the biggest story to come team with A&W in an effort to take a real run at Laurence Gilman tribute out of the fall book. Coming for the more established player in the market poet Matt Sekeres and Blake Price. is tough enough for any rebel urgency. And now 1040 has the Death Of course, Shah’s impact on this data is relatively minimal for now (we’ll Star. cut it up shortly though), but taking a run at Sekeres & Price isn’t going to prove straightforward for 650. Perhaps the biggest story in the fall book, in fact, is that Sekeres & Price have become the Death Star of the The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 Vancouver sports talk radio scene:

Afternoons, 2 p.m.-6 p.m.

2019

1040: 6.9 Share/7th in market

650: 2.1 Share/16th in market

2018

1040: 3.1 Share/12th in market

650: 1.0 Share/17th in market

A 6.9 share is a mammoth number and one that gives 1040 an imposing lead in a slot that 650 has prioritized. 650 is privately and publicly pleased to have doubled their share too, but this is clearly the area where they’ve actually lost the most ground in the key demo year-over-year.

And once again, the combined share for sports talk radio in Vancouver in the afternoon drive time slot has exploded from 4.1 in 2018 to 9.0 in 2019.

Regular listeners to The Program with Shah and Walker might notice the above time frame only covers two hours of Sportsnet’s afternoon show, which actually runs 4-7 p.m. (Sekeres & Price runs 2-6 p.m.). So let’s isolate the afternoon show head-to-head from 4-7 p.m. Here’s where we can also get into the pre-Shah and post-Shah splits:

Aug. 26-Oct. 18, The Program versus Sekeres & Price

1040: 8.1, T-3rd in Market

650: 1.7, 17th in market

Oct. 21-Nov. 22, The Program with Shah versus Sekeres & Price

1040: 7.7, 3rd in market

650: 2.4, 16th in market

This is where the dominance of Sekeres & Price really shines through. They’re effectively third in the market during the afternoon commute. Those are absurd numbers, the sports talk radio equivalent of “American Idol” in the mid-aughts.

650 though can take some solace in the fact that Shah’s impact on The Program appears to have been immediate and significant. It’s good to see someone as hungry and bright as Shah take the shot he’s earned at 650 and continue to succeed in whatever format he’s thrust into.

At 650, they’re relieved. The numbers are better than expected and the new shows have made a good start. They’re hoping the shows get better as the talent continues to iron out the kinks and congeal, and that the Canucks stay good, so they can capitalize on having some meaningful games down the stretch and (hopefully for them) some playoff games too.

There’s also a sense the Canucks’ return to relevance is good news for the station overall — not just because the games continue to perform very well ratings-wise, but also because 1040 may have a more difficult time pivoting away from being the “House of Negativity” in covering a team the market seems genuinely excited about. 1165894 Websites draft bets of the past few years, but he has been so-so this season. Defenseman Jacob Bryson and forward Linus Weissbach have their fans in the industry, and while I like both, I wouldn’t call either NHL locks. Center Marcus Davidsson, a second-round pick, has some talent but I The Athletic / Pronman: Auditing the grades for the 2017 NHL Draft don’t see NHL yet. Overall there is talent in this class and every pick is at the very least still on the radar.

CALGARY FLAMES By Corey Pronman Grade: C-minus Dec 11, 2019 2017 Grade: C-plus

Calgary’s class largely rests on how good defenseman Juuso Valimaki At the end of each NHL Draft, I post grades based on how much talent I becomes. He had a promising 2018-19, seemingly on track to be a long- think an NHL organization added to its pipeline. term top-four defenseman, but a knee injury knocked out his entire 2019- If I’m going to grade the teams, it’s only fair to grade the grader. Today’s 20. Forwards Adam Ruzicka and Filip Sveningsson have talent but are a column is a look at the 2017 NHL Draft, and how the team’s hauls look a bit more of longshots. Ruzicka has an NHL toolkit so I could see him put few years later with my opinion of their classes from the summer of 2017 it together if he gains consistency and pace. alongside my current impressions. CAROLINA HURRICANES I’ve also done an updated top 29 ranking of players who were drafted in Grade: B-plus 2017, in what I feel are the top tier of players who have distinguished themselves in the years since the draft. 2017 Grade: B

ANAHEIM DUCKS Carolina’s 2017 draft looks promising. Most of that is due to the development of Martin Necas, who has been a top rookie this season Grade: C and has all the tools to be a top line quality forward for a long time. 2017 Grade: B Forward Morgan Geekie has looked great since turning pro and has a lot of positive elements to his game, albeit his skating still needs work. I do Forward Maxime Comtois, the 50th-overall pick by the Ducks, has think he could play though. Fellow Charlotte forward Eetu Luostarinen elevated his stock over the past two years and could be a mid to low first and Stelio Mattheos are also very much on the radar, although the latter in a redraft. He’s been excellent in the QMJHL, AHL and at times in the obviously is going through a difficult time having been diagnosed with NHL. He’s not a flashy offensive player, but he’s got an NHL brain, finish testicular cancer in June. It wasn’t a perfect class though as 52nd-overall and competes very hard. Forward Antoine Morand, their other second- pick Luke Martin has not developed that much since his draft season. round pick, has an NHL toolkit but has lacked the consistency at various levels to be considered a top prospect. Forward Jack Badini, their third- CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS round pick has had a good start to the season. His skill is just OK, but his Grade: B quickness and compete level are very good. 2017 Grade: B ARIZONA COYOTES Chicago’s best player from that year, Henri Jokiharju, was traded over Grade: C the summer to Buffalo. He’s a good skater and puck-mover who may not 2017 Grade: B-plus be a star level talent but could be a solid long term top-four defenseman. Its second-round pick Ian Mitchell isn’t the same caliber of defenseman Defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph, traded to Pittsburgh as part of the as Jokiharju, but he’s a very good prospect and projects to be an NHL latest Phil Kessel trade, was Arizona’s first-round pick. He’s a good player. I also like forward Evan Barratt a lot, as he has been great at skater and has a fine two-way brain but lacks any offensive pop, and if he Penn State and has bottom-six potential. Some of its European picks like makes it, it’s likely more as a bottom half of the roster type who can kill Andrei Altybarmakyan and Tim Soderlund are OK players. Defenseman penalties. They had eight other picks. Several of them I do think have a Jakub Galvas, picked in the fifth round, is having a good season and is chance to be NHLers – be it Filip Westerlund, Mackenzie Entwistle the most intriguing of the bunch right now. (traded to Chicago), Nate Schnarr, Cameron Crotty or Tyler Steenbergen – but none of them stand out as for sure NHL players. I don’t mind Noel COLORADO AVALANCHE Hoefenmayer but since he’s not affiliated with any NHL organization right Grade: A-minus now, he won’t be counted. 2017 Grade: B-plus BOSTON BRUINS Colorado’s fourth-overall pick Cale Makar looks like a star-caliber talent Grade: B-minus and is the current favorite to win the Calder trophy. That alone will make 2017 Grade: C-minus Colorado’s class seem great, but there is some depth to this crop too. Conor Timmins has recovered from a concussion that kept him from The Bruins’ top two picks both look promising in defenseman Urho hockey for more than a year and looks on track to become an NHL Vaakanainen and center Jack Studnicka. Both project to be full-time defenseman. I don’t know if he’s a legit top-four or more of a 4-5 type but NHLers, and with the way Studnicka has looked as a pro, he could be a he’s a player if he stays healthy. Forward Nick Henry is a decent player. really quality pro. Scouts are optimistic about goalie Jeremy Swayman. He may not be fast enough for the NHL, but he’s on the radar at the I’m 50-50 on him but he’s got a decent chance to be a player. least. Forward Denis Smirnov and defenseman Nick Leivermann may Defenseman Victor Berglund in Sweden has some talent and is putting just be depth players but could help their AHL team. up numbers versus men but has serious limitations, too. Cedric Pare is expected to be a top free agent target this spring, but he’s not included in COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS this since he’s not part of an NHL organization. Grade: B BUFFALO SABRES 2017 Grade: B-minus Grade: B-plus Columbus didn’t have a first-round pick in 2017, but in Alexandre Texier 2017 Grade: B (45th overall) and Emil Bemstrom (117th overall) the Blue Jackets picked two forwards who are currently on their roster. Neither are all-stars, but Buffalo’s 2017 draft is very tough to evaluate two years later. Eighth- they are very good prospects and NHL players. Goalie Daniil Tarasov is overall pick Casey Mittelstadt remains a very talented and divisive player a player who has a no doubt NHL toolkit but has struggled this season. who has been a fine but not great NHLer. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Forward Kale Howarth at UConn is a decent depth piece too. Jonathan Luukkonen was awesome in 2018-19, and good in the ECHL so far, but Davidsson is a fine prospect who was traded to Ottawa in the Matt it’s still to be determined how he does versus better competition. Duchene swap. They did a good job at the draft floor given they didn’t Defenseman Oskari Laaksonen looked a year ago like one of the best have a pick until No. 45. DALLAS STARS Minnesota didn’t have a pick until 85th-overall in 2017, so not a lot was expected even if I did like their crop at the time due to how skilled I Grade: A-minus thought some of their forwards were. Now it’s hard to be confident of an 2017 Grade: B-plus NHL player coming from this group. Forward Mason Shaw has shown potential to be a real player, but he’s been injured a lot. Forwards Ivan Dallas’ 2017 draft looks very promising early on. Most of that is due to Lodnia, Nick Swaney and Andrei Svetalkov are decent prospects, but third-overall pick Miro Heiskanen, who looks like he’s going to be a star in haven’t really stood out as guys on track to make the NHL. the league for a long time. Its other first-round pick, goalie Jake Oettinger, has struggled at the pro level, but he’s very much still on the MONTREAL CANADIENS radar. Arguably their second-best prospect from that draft has been Grade: B-minus forward Jason Robertson who tore up the OHL and has been solid as a rookie pro. He will need time to work on his skating, but he can score and 2017 Grade: B-plus make plays at the NHL level. Forward Jacob Peterson is OK, possibly someone who helps the Texas Stars, and goalie Dylan Ferguson, now in Montreal’s 2017 draft has shown some promise to produce a couple of Vegas, is a fine depth piece. players who could play in the NHL. First-round pick Ryan Poehling is a solid player. He’s been so-so as a rookie pro, but still projects to be an DETROIT RED WINGS NHLer, even if he may not be a true top scorer. Defenseman Josh Brook has had a rocky start to his pro games, but I do like the talent and think Grade: C-minus he could make it, even if it’ll take longer than I thought in the summer. 2017 Grade: B-minus Fellow defender Cale Fleury has been in the NHL this season. I don’t see a ton of upside there, but he could be a useful NHL player. Goaltender The Wings had 10 picks in the 2017 draft, including six picks in the top Cayden Primeau, picked in the seventh round, is also a prospect with 90. It’s hard to argue anyone other than Michael Rasmussen, the ninth- promise who I think will be an NHL goalie and was called up recently. overall selection, is firmly on the NHL radar. Rasmussen may never be a Joni Ikonen has NHL talent but his injury history puts his projection in star, but he’s a large forward with very good hockey sense who has a question. I see ability in this class, and a class that should produce NHL future in the league as a top-nine, if not a top-six forward. I don’t mind games, but I don’t think it produces a true top talent. defenseman Gustav Lindstrom because of his great hockey IQ, but he doesn’t have a ton of speed or skill in his game. Other prospects like NASHVILLE PREDATORS defensemen Kasper Kotkansalo and Malte Setkov are just OK, as is Grade: B-minus goaltender Keith Petruzzelli. It’s possible more than just Rasmussen graduates from this crop, but for now I would say his future will dictate 2017 Grade: B-plus how good their draft looks. Nashville’s first-round pick, 30th-overall in Eeli Tolvanen, is a divisive EDMONTON OILERS prospect who I’m not as high on as I once was, but I still believe he could be a quality NHL forward. He’s a very skilled goal scorer who can help an Grade: C NHL power play. Defenseman David Farrance is off to a scorching start 2017 Grade: B in college, showing the dynamic speed and skill that made him a third- round pick out of junior after a so-so start to his college career. I think I still like Kailer Yamamoto, the Oilers’ first-round pick. I don’t know if he he’s shown he’s back on the NHL track, even if he’ll never be an elite would go 22nd overall in a redraft, but he wouldn’t be far removed. He defender. Forward Grant Mismash, like Farrance, got off a slow start in has a lot of speed and skill, has rounded out his game and I think he will college but has been part of North Dakota being a top team this season. be an NHLer. Defenseman Dmitri Samorukov has had a so-so start to his He’s not a spectacular player, but he’s got a chance to play. pro career, but he has pro potential. I am willing to see how he develops over the next little while given how good he was in junior. Some of their NEW JERSEY DEVILS other picks, like goalie Stuart Skinner, forwards Kirill Maksimov and Grade: A-minus Ostap Safin, and defenseman Philip Kemp, are decent prospects but nothing special. Maksimov has the most potential of them all to become 2017 Grade: A-minus an NHLer, but he has a ways to go. Some may disagree with giving New Jersey such a high grade, but the FLORIDA PANTHERS total picture of this class is a very positive one. Yes, Nico Hischier may not still be the first pick in a redraft, but he’s still a great player; he’s a Grade: B top-line forward, he just may never be a true star. The Devils had 11 2017 Grade: B-plus picks in this class, and it’s the total sum of this class that helps them get a high grade, along with Hischier. Jesper Boqvist is an NHL player. I Florida picked Owen Tippett at 10th overall. He was a bit up and down in don’t see him as a top player, but he’s a big leaguer. I could see both junior, but he is an immensely talented player who has been very good in defenseman Reilly Walsh and forward Aarne Talvitie becoming NHL his rookie pro season. I think he’s going to be a very good top-six forward players as they have been important parts of top college teams this in the NHL. Forward Aleksi Heponiemi looked promising last season but season. Forwards Fabian Zetterlund, Marian Studenic, goaltender Gilles has struggled with the speed and physicality of the AHL. Defenseman Senn and defenseman Matthew Hellickson are all OK players and at Max Gildon has had a strong junior season. Both Heponiemi and Gildon least mildly on the radar, with Zetterlund standing out among that pack. could play in the NHL but not in an upper half of the lineup role. The top player and depth of this crop make it solid for New Jersey.

LOS ANGELES KINGS NEW YORK ISLANDERS

Grade: C Grade: C-minus

2017 Grade: A-minus 2017 Grade: C-plus

The Kings’ top draft pick, Gabriel Vilardi, is a tough player to assess The Islanders didn’t pick until 46th-overall, where they selected given how much time he’s missed in the past few years. When on the ice defenseman Robin Salo, who’s looked better this season. I wouldn’t tab he’s shown top-six forward potential due to his skill and hockey IQ, even him as a for sure NHL player, but at the least he’s back on the radar. if his skating is average. Forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan and defenseman There’s nobody from this class who stands out as a true top prospect, but Mikey Anderson are solid prospects. Both project more as bottom half of I have time for each of the Islanders five picks in Sebastian Aho, Ben the lineup types, and while neither has lit up the AHL yet, they are legit Mirageas, Logan Cockerill and Arnaud Durandeau. prospects. Defenseman Cole Hults at Penn State is a decent player but more of a longshot. NEW YORK RANGERS

MINNESOTA WILD Grade: B

Grade: D 2017 Grade: B

2017 Grade: B-minus The Rangers’ 21st-overall pick Filip Chytil, after a rough training camp where he was sent down, has looked good of late and projects to be a quality top-six forward for a long time. He could be decent value at No. 2017 Grade: C-plus 21. The Rangers also may have found a player in Morgan Barron in the sixth-round. He has a solid chance to be a bottom half of the lineup Tampa’s 2017 draft should produce several NHL players. I like player. The main question will be the future of seventh-overall pick Lias defensemen Cal Foote (first-round pick) and Nick Perbix, as well as Andersson. I do think he could be an NHL player, but no more than a forwards Alexander Volkov and Sammy Walker. All four of those players bottom-six forward due to a lack of standout speed and skill. have some questions as to whether they can be upper-half of the lineup players, but I’ve seen flashes from all of them over the years to suggest OTTAWA SENATORS they could. Forward Cole Guttman is a fine prospect, as well, but more of a longshot prospect. Grade: B TORONTO MAPLE LEAFS 2017 Grade: C-minus Grade: C Ottawa’s 2017 draft is very interesting to look back on. Its first-round pick, Shane Bowers, since traded to Colorado, is a fine player but hasn’t been 2017 Grade: B that great as a pro. Meanwhile, forwards Alex Formenton and especially Drake Batherson have looked very good in the AHL, and are top Toronto’s first-round pick Timothy Liljegren was a player I came down on prospects in the league. Even with only four draft picks, the Senators a bit last season, but this season he’s looked very good and on track to were very efficient, and Batherson could end up being the best value pick be a middle of the lineup defenseman. Goaltender Ian Scott looked of the draft. promising last season but hasn’t played all this season due to injury. Forward Vladislav Kara, and defensemen Eemeli Rasanen and Fedor PHILADELPHIA FLYERS Gordeev (now with Minnesota) are all OK players but depth at best.

Grade: A-minus VANCOUVER CANUCKS

2017 Grade: A-minus Grade: A-plus

The Flyers get a high grade on their draft because of how efficient they 2017 Grade: B-plus were with their picks. I know there will be pushback because Nolan Patrick has not looked like the second-overall pick, as he’s been Vancouver’s haul from the 2017 draft looks like the best a few years sidelined with a migraine disorder. I still think he’s a great player. He may later, and nobody is particularly close. Elias Pettersson, the fifth-overall never be a star, but I could see him being a very good top-six forward for pick, is an NHL star and is the best player from the 2017 draft. It’s not a long time, if healthy. Morgan Frost could be that too, albeit he was just Pettersson, though. Winger Kole Lind, goalie Mikey DiPietro and picked at No. 27, not No. 2. Isaac Ratcliffe has had a so-so start to his defenseman Jack Rathbone all currently project as NHL players. Jonah pro career, but he has top-six upside as well, even if more long-term. I Gadjovich has work to do but when healthy he’s looked better. And believe he will make it. The rest of their picks at the very least can be pro winger Petrus Palmu has been great in Liiga, but I wouldn’t call him an depth, and most of their mid- to late-round picks have a chance to play. NHLer as of now. This is a class that could produce a star and arguably one or two more NHL players, which would be a huge haul. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS Grade: D Grade: A 2017 Grade: D 2017 Grade: A The Penguins’ 2017 draft isn’t completely dismal, but it’s a little bleak. They didn’t pick until 51st-overall where they selected defenseman Vegas had a lot of picks in its first NHL Draft as a franchise, including Zachary Lauzon, who has since retired from hockey for health reasons. three first-round picks, and a few years later its haul looks like the The 93rd pick, Clayton Phillips, had a rough start to his collegiate career second-best group. Cody Glass and Nick Suzuki look like they will be in Minnesota, but has looked good at Penn State since transferring and is very good NHL players. Nic Hague looks like a full-time defenseman. Erik the best shot from this class to produce NHL games. He’s by no means a Brannstrom remains a great defense prospect within the Ottawa system. lock, though. Jan Drozg is an intriguing forward who has been good in Vegas had two later picks in forwards Lucas Elvenes and Jack Dugan the ECHL this season and could have an NHL chance if he gets quicker, who have emerged as true top prospects a few years later. Forwards and defenseman Will Reilly has been a solid college player. Jake Leschycshyn, Jonas Rondbjerg and Ben Jones are fine prospects, as well. ST. LOUIS BLUES WASHINGTON CAPITALS Grade: B-plus Grade: F 2017 Grade: B-plus 2017 Grade: D Robert Thomas has been good value for the Blues at 20th-overall, looking like he will have the potential to be a very good top-six forward for Washington didn’t pick until 120 in this draft so expectations were not a while, and he contributed to their Stanley Cup run. Their other first- that high for this group, but it’s also hard to see any NHL games coming round pick, Klim Kostin, has been better at the pro level this season and from this group. Tobias Geisser is the best prospect here, but he has earned a callup. I’m a fan of his game and I think he will be a good NHL struggled in the AHL and has since been loaned back to Switzerland this player. Winger Alexei Toropchenko is a fine prospect. He lacks a ton of season. He could be a depth player in Hershey but hard to see much offensive upside but he’s big and can skate, so he has a chance. more at this point.

SAN JOSE SHARKS WINNIPEG JETS

Grade: B-plus Grade: B-minus

2017 Grade: B-minus 2017 Grade: B

The Sharks’ first-round pick, Josh Norris, has been excellent this season Winnipeg’s first two picks in winger Kristian Vesalainen and defenseman and looks like a future top-six forward, albeit in the Ottawa organization. Dylan Samberg are both solid prospects who project as NHL players. Mario Ferraro has played for the Sharks this season and looks like he Vesalainen hasn’t had a great start this season, but I like his toolkit a lot belongs. He may never be a top-pairing type, but he can help that team and think he’ll rebound. Samberg may never be an NHL power play guy for a while. Forward Sasha Chmelevski missed a chunk of the season but he’s produced more this season than in past collegiate seasons. due to injury but has looked good, and I think could be a middle of the Defensemen Leon Gawanke and Jonathan Kovacevic are fine prospects lineup forward one day. I was very high on forward Ivan Chekhovich who have chances to play. Santeri Virtanen, who I had nearly written off, coming into the season, but he’s struggled this season as a rookie pro. has had a solid season overseas too and, while a longshot, is at least on the radar again. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Grade: C-plus The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165895 Websites Team Father/Son: Brett Hull, Zach Parise, J.P. Parise Both teams have some decent scoring depth. There’s more balance on

Team Brother, with three Hall-of-Famers. But Team Father/Son has the The Athletic / Down Goes Brown: Could an all-time team made up of most dominant player in Hull and his 741 goals, plus a pair of All-Stars NHL brothers beat one made up of NHL fathers and sons? who saw action in some of the most important international tournaments ever played.

Also, a quick clerical matter: We made the call to deny Team Father/Son By Sean McIndoe eligibility to Howie Morenz and Bernie Geoffrion; Howie was Boom Boom’s father-in-law, which doesn’t quite fit the spirit of the thing. Any Dec 11, 2019 complaints or challenges can be filed with the official Down Goes Brown Office of Appeals (my trashcan).

Cayden Primeau made his NHL debut last week, playing goal for the Third lines Montreal Canadiens two years after being drafted in the seventh round. Team Brother: Pete Mahovlich, , Charlie Conacher It’s a great story, especially when you remember that Primeau’s father Keith was a longtime NHLer. Keith’s brother Wayne also played in the Team Father/Son: Paul Stastny, Bryan Hextall, Bryan Hextall Jr. league, which was nice for them except for that time that it wasn’t. We start reaching back into the history books here, and you can see us Battling brothers. Proud fathers and sons. It feels like there’s a story idea setting up some picks for further down the list. Team Brother made for in there somewhere. And luckily, one reader found it for me: some tough calls, as considerations elsewhere on the roster meant we had to leave out some big-name brother combos up front, like the Bures, Oh hell yes, we’re doing that. Thank you, Lee. (And thanks to everyone Koivus, Cooks and Bentleys. If we kept going and built out B-teams, else who takes the time to send me weird YouTube clips, obscure trivia there’s no question that Team Brother would dominate – Team and ideas for bizarre stories nobody else would write. You are all the Father/Son just can’t match their depth. greatest.) As for these third lines, the weak link here is Bryan Hextall Jr., who was a Team Father/Son vs. Team Brother, from all of NHL history. Which side decent player but never a star. It’s probably not hard to figure out why can build the best team? Let’s do this. he’s on the team, especially after the rules committee decided that they But first, as always, some ground rules: wouldn’t allow us to go straight from a Hall-of-Fame grandfather to a certain grandson. Jerks. Somebody should file an appeal. We’re going to build lines and defense pairings, but we’re not going to get too caught up in who plays where. We might have some guys switch Fourth lines wings or move around a bit. They’re stars, they’ll figure it out. Team Brother: Brent Sutter, Brian Sutter, Ron Sutter We’re using Peak Production rules here, which is to say that if you get a Team Father/Son: Keith Tkachuk, Matt Tkachuk, Brady Tkachuk player, you get them at their very best. They’re healthy, motivated and at the height of their powers. Cleanup in aisle six …

Most importantly, and maybe most controversially: We’re going to And yes, I know, the Tkachuk line doesn’t have a center. I have a feeling institute a rule that everyone on this roster has to have played at least they won’t need one. Go ahead and lose that faceoff, the shift is going to 250 NHL games as a skater or 100 games as a goalie. Call it the Brent last roughly four seconds before everyone is trying to maim each other. Gretzky rule. Yes, we could build out a pair of rosters that were front- loaded with mega-stars and then pad them out with a fourth line of guys Oh, and once everyone had been ejected after the line brawl, send some like Alain Lemieux, Paul Messier and Brett Lindros. But that’s not fun. security into the stands where the other three Sutters are going up That’s just naming superstars who happened to have relatives who against Max and Tie Domi with help from Claude and Brendan Lemieux, played hockey, and that’s most of them. We want our rosters to feature while Josh Manson tries to play peacemaker until Dave flies in over the guys who made their own name in the game. Or at least came close top to wipe out the pile. It should all make for a fun night for the officiating enough that we can squeeze them in without feeling guilty. crew.

OK, let’s make this happen. We’ll start up front with the top lines, which (The officiating crew is Paul and Greg Devorski with John and Wes means both sides are breaking out their big guns. McCauley, in case you were wondering.)

First lines First pairing

Team Brother: Phil Esposito, Maurice Richard, Frank Mahovlich Team Brother: Denis Potvin, Lionel Conacher

Team Father/Son: Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Peter Stastny Team Father/Son: Mark Howe, Butch Bouchard

Yikes. Good luck to anyone trying to shut down either unit; you could Both teams start their blue line with a pair of Hall-of-Famers, and it’s a make a good case that we’ve got four of the top ten players in hockey fun mix that spans eras. Team Brother has more hardware, boasting history here. That includes Howe, the single greatest player we’ll find on three Norris Trophies from Potvin, plus a Canadian Athlete of the Half- either roster, which gives Team Father/Son a strong start. Mr. Hockey Century from Big Train. But Team Father/Son has them on longevity, and the Golden Jet together would be close to unstoppable, with a thanks to a combined 31 NHL seasons, plus six more in the WHA. combined 1,400 NHL goals between just two guys (and nearly 500 more Second pairing if we count the WHA). But they’re facing a killer trio from Team Brother, with the first 50-goal scorer, the first 100-point player and the Big M there Team Brother: Kevin Hatcher, Derian Hatcher to feed them both. Team Father/Son: Babe Pratt, Stastny is notable for a few reasons. For one, he’s the weak link on Team Father/Son’s top line, which isn’t exactly an insult given who he’s The Hatcher boys did get to play together with the Stars for a little while playing with. But more importantly, you may be questioning why he’s in the mid-90s. Neither was a Hall-of-Famers or a Norris finalist, and I even on Team Father/Son at all. You could absolutely put him on Team suppose you could make a case for other options, like the Kaberles. But Brother instead, on a line with Anton and Marian. Having run through the the Hatcher pairing combines for six All-Star game appearances, with various combinations, he ends up fitting a bit better on Team Father/Son, Kevin having a 34-goal season and Derian once earning second-team but there may not be a player in league history who presents a tougher honors and captaining a Cup winner. They can do it all, where “it all” call. includes vicious cheap shots in an era where that was considered part of the game. Second lines Meanwhile, Team Father/Son gives us a bookend package that features Zach Parise the section’s best player – Babe was a Hall-of-Famer and Hart Trophy winner – and also probably the weakest, with Tracy bouncing around six Team Brother: Henrik Sedin, Daniel Sedin, teams over a decade-long career that was competent but not especially Coaches memorable. Team Brother: Darryl Sutter, assisted by Terry Murray and Duane Sutter And in case you were expecting to see Gary and Ryan Suter on Team Father/Son, remember that they’re actually uncle and nephew. And Team Father/Son: Scotty Bowman, assisted by Fred Shero and Frank nobody would be crazy enough to try to build that team! (Makes a mental Patrick note to build that team in the offseason.) Here’s what Team Father/Son narrows the gap, as they get the greatest Third pairing coach in the history of professional sports, assisted by a badass who wore sunglasses on the bench and a guy who was winning the Stanley Team Brother: Georges Boucher, Jean Potvin Cup before the NHL even existed. Team Brother isn’t too shabby either, since they’ve at least got a multiple Cup winner. But there’s no question Team Father/Son: Pierre Bouchard, Tyson Barrie over who has the edge here.

We fill in a few blanks here, with Jean Potvin’s solid career and Pierre Front office Bouchard’s five Cups making the appearances you knew were coming. We also get another Hall-of-Famer onto the Team Brother lineup in Team Brother: Bryan Murray is the GM Georges Boucher. Team Father/Son: There’s no limit on how many front office roles a team The Boucher brothers were the final piece of the team to be slotted in, can have, which is good news because this one is going to get crowded. but there were a few others way we could have gone with Team Brother, The GMs will be Bud and David Poile, with help from Cliff Fletcher. We’ll since there are more than a few famous siblings where one played also find roles for Stan Bowman, Craig Patrick, Ray Shero and Chuck forward and one played defense. I originally had the Niedermayers listed Fletcher. And we’ll even bend the father/son rules a bit to get one more and gave some thought to the Benns. The Staals gave us a few options, Cup-winner into the mix: Charlotte Grahame, the longtime Avalanche and you could even look to the future with the Hughes boys. But none of exec and mother of John. those give you a pair of Hall-of-Famers, albeit ones from way back in the foggy past. I’ll stand by it. OK, I may have got a little carried away with Team Father/Son there.

As for Team Father/Son, they only had a few too-many-options But yeah, front office jobs in the NHL seem to tilt very heavily in one problems. In fact, it got really difficult to figure out how to fit the last piece direction. I’m sure I’m missing a brother act or two, but there aren’t many. of the puzzle in. (Seriously, before you yell at me about some pick or It’s almost all father/son combos. I’ll leave it to you whether you want to other, try doing a full lineup of your own that follows the rules.) So we go explain that with romantic notions of wisdom being passed down from with Barrie, which doesn’t even make sense. Yet. generation to generation, or whether you’d prefer to just make the observation that NHL front office decisions seem to have a strong bias Goaltenders towards nepotism. Either way, it works out well for Team Father/Son, so they’ll take it. And then probably hoard it until they can hand it to their Team Brother: Tony Esposito, Ken Dryden, Dave Dryden kids.

Team Father/Son: Ron Hextall, John Grahame, Ron Grahame So there are your full teams – 21-man rosters, plus ownership, coaching Yeah, this one’s a mismatch. and front offices. Who you got?

We probably shouldn’t even be using a three-goalie rotation, since we’re I still think Team Brother takes this one because, in the end, this game is not making room for black aces at any other position. But we kind of have still about having the best players. The siblings were able to ice a strong to because otherwise, I can’t find anyone other than Hextall for the lineup and still leave a few legends on the sidelines, while Team Father/Son squad. Neither one of the Grahames was a star, and father Father/Son had to break out every trick in the book to keep up. But the Ron barely scrapes past our 100-game limit, but this is all we can offer. coaching and front offices do shift the balance a little bit, maybe all the Why is that? My theory is that nobody who’s spent any time around NHL way back to toss-up territory. goaltenders would ever let their child grow up to become one. You done Let me know what you think. Or better yet, take a crack at your own messed up, Keith Primeau. teams. Or just argue with each other, that’s fun too.

Meanwhile, Team Brother already has a Hall-of-Famer in Esposito, and (And with apologies to Lee and the Irvins, the announce team is Foster the three-goalie system opens the door for them to add Ken Dryden too. and Bill Hewitt. Don’t worry, they’re pros, they’ll call it down the middle.) We don’t even have to find a spot for Paul Thompson just to get his Hall- of-Fame brother Tiny onto the roster. It’s almost unfair.

So where does that leave us? It’s two scary rosters, but I think you have The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 to give the advantage to Team Brother. They’ve got a clear edge in goaltending, they’re deeper up front and the blue line is close to a wash. It would be a hell of a series, but based on these rosters, it’s Team Brother for the win.

But wait. We said we’re building out a full team, and teams aren’t just made up of players. We need some coaches too, and a front office and an ownership group. And as we’ll see, Team Father/Son is about to make up some ground.

Owners

Team Brother: Bruce Norris, James Norris

Team Father/Son: Charles Adams, Weston Adams, Len Barrie

We get two of the NHL’s royal families into the mix here, with names that will be familiar to fans who grew up in the 70s and 80s because two of the divisions were named after them. Bruce Norris owned the Red Wings while his brother James owned the Hawks. (They were actually half- brothers, but we’re going to say that counts.) Charles Adams owned the Bruins and later passed the team on to his son Weston. I also gave some consideration to the Wirtzes, but didn’t feel like having Chicago fans try to set my car on fire.

And yes, Len Barrie is only here because it gave me a cheap way to fill the last defenseman spot on Team Father/Son. Look, the appeals office is open. 1165896 Websites considering the public data doesn’t capture clear sight lines, odd-man rushes, or pre-shot movement.

I’m pretty confident a goalie with the ability to make saves like that is The Athletic / The Top 10 biggest disappointments of the 2019-20 going to figure things out throughout the course of a season, but it starts season so far with the team in front of him reducing high-percentage chances against.

3. Joonas Korpisalo, G, Columbus Blue Jackets

By Ian Tulloch This is the opposite situation from Bobrosvky, which is quite concerning for Blue Jackets fans – or uplifting depending on your perspective. Dec 11, 2019 Korpisalo has been facing the easiest shots in the league this year according to Clear Sight, yet he has one of the worst save percentages in

the league. That’s a big problem. Last week, I broke down the Top 10 pleasant surprises of the 2019-20 After accounting for shot quality, Columbus has actually been one of the season. We’re going to look at the other side of the coin today, going league’s better teams and tilting the ice in their favor – they just haven’t through the biggest disappointments of the year. been able to buy a save. The tricky part about making this list is expectations. What did we expect The other team that really stands out here is the Kings. Jonathan Quick from a player coming into the season — and what have they actually has been brutal over the past two seasons, giving up significantly more accomplished so far? Whenever there’s a big gap between those two goals than we would expect based on the chances Los Angeles is giving answers, it’s going to lead to disappointment from the fan base. It’s up. With Korpisalo, the story is similar in Columbus. The team in front of important to note that when we’re making that assessment, it comes him has been playing surprisingly great hockey despite they just need an down to our own subjective opinion of what a player should be able to NHL-calibre starting goaltender. accomplish. 4. Brent Burns, RD, San Jose Sharks I tried my best to address players whose expectations were sky-high coming into the season — in my not-so-subtle attempt to minimize any The Sharks have been getting significantly out-chanced at even strength backlash — but there are always going to be disagreements. If you have this season, which is quite troubling when you consider they were one of any thoughts, questions, or concerns with the players I have (or don’t the best teams in that department last year. A metric like expected goals have) in this week’s top ten, be sure to reach out to me in the comments can help us quantify this, looking at the number of goals a team is section. “expected” to score and allow based on the quality of shots they’re giving up. The 2018-19 Sharks were third in expected goal differential, while the 1. Johnny Gaudreau, LW, Calgary Flames 2019-20 Sharks rank 28th. This is one of the most confusing storylines of the year. Gaudreau has The biggest difference for San Jose this year: Brent Burns. He was always been an elite offensive player throughout his career, but he’s dominant at tilting the ice in his team’s favor last season, but he’s been inexplicably producing like a fourth liner this season. getting shelled at even strength so far in 2019-20. Andrew Berkshire from As an infamous graph enthusiast, I like how this visualizes shows just Sportsnet had an interesting theory about this, hypothesizing that the how much Gaudreau’s production has fallen off a cliff this year. What’s loss of Joe Pavelski’s other-worldly tipping ability would result in lower bizarre is that he’s still elite in all the categories we care about. For quality shots from the Sharks. When we compare San Jose’s offensive example, he currently ranks fourth in the NHL when it comes to gaining heat maps over the past two seasons, that appears to be the case. the zone with possession of the puck and fifth in completed passes to the You can literally see Burns’ machine-gun approach from the right point, slot based on Sportlogiq’s data, courtesy of The Point. firing everything toward the net with Pavelski and company taking Watching him play, he still looks like the dangerous playmaker we’ve advantage of the rebounds and deflections they create. This season, the come to know and love, but the pucks just haven’t been going in this Sharks haven’t been able to generate as much volume in the offensive year. How much of that is a product of terrible luck? Well, Gaudreau is zone – which might have something to do with the fact that Burns is stuck currently shooting 3.2 percent at 5-on-5. That’s obviously going to playing in his own end pretty often these days. increase over time. What’s weird is that his teammates have actually Yikes. been shooting at a somewhat decent percentage when they’re on the ice with him, converting on 7.8 percent of their chances. Again, we should Some of this has to do with the fact that Marc-Edouard Vlasic might not probably expect that to increase considering the quality of passes be an NHL defenseman anymore, which is a big problem considering the Gaudreau is feeding them, but it’s super bizarre to see such an elite Vlasic-Burns pair is making a combined $15 million per season until offensive player struggle to produce. 2025.

2. Sergei Bobrovsky, G, Florida Panthers 5. Colton Parayko , RD, St Louis Blues

When you’re paying $70 million for a star goaltender across seven years, Parayko’s combination of size, strength and skating ability is unlike it’s natural to assume that the back-half of the contract isn’t going to look anything we have in the NHL. But he and the Blues have been quietly very good. What’s concerning for Florida is that Year 1 of the deal hasn’t terrible at 5-on-5 for well over two months now. panned. Bobrovsky is currently posting an .893 save percentage, which is well below his .921 career average coming into this season. When we St. Louis currently rank 27th in expected goal differential and Parayko is look at some of the more advanced public metrics – such as Goals a big reason why. Much like Burns in San Jose, any time one of your Saved Above Expected – the numbers paint a similar picture. minute-munching defensemen is getting hemmed in their own zone with consistency, your results at the team-level are going to struggle. Luckily This is one of those weird circumstances where the statistics and eye- for Blues fans, the team has been getting some stellar goaltending from test don’t quite match up, which typically means we have to do more Jordan Binnington, who ranks third among NHL starters in save digging. After diving into some of Stephen Valiquette’s work with Clear percentage above expectation according to Clear Sight’s data. Sight Analytics, I learned that Bobrovsky has actually been facing the toughest environment as a goaltender when we account for screens, It’s yet to be seen whether he can keep that up, but even if he can, it odd-man rushes, and backdoor passes. This was something Valiquette would be in the Blues’ best interest to clean things up at 5-on-5. They’re discussed on episode 44 of the InGoal Magazine Podcast around the 45- too talented to keep getting out-chanced like this, as is Parayko. minute mark, which I highly encourage you to check out when you have 6. Jesperi Kotkaniemi, C, Montreal Canadiens the time. Last season, Kotkaniemi burst onto the scene by absolutely crushing The data is from a private company, so unfortunately, I’m not able to cite third-line minutes for the Canadiens. He did so well in that role, it led to a the 10 goaltenders facing the toughest load of quality chances against, discussion in the analytics community about whether or not a third-line but this does help explain why a goaltender with as much talent as centre should receive legitimate Selke consideration. Spoiler: He didn’t. Bobrovsky has been struggling. Whenever there’s a gap this sizeable between a goaltender’s skill and the goals he’s giving up, a lot of it can Performing that well at 5-on-5 is pretty rare for an 18-year-old, which be chalked up to poor defense – which is difficult to account for right now made a lot of us nerds salivate at the thought of what he could do with another year of development under his belt. Fast-forward a few months, strength. Benn has been the most “impressive” of the three at 5-on-5, on and Kotkaniemi has been a huge disappointment in 2019-20. His point pace for a whopping 40 points this season. production is non-existant, putting up only five points in 22 games. What’s more concerning is the fact that he’s been getting outshot and That simply isn’t good enough for three players being paid a combined out-chanced at even strength. $22.75 million. It’s worth noting that Radulov has been effective on the power play, but the Stars need to get more from their…stars. They’ve In fact, he has the worst expected goal differential on Montreal this been relying on fantastic defensive structure and goaltending over the season after adjusting for context. There’s no other way to put it – that’s past year, but the offense hasn’t been there. It will be interesting to see if extremely disappointing, especially from a player who became a fancy that changes with the coaching change. stats darling last season. Does the defensive structure stay in place? Will Dallas’ best players 7. Phil Kessel, RW, Arizona Coyotes begin to produce again? Are we finally going to see more Roope Hintz and Denis Gurianov? For the sake of Stars fans, I certainly hope so. No one likes criticizing Kessel less than me, but someone needs to do it. He’s been terrible at 5-on-5 this season for the Coyotes, producing at a 10. The 2019-20 New Jersey Devils below replacement-level rate. It’s hard to put into words just how disappointing Arizona’s first line has been offensively at even strength, so Take your pick: Between PK Subban, Taylor Hall, Jack Hughes and let’s use a table instead. Nikita Gusev, the Devils didn’t get anywhere close to the kind of value they were expecting to get from their high-end talent. Subban looks like a What’s great about this list is that there’s a legitimate argument to put shell of his former self after suffering a major injury last season, Hughes any one of them in today’s article. Some of these players make up for isn’t an impact player yet at 18, Gusev has no desire to play defense, their lack of 5-on-5 production with their power play value (e.g. Stastny, and neither of the team’s goaltenders can make a save. Here’s hoping Neal) or defensive prowess (e.g. Staal, Backlund).. Hall gets traded at some point in the next few days so everyone can just move on. With respect to Kessel, it’s clear his linemates haven’t been helping him very much at even strength. He’s still using his speed to counter-attack Honorable Mentions off the rush, stop on a dime, and use his under-rated playmaking ability to find teammates with cross-ice passes, but the goals just haven’t been John Klingberg, RD, Dallas Stars: I was thinking of including Klingberg in there. That’s a big problem for a one-dimensional player who provides the section with Dallas’ three forwards, but it felt like a bit of overkill. below replacement level value defensively. Nobody’s expecting Kessel to Much like those players, he’s also struggled to produce offensively this provide Selke quality defense, but if he isn’t producing offensively, he’s a season, but personally, I’m more concerned about his play-driving ability. huge liability to his team. For the first time in his career, Klingberg is getting significantly outshot, out-chanced and outscored at even strength. 8. Jake Gardiner, LD, Carolina Hurricanes Tyson Barrie, RD, Toronto Maple Leafs: The Leafs had high hopes for Gardiner is having one heck of a weird season. If you’ve been watching Barrie in 2019-20. Two months into the season, he was an absolute the Hurricanes play, you’ve probably noticed he’s been on the ice for a disaster. Under Mike Babcock, Barrie was one of the worst offensive lot of goals for. In fact, he has the worst goal differential among defensemen in the league by any metric. The good news is he looks defensemen this season after adjusting for context. That seems less than more like his old self now that Sheldon Keefe has taken over behind the ideal for a player getting sheltered usage on the third pair of the best 5- bench, but if we’re evaluating his season as a whole, it’s fair to say he on-5 team in hockey. hasn’t met expectations.

My question is: How much of that is simply bad luck? When you add up Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba, New York Rangers: I received a lot of the team’s shooting percentage (3.6 percent) and save percentage (.893) criticism for mentioning Kakko’s disappointing 5-on-5 play on my podcast when he’s on the ice at even strength, you get a PDO of 92.9. Anytime a few weeks ago, but it’s something we need to address. He’s produced that stat is well below 100, we know it’s bound to regress closer to league fewer points per 60 than Kessel while getting completely shelled at 5-on- average over time. With that being said, how much of Gardiner’s poor 5, which has been the case for a lot of Rangers this season, most notably goal metrics are the product of poor play? Trouba. A lot of Trouba’s own woes have to do with the fact that he’s playing with a below replacement level partner in Libor Hajek, but it’s still I reached out to Corey Sznajder, to get my answer. He’s probably disappointing to see two of the more talented players in the league spend watched more hockey over the last three seasons than anyone on the the majority of their shifts stuck in the defensive zone. planet thanks to all the manual tracking he’s done, and Sznajder just happens to be a Hurricanes fan. Here are some of his thoughts on James van Riemsdyk, LW, Philadelphia Flyers: When you’re paid to be a Gardiner’s bizarre 2019-20 season. power-play specialist and you only have one point with the man advantage after 30 games, it’s a tad concerning. Van Riemsdyk has It’s a lot of poorly timed mistakes. Not all of them are his fault, but he’s looked much better at even strength than he did last season, but his lost the puck at the blue line a few times and he gets lost in coverage a scoring rate is on pace to be the lowest of his career. We’ll see if a bit. It’s not all on him because he gets third pair minutes with Trevor van shooting percentage bump can help get him closer to the 25-goal scorer Riemsdyk or Haydn Fleury and they’ve struggled to stay with their man we know he can be. too. Alex Wennberg, C, Columbus Blue Jackets: The good news is he’s The only thing I’m really frustrated with Jake is the lack of offense. He’s already reached his goal total from last year. The bad news is that been just okay at exiting with possession and making a lot of clears number is two. Wennberg also has seven assists in 28 games, which through center. Which is alright but they need more from him offensively. isn’t exactly ideal from a forward who’s supposed to be a key contributor I can live with the mistakes because the number of pucks going in in Columbus’ top six. against him is kind of insane right now. Pekka Rinne and Juuse Saros, G, Nashville Predators: Both goaltenders As someone who’s watched a lot of Gardiner over the last few years, I have really struggled this year. What’s interesting is that Rinne is leading can understand the frustration with some of his decisions in his own end. the league in goal support, while Saros is getting the fourth-least goal With that being said, the positives have always outweighed the negatives support among goaltenders with at least 10 starts. What a weird team. in the aggregate with him. It will be interesting to see if he’s able to generate a bit more offensively once his puck-luck regresses, but it’s fair Jonathan Bernier and Jimmy Howard, G, Detroit Red Wings: According to say that “descriptively” speaking, Gardiner has been terrible this to Clear Sight’s data, these are the second and third-worst goaltenders in season at impacting goal differential. Whether or not that means we the league this season after Quick, which matches the eye-test. The should predict him to be terrible at it in the future is another question. good news for Detroit is terrible goaltending is the perfect recipe for a tank season. 9. Jamie Benn, Joe Pavelski, and Alex Radulov, F, Dallas Stars Casey Mittelstadt, C, Buffalo Sabres: Remember when he took the Whenever I get toward the end one of these lists, it’s always difficult hockey world by storm at the 2018 world juniors? For a player with so because I feel like certain players deserve to be here – so I cheat by much dynamic skill when you watch him play, Mittelstadt has always left including multiple players. As you might’ve seen in the previous graphic, fans wanting more. After a year of decent production in college, the Pavelski and Radulov haven’t produced much of anything at even Sabres called him up assuming he could fill a top six role. We’ve never seen him score at a high level relative to his peers at 5-on-5, and frankly, it’s reaching the point where I wonder if he ever will.

The Athletic LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165897 Websites aggressive. He played a man’s game tonight; in the corners, in front of the net, he did good work.”

Anyone watching would have agreed with that assessment. Sportsnet.ca / Canadiens reap benefits of trusting their youth in OT win Poehling was in perpetual motion, he was hard on the forecheck and on over Senators the backcheck, and he created glorious scoring chances for Shea Weber and Brendan Gallagher and was oh-so-close to scoring himself before Senators goaltender Anders Nilsson robbed him on the doorstep. Eric Engels | @EricEngels This was an important step in Poehling’s development after a concussion December 12, 2019, 12:37 AM suffered in training camp slowed him down and after his first four games of the season (from Nov. 5-12) were underwhelming.

And, you know what, when Leskinen got the puck on his forehand and MONTREAL — The goals for the home team came from three players had a chance to clear the zone before the 20-year-old Tkachuk who have combined for 1,161 National Hockey League games. pickpocketed him and set up the 2-2 goal for Connor Brown at 13:05 of But the Montreal Canadiens weren’t walking away from their game the third period, it was good for his development too. against the Ottawa Senators celebrating a 3-2 overtime win without key “If that’s a guy with experience, it’s off his stick and up the boards or off contributions from some of their youngest players. the glass right away,” said Ben Chiarot, who iced the game for Montreal This is the NHL now, where you have no choice but to live with mistakes with his first-ever overtime winner. “But if you don’t give these players borne of inexperience, because the upside of trusting your young players experience now, they won’t figure that out. He’ll adjust now that he’s had to get the job done will serve you well both in the short term and in the that experience.” long term. Julien’s intentions were good in putting Leskinen on the ice at that stage On Wednesday, with his Canadiens seeking their third consecutive win of the game. In the second period, the Finn had opted for a shot instead and fourth in their last five games, head coach Claude Julien put his faith of making the safer play of putting the puck in the corner and Nick Paul in 20-year-old goaltender Cayden Primeau. He pushed 20-year-old Cale blocked it to send Tkachuk the other way on the 3-on-1 that ended with Fleury and 22-year-old Otto Leskinen on the ice together almost regularly that big save that had the crowd chanting Primeau’s name, but that didn’t as a defence pairing because this was the second half of a back-to-back deter the coach from trusting him in an important situation. for Montreal and he was in control of the matchups. He also put 20-year- “You can always second guess yourself afterwards and say, ‘Geez. old Nick Suzuki out there in all situations and gave him 21 shifts in the Should I have had him on the ice?’” said Julien. “You’re always trying to game. put them in positions to succeed. Doesn’t mean it always happens.” And had it not been for 12 penalties taken between Ottawa and Montreal, But every mistake brings a lesson, and every lesson learned furthers the 20-year-old Canadiens forward Ryan Poehling surely would have played development of these young players. more than 9:48 in this one. And there’s nothing more important than that process in this league, at Plain and simple, you need to trust the kids in order to win in this league. this particular point in time. “The only way we’re going to get better is by giving them the chance to “It’s the way it goes nowadays,” said Weber. “Everybody’s built from play,” said Julien, “and if the results are there at the same time, then within for the most part … So far the kids have really helped us out this great.” year.” Primeau was a wall for the Canadiens in just his second-ever NHL start. On this night it was Primeau and Poehling. On others it’s been Suzuki, or He started with saves on eight of the first nine shots of the game and Fleury, or 19-year-old Jesperi Kotkaniemi. And on many nights, 21-year- made 12 total in the first period to keep Ottawa off the board. old Victor Mete, currently sidelined by injury, has made a huge impact.

In the second period, Primeau stopped 14 more shots. There was a “We all felt like we could do something this year,” said Primeau. “Having short-handed 3-on-1 blocker save on Brady Tkachuk that got the fans out that mindset and going to work every day is what it’s about.” of their seats and had them chanting his name. There was the shorthanded break from Jean-Gabriel Pageau that Primeau suffocated without giving up a rebound. And there was one more big stop on a 2-on- Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 1 chance for Tkachuk that saw him sprawl across his crease on his belly and stick his pad out.

Primeau finished the game with a strong third period behind a Canadiens team Julien said was on its heels.

The final count was 35 saves for the kid.

“He’s huge,” said Canadiens captain Shea Weber, who picked up his 26th point of the season on Nick Cousins’ first-period power-play goal. “Obviously he covers a lot of net, and the composure he has for such a young age is great. At this age, for him to be so steady in there, it’s only going to get better from here.”

About Primeau’s composure, here’s what the king of it, Canadiens starter Carey Price, said: “He’s definitely got a quiet demeanour about himself, and he works hard. He definitely reminds me a bit of my younger self.”

Can you imagine what that means to the 199th pick in the 2017 NHL Draft?

Talk about a confidence-booster.

Here’s one for Poehling, who struggled in his first stint with Montreal earlier this season but was recalled from the AHL’s Laval Rocket on Wednesday to replace injured forward Matthew Peca.

“I liked his game tonight,” said Julien. “He was really physical, he was strong. We needed a presence like that — and certainly against the Senators — and I liked his game tonight. He was implicated, he was 1165898 Websites 2. At last year’s December Board of Governors’ meeting, Bettman predicted an $83 million cap, only to see it end up at $81.5 million. Because that number wasn’t finalized until late June, the squeeze tortured teams and players. This time, he was more guarded, refusing to Sportsnet.ca / 31 Thoughts: Jim Montgomery firing hockey's latest give an estimate. Instead, he recognized that the final number will come bombshell as part of a negotiation with the players, who have the right to “inflate” the ceiling by up to five per cent.

While some clubs will be careful because of what happened a year ago, Elliotte Friedman others have the impression it could be $84-$85 million. Why? Because of December 11, 2019, 12:17 PM lockout/strike fears, many players structured their contracts with lower cash payouts in 2020-21. That means lower escrow, which allows the possibility the NHLPA would be willing to raise the ceiling by more than, say, the 1.15 per cent of 2018-19. At Monday’s Board of Governors media conference, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly were asked if anyone 3. With the World Cup shelved for 2021, do not be surprised if that All- else was under investigation for anything similar to what cost Bill Peters Star Game is a three-on-three mini-World Cup or Ryder Cup format. his job in Calgary. 4. Geoff Ward could retire undefeated, now 6-0 running the bench. While They said no. Calgary gave its interim boss a salary raise for the remainder of the season, they have yet to commit to him for the rest of the year. First, after Bettman and Daly are lawyers. Good ones. If the question had stopped a tumultuous month, the organization just wanted to breathe and see at, “Is anyone else under investigation?” the answer might have been how the players responded. Second, the Flames did not want to be unfair different. They knew Monday night what the rest of us found out on to him by saying, “Hey, it’s yours” in case circumstances changed at a Tuesday, that Jim Montgomery was finished as head coach of the Dallas later date. I believe the metaphor being used is, “They’re dating, but not Stars. engaged.” Results speak, however, and, right now, Ward’s are excellent. GM Jim Nill announced Montgomery’s dismissal hours after discovering He’s come a long way since assisting Don McKee at the University of “a material act of unprofessionalism.” According to multiple sources, Waterloo in 1989. Dallas fired Montgomery for cause, terminating the final two-and-a-half- 5. I’m not sure anyone knew what to expect when Peters was told in years on his contract. (What remains to be seen is if Montgomery mounts Buffalo that he could not be with the team. But everyone noticed an a legal challenge.) Calgary needed more than three days to do a proper immediate difference, a more relaxed vibe. Winning creates the most investigation, and Peters wasn’t officially fired. Marc Crawford’s been on happiness. Second is your players getting their cookies. Sean Monahan, leave for over a week. The Stars’ situation was different because the who looked lost, has points in all six of those games, and goals in each of offending behaviour happened on their watch, not in a previous locale. the past four. Johnny Gaudreau, looking so much more engaged, has They were certain of their corroboration and/or documentation, and they four points. Dillon Dube, Milan Lucic, Zac Rinaldo and Derek Ryan had were certain of it quick. 16 points before Ward’s ascension and 19 since. A little belief goes a The team and league bent over backwards to say that Montgomery’s long way. punishment wasn’t for the racial or physical abuse being targeted for 6. You know who is looking for a scorer? The New York Islanders. But elimination. The word is this is a “personal behaviour issue,” with I’m not expecting Lou Lamoriello to tell me how he feels about Taylor information being kept tight to protect the person who revealed the Hall. impropriety and out of respect to the rest of Montgomery’s family. (I don’t believe last week’s eyebrow-raising Dallas radio interview circulating 7. There are reports out of Russia that CSKA Moscow is trying to extend through social media had anything to do with the decision.) Islanders goalie prospect Ilya Sorokin. Tough to say if this is legit or a negotiating tactic, but he will be 25 in August. If the extension is at least Jeff Marek and Elliotte Friedman talk to a lot of people around the hockey three years, he becomes an unrestricted free agent in North America. world, and then they tell listeners all about what they’ve heard and what they think about it. 8. Remember that is due his final bonus payment from the Kings on Dec. 15. After that, we’ll see if he and the Kings can work out Montgomery’s coaching acumen was never in question. Dallas went to a some kind of termination agreement. second-round Game 7 double-overtime against the eventual Stanley Cup champion St. Louis Blues in his first season, and righted itself into a legit 9. During last week’s Hockey Night in Canada pre-game, St. Louis GM Cup contender after an awful 1-7-1 start this year. If there was a concern, Doug Armstrong gave a good interview, including an insightful answer to it’s how much fun he liked to have away from the rink. You have to be so Kelly Hrudey’s question about leading scorer David Perron. careful walking that line. “His shot’s improved, he now can score from distance, he changed the We’re in a cycle of bombshells ripping through the sport. Bettman looked flex on his stick,” Armstrong said. “I think he’s very content in who he is at the cameras Monday night and said, “We don’t like surprises.” That and what he is as a player now. He’s found some very good synergy with message may have been delivered to the media, but it was directed at (Ryan) O’Reilly, which certainly helps.” the NHL — anyone in a position to cover up anything. He read the same notes to the assembled Governors that he read publicly. He did not The talk about Perron’s stick piqued my curiosity, so here’s some more specify the penalties for failure to report, but the expectation is they will intel. The winger used a shorter stick for better control, stick-handling and be severe. puck protection — but it was always stiff. He’s got a great mind for the game, and noticed how some of the superb young shooters (Patrik Laine, There was a time when success could cover-up these things. Last Auston Matthews, etc.) could really fire it with softer sticks. As much as season, Peters’ Flames finished second in the NHL. Montgomery’s .579 Perron worked on his game, he couldn’t duplicate that even when trying points percentage was 13th among active coaches and 54th all-time (per a similar stick to what they used. hockey-reference). In Vegas, Perron sat next to another terrific shooter, Jonathan His firing was a message that while the spotlight may be on certain Marchessault, who had a 75 flex. Ultimately, he decided during training issues, any behavioural missteps are potentially fatal. camp to commit to practising with one of Marchessault’s sticks for a week. Perron noticed immediate improvement and stayed with it. 31 THOUGHTS (Apparently, the joke is that Marchessault wants one per cent of Perron’s 1. Nobody desires a job under these circumstances, but, quietly, Rick salary as compensation.) Perron also gives a lot of credit to O’Reilly, and Bowness wanted one more chance to run an NHL bench. An in-demand to Craig Berube, who has shown great confidence in him. assistant, Bowness was 123-289-48 as a head coach in some ugly 10. Armstrong, asked if there was any progress on the Alex Pietrangelo situations — including expansion Ottawa. His last try was as an interim in front: “We keep those things in-house, and I know it’s a long time until Phoenix during 2003-04, winning his last game on April 4, 2004 when June 30, 2020.” Krys Kolanos scored in overtime to beat Chicago. Bob Murray went with Randy Carlyle in Anaheim in 2016, but both Bowness and Travis Green 11. Living in Toronto, you could feel the mild panic in the city after last interviewed very well. Wednesday’s 3-1 loss to Colorado. After that game, the Maple Leafs were one point out of the playoffs, but their high number of games played going on a road trip. The guys are waiting on the bus and see me pulling made the math towards a playoff berth unappealing. They weren’t in with that wagon. They are looking at me like, ‘What have we traded for scoring, but you could sense the organization believed that, of all here?’ Those guys would try to see how many of them could fit in it.” I problems they could have, a lack of offence would sort itself out. The heard eight. “I think it was nine. We tried for 10, but think we could only other thing they liked was their schedule. When we broke it down last do nine.” Later, Nasreddine says he sold it to Daniel Carcillo and Saturday, 28 of their 51 remaining games were against non-playoff Stephen Dixon. teams, and only six back-to-backs are left. They were done with Colorado and St. Louis. They have one game remaining against Boston 19. Nasreddine played 74 NHL games. He scored his only goal while a and Washington. Even with important wins over the Blues and Penguin, in his hometown of Montreal on Dec. 16, 2006. It came at 19:59 Vancouver, every game is a playoff game for them here on in. of the first period. “I got so much grief for the celebration,” he said. “I never, ever left the blue line, but because there were only five seconds 12. I’m not convinced Toronto’s going to alter its backup situation. They left in the period, that was time to take a chance. There were so many just don’t seem enamoured with what’s out there. Tristan Jarry’s gone good stories about that night. First, because of the time, you’re not sure it from potential trade target to Pittsburgh record-holder, with a shutout counts, so you’re waiting for confirmation. To have my family there to see streak of 177:15 ended by the Canadiens. Until a long-term decision is it, that was special.” made with Matt Murray, will the Penguins move either Jarry or Casey DeSmith? There’s a lot of love for Alexandar Georgiev — and deservedly One family member who couldn’t be in attendance was brother Samy, so, he looks terrific — who is three games from becoming waiver-eligible. who played professionally for more than 20 years, everywhere from The Rangers have Igor Shesterkin lighting up AHL Hartford in his first Peoria to Soenderjyske in Denmark. At the time, Samy was playing for North American season, but 37-year-old future Hall-of-Famer Henrik the Coventry Blaze of the British Elite League. “He stayed up Lundqvist is signed for only one more year. Is Georgiev/Shesterkin the late and called some of my friends who were watching the game. When I future? scored, they all went berserk. They told him what happened, and he said, ‘Yeah right, settle down.’ He didn’t believe it. Teammates were all over 13. Not that they want to, but when things were going poorly for the me, saying this is proof Sidney Crosby is such a great player, because Maple Leafs, another GM said Toronto learned it could trade Kasperi he could help you score a goal. It was unreal. Usually when we lost a Kapanen very easily. “But they don’t want to,” he added. game, I took it pretty hard. This night, you couldn’t wipe the smile off my face.” 14. Brendan Shanahan, asked what he would say if another club wanted to talk to Mike Babcock: “I think that’s sort of a hypothetical I wouldn’t 20. In 2003-04, Mike Kitchen replaced Joel Quenneville as head coach in want to get into, quite honestly. Much was made of the incident with Mike St. Louis. They are partners-in-crime, and Kitchen asked for his buddy’s a few years ago with Mitch Marner, for instance, and I know our general blessing before accepting the job. “You have to take it,” Quenneville told manager at the time (Lou Lamoriello) had called me and let me know him. Nasreddine, in his 10th consecutive season alongside John Hynes about it right away and had addressed it right away with Mike. Mike from Wilkes-Barre to New Jersey, said he “felt like Kitchen” when told apologized to Mitch and there was communication with (Lamoriello) and about Hynes’ firing. “John made it easy for me, though. There are mixed the agent and the family. It wasn’t something that was appropriate or emotions. Both families have known each other for 10 years. Our kids acceptable to us. Since then, my general manager — whether it was Lou grew up together. But he made it clear he wants to see me succeed. My or Kyle — had never come to us with a situation like that. Is it a highly wife (Josiane) is great for me. She’s a real go-getter, and once we got charged atmosphere, is it an atmosphere where players and coaches, the blessing from John, she was saying, ‘Let’s go. Let’s do this.’ That was where we can all sometimes want to go back and do things a little bit huge for me.” better? Absolutely. But I think that this is a good starting point. I think some of the league’s plans and some of the education that we should all 21. I asked Nasreddine if it was hard to coach a team where trade have available to us can certainly be a help.” rumours swirled over the group, there are few untouchables and anything could happen at any time. “I don’t have time to think about that,” he The Maple Leafs feel strongly that Babcock should not be grouped with answered. “It’s out of my control. What I have to be aware of is how the other recent incidents. We’ll see how he’s willing to evolve, but, Taylor Hall is feeling, where we’re at and how I can help the team. You unless he declines to coach again, there’s going to be interest. can’t look into the future. There’s enough to be better than we are now.” How? “What are we? What do we want to be? The way we were built, the 15. Even before Jim Rutherford told The Athletic’s Josh Yohe that Alex vision, is a speed team. We’re not Los Angeles or St. Louis. We have to Galchenyuk may not fit in Pittsburgh’s top 12 forwards, the Penguins get back to using that speed, and not be afraid to make mistakes.” were testing the market on the winger. Buffalo has considered it. There were rumblings about Ottawa, but a few sources pooh-poohed that. 22. Not sure what’s in Hynes’ future, but it wouldn’t be a shocker if there was a Nashville tie-in. Hynes and Predators’ assistant GM Jeff Kealty 16. Prior to Dec. 1, I think Carolina was most interested in Julius Honka. were teammates at NCAA Boston University from 1994-95 to 1996-97. Dallas’s contract situation (48 of the maximum 50), was a major factor, as the Stars wanted draft picks or unsigned prospects, in return. Honka is 23. Arizona entered Tuesday night’s games with a team save percentage ineligible to play in the NHL this season. We’ll see what the summer of .929. The last team to exceed that in a full season was the 2011 brings, because he needs a fresh start. Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins, at .930 (Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask). Ottawa’s Craig Anderson, Ben Bishop and Robin Lehner soared 17. The NHL looked at this Sidney Crosby/Evgeni Malkin trick-shot to .933, but that was the 48-game, lockout-shortened 2012-13 year. feature and got an idea. Could something like this be done in the All-Star skills competition? They recently tested it in St. Louis for January’s event, Senior Writer Ryan Dixon and NHL Editor Rory Boylen always give it and it could happen. (If you’re worried about pucks flying into the crowd, 110%, but never rely on clichés when it comes to podcasting. Instead, the league is working on a mechanism to drop the netting over the fans they use a mix of facts, fun and a varied group of hockey voices to cover to protect them. This would put the All-Stars in the crowd during Canada’s most beloved game. competition, with the possibility of alumni (Brett Hull?) trying, too. George Parros was one of the testers, and was insulted when I asked if he hit 24. At the Board of Governors, the NHL made Kim Davis available. Hired any targets. “Didn’t you know I won the accuracy competition several two years ago as Executive Vice-President of Social Impact, Growth times with the Ducks?” he glared. “It was no problem when everyone was Initiatives & Legislative Affairs, Davis kept a low profile as she learned stationary. It’s when people moved around that caused me trouble.” the league. There were several requests to interview her because of the events of the past few weeks, and she informally sat down with reporters 18. If you ask anyone who played with Alain Nasreddine to say who were there. Whatever “it” is, Davis has that. something about him, there are two consistent replies. First, people love him. He was a very, very popular teammate. Second, he drove one The conversation was really informative. “We have been spending time hideous station wagon while playing in the AHL. “Who told you that?” he developing a three-to-five-year strategic plan around culture and said last week, while laughing at the memory. “I totalled my (previous) inclusion, long before the recent incidents,” she said. “This has just car and needed to buy something quick. It was a 1997 yellow Chevrolet accelerated both our timeline and our resolve. You know I’ve been in this Caprice, for $500. You remember those?” Oh yes. “It was priceless. The culture work for a long time, not only as part of a large organization (JP back seat faced the rear of the car, the door opened sideways like a Morgan), where I spent over 20 years. But also, four years as a truck.” He pauses and laughs some more. consultant who advises CEOs on these issues and really created the practice at Teneo, which is the firm that I was with. And from that work I In March 2004, he was traded to Pittsburgh from the Islanders and know that there’s often some kind of defining moment in an organization reported to Wilkes Barre-Scranton. “I show up on my first day, and we’re that causes that organization to accelerate its efforts, but also to become games.” McKegney said that the Donald Brashears, the Georges a rallying call. And so I see that as a positive.” Laraques and the Peter Worrells had it tougher than he did, because they fought. That made the vitriol worse for them than him. But it didn’t 25. Davis was asked point-blank if hockey has a racism problem. “I mean he got away unscathed. “Every game I played outside of Sarnia believe society has a racism problem,” she answered. “To categorize this (where he grew up) and Kingston (his junior home), I thought my middle as a hockey problem minimizes our ability to use this moment in our name was ‘(expletive).’” sport to understand that we are a microcosm of society. I think that we have all kinds of problems in our society. Are there cases and incidents I asked him what he would say to a young person of colour about playing of racism? Of course there are. But to say that the culture of hockey is hockey. “Oh, I would say yes. I’d say to persevere. I’d point to Jarome racist, I think is inappropriate and I don’t think it is accurate. Iginla, to Grant Fuhr, to Willie O’Ree. Hall of Famers. You have to persevere.” Like Kim Davis, he worries about the cost. “The financials are “You can have the best training programs going on in the world, but if you such a burden to so many people.” There were a couple moments that don’t have peoples’ attention, then we aren’t going to change the culture. really stood out to him for kindness. The first was at the 1978 OHA All- A big part of this is helping people to understand and recognize both Star Game in Windsor. “NHL President John Ziegler was there, and, at conscious and unconscious bias. And there’s a difference between the the banquet, he talked to me and to Wayne Gretzky. Everyone knew two. I think most people operate in the space of unconscious bias. Often Wayne was going to the WHA, and I was talking to them also. He said, when they are able to recognize and understand the environments that ‘We are really looking forward to having you two in the NHL.’” they operate in, the networks that they have access to, and that they contribute to your inability to understand how to operate with people Yes, Ziegler was trying to defend his turf, but it meant a lot to McKegney. across a lot of dimensions, people become very open to understanding In his statement, he wrote that, “It is my contention that (Bettman and how they have to change. But, if you don’t create the conditions for that, Daly) have done an excellent job in continuing the work initially done by you can spend all the money in the world, have the best training in the John Ziegler welcoming black players to the NHL as he did to me as a world and it doesn’t penetrate. That’s why, 30 years later, we’re still junior-aged player.” having this conversation in industry about diversity and inclusion.” 28. The other incident involved Mark Howe. McKegney thinks it was At the Board level, hockey is overwhelmingly homogenous. “I would say 1985. He was playing in Philadelphia. “There was a guy there who would to you that, four years ago that room probably looked different than it have signs — ‘Pick up a basketball’ — things like that. One game, he does today,” Davis answered. “Not as, not as good. Now that’s not an yelled the word at me.” Reached on Tuesday, Howe said he remembered excuse for how the room looks but I think that kind of change at an exactly what happened. “There was a fight going on down near the ownership level is going to be something that we’re going to have to see corner,” Howe said. “Tony and I grabbed each other, and watched the over time. I think the bigger and more important opportunity exists in front fight. The ‘N word’ came out clear as day, pointed. Tony was extremely office and coaching and all of those areas where we can now set the upset, and rightfully so.” tone and begin to build pipelines of talent that over the next 10 years, will influence locker rooms and will influence front offices and will influence McKegney continued: “I remember Mark putting his arm around me, the kind of talent that we have across the league. And that is a key part trying to calm me down, saying ‘Don’t worry about that.’” It is clear that, to of the plan that we’re putting together.” McKegney, a Flyer in Philadelphia putting an arm around him in that moment was an important thing. “Tony wanted to go after the fan,” Howe She mentioned Seattle as a leader and added that “I’ve been having added. “I grabbed him harder, trying to keep him away. I didn’t want him some hugely interesting conversations with a number of owners who to get sued. I remember talking to him the whole time. I don’t think I did really get that it’s going to take them using their platforms to create these anything any different than other guys I played with would have done. elite pathways for kids of colour. And I think you’re going to see in the Brad Marsh, Ronnie Sutter, Lindsay Carson, Brian Propp, Brad next couple of years, a number of these programs, tested in different McCrimmon, . You try to win, but you also try to be a decent markets. So I’m encouraged by that.” human being.” Howe paused. “That’s how bad it was. We both remember it so vividly.” Out of the worst should come our best. 26. Finally, what is Kim Davis’s vision? What does she wish to accomplish? “Imagine that the work that we’re doing today is going to set 29. This is the Sabres’ 50th anniversary season. McKegney finished our the tone for the way the sport looks 20 years from now. Culture change is interview by telling a hilarious story about how he’d call some ex- not something that you’re going to see in six months, and nine months, teammates to say, “Oh man, too bad. I talked to the voters, and you maybe not even in two years. We are already seeing examples of culture came in 51st.” change in terms of people feeling like now they have a voice and a view, and they’re coming out. We can’t underestimate the power of that, as an 30. Flying to California early Sunday morning for the Board of Governors’ example, as one of the steps for this creation of an environment where meeting, I met a Mr. King (I’m really sorry, I was sleepy, I don’t remember people feel welcome. So we have to measure this in terms of all of the his first name). His son, Michael, attends Trinity College School in Port little things that lead up to the Big Bang. I think that’s our vision for this is, Hope, ON, and made the junior varsity hockey team there. He won a that this becomes part of the DNA of how we operate. And it’s not just a recent contest and, as a result, got to meet Mitch Marner. Michael is flavour of the month.” similar to Marner in size, and told the Maple Leaf that to stand out and show he wouldn’t be intimidated, he was playing much more physical She mentioned “a generational history of individuals who have gone than normal. “(Marner) told him not to do that,” Mr. King said. “Stick to through a certain kind of treatment feeling like, ‘Well I endured it so the your identity, what you do well.” Good advice I thought I’d share. Oh, and next generation has to endure it.’ And until you break that cycle, that on the flight home, I sat in front of Robert Orr. No, not that one. This continues.” Sure looks like we are getting to that point, if we aren’t there one’s middle name is Bruce. already. 31. I didn’t think the Peloton ad was that bad. 27. When Tony McKegney was a young boy learning to play hockey, his adoptive father gave him some great advice: “Always have the puck on your stick when you skate by yourself.” Willie O’Ree broke the NHL’s Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 colour barrier in 1958. Sixteen years later, Mike Marson became an original Washington Capital. But McKegney became the first black player to establish himself. He scored 320 goals in 912 NHL games for Buffalo, Quebec (twice), Minnesota, the Rangers, St. Louis, Detroit and Chicago from 1978-91.

As the Akim Aliu/Bill Peters story unfolded over the past few weeks, McKegney, recovering from a knee replacement, spent a lot of time thinking about his life in the sport. He sent a statement to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and to NHL.com’s William Douglas (his Twitter account is @ColorOfHockey). Reached on Monday, McKegney talked for 45 minutes about his time on the ice. It was a real education for me.

“The first time I ever played against another black player was Grant Fuhr, in the NHL,” he said. “Think about that. For 17 years, I was the only black player every day. I was good, I had the puck a lot, and I could take over 1165899 Websites Besides Ferland, the Canucks are still without veteran checking centre Brandon Sutter (lower body), key penalty-killer Tyler Motte (foot) and top defenceman Alex Edler (upper body).

Sportsnet.ca / Jim Benning still looking for top-six forward to bolster Benning said he hopes to re-sign Markstrom, the 29-year-old starting Canucks roster goalie who has twice taken short leaves from the Canucks due to his father’s battle with cancer and subsequent death.

Rookie backup goalie Thatcher Demko, 24, has started 12 of 31 games Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet and been mostly impressive. It is unclear how the Canucks would keep both Markstrom and Demko through the Seattle expansion draft in 18 December 11, 2019, 7:16 PM months.

“There’s a lot of time between now and the expansion draft,” Benning VANCOUVER – Through 31 games, Vancouver Canucks general said. “We’ll figure that out as we get closer. Thatcher is a young goalie in manager Jim Benning likes what he has seen. But he’ll like his team this league and he’s learning what it takes to be competitive and even more if he can acquire another top-six winger before the NHL’s consistent every night. I think this is a good learning experience for him trade deadline in February. and we think he’ll get even better down the road.”

Benning confirmed Wednesday in an interview with Sportsnet that he is But Benning wants to keep Markstrom. looking for another winger who can score if a deal “makes sense.” He “Yes, that’s my plan,” he said. “That’s our goal. Jacob is an important guy also said he plans to open contract negotiations for starting goalie Jacob in our locker room. He was a player we thought we could develop into a Markstrom, who is eligible for unrestricted free agency on July 1 and No. 1 goaltender. We’ve seen him get better and better every year. He’s whose status would affect the Canucks’ plans for the 2021 Seattle had some interruptions this year with his father, but we’re past that now. expansion draft. We need him to be kind of where he left off last year.” The health of injured winger Micheal Ferland, one of Benning’s key free- The Canucks end a five-game homestand Thursday against Carolina agent signings last summer, could affect the Canucks’ need to add before continuing their difficult schedule with road games Saturday in another player, although the GM emphasized that Ferland’s departure San Jose and Sunday in Las Vegas. Sutter participated in Wednesday’s from Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs is unrelated to the optional practice and said he hopes to play Thursday. concussion that had kept him out for five weeks.

The 27-year-old was signed in July to a four-year, $14-million contract to bring more finish and physicality to the top six in Vancouver. But he has Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 scored just one goal in 14 games and survived only four periods in his return from a concussion before getting re-injured.

Home of the Canucks

Stream all 82 Canucks games this season with Sportsnet NOW. Get over 500 NHL games, blackout-free, including Hockey Night in Canada, all outdoor games, the All-Star Game, 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs and more.

“With all of our players, we’re always concerned when they have injuries and Ferland is no different,” Benning said. “Before we signed him this summer, we did our due diligence. We had our doctors involved with the Carolina doctors. . . and we were satisfied with the information we got.

“He doesn’t have another concussion; that’s not the problem. We’re hoping to do whatever we need to do from an organizational standpoint to help him get better because I think we’re a better team with him in our lineup. I don’t know how long he’ll be out for, but I think we’ll get him back.”

Benning said Ferland, who had 17 goals in 71 games last season with the Carolina Hurricanes but missed time with a concussion, was seeing “specialists” late Wednesday for his upper-body injury.

Ferland was targeted by the Canucks to fill a first-line role beside star centre Elias Pettersson, but coach Travis Green dropped the winger down the lineup after only two games. Ferland had six hits upon his return in Saturday’s 6-5 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres, and in just six shifts against the Maple Leafs he registered three hits, including a knockdown of Alex Kerfoot that may have caused his latest injury.

The Canucks, 15-12-4 and three points out of a wild-card playoff spot after Wednesday’s loss, were looking for top-six forward help even before Ferland was hurt.

“I try to keep in contact with all the other general managers in the league, and if there’s something that fits and makes sense, we’ll look at it,” Benning said. “I like the chemistry we had in the team at the start of the year. I thought we had a good combination of youth and skill and speed and some veteran players that provided the glue for us and could kill penalties. I’m excited to see what our group looks like when we get healthy, and then we’ll go from there.”

Benning said the return last week of Antoine Roussel from major knee surgery last spring helps the Canucks, and Josh Leivo has filled a top-six hole since joining Bo Horvat and Tanner Pearson on Vancouver’s second line a few games ago. 1165900 Websites points last season, even if all three players looked out of sorts through the first third of 2019-20.

Under Ward, the three offensive gems were strewn throughout the rest of Sportsnet.ca / Breaking down the Flames' undefeated start to the Geoff the lineup, each shifted onto a different line among the top nine. Ward era Lindholm moved back to the middle of the ice, centring sparkplug Matthew Tkachuk and talented young gun Andrew Mangiapane. Monahan, meanwhile, was given two-way pivot Mikael Backlund on his wing, alongside another promising prospect in Dillon Dube. Sonny Sachdeva | @sachdevasonny Gaudreau’s line assignment was the one that drew the most puzzled December 11, 2019, 6:18 PM looks from Flames fans early on, with the smooth-skating dynamo lining up alongside Milan Lucic and Derek Ryan. Given these three arrangements meant no reunion for the Triple-M line, Michael Frolik was Geoff Ward has yet to feel the sting of losing a game as a head coach in moved to the fourth line alongside newly promoted Zac Rinaldo and one the National Hockey League. of Mark Jankowski or Tobias Rieder.

Six games into his tenure behind the Calgary Flames bench, Ward’s club Odd as the trios may have seemed at first glance, the changes have is undefeated, having rolled off four wins in regulation and two in worked wonders so far. overtime. It couldn’t have come at a better time for the team, following a heavy few weeks of off-ice issues and a dismal on-ice stretch, too. The Flames have seen 11 different goal scorers get on the board over the past six games under Ward, with all but Backlund and Jankowski It isn’t just the stack of wins that’s impressed the Flames faithful, though. tallying goals. Monahan, who was off to a fairly uninspiring start to the The team’s taken on a new identity under Ward, embracing the new year, has led the way with seven points through six games. bench boss’s four-line approach and seeing contributors chip in from all corners of the lineup. Dube, who had played just five NHL games this season prior to Ward taking over, with one point in that span, has rolled along at a point-per- So, what exactly has that difference looked like? game pace skating with Monahan and Backlund. As has Ryan, who in six games is already halfway to the total he had through the 27 games prior A cursory look at the club’s overall success under Ward vs. the previous to the bench change. And it continues — Lucic has three goals and four regime offers an odd picture of progress. In terms of scoring pace, the points through these six games, after exactly zero goals through the pre- Flames are posting far more goals per game (4.00 goals per game now Ward stretch. Rinaldo, recently called up, has two goals in two games for vs. 2.37 before Ward) and allowing far fewer goals-against per game Calgary. (2.50 goals-against per game now vs. 3.07 before Ward). It seems Ward has managed to spark his marquee players and spur But the shots tell a slightly different story, with the team taking slightly them back into top form — and then he’s sprinkled them throughout the fewer shots per game now (29.5 now vs. 31.6 before) and allowing more lineup to help raise up the play of everyone else, too. Is that an approach shots-against (34.1 now vs. 31.8 before). that can last? Time will tell, but so far, the big boys are buying in. The same oddity applies to the club’s special-teams success. When “The guys have done a good job with the buy-in. You know, it’s hard Ward took over, the Flames sent out a disappointing power play, good for sometimes to give a little bit of yourself to give more to the team,” Ward 22nd in the league, but a penalty kill that found far more success, ranking said over the weekend during Hockey Night in Canada’s ‘After Hours’ fifth-best league-wide. Through these six games, the power play has segment. “Our guys right now, the chemistry on our team is really good. I been the fourth-best in the NHL (a 29.4 per cent success rate), while the think the guys are having confidence in the process and, as a result, it’s penalty kill has ranked 22nd under Ward’s brief tenure. whatever the next guy needs to do to help the team. That’s the way that Team performance before Ward’s arrival we need to proceed.”

Games Played: 27 Ward also spoke to his belief in building enough trust between players to foster a greater sense of accountability. Record: 11-12-4 “You need to empower the players. I feel that they need to have Goals For: 64 (2.37 goals per game) ownership [of] what goes on on a daily basis with your team,” Ward said. Goals Against: 83 (3.07 goals-against per game) “If you do that, I feel their accountability and their commitment level is higher, and I think it’s easier for them to demand that from each other. Shots For: 854 (31.6 shots per game) And as a result I think there’s a synergy that develops within your group.

Shots Against: 859 (31.8 shots-against per game) “…You get a revitalized energy about your team, and we’re starting to see that with ours right now.” Power play: 16.3 per cent (22nd in league) Ward and his Flames will have a chance at stretching their NHL-best Penalty kill: 84.9 per cent (fifth in league) active win streak to seven games Thursday when they take on another Team performance after Ward’s arrival club currently in the throes of a coaching change — the Toronto Maple Leafs, who’ve run out to a 6-3 record under new bench boss Sheldon Games Played: 6 Keefe.

Record: 6-0

Goals For: 24 (4.00 goals per game) Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 Goals Against: 15 (2.50 goals-against per game)

Shots For: 177 (29.5 shots per game)

Shots Against: 205 (34.1 shots per game)

Power play: 29.4 per cent (fourth in league)

Penalty kill: 76.5 per cent (22nd in league)

Of course, the sample size surely skews things a tad. But other aspects of Ward’s reshaping of the Flames’ season are tougher to dismiss as symptoms of a group simply reinvigorated by change.

His biggest decision so far, for example, was splitting up the Flames’ top- line trio of Johnny Gaudreau, Sean Monahan and Elias Lindholm — not necessarily an easy one, given that line combined for an absurd 259 1165901 Websites press if he hadn’t been devastatingly unlucky on the defensive side over that time.

In all situations in 2019-20, the save percentage of Canadiens goalies Sportsnet.ca / Analyzing Shea Weber's recent dominance and how much behind Weber is just 89.21 per cent, with both Carey Price and Keith can be sustained Kinkaid struggling, mostly on special teams. According to Natural Stat Trick, that has led to an overall goal differential of 49.4 per cent, significantly lower than Weber’s expected goal differential of 52.06 per cent. He’s had a high on-ice shooting percentage to help compensate, Andrew Berkshire but despite the point production, we can say that Weber has still been a little unlucky on balance, which really drives home how dominant he has been. You wouldn’t guess it from how things are going right now, but this season didn’t start in an ideal fashion for Montreal Canadiens captain However, there is one hitch here that needs to be brought up. Weber has Shea Weber. Through the first month, Weber had the worst on-ice had a similar run to this every season he’s been a Montreal Canadien. It defensive metrics of any defenceman on the roster, which is extremely usually lasts between six and eight weeks, and during those times Weber atypical for the so-called Man Mountain. is so dominant that he looks like the best defenceman in the NHL, sometimes gusting into best player territory. A lot was expected of Weber coming into this season after he rode in to stabilize an exciting-but-middling Canadiens squad last season, which Each season where he’s played a significant number of games, though, followed a period where he missed 80 games. Weber came into the there has been a precipitous drop in play as the season wore on. And, by lineup and immediately had a huge impact, which really made William the end of the season, these totals are a little less flattering. Nylander’s struggles across the Quebec/Ontario border stand out after Outside of the 2017-18 season where Weber only played 26 games, his own mid-season return. which happened to occur right in his zone of dominance before injury After a good two months or so, though, Weber drastically fell off around ended his campaign, you can see his on-ice dominance has faded. mid-January, and struggled with the speed of the game down the stretch. Last season was the first where his ability to protect the inner slot area Overall his year was still fine considering the minutes he plays, but many wasn’t present and I don’t believe that situation will arise again, but slot observers expected that a full training camp along with a summer not pass protection and control of shots attempts haven’t been a huge spent rehabbing an injury or getting surgery would lead to a big return to strength for Weber overall. form. With all that said, I think it’s very fair to point out that the injury that stole But this October didn’t see the expected results, and that left a few a season’s worth of games from Weber had apparently been lingering for people in hockey that I speak to a little nervous about potential decline, multiple seasons and very easily could have impacted his play, holding given his age. It took Weber until Oct. 30 to score his first goal that him back from giving his all for a full 82 games. Similarly, missing training wasn’t an empty netter, and that happened to be on a goalie missing a camp last season and getting started in November was likely more skate blade. Fast forward one week though, and things completely took difficult than most of us understood. Once the adrenaline of being back off. wore off, it’s not unreasonable for his play to have faded. A quick wrister from the edge of the slot near the middle of the ice after a So there’s no reason to be confident that Weber will see his play fall off in successful forecheck by Joel Armia poked a puck loose to Jonathan an extreme way as the season goes on; he’s healthier than he’s been in Drouin, who then fed Weber up high, has led to Weber looking 10 years any other recent season, and he’s had a full summer to train and a pre- younger in the five weeks since. His play had already started to pick up season to settle in. before then, and since that Oct. 30 game against the Arizona Coyotes, Weber has accumulated nine goals and 19 points in just 20 games But… played, the third-highest mark among all defencemen over that time behind only John Carlson and Keith Yandle. What we do know is that Weber has not been able to maintain this level of play for a full season in Montreal so far, which makes this next stretch Historically, most of Weber’s offensive impact lies in his shot, and that’s of games very important for him and the team. They’ve already wasted mostly utilized on the power play. But overall this season he ranks 34th several weeks of their captain’s best play since he first put on the jersey among defencemen in scoring chance generating plays every 20 minutes in 2016, so they can’t afford to not take advantage of what he’s doing of ice time at 5-on-5. When we look at that in the window from Oct. 30 to right now. They owe it to him. now, he climbs up to 18th. Three wins in four games appears to be the start of a turnaround the That’s a huge positive change for Weber, who ranked 66th in that Canadiens need. Weber has been the key catalyst to get them there, category last season, 88th the season before, and 107th in his first while trying to float them through their struggles before. That’s leading by season in Montreal. That’s the opposite type of curve you expect to see example, and if he can maintain his performance, Montreal will become a from a defenceman in their 30s, but offence has never really been an very dangerous team, especially when they get their injured forwards issue for Weber. That shot of his isn’t going anywhere. back.

His offensive production over this stretch has been incredible and those flashy numbers catch your eye, but more than just being involved in offence, what has impressed me has been Weber’s clamp down Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 defensively, which has resulted in killer differentials.

In a little less than the first month of the season, Weber was just fine in terms of shots and shot attempts, but when it came to the quality plays that create most of the goals we see every night, the Canadiens were worse off with him on the ice than off of it. But since our date cutoff, Weber has flipped that on its head.

Not much has changed with shots in total, but the quality plays have drastically gone in Weber’s favour.

A fair question at this point would be whether or not Weber’s play changed much over this time, or if the Canadiens — who lost eight straight and nine of 10 — fell off around him and he stayed consistent, but that isn’t the case.

Since that Oct. 30 cutoff, Weber ranks sixth among all defencemen in high danger scoring chance differential at 65.2 per cent, whereas the first month he was hovering around break even. His improvement has come at both ends of the rink and he’d likely be getting even more positive 1165902 Websites This is how it was supposed to be when the Flames brought back an identical lineup this fall to the one they used to top the Western Conference last regular season.

Sportsnet.ca / Monahan, Gaudreau quietly fuelling dramatic Flames The depth that was touted as the team’s biggest asset this season is resurgence finally coming to the fore.

Still, whether they get any credit for it, Monahan and Gaudreau have quietly been big parts of this dramatic resurgence. Eric Francis | @EricFrancis It bears repeating, the Flames are 42-3-1 when both of them score in the December 11, 2019, 1:37 PM same game, regardless of whether they play on the same line as they have off and on of late.

The third line (Lucic/Ryan/Dube) has been the driving force the last three Sean Monahan takes plenty of heat in Calgary when things aren’t going weeks, while the fourth line starred in the team’s triumphant two-game well. Ditto for Johnny Gaudreau. roadie through Colorado and Arizona. Monahan and Gaudreau certainly bore the brunt of the criticism while the Both were considered significant tests for a Flames team that had Flames struggled to a slow start that included six losses in a row near the previously rebuilt its confidence playing relative patsies. end of November. They’ll face another formidable opponent Thursday when the Toronto It’s time they got some credit. Maple Leafs visit to kick-start a four-game homestand that also includes It’s no coincidence the team’s dramatic turnaround of late coincides with Carolina, Pittsburgh and Montreal. a rebirth of sorts by the duo typically referred to as Johnny and Monny. Both netminders are playing well, the offence is coming from everywhere Monahan followed up an overtime winner in Denver on Monday with and confidence continues to grow. another nifty goal in Glendale, Ariz., Tuesday to extend his goal streak to "It’s extremely gratifying to know that when everyone is buying in, this is four games and a point streak to seven. how successful we can be," said Cam Talbot, who stopped 46 shots It has helped make the Flames the NHL’s hottest team. Tuesday for his second win in three outings.

A 5-2 win over the typically stingy Coyotes gives the Flames a six-game "These two wins were big statement wins." win streak that began the night Geoff Ward took over the bench. There Which included strong showings from the team’s two most important are a lot of heroes these days for a team now sitting just two points out of forwards. the top spot in the Pacific division held by the Edmonton Oilers and Coyotes.

Remarkable, really, given all this team has been through. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 It was Ward who decided perhaps it was time to help take pressure off of Monahan and Mikael Backlund simultaneously by putting them together on the second line with hopes of kick-starting their offensive side.

Gaudreau has been starting games on the third line, only to be reunited with Monahan early on. Both have responded favourably as part of a turnaround that has done well to distance the team from the cloud Bill Peters’ investigation and departure hung over a struggling bunch.

No longer.

Gaudreau continued to pull himself out of his early fun with his seventh goal of the season Tuesday. In the eight-game point string the Flames have pieced together, he has quietly collected six points.

Monahan has five goals and eight points in that stretch, yet few are talking about either of them due to the recent stretch of heroics from the team’s depth charges.

Gaudreau and Monahan sit 64th and 43rd in league scoring with 24 and 26 points, respectively. Matthew Tkachuk, who missed Tuesday’s game with an upper-body injury, leads the team with 27 points.

Since Ward came in with a plan to see players as partners, empowering them to claim ownership in the program, 12 different players have scored for the Flames on radically re-jigged lines. That list includes:

• Milan Lucic scoring his first as a Flame (after 27 games) and going on to score in three of his last four games.

• AHL call-up Dillon Dube scoring three goals and seven points his last five games.

• Fourth-liners Zac Rinaldo and Michael Frolik each scoring two goals and an assist in their last two games.

• Derek Ryan scoring once and adding five helpers in his last four games.

In the 27 games before Ward was officially named interim coach, the quartet of Lucic, Dube, Ryan and Rinaldo had combined for 16 points. In the last five games under Ward, they’ve combined for 19.

It all helps explain how the Flames have gone from being the league’s 29th-ranked team offensively to a binge in which they’ve scored three or more goals in eight of their last nine outings. 1165903 Websites Gleeful “Fred-dy! Fred-dy!” chants rose when Andersen gloved a Brock Boeser breakaway attempt, then turned away a second Boeser freebie with the blocker.

Sportsnet.ca / Leafs come out on top in battle of young guns over Andersen later conceded it was probably the loudest he’s heard his Canucks name chanted in an away barn.

The Canucks, pouring it on late with more Grade As than an egg carton, finally solved Andersen when ex-Leaf Josh Leivo jammed a rebound Luke Fox | @lukefoxjukebox through a mess of legs and sticks.

December 11, 2019, 12:45 AM Too little, too late. Andersen’s 38 saves and Pettersson’s two pinged crossbars proved the difference. Ho-hum. Wash, rinse, repeat.

“It’s not old. We love to see it,” defenceman Justin Holl said. “But at the VANCOUVER – Fans can quibble about whose rebuild has hopped same time, we don’t want to give up five breakaways in the third period aboard the more expedient track. They can debate whose young star or whatever we did. That’s kind of embarrassing for us. It’s something we centre is more dynamic. And they can even exchange voluminous “Go! need to clean up.” Leafs! Go!” and “Leafs suck!” chants, as they did at full throat during Tuesday’s 10 p.m. ET (wink) puck drop and at various intervals during Tavares iced it with five minutes remaining by snapping the puck clean the game’s breakneck pace. past Jacob Markstrom’s blocker to cap his first three-point game since March 25 and help give his four B.C.-born teammates a victory in their But there is one thing on which hockey nuts who either bleed blue or only trip home. seethe blue should agree in the wake of the Leafs’ 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena: Two Toronto Maple Leafs versus Zach Hyman added an empty-netter, extending his low-key goal streak to Vancouver Canucks showdowns a year is not nearly enough. four in three games.

Indeed, this one had all the ingredients for a turning up on a Tuesday. “I was never one of those guys who hated the Leafs,” said Vancouver native Alexander Kerfoot, dressed in enemy’s clothes. Both clubs were coming off goal-happy victories and two full days rest. Both find themselves in the playoff hunt, but are far from secure in their “I was obviously a Canucks fan, but at the end of the day, I think a lot of positioning. And both are fuelled by youthful offences and hide-your- the Canuck [fan] hate over the Leafs is jealousy. They get more attention, children power plays. so people are upset about that.”

“They’re pretty similar to us,” Auston Matthews, the Leafs’ leading scorer, Tuesday’s result won’t quell the envy, but the gasping, high-event action said Tuesday morning. “They’ve got a lot of skill up front, some skill in the should increase the appetite for the next time the sides meet. back end as well, guys that can make plays and put the puck in the net. So, that makes for a pretty fun game.” Feb. 29 won’t come soon enough.

The Canucks’ top producer, Elias Pettersson, echoed the sentiment, just as his point total (33) echoed Matthews’ at puck drop. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 12.12.2019 “I for sure enjoy it,” said Pettersson, whose locker was positioned right next to William Nylander’s at the world championships last summer. “I like to play against the best.”

Few things ring as true up north than a one-anthem game with some juice, and the hustle and flow of the play at both ends reflected that.

“A lot of stuff happened pretty quickly out there,” said Sheldon Keefe, now 6-3 as an NHL coach with the Leafs.

“That’s the fastest game I’ve been a part of in the league in terms of the speed and the competitiveness overall in the game, start to finish. So, it’s going to take us a little time to really process everything that happened.”

After a frenetic but goal-free first frame, Matthews got the visitors on the board when he drove to the slot and converted a blind, backhanded John Tavares feed from the behind the net — a by-product of Keefe combining his top centres on a bonus shift immediately following a killed penalty.

“When you’re out there with a guy like Matts, you know how dynamic and how dangerous he is. We want to go out there and be productive for the team,” Tavares said. “When you get it, you know he’s good at finding open ice and so good at getting his shot off, so (I’m) just trying to be aware of where he is.”

A bipartisan Rogers Arena erupted.

“They’re cheering loud,” Matthews said. “You don’t know who scores the goal unless you hear the buzzer sound, so it’s always fun.”

The roar was equally thunderous when Tavares converted on a high-slot tip of a Cody Ceci blast to double Toronto’s lead. Ironically, deflecting pucks in the hash mark area was a strategy Vancouver tried itself multiple times — only to watch its redirects get swallowed by December’s most dialed-in goaltender.

“Especially on a couple tips in the second,” said Frederik Andersen. “I’ve seen them do that a lot when the Sedins were here, so I don’t know if they’re trying to do that because of them still but definitely had seen that before up here. I was just trying to follow the puck and react, make sure I was in the best position as possible when they did shoot it from up top and remain square on those shots.” 1165904 Websites somewhere else and it ended up working out. I got to stay in Guelph and really proved myself and happy other people are starting to take notice."

The under-the-radar path may be an advantage in a pressure-packed TSN.CA / It’s an ‘open race’ for Canada’s goalie jobs at World Juniors camp.

"That might help him," agreed McEwen. "He might just come in free and easy and have fun with it and see where it goes, because he’s been Mark Masters tremendous at Guelph."

Daws wasn’t even thinking about the World Juniors until he was invited to the Canada-Russia series games. TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on Team Canada, which held a limited morning skate at Sixteen Mile "Coming into this year I didn't have any expectations like that," he said. "I Sports Complex in Oakville, Ont. ahead of a game against the U Sports just wanted to be a proven starter and once I started to get good and get all-stars. comfortable, you start thinking about opportunities like that. Being undrafted, you know, never playing for Team Canada before, there’s not Four goalies. really much pressure. Everybody’s not really expecting anything from Three roster spots. you, so definitely not a lot of added pressure."

Two games at selection camp. All four goalies are expected to see game action today and tomorrow.

No clear No. 1. Nico Daws had never worn Team Canada's colours before being invited to this week's World Junior selection camp. But the Guelph Storm goalie That's the state of play when it comes to Team Canada’s crowded parlayed a strong summer into a sparkling start to the OHL season as he crease. leads the league with a .939 save percentage."Not getting drafted, never playing for Team Canada, not going to any NHL camps, you know, it’s "The next few days are important for these goalies to show what they can kind of nice to play good and try to prove people wrong," he said. do, because it's an open race and someone has to show if they can play in key situations," said Mark Hunter, who heads Hockey Canada's How good is Daws? Well, he stopped Cole Perfetti in a shootout earlier management group. "It's open and it's a good challenge for each goalie." this month.

Moncton’s Olivier Rodrigue may have an inside track for a roster spot "I got the better of him there and that one definitely felt good," Daws said. because he has the most international experience among the group. The Oilers prospect represented Canada at the 2018 under-18 World "I thought I had him," Perfetti said with a smile. "I made a pretty good Championship in Russia and at the 2017 . move, went backhand, forehand, had the empty net, tried to slide her in and then out of nowhere he stuck his toe out and his long leg got there, Peterborough’s Hunter Jones has limited experience with Hockey so he won that round." Canada having attended the recent Summer Showcase in Plymouth, Mich. Prior to that he won a silver medal with Canada East at the 2016 Perfetti's shootout prowess is well known thanks to an incredible World Junior A Challenge. performance at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup in August. The Saginaw sniper led the tournament with eight goals, including an epic effort in the "There's really no go-to guy right now," Jones noted. "Everybody here is semifinals against Sweden when he scored on two breakaways in capable of taking it and that makes it more competitive." regulation before adding three more goals in the shootout.

Guelph's Nico Daws and Portland's Joel Hofer don’t have any previous "Ever since I was younger, whenever it was a big game I always thought experience in Hockey Canada's Program of Excellence, but they do have I stepped up to the plate and played better when the stakes are higher," the best numbers of the four goalies at the camp. Perfetti said. "I don’t know what it is, I just like playing in front of crowds and in front of a lot people when there’s a lot of pressure. I just think it’s a Daws leads the OHL with a .939 save percentage while Hofer, a Blues lot of fun and I seem to play better." prospect, is second in the WHL with a .937 save percentage (minimum 10 starts). Jones, a Wild prospect, leads the OHL in wins and is third in Canada has lost four of its last five shootouts at the World Juniors and save percentage (.918) while Rodrigue is eighth in the QMJHL with a things seem to be trending in the wrong direction in that department. .908 save percentage (minimum 10 starts). Canada has actually failed to convert in 10 straight penalty-shot situations, including a Maxime Comtois attempt in overtime of the "What we really like about this group is they've all trended really, really quarter-finals last year. well from September to now," said Hockey Canada head scout Brad McEwen. "They all got extremely good numbers, they got wins, their And shootout skills will be part of the evaluation process when Canada teams are all doing well so they've put themselves in a good spot. You'd compiles its final roster this year. like to have the international experience ... but they're all really good goalies." "It certainly matters," McEwen said. "The shootout, at some point, becomes a factor and it's something we've talked about a lot as a group In previous years Team Canada came into selection camp with a clear so it certainly has some importance when we look at the whole thing." number one goalie, but with all four Canadian netminders at the top of their game heading into the 2020 World Junior Hockey Championships, But the 17-year-old Perfetti, who has 45 points in 29 OHL games this the battle for the starting goalie spot is a wide open race. With eyes on season, also needs to show he can produce in all situations against older manning the crease, Hunter Jones is enjoying the friendly competition. competition.

"I'm having a really good season right now," said Jones, whose Petes "His vision, his ability to make plays, his ability in tight space to put the lead the OHL's Eastern Conference. "I'm on pace to break the puck in the right spot, his offensive sense is really, really good," observed Peterborough season win record so, I mean, I'm just trying to keep doing McEwen. "We expect him this week to do the same things, (but) U Sports what I'm doing. I've had a really good first half and the team is playing is a good team, the last few years it's been a real challenge. So it's great really well in front of me. I think the Petes are due for an OHL for evaluation and I'm looking forward to seeing how he translates championship this year. Don't quote me, but we'll see. We're confident." against the older players and how he does."

Daws has backstopped Guelph to top spot in the OHL's Western Can 'Goal' Perfetti become Canada's World Junior shootout saviour? Conference and is looking to complete an incredible turnaround. Prior to Team Canada has lost four of its last five shootouts at the World Juniors this season he had posted a couple sub .900 save percentages while and things seem to be trending in the wrong direction with 10 straight serving as understudy to Anthony Popovich and was passed over in misses in penalty-shot situations. But this year Dale Hunter's squad may June's NHL draft. have a secret weapon in Cole Perfetti, who scored three shootout goals "I had a good summer," Daws explained, "backing up for a couple years, against Sweden in the semifinal of August's Hlinka Gretzky Cup. The I knew I had to have a breakout year this year and really prove I belong Saginaw Spirit sniper has a high hockey IQ and ice in his veins. and I'm a good goaltender ... I came into this year not knowing where I was going to play, if I was going to start in Guelph or try to get A handful of players skated this morning and are expected to be scratches tonight, including Flint forward Ty Dellandrea, London forward Liam Foudy and University of North Dakota defenceman Jacob Bernard- Docker.

Usually being a scratch in the first game of the selection camp is a positive sign, indicating the management staff already knows enough about what the player brings to the table. But Bernard-Docker insists he's not reading too much into his presence on the ice this morning. Last year, the Senators prospect was the final defenceman cut at the selection camp.

"I remember that day like it was, literally, yesterday," he said, "so definitely I took that into the summer and thought about it and tried to implement it into my workouts and work a little harder and get bigger and stronger for this year."

At the summer camp, Bernard-Docker was listed as 6-foot, 185 pounds. At the selection camp, he's listed at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds.

Canada has two returning defencemen, but both are left shots in Halifax's Jared McIsaac and Spokane's Ty Smith. At the moment, Bernard-Docker appears to be the top option on the right side unless the Islanders decide to loan Noah Dobson out. And while Canada's blueline features some gifted offensive-minded players like Vancouver's Bowen Byram and Lethbridge's Calen Addison, Bernard-Docker can help balance things out.

"Just be a guy that's reliable," the 19-year-old said of his potential role, "that's been a staple of my game."

What's the biggest difference between him this year and last year?

"Just my confidence," Bernard-Docker said. "Last year, maybe a bit tentative coming to this camp maybe a little nervous. This year, having that experience under my belt, and one year in North Dakota really helped me, so coming in more confident and knowing my strengths more."

Last year, Jacob Bernard-Docker was the last defenceman cut at Canada's selection camp. That moment, still fresh in his mind, motivated the Senators prospect, who started this season strong at the University of North Dakota. Bernard-Docker will be a scratch tonight as Canada's hopefuls take on the U Sports all-stars, which is a good sign for his World Junior chances.

Aidan Dudas also skated this morning as he works his way back from a hand injury. The Owen Sound forward did some puck handling, but did not shoot or receive passes.

TSN.CA LOADED: 12.12.2019 1165905 Websites That night, the Blackhawks announced Crawford was placed on leave, after allegations of abuse resurfaced from former players in a previous podcast by Brent Sopel and Patrick O’Sullivan’s 2015 book.

TSN.CA / Hockey's moment of reckoning is in its infancy Aliu met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly on Dec. 3 in Toronto, where Aliu’s legal team planted many of the seeds for ideas that Bettman ultimately outlined in his four-point plan on Monday night at the Board of Governors meeting. Frank Seravalli Over these 16 days, what began as one racist incident between the

Nigerian-born Aliu and Peters touched off stories of physical and PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Fifteen days after Akim Aliu’s seismic tweet, an emotional abuse among hockey players of all abilities and from all walks aftershock sent another shiver through the NHL when the Dallas Stars of life. fired coach Jim Montgomery Tuesday for what the team called That led to the Stars making the decision to fire Montgomery in “unprofessional conduct.” response to a recent incident of unprofessional conduct. Bettman said These two and a half weeks have shaken the hockey world to its core. Montgomery’s dismissal was “not related” and was “personal in nature,” but it was only unrelated in the sense that it did not occur within the Coaches, managers and league executives are clutching door frames confines of a rink. and furniture, searching for anything sturdy, while they wait for the shaking to stop. Coaches have been put on notice, but that may just be one role that receives scrutiny in this far-reaching introspection. So far, players have Two NHL coaches have lost their jobs in Bill Peters and Montgomery. not spoken out about incidents that may have happened with other Another assistant coach, Chicago’s Marc Crawford, is on leave while his players and that may come next. past is under investigation. “I think it’s really important to not get sucked into thinking about this as But there doesn’t seem to be any hint that this moment of reckoning is sort of one-size-fits-all,” said Davis. “That’s when you start getting nearing its conclusion. language like a ‘witch hunt’ and all of that, which this is absolutely, in my opinion, not about. This is about creating an environment which is where It feels like this examination and accounting of hockey’s ugly underbelly people, players, those in our sport, feel a level of trust that they believe is in its infancy, as if a light has shined on the game’s conscience for the they can now step forward and speak truth. Speaking truth to power is first time in decades, with the holder of the flashlight realizing just how hard.” much cleansing there is to do. To reach that level of trust, there are many difficult questions that will There is hope, though, that some good might come from all of this require examination along the way. Does hockey have a racism turmoil. Some progress was being made to slowly break through problem? hockey’s notoriously conservative and insular culture – and this watershed moment may have kicked those efforts into high gear. “I believe society has a racism problem,” said Davis, a black woman. “I think to categorize this as a hockey problem minimizes our ability to use “It’s time,” Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said Tuesday. this moment in our sport to understand that we are a microcosm of “Times are evolving and so we have to evolve.” society.” NHL executive vice-president for social impact Kim Davis referred to it In the wake of Dallas' head coach Jim Montgomery being fired and the as a “defining moment,” wondering if what comes next sets the tone for NHL Board of Governors meeting on Tuesday, Gary Bettman and 20 years from now. Brendan Shanahan spoke after the meeting about raising the standard “There’s often some kind of defining moment in an organization that for acceptable behaviour in the NHL and all levels of sport. causes that organization to both accelerate its efforts, but also to become Shanahan said Tuesday that he came from a generation where there a rallying call for that organization,” Davis said Tuesday at the NHL’s were “certain things that occurred to us as players that you just sort of Board of Governors meeting. “So I see that as positive.” accepted.” Today’s generation of player is wired differently and as But in order to understand where the NHL and the game at large is Shanahan said, it’s up to coaches and management to listen as players going, it is important to take a step back and recount how we arrived here “communicate how they want to be motivated.” over the past 16 days. It’s just that changing a culture steeped in decades-old tradition won’t The story of Mike Babcock’s use of power and control over 19-year-old happen overnight. rookie Mitch Marner was the pull in hockey’s fabric. Then Aliu yanked on There are going to be more uncomfortable moments, more aftershocks it, unravelling the sweater when he pressed send on a series of tweets that register on the Richter scale, before the NHL can achieve the type of on Nov. 25, detailing Peters’ use of racial slurs in 2009. change Davis and Aliu and others would like to see. Aliu then detailed his story with TSN, and two of his former teammates “We have to measure this in terms of all of the little things that lead up in Simon Danis-Pepin and Peter MacArthur had the courage to stand up to the big thing,” Davis said. “That’s our vision for this, that this becomes and be counted when called upon to corroborate the story the following part of the DNA of how we operate – and it’s not just a flavour of the day. month.” Then the dam broke on the watershed.

"I think to categorize this as a hockey problem minimizes our ability to TSN.CA LOADED: 12.12.2019 use this moment in our sport to understand that we are a microcosm of society." - NHL executive VP for social impact Kim Davis

Former Carolina Hurricanes defenceman Michal Jordan, now playing in Russia’s KHL, revealed how Peters kicked him and struck an unnamed Carolina player in the head on the bench during an NHL game.

Current Carolina coach Rod Brind’Amour, who was on the bench as an assistant that game and witnessed the physical altercations, confirmed the story on Nov. 27 when he said simply: “It for sure happened.”

Days later, former Red Wing Johan Franzen told a Swedish newspaper on Dec. 2 that Babcock is “the worst human being I have ever met” and alleged that he was bullied by Babcock on a daily basis. 1165906 Websites Bettman said the NHL will consult with the Players’ Association and the Coaches’ Association in the creation of these programs. Since the mandatory annual training will only be required for head coaches, assistant coaches, minor league coaches, GMs and assistant GMs, the TSN.CA / Bettman: NHL ‘will not tolerate abusive behaviour of any kind' NHL will determine with the NHLPA whether another customized program should be presented to the players.

The NHLPA confirmed they have been in contact with the NHL and “look Frank Seravalli forward to discussing these important matters with the league.”

“We will focus the programming on training and initiatives to ensure PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Breaking his silence since Akim Aliu revealed respectful locker rooms, training facilities, games and all other hockey- the ugly underbelly of hockey culture two weeks ago, NHL commissioner related activities,” Bettman said, “and teach to ensure bystander Gary Bettman sent a clear message to the hockey world on Monday intervention techniques, anti-harassment, anti-hazing, non-retaliation and night. anti-bullying best practices.”

“Our message is unequivocal: We will not tolerate abusive behaviour of To aid in that, Bettman said NHL executive vice-president for social any kind,” Bettman said. “The world is changing for the better. This is an impact Kim Davis will form a “multidisciplinary council” to suggest opportunity, and a moment, for positive change and this evolution should initiatives, monitor progress and coordinate efforts with all levels of be expedited – for the benefit of everyone associated with the game we hockey. love.” It’s probably also safe to say that fearless former players like Aliu and Bettman relayed the NHL’s four-point plan of action following his meeting others that had the courage to hold coaches and executives to account here with the league’s executive committee and Board of Governors. will continue to hold the NHL’s feet to the fire as the real work now begins. Ryan Rishaug, Darren Dreger, Pierre LeBrun and Frank Seravalli take a closer look at the four-point plan that Gary Bettman laid out on Monday for how the NHL is going to deal with the issues of the day. TSN.CA LOADED: 12.12.2019 The NHL plans to establish an anonymous hotline for players and team personnel to report inappropriate conduct; coaches and management will participate in mandatory annual training on inclusion and harassment; inappropriate conduct will result in discipline from teams, the league or both; and the NHL put all 32 franchises “on notice” that failure to report inappropriate conduct in the future will result in “severe discipline.”

Bettman’s words represented a positive step forward for the NHL, but now comes the more difficult and critical part: the follow through.

That’s what Aliu said in his response to Bettman’s plan.

“I am encouraged the commissioner embraced many of the changes we proposed at the meeting,” Aliu wrote on Twitter. “Now the hard work begins of focusing on specifics and implementing policy that will make this sport more diverse, safer, and accountable.

“We have to ensure that future generations of hockey players do not face the barriers and racism that I have throughout my career. Together we can do something truly great and transformative for hockey.”

Bettman’s prepared statement stopped short of spelling out many specifics. The range of punishment remains unclear for both inappropriate conduct and failure to report such inappropriate conduct. Everything will be evaluated on a “case by case basis,” as it has been in the past.

Bettman called the Flames’ response to the Bill Peters situation “timely, professional and appropriate.” The investigation remains ongoing into Chicago Blackhawks assistant coach Marc Crawford, which Bettman said will remain in the hands of the Blackhawks’ organization.

Bettman also said he needed to “sort out” the “confusion” that surfaced in conflicting statements from Ron Francis and Carolina minority owner Peter Karmanos about who knew what and when regarding Peters’ tenure with the Hurricanes.

So while there is some clarity on where the NHL is heading with this four- point plan, there was very little clarity on incidents that happened in the past, where the line on inappropriate conduct should be drawn, and how far back falls within the statute of limitations. It is seemingly within the “grey area” that Bettman mentioned.

The NHL also stopped short of instituting a formal policy or code of conduct, remaining the only major North American professional sport without one. (The NFL, NBA and MLB conduct policies are all clearly defined.)

“There are lines that cannot be crossed – clearly physical abuse and racial and homophobic language cross the line,” Bettman said. “And while we acknowledge that there may be other actions that could cross the line or fall in a grey area, we hope the program we create, and its attendant consciousness-raising will help better define what is and what is not acceptable conduct and will make for a better playing and coaching environment.” 1165907 Websites

USA TODAY / Report: Colorado Eagles staff member dressed in blackface as Akim Aliu during 2011 party

Nate Chute

Fort Collins Coloradoan

Akim Aliu played in 10 games for the Colorado Eagles — a minor league hockey team that currents plays in the American Hockey League — in the 2011-12 season. According to a report in the Wall Street Journal, his time with the team included seeing a team staffer dress up like him while wearing blackface

Aliu says he was invited to the team Halloween party, but told to arrive a little bit later. He told the Wall Street Journal that he arrived to see current Eagles equipment manager Tony Deynzer, who just two months away from his 1,000th game as a professional equipment manager, wearing blackface, an Afro wig and a jersey with his number and the name "DREAMER" on the back.

"Guys just started laughing," Aliu said of the party, saying teammates encouraged the two to pose for a photo together.

In the photo, the two have their arms around one another. Deynzer is smiling and Aliu is not. Aliu says he went along with it because he felt trapped and didn't want to cause a scene in front of the families present.

"I didn't even grasp the idea of how vicious of a thing that is to do," Aliu told the Journal.

In a statement released by the team, the Eagles organization said they "had no prior knowledge" of the event: "As an organization, the discovery of this event deeply saddens us. Although we had no prior knowledge, that doesn't excuse or diminish the fact that this has hurt a fellow human being. Rest assured, our organization holds no ego too big or stature so proud that we are above apologies for any wrongdoings. As a family- oriented organization, we wholeheartedly seek your forgiveness and sincerely apologize. We are truly very sorry, and we will also assure you that this behavior is not and never will be acceptable in our organization."

In 2009-10, Deynzer was voted by his peers as the East Coast Hockey League's equipment manager of the year, according to the Colorado Eagles. The Eagles played in the ECHL from 2011-18.

ESPN reported Wednesday afternoon that Deynzer had been placed on administrative leave.

Aliu requested a trade later that season after experiencing stress so severe, he said he went to the hospital. Aliu was eventually traded to the Calgary Flames organization before making his NHL debut in 2012. Aliu retired from the sport last year after spending most of his time in international and minor leagues.

This past year, Aliu said while playing in the AHL, then-coach Bill Peters directed racial slurs toward him several times in the dressing room. At the time, Peters was coach of the Calgary Flames. The team conducted an investigation and later fired Peters.

Aliu's comments about the behavior of coaches in hockey has prompted the NHL to create mandatory diversity and inclusion programs for coaches as well as a "zero tolerance" towards abusive behavior.

USA TODAY LOADED: 12.12.2019