SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 3/7/2020 Blackhawks 1179920 , who won a record 11 Stanley Cups with the 1179945 Blackhawks’ 4-game winning streak ends with a 2-1 loss Canadiens, dies at 84 to the lowly Red Wings 1179921 NHL recommends players limit contact with fans over 1179946 Maddening Blackhawks season changes course again coronavirus concerns with loss to inept Red Wings 1179922 Ducks score early, late, get solid relief to beat Maple Leafs 1179947 Surging Blackhawks make statement by beating red-hot 1179923 Ducks players asked to avoid contact with fans over Oilers coronavirus concerns 1179948 Blackhawks learning there’s value in talking about things they do well 1179950 Bright-spot Fabbri scores and Red Wings 2-1 beat 1179924 Matthew Tkachuk sets up Flames in victory over Blackhawks Arizona Coyotes 1179951 Sports will go on as coronavirus spreads, but will you be 1179925 Coyotes playoff tracker 2020: Arizona falls behind on night there? off 1179952 3 Takeaways: Blackhawks suffer costly loss against 1179926 Neutral zone: Taylor Hall gets back in saddle; Coyotes league's last place Red Wings can’t follow suit 1179953 Adam Boqvist leaves pregame warmups early and misses Friday's game with injury 1179954 Blackhawks announce Zack Smith underwent back 1179927 Salary cap increase could aid Bruins in re-signing Torey surgery and will be out 3-4 months Krug 1179955 Brent Seabrook joins Blackhawks All-Decade Team 1179928 To Mike Eruzione, the hat is what has people seeing red 1179956 Blackhawks recall Dennis Gilbert on emergency basis 1179929 Jack Studnicka continues to develop in Providence after injury to Lucas Carlsson 1179930 has seen Bruins organization develop from the 1179957 DGB Grab Bag: The Blackhawks sing, the GMs meet and inside we are all so old 1179931 Patrice Bergeron getting better with age 1179932 Nick Ritchie shows some punch for a Bruins team that needed it 1179958 Zack MacEwen scores 2, Canucks double up Avalanche 1179933 No supplemental discipline coming for Evgenii Dadonov 6-3 for Brandon Carlo hit 1179959 The Avs could still win the West, but the chances to do so are decreasing 1179934 Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel reunite on top line as Sabres head to Philly 1179960 Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo rounding into top form 1179935 How healthy scratch helped spur Sabres prospect Jacob 1179961 Coach John Tortorella won’t let Blue Jackets lose focus Bryson amid obstacles 1179936 How became Sabres' first , coached team to Final 1179937 Former Sabres Matthew Barnaby arrested in 1179964 Why the Stars kill has struggled recently, and how Nashville they plan to fix it 1179938 After much consternation, the Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart line is back for Buffalo 1179939 The Satchel: Tim Graham on Sabres vs. Bills 1179965 Jeff Daniels, Dave Coulier announce Detroit Red Wings management, NFL free agency and more lineup. Yes, we laughed 1179966 Detroit Red Wings snap six-game losing streak with 2-1 win over Blackhawks 1179940 Flames lock it down, hold off Coyotes to earn win 1179967 Game recap: Detroit Red Wings defeat Chicago 1179941 Gustafsson finds home on Flames' first power-play unit Blackhawks, 2-1 after trade 1179968 Red Wings beat Blackhawks, put on good show for lively 1179942 GameDay: Flames vs. Coyotes — Looking for another win home crowd at home 1179969 Injury to Red Wings' Filip Zadina 'wasn't best timing,' but 1179943 ‘It’s just me’: David Rittich knows he’s emotional but has he's finally on the mend no plans on changing 1179970 Henri Richard, 11-time Stanley Cup winner who scored clincher vs. Wings in '66, dies at 84 1179971 Jonathan Bernier leads Red Wings past Blackhawks to 1179944 Streaking Flyers beat Carolina 4-1 for 8th straight win stop skid 1179972 Detroit Red Wings vs. (3/6/2020): Time, TV channel, Stream 1179973 Bright-spot Fabbri scores, Red Wings beat Blackhawks 2- 1 1179974 Answering our preseason questions about every Red Wings skater 1179975 WATCH: Oilers looking past Blue Jackets game as 1180011 Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s return to spoiled as playoffs loom Senators top Islanders 1179976 Edmonton Oilers grinding their way into playoff mode 1180012 Despite losing five straight, Islanders are still in playoff 1179977 JONES: Edmonton Oilers' mission control still in control, hunt despite moving parts 1179978 Oilers' Archibald rewarded with two-year extension off his all-around work 1180013 Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad is duo Rangers have 1179979 How ‘little firecracker’ Josh Archibald went from unknown longed for to vital with Oilers 1180014 Igor Shesterkin could be back in Rangers net on Saturday 1180015 Five- night highlights Mika Zibanejad's key contribution to Rangers' season 1179980 Panthers give Bruins fight, but OT loss sets franchise record for home futility NHL 1180016 NHL caravan that celebrates Black History Month will be in Seattle this weekend 1179981 Surging Kings take on fast-rising Wild 1180017 Henri Richard, winner of 11 Cups with Canadiens, dies at 1179982 Current Kings hit and tribute former Kings who felt ‘weird’ 84 in return to L.A. 1179983 FINAL – COLORADO 4, 1 – DURZI, STOTHERS 1180018 Senators prospect saves his dad Jeff in Bay 1179984 PETERSEN TO START VS MIN; COMPETITION FOR of Quinte ICE TIME; KEMPE “PLAYING WITH AUTHORITY” 1180019 SNAPSHOTS: Brady Tkachuk has been Mr. Dependable 1179985 REIGN FEELING PREPARED TO HANDLE ALTITUDE, in a lot of areas for the Senators CROWD AND A “FAST” EAGLES TEAM 1180020 The Ottawa Senators have a chance to help themselves 1179986 PREVIEW – ONTARIO @ COLORADO, 3/6 against the Sharks 1180021 GAMEDAY: Senators vs 1180022 Nichols: It’s been a disappointing season, but don’t 1179987 Gameday preview: Wild at Los Angeles write-off Colin White yet 1179988 Under interim coach Dean Evason, Wild is scoring and winning 1179989 Red-hot Wild leap 4 teams to land in playoff spot for first 1180023 Alain Vigneault on Flyers’ winning streak: 'Everybody time in 3 months should be excited’ 1180024 A Swiss Army knife in the lineup, Scott Laughton helps Canadiens Flyers thrive | Sam Carchidi 1179990 great Henri Richard won a record 11 1180025 Someone’s holding a $380,000 ticket on the Flyers to win Cups the Stanley Cup 1179991 Montreal Canadiens’ Henri Richard showed that size was 1180026 Looking for ninth straight win, Flyers’ next test is Buffalo not an issue to become a star athlete on Saturday 1179992 Montreal Canadiens great Henri Richard dies at 84 1180028 To keep winning, Flyers need only to listen to their Hart 1179993 Former Canadiens coach still going strong 1180029 On a night of potential danger, Flyers respond like at 86 champions 1179994 Stu Cowan: Canadiens lose another legend with death of 1180030 For Oskar Lindblom, for Flyers, Robert Hagg is playing, Henri Richard performing and smiling 1179995 From the Archives: Robbers left Richard with only one ring 1180031 Even Bryce Harper is Flyer'd up, shows love for Kevin after 11 Stanley Cup wins Hayes 1179996 What the Puck: Accountability appears lacking in Habs' 1180032 Joel Farabee in the spotlight with playoffs approaching for front office Flyers 1179997 Montreal Canadiens legend Henri (Pocket Rocket) 1180033 10 things: Depth leads surging Flyers over Canes and to Richard dies at 84 8th straight win 1179998 Henri Richard’s unique greatness should inspire the team he loved so deeply Penguins 1179999 What Melnick thinks: ’s failings forced him 1180034 Penguins have chance to make up serious ground in to keep Claude Julien Metro race 1180000 How Mikhail Sergachev’s cross-check helps explain the 1180035 ‘More motivated’ Evgeni Malkin ‘dominant’ this season for Canadiens’ need to reset Penguins 1180036 Jason Zucker on fit with Penguins: ‘It’s still a learning curve’ 1180001 #NashvilleStrong: The Predators aim to rally a city 1180037 Penguins release statement on coronavirus ravaged by a tornado 1180038 First Call: Mika Zibanejad’s 5-goal game highlights wild night in 1180039 Evgeni Malkin's 5-on-5 production gives Penguins one-two 1180002 Evaluating Devils’ Will Butcher’s 3rd NHL season | A step punch that was missing last season backward? 1180040 Pittsburgh sports venues, event spaces taking some extra 1180003 Cory Schneider, Devils top Blues behind Dakota Mermis’ precautions amid virus fears 1st career goal 1180041 Will the Penguins stick with the hot goalie or the 1180004 Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Blues (3/6/20) | Jesper Boqvist, stickhandling one against the Capitals? Josh Jacobs sent back to AHL 1180042 Finally looking like the Penguins, Mike Sullivan’s team is 1180005 How Devils are handling rising concerns around the rounding into form coronavirus outbreak 1180006 The key factors in the NJ Devils' 4-2 win over Blues 1180007 What NJ Devils' Jesper Boqvist learned in the AHL and why he might be sent there again 1180008 Devils beat Blues for first time in six years to snap eight-game win streak 1180009 Devils surprisingly end Blues’ eight-game win streak 1180010 How Mackenzie Blackwood became a bright light in a season of Devils darkness San Jose Sharks 1180043 San Jose Sharks say weekend games will take place 1180074 Flailing Capitals face another Metro Division test at despite coronavirus concerns Pittsburgh 1180044 Bay Area singer makes history at Sharks’ Indian Heritage 1180075 Capitals' Nic Dowd, whose nickname is Judge Judy, got a Night signed photo from Judge Judy 1180045 Sharks' Evander Kane reveals what caused his recent 1180076 Capitals' Garnet Hathaway, Brenden Dillon have spoken production spike about their 2018 fight 1180046 Ex-Sharks players, coach to root for with San Jose not in 1180077 Caps at Penguins: Can Washington turn things around NHL playoff race against rival Pittsburgh? 1180047 Noah Gregor is one of the young Sharks vying for more 1180078 Capitals Prospect Report: Riat signs, Fehervary is close time and responsibility and the importance of the penalty kill 1180079 Who could the Caps play in the first round of the 2020 St Louis Blues Stanley Cup Playoffs? 1180048 Blues' winning streak ends against Devils 1180080 Capitals give up 5 goals to Mika Zibanejad in back- 1180049 Blues notebook: Go east, young men: club's farm team and-forth overtime loss to Rangers will be in Springfield, Mass. 1180081 Rangers C Mika Zibanejad is 1st player in 23 years to 1180050 Blues' new AHL team will be in Springfield, Mass. score 5 goals in game against Caps 1180051 Blues are up, Devils are down, but Berube is concerned 1180082 Reirden is angry, Zibanejad scores 5 goals and penalties 1180052 Wrap music: Blues in front when it comes to scoring from cost the Caps again behind the net 1180083 Panic time in D.C.? Four areas the Capitals need to fix quickly 1180053 Can the Lightning beat the Bruins? Websites 1180054 NHL urges players to limit fan contact as coronavirus 1180093 The Athletic / 2019-20 NHL awards tracker: Why Panarin caution and Hellebuyck deserve Hart recognition 1180055 Lightning shut out Canadiens as Alex Killorn sets career 1180094 The Athletic / Why the NHL’s salary cap is actually unlikely points high to rise much next season 1180056 Lightning players react to skate accident 1180095 The Athletic / A new voice: How Leah Hextall is breaking 1180057 Treasures or trash? Here’s what Lightning players do with barriers in the NHL broadcast booth old promotional gear 1180096 The Athletic / Behind the scenes with the Wisconsin 1180058 Other NHLers provide path for ’ recovery Badgers’ future NHL stars from core surgery 1180097 .ca / Maple Leafs' California catastrophe could haunt them down the line Maple Leafs 1180098 Sportsnet.ca / Flames' season of setbacks finally serving 1180059 Maple Leafs drop third straight as offence sleeps through them well in crunch time the California trip 1180099 Sportsnet.ca / Remembering Henri Richard, the NHL's 1180060 Auston Matthews should be in the Hart Trophy discussion 'biggest champion' every season. The boss expects a Selke, too 1180100 Sportsnet.ca / How the 1971 Stanley Cup defined (and 1180061 Marlies join Leafs in playoff peril obscured) Henri Richard’s legacy 1180062 Ceci activated from injured reserve, returns to Leafs lineup 1180101 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' MacEwen making good on 1180063 Leafs need Engvall to get back on track after impressive Benning's belief in his potential start to NHL career 1180102 Sportsnet.ca / Canucks coach talks slump, playoff race: 1180064 Maple Leafs' effort better but handed a goalie-dominated 'You gotta love the pressure' 1-0 shootout loss to Kings 1180103 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers’ Draisaitl thinks split with McDavid 1180065 Maple Leafs can’t seem to shake the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ makes team ‘more dangerous’ thing 1180104 TSN.CA / Five Takeaways: Canucks vs Avalanche 1180066 Leafs Report Cards: Nightmarish offense haunts Toronto’s 1180105 TSN.CA / Getzlaf: Being an elite two-way NHL forward rough road trip ‘the art that’s hard to come by’ 1180067 Bourne Notebook: Young D-men who have the puck in the 1180106 TSN.CA / Friday Five: NHL teams turn focus to top NCAA O-zone, plus a Leafs issue free agents 1180107 USA TODAY / Henri Richard, Hockey Hall of Famer and Canucks Canadiens legend, dies at 84 1180090 Canucks 6, Avalanche 3: Canucks answer call to arms 1180108 USA TODAY / New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad scores with big win over Avalanche five goals vs. Capitals, including OT game-winner 1180091 Patrick Johnston: Jake Virtanen's rugby days taught him early lessons in physicality 1180092 Canucks Game Day: Horvat aims to stop rolling Avs, 1180084 Jets dominate in 4-0 win over Golden Knights monster MacKinnon 1180085 Wheeler stepping it up down stretch 1180086 Jets make statement in big win over Golden Knights 1180087 Eakin wearing chip on shoulder vs. former team 1180068 Golden Knights open road trip with loss at Winnipeg 1180088 GAME DAY: Golden Knights at Jets 1180069 Check out Robin Lehner’s new Golden Knights mask 1180089 Quantifying how Winnipeg’s many injuries have affected 1180070 Cody Eakin enjoys time with hometown Winnipeg Jets them in the standings 1180071 talks background, The Bachelor SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1180072 Golden Knights come out flat in shutout loss in Winnipeg 1180073 Zach Whitecloud gaining confidence as Golden Knights hit the road 1179920 Anaheim Ducks “I had plenty of admiration for Henri from his earliest days, not only for what he did on the ice, but off,” Beliveau wrote. “When you’re the younger brother of a hockey legend, it will take people a while to Henri Richard, who won a record 11 Stanley Cups with the Canadiens, recognize you for what you are. Maurice had been retired for several dies at 84 years before fans began to notice that Henri was a star in his own right.

“All through his long career, everywhere we went, the first question anybody ever asked him was, ‘How’s Maurice?’ Each time he was By HELENE ELLIOTTSPORTS COLUMNIST remarkably patient. ‘Maurice is fine.’ He was a very productive hockey player (1,046 points in 1,256 games) and very tough. He was also a MARCH 6, 20203:43 PM great team player, and a great captain after I retired. It is not by chance that Henri Richard holds the all-time record of eleven Stanley Cup wins.”

Henri Richard graciously accepted lifelong comparisons to his prolific and Richard became an ambassador for the Canadiens after his retirement. fiery older brother Maurice, who was an established star with the He is survived by his wife Lise, their children Michèle, Gilles, Denis, Montreal Canadiens when Henri broke into the NHL in the 1955-56 Marie-France and Nathalie, 10 grandchildren and four great- season. grandchildren. died in 2000 at age 78.

Maurice was nicknamed “Rocket” for his explosive style and scoring LA Times: LOADED: 03.07.2020 feats. Because Henri was much slighter in build at 5-foot-6 and 160 pounds, he became known as the “Pocket Rocket,” a clever nickname that did little justice to his brilliant playmaking and singular ability to control the game against bigger, brawnier opponents.

Henri Richard made a name for himself by winning more Stanley Cup rings — 11 — than he had fingers, an NHL record and three more championships than his brother won. Richard, who played his entire 20- year NHL career with the Canadiens, died Friday at a care facility in Laval, , north of Montreal. He was 84 and had been suffering from Alzheimer’s disease in recent years.

“All I ever had in my mind was to play hockey. To play with the Montreal Canadiens. Nothing else,” he once told the Montreal Gazette. “And finally, I did.”

Richard, who was elected to the in 1979, scored 358 goals and 688 assists for 1,046 points in 1,258 games. He twice led the NHL in assists; his brother led the NHL in goals five times and finished an 18-year-career with 966 points in 978 games. Henri scored 49 goals and 129 points in 180 career playoff games and was the captain of the Canadiens from 1971-72 through 1974-75.

Elliott: Kings see their past and present collide against Maple Leafs

“Henri ‘Pocket Rocket’ Richard was a great player and a great ambassador for the Montreal Canadiens organization. His passing is a great loss for all,” , president and co-owner of the Canadiens, tweeted in English and French. “My thoughts are with his family.”

Henri was a young but integral member of the Canadiens’ “Flying Frenchmen” when they won five straight championships, starting in 1956. No team has won as many consecutive titles since then and none might ever match that because the salary cap works against accumulating and keeping talent over the long term as the Canadiens did.

“Some people say it was destiny, but I just think I was in the right place at the right time. That was a great team. There were so many great hockey players,” he told the Hall of Fame in 2003. “I wouldn’t have said it before, but now that it’s all over, I thought winning like that was normal.”

Maurice retired in 1960 but Henri played 15 more seasons, including a run of four championships in five seasons from 1965 through 1969. In 1971, after being benched by coach Al MacNeil in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final and calling MacNeil “incompetent,” Richard responded by scoring the Cup-winning goal in Game 7 against Chicago. He won his final title in 1973.

“Henri Richard was one of the true giants of the game,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement. “The entire family mourns the passing of this incomparable winner, leader, gentleman and ambassador for our sport and the Montreal Canadiens.”

Henri Richard was more than 14 years younger than Maurice and was a child when Maurice left home to pursue his hockey career. They had little in common besides their unquenchable drive to excel and to win.

Hall of Fame center Jean Beliveau, who played with both men on Montreal teams that are considered among the best ever assembled, devoted a section of his 1994 autobiography to praise Henri’s talent and approach to the game. 1179921 Anaheim Ducks

NHL recommends players limit contact with fans over coronavirus concerns

By HELENE ELLIOTT

MARCH 6, 20203:28 PM

The NHL has sent a memo to teams advising them to tell players to currently limit close interaction with fans in response to concerns about the coronavirus.

Measures suggested to protect players and fans include avoiding handshakes with fans, close contact and accepting autographed items. The NBA earlier this week issued a similar memo to its teams and advised players to shun high-fiving fans and to instead offer a fist-bump.

The San Jose Sharks on Thursday played before a season-low crowd announced at 14,517 after the Santa Clara County Public Health Department recommended “postponing or canceling mass gatherings and large community events where large numbers of people are within arm’s length of one another.” The NHL announces tickets distributed as the attendance figure at each game.

Sharks Sports & Entertainment, in a statement posted on the team’s website just past noon Friday, said an game involving the on Friday night would be played as scheduled. The company also said Thursday it would continue to evaluate future events.

LA Times: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179922 Anaheim Ducks suddenly you’ve got to go in and be your absolutely best at the most critical time of the game. But, hey, that’s why ‘Millsy’ is so good.”

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.07.2020 Ducks score early, late, get solid relief to beat Maple Leafs

By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 9:48 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 11:09 p.m.

ANAHEIM — All the Ducks needed to take a 2-1 victory from the on Friday night at Honda Center was a career-best goal from a fourth-line grinder, an egregious turnover by one of the game’s best players and an unexpected relief appearance in goal in the final period.

Carter Rowney scored when left unmarked near the net in the early minutes, Adam Henrique scored late in the game after an errant pass by Toronto’s Auston Matthews and then Ryan Miller came off the bench to replace injured John Gibson near the end.

The Ducks rarely do it the easy way, do they?

In the end, the Ducks had to withstand a late Maple Leafs surge, with William Nylander cutting their two-goal lead in half with three minutes remaining in the game. Henrique had given the Ducks a 2-0 lead with his team-leading 25th goal and his seventh in 11 games with 9:40 left in the third period.

Gibson exited with an unspecified injury suffered moments before Henrique’s laser from the slot beat Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell, cheers turning to concern in the stands. Miller entered and stopped four of the five shots he faced in the frantic final 9:40 of the final period.

Gibson made 26 saves before yielding to Miller, earning his 20th win of the season.

“It’s not a good feeling, but it’s better when you’re staring at a two-goal lead,” Miller said of replacing Gibson so late in the game. “Thankfully, we had the buffer and got out of this with a good win. I thought the guys played a really good game. ‘Gibby’ was sharp all night.”

The Ducks played and won without their top four defensemen for the second consecutive game because of injuries. They defeated the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday without Cam Fowler (lower body), Erik Gudbranson (upper body), Hampus Lindholm (upper body) and Josh Manson (upper body).

Gudbranson and Manson are expected back in the lineup sooner than the others.

The Ducks played the same tight defensive game they unveiled in their 4-3 overtime victory over the Avalanche on Wednesday in Denver. They clogged the neutral zone and frustrated the free-skating Maple Leafs, who preferred more time and space to work their offensive magic.

It didn’t happen.

Rowney’s career-best eighth goal of the season, only 3:17 into the game, got the Ducks pointed in the right direction and left the Maple Leafs searching for answers one night after the Kings blanked them 1-0 in a shootout at Staples Center. Toronto went 0-2-1 on its three-game trip to California.

“I think we played a really good team game,” Rowney said. “We were detailed and limited our mistakes against a high-powered offense. They feed off turnovers and we did a good job of getting pucks deep. A team like that, they like to burn and go.”

Henrique’s goal extended the Ducks’ lead to 2-0, but as he and the Ducks and their fans celebrated, Gibson needed assistance in reaching the dressing room at 10:20 of the third. Miller was summoned to the ice for his 778th career appearance, the second-most by a U.S.-born goalie.

Miller was as unflappable as ever, especially when denying on a late shot from the slot after Nylander had beaten him with a shot from the wing with Campbell on the bench in favor of a sixth skater moments earlier. Tavares’ shot was the Maple Leafs’ last best chance at tying the score.

“I’m not sure there’s a more difficult thing to do in the game,” Ducks coach Dallas Eakins said. “I can’t imagine sitting there that long and then 1179923 Anaheim Ducks the Blackhawks on Tuesday or to start against the Avalanche on Wednesday.

Miller recovered from flu-like symptoms and backstopped the Ducks’ win Ducks players asked to avoid contact with fans over coronavirus Wednesday, earning his 386th career victory and passing Mike Vernon concerns for 15th place in the NHL’s all-time list. He also played his 777th game, tying Tom Barrasso for second among U.S.-born goalies.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.07.2020 By ELLIOTT TEAFORD | PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 6:57 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 7:01 p.m.

ANAHEIM — The Ducks have recommended that their players avoid their customary interactions with their fans in an abundance of caution in preventing the spread of the coronavirus, in accordance with an NHL memo sent to each of the league’s 31 teams this week.

The players have been instructed to avoid handshakes, high-fives and pucks-for-cookies swaps during the pregame warmups for the time being. Smiles and hellos are still welcome.

In addition, the Ducks are scheduled to meet Saturday with the team’s medical staff for a briefing on the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, which has infected more than 100,000 people worldwide, with more than 3,000 deaths. California has declared a health state of emergency.

Each of the NHL’s teams is in contact with the league, which has been briefed by health organizations, including the Centers for Disease Control. So far, no games have been postponed, although Santa Clara County officials recommended San Jose Sharks games be played without fans.

The Sharks-Minnesota Wild game on Thursday at SAP Center went ahead as scheduled, albeit with a smaller-than-usual crowd of less than 15,000 in attendance at the 17,000-seat arena in downtown San Jose. The Sharks said Saturday’s game against the Ottawa Senators also would be played.

As of Friday, the Ducks had no plans to play their games at Honda Center without fans.

LEARNING CURVE

The Ducks are a mortal lock to miss the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second consecutive season, the first time it’s happened since they failed to advance for three straight seasons from 1999-2000 to 2001-02. It’s an especially unusual position for Ryan Getzlaf, the Ducks’ longtime captain.

There are goals to be set and met, however. Playing the role of spoiler is one of them.

“I don’t want to say it’s fun because that would imply I’m enjoying what I’m doing right now,” Getzlaf said. “It’s something you have to work on. You go into games and if you don’t have some sort of goal or some sort of thing in your mind that helps to motivate you, it’s tough to play these games.

“When you’re in this situation that’s what you do, you find things to get up for the game. Playing a spoiler is something you can do. It’s a way to maintain your focus throughout the end of the season. It’s an opportunity to play playoff hockey even if we’re not in a playoff position.”

The Ducks’ roster makeover at the Feb. 24 trade deadline has infused the dressing room with a jolt of energy, which has made coming to the rink more enjoyable, too. Players, including some of the holdovers, are battling for ice time for the rest of this season and, especially, the next one.

“When you have a big shakeup like that, you tend to get some energy in the room,” Getzlaf said of the addition of five new players, including David Backes, who was acquired Feb. 21. “Some guys coming in with something to prove. It helps to push the group in the direction we want to go.”

The Ducks had 14 games to play after Friday’s game against the Maple Leafs.

STOLARZ REJOINS GULLS

The Ducks reassigned goaltender Anthony Stolarz to the of the AHL, after recalling him earlier in the week in case Ryan Miller was not sound enough to serve as John Gibson’s backup against 1179924 Arizona Coyotes

Matthew Tkachuk sets up Calgary Flames in victory over Arizona Coyotes

The Associated PressPublished 10:07 p.m. MT March 6, 2020 | Updated 11:01 p.m. MT March 6, 2020

CALGARY, Alberta — Johnny Gaudreau, T.J. Brodie and Mikael Backlund scored, Matthew Tkachuk assisted on all of the goals and the Calgary Flames beat the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 on Friday night.

The Flames are 6-3-1 in their last 10. They moved within three points of Pacific Division-leading Vegas and a behind second-place Edmonton.

Cam Talbot made 32 saves to win in his 300th NHL start.

Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist and Carl Soderberg also scored for Arizona.

Soderberg pulled Arizona within a goal at 10:57 of the second period. The Swede dove on a loose puck trickling between Talbot's pads and shoveled it over the goal line.

Backlund made it 3-1 at 4:17 on a give-and-go with Andrew Mangiapane. Backlund swept the puck from the high slot into the net's corner on Darcy Kuemper's stick side.

Kuemper stopped 31 shots.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179925 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes playoff tracker 2020: Arizona falls behind on night off

BY ARIZONA SPORTS | MARCH 5, 2020 AT 11:13 PM

UPDATED: MARCH 5, 2020 AT 11:17 PM

Tight playoff races in both the Western Conference Wild Card and Pacific Division have the Arizona Coyotes playing critical games late in the season.

As the Coyotes try to get into the playoffs for the first time since the 2011-12 season, we’re keeping track of the complicated race for you.

The top three teams in the Pacific Division automatically get into the playoffs, as do the top three teams in the Central Division. Among all the rest of the Western Conference teams that are not in their division’s top three spots, the top two will get in the playoffs as Wild Card teams.

The standings are organized by points (two points for a win and one point for an overtime/shootout loss), but keep in mind that teams with more games remaining have a greater of chances to pick up points. Therefore, games played is the first tiebreaker in organizing teams in the standings.

The next tiebreaker is regulation wins (RW), which excludes overtime or shootout victories, and the second tiebreaker is regulation and overtime wins (ROW), which excludes only shootout victories. The next tiebreaker is total wins, and there are even more tiebreakers beyond that.

Here’s an updated look at the playoff race as it relates to the Coyotes, who play many of these playoff-hopeful teams in their remaining games of the season:

NHL Pacific Division standings

Place Team Points Games Left RW ROW

1

Vegas 82 14 29 34

2

Edmonton 80 14 30 34

3

Calgary 77 14 24 29

NHL Western Conference Wild Card standings

Place Team Points Games Left RW ROW

1

Minnesota 75 15 30 32

2

Vancouver 74 16 26 31

3 Nashville 74 15 26 30

4 Winnipeg 74 14 27 31

5 Arizona 74 14 26 28

6 Chicago 70 15 22 27

Arizona Sports LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179926 Arizona Coyotes grip the stick tight. You have to force yourself not to, but I do feel that if we’re going to get to the playoffs, I have to start producing a little bit more than I have been so it’s been tough.”

Neutral zone: Taylor Hall gets back in saddle; Coyotes can’t follow suit Friday’s game could be a start. Hall has 11 goals and 31 points in 31 career games against the Flames, and in 15 games at the Saddledome, he has six goals and 20 points.

By Craig Morgan Mar 6, 2020 “My parents have come back from Ontario to come to games when I play here,” said Hall, who played six seasons for rival Edmonton Oilers.

“When you get into junior hockey and start envisioning yourself as an CALGARY — Conor Garland’s second-period shot banked off two posts NHLer, your fandom for teams kind of goes away. At that point, it was and sat in the crease as he tried vainly to push it past Calgary goalie just cool to be a part of the . It was something I watched Cam Talbot. Phil Kessel passed on a shot from a prime scoring spot. for a long time on . It was always an experience Christian Dvorak did the same. Too many shots missed the net on the and you could kind of feel the buzz in the building. It was a playoff Coyotes’ power-play chances, and with time running down in the game, atmosphere even if it was Game 10 or 15.” Nick Schmaltz coaxed Talbot to open up the five-hole, slipped a puck Hall still remembers watching every game of the 2004 between Talbot’s pads, and then watched it skid two inches wide of the with a jersey on when the Flames played the Tampa Bay Lightning. And far post. he was in attendance for Game 6 of Calgary’s second-round upset of the It was that kind of night for the Coyotes in a crushing 3-2 defeat to the President’s Trophy-winning Detroit Red Wings that same season. Flames at . Coupled with wins by Winnipeg and “They were heavy underdogs against Detroit — Detroit had a great team. Vancouver, Arizona’s odds of making the playoffs for the first time since (109 points) — but they won that game (and the series) in overtime,” he 2012 turned from long to grim. The Coyotes knew they had to have a said. “(Martin) Gelinas scored (at 19:13 of overtime). I was in the second good road trip to stay alive, and probably go 3-1 in this four-game stretch deck watching. My dad and I scalped tickets before the game. At that against playoff competitors. That makes Monday’s game in Winnipeg a point, I had no illusions of being an NHL player. I was 12. I probably must-win. wasn’t even the best player on my team.” “This one stings a little bit,” captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson said. “I can’t The Saddledome has endured all sorts of criticism and indignities over lie about that. I think everybody knows where we are in the standings and the years, including flooding as high as the 10th row of the lower bowl in the kind of games (we’re facing) this time of year. We put more pressure 2013 during Alberta’s record flooding. The building is nearing the end of on ourselves to win that one (in Winnipeg) instead of having points here. its run, with a new arena slated for the near future. That’s all we can focus on now.” “I played here when it was the old dressing rooms and I was at a Coyotes The Coyotes could not have asked for a better start. They scored on their event the other day and a guy came up to me and said he was from High first shot of the game when Clayton Keller found Taylor Hall with a River, Alberta, which was the town that got hit the worst, hence the pinpoint pass and Hall’s shot rang in off two posts at 1:11 of the first name,” Hall said. “It’s definitely got its quirks. I don’t know if the smell I period. The lead was short-lived. Johnny Gaudreau and T.J. Brodie had got accustomed to was mold or popcorn. the Flames up 2-1 by the 6:35 mark and Mikael Backlund made it 3-1 early in the second period before the Coyotes stabilized and recorded 21 “Rexall Place (Edmonton), the old (New York) shots in the second period. where you’re getting dressed in a room half this size — there’s cool parts of playing in the NHL and it’s not all the glitz and glamor of new buildings. “We were coming off of our checks,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “It really Some of the old buildings have a lot of character and have had some wasn’t even Xs and Os. It was just basically, trust yourself, get in great moments. This is a special place for me.” people’s faces and win some battles.” Playoff picture In truth, this was an evenly played game where each team posted 34 shots on goal and each team had its chances. The score was the result There were two other games of significance to the Coyotes in the of a familiar problem: an inability to score, including with an extra Western Conference. Vancouver beat Colorado and Winnipeg beat attacker. Vegas, leaving the Coyotes in 11th place in the Western Conference standings. Here is a look at the Western Conference playoff picture after “We lose games by one and we’re right there,” Hall said. “We have to find Friday’s action. a way to produce something six-on-five. You see Calgary’s last game against Columbus. They find a way to score six-on-five and we haven’t Coronavirus concerns been able to do that since I’ve been here.” In a story earlier this week, The Athletic’s Craig Custance chronicled how Back in the Saddle(dome) the spread of the coronavirus is impacting the NHL. Coyotes issued this statement regarding coronavirus concerns. Hall, a Calgary native, has a host of fond memories of the Saddledome. “The interests and well-being of our fans, employees and all Arizona “I probably went to 30 games here as a kid,” he said of the Flames’ 37- residents is of our utmost concern. We are closely monitoring the year-old arena. “You walk into the building and it still smells the same. It’s situation and keeping all relevant stakeholders apprised of the necessary weird how you remember little things like that. I tend to play well here. information, as appropriate. We have been, and continue to be, in The ice feels fast.” consultation with appropriate officials and stakeholders to prepare for Hall got a hometown boost on Friday. He had just one goal in his past 10 various scenarios relating to this matter and will continue to take the games, and no points in his past three before converting Keller’s pass for steps necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of all individuals who an early 1-0 lead. He also had an assist on Carl Söderberg’s second- are in any way connected to our organization. We will provide further period goal that brought the Coyotes’ within one. Yet while he has 10 information to the extent circumstances change and warrant additional goals and 27 points in 34 games with Arizona, he had been snake-bitten communication.” of late. He couldn’t convert a tight chance on a power play in Vancouver, Coyotes GM John Chayka said earlier this week that the team is and he couldn’t convert a breakaway on goalie Thatcher Demko. following directives from above. “It’s been mostly the whole season where I haven’t been able to find the “We’re taking our lead from the NHL,” Chayka said. “At this stage, it’s still back of the net the way that I would want, and really the way that I need a day-to-day thing in terms of how things are evolving. Our scouts are to,” Hall said. “It hasn’t been the most opportunistic season. I thought my aware of some of the travel concerns and are warned to take first 15, 16 games here were good where I was producing and playing precautions.” well, but I’ve hit a bit of a wall here lately.” Ekman-Larsson said the league has also warned players to take Hall is fighting the anxiety that comes with his situation. precautions. “It’s hard not to press,” he said. “There’s so much going on for me so the “I think the league sent something out not to do signings or stuff like that,” first inkling for me is to press. I don’t have a (contract) next year and I’m he said. “You feel bad about not signing autographs when people are not scoring! When you’re shooting at a 6 percent clip (6.9), it’s hard not to outside waiting, but you have to look after yourself a little bit, too, use Söderberg stabilizes soap and water as much as you can, and put a stop to (the virus) if you can do your part. Everybody was talking about Carl Söderberg’s bizarre, first-period goal on Wednesday in Vancouver. “Usually when something like this happens, everybody gets a little concerned about it and they don’t really know enough about it to Lost in the attention paid to Söderberg’s shot-less goal from behind the comment on it. I’m the same way. If you look too much into it you get net was the fact that he logged more ice time than any Coyotes forward crazy. It sucks that it has to be like this and it sucks that there’s a lot of at 18:32. cases out in the world right now. I hope we can find a way to put a stop to Söderberg had a goal, an assist, six shots, two hits and a blocked shot. it, but I think you also have to keep living.” “He was a beast,” Tocchet said. “I don’t know what I played him, 18, 19 O-ver the top minutes. I just thought he was around it all night. We need those big, Ekman-Larsson is at a loss to explain his newfound puck luck with empty heavy guys and it just seemed like he was in guys’ faces all night.” nets. Tocchet felt that Söderberg hit a wall a little before the All-Star break and “I think I went my first seven years without even having a chance to score didn’t snap out of it until Tocchet juggled the lines. an empty-netter,” the Coyotes captain said. “I think it was about a month ago when I had him with (Keller) and Now he has four in the past three seasons, three in the past two (Schmaltz),” Tocchet said. “Then when I put him on left wing with seasons, and two in the past three games. Just as he did against Buffalo (Richardson), he seemed to find it. I think Richie’s game has been on Feb. 29, Ekman-Larsson drove a dagger into the elevated, too, even though Richie is playing banged up and not practicing on Wednesday on a play we broke down here. The only player I didn’t at all. I think him and Carl have done a nice job the last five, six, seven catch up with after the game to discuss that play was Ekman-Larsson, so games for us.” I asked him Thursday about that high-arching shot that found its way into Söderberg had a goal, four shots, three hits and a takeaway against the the net. Flames. He said it has been easy to adjust to playing with Richardson.

“I have been lucky lately to be on the ice and a lot of guys helped me out; “We play a similar game,” he said. “We compete and play hard and they were talking a lot on that goal,” he said. “Usually, you go up the defend well.” boards with it and try and get it out. Against Buffalo, when you had one of our guys in the penalty box it’s easier to just clear it. The one (against As for that crazy goal in Vancouver, all Söderberg could do was shrug. Vancouver) was a little bit scarier, but when you have guys like (Derek “I just got a stick on it and I was lucky it went in,” he said. “Usually, this Stepan) and (Brad Richardson) on the ice, I will take my chances to game evens out. You hit a post then you score like that.” score and end the game because we’re probably going to get the puck back off the face-off.” GM meetings

The Buffalo goal was more of a low-line drive from near his own goal line, When emergency backup goalies, offside and the bye week are the but Ekman-Larsson couldn’t take that risk against the Canucks. headline topics, you know it was a relatively uneventful set of GM meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., this week. “They cheated a little bit back so I had to get it up a little bit higher than the first one,” he said. “I don’t think there’s a real secret to scoring empty- “It was a very low-key meeting,” Chayka said. “The game is in a good netters. Sometimes, it’s better not to have time to think about it and just place. Scoring is in a good place. The flow of the game is in a good place try to get it to the net. For one second, I almost rimmed it around but the and game times are low. We’re in a good spot to engage younger crowds guys were screaming ‘Time! Time!’ — all the guys on the ice — so I knew so there wasn’t any hot-topic issue. that I had an extra second to look up and see a window. I knew where the net was so I just went for it.” Chayka deferred to the league’s stance and decision not to alter the EBUG rules. As for the decision to make offside a breaking-the-plane call It may not seem like a big deal to score an empty-net goal, but they are like the NFL uses, Chayka said, “our hope is that it should be easier for critical to putting games away and the Coyotes have been effective in the linesmen to call it this way. I think it makes a lot of sense.” that department. Entering the game against the Flames, they were tied with the Washington Capitals for the most empty-net goals this season at The Grabner situation 16. Lawson Crouse leads the team with four. Michael Grabner has been a healthy scratch for 16 straight games. He “It takes the air out of the other team and we can kind of relax a little bit,” hasn’t played since Jan. 30. Grabner has one year left on a contract with Ekman-Larsson said. “I would for sure rather have those goals than an average annual value of $3.35 million. I asked Chayka if Grabner still having 40 seconds left and they have a chance to tie the game.” has a place with this organization.

Schmaltz’s mindset “I think it’s more a function of Taylor Hall coming in — a piece that I didn’t necessarily foresee us adding — and Barrett (Hayton) has come in and Nick Schmaltz was relieved to break a 14-game scoring drought with the done a nice job,” Chayka said. “We’ve got a lot of depth. We’ve got a lot game-tying goal in Wednesday’s 4-2 win in Vancouver. of good players. Look, we’re not built off the backs of one or two stars. We have depth and that’s a big part of our strategy in what we’re doing “I feel like I’ve had some chances the last week or so but they haven’t here, and Michael is a part of that depth. found their way in,” Schmaltz said. “It’s the game. You’ve got to stay with it. Hopefully, it starts going the other way.” “I still think he’s a guy that is one of the best penalty-killers in the league and he’s a guy that can score you five-on-five goals which is tough to In Tocchet’s mind, Schmaltz’s goal was a product of more than hope. come by. Obviously, he’s got to get in the lineup to do that and he hasn’t “I’m not saying it’s why he scored but I just liked his practice (the two been in the lineup lately, but he’s a total pro with a really good attitude practices before),” Tocchet said. “It was almost like he knew he wasn’t who has been helpful off the ice. When he gets a chance, I know he can playing well and he had to do something different. He just seemed like he make an impact. He’s a big-event player. It might be a tight game in a was a little more focused in practice. That goal, if you watch it on video, game we need to win and all of the sudden he gets a breakaway and he stops at the net. He sprays (snow). He wasn’t going for a skate. He scores. That could be the difference so he’s just got to stay ready.” stopped right there and then the puck ends up where it is: a deflection to I asked Chayka if there were concerns with Grabner’s readiness after a a rebound goal. You’ve got to do it all the time, though.” long layoff. It’s a common refrain in the NHL that you need to go to the net to score, “Yeah, you always want to see players in a rhythm, but guys go out with so why do players get away from it? injuries and come back and you also see guys that have sat out for a “I think because for the four times they go there, the puck doesn’t get while come back and made an impact,” he said. “In a perfect world, there and I think the fifth time they say, ‘Ah, whatever,'” Tocchet said. everyone is playing all the time but that’s not realistic.” “You have to be strong mentally to just continue to go there. Some Rally in the Valley weeks, there might be 10 pucks there and you might get seven goals. To me, it’s a strong mentality to do the right things.” Entering Friday’s game, Calgary had posted the second-most third- period comebacks (10) in the NHL this season. Coming from behind to win has not been a strength of the Coyotes this season, but it has become more of a habit recently. Arizona is 6-5-1 in its past 12 games, and four of those wins were come-from-behind victories.

March 4 at Vancouver

Deficit: Trailed 2-1 in third period.

Result: Won, 4-2.

Feb. 29 vs. Buffalo

Deficit: Trailed 2-0 after first period

Result: Won: 5-2.

Feb. 22 vs. Tampa Bay

Deficit: Trailed 1-0 in first period.

Won, 7-3.

Feb. 10 at Montreal

Deficit: Trailed 2-0 in first period.

Won, 3-2.

Broadcast breakthrough?

Fox Sports Arizona announced on Thursday it had reached an agreement with YouTube TV that will make Coyotes fans happy.

That said, it does not appear there is a solution in sight between FSAZ (owned by Sinclair, which purchased FOX’s 21 regional sports networks last summer) and the Dish Network. That dispute is obviously out of the Coyotes’ control.

A number of readers have asked what their options might be. Dish and Sling subscribers can still watch Coyotes games via the Fox Sports Go app or by subscribing to NHL.TV.

A number of you have also reached out, venting frustration with the team’s new radio home on Fox 910. I received the following statement from the team on Thursday, via a team spokesperson.

“When we formed our partnership with iHeart, we realized that there were some issues with Fox 910’s AM signal strength in some parts of the Valley. However, all of our games can be listened to on Fox 910’s HD2 FM channel (99.9) and also by using the iHeart app.

“The Coyotes are receiving great coverage with six weekly radio shows on Fox 910 (team president and CEO Ahron Cohen, GM John Chayka, coach Rick Tocchet, broadcasters Tyson Nash and Paul Bissonnette and center Derek Stepan) as well as great drive time talk on all six of iHeart’s FM stations.”

Loose pucks

• Jakob Chychrun (psoas muscle strain) could be joining the team in Winnipeg to practice, Chayka said.

• Richardson, Christian Dvorak, Phil Kessel, Ekman-Larsson, Niklas Hjalmarsson and Alex Goligoski took maintenance days on Thursday but all played against Calgary.

• There was little talk at the NHL GM meetings about the league’s investigation into the Coyotes. According to a league source, the NHL is still its investigation and the Coyotes have been cooperative, but there was no update on the investigation and no timeline set for its completion.

• Thirty-four players from the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association (PWHPA) began in three exhibition games as part of the Dream Gap Tour from on Friday. The games run through Sunday. All games are being played at Oceanside Arena in Tempe. You can read more about it on the Coyotes’ website.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179927 Boston Bruins big-game player. He has a young family. If players are fortunate enough to score a long-term, big-money deal, they often only get one of them.

Does Krug want to be a Bruin, where he knows everyone in the locker Salary cap increase could aid Bruins in re-signing room is pulling in the same direction, or does he want a new challenge for a better rate of pay?

"That’s a question you’d better ask him,” team president Cam Neely told By Matt Porter Globe Staff,Updated March 6, 2020, 7:19 p.m. the Globe. "He’s been a great player for this franchise. He’s a great teammate. His teammates love him. We certainly love what he brings to

us on the ice. But that’s a question for him, not me.” SUNRISE, Fla. ― It’s too early to account for every dollar. A playoff run Krug’s play is speaking volumes. It will influence some of the difficult changes the makeup of a team. Some players move on, via free agency conversations to come. or retirement. Tough decisions are ahead. Carlo’s availability unknown But the news from the NHL general managers’ meetings this week that the salary cap will rise to somewhere between $84 million and $88.2 The Bruins did not practice Friday, but Brandon Carlo would have likely million will help the Bruins as they ponder their future with Torey Krug. rested regardless. Carlo, who took a hard elbow to the chops from Florida’s Evgenii Dadonov on Thursday, did not return to the game. His If the cap ceiling comes in on the low end ($84M), they could have some exact injury, and availability for Saturday’s rematch with Tampa, are $23 million to divvy between a pending free agent group that includes unknown. Krug, Zdeno Chara and Jaroslav Halak (all unrestricted) and restricted free agents Jake DeBrusk, Matt Grzelcyk, Anders Bjork and Karson Although Chara is still an elite penalty killer, Carlo is the Bruins’ top Kuhlman, among others. Less certain to be brought back: UFAs Kevan shutdown defenseman: a quick-moving octopus that engulfs opposing Miller and Joakim Nordstrom, who are also up. Younger players may forwards with his 6-foot-5-inch frame. His confidence and decision- push them out of roles here. making as a puck-carrier have markedly improved in his fourth season (career highs in points and assists, 4-15—19), helping the Bruins get out The Bruins could have about $27 million to work with if the cap goes up of their zone and keep plays alive at the other blue line. In short, this to $88.2 million. Other teams, of course, would also have more money to would be a major loss. woo them. The Bruins do have options. Though Connor Clifton hasn’t played since Krug will be at the front of the line. Arguably the league’s top power play Dec. 29 because of an upper-body injury, he has practiced with the team quarterback, he leads the league in power play assists (25) and points of late. John Moore has been a healthy scratch the last 10 games, and (27). Krug, who is sixth among defensemen in points per game (9-39— might be in the lineup if rookie Jeremy Lauzon hadn’t shown encouraging 48 in 60 games), is the hand at the wheel of the league’s second-best progress on the third pair. power play (25.1 percent success). According to ESPN, among defensemen, only Pittsburgh’s Kris Letang has seen more of his team’s A nine-point lead on Tampa with 14 games to play means the Bruins total power play time (76.5 percent) than Krug (75.9). Three forwards could also dip into the prospect pool. Urho Vaakanainen or Jakub Zboril rank ahead of them: Alex Ovechkin (89.3), Leon Draisaitl (87) and Jack have been strong in Providence. Eichel (79.3). Orr has big fan in Bergeron “He’s just so versatile back there,” Brad Marchand said after Krug factored in both Boston goals in Thursday’s overtime win over the lives near Jupiter, Fla., some 60 miles north of the BB&T Panthers. He helped tie the game by delivering a tippable power play Center. A player agent for numerous NHL stars, including Panthers shot to Patrice Bergeron, and won it in overtime with a patient slapper defenseman Aaron Ekblad and Oilers superstar Connor McDavid, Orr through a screen. Marchand has long appreciated him. “He makes so often makes the trip to his local big-league rink. many good plays.” He wasn’t spotted Thursday, but Bergeron smiled warmly when the name The Bruins love Krug, but it’s unclear how far they will go. was brought up.

The Bruins’ current structure keeps the cap hits for three of the game’s "He’s a legend of the game,” Bergeron said before puck drop. "Always best forwards, Bergeron ($6.875M), Pastrnak ($6.667M) and Marchand such a gentleman and so nice to all of us. He always makes sure he says ($6.125M), under $7 million. David Krejci ($7.25M) and Tuukka Rask ‘Hi,’ or shakes our hands and wishes us the best. It’s always a treat and ($7M) are the team’s top earners. a pleasure to see him.”

Reinforcing the internal belief in this structure: 50 players on 27 teams Orr plans to attend the March 24 ceremony, with and other make more than anyone on the Bruins, and the Bruins are on a 118-point Big, Bad Bruins teammates, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the pace after finishing with 107 and 112 points the last two years. Sacrificing 1969-70 Stanley Cup squad. dollars has led to depth, which has led to long playoff runs. Neely said the Bruins are planning a get-together for the players the night It may not last forever. Charlie McAvoy, who signed for a $4.9M average before, and a pregame ceremony that will revel in all the glory of the annual value last summer, will make $7.3 million in salary (real dollars, team that captured the region’s attention. not cap hit) in 2021-22, the final year of his deal. McAvoy, 22, is on his The Bruins wanted March 24 because it worked for the majority of way to becoming one of the best all-around defensemen in the game. His the1969-70 team, but they needed to jump through a few hoops. Neely next contract will cost the Bruins significantly more than $4.9M. Pastrnak, gave kudos to Red Wings general manager , who who will be 27 when his deal expires in 2023, will likely deserve the accepted the Bruins’ request they delay puck drop for the ceremony, and richest AAV the Bruins have ever handed out. to the league for allowing a ceremony that late in the season. The NHL Do the Bruins value Krug enough to pay him more than $7 million a prefers to minimize disruptions to pregame routines close to the playoffs. year? Would another team — such as his hometown Red Wings, who “It’s going to be awesome,” Neely said. “I know our fans will enjoy it, and are in desperate need of a building-block defenseman ― pay him $8 the players and their spouses will have a great time.” million? The Bruins have the advantage of signing him for eight years, as opposed to seven, which could keep the AAV a bit lower. Pastrnak comes through

Another factor: the Bruins will have significant money coming off the A winning play Thursday: Pastrnak’s puck battle in overtime. With a few books in the next few years. Both Krejci and Rask may not play beyond swift swipes of the stick, he outworked and Mackenzie 2021, when their deals are up. Given his age (43 on March 18), Chara Weegar below the goal line, allowing Krug to sneak free and consider his ($2M) may not return for a 23rd season. next move. Pastrnak fed him, Krug dropped the hammer through a screen, and the Bruins left with two points …The Bruins are now 6-5 in The Bruins wouldn’t blame Krug, 28, for taking as much as he can get. OT. They remain a league-worst 0-7 in shootouts. If they don’t take Undersized and undrafted out Michigan State in 2012, he bet on himself another 'L' there, they will finish with the second-most shootout losses and proved himself to be a top-four mainstay, elite power play QB and without a win since the league instituted the skills competition. The 2014 Devils (0-13) own that record. … Kudos to Mika Zibanejad proving wrong those who didn’t think he’s a viable No. 1 center (hand up here). He scored five goals for the Rangers, who are pushing hard for the playoffs, in a win over the Capitals. If you were wondering: no Bruin has ever put up a five-spot. Pastrnak (Oct. 14 against Anaheim) and Bergeron (Jan. 6, 2018 against Carolina) were the most recent of 25 Bruins to score four goals in a game … The Bruins were happy to see Nick Ritchie put the knuckles on Florida’s . “He’s a beast. He did a great job there stepping up, Marchand said. "We’re going to need that out of him come playoff time.” What preceded it? "He gave me a shot the shift before and wanted to fight,” Ritchie said. “It was a decent time to fight because we were a little bit flat and didn’t have our best stuff, so maybe it sparked us a little bit.”

Boston Globe LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179928 Boston Bruins There are 19 surviving players from the ’80 team, two of whom were unable to attend the team’s 40th reunion, sponsored in large part by the NHL’s Golden Knights.

To Mike Eruzione, the hat is what has people seeing red “I’ll tell you one thing, if I were to play in the NHL, it would be for the Vegas Knights,” said Eruzione. "They were first class. It was off the charts how they treated us.”

By Kevin Paul Dupont,Updated March 6, 2020, 12:25 p.m. The Team ’80 members not in Vegas were forwards Mark Pavelich, who has been detained at a Minnesota mental heath facility since December

after being arrested last year for allegedly beating a neighbor with a Much like the Russians in 1980, Mike Eruzione today figures he would metal pole, and Mark Johnson, who was unable to step away from his like a do-over. duties as coach of the University of Wisconsin women’s hockey team.

Because what happened in Vegas two weeks ago didn’t stay in Vegas, The other 17 members were all in Vegas for the reunion, noted Eruzione, and that’s to the ongoing angst and aggravation of Eruzione and perhaps though none arrived in town knowing they would be invited to visit Trump the detriment of what for 40 years has been a cherished, pristine memory at the rally. of Team USA’s gold medal win at Lake Placid. With the Nevada caucuses scheduled the same weekend as the team’s To be clear, Eruzione says, he does not regret taking the stage in Las reunion, Trump’s campaign operatives reached out, said Eruzione, Vegas Feb. 21 at a rally for President Trump. He contends that he likes asking if the players would be interested in a backstage meet-and-greet the president, respects his title and office, and would go to with Trump just before his rally began. There was no mention at the time, Avenue for a team reception tomorrow if Trump were to issue the invite. said Eruzione, that they would be invited on the stage. He also believes Trump will be reelected in November. Three team members — Steve Janaszak, Steve Christoff, and Eric What Eruzione regrets is wearing the hat, the red ballcap, the one with Strobel — had no interest, according to Eruzione. They remained at the the freshly minted Trump slogan, “Keep America Great.” It’s that cap that team hotel. Eruzione and 11 of his 1980 Olympic teammates donned on stage at the “They’re not Trump people,” explained Eruzione. “But everyone else had Trump rally, sparking a maelstrom of criticism on social media. no problem going, doing it. As a matter of fact, I talked to some of the “The backlash has been because we wore the red hats,” said Eruzione, guys after all the backlash and said, ‘He may still want to invite us to the reached via phone in Minnesota this past week. “Everybody’s said, ‘If you White House; do you guys want to go?’ Almost all the same ones who didn’t wear the hats, you woulda been fine, but you’re aligning yourself. were on the podium said, ‘Yeah, we’ll go.’ ” Those hats mean racism, those hats mean this, this, and this.’ ” It was during the meet-and-greet that Trump asked them if they would There’s the rub, one now that the Boys of Winter, three of whom refused join him at the podium. They were quick to accept the impromptu to attend Trump’s rally while in town, will be remembered for by a invitation, all of which came together in some five minutes, said Eruzione. substantial number of Trump-loathing Americans who interpret the red The hastiness, he said, was part of the reason Trump butchered the hat to be symbolic of many things — few of them good. captain’s name upon introduction.

Much to his regret, said Eruzione, captain of the ’80 team, the ongoing “Yeah, he got me confused with ,” said Eruzione, laughing. criticism has been directed at the entire team, some of whom didn’t “Jimmy was next. None of this was planned out.” attend the event, and two of whom were on stage with Trump but chose As the players headed up to the stage, they were handed the hats. not to wear the hats. It’s why he now believes tugging on the caps might have been misguided. Of the 14, only John Harrington and Bill Baker refused to wear the hats on stage. “Lots of stories have said, ‘Team USA wore the hats,' ” he said. “That’s not true. Some guys did, some guys didn’t. “Harrington didn’t wear the hat because he doesn’t support the president,” noted Eruzione. “And Billy Baker didn’t wear the hat because “It wasn’t a political statement. If I want to make a political statement, I’ll he’s got five sisters and three like [Trump] and two don’t.” make one. It was our team being honored, and I responded back, protecting my teammates and some of my teammates that don’t like the Eruzione, 65, is eager for the tempest to run its course, and for the ‘80 president. But I’ve got no problem with him. I’ve known him a long time.” team’s legacy to be preserved as the wonderful, unifying, “miracle” moment it was that February day in the Adirondacks. Prior to the rally, the image of the 1980 team, their Olympic victory heralded by some as the greatest sports accomplishment of the 20th “It blew into proportions that we as a team couldn’t have fathomed,” said century, was flawless, universally embraced by all Americans. Not now. Eruzione, noting that he intends his interview with the Globe to be his In today’s charged and polarized political climate, appearing on stage final statement on the matter. “I’m taking the heat for it and, hey, I’ll take aside Trump, their image would have taken a hit even if they each had it. We made the decision as a team, but some of my teammates didn’t, been swaddled in US flags, a la Jim Craig. and that’s when I backed off a little because you have to protect your teammates. To that point, hating on the red hat may be merely a red herring for some. Millions of Americans have held Trump and his administration in “Maybe we shouldn’t have worn the hats. Because it became an umbrella disdain from even before the moment he was elected. For those whose … They say the ’80 Olympic team wore the hats. But not everybody did.” blood already boiled at the mention of his name, those red caps became mere accessories that topped off what they immediately deemed guilt by Now the question remains, will the lingering heat from the Nevada desert association for the much-loved sons of Herb Brooks. alter public opinion?

Eruzione has been deluged by criticism, the bulk of it sent to him via his “The way I look at it,” said Eruzione, “some people have tried to take e-mail address at Boston University, over his Twitter account, and to his away what we’ve stood for, and what I’ve stood for, for 40 years — office voicemail. someone who loves this country and believes in all the things that happened in this country. My dad was a Marine, so … what happened to He said he is thankful that both Robert Brown, the BU president, and free speech? I’m trying to figure that out. Drew Marrochello, the athletic director, have been unwavering in their support of him, despite their office receiving ongoing criticism from some “That’s the brunt of the whole thing. I’m just very disappointed that people Terrier alums. BU employs Eruzione as a quasi-ambassador in his role don’t respect other people’s opinions, whether it’s Trump or [Bernie] as Director of Special Outreach. Sanders or [Joe] Biden, or whomever.”

Reciting some of the cutting messages he’s received in recent days, Cut came close Eruzione said, "The best one was, ‘My 7-year-old daughter used to Stitches, good fortune aided Boychuk admire you and now she has no respect for you.’ And I’m thinking, ‘She’s 7. I mean, what are you telling her?!’ ” Dozens of stitches and an infinite amount of good fortune enabled ex- Bruins defenseman Johnny Boychuk to maintain his livelihood, following a harrowing incident Tuesday when his right eyelid was sliced wide by a helmet, fell backward and struck his head on the ice. By some Canadiens forward Artturi Lehkonen. accounts, he was knocked cold before he hit the ice.

Lehkonen, tumbling forward as he scooted across the top of the Some 30 hours later, after never regaining consciousness, Masterton Islanders’ goal crease, simultaneously lifted his right leg, driving the back was declared dead. It was more than 10 years later when the league of his skate directly under Boychuk’s visor, with the rear edge of the finally mandated that all players wear helmets. skate blade carving into his eye area. Boychuk, expected back in the Islander lineup later this month, was After briefly writhing in pain face-down on the ice, Boychuk popped up tweeting by late Wednesday afternoon, thanking everyone for their good and raced under his own power for the dressing room, navigating his way wishes. across the ice while covering both eyes with his gloved left hand. “Sorry for the late response … ,” wrote Johnny Rocket, “… facial The next day, Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello reported that the 36-year-old recognition wasn’t working.” back liner would be OK. Loose pucks “It took 90 stitches for a plastic surgeon to fix,” said Lamoriello, noting some of the sutures were tiny. “But he’ll be fine.” The NHL offered guidance this past week on a projected salary cap range for the 2020-21 season, GMs told it likely would bump from the Such a gruesome injury is yet another example of how hockey is the current $81.5 million to somewhere in the $84 million to $88.2 million most dangerous of all the pro sports, though it can be argued that neck of the woods. The original cap, instituted for the 2005-06 season, football, with its well-documented history of CTE cases, has caused more was $39 million. If it reaches $88.2 million, that will represent a 126 brains and lives to be ruined. Nearly every element of hockey is percent increase over 15 years. Leaving it for the math whizzes to figure dangerous when taking into account the equipment — skates, sticks, out the annual percentage kick … David Pastrnak, who entered Saturday pucks, boards, net, ice surface — and the speed and force with which it night’s engagement with the Lightning with a league-high 47 goals (tied is played. It is a brutal, dangerous endeavor. with Alexander Ovechkin), stands to be the third Czech-born NHLer to wire in 50. The others: Jaromir Jagr and Milan Hejduk. Jagr did it three The NHL has not had a player die from a skate wound, but at least two times, twice with the Penguins and once with the Rangers. Hejduk did it players, ex-Sabres goalie and ex-Panthers forward once with the Avalanche. The last Yank to drop 50: John LeClair, Flyers, Richard Zednik, suffered lacerated carotid arteries that caused multiple 1997-98. Where did our hands go, people? … Entering weekend play, pints of blood to spill on the ice. ex-Bruin David Backes had yet to pick up a point in his two games with Malarchuk, tending the net in the old Aud on March 22, 1989, had his the Ducks. logged 2-1—3 in five games. Keep in mind, carotid severed when teammate Uwe Krupp tangled with Blues forward Heinen came in hot with fresh legs while Backes had not had a shift Steve Tuttle at the top of the crease. Tuttle’s skate blade caused the cut, since Jan. 9. Provided he is not bought out by Anaheim this summer, his blood from the goalie’s neck spewing over the ice. true Duck immersion won’t be until September’s training camp … The NHL has yet to make public the dates for the Bruins’ stops in Mannheim Reports at the time noted the bloody scene caused some players to or Prague leading up to the start of the 2020-21 season. If pilsner is your vomit and triggered fainting in the stands. Like Boychuk, Malarchuk thing, a Labor Day departure is probably a safe bet … Mike Eruzione still somehow got upright and made his way to the room, assisted by Sabres keeps his ’80 gold medal tucked in a bank safety deposit box and says it trainer Jim Pizzutelli. will never be sold in his lifetime. “If I die tomorrow, though,” he said, “my 31-year-old son … that’ll be on eBay in a heartbeat.” In part, Malarchuk wanted to get off the ice in a hurry, he later explained, because he knew his mother was watching on TV. Boston Globe LOADED: 03.07.2020 “I didn’t want her to see me die,” he said.

Pizzutelli was heralded as a hero for acting quickly to help stem the flow of blood. Doctors needed some 300 stitches to close the wound. Only age 27 at the time, and acquired in trade from Washington only two weeks earlier, Malarchuk was back practicing within 10 days and played three more seasons in the NHL.

Some 20 years later, on Feb. 10, 2008, and again in Buffalo, Zednik’s carotid was sliced open by teammate Olli Jokinen, the Panthers forward upended by Buffalo forward Clarke MacArthur and it was Jokinen’s skate blade that inflicted the damage.

The wound not as deep as Malarchuk’s, Zednik was raced by ambulance to nearby Buffalo General Hospital for repair. He remained there for four days, missed the rest of the season, and played only one more season in the NHL.

Hall of Fame defenseman Mark Howe, son of NHL legend Gordie Howe, careened derriere-first into the net on Dec. 27, 1980, and was impaled through the rectum by the pointed metal deflector plate that in those days formed the base of all nets. Howe, then a Whaler, sued the NHL over the incident, ultimately leading to a redesign. Howe returned to play another 14 seasons, most of them with the Flyers.

The Howes were no strangers to frightening on-ice injuries. Gordie, among the game’s strongest and toughest customers, in the 1950 Cup Final lined up Toronto’s Ted Kennedy for a patented Howe body slam. Howe missed, careened head-first into the boards, and fractured his skull.

The Red Wings went on to win the Cup and Mr. Hockey also returned the next year and captured the league scoring title with 86 points, 20 more than runner-up Maurice Richard.

To this day, is the only NHLer to lose his life from injury during a game. Then a 29-year-old rookie with the expansion North Stars, Masterton was lugging the puck up ice when he was checked by two Oakland Seals, Larry Cahan and Ron Harris. Masterton, not wearing 1179929 Boston Bruins

Jack Studnicka continues to develop in Providence

By MARISA INGEMI | PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 3:09 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 3:09 p.m.

PROVIDENCE — With points in 10 of his last 12 games entering Friday night, Jack Studnicka has gotten a hang of the whole pro hockey thing.

The Bruins might still give him some consideration late in the season, even if it’s just giving the 21-year-old a look. His first season of pro hockey in the AHL has gone well, with 22 goals and 24 points.

He was always going to be able to produce; the question has been what he can do when he’s not on the score sheet every night, which would likely be the case in Boston, at least early on in his NHL career.

Studnicka has taken some of those steps, and if he’s not ready yet, he’s at least close.

“He’s certainly developed on a daily basis,” said Providence head coach Jay Leach. “He has a lot of drive for a younger player. Certainly has a lot of tools he’s been exposed to, pretty much everything you can throw at a player, and he’s been able to tackle it … He has a confidence and curiosity how to do it better. He’s driven and comes to the rink every day trying to get better.”

Studnicka isn’t new to the pro game, playing bits and pieces of AHL hockey in the past, but in his first full season, he’s adjusted well to the grind of playing a harder game every night.

“I think it’s been a really good developmental year,” said Studnicka. “Each time I step on the ice I’m trying to learn something new. Just get accustomed to pro hockey and build my game. It was fortunate I had the opportunity to play the tail end of the season the last two years after my junior season, so I kind of knew what to expect, bigger, faster, stronger guys. More of a complete hockey game. I took all of that into account when I was training this summer.”

Part of that learning curve isn’t only on the ice. Moving to the United States and a focus on hockey as a full-time job are some of the things he’s continued to deal with along the way.

So far, the Bruins are more than happy with the way he’s acclimated himself.

“You have to just learn to make sure you’re recovering right and preparing right and taking care of your body away from the rink,” he said. “You’re going as hard as you can because that’s the mentality you have to have to be successful.”

There have been times when Studnicka’s offense has slipped and he’s had to play more of what he called “a B-game,” where the puck isn’t finding the net but he’s still expected to do the little things.

That’s important to crack a lineup at the NHL level, and Leach has put a lot of focus on that in his development.

“We talk about that,” he said. “He has high expectations for scoring and we encourage that. When it’s not falling his way we can focus on the things that get him there, his 200-foot game, we encourage that play and that focus and it does tend to take stress off that production. Production is a funny thing — it’s a concern if he’s not getting opportunities, if he is then conversion just kind of comes and goes.”

If Studnicka doesn’t get a late-season call-up, he’s certainly on the radar for next season. He’s young, but he’s learning, and that’s all they can ask for.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179930 Boston Bruins

Jay Leach has seen Bruins organization develop from the inside

By MARISA INGEMI PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 2:58 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 2:59 p.m.

PROVIDENCE — More than a handful of Bruins skaters spent at least a season in Providence.

Jay Leach has seen all of them develop.

Bruising defender Jeremy Lauzon has molded his own role on a Bruins blue line that seemed impossible to crack early in the season, but his ability and tenacity created space for him in the everyday lineup.

Leach wasn’t surprised.

“Jeremy’s always been able to compete, he always plays hard, which you see up there,” said Leach. “But down here he fine-tuned his game for the last two-plus years with his skating, his puck play, his ability to read plays. He played a lot, the last several years. It’s a tough league for a defenseman. His exposure to all those scenarios we put him in on the kill, the power play, those hard, heavy minutes, you see what you get. Now he comes away from it in the NHL a successful player.”

Some of the Bruins most successful players spent time in Providence, from Brad Marchand, to David Pastrnak, to Lauzon and Anders Bjork. Current Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy had some of the now-older players like Marchand, but Leach has been behind the bench to watch and assist the development of the next wave.

Enter Bjork, who had more than one stint with the P-Bruins before sticking in the NHL.

“He’s gained strength throughout the years,” said Leach. “He always had the skating ability, able to make a play and hold onto the puck. But this past year, we really saw some strength in his game. He was physical on the forecheck, using that skating ability, a bit more of a presence than he’s been in the past, and that comes from maturity. I think he did a lot of work coming back from that surgery.”

Other guys in Providence right now could have gotten a call-up but were overlooked in favor of guys like Lauzon, and that has to do with the player performing well and just the fit with the NHL club.

It becomes Leach’s job to keep morale up for the players who didn’t get the call.

“What we try to do is make sure every player is their own player,” he said. “If a player goes up and is in a position another one would have been, we can recognize that but have to get that player back to what he does well. He can’t control that scenario other than his own play, so we quickly have to get him back to that. We acknowledge if a player gets recalled in his position that’s not him, but quickly get him back into the present moment. We try to bring light to the history of professional hockey guys will be recalled and it was not your turn but all of a sudden it might be your turn.”

Providence is stacked with talent, and the next Bruins’ star could be skating there right now. Leach’s job is to hone that talent at that level and assist Cassidy with who gets the next shot at the NHL lineup.

Given the amount of Providence alumni on the current B’s roster, so far, so good.

Boston Herald LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179931 Boston Bruins him, especially after missing some time. It’s not easy, but when he scores 30 and he’s the best defensive forward in the league, it’s impressive.”

Patrice Bergeron getting better with age Boston Herald LOADED: 03.07.2020

By STEVE CONROY | PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 2:50 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 3:13 p.m.

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla. — When we first think of Patrice Bergeron as a player, what comes to mind for many of us is his defensive capabilities and his commitment to a full, 200-foot game. A record-tying four Selke Awards will do that.

But to overlook or undervalue his prowess in the offensive zone would be to grossly misjudge the measure of the player. Quite simply, the man can score goals.

Bergeron has not only scored some of the biggest goals in Bruin history — the pair in the Stanley Cup-winning Game 7 in 2011, the two in the great Game 7 comeback win over Toronto in 2013 — but he operates at an amazingly consistent clip. When he notched his 30th in the B’s 2-1 overtime win over the Panthers on Thursday, he became just the sixth Bruin to score 30 in six seasons, joining Phil Esposito, Rick Middleton, Johnny Bucyk, Cam Neely and Peter McNab.

“It’s impressive to score 30 any year, especially for a guy that takes pride in getting back the other way,” said coach Bruce Cassidy after the win. “The power play has obviously helped him. He’s worked hard on his play in the bumper and it shows with his tipping, his shot, his release, everything there. He’s playing with two good players (Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak). Marchie’s right around the corner from that, too. So it’s a dangerous line. They all can shoot and all can make plays. But six years for a guy that faces tough matchups every night is impressive. We’re proud of him and I’m sure he is, too.”

Bergeron first topped the 30-goal mark as a 20-year-old back in 2005-06, but two years later, he suffered the debilitating concussion that cost him most of that season and forced him to redefine his game from the ground up, helping to turn him into a Selke candidate and ultimately a multiple winner. Now he’s reached the plateau in five of the last seven seasons and, at the age of 34, he’s got 14 games to top his career high of 32 that he set last year.

His pairing with Marchand, dating back to 2011, kick-started is offensive game and the addition of Pastrnak has made the line arguably the best in the league.

“It doesn’t hurt to have both of those guys on the line with me, right?” said Bergeron, who has hit the mark despite missing nine games early in the season due to a nagging core injury. “I think you try to generate as much as you can and bury when you have those opportunities. But having Brad — and I’ve been playing with him for so long — having that chemistry and knowing where to be helps a lot. Pasta, I’m sure teams are keeping a close eye on him every time he’s on the ice so maybe it opens up more chances for other guys. That being said, it’s just one of those things where you’re trying to help the team any way you can, whether it’s goals or other details, it doesn’t really matter.”

On Thursday, Bergeron scored his 30th on a tip of a Torey Krug power- play shot/pass, but that quick one-timer, designed specifically for his PP work, is something he found mid-career.

“I think once I was put in the bumper position on the power play, I developed and slowly worked on that a lot, making sure I was getting that shot off quickly and try to find that area, that seam for guys to get me the puck,” said Bergeron. “And as I said, with the chemistry with Brad being able to see each other and read off each other well helps for those quick openings and for me to get the shot off.”

Marchand’s emergence as a premier set-up man — he set a career high in helpers last year with 64 and has 57 this year — has gone hand-in- hand with Bergeron’s goal-scoring elevation. Marchand, now close to a decade as the centerman’s left wing, remains every bit the admirer that he was the day Claude Julien elevated him from the fourth line to ride shotgun with Bergeron.

“He’s an impressive player and the perfect example of consistency,” said Marchand. “Every year he competes hard, he’s dangerous around the net, gets to the dirty areas and gets rewarded for it. I’m very happy for 1179932 Boston Bruins

Nick Ritchie shows some punch for a Bruins team that needed it

By Joe Haggerty March 06, 2020 8:39 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. – The Bruins have been waiting all season for a big, strong and intimidating type to stand out among their forwards. A power forward capable of instilling a little fear into opponents and perhaps lessen the number of liberties taken with B’s players.

David Backes was a little too old at 35 and a bit too beaten up to still play that role even if the spirit was still willing, and wasn’t consistently on the ice enough to develop into that kind of player, either. But Brett’s younger brother, Nick, showed in the 2-1 overtime win over the Florida Panthers at BB&T Center that he could be that guy.

He filled that role nicely when the situation called for some angry fisticuffs against the Panthers.

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Ritchie got into it with rookie Florida defenseman Riley Stillman on a few shifts in the first period and then decided to drop the gloves after the two had a brief previous encounter at the net. It will probably be the last time Stillman messes with Ritchie after the 6-foot-2, 230-pound winger hammered him to the ice with a series of powerful right-handed punches.

It looked like a pumped-up Ritchie had a little something to say to the Panthers bench as he skated to the penalty box and David Pastrnak, Jake DeBrusk and Chris Wagner all had wide grins on their faces as they banged their sticks against the board in appreciation.

“He kind of gave me a shot on the shift before and I guess wanted to fight. It was a decent time to fight because I think we were a little flat and didn’t have our best stuff. So, maybe it sparked us a little bit,” said Ritchie, who hadn’t dropped the gloves since 2017-18 for the Ducks. “I don’t think you want to go out and fight everybody, but I thought was a decent chance to kind of get the guys in the game. I think they enjoyed it.”

Haggerty: Dadonov escapes further NHL discipline for hit on Carlo

Ritchie’s teammates certainly enjoyed having a teammate that could instill a little fear into opponents. Bruce Cassidy admitted it’s something the Bruins could use a little more of with those duties falling to 42-year- old Zdeno Chara a little too often this season.

“You’ve got to see it up close sometimes,” said Bruce Cassidy, of seeing Ritchie flex his muscles and exhibit some of the brutish toughness he’ll bring to the Boston lineup. “Hats off to young Stillman for trying to go that route. I don’t know if he’s a fighter or not, but if not I think he was in over his head a little bit there. But he came back [to the game] and played and it’s part of the game.

“Ritchie is a big, strong man and proved that he can handle himself in those situations. Listen, that’s something we knew about him and that still has value in the game. So, good for Ritchie.”

It obviously isn’t going to be something Ritchie will feature for the Bruins much in the upcoming playoffs and fighting is on the decline generally across the NHL anyway. Still, the B’s needed to see that out of Ritchie at some point after dealing for him at the trade deadline and the former Ducks power forward showed it in a power-packed way at the opportune time.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179933 Boston Bruins

No supplemental discipline coming for Evgenii Dadonov for Brandon Carlo hit

By Joe Haggerty March 06, 2020 2:09 PM

SUNRISE, Fla. — There isn’t going to be any additional action taken on an incident from Thursday night’s game that might leave B’s defenseman Brandon Carlo out of action for a bit.

The young shutdown defenseman was forced out of Thursday night’s 2-1 OT win over the Florida Panthers at the BB&T Center after absorbing an Evgenii Dadonov elbow to the head as both players rushed into the corner for the puck.

It remains unknown the extent of Carlo’s injury situation with concussion fears obviously there, but Dadonov is not going to face any additional supplemental discipline stemming from the incident, per a league source.

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Dadonov was initially whistled for a five-minute major for clocking Carlo in the face with an elbow, but that initial call was reduced to a two-minute minor penalty for elbowing upon further video review of the play in question. The feeling from the league is that the play was accidental in nature and that Dadonov had his elbow raised as he was fishing the puck out of the corner and attempting to pass it up the ice to a teammate.

Dadonov is one of the least penalized players in the league with just 26 PIMs over the last three seasons combined, and the video does show the Panthers forward looking up ice for a teammate to pass toward before advancing into the corner.

By the letter of the law, the officials could have kept the play a five- minute major because there was an elbowing incident that clearly left Carlo bloodied and dazed on the ice after contact.

The Bruins didn’t skate on Friday after concluding a successful road swing through Florida where they collected four points against Tampa Bay and Florida, so there won’t be any update on Carlo’s condition until Saturday at the earliest.

If it is indeed a concussion for Carlo, it would be his second head injury in the last four seasons after a concussion suffered on an Alex Ovechkin hit from behind wiped out his entire postseason during his rookie NHL season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179934 Buffalo Sabres Krueger moved Olofsson (no points in seven games) down a peg and had him playing Friday with Marcus Johansson and newcomer Dominik Kahun. Jimmy Vesey took Skinner's spot with Lazar and Simmonds while the fourth line had Johan Larsson centering Michael Frolik and Kyle Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel reunite on top line as Sabres head to Philly Okposo. Zemgus Girgensons (lower body) did not practice and is questionable for Saturday.

"We would like to have stability,'" Krueger said. "I'd rather stand here with By Mike Harrington you in 10 games and say, 'Wow, isn't it great we're playing the same Published Fri, Mar 6, 2020|Updated Fri, Mar 6, 2020 lines?' You don't want to force that, but we will not give up on any game or any situation. Sometimes changing the lines is a way to keep the group reaching for victories and for successful games."

Ralph Krueger has been stubborn about this move all season. So after This season is lost in the standings and also on the stat sheet for he finally reunited Jeff Skinner with Jack Eichel and Sam Reinhart on the Skinner. About all he has to play for is to hit 20 goals for the fifth top line at practice Friday in LECOM HarborCenter, the Buffalo Sabres' consecutive season and then to go back to the drawing board to give the coach tried to act like it was no big deal. Sabres their money's worth come fall.

"Just so we would have something to talk about," Krueger deadpanned to "When things aren't going well, you can't just flip a switch and change reporters. one thing and all of a sudden you get back in the positive swing of things," Skinner said. "You just have to slowly build. You're always "It doesn't mean much. It just means the coach changed the lines," looking to grow and improve. For me obviously it's sort of been that way Skinner said in similarly downplaying the move. "I just keep trying to build this year. ... We have to build as a group and individually you have to on my game and keep trying to improve." continue to grow." Their words to the contrary, of course it's a big deal. "I thought we worked, had a good team game," Eichel said when asked While Eichel has been having a career year playing with Reinhart and why the line was so effective last season. "We were able to play different Victor Olofsson, Skinner's game has suffered. Skinner piled up 40 goals styles. We grinded at times when we needed to and obviously we can last season playing mostly on Eichel's wing, but the eight-year, $72- make the pretty plays. It worked last year, hopefully it works tomorrow." million contract extension he signed in the season's aftermath hasn't Flyers are soaring been worth the paper it was printed on. Philadelphia enters the game on an eight-game winning streak and tied Skinner is going to easily post a career-low in points for a non-lockout for the Metropolian Division lead with Washington, both with 40-20-7 season, with just 23 so far in 57 games. At least his 14 goals give him a records. The Flyers lead the NHL in home wins (24-5-4) and are three shot to surpass his previous career low for a full campaign of 18 set in points ahead of Pittsburgh. The Penguins host the Caps Saturday 2014-15. afternoon in PPG Paints Arena. "It just feels like something we wanted to look at during the skate today. The Sabres are 0-5-1 in their last six trips to Wells Fargo Center – and We'll make that final call tomorrow," Krueger said of what appears to be have been outscored, 26-9, in those games. Buffalo hasn't won a road the top-line trio for the Sabres on Saturday night in Philadelphia against game in regulation in Philadelphia since its 1-0 victory in Game 1 of its the white-hot Flyers. "It's just about getting our offense going and looking first-round playoff series on April 14, 2011. for combinations to make that possible. We need more than one line to go here with the opposition coming at us." The Flyers bludgeoned Buffalo, 6-1, on Dec. 19 in a game that saw Eichel scratched five minutes before faceoff, thus ending a 17-game "He's one of the best players in the world," Skinner said of Eichel. "He point streak that was the longest of his career. opens up a lot of space and he makes high-end plays. I played with him and 'Reino' before and I'm familiar with how they play. Hopefully we can Ullmark ready to back up get some chemistry going and produce a little bit." The Sabres returned rookie goalie Jonas Johansson to Rochester and Krueger has gone to the line in spots, notably late in games. But he's Krueger said Linus Ullmark, out since Jan. 28 with an ankle injury, is been steadfastly against using it for the long term, despite the howling of ready to back up. Carter Hutton will start Saturday but that could mean fans and regular questions about it from both local and visiting media. Ullmark's return will happen Monday at home against Washington. The coach has said he's been trying to strike a defensive balance in each Johansson went 1-3-1 in six appearances (five starts), with a 2.94 goals- line, a stance that has seemed dubious given the way a player with a $9 against average and .894 save percentage. million salary cap hit has been rendered invisible for long stretches. Pilut sits out The impetus for the change, of course, is the Sabres' five-game losing streak and their six-game streak of two goals or fewer in each Defenseman Lawrence Pilut, who has been paired with Rasmus contest. On top of that are point droughts of six games for Reinhart and Ristolainen the last two games, sat out practice Friday with the flu and is Eichel, the latter a career high for the Buffalo captain, and Skinner's questionable for Saturday. Colin Miller, who has been a healthy scratch, improved play of late on a line with Curtis Lazar and Wayne Simmonds. would come back into the lineup.

Skinner had three goals in a five-game stretch to close February and has Buffalo News LOADED: 03.07.2020 23 shots on goal in his last seven games. He had five shots but did not score in Thursday's 4-2 loss to Pittsburgh in KeyBank Center.

"'Skins' has been playing really well. He's been moving his feet, taking the puck to the net," Eichel said. "He's been one of our best players recently."

In a season in which he's moved a lot through the lineup trying to find a fit, Skinner credited his most recent linemates for finally getting him going.

"I think Simmonds helped a lot," Skinner said. "Me, him and Lazar had some good chemistry. We'd like to have produced a little bit more. We generated quite a few chances that maybe we would have liked to have seen gone in, but there were obviously positive signs there. He's a big, strong guy who creates a lot of space for himself and his limemates. Lazar was solid down the middle and we did a good job on the forecheck." 1179935 Buffalo Sabres last season, with his college career ending at KeyBank Center in the NCAA semifinals.

“You’re coming from college and you don’t play a lot of games and How healthy scratch helped spur Sabres prospect Jacob Bryson probably things went a lot smoother because he probably dominated the league, and this is a tough league,” he said.

Bryson has compiled two goals, 11 points and a plus-4 rating in 18 By Bill Hoppe games since being scratched. Overall, he has two goals, 20 points and a plus-10 rating in 58 appearances. Published Fri, Mar 6, 2020|Updated Fri, Mar 6, 2020 He scored his elusive first AHL goal Feb. 19 in his 52nd outing before

getting another the next game. ROCHESTER – Jacob Bryson saw an opportunity materialize late in a tie “That’s kind of a confidence booster, and now that I know that I can put game Wednesday and pounced on it, aggressively leading the the puck in the back of the net, I can just kind of play with that in the back Americans’ attack. of your head,” Bryson said. “It made the game a lot easier, I think, as far Three or four months ago, the Buffalo Sabres' defense prospect likely my confidence goes and ability to make plays.” would have made the safe play with 11 minutes remaining in a tight Amerks notes contest. The Amerks, who have lost five of their last seven games (2-2-3), have “I might’ve been a little timid to make plays like that, just a new coaching scored two or fewer goals five times in that stretch. On Wednesday, they staff, my first year pro,” Bryson said following the Amerks’ 3-1 loss to the pumped 37 shots on goal. “We got to get more guys in front of the net, in Blue Cross Arena. “It comes with confidence, and I’ve we got to get better shot selection,” a frustrated Taylor said. “Our shot played a lot of games now. I kind of know what to expect, and I think I management, it seems like we’re always going high. We don’t get second have the ability to make those plays.” and third opportunities." ... The Amerks play road games against the So the rookie zoomed into the left circle and adroitly fed defenseman on Friday and Saturday. ... Defenseman Casey Zach Redmond in the slot before goalie Michael DiPietro stymied the Nelson returned Wednesday after an upper-body injury sidelined him 10 chance. games. ... The Sabres returned goaltender Jonas Johansson to the Amerks on Friday. The scoring opportunity illustrates Bryson’s slick playmaking ability and growing confidence. Bryson, 22, has rapidly developed during the second Buffalo News LOADED: 03.07.2020 half this season, earning big minutes and praise from Amerks coach Chris Taylor.

“He’s headsy, he works hard, he’s focused on what he wants to do, he keeps it pretty simple,” Taylor said. “He doesn’t try to do a lot of different things. He’s simple and he gets his feet moving and he uses his strengths, and his strength is he can escape guys.

“He’s very intelligent, but I just like how he makes simple plays, and all of a sudden that’s the right play.”

Bryson said: “I try to keep it simple, because I know that’s part of our game plan, make the simple play if you can. Sometimes I like to do a little extra, like that play (Wednesday).”

On Wednesday, the 5-foot-9-inch, 179-pound Bryson also created winger Taylor Leier’s power-play goal, carrying the puck to the Utica blue line before moving in front of DiPietro.

“He was our best defenseman,” Taylor said of Bryson’s performance.

If Bryson, a fourth-round pick in 2017 (99th overall), keeps progressing, he will likely earn a recall from the Sabres at some point.

“He’s just the whole package,” said Redmond, Bryson’s defense partner all season. “He reads plays really well. He reads offensively and defensively what he needs to do. That was just a good showcase of everything he can do and what he’s about.

“I’m excited for him. He’s got a really good career ahead of him.”

The potential genesis of Bryson’s second-half surge came Jan. 22 in Cleveland.

Bryson looked comfortable in the American Hockey League from the get- go following his three-year career at Providence College. But after playing the Amerks’ first 40 games, Taylor scratched Bryson and relayed a message, telling him he experienced something similar early in his playing career.

So Bryson studied the action on the ice in the Amerks’ 3-2 overtime win against the Monsters from high above in Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.

“I have never done that before,” Bryson said of being a healthy scratch. “I mean, it was different. I think it did help. In the back of my head, I was like, ‘I can be a really good player here,’ and I was watching it from up top, and I think that helped a lot.”

He added: “I guess from there out I’ve been playing good hockey lately.”

Taylor said sometimes taking a step back helps a young player, especially someone fresh out of college. Bryson played only 42 games 1179936 Buffalo Sabres Sabres' interim head coach and send Smith to Cincinnati to oversee the minor league affiliate.

But two days after Imlach’s heart attack, Smith stood behind the bench How Floyd Smith became Sabres' first captain, coached team to Stanley for the first time in the Sabres’ 2-1 home loss to Toronto. Cup Final “I was no head coach,” Smith said. “I just filled in when they didn’t have anybody else for one game. I knew that I wasn’t going to coach the team the rest of the year. I didn’t have the experience. So I went down to By Jason Wolf Cincinnati with a bunch of young kids.”

Published Fri, Mar 6, 2020|Updated Fri, Mar 6, 2020 Smith knew the players – they were part of the organization – and he got to work.

“I just remembered what all the coaches I’d played for, what Sid Abel did Floyd Smith was in the office at Memorial Auditorium when the man who in Detroit or what Imlach did,” Smith said. talked him out of retirement had a heart attack. Smith knew how to read a locker room and quickly ingratiated himself “I was right there with him,” Smith said. “It all happened so fast.” with his knowledge of the game, a genuine belief in his players and a It was Jan. 7, 1972, and Smith, the Buffalo Sabres’ first captain, knew his little bag of motivational tricks. He knew something as simple as coach needed help. He knew to call for team doctors. He always had a swapping a puck for a tennis ball could liven a practice and make the knack for keeping cool under pressure. daily grind less of a chore.

Smith first played for George “Punch” Imlach with the Toronto Maple “He was kind of a fun-loving guy, so he brought that attitude that he had Leafs in the late 1960s, earning his trust after joining the team in a trade playing at the highest level in the NHL into his coaching," former Swords toward the tail end of Imlach’s tenure. The irascible coach and general and Sabres defenseman said. "For the situation he was in early manager had won four Stanley Cup championships during the Original on there in Cincy and with us in Buffalo, it was perfect.” Six era, but the Leafs’ domination dissipated after the NHL’s expansion, The Swords excelled under Smith’s guidance, reaching the playoffs in his and Imlach was fired after the 1968-69 season. first partial season. A year later, Smith was ready to call it quits. He was 35 and his “You could tell he had a really good feel for the chemistry,” said former production had plunged, the right wing’s four goals and 14 assists by far Swords and Sabres defenseman , now the assistant the fewest in a full season in his long career. general manager for the Montreal Canadiens. “I hadn’t officially retired, but my game was finished, as far as being A year later, the Swords set AHL records for wins and points and won the productive in the NHL,” Smith said. “It just came to a point where I , an experience that laid the groundwork for the most iconic couldn’t do what I wanted to do. I was getting older, my skating wasn’t team in Sabres history. improving any; it was getting worse. So it came time. My wife and I said, ‘Enough is enough.’ And then the Sabres called and I talked to Punch “I don’t think there’s any doubt that it was invaluable, both to Floyd and about this role he wanted me to do.” us,” former Swords and Sabres forward said. “There were a lot of players who went from that Swords team to Buffalo. We understood Smith’s most iconic moments were yet to come. what a long playoff run was. We understood it very well.” Fifty years ago, Imlach, who’d been hired as the Sabres’ first coach and 'He believed I could' GM, convinced Smith to continue his career in Buffalo. Dudley, now senior vice president of hockey operations for the Carolina He promised Smith he’d play on a line with rookie center Gilbert Hurricanes, began that 1972-73 season as little more than an enforcer. Perreault, the French Canadian phenom and future Hall of Famer drafted by the expansion franchise with the No. 1 overall pick. “I was a minor league guy who fought a lot and that was about the extent of it,” Dudley said. “All of a sudden, I got a call into the coach’s office, and Imlach said he’d name Smith team captain, and Smith was immortalized when you’re a player that doesn’t know exactly where he fits in in the in the black and white photo of the first ceremonial puck drop at the Aud. scheme of things, you’re not sure what being called into the coach’s And, most important, he said he’d let him run some practices, launching office means.” the career of the most successful coach by winning percentage in Dudley had just six goals and 29 points the previous season, compared franchise history. to 272 penalty minutes, but Smith had seen something and wanted to Five years later, 45 years ago in May, Smith led the Sabres to the 1974- play him on a line with Billy Inglis, the Swords’ captain and one of the 75 Stanley Cup Final against the Philadelphia Flyers in his first season best players in the AHL. as head coach. The team featured The French Connection, the star- This was a tremendous compliment and responsibility. studded top line of Perreault, Rick Martin and Rene Robert, and a young core of players who, in 1972-73, Smith had guided to the AHL Calder “That alone was a validation of how I played,” Dudley said. “But I can Cup championship as coach of the , illustrating the remember the words almost exactly. He said, ‘I know you’re tough, but importance of a strong farm system. don’t think you have to fight every shift you go out there. If Billy gets in trouble, you might have to step in, for sure. But don’t think you have to “I was going to kind of help him with coaching,” Smith, 84, said last week fight every time. I want you to play. I think you can play.’ from his home in Orchard Park, recalling that life-changing conversation with Imlach. “When he was busy, I would take the practices and all that. “He made me feel like he believed I could do it,” Dudley said. “And I did So that’s basically why I came. I knew that down the road I’d get into not want to let him down.” coaching somewhere, if I came and did this for a couple of years.” Dudley responded with 40 goals and 84 points in 64 games, while nearly That timetable accelerated in a heartbeat. halving his time in the penalty box. He added seven goals and a team- leading 22 points in the playoffs. 'Invaluable' The Swords went 54-17-5 and defeated the reigning champion Nova It had been a hectic couple of days at the Aud. Scotia Voyageurs, the Canadiens’ affiliate, in five games for the title. “Everybody was running around,” Smith said. “Everybody was worried, Inglis was named league MVP. ‘Just how healthy is Punch? What is his status,’ and everything? And the Dudley was promoted to the Sabres, along with several teammates the Knoxes were very concerned about their franchise and everything. There next year, then racked up 31 goals and 70 points during the team’s run to was just a lot of things happening.” the Stanley Cup Final in 1974-75. Once Imlach was stable, he and team co-owner Seymour Knox III spoke He’d go on to coach the Sabres from 1989 to 1992. and decided to promote , the head coach of the Swords, to “I wanted to be more than a pugilist,” Dudley said. “I didn’t mind that part They were shaking hands with the players, hugging them and getting of the game, but I don’t think there’s a lot of people who are singularly autographs as the Sabres made their way to buses waiting to transport fighters who didn’t want to be more than that. It’s the reason why when I them to their cars. coached the Sabres, every so often I’d put for a game or two on a line with top players like Dave Andreychuk, and it was kind of a “You talk about passion, and as you’re getting off the plane and everyone validation that he’s more than just a thug. is high-fiving you and hugging you,” Carriere said. “I have goosebumps now talking about it. So we finally get on the bus at the Niagara Falls “I learned that part of it from Floyd. I realized that you could actually have airport, and we’re going down the highway and it’s lined with people a major impact on somebody’s career and you can help people believe in honking their horns and waving and signs and all of that and you just go, themselves a little bit.” ‘Wow. What a town this is.’ ”

'A comfort level' The Sabres lost to the Flyers in the Stanley Cup Final, stymied by two- time Conn Smythe Trophy-winning goalie . The series A year after the Swords lifted the Calder Cup, the Sabres were in lasted six games, including the Sabres’ famed “Fog Game” victory in disarray, coming off a losing record and shaken by the death of Game 3 in Buffalo. defenseman Tim Horton in a car crash. Smith led the Sabres to the second round of the playoffs in each of the Imlach, acting as general manager, fired Crozier and promoted Smith to next two seasons, losing each time to the New York Islanders, before head coach, putting him in charge of several former teammates and coming to a “mutual agreement” with Imlach, he said, to step down. reuniting him with many of his best players from Cincinnati. “Punch was a great guy, a great hockey man. But he also was a coach,” “We had a comfort level with Smitty because we’d already gone through Smith said, laughing. “And once you coach once, you never forget, they war with him for a couple of years, won a championship together,” Hajt say. So dealing with him wasn’t the easiest thing in the world at the end.” said. “So because of that, the transition was easier. And even the guys that were there that weren’t as familiar with Floyd, certainly had to have The following season, Smith coached the of the respect for him because he had played at the highest level for a long time , reuniting with executives who had been in the NHL himself.” involved with the Swords. The 1978-79 Stingers roster included Robbie Ftorek, Mike Liut, Barry Melrose and an 18-year-old named Mark The transition, however, wasn’t so simple for the coach. Messier.

“One of the biggest things I cautioned myself against was not to play Dudley also played for Smith on that team, thrilled to again skate for the favorites, but take the best players, you know?" Smith said. "When we’re man who offered his big break, who led him to the Calder Cup and putting the team together, to make sure that when we left training camp Stanley Cup Final, the most genuine coach he’d ever had. we had the best players in the organization there.” “People figure it out if you’re not genuine, eventually,” Dudley said. “They The Sabres lurched to a 3-3-1 record over the first two weeks of the might be fooled for a while, but they’re going to figure it out. With Floyd, season, a stretch capped by a 7-2 loss at Los Angeles despite vastly there was no figuring it out. He was who he was. outshooting the Kings, a team that lost just twice in its first 26 games. But in that drubbing, something clicked. “He was just a good person who happened to be able to take a group of people and make them believe in themselves.” “We looked at ourselves and said, ‘Holy cow, we dominated LA in LA,' ” Hajt said. “We said, 'We have a good team here.' The light went on for Smith went on to work as a coach, scout and general manager for the whole team.” Toronto, then served as a consultant for Anaheim. He dropped the puck on opening night at KeyBank Center in October, when the Sabres The Sabres lost just once in the next 22 games, improving their record to honored former team captains to begin their 50th anniversary season. 21-4-4, the best mark in the NHL, and added a 12-game unbeaten streak in February. Smith said he and his wife, Audrey, still attend a few Sabres games each year. They sit in the stands. Buffalo finished the season with a 49-16-15 record and 113 points, in a three-way tie for first place with Montreal and defending champion “We do the same thing as everybody else – have a beer and have a hot Philadelphia. dog,” Smith said. “I go and try to blend in with everybody and just watch the game. And listen to the crowd.” The Sabres defeated the Chicago Blackhawks in five games in the first round, then took a 2-0 series lead over Montreal in the conference finals. Buffalo News LOADED: 03.07.2020 When the Canadiens knotted the series with consecutive home victories, Smith kept the team from panicking.

“We got beat bad in Montreal and he came back and he just took a very positive approach,” said former Sabres forward Danny Gare, then in his rookie season. “He said, ‘Boys, look, we’re at home. We’re in control of this series.’ And we ended up winning the next two to go to the finals. He was a positive influence in that regard. He knew what type of team we had.”

The Sabres defeated the Canadiens, 4-3, in Game 6 in Montreal, and played for the Stanley Cup in just its fifth year of existence.

“That was really neat. That was big,” Smith said. “That turned the franchise into a real, first-rate franchise, that win.”

'Goosebumps'

Buffalo erupted in pandemonium.

Thousands of Sabres fans swarmed the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, jamming the surrounding highways and causing the team to redirect its charter flight to Niagara Falls. But word got out and the horde spread north, where it overwhelmed the triumphant players as they stepped off the plane.

“That was a funny thing,” Smith said. “But it was scary. They didn’t leave much room for you to maneuver. They were all around.”

Smith said he heard the crowd was estimated at 15,000 fans. 1179937 Buffalo Sabres

Former Sabres winger Matthew Barnaby arrested in Nashville

By Harold McNeil

Published Thu, Mar 5, 2020|Updated Fri, Mar 6, 2020

Former Buffalo Sabres winger Matthew Barnaby was arrested early Thursday in Nashville, Tenn., for allegedly choking a bouncer at a downtown night spot, according to a Davidson County Criminal Court affidavit.

According to the affidavit, Barnaby was already detained by security at the bar when officers from the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department arrived. Security told police that an altercation had erupted between Barnaby, his girlfriend and some other patrons at the bar. A bouncer at the bar said he was choked by Barnaby during the altercation, and he announced to police his intention to have Barnaby prosecuted for assault, the affidavit said.

Officers who responded to the fracas said they observed a strong odor of alcohol on Barnaby's breath and noted that his eyes were red and watery and that his speech was slurred. Barnaby was charged with public intoxication and taken into custody by police.

Several hours after his arrest, Barnaby responded on Twitter:

"A full statement will be coming soon but at this time all I can say is that I believe the incident in question will be over and I will be vindicated very soon. Support has been overwhelming. Thank u"

Barnaby played parts of seven seasons with the Sabres, from 1992 until he was traded to the in 1999. He finished his National Hockey League career in 2007 with 2,562 penalty minutes and 300 points in 834 games.

Barnaby was arrested on Dec. 5, 2011, not far from his Clarence home by an Erie County sheriff's deputy who said Barnaby was driving a Porsche Cayenne with a missing tire.

He later pleaded guilty to guilty to four charges, including misdemeanor driving while intoxicated, and was sentenced to 100 hours of community service, levied fines of $1,325 and surcharges of $625, and sent to court- ordered rehabilitation, including in-patient counseling. At the sentencing, Barnaby promised to take "proper measures" to make sure he stays out of trouble.

ESPN fired Barnaby as its hockey analyst less than a day after the 2011 arrest.

Buffalo News LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179938 Buffalo Sabres We know how good they were together last season. In 541 minutes at 5- on-5, they outscored opponents 30-22 and were above 50 percent in shots attempted, shots on goal, scoring chances, high-danger chances and goals, and still got 67 percent of offensive zone faceoffs. Even After much consternation, the Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart line is back for goalies played well when they were out there, with a .930 save Buffalo percentage.

“I thought we worked, I thought we had a good team game, I thought we were able to play different styles,” Eichel said. “We grinded at times when By Joe Yerdon Mar 6, 2020 we needed to and obviously we can make the pretty plays. It worked last year and hopefully it works tomorrow.”

The Sabres offense has been in a terrible slump during their five-game There can be concerns about how they defend, but puck possession and losing streak, so Ralph Krueger has decided to do the one thing he didn’t offense can be a better defense when players can score the way they want to do all season long. He’s putting Jeff Skinner, Jack Eichel, and can. The trio just worked well – reuniting them should be like pushing the Sam Reinhart back together again. “easy” button. With 15 games left in the season, that move is probably overdue, but exhausting all options is something Krueger will do to make The trio that racked up goals and generated offense like mad last season sure this March doesn’t result in an absolute collapse. Since 2013-2014, skated together at practice on Friday. Krueger said there was a good the Sabres are 24-50-14 in March. Making these games meaningful in a chance that Friday’s practice lineup will be the one to play in Philadelphia different way is the next challenge. on Saturday night. “We will continue to look at different looks but we would like to have “That combination has seen sporadic shifts here and there through the stability. I’d rather stand here with you in 10 games and say, ‘Wow isn’t it season, it’s not in the thousands, but there was a lot of ice there,” great we’re playing with the same lines again,’” Krueger said. “We don’t Krueger said. “It feels like something we wanted to see in the skate today want to force that but we will not give up on any game, we will not give up and we’ll make that final call (Saturday), but it’s just about getting our on any situation and sometimes changing the lines is a good way to keep offense going and digging for combinations that can make that possible. the group reaching for victories and for successful games.” We need more than one line to go here with the opposition that is coming at us, but that is definitely a potential option (Saturday).” The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020

The Sabres are 67 games deep into a season in which they’ll almost certainly miss the playoffs for the ninth straight year. Like I pointed out after the loss to Pittsburgh, the offense has been dire of late, with nine goals in the past five games. The combination of a season destined for yet another NHL Draft lottery and a coach looking for different ways to fix the offense brought us to this point.

Krueger’s reasons for not putting the three best offensive producers together have been clear. He wanted to have a lineup with more than one line that could produce goals and he wanted to spread the talent throughout his forward group. The Sabres are 21st in the NHL in goals scored and losing games because they’re not scoring enough.

In the limited time Skinner-Eichel-Reinhart played together this season, the results are clear — they can generate offense.

Via NaturalStatTrick.com, they’ve played 50:55 together at 5-on-5. A lot of that time has come in situations where the Sabres are chasing goals late in games or on offensive zone draws late in periods trying to steal a goal. They’ve had 86 percent of faceoffs in the offensive zone. Krueger has viewed them as a specialized offensive weapon and not often as a regular line.

Unsurprisingly, they’ve had 68 percent of scoring chances against their opponents, 60 percent of high-danger chances and 65 percent of the shot attempts. Being mindful of the situations in which they’ve been put out there, that’s very impressive.

There has been a downside though. They’ve been outscored 4-2. It’s not a massive sample size and the situations sometimes come with an empty net. That would help at least partially explain the .826 on-ice save percentage when those three have been on the ice together, but shots on goal were even at 23 when they’re together.

Eichel and Reinhart have had tremendous success together offensively this season. In 913:43 together at 5-on-5, their shot attempts are above 50 percent, although their shots on goal are not. They’ve outscored opponents 42-38. Their defensive numbers aren’t as strong but they’re out there to score goals and they push the pace of the offense most of anyone on the team.

We’ve written plenty regarding Skinner’s offensive struggles this season, but he’s picked up the pace of late with three goals in the past seven games. Putting him back with Eichel and Reinhart doubles as a move to strike while the iron is hot with him and give Eichel and Reinhart a boost, as they’ve cooled off recently with zero points each in the past six games.

“I just keep trying to build on my game and keep trying to improve,” Skinner said. “Obviously (Eichel) is one of the best players in the world so he opens up a lot of space and he makes high-end plays… Hopefully we can get some chemistry going and we can produce a little bit.” 1179939 Buffalo Sabres Any chance the Bills add legitimate competition to their QB room? Josh Allen has shown growth, but they will only go as far as he can take them. I’m sure they believe he’s really a franchise, Super Bowl-winning type of QB based on when they drafted him, but does the league really view him The Satchel: Tim Graham on Sabres vs. Bills management, NFL free that way? — Eric P. agency and more Second question first. No, I don’t perceive the NFL at large considers Allen a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback, but who is? There maybe are six or seven quarterbacks you think of and envision Lombardi Trophies: Tom By Tim Graham Mar 6, 2020 Brady, Drew Brees, Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Aaron Rodgers, Ben Roethlisberger and maybe Lamar Jackson and DeShaun Watson. The thing is, it’s hard to picture until they win it all or come close. The Sabres have won as many games since the NHL trade deadline as David Ayres has, or Gump Worsley for that matter. Allen doesn’t turn 24 until May. Jim Kelly was almost 29 when he posted his first winning record with Buffalo and almost 31 when he made his first Buffalo has scored as many goals over its past three games as one Super Bowl appearance. player scored Thursday night. Now to your first question. Allen is the no-doubt starting quarterback. And ticket prices are going up. Buffalo has zero desire to add a challenger. Buffalo isn’t even interested in Brady. On my radio show in January, Beane cleverly reasoned there Need a diversion from all the misery? would be no need to pursue Brady because the potential free agent Climb inside The Satchel and envelop yourself in its snuggly goodness. wouldn’t have any interest in being Allen’s backup.

Obviously, the Sabres and Bills seem to be trending in very different Where competition might materialize is down the depth chart. As our directions when it comes to success on the ice/field. Recently, a lot of Matthew Fairburn wrote last weekend, the Bills could be in the market for heat seems to be directed towards the Pegulas for the Sabres’ lack of a developmental quarterback. Last year, they signed Tyree Jackson from success and their inexperience in owning an NHL team (many fans have the University at Buffalo, but cut him after a disastrous preseason. Then been calling for a president of hockey ops to be hired). The problem is the Bills added Davis Webb to the practice squad, indicating they weren’t that they have just as much experience running a NFL team as they do a concerned about losing him to another club. The Bills kept only Allen and NHL team, but the NFL team is starting to show signs of success and backup Matt Barkley on their active roster. Barkley is in the final year of promise. What do you think the Bills’ organization is doing to have the his contract. team trending in a promising direction that the Sabres might be lacking? On the topic of backup quarterbacks, I often think back to a conversation — Joey M. I had with Bill Belichick at 2009 Patriots training camp. The Pegulas have more experience running an NHL team by three and “Are you comfortable with them?” Belichick said of his philosophy. “If you half years. The difference is that they recovered from the Rex Ryan feel like you can win with him, then you probably feel comfortable with fiasco by hiring the right tandem in coach Sean McDermott and general him. If you don’t feel that way, then that means you’re probably looking manager Brandon Beane. for somebody else.” McDermott established a wholesome and character-driven culture. Belichick has benefited from savvy backup quarterback management Beane assembled a fantabulous scouting department, consisting of more than most coaches. Brady was Drew Bledsoe’s backup before several evaluators who have served upper-level roles with other teams or emerging as a superstar. When the Patriots lost Brady on opening day are considered attractive candidates to do so eventually: assistant GM 2008, unheralded Matt Cassel guided them to 11 wins. Former Belichick Joe Schoen, pro personnel director Malik Boyd, college scouting director backups Jimmy Garoppolo and Jacoby Brissett started in the NFL last Terrance Gray, player personnel director Dan Morgan, college scouting year. Belichick is quick to cycle through backup quarterbacks — even assistant director Lake Dawson, senior scout Dennis Hickey and those he drafted — if he doesn’t think they’re working out. personnel adviser Brian Gaine. We at The Athletic Buffalo have written feature stories on most of them. “If you’re trying to get your backup guy to eventually be your starter or be able to go in and win for you, and you draft a young player like Cassel, Think back to previous Bills GMs and their top lieutenants; most never you know he’s not ready that first year,” Belichick said. “But you hope in got another NFL job. time you can get him ready. Back to the Sabres … I don’t think a hockey czar is needed just as the “That’s the problem with a young quarterback. It takes a little bit of time to Bills’ front office proves a football czar is unnecessary. Jason Botterill develop them. The problem with the old quarterback is it’s a year-to-year could be the Sabres’ boss man in the same way Beane commands the proposition. It’s a combination of how far you really think you’ll be able to Bills. go with that player and if you feel he’s keeping it warm until you had your The significant difference is that Botterill’s staff doesn’t resemble his starter back — but then you’re looking for someone else.” Orchard Park counterpart’s deep crew. Barkley has been the year-to-year proposition, while the Bills have been Sabres assistant GM/ GM Randy Sexton previously unable to identify a project worth committing to. This could be the spring, was Ottawa Senators GM for two and a half years and Florida Panthers as Fairburn wrote, to use a mid-round draft pick on a quarterback. GM for seven months, and his teams failed to reach the postseason. He How do the Sabres get a No. 2 center and a goalie? They didn’t last worked with Botterill in Pittsburgh as amateur scouting director. Sexton year. Why should we believe they will this offseason? — Garry M. oversaw the Penguins’ drafts in 2016 and 2017. None of those picks have played in the NHL. The Penguins didn’t have any first-round Buffalo’s goaltender situation will be fascinating to monitor. An upgrade selections, but they did take three second-rounders with Sexton. would be welcome, but the depth chart could remain intact for 2020-21. Carter Hutton is under contract for one more year, and I doubt the Buffalo’s other assistant GM, Steve Greeley, is considered a front-office Sabres will waive him. Linus Ullmark is a restricted free agent they riser. The 39-year-old former Boston University associate head coach should bring back. interviewed for the Carolina Hurricanes’ top job in 2018. In a perfect world, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Jonas Johansson Amateur scouting director Ryan Jankowski was assistant GM with the continue to develop next season in Rochester. New York Islanders from 2005 to 2010 and oversaw player personnel for Canada’s world junior and under-18 teams before joining Buffalo. Botterill — or whoever the general manager is — could trade Hutton or buy him out, but finding a team that wants a 34-year-old journeyman at An answer to fortifying the Sabres’ front office would be to spend money $2.75 million will be difficult. If the Sabres can create an opening, then to make those lieutenant jobs more attractive to top scouts with better they could look at free agents such as Braden Holtby, Jacob Markstrom credentials. But with rumblings of more personnel cutbacks across or old friend Robin Lehner if he’s willing to try winning here again. Pegula Sports and Entertainment offices, a substantial cash infusion into hockey operations seems unlikely. As for a second-line center, oy, who’s to say? The Sabres have failed to address the screaming need for two years. There’s no reason to assume they’ll suddenly conjure a solution this offseason. As longtime Satchel ally Kris Baker (follow him on Twitter announced this week on Twitter he was not interested in signing a long- @SabresProspects) says, they should submit to the idea of installing term deal with the Jaguars. The tag would let them hold onto Ngakoue a Sam Reinhart in the role. little longer to possibly swing a trade.

Who is to blame for the horrific penalty kill this year? This seems to be a Beane said at his season-ending news conference the Bills “probably very glaring issue. — Brandon B. won’t be spending at the deep end of the pool like we did last year.” I have no reason to doubt that. While the Bills have the salary-cap space The Sabres are the NHL’s rock-bottom unit, snuffing power plays only to take on a behemoth contract like the one Ngakoue seeks, $22 million 74.2 percent of the time. would double the average annual salary of Buffalo’s highest-paid player, Perhaps it’s too simple, but the old hockey maxim states that a team’s center Mitch Morse. The Bills also must extend their own expensive best penalty killer is its goaltender. Of the 65 goalies who have played at players, particularly cornerback Tre’Davious White and quarterback Josh least 10 games, Ullmark (.836) ranks 54th and Hutton (.831) ranks 57th Allen from their rookie contracts. in short-handed save percentage. Ngakoue is a fabulous pass rusher, with 37.5 sacks, 85 quarterback hits, Johansson has a .909 short-handed save percentage, but he has played 14 forced fumbles, three recoveries, two interceptions and two defensive only six games. touchdowns in his first four seasons. He’ll turn 25 in four weeks. But Beane didn’t painstakingly maneuver Buffalo into such an envious cap Have you ever just completely lost the ability to read and write, similar to situation only to spend his way right back out of it. how the Sabres completely forget how to play hockey? — Andrew F. How difficult is it for the Sabres and Bills to land any real top-end free Flizk now minniwirm. agents without overpaying? Seems like we always get second-tier signings. Also, did you unfollow Bobo? — Brian W. Don’t the Sabres have the new “dynamic pricing” program reversed? Based on the past 10 years, shouldn’t the fans that are closest to the I did not unfollow Bobo, the self-proclaimed Howard Stern superfan, action pay the least to see the carnage that goes down on the ice? — because I never would follow him to begin with. Vincent S. Overpaying to lure free agents to Buffalo is a legitimate issue. I’ve written You raise a stellar point there, Vincent. about the Bills’ concerns a couple of times. Playoff appearances and a decided quarterback undoubtedly enhanced their appeal, but my A legitimate quibble I have with the price adjustments are for those who canvassing of free agents at the Pro Bowl suggested that no amount of are getting a discount. Sounds nice on the surface. But what that winning can overcome weather and small-market concerns for some downward adjustment indicates is that some fans have been overpaying players. for their seats for however many years. The Sabres are an easier sell to hockey players, but stigmas still exist. Hearing a lot of talk about certain Bills possibly being cut for cap space, While getting paid in American dollars and living so close to Canada can like Trent Murphy, Tyler Kroft, etc. But in reality, don’t they have enough be attractive to some, anonymous NHL player polls — as with NFL cap space to wait until cuts to do that? — Chris H. surveys — repetitively list Buffalo as the locale guys least like to visit or The Bills do not crave additional salary cap space. They have so much, live in. in fact, that cutting those veterans becomes more plausible. The Bills can Yes, winning would help the Sabres’ chances, but how many coveted assume dead money without flinching. free agents tripped over themselves to play with Dominik Hasek or the As detailed in my salary cap analysis last month, the Bills expect to have teams that reached consecutive Eastern Conference finals? roughly $80 million to work with when the offseason begins in a couple of How many more seasons can we expect No. 9 to accept this team being weeks. In that story, Spotrac founder and Bills fan Mike Ginnitti, naming terrible before he finally can’t take it any more and demands a trade? Kroft, Murphy and Star Lotulelei specifically, noted that Beane has Personally, I feel like he’s already been more than patient. — Brian M. created a situation where he simply can walk away from certain contracts. Beane can upgrade those positions without feeling handcuffed Jack Eichel has carried the Sabres on his back. Like you, Brian, I by unfavorable deals. wouldn’t begrudge any frustrations he might have, any resentments he might harbor, any wanderlust he might entertain. Hey, Tim! Just wondering, since you have been in both hockey and football locker rooms, good and bad, what are good things that usually His yearly progress shows he hasn’t taken his stature for granted. give the team a leg up and what are some bad things that you see Already an elite player at 23 years old, Captain Jack earns his $10 million translate to the field or rink? Broad question, but I would love diving into salary. it, considering how the two franchises seem to be at two separate points. — Phil M. This season, he became only the fifth Sabres player (Thomas Vanek three times, Miroslav Satan twice, Jeff Skinner and ) to score We can talk about character and confidence and practice habits and at least 35 goals since Marine Midland Arena opened. With 15 games to coaching, but the nucleus of sustained team success is player talent. play, Eichel is nine goals from posting the highest total since 1992-93, when Alexander Mogilny netted 76. Winning and losing locker rooms feature motivators and overachievers. Kyle Williams and were admired as leaders, but their teams Sabreland would be livid if Eichel wanted out, but probably not at him. He flopped more often than not. Marshawn Lynch and Steve Ott did not lack is respected for having toiled five seasons for nothing. Fans are fed up confidence. Chan Gailey and Ted Nolan expected to win every game. with the Pegulas. A trade demand would detonate what has been a smoldering PR fire for the Sabres’ owners. Where success starts, however, is winning. Teams get into situations where they’ve “done it before,” whether it’s the 2005-06 Sabres Eichel is under contract through 2025-26, when he will be 30 years old. overcoming two-goal deficits in the third period or last year’s Bills making a critical defensive stand. Moments such as those are the headwaters of I am disappointed the Bills have not replaced their offensive line coach faith, where you don’t merely believe in yourself, your teammates and and nobody is talking about it. In their three biggest games of the year your coaches, but you know they will get the job done. (Ravens, Patriots and Texans), the O-line failed each time with the game on the line. Their O-line coach is inexperienced, and it showed. Why do Great teams have their share of jagoffs, but you don’t notice them as you think Sean McDermott and Brandon Beane do not see that and have much. On losing teams, they’re known as cancers. not acted? This will be a fatal flaw for 2020 and will keep Josh Allen and the team from progressing? Do you think McDermott will do anything? — All of this said, I am a big believer in locker-room and organizational Greg T. culture — only not as the driving force to success. I see it as an invaluable complement to existing talent, a powerful additive to foster a Bobby Johnson joined Buffalo last year as an upgrade to veteran winning environment. offensive line assistant Juan Castillo, an original McDermott hire who lasted two seasons. Any chance the Bills make a serious run at Yannick Ngakoue? — John L. The Bills overhauled their line with new faces at every position except left The chances are slight, if not nil. The Jacksonville Jaguars have until tackle. Football Outsiders metrics ranked the Bills’ unit 16th in the NFL March 12 to apply the franchise tag to Ngakoue, who reportedly wants to last year after rating it third-worst in 2018 and fifth-worst in 2017. be the NFL’s highest-paid defensive end at $22 million a year. He He might be inexperienced compared to Castillo, but Johnson has credentials. Johnson was the O-line coach at Indiana University from 2005 to 2009 and an assistant O-line coach at three NFL stops: Bills in 2010 and 2011 (working with Joe D’Alessandris on Gailey’s staff); Detroit Lions in 2014; Indianapolis Colts in 2018. Johnson otherwise coached tight ends with the Jaguars, Lions and Oakland Raiders.

Oakland is where Johnson identified right guard Jon Feliciano and blocking tight end Lee Smith as free agents Buffalo should sign.

I’ll never profess to be an expert on offensive line play. My opinions on such matters arise from conversing with experts and people directly involved. Bills offensive linemen have told me over and over that they love playing for Johnson.

To get a wiser perspective, I reached out to former Bills center and captain Eric Wood for his thoughts on Johnson.

“Bobby Johnson is well-respected amongst the guys on the team and guys around the league,” Wood said. “He’s a smart coach that gets his guys to play well together.”

Johnson will have additional help in 2020. McDermott this week promoted former Patriots center Ryan Wendell to assistant O-line coach, joining Terry Heffernan in the same role.

Who runs a faster 40: Joe B. or Fairburn? Also, what grade do you give to Beane and McDermott for their time in Buffalo so far? — Cody C.

I assume nothing. So rather than guess, I asked Buscaglia and Fairburn if they’d ever been timed in a 40-yard dash. Neither had.

Alas, no hard data.

I played pickup with both at the “Hoosiers” gym in Knightstown, Ind., and while Buscaglia was the better athlete, I also know Fairburn was an accomplished prep goalie in Massachusetts. And if you want to judge athleticism by what happened on the court that day, then you’d guess my personal best in the high jump was 2 feet, 7 inches.

But Fairburn told on himself by claiming his 40-yard dash time would be “awful.” With that attitude, I’ll have to put my money on Buscaglia.

We have a lot more information to go on regarding a grade for McDermott and Beane. Despite some turbulence that first year (switching from Tyrod Taylor to Nathan Peterman and various head-scratching in- game decisions), the Bills ended a 17-year playoff drought and have reached the postseason twice in the past three years. That’s worth a B+ to me.

How many primetime games for the Bills this year? I am predicting K.C. as a Sunday nighter and two of the NFC West games, Seattle, L.A. or S.F. — Jeffrey B.

The Bills were great for primetime television last year, defeating the Dallas Cowboys on Thanksgiving and the in a flexed game. Both performances were entertaining.

As nasty as the Bills’ 2020 schedule looks from a competitive standpoint, the list of sexy opponents should make them candidates for more night ball than fans are accustomed.

The list of marquee quarterbacks includes Patrick Mahomes, Russell Wilson, Ben Roethlisberger and maybe Tom Brady. The NFL’s inaugural season in Las Vegas could make that road game appealing to network executives. The 49ers game will be another TV candidate.

I’m predicting two scheduled primetime games, with more flexes possible if they maintain a healthy record.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179940 Calgary Flames At the halfway point of the second, however, Backlund committed a costly turnover in the Flames zone, lazily throwing the puck towards Matthew Tkachuk but didn’t see Oliver Ekman-Larsson pinching.

Flames lock it down, hold off Coyotes to earn win The Coyotes captain threw it on net and Hall jammed at it until the puck slid through Talbot’s legs. Carl Soderberg made sure it went in, making it a one-goal game.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia When the third period rolled around, the Flames, still maintaining a lead, found themselves penalty killing with Mark Jankowski off for high sticking. Published:March 6, 2020 They locked that down. Updated:March 6, 2020 11:04 PM MST With 4:39 remaining and a faceoff in Arizona’s zone, they played conservative. They also didn’t panic when Nick Schmaltz went in one-on- one with Talbot who opened up five-hole and when the puck whizzed by t is becoming a ritual, peering at the National Hockey League website the goal-line without going in. Somehow. and seeing where things shook down after the night before. Talbot, by the way, had a spectacular throwback poke check on Garland The Western Conference standings are wild. The Pacific Division in the final three minutes. The play knocked Talbot’s helmet completely standings have been nail-bitingly close. off.

And the Calgary Flames knew Friday’s clash against the Arizona The Flames also didn’t panic when Arizona pulled Kuemper with 1:17 Coyotes at Scotiabank Saddledome would reflect that — a playoff-type remaining and sent Hall — who was having himself a game — on the ice. game, tight-checking and reflective of two teams that certainly needed the extra points. They locked it down, limiting the Coyotes to five shots in the third period which is what a team needs to do in the post-season. And the Flames came out on top of this one, closing the gap in those Pacific Division standings with a 3-2 victory. “It’s good to see the growth that we talked about,” said interim head coach Geoff Ward. “We’ve talked about it for a while now. The fact the “Normally I check the standings in the morning,” downplayed Flames guys are responding the way they are. This is the way the hockey is forward Matthew Tkachuk who had three assists in the win. “After the going to be for the rest of the year. You’re not going to see a lot of games game, I’m too tired to dig into that too much. Maybe I’ll turn on the TV where it’s wire-to-wire out front. It’s going to be tight, both teams are and watch a bit. Honestly, it’s more of a morning thing when you check it going to get pushes. That’s the nature of the beast right now. on a day off and watching hockey on your day off.” “It’s great our guys are getting confident playing in all of those situations No worries. We’ll fill you in. and being able to stay on our game.”

While the Flames took care of their own business, they received some Prior to this week’s back-to-back wins on home ice, the Flames had only help from the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, beating the Vegas Golden one win in seven tries since the NHL all-star break. Knights 4-0 which means they’re now only three points ahead of Calgary instead of five. They also moved closer to the idle Edmonton Oilers, They’re now 16-12-4 with three remaining games at Scotiabank sitting only one point back of their provincial rivals. Saddledome of this five-game homestand.

The thing is, with 13 games remaining, it’s going to be this way down to And, overall, they improved to 36-26-7. the wire — taking care of business, checking the standings, doing the ICE CHIPS math. Repeat. Saturday was Flames G Cam Talbot’s third straight start and 300th of his “Every game right now has to be a playoff-type atmosphere,” said NHL career start. He turned aside 32 of 34 shots for his 12th win of the Flames starter Cam Talbot. “All these games, they’re going to make or season and 150th victory of his career … D Travis Hamonic has been break our season right now. To get an extra two points tonight, and have skating with the team all week as he recovers from an upper body injury. some help around the league obviously helps, especially when we see Friday’s morning skate was another step in his progression, albeit it that team (Vegas) coming here on Sunday. To close these gaps and wasn’t a true practice full of contact — which is the next step, according push these other teams further down behind us in the standings, is to Flames interim head coach Geoff Ward. “We’ve gotta get him into a obviously huge.” couple of practices to make sure that he’s immersed in game situations Truth be told, it was looking like it was going to be ‘one of those nights’ at full speed and full intensity,” he said. “Once he’s gone through those, when Taylor Hall opened the scoring with 71 seconds elapsed in the first he’ll be ready to get back in.” … Flames scratched D Michael Stone, D period, going blocker-side on Talbot. Oliver Kylington and C Zac Rinaldo … On Friday, the Calgary Flames and Calgary Flames Foundation hosted their ‘Hockey is For Everyone’ The home side didn’t roll over though, like they nearly did in game promoting inclusion and accessibility in sport and hockey. During Wednesday’s game which eventually saw the Flames rally from a two- the warm-up, the Flames used Pride tape in support of You Can Play. goal deficit and beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 in overtime. Meanwhile the starting lineup was joined by a minor sledge hockey player while several players from Alberta’s Special Olympics Canada Instead they scored back-to-back goals, including a powerplay marker Winter Games team stood beside anthem singer George Canyon and shortly after Arizona hit the scoresheet. helped him belt out the Canadian and American national anthems. Johnny Gaudreau, looking dynamic as ever, connected on a wicked shot Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020 that beat Coyotes netminder Darcy Kuemper. Forty-one seconds later TJ Brodie beat Kuemper side to take a 2-1 lead.

From there, the Flames took over the opening frame and limited the Coyotes to just eight shots while they pummelled Kuemper with 15.

The second, however, things tightened up. The ice became a little smaller. Space was at premium.

And while Mikael Backlund gave Calgary a 3-1 lead with his 16th goal of the season, just 4:17 into the middle frame, the Coyotes pushed back.

Conor Garland skated behind Talbot in a goalmouth scrum, nearly rapping a loose puck skimming across the goal-line but newcomer Derek Forbort eventually muscled him out of the crease and Erik Gustafsson swatted the puck out of harm’s way. 1179941 Calgary Flames And especially off the ice when it involves moving his wife Hannah and their two daughters, two-year-old Jamie and six-month-old Cellie to another city and country.

Gustafsson finds home on Flames' first power-play unit after trade Gustafsson reported that getting their kids appropriate documentation was relatively easy (both were born in the United States) but Hannah is Swedish which required a little more work.

Kristen Anderson, Postmedia “It’s been a little bit of a process,” Gustafsson said. “They’ve been here since Monday so it’s been a little bit of a rollercoaster. Everything is good Published:March 6, 2020 now. I’m happy to be with them. It’s exciting, it’s fun. It was tough but it’s Updated:March 6, 2020 9:11 PM MST part of the business, too. you had to be ready for it and I kind of knew it was coming, me and my wife. It makes it a little more tough when you have two kids.”

There are differences, for sure. It also isn’t easy in the dressing room, assimilating on a team that has been together all season and — in some cases — for many seasons. But at this time of the year — and in Erik Gustafsson’s situation — there’s no ‘feeling-out’ process when it comes to stepping into Calgary “It’s hard for everybody else, too,” Ward added. “When you get new guys Flames’ first power-play unit. in the room, you have to go through the process — how do they get immersed in the team? Are guys prepared to give up some of their Having been in that role for six games since being acquired from the territory in order for the new guys to fit in. There are a lot of team Chicago Blackhawks on the National Hockey League’s trade deadline on dynamics that go into it that need to be checked off. Feb. 23, he’s still in react-mode. “There is a lot of give and take from every new member of the team when And he’ll figure the rest out later. you get new guys in the room.” “I try to just go out and play,” said the 27-year-old prior to Friday’s Pacific Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020 Division clash with the Arizona Coyotes. “It’s a little bit of a process with certain things to know. Like, where Chucky wants it — if we wants a one- timer on the left or right foot or in the middle, just a small thing you have to learn.

“But they’re so easy to play with, too. I’ve kind of just been standing on the blueline right now — I think I need to start shooting a little more.”

These are the things that usually get ironed out within the opening months of the season. And, as far as Calgary has been concerned, Mark Giordano has been the high player on the first man-advantage unit.

But when the Flames captain went down with a hamstring injury and that necessitated a trade for a replacement in the interim, that meant replacing Giordano’s minutes on the power play.

And as the defender who walks the blueline, provides some deception, creates openings for the flankers to attack, and opens shooting and passing lanes.

“There’s an awful lot that (Gustafsson) does,” said Flames interim head coach Geoff Ward. “He’s got all those things in spades. So, for us, what he brings on the power play, it’s fine. I think it’s still a bit of a work in progress as he feels out what else is there on the power play.

“But it’s getting better all the time.”

It’s the type of responsibility perfect for a guy who had experience there playing with high flying Patrick Kane, , Alex DeBrincat and Ryan Strome.

“Johnny is like Kaner a little bit, he can move the puck,” said Gustafsson, whose offensive game is his calling card with 17 goals and 43 assists last season which included 18 power-play points. “He’s good to handle it, he can shoot it, he can pass it, he can do almost anything. Then, Debrincat on the left side — Chucky is over there now. Lindholm is out there on the left or right side. I think these guys are moving it around a little quicker than we did in Chicago. That’s what you have to do right now, when you play on the PP.

“But you have to shoot it too. You can’t just pass it around.”

Shows what he knows.

Gustafsson was snapping the puck around on the Flames’ first man advantage of Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes, keeping the play going and allowing Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau to do their thing.

He also nearly scored on a one-timer, jumping into the play midway through the first period during a particularly hot stretch for the Flames.

Gustafsson’s knack for jumping into the play and his ability to fit in on the power play has made him an intriguing addition for the Flames in their final stretch drive towards the playoffs.

But it’s not easy to make a seamless transition. 1179942 Calgary Flames key to it. We just got pucks to the net and stayed around the net and they went in for us.”

THIS N’ THAT GameDay: Flames vs. Coyotes — Looking for another win at home Thursday was an optional practice for the Flames and G Cam Talbot took the option. He is one start away from 300 in his career … D Travis Hamonic skated with the team for the second straight day, wearing a Kristen Anderson, Postmedia yellow no-contact jersey. Hamonic is recovering from an upper-body injury that has kept him out of the lineup since Feb. 8 … The Flames Published:March 6, 2020 have an 8-7-2 record since the NHL all-star break and are 2-5-1 at home Updated:March 6, 2020 5:00 AM MST in that span … Currently, they’re amid a five-game homestand — and play 10 of their last 14 games at Scotiabank Saddledome.

FLAMES’ PROJECTED LINEUP MONDAY Forwards Calgary Flames (35-26-7) vs. Arizona Coyotes (33-27-8) Johnny Gaudreau – Sean Monahan – Elias Lindholm 7 p.m. MT, Scotiabank Saddledome, Sportsnet West/Sportsnet 960 The Fan Andrew Mangiapane – Mikael Backlund – Matthew Tkachuk

THE BIG MATCHUP Milan Lucic – Derek Ryan – Dillon Dube

Flames G Cam Talbot vs. Coyotes LW Taylor Hall Sam Bennett – Mark Jankowski – Tobias Rieder

It’s tough to put a goalie on this list considering interim head coach Geoff Defence Ward isn’t keen on revealing his starting netminder the day before a Mark Giordano – TJ Brodie game. But we’re confident in this decision. Talbot’s next start will be his 300th which speaks to the 32-year-old’s durability between the pipes. Noah Hanifin – Rasmus Andersson He’s confident right now, and making things look easy (well, apart from the first shot on net against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday Derek Forbort – Erik Gustafsson but we digress). If Talbot starts for the Flames, he’ll be in tough against could-have-been-a-Flame Taylor Hall who has been shooting blanks these days. It’s been five games without a goal and three since he’s even Cam Talbot found the scoresheet. That could end in Calgary, a place where the first overall pick of the Edmonton Oilers in 2010 was born and spent the early David Rittich years of his life. COYOTES’ PROJECTED LINEUP

FIVE STORYLINES FOR THE GAME Forwards

MAKING PROGRESS AT HOME? Taylor Hall — Christian Dvorak — Clayton Keller

Wednesday’s come-from-behind victory wasn’t perfect. But a 3-2 Lawson Crouse — Derek Stepan — Vinnie Hinostroza overtime win over the Columbus Blue Jackets showed that the Flames could be patient, stick with their game, make adjustments to their Conor Garland — Barrett Hayton — Phil Kessel opponents, and continue to chip away at their mediocre home record. And, truth be told, Wednesday’s game wasn’t a masterpiece. “Those Carl Soderberg — Brad Richardson — Nick Schmaltz games aren’t pretty to watch,” said interim head coach Geoff Ward. Defence “They’re not pretty to play in. But you just have to stick with it.” Oliver Ekman-Larsson — Ilya Lyubushkin LINDHOLM LIGHTS THE LAMP Alex Goligoski — Niklas Hjarlmarsson Not too long ago, Elias Lindholm admitted he is itching to hit the 30-goal mark for the first time in his National Hockey League career which has Jordan Oesterle — Jason Demers spanned over seven seasons. With 14 games remaining in the 2019-20 campaign, he’s currently sitting at 29 goals. It’s an incredible Goaltenders accomplishment for the 25-year-old native of Boden, Sweden, who is into Darcy Kuemper his second campaign with the Flames. But over the last two seasons — since general manager inked him to a contract extension Antti Raanta — Lindholm is looking like a steal for the Flames, at $4.85-million per INJURIES season for the next four years (through 2023-24). Coyotes — D Jakob Chychrun (strained psoas muscle) REMEMBER WHEN Flames — D Travis Hamonic (upper body), D Juuso Valimaki (knee) The last time these teams faced was Dec. 10 when Zac Rinaldo led the Flames to a 5-2 win at Gila River Arena with a goal and an assist — oh- SPECIAL TEAMS so-close to a Gordie Howe Hat Trick. Cam Talbot delivered 46 saves in his eighth start of the season. The Flames beat the Coyotes 4-3 in Power play (prior to Thursday’s action) overtime on Nov. 5 at home and lost 3-0 at Arizona on Nov. 16 in the Coyotes: 19.6% (18th, 41-of-209) desert. Friday is the teams’ last meeting of a four-game season series which Calgary leads 2-1-0. The Coyotes are tied with the Vancouver Flames: 20.7% (14th, 39-of-188) Canucks in points (74) but have played two more games than them and, as such, sit below the Canucks at fifth in the Pacific Division. Penalty kill (prior to Thursday’s action)

ABOUT THE YOTES Coyotes: 82.7% (6th)

Nick Schmaltz and Lawson Crouse scored in the third period of Flames: 82.3% (8th) Wednesday’s game to lift the Coyotes 4-2 over the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020 their Pacific Division rivals. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had an empty netter with 35 seconds left to seal the victory. Meanwhile, Darcy Kuemper made 36 saves. “We’re a desperate group and we’re playing some desperate hockey right now,” Crouse said. “We held our composure and we started pouring it on their defense and hanging in, staying in piles and that was a 1179943 Calgary Flames “You feel that you have to do something and you’re thinking, ‘Man, I’m just mad,’ and you just smash,” he said. “It’s just like a big bomb of emotions and then I’m calm.

‘It’s just me’: David Rittich knows he’s emotional but has no plans on “I mean, it’s a thing that you’re going to figure out after the game, a changing couple of hours after the game, that maybe you shouldn’t do it.”

Which is what happened when Sigalet and Rittich conferred afterward. The netminder acknowledged that he could’ve better handled the By Scott Cruickshank Mar 6, 2020 situation.

Left unimpressed by the stick-swinging scene, however, had been David Marcoux. Former goalie coach of the Flames and the Carolina To illustrate the seemingly never-ending nature of his denials, David Hurricanes, he took to Twitter to give Rittich a sound spanking. Rittich hunches over, then places his right hand on an imaginary cane. Sigalet understands criticism directed at his pupil. “Yeah, I’m going to be a little old guy.” “In a little bit of a way, it’s warranted,” he said. “Ritter just hates losing, Then, adopting a Grandpa Simpson voice, he warbles: “It’s not but the rest of the team out there also hates losing. Sometimes maybe disrespectful, it’s not disrespectful, it’s not disrespectful.” it’s better to do that down the tunnel or in the dressing room — and not Point taken since this is becoming familiar territory for the Calgary do it in front of everybody else. Flames goalie. “Sometimes it shows a sign of weakness. Plus he almost killed two of his Rittich is often obliged to defend himself because of what some teammates.” observers consider to be over-the-top antics. So, on demand, he knows Frowns over the incident, though, are hardly unanimous in the hockey to insist that there is no intention to bring shame or to cause world. embarrassment, that he is simply being himself. And, of course, that it’s not disrespectful. Not understanding the fuss is , former goaltender and WFAN radio analyst for the New Jersey Devils. Nevertheless, opinions vary. “To criticize Rittich? I really have trouble with that,” he said. “If I’m going Rittich’s extreme behaviour — fuelled by unbridled joy or red-lined fury — (to the game as a fan), I want those guys to really look like they care. So can cut two ways, with both ends of that eyebrow-raising spectrum in why would they criticize him? What was wrong? Except for the cost of the evidence in recent weeks. goalie stick. Jan. 29 at Edmonton, after sealing a shootout victory by foiling Leon “To me, it looks like he cares, like he really wanted it bad. What if he just Draisaitl, he stares down the Oilers star, then brazenly flips his stick. That skates off, ‘Ah, no problem. So what? They scored on me?’ The sports display irks the hosts. world is getting a bit unrealistic. You want these guys to take the game Feb. 27 at Nashville, after losing to the Predators, he roars toward the seriously, you want 100 percent because that’s what I want. visitors’ bench and begins to wildly hammer his stick into the boards. “I’m sure Rittich is a gamer.” Teammates, not interested in absorbing shrapnel, take cover. It’s worth considering Resch’s perspective, well-formed on this particular These episodes come and go without apology. Nor is one likely to be matter. For years, he served as a stablemate to two of the hottest- issued. Like, ever. blooded goalies in NHL history — Billy Smith and Ron Hextall. But Rittich’s viewpoints are nothing if not entertaining. So … Those gents, note, were elite puck-blockers. Following a recent practice at the Saddledome, the 27-year-old plops Smith, as a member of the New York Islanders, captured the Stanley down in his dressing-room stall and slips on his wedding band, which he Cup four times. And Hextall, as a rookie for the Philadelphia Flyers, won always does immediately after getting off the ice. Pads still strapped in the 1987 Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies. place, he is in a chatty mood. And both men, to put it politely, burned brightly. Even if he does swiftly shoot down one hopeful angle — that must be his idol because of their matching temperaments. “(Like Rittich), Smitty and Ronnie smashed their sticks — but it was over shins and backs,” Resch said while chuckling. “That maybe sums up “It’s not about liking him (because) he was like that,” Rittich said. “I like today’s goalie versus those two.” him because he was a good goalie and he did good stuff. I don’t want to compare.” Resch’s pals were wicked. They sit 1-2 in all-time goalie penalty minutes — Hextall with 584; Smith, who fought 21 (!) times, with 490. But, nearly without pause, he pivots into a discussion about his fiery makeup. “It’s just me — I’m emotional. It’s just my feelings and how my “They were wired,” Resch said. “They would’ve loved to be defencemen. feelings are going through me.” They would’ve mixed it up, did the cross-checking, all that. Smitty would always say, ‘Boys, we have to hurt them first.’ And you know what? He Then the idea of changing your — meant it. He wasn’t talking about emotional hurt. He’s talking about “Oh, no way,” he interjected. “That’s how I play — the emotion has to be physical pain being inflicted on them before they inflict it on us. in there. Everyone knows me. I’m in the league for three years and I’m “I don’t know what Rittich’s like, but these guys had a switch. In the room still the same.” before the game, they were calm. For Hexy, it was right after warmup Rittich points at his interrogator’s notepad and recorder. when he got the motor running. For Smitty, it was when the referee blew the whistle to start the game — national anthem, guys skating around, “If someone tells you to change your work right now — ‘Do it differently’ then bang. It was showtime, man. — what are you going to do?” he said. “It’s hard to change something. It’s not a thing that you learn. It’s a thing that’s inside you … and you’re “Very emotional guys … and both great goalies.” doing what you feel. I never learned from somebody — be mad after a Resch is asked if anyone — owners, managers, coaches, teammates — game and break a stick, be mad after you are pulled and rip your pad.” ever tried to rein in Smith and Hextall. That is to say, ordered them to Uh, rip your pad? He waves his hands at the misunderstanding. “Oh, no, lighten up. that was just an example. I never did that. You can ask the guys. I swear There’s a pause, likely caused by incredulity. to god. They know I (stay) with sticks.” “Not really,” Resch replied, drawing out those two words. “Nobody told And so it was following last week’s disappointment in Nashville — those two what to do. You know when someone says, ‘Oh, don’t get equalizer allowed with 0.1 second remaining in the third period, overtime emotional, you’ll lose your focus’? It wasn’t the case with those two guys. goal arriving shortly thereafter — that Rittich blew his stack. Reasoning wasn’t going to change anything.” Resch remembers a morning when the Islanders, having divided themselves into east and west squads, were getting ready to scrimmage. To make things more interesting, every guy was throwing five bucks into the pot. Smith wanted no part of it. “He said, ‘If I play for money, you know what’s going to happen — I’m going to play for keeps.'”

Finally, they convinced their goalie to pony up. “Then someone, I can’t remember who, did something around the crease and Smitty got up and gave him a shot, a pretty good shot, with his blocker. And everyone was saying, ‘What are you doing, Smitty?’ And he goes, ‘I told you.'”

Curiously, neither Smith nor Hextall did much competing away from the ice. No cards. No table tennis.

Casual contests couldn’t hold their interest. But hockey games, especially in the spring, drove them.

“But they weren’t really vocal in the room, like laughing and trying to be one of the boys. It was all just business,” Resch said. “I don’t know if there would be any goalies like that today. I really don’t think so.”

There are not many goalies like Rittich in any era. Not only are there those gusts of intensity, but there’s also the other side — the young man’s goofy charm.

He is one colourful character.

But even harmless silliness can rub people the wrong way.

The Salt Bae routine. Joyous hugs with Matthew Tkachuk. Pre-cheering Johnny Gaudreau’s overtime winner that night in Denver. And, of course, the stick flip on enemy ice. (“Are you not allowed to celebrate in this league anymore or what?” Rittich snorted days later.)

The Flames did appreciate No. 33’s performance that night in Edmonton — which contributed to victory against their archrivals — but they had not been thrilled by his post-shootout shenanigans.

“I wasn’t very happy,” Sigalet said, “but sometimes the moment takes over and it’s a little too late to take it back.”

Still, he believes there has been a maturing of the Czech netminder. Rittich’s line-crossing is coming at the conclusion of matches — in other words, not as in-game distractions. This stands as progress.

In his early years in North America — he debuted with AHL Stockton in 2016 — Rittich appeared to be focused on introducing himself to the opposition. “He’d be in the corner every time there was a scrum,” Sigalet said. “(Now) you’re not seeing him slash as many guys, chirp as many guys. He’s more worried about his game and that’s when he’s at his best.”

Adjustments go only so far. Feel free to try to file off the burrs, just don’t expect radical refinement. He’s high strung, often running too hot. Giddy with excitement at other times.

“Deep down, that’s who he is, right?” Sigalet said. “It would be like trying to tell Cam Talbot to be fiery — it’s not really in his personality.”

Explaining his edgy approach to competition, Rittich talks about horsing around when he’s back home — gathering for pick-up games of soccer, handball, basketball. His friends are hockey players, too, so they welcome contact. The result, he says with a laugh, can be grisly — sometimes “there’s blood everywhere.”

During Flames practice, Rittich yells at teammates — taunting if he foils them, cussing if they beat him. And if they really cross him, he has been known to whip pucks at their feet. He nods and cackles. “But I’m not shooting hard, right?”

The other day, one of his buddies sent him an interesting video. It showed a jubilant Rittich, after winning a Czech first-division playoff game in a shootout, moonwalking around the ice. Uh oh. What was the fallout from that?

“They loved it,” he said, grinning. “But, I mean, it’s different than playing hockey in Canada, especially in Canada, or in the NHL, right? So that’s a little difference.”

Rittich shrugs, then recites his damage-control mantra.

“It’s kind of the fire thing inside me. It’s not disrespect. It’s just a celebration. Emotions. It’s not disrespectful — like everyone else is going to say.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179944 Carolina Hurricanes all four lines rolling and all three D pairs playing really good hockey right now.”

NOTES: F Joel Farabee was recalled from the minors to replace van Streaking Flyers beat Carolina 4-1 for 8th straight win Riemsdyk. ... Hurricanes D Brett Pesce is recovering from right shoulder surgery that is expected to keep him out the rest of the season. ... The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation, founded in 2005 by late Flyers founder Ed Snider, is set to honor 300 academic All-Stars from the BY DAN GELSTON AP SPORTS WRITER program on Saturday. Snider Hockey promotes life skills and hockey MARCH 06, 2020 12:25 AM through after-school, recreational and other educational activities. ... The Flyers did not commit a penalty in the game for just the seventh time in franchise history.

The label has a nice ring to it around Philly: The first-place Flyers. UP NEXT

It’s a tie, for now, in the Metropolitan Division and it’s still March, but for a Carolina plays Saturday at the New York Islanders. franchise that 15 months ago was nestled at the bottom of the standings and fired their coach, their GM, and ran through goalies like dirty laundry, The Flyers host Buffalo on Saturday. the Flyers will enjoy their moment in the top spot. Herald-Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 “It’s quite normal for everybody to be excited,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “Players, coaches, fans, Flyers fans, hockey fans. I mean, this is great hockey. The competition is unreal and we’re play well, right now. Everybody should be excited.”

Carter Hart stopped 28 shots and four players scored to lead the Philadelphia Flyers to their eighth straight win, 4-1 over the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday night.

Ivan Provorov, Michael Raffl, Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers, who continued their scorching turnaround from last season and won their 24th home game (24-5-4). They won on consecutive nights after beating the Washington Capitals 5-2 and have positioned themselves as a serious threat to make run in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The Flyers moved into a tie for first place in the Metropolitan with the Capitals, who lost 6-5 in overtime to the New York Rangers.

The Flyers, who tied a franchise record with 10 wins in February, have been one of the best teams in the league the last three months and have fans in Philly excited about hockey again. They have scored at least four goals in each game of their winning streak.

“They play right. That’s how you win,” Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said.

They suffered a bit of a blow with forward expected to miss four to six weeks with a broken right hand, suffered blocking a shot Wednesday night. He could be back in time for the playoffs. Van Riemsdyk has 19 goals and 21 assists for 40 points in 65 games this season. He has been on the Flyers’ third line during their winning streak to vault them up the standings.

“Credit goes to the players, them understanding what it takes to go on the ice and play the winning way and going out there and executing and doing it,” Vigneault said. “I believe that a lot of these guys want to prove that they can be successful, they can win. And that’s what we’re all trying to do right now. Every one of us is pushing in the same direction.”

A night after veteran Brian Elliott stopped 25 shots, the 21-year-old Hart was sensational again and earned his 23rd win of the season. Hart has been healthy and stabilized the position a season after the Flyers started eight goalies and missed the playoffs.

“We’ve used both our goaltenders in big, hard stretches and they’ve both performed well for us,” Vigneault said. “In Carter’s case, he’s progressed as any young player should. In Brian, we’ve got a veteran player that’s been through a lot that is good for our group. He’s good for Carter but he’s good for our group.”

Provorov made it 1-0 in the first when he shot a slapper from the circle into Alex Nedeljkovic’s stomach and swooped down glove side to knock in the rebound. Raffl scored his eighth goal of the season in the second period off a nice give-and-go with Tyler Pitlick.

The Hurricanes sliced it to 2-1 on Justin Williams’ fourth goal of the season early in the third. No worries these days for the Flyers; Aube- Kubel and Couturier scored only 26 seconds apart to blow the game open and the Flyers improved to 38-0-3 when ahead or tied after two periods.

“That’s huge to retaliate like that and respond,” Hart said. “It just shows how dialed in everyone is right now. Everybody is chipping in. We have 1179945 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks’ 4-game winning streak ends with a 2-1 loss to the lowly Red Wings

By LARRY LAGE

ASSOCIATED PRESS |MAR 06, 2020 | 9:45 PM

After defeating the Oilers 4-3 on Thursday night for their fourth consecutive victory, the Blackhawks pulled within four points of the second Western Conference wild-card spot.

And with a game Friday against the lowly Red Wings, by far the worst team in the NHL, the Hawks looked primed to win a season-high-tying fifth straight.

But Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri scored second-period goals, and the Wings held on to beat the Hawks 2-1.

Jonathan Bernier stopped 32 shots for the Red Wings, who even with the win have a 37 points, trailing the rest of the league by 21.

Patrick Kane scored his 31st goal with 1 minute, 5 seconds left in the second period to pull the Hawks within a goal. Corey Crawford made 23 saves.

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The Hawks are in last place in the Central Division despite having a winning record, and their points total — 70 — doubled the Wings’ entering the game.

The Wings snapped their fifth six-game losing streak of the season.

The Red Wings got off to a good start with Bertuzzi’s goal 20 seconds into the game. Fabbri scored his 14th goal midway through the second period.

The Hawks had a power play midway through the third period but couldn’t take advantage. They pulled Crawford late to put an extra skater on the ice and could not pull into a tie to force overtime.

Hawks defenseman Connor Murphy gingerly skated off the ice with 12 seconds left. He appeared to hurt his right leg, which took the brunt of the impact against the right post when he raced back to stop the puck from going into the empty net.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179946 Chicago Blackhawks After all, the result Friday hardly feels out of place in this streaky and strange season.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 Maddening Blackhawks season changes course again with loss to inept Red Wings

By Ben Pope Mar 6, 2020, 10:08pm CST

DETROIT — Blackhawks center Dylan Strome provided the understatement of the season this week.

‘‘I feel like we’re a pretty streaky team,’’ Strome said. ‘‘When we win one or two in a row, we feel like we go on a little bit of a run, and we’re playing some good hockey. Obviously, the counter to that is that we’ve lost four or five in a row at points.’’

Strome said that Tuesday, when the Hawks were on one of their hot streaks.

But they maddeningly crashed to the lowest of lows in a 2-1 loss Friday to the historically atrocious Red Wings, ending their four-game winning streak.

‘‘The guys competed and we generated some chances, [but] we didn’t finish,’’ coach said. ‘‘To [the Red Wings’] credit, they did a good job defending and found a way to get a couple of goals. Tough not to get the result after the effort we had [in a victory Thursday against the Oilers], but we’ve just got move on.’’

The Red Wings’ ineptitude this season is difficult to capture in words. Even after beating the Hawks, they enter the weekend on pace for the NHL’s worst record in two decades, with only 16 victories in their first 69 games.

Entering the day, the Red Wings ranked 31st in goals for, 31st in goals against, 31st in shots for, 26th in shots against, 30th in power-play percentage and 30th in penalty-kill percentage.

All told, they’re the worst non-expansion team the NHL has seen in a long time. And that team just beat the Hawks — and deserved to, too.

The Red Wings neutralized the Hawks’ transition attack, took advantage of their injury-gutted defensive core and controlled the majority of shots and scoring chances in the first two periods.

‘‘We had trouble breaking out, especially early on,’’ Colliton said. ‘‘We didn’t make many plays, so it’s a lot of work then to generate any forecheck, generate zone time.

‘‘That grinds you down, too, when it’s, like, a one-man forecheck, two- man forecheck all the time. That’s something we’ll discuss, obviously, but a lot of it is we just didn’t have much juice.’’

The Hawks pushed hard for the tying goal in the third period, outshooting the Red Wings 17-5, but they still put nearly every chance directly into goalie Jonathan Bernier’s chest.

Colliton and defenseman Duncan Keith, who played more than 25 minutes for the second time in as many days, thought the Hawks’ work ethic was satisfactory. But captain Jonathan Toews was less certain.

‘‘We talked about them coming at us hard . . . and they did, and I don’t think our skating was there early,’’ Toews said. ‘‘We couldn’t quite get through the neutral zone, get pucks back in their zone and sustain any sort of pressure.

‘‘It was just up and down and back in our end, and we’d spend a shift there and that was it. We just played into their hands a little bit early in the game.’’

The NHL standings and playoff odds don’t care about quality of opponent. The Hawks remain in dire straits but aren’t completely out of the running with 14 games left.

But the missed opportunity, losing an as-easy-as-it-gets chance to extend their winning streak and pull even closer to the wild-card line, will be tough to digest.

Or maybe it won’t. 1179947 Chicago Blackhawks Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.07.2020

Surging Blackhawks make statement by beating red-hot Oilers

By Ben Pope Mar 5, 2020, 10:50pm CST

Alex DeBrincat scored two goals Thursday as the Blackhawks beat the Oilers 4-3.

The first two games of the Oilers’ three-game road trip were both impressive: an 8-3 win over the Predators and a 2-1 overtime win over the Stars.

But on the third leg, they ran into the suddenly surging . . . Blackhawks?

Written off last week for the thousandth time this season, the Hawks have yet again shown their resilience by ripping off a four-game winning streak to re-enter the outskirts of the playoff race.

Thursday’s 4-3 win over the Oilers was particularly impressive, both for the quality of opponent — the NHL’s two leading scorers, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid, were held to two points and five shot attempts combined — and the quality of their own play.

“The work ethic from our forwards was excellent,” coach Jeremy Colliton said. “We were getting above the puck consistently. Our gap was good. [McDavid’s] a great player and Draisaitl’s a great player, but when you’ve got to come through five guys, it makes it easier to defend.”

“I also thought our puck plays were pretty clean, and that’s the thing: If you don’t turn it over, then it’s easier to defend. If you turn it over, then it’s tough to defend.”

Nearly every Hawks pass found its target; nearly every Oilers turnover led to a transition attack the other way. Puck battles were won, smart clears were executed and tight gaps were maintained.

The Hawks played with urgency, determination and creativity — all of which were inexplicably missing for most of the year.

A decisive 4-1 lead after the second period — at which point the Hawks had allowed only 12 shots on goal — got dicey in the third period, but Corey Crawford held the fort in the final minutes. He has allowed three or fewer goals in 16 of his last 17 starts.

“It’s everyone together,” he said. “It’s impossible to do it alone. Our ‘D’ have been great. We’ve been taking away a lot of the middle chances and back-end plays. That’s what you need to do that.”

The Hawks are riding their first three-game home winning streak since mid-November. Defenseman Adam Boqvist has multiple points (all assists) in consecutive games for the first time, and Patrick Kane scored his 30th goal of the season.

Carlsson injured

Rookie defenseman Lucas Carlsson, playing just his fifth NHL game, was struck on the ear by a deflected puck in the second period and didn’t return. Colliton said after the game that Carlsson will travel with the team for Friday night’s game in Detroit but is still being evaluated.

Carlsson had played well since his call-up in late February and recorded his first NHL point with an assist Tuesday against the Ducks.

Plan for Subban undecided

Goalie Malcolm Subban technically made his Hawks debut Tuesday, playing 70 seconds without facing a shot on goal while trainers briefly checked Crawford for concussion symptoms.

But the plan remains unclear for when Subban will make his first start and interrupt Crawford’s streak of seven straight.

It might be Friday against the Red Wings — a logical slot for him given the horrendous opponent and it being the second half of a back-to-back.

Or it might not be. Colliton gave no indication Thursday.

“We got a good look at him, and he’s been practicing, and that’s his job to stay ready, stay prepared,” Colliton said. “We’ll go from there.” 1179948 Chicago Blackhawks “Every week or every couple of games seems to bring something a little different with the feeling of the team,” Murphy said. “Sometimes the results of the game [aren’t] a complete vision of how you’re playing.”

Blackhawks learning there’s value in talking about things they do well The locker room has been noticeably more cheerful, and players have been noticeably more lighthearted in interviews. The recent win streak has certainly contributed, but so, too, has this new mental exercise.

By Ben Pope Mar 6, 2020, 6:55am CST “That’s part of teaching and trying to get better all the time,” Colliton said. “We’ve got to build on what we have improved on and remind the group

why we’re good.” The Blackhawks have found that positivity in team discussions has Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 improved their mentality.

The Blackhawks spent a lot of time over the first five months of the season talking about the various — and often endless — things that needed to be fixed.

The transition offense.

The power play.

The home record.

The defensive-zone coverage.

The salary-cap situation.

Faceoffs.

Screening the goalie.

On and on and on.

But lately, they’ve tried to also allot some time to discussing what they do well. Sure, it’s not as productive — but it is mentally refreshing, and it likely will improve productivity in the long run.

“In life, anything, if you’re thinking about things that you’re doing good, [it’s helpful],” center Dylan Strome said Thursday. “Obviously, we’ve got to correct some things, but if you can think positively, your mental state is a little bit better, and it just works out better for everyone. No one likes being negative all the time.”

The Hawks, despite their sub-.500 record, indeed have plenty going for them. They’ve received excellent goaltending all year — first from Robin Lehner and lately from Corey Crawford. They still have two of modern hockey’s greats in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They’ve overcome some demoralizing losing streaks to remain within arm’s length of playoff contention entering the final month of the regular season.

Even tactically — an often-criticized area, considering how this undeniably talented and experienced group has failed to live up to expectations — there are bright spots.

Coach Jeremy Colliton listed some Thursday.

“When we’re good, we get tremendous back-pressure from our forwards, [and that] allows us to get pucks back and create a transition game, be able to play in the offensive zone more,” he said. “We put our skill guys in good situations where they can create offense. Again, when we’re good defensively, we’re closing on the puck carrier and getting stops on our half of the rink.”

Internally, Colliton has apparently been mentioning those things more frequently after sensing the locker room morale slipping at the end of a travel- and loss-heavy February.

“That’s what makes coaches good,” defenseman Connor Murphy said. “There are times where, if you’re losing and guys are down, and they can tell that our effort is there, then they’ll do things to reassure us and give us that boost of confidence.”

Murphy admitted the Hawks, despite their best efforts, have felt the mood swings that go with their performance swings. It’s impossible not to in a league like the NHL, in a city like Chicago, in a situation like the one this post-but-not-too-post-dynasty franchise finds itself in.

So, after the departures of Lehner and Erik Gustafsson at the trade deadline and a meltdown loss in St. Louis — a time when the Hawks found themselves at perhaps their lowest point yet — they held some meetings to refocus, winger Alex Nylander said.

In the week since, there has been a more intentional campaign to keep positivity up. 1179949 Chicago Blackhawks “Every week or every couple of games seems to bring something a little different with the feeling of the team,” Murphy said. “Sometimes the results of the game [aren’t] a complete vision of how you’re playing.”

Blackhawks learning there’s value in talking about things they do well The locker room has been noticeably more cheerful, and players have been noticeably more lighthearted in interviews. The recent win streak has certainly contributed, but so, too, has this new mental exercise.

By Ben Pope Mar 6, 2020, 6:55am CST “That’s part of teaching and trying to get better all the time,” Colliton said. “We’ve got to build on what we have improved on and remind the group

why we’re good.” The Blackhawks have found that positivity in team discussions has Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 improved their mentality.

The Blackhawks spent a lot of time over the first five months of the season talking about the various — and often endless — things that needed to be fixed.

The transition offense.

The power play.

The home record.

The defensive-zone coverage.

The salary-cap situation.

Faceoffs.

Screening the goalie.

On and on and on.

But lately, they’ve tried to also allot some time to discussing what they do well. Sure, it’s not as productive — but it is mentally refreshing, and it likely will improve productivity in the long run.

“In life, anything, if you’re thinking about things that you’re doing good, [it’s helpful],” center Dylan Strome said Thursday. “Obviously, we’ve got to correct some things, but if you can think positively, your mental state is a little bit better, and it just works out better for everyone. No one likes being negative all the time.”

The Hawks, despite their sub-.500 record, indeed have plenty going for them. They’ve received excellent goaltending all year — first from Robin Lehner and lately from Corey Crawford. They still have two of modern hockey’s greats in Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews. They’ve overcome some demoralizing losing streaks to remain within arm’s length of playoff contention entering the final month of the regular season.

Even tactically — an often-criticized area, considering how this undeniably talented and experienced group has failed to live up to expectations — there are bright spots.

Coach Jeremy Colliton listed some Thursday.

“When we’re good, we get tremendous back-pressure from our forwards, [and that] allows us to get pucks back and create a transition game, be able to play in the offensive zone more,” he said. “We put our skill guys in good situations where they can create offense. Again, when we’re good defensively, we’re closing on the puck carrier and getting stops on our half of the rink.”

Internally, Colliton has apparently been mentioning those things more frequently after sensing the locker room morale slipping at the end of a travel- and loss-heavy February.

“That’s what makes coaches good,” defenseman Connor Murphy said. “There are times where, if you’re losing and guys are down, and they can tell that our effort is there, then they’ll do things to reassure us and give us that boost of confidence.”

Murphy admitted the Hawks, despite their best efforts, have felt the mood swings that go with their performance swings. It’s impossible not to in a league like the NHL, in a city like Chicago, in a situation like the one this post-but-not-too-post-dynasty franchise finds itself in.

So, after the departures of Lehner and Erik Gustafsson at the trade deadline and a meltdown loss in St. Louis — a time when the Hawks found themselves at perhaps their lowest point yet — they held some meetings to refocus, winger Alex Nylander said.

In the week since, there has been a more intentional campaign to keep positivity up. 1179950 Chicago Blackhawks

Bright-spot Fabbri scores and Red Wings 2-1 beat Blackhawks

By LARRY LAGE

Associated Press

Updated3/6/2020 10:58 PM

DETROIT -- Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri scored to give the Detroit Red Wings a two-goal lead and they held on to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Friday night.

'œWe have to take steps forward as individuals and as a team," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. 'œLet's do it now."

Jonathan Bernier stopped 32 shots for the Red Wings, who have an NHL-low 37 points and trail the rest of the league by 20-plus points.

'œHe was definitely a big difference out there, but we didn't get any luck," Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said. 'œIt seemed like he could see everything, even when I was shooting from the point, and he even got in front of the shots we tipped."

Patrick Kane scored his 31st goal with 1:05 left in the second period to pull Chicago within a goal. Corey Crawford had 23 saves for the Blackhawks.

Chicago is last in the Central Division despite having a winning record and its point total doubled Detroit's entering the game.

The Blackhawks had won four straight, one shy of their season high, to improve their chances of closing strong enough to earn a wild card in the playoffs.

Red Wings center Dylan Larkin said the team will try to play the role of spoilers the rest of the regular season.

'œIt's a lot of fun and no matter what, winning is better than losing," Larkin said.

Detroit ended its fifth six-game losing streak this season.

The Red Wings got off to a good start with Bertuzzi's goal 20 seconds into the game. Fabbri scored his 14th goal midway through the second period, putting Detroit ahead 2-0.

'œFabs has been a big spark for us," Larkin said. 'œHe's a wiry guy and he works hard. He played the middle (center) and I thought he carried the play well.'•

Kane's one-timer was his 31st goal this season and it cut Chicago's deficit to a goal.

The Blackhawks had a power play midway through the third period and did not take advantage of the opportunity. They pulled Crawford late in the game to put an extra skater on the ice and could not pull into a tie to force overtime.

Chicago's Connor Murphy gingerly skated off the ice with 12 seconds left. The defenseman appeared to hurt his right leg, which took the brunt of the impact against the right post when he raced back to stop the puck from going into the empty net.

Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said Murphy seemed to be OK.

'œOur guys are battling until the end, no question," he said.

NOTES: Chicago scratched D Lucas Carlsson (concussion) and D Adam Boqvist (right wrist) were scratched from the lineup. ... Blackhawks forward Zack Smith had back surgery and needs three to four months to recover. ... Bertuzzi has 19 goals, two away from matching his career high from last year. ... Detroit D Gustav Lindstrom had an assist for his first NHL point in his 14th game this season. ... Actors Jeff Daniels and Dave Coulier, both Red Wings fans, announced Detroit's starting lineup before the game in the team's dressing room. 'œI loved `Dumb and Dumber' so it was great," Bertuzzi said.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179951 Chicago Blackhawks Two weeks ago, expert after expert and trader after trader on the business channels said there would be no effect on the domestic travel industry.

Sports will go on as coronavirus spreads, but will you be there? Two weeks later, families are canceling vacations here in the States, CEOs are canceling trips and groups are canceling giant conventions at massive exhibition sites around the country.

Barry Rozner What will be happening two weeks from now, or a month from now at Augusta? Updated3/6/2020 2:09 PM "The safety, health and well-being of everyone is our top priority at

Augusta National Golf Club," said chairman Fred Ridley in a statement One month from now, opening tee shots will be struck at the Masters. Wednesday. "We will continue to review the available facts and information with the experts and authorities, establish precautions and Those who attend for the first time will consider it the pilgrimage of a take appropriate action to ensure the safety of all involved. lifetime, the completion of a journey like nothing this side of St. Andrews. "We are asking that everyone follow the preventive actions advised by And neither rain nor heat nor gloom of virus will keep those patrons from the CDC to mitigate the spread of any virus. In addition, we strongly their appointed championship rounds. encourage all those traveling to Augusta to become knowledgeable of the most recent travel protocols and restrictions." But not all would say the same. Ridley said the club has consulted with experts from the World Health Every day we are told it is panic-mongering at worst and irresponsible at Organization, Centers for Disease Control and Georgia Department of best to suggest someone stay home amid a potential epidemic. Public Health. Just as you should not falsely yell fire in a crowded theater. "As a result of this collaboration, and based upon our knowledge of the Of course, if the theater is actually in flames, one assumes it is situation at this time," Ridley said, "we are proceeding as scheduled for reasonable to inform others of imminent danger. the Augusta National Women's Amateur, the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals and the Masters Tournament." As for the coronavirus, "The risk to the general public remains low." On Wednesday at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, Rory McIlroy was We know this because every government official from Alaska to Florida asked about the IOC insisting that the Olympics will take place this has told us so, day after day after day, and who doesn't have faith in their summer in Tokyo. government officials? "It's something that we're trying to stay on top of," said McIlroy, who did In this case, it's probably accurate, until you are the one who catches one not participate in the Rio Olympics four years ago, citing fear of the Zika of these nasty bugs. virus. "If the organizers and the Olympic Committee believe it's safe And if you don't want to get the flu, or COVID-19, it is OK to stay away enough that athletes can go and compete in the (Olympic) Games, then from large gatherings. you have to take their word for it."

It is, unfortunately, the world we live in that all should tell you what to To be clear, the suggestion here is not that you stay home and avoid think and what to do, and any consideration for avoiding an illness is just crowds, unless that is precisely what you want to do. Understand, plain cowardly. however, that you will be mocked and lectured by the social media police for protecting yourself and your family. Until, of course, you happen to get it. Would those telling you to get out and romp apologize? Certainly not. And I have had it up to my ears with those who insist they know what's best for you when you are absolutely capable of making that decision on There is virtually no risk of catching anything, they say, unless you catch your own. it, and then it's not all that virtual. As for whether I would go to the Masters if given the chance, I would risk Which brings us back to the Masters. life, limb and liberty for the opportunity.

And, for that matter, the Final Four, Opening Day and the NHL and NBA Unless, of course, the boss puts her foot down. postseasons. That is a wrath I would not risk. If this gets really bad, it's possible people will stay away in droves, or teams might choose to play in front of empty venues in the weeks and Daily Herald Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 months ahead.

Florida Panthers owner Vinnie Viola mentioned another possibility to CNBC on Friday.

"It probably beckons at worst a delay on our way to complete the schedule eventually," Viola said. "No, I don't want to play games in front of an empty arena.

"I don't see that (schedule delay) scenario (happening), but I think that has to be a contingency. We have to be prepared to do what's best for our fan base."

Tiger Woods has played on an empty course at least twice in his career, the third round at Congressional in 2012 and the second round of the Zozo Championship in Japan last fall.

It should be noted, however tangentially, that he won both events.

"It's weird," said Woods last October. "When you make a putt and you kind of put your hand up (to acknowledge the fans), you're like, 'Hmmm, don't really need to put your hand up because there's no one clapping.' "In any case, would you take your family to Disney World under the circumstances? If yes, one could imagine shorter lines.

If no, why would you take your children to a stadium and interact with 35,000 people? 1179952 Chicago Blackhawks

3 Takeaways: Blackhawks suffer costly loss against league's last place Red Wings

By Scott King March 06, 2020 7:40 PM

Patrick Kane scored, but the Blackhawks lost 2-1 to the Detroit Red Wings, snapping their four-game winning streak. Here are three takeaways:

Crushing defeat

Following a 4-3 win over a tough Edmonton Oilers team on Thursday night at the , things were looking up for the Hawks. They had won four straight games and were just four points out of a playoff spot.

The tide turned on Friday, when they lost to the league's worst team, the Red Wings, on the road.

With only 15 games left in the regular season and four teams to jump prior to the contest, the Hawks could not afford to lose standing, confidence or momentum against a bad team.

The Hawks looked flat early on in Motor City and maintained that level of play for the majority of the game. The Blackhawks allowed two second- period goals from the Wings. First, Tyler Bertuzzi scored 20 seconds into the frame. Then, Robby Fabbri scored a power-play goal at 10:05.

Chicago went 0-for-3 on the power play in Detroit.

Boqvist injured

Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist took part in pregame warmups for Friday's game but went in early.

A few minutes prior to the contest, the Hawks announced the rookie would not play in the game due to a right wrist injury. Chicago was already down a defenseman after Lucas Carlsson took a puck up high in Thursday's game and was placed in concussion protocol.

Boqvist picked up two assists against the Oilers, tying a career-best three-game point streak. He had five assists on the streak.

Kane scores 31st

Patrick Kane cut the Red Wings' lead to 2-1 with 1:05 remaining in the second period after a falling Jonathan Toews, behind the Wings' net, managed to get Brandon Saad the puck in front, who passed it to Kane for the goal.

It was Kane's 31st goal of the season and 82nd point.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179953 Chicago Blackhawks

Adam Boqvist leaves pregame warmups early and misses Friday's game with injury

By Scott King March 06, 2020 6:44 PM

Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist took part in pregame warmups for Friday's game in Detroit against the Red Wings, but went in early.

A few minutes prior to the contest, the Hawks announced the rookie would not play in the game due to a right wrist injury. Chicago was already down a defenseman after Lucas Carlsson took a puck up high in Thursday's 4-3 win against the Edmonton Oilers and was placed in concussion protocol.

Following the 2-1 loss in Detroit on Friday, Blackhawks head coach Jeremy Colliton addressed the 19-year-old blueliner's injury.

"He missed time, I don't know if you noticed, last game," Colliton said. "He left during the second period and he came back. But in the end, it was just . . . he couldn't get through it."

Boqvist picked up two assist's in Thursday's game, tying a career-best three-game point streak. He had five assists on the streak.

Defenseman Dennis Gilbert was recalled on an emergency basis from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League for the game due to Carlsson's injury.

Boqvist has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) and a +/- rating of -3 for the Hawks in 40 games this season. The Blackhawks have won four straight games and are four points out of a playoff spot with 15 games remaining in the regular season.

Attention Dish and Sling customers! You have lost your Blackhawks games on NBC Sports Chicago. To switch providers, visit mysportschicago.com.

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Blackhawks announce Zack Smith underwent back surgery and will be out 3-4 months

By Charlie Roumeliotis March 06, 2020 3:20 PM

One week after being shut down for the remainder of the 2019-20 season, the Blackhawks announced Friday that forward Zack Smith underwent successful back surgery and is expected to be cleared for action in three-to-four months.

Smith was briefly sidelined in training camp by a lower-back injury and it's something that had been nagging him all season long. It finally reached a point where both Smith and the Blackhawks felt more work needed to be done.

Acquired by the Blackhawks over the summer, Smith turned into a dependable fourth-line forward who could play wing or center and also contributed to a penalty kill that went from historically bad to Top 10. He registered 11 points (four points, seven assists) in 50 games this season and had a plus-2 rating.

Smith is expected to be ready for training camp in September.

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Brent Seabrook joins Blackhawks All-Decade Team

By Scott King March 05, 2020 1:26 PM

Three Stanley Cups, an Olympic gold medal and the author of one of the most magnificent and meaningful goals in Blackhawks' history; there wouldn't be a Hawks all-decade team without Brent Seabrook.

The 34-year-old defenseman was selected by the Blackhawks at No. 14 overall in the 2003 NHL Draft. Since then, Seabrook has recorded 103 goals, 361 assists and a +/- rating of +111 in 1,114 games with the Hawks. His 464 career points tie Doug Crossman for 80th all-time among NHL defensemen and he earned his gold medal playing for Team Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

The Richmond, British Columbia native's most memorable moment to date came when the Blackhawks were trailing the Detroit Red Wings 3-1 in the series with a 1-1 tie in Game 7 of overtime in the second round of the 2013 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Seabrook came up with a loose puck, skated into the Wings' zone and scored off a wrist shot from the high slot before being mobbed by his teammates.

He later scored in overtime in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Boston Bruins that postseason. The blueliner also scored in triple overtime in 2015 during Game 4 in the first round of the playoffs against the Nashville Predators.

Seabrook has missed most of the 2019-20 season after requiring surgeries on his right hip, left hip and right shoulder after an evaluation and is expected to be ready to go some time between July and August.

Attention Dish and Sling customers! You have lost your Blackhawks games on NBC Sports Chicago. To switch providers, visit mysportschicago.com.

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Blackhawks recall Dennis Gilbert on emergency basis after injury to Lucas Carlsson

By Charlie Roumeliotis March 06, 2020 12:35 PM

The Blackhawks have recalled defenseman Dennis Gilbert from the Rockford IceHogs of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis, the team announced Friday afternoon.

The move stems from the fact defenseman Lucas Carlsson left Thursday's game in the second period after taking a puck to the side of the head. The Blackhawks have ruled him out for Friday's tilt against the Detroit Red Wings and placed Carlsson in the league's concussion protocol.

It's unfortunate news for the 22-year-old rookie blue liner, who's been solid in his first five games for the Blackhawks. He's been a steady presence on the back end and was recently given more responsibility by being promoted to the second power-play unit.

Nick Seeler will draw into the lineup for Carlsson against Detroit. He has one assist and a minus-1 rating in four games with the Blackhawks this season but hasn't played since Feb. 25.

Gilbert, who has one goal and two assists in 20 NHL games this season, gives the Blackhawks insurance on defense while Carlsson undergoes further treatment. Because Gilbert was recalled on an emergency basis, it will not count as one of the Blackhawks' four post-trade deadline call- ups.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179957 Chicago Blackhawks sitcom “That ’70s Show” happened closer to the actual ’70s than to today. The original “Star Wars” was released closer to “Gone With The Wind” than to the latest sequel. The Downward Spiral came out closer to the first Led Zeppelin than whatever the kids are listening to now. DGB Grab Bag: The Blackhawks sing, the GMs meet and we are all so old I read stuff like that and I go “wow.” Then I shuffle off to lay down in my crypt because good lord, how old must I be?

Recently, I saw one with an NHL theme: The Stars have been in Dallas By Sean McIndoe Mar 6, 2020 longer than they were in Minnesota. What? The old North Stars arrived way back in the 1967 expansion. How could that … (does math) … oh

no. From the headlines So today, let’s do what I usually do when something makes me feel sad: The big NHL news of the week came from Boca Raton, Florida. That was Lean into it. Hard. Let’s all feel old together by playing with the NHL the site of the annual March general managers meeting, as the league’s timelines. decision-makers gathered for several days of discussions about various For example, I can remember back to the last time the Canadiens won issues. the Cup. When they weren’t celebrating, setting things on fire or eating The meetings resulted in some reasonably big stories; the GMs decided gross hot dogs they pretend are good, Habs fans took the occasional not to change the rules for emergency backup goalies, but did break to laugh at the Leafs and their pathetic string of Stanley Cup recommend a tweak to the offside review. That’s not bad. But it doesn’t failure. But as of this year, Montreal’s current Cup drought is now longer exactly seem like a week’s worth of work either, which may lead you to than Toronto’s was the last time the Canadiens won. wonder just what else these guys were talking about. Of course, that Maple Leafs drought is still going. And it’s been going for Luckily, my spies were able to infiltrate the proceedings, and they a very long time. In fact, the last Toronto Cup win is now closer to the reported back with some of the other ways that NHL GMs spent their formation of the NHL than to the present day. time at their annual meeting. Speaking of the maple leaf, Canadians still love to look back on Paul An update from the blue-ribbon task force in charge of our decades-long Henderson’s famous goal at the 1972 , one of the greatest study to determine whether the offensive zone faceoff circle should be moments in the country’s hockey history. But that goal happened closer (points finger) there or (moves finger one millimeter) there. to the NHL’s debut in New York City than to the present day. (That would be the New York Americans, in 1925, by the way; the Rangers didn’t Several short breaks over the course of the day for GMs to grab a coffee, show up until a year later.) use the washroom or fire their coach. You may have caught me ranting a few days ago about the dumb awful Annual “everyone against Marc Bergevin” tug-of-war. stupid loser point. If you’re like me, you’re still holding out hope that the league will get rid of it someday. But here’s the thing: In the modern era, Presenting the results of our recent survey: Does our current standings we’ve already had more seasons with points awarded for overtime losses system make any sense? (Yes: 57%; No: 54%.) than we had of overtime losses without them. A teambuilding exercise to help us get to know some of the new faces in Unless Alexander Ovechkin goes on another hot streak, Wayne the room, ha ha just kidding every single one of us were either Gretzky’s single-season record of 92 goals scored is safe for another teammates or roommates with each other or someone’s dad, that’s why season. That record was set back in 1982, meaning that if the record we have these jobs. Gretzky broke that year had stood as long as the current one has, he Hey everyone, Ron Francis is offering to trade his 2020 first-round pick would have been eclipsing a mark belonging to Phantom Joe Malone. for just a 2021 second-round pick, somebody go make the deal now Speaking of all-time greats, how about Sidney Crosby? He still has nights before this dummy changes his mind. where it feels like he’s in his prime, and he stands as the poster child of Postseason marketing strategies for promoting the dramatic head-to- the modern-day NHL. That makes it kind of depressing to realize that his head showdown in a winner-take-all playoff series between the two very draft day happened closer to the playing career of and best teams in the entire league, plus also the two rounds after that. Guy Lafleur than to today.

Constantly asking how he’s managed to last four years It could be worse. He could be Joe Thornton or Patrick Marleau, whose without ever swearing at . NHL draft day is now closer to the first game in Washington Capitals history than to the most recent one. A reminder based on recent events in Major League that under no circumstances will any team be allowed to bang on a trash can for any I feel like punching something right now. So in that theme, the Patrick reason, with the exception of the Bruins when they have to tell Brad Roy/Mike Vernon fight happened closer to the Ali/Foreman Rumble In Marchand it’s time to come out for the game. The Jungle than it did to today.

Presentation of a detailed list of the many issues facing the league that Maybe I could relax with one of the video games I grew up with. The have been raised over the years by our players, partners and fans, launch of the EA Sports “NHL” series was closer to the release of the first followed by us all just immediately voting for whatever makes our jobs Beatles album than to the present day. easier and heading for the golf course. And a final one that for some reason really hit home with me: As of a few The week’s of comedy weeks ago, Gary Bettman’s first day as commissioner is now closer to the February 1966 expansion announcement that spelled the end of the The third star: John Tortorella – Weird, he normally seems like such a era than it is to today. The modern era of the NHL has fun-loving guy. literally been mostly Bettman.

The second star: Johnny Boychuk’s phone – Just when you think a I can’t do this anymore. We are all so, so old. (Unless you’re too young to horrifying skate-to-the-face incident that required 90 stitches couldn’t get get some of these, in which case just wait. Your time is coming, punks.) any worse … Obscure former player of the week The first star: Knights vs. Sabres – This is honestly like the third or fourth best moment anyone has had in a Sabres jersey all year. Reader Josh W. asked an interesting question in the comment section of last week’s Grab Bag: With David Ayres presumably retiring from NHL He seemed to take it well. action with an undefeated record, which goalie made the most Let’s all feel old together appearances without ever taking a loss?

I’m an old person, and nothing drives that home more than those random As you might expect, the NHL record book isn’t exactly packed with “this thing is actually closer to that other thing than to the present day” undefeated goalies. If you’re bad, you lose right away. And if you’re factoids that you see pop up from time to time. The debut of the retro good, you stick around long enough to lose eventually. That’s the way you’d figure it would work, at least, and it usually does. In fact, there are (Watches Brian Campbell sing for three seconds.) Nope. No it is not. only 10 goalies who have played three or more games without ever Sorry about that, forget I brought it up. taking a loss. Also, why is the role of Brian Campbell being played by The Goon from That list includes two guys who are still active pros: Former Lightning the WWF? third-stringer Kristers Gudlevskis, who appeared in three games, and Magnus Hellberg, who had four games total with the Rangers and Yeah, Toews is right into this. I did not expect that. We need to get this Predators. There are also some relatively recent names that you might guy his own satellite radio show. More like Captain Sirius, am I right? recognize, including a Shark (Dimitri Patzold), a Blue Jacket (Dan () Yeah, that was awful, I’m trying to delete it. LaCosta) and a Red Wing (Thomas McCollum). We’re almost done when Dave Bolland shows up to screw up the lyrics. But everyone on the list tops out at four games at the most. Except for That’s weird, I heard that guy did his best work in the final seconds. one guy: This week’s obscure player, Bruce Hoffort. Dustin Byfuglien is shown standing silently with his arms crossed, either Hoffort was a college star who won an NCAA title with Lake Superior because he wants no part of this or he’s giving you a second to State in 1988, thanks to a brilliant 49-save performance in an overtime remember he played for Chicago. It might be the latter, because when win in the championship game that helped him earn tournament MVP we see him a few seconds later he’s hitting a high note. Look, is that high honors. He wasn’t drafted, but signed with the Flyers a year later and note actually in the song anywhere? No. But does he hit it anyway? Not was called up in November 1989 after Ron Hextall got hurt. Hoffort made really, no. This whole thing was a mistake. his debut against the Islanders in relief of an injured Pete Peeters and Things pretty much go off the rails in the final seconds, as everyone is made all seven saves to earn the win. He made three starts later in the either way too into it or realizing they’ve made a terrible mistake. Toews month, winning two and tying one, before heading back to the minors pretty much sums it up: “That’s so bad. Oh my god.” That’s the kind of with an undefeated record. leadership that wins you a Award right there.

He would resurface later in the season, making two relief appearances in And with that, we’re done. This apparently ran on the scoreboard in March. The Flyers lost both, but Hoffort didn’t take the decision in either. Chicago during the 2008-09 season. That means that when these He’d get one more start against the Red Wings and earned a tie to finish players got together to sing the song, the team hadn’t made the playoffs the year with a 3-0-2 record. in five years, hadn’t won a round in 10 and hadn’t won a Cup since 1961. He’d make two more relief appearance in 1990-91, earning a win and a In the months after, they’d make the conference final and then go on to tie, but that was it for his NHL career. (He’d play one more year in the win three championships in six years. Am I saying that all happened IHL before retiring.) Still, he finished with nine appearances without ever entirely because of this song? No, that would be silly. Am I saying it’s like taking a loss, five more than any other goalie in history, at least until 90 percent because of this song. Yes, that sounds reasonable to me. Hellberg returns someday. Or if Ayres gets to face the Leafs eight more In other words, if your team is riding a decades-long Cup drought and times. you’re struggling to get your young roster to understand the kind of Classic YouTube clip breakdown sacrifices needed to win, you now know what you need to do. (Humming intensifies.) Last week, we had some fun with the New York Islanders as they attempted to demonstrate their, uh, talents. It ended up involving Elvis, The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 tassels and an extremely thirsty Miss USA. The whole thing was pretty awful.

But you have to at least give those 1982 Islanders some credit: They went for it. You can’t accuse them of holding back on us, and that’s not always how hockey players approach this sort of thing. So today, let’s go from the 1980s Islanders’ dynasty to another championship organization and see how NHL talent compares across eras. Ladies and gentlemen, the Chicago Blackhawks have a song for you …

So it’s the 2008-09 season, and the Hawks are a talented team on a quest to end the franchise’s decades-long Cup drought. What’s the best way to make that happen? If you said “force everyone to sing a terrible song they clearly hate,” then you are insane correct.

Specifically, they’ll be singing “Here Come the Hawks,” the team’s fight song that dates back to the 1960s. OK, “singing” might be stretch. Reciting? Muttering? Murdering the very soul of? Any of those could work. Let’s strap in for the longest 1:30 of your life.

The opening seconds are actually the very best of the clip, as various Hawks are informed, apparently for the first time, that they’re being asked to sing. Brent Sopel’s “Wha-whoa what do you mean?” is pretty fantastic. I’m going to assume he had the same reaction when he found out he was being traded to the Thrashers.

Patrick Sharp goes the spoken word route, which is clearly the veteran choice. No such luck for a young Patrick Kane, who warbles a few lines with passable intensity. Cam Barker isn’t having it, but Duncan Keith gives it a little bit of a croon. It’s not hard to figure out which one of these guys is going to go on to win a Norris someday.

“Let’s wrap it up.” No such luck, we still have a minute to go.

The early MVP here may be Nikolai Khabibulin, who is enjoying this so much that he’s about to voluntarily sign with Edmonton rather than risk being asked to do this again.

You can actually feel the intensity ramp up as we go. Sopel is working a little bit of a head bob, Barker at least tries to demonstrate that he can modulate his own voice and Jonathan Toews of all people is actually getting into it. Adam Burish even works in some hand waving. Is this … is this the exact moment when the Blackhawks came to together as a team and ensured themselves multiple championships? 1179958 Colorado Avalanche Denver Post: LOADED: 03.07.2020

Zack MacEwen scores 2, Canucks double up Avalanche 6-3

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 6, 2020 at 11:13 p.m.

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Zack MacEwen scored two goals and the Vancouver Canucks beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 on Friday night to snap a four-game losing streak and move into contention for a playoff spot in the tight Western Conference.

J.T. Miller and Antoine Roussel each had a goal and an assist for Vancouver, which managed to hang on to a third-period lead. Troy Stecher added a goal and Tanner Pearson scored into an an empty net for the Canucks, who had squandered third-period leads in their last two losses.

Erik Johnson and Gabriel Landeskog each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who lost in regulation for the first time in 10 games (7-1- 2). Valeri Nichushkin added a goal and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists.

The win moves Vancouver into a tie with Winnipeg for the first wild-card spot in the West with 76 points. Colorado remains second in the West with 88 points, two back of St. Louis.

Vancouver goaltender Thatcher Demko, making his fifth start for the injured Jacob Markstrom, stopped 29 shots. Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz made 19 saves.

MacEwen put the game away at 16:13 of the third when he took a pass from behind the net from Roussel and beat Francouz.

The Canucks scored twice in the second period and got a big save from Demko to lead 4-3 after 40 minutes.

Vancouver took a 3-1 lead at 2:13 when MacEwen collected a puck as his own blue line, skated the length of the ice and beat Francouz with a low, hard shot.

The Avalanche scored just 1:13 later when Landeskog beat Demko on the stick side. Nichushkin tied the game at 8:04 on a 2-on-1 breakaway. Roussel put Vancouver back in front at 12:17 by deflecting in an Adam Gaudette pass.

Demko had the crowd on its feet cheering when he stopped MacKinnon on a breakaway, then managed to get his heel on Vladislav Kamenev’s shot on the rebound. Kamenev crashed into Demko, but the puck stayed out of the net.

The Canucks led 2-1 after the first period despite being outshot 17-7 and outplayed for long stretches.

Stecher scored just 82 seconds into the game. He took a feed from Miller and blasted a shot from the top of the face-off circle that sailed over Francouz’s glove.

Elias Pettersson showed patience setting up Miller’s goal at 12:29. After picking up a puck chipped along the boards, Pettersson broke into the Colorado zone then waited for defenseman Ian Cole to commit himself before passing to Miller, who had an open net for his 27th of the season.

The Avs scored 48 seconds later when MacKinnon drove to the net, stopped, turned and passed to Johnson, who shot the puck through Demko.

NOTES: There was a video tribute during the first period for Montreal Canadiens’ legend Henri Richard who died Friday. … Defenseman Tyler Myers returned to the Canucks lineup after missing Wednesday’s game due to injury. … Defenseman Alex Edler collected his 300th NHL assist on Vancouver’s first goal. … After taking a 2-0 lead, Vancouver didn’t have a shot on goal for the final 7:31 of the first period.

UP NEXT

Avalanche: At San Jose Sharks on Sunday.

Canucks: Host Columbus Blue Jackets Sunday. 1179959 Colorado Avalanche accruing six high-danger scoring chances, according to Natural Stat Trick.

From there? Well, that’s a different story. Vancouver’s forecheck was The Avs could still win the West, but the chances to do so are decreasing more restrictive. Sure, the Avs scored two goals in the second but were held to five shots while getting another nine in the third period. They had a total of 14 shots and four high-danger scoring chances to close out an evening that could have left them in the top spot. By Ryan S. Clark Mar 6, 2020 “We knew the result (of the Blues’ game) before the game and we knew

what was on the line,” Avalanche veteran defenseman Mark Barberio VANCOUVER — There were less than three minutes remaining when said. “I thought our effort was pretty good tonight. A couple of Vancouver Canucks television color analyst Corey Hirsch raised a point breakdowns they capitalized on. We had chances and kept pushing to tie about how this was a game “they” needed to take advantage of given it up and we had some really good chances for that tying goal. Their what was at stake. goalie came up with some pretty big saves and that’s hockey.”

But who is “they” in this case? The Canucks? Or the Colorado Meanwhile, the Canucks mustered six high-danger scoring chances Avalanche? across the second and third periods. They recorded 18 shots on goal and came away with four goals to close out the game. Hirsch was clearly talking about a Canucks team that came into Friday fighting for one of the two Western Conference wild-card spots with “It’s a game of mistakes,” Jared Bednar said. “And the ones we made around 15 games remaining. It is a position the Avalanche know all too today were pretty big ones that cost us.” well, having used that final wild-card spot to earn a playoff berth in But how much will it cost the Avalanche when the regular season draws consecutive seasons. This season, however, has proved to be different to a close in early April? in that the Avs are in a different kind of playoff chase. If the playoffs started today, Colorado would open the against the Dallas As in trying to win the Central Division and the Western Conference. Stars. The Avs would have home-ice advantage but face a team that has Friday provided the Avalanche an opportunity to do such a thing. The been given them problems throughout the season. The Stars are 4-0 conference- and division-leading St. Louis Blues lost to the New Jersey against the Avalanche with three of those contests being one-goal Devils in an East Coast contest that meant an Avs victory would have games. Such results create the narrative that the Avs might have a hard placed both teams in a share for first place. But a 6-3 loss to the Canucks time escaping the first round. at Rogers Arena leaves the Avs two points adrift of the top spot in But the Calgary Flames owned the regular-season series last season addition to further lamenting what could prove to be a costly three-point against the Avalanche last season only to lose in five games in the first swing based on what has happened the past two games. round. Colorado was two seconds away from forcing a shootout Wednesday Bednar understands the Avs didn’t capitalize Friday, but he is proud of and a chance at extending what would have been an eight-game winning how his team has gotten into this position. streak only to sustain a 4-3 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks at Pepsi Center. When you add in Friday’s setback, those three points would have “We had a meeting six weeks back and eight points back of St. Louis, catapulted the Avalanche to the top of the standings with a one-point and we talked about the type of finish we were going to have if we felt lead and a game in hand. like we could win a few extra games over them over the final 30,” Bednar said. “Guys felt like we could, we dug in and we’re within two points of St. They are still trailing by two points and there are still 15 games remaining Louis now. That’s pretty good work. We had an opportunity to be tied for in the regular season to make up that ground. first if we won tonight. Getting more wins could mean this loss to the Canucks might not sting as “We didn’t get the job done. Hopefully, we have that opportunity a few much. But if the Avs miss out on the No. 1 seed, it is possible Colorado more times here down the stretch.” might point back to this loss. The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 “Obviously, we knew that before the game that (the Blues) lost and we worked as hard as we could,” Avalanche captain and star left winger Gabriel Landeskog said. “I don’t think the effort changed whether we knew a win would have led to first place or not. We worked as hard as we possibly could, and we gave up some easy goals and that’s what we ultimately ended up losing on. Some odd-man rushes against and some defensive breakdowns.

“But it definitely would have been nice to get a win and sit in first right now with a game in hand.”

Here is where it gets interesting or complicated depending upon the vantage point. The Avalanche just won seven straight games after being eight points behind the defending Stanley Cup champion Blues to start February. It’s impressive that this is a team still in a strong position despite shuffling through its lineups because players such as Andre Burakovsky, Matt Calvert, Philipp Grubauer, Nazem Kadri, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen have all been injured for various lengths of time. And furthermore, it is possible the Avs could still claim the top seed.

Yet there will be others who argue the defensive consistency should have been stronger given what the Avalanche have achieved already. They have earned a reputation for being one of the NHL’s stronger defensive units while also showing they are capable of successfully finishing and winning one-goal games. But they should not let opportunities to gain ground and potentially overtake the Blues go by the wayside.

Especially when one considers how this game began. The Canucks jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but the Avalanche were constantly getting scoring chances at the net front and low slot in the opening frame. Colorado finished the first period with 18 shots on goal and constantly found the lanes needed to operate. The stanza ended with the Avs 1179960 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets’ Joonas Korpisalo rounding into top form

Brian Hedger

Mar 6, 2020 at 5:31 AM

CALGARY, Alberta There is still maintenance required in the form of an ice bag, but otherwise Joonas Korpisalo isn’t thinking much about his surgically repaired right knee.

The Blue Jackets goaltender is just thinking about stopping pucks again, finally, after suffering a torn meniscus in during a shootout loss to Chicago on Dec. 29 and having surgery two days later.

"From the get-go, I didn’t think about it at all," Korpisalo said Wednesday at Scotiabank Saddledome after making 34 saves and showing his pre- injury form in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Calgary Flames. "That’s what I try to do: just not think about it, like it never even happened. Just play. As the days go by, it’s just getting better."

One situation in particular offered the strongest proof yet that Korpisalo is almost fully back to his old form. It happened with about a minute left in the second period Wednesday, when he made two dazzling, back-to- back saves to preserve a 2-0 lead.

The first was a sprawling blocker save to stop a wrist shot by Flames star Johnny Gaudreau aimed at the far side of the net. The second was off the rebound of that save, when he pushed his right knee into the ice and scrambled back to his right to just get a piece of Elias Lindholm’s shot from a few feet away.

"Stuff like that, when it happens, you’re like, ‘Ooh,’" Korpisalo said. "You feel good. You’re just like, ‘Wow, that just happened.’ So, through those kind of moments, you start feeling more confident."

Feeling lucky

Pierre-Luc Dubois has five stitches holding a vertical gash together on his chin, about an inch to the right of his mouth.

It’s the result of being struck in the face with the puck with 3:46 left in the second period of a 5-3 victory against the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday at Nationwide Arena. It happened in front of the Jackets’ bench, when Canucks defenseman Alexander Edler sent a clearing attempt into Dubois’ face rather than up the boards.

Dubois initially thought the worst after seeing a blood stain on his glove and then the blood-stained towel he’d held against his face.

"I thought I was going to look like the Joker," he said. "It just felt like the left side of my face was blown off, but I knew it wasn’t. It hurt."

It was the first time Dubois had been struck in the face with a puck, which caused him think back to his childhood while being stitched up.

"When you’re a kid and you see something like that, you’re like, ‘How do they not cry?’" Dubois said. "When you’re a kid and you get punched in the arm you start crying. And that’s what I was thinking about, like, ‘If this was 10 years ago, I’d be bawling right now. I’d probably be passed out.’ "

Late bloomer

The Blue Jackets added to their organizational depth Wednesday by signing 20-year-old defenseman Jake Christansen from the Everett Silvertips of the Western Hockey League.

Christiansen is 6 feet 1, 190 pounds, has a left-handed shot and is leading WHL defensemen in goals with 20 in just 35 games. He also has 27 assists.

"From my understanding, he’s what you’d call a vintage late bloomer," Blue Jackets assistant general manager Basil McRae said. "He was a small kid and now he’s grown. He’s bigger and stronger, and he’s always had the skill. We watched a lot of tape on him, and we’re excited to have him."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179961 Columbus Blue Jackets

Coach John Tortorella won’t let Blue Jackets lose focus amid obstacles

Brian Hedger

Mar 6, 2020 at 5:31 AM

BANFF, Alberta The taskmaster is having none of it.

There are 14 games left, coach John Tortorella’s scrappy Blue Jackets are still, somehow, alive and kicking in playoff position despite a 2-5-6 record in their past 13 games, and there is not a single bone in his body that’s saying "acquiesce."

Doesn’t matter that nine players are still out with injuries. Doesn’t matter that four are key components: Seth Jones, Cam Atkinson, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Josh Anderson.

Doesn’t matter that each game they play now, nearly half of the players on the active roster are either rookies or veterans of the American Hockey League.

Doesn’t matter that his team has scored two or fewer goals in six of the 13 past games. Doesn’t matter that his power play is still trying to power up.

And did we mention that mountain of injuries? Oh, yeah, we did. And it still doesn’t matter.

"Don’t even start talking about injuries," Tortorella said Wednesday at Scotiabank Saddledome after the Jackets coughed up a 2-0 lead in the third period and lost 3-2 in overtime to the Calgary Flames. "This has nothing to do with injuries. We’ve been doing this for three (bleep) months, and we have found our way to win games. We need to continue to stay with it."

The taskmaster is having none of it, not with the schedule dwindling and his team within reach of a playoff spot that might be one of the most unlikely in the history of the NHL should they claim it.

There will be no wallowing. There will be no excuse-making. There will be only continued hard work for those healthy enough to carry onward.

Before trudging off to a daunting matchup Saturday in Edmonton against the Connor McDavid-fueled Oilers, a team that has given the Blue Jackets fits, there will be only coaching, practicing, video review and some team bonding done in a quaint resort town nestled within the Canadian Rockies of Banff National Park.

There will be more talk of using sticks to make life difficult for puck- carriers, which the Jackets did well against Calgary, and there will also be a focus on creating more offense by playing more in the other team's end of the rink (i.e. forechecking).

There just won’t be a pity party, and in the mind of the taskmaster, why should there be?

The Jackets held their own in Calgary. They took a quick 2-0 lead in the first period, getting goals from Devin Shore and Gustav Nyquist, but they couldn't add another one or two. Fixing that remains the Jackets' biggest focus, knowing how close they are to the postseason promised land.

"We’re a team that needs to reply upon being above the puck and create turnovers in the neutral zone and attack that way," Tortorella said. "We’re not going to get a whole bunch of offense coming out of our end and making all these fancy plays and trying to skill it into the net. We have to work on ‘away from the puck’ first and get our forechecking and our offense off of that."

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179964 Dallas Stars Sometimes, you have to pack it in to reset things instead of just always [being] on the run.”

The Stars got caught running around on Nashville’s second goal Why the Stars penalty kill has struggled recently, and how they plan to fix Thursday. As Cogliano pressured in the right circle, it Mattias Janmark was supposed to protect the slot and eliminate the seam pass. Instead, he also went to Arvidsson, leaving Calle Jarnkrok open in the left circle. When Jarnkrok got the puck, he pulled Andrej Sekera away from the net-front, leaving Matt Duchene to tip a puck in By Matthew DeFranks9:53 PM on Mar 6, 2020 front of Esa Lindell.

Before the game, Bowness talked to reporters about getting his penalty NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The Stars have built their identity on playing killers on the same page, which hadn’t been happening recently. strong defense. It’s what general manager preaches. It’s what “It’s reading off each other, one moves, we all move,” Bowness said. interim head coach Rick Bowness teaches. It’s what the team will rely on “There’s a cycle and a rotation to go through. Sometimes, if one guy to advance deep into the postseason next month. leaves early or if one guy is slow, it opens up seams and that’s what’s That includes the penalty kill. But the penalty kill hasn’t held up its end of been happening to us. Just a little hesitancy at the wrong time, or the the bargain in the last month. other extreme is when we try to do too much and we overwork it.”

Since Feb. 1, the Stars own the second-worst PK unit in the league, The overaggressiveness has also resulted in goals by St. Louis’ Tyler killing just 68.8% of penalties, ahead of only bottom-feeding Ottawa. By Bozak and Colton Parayko and Arizona’s Taylor Hall. In those cases, as any advanced metric (shot attempts, shots on goal, scoring chance, high- one forward pressured the puck on the boards, the puck was rotated up danger chances and expected goals), the Stars’ PK has been bottom top to the point and quickly to the other side, leaving a dangerous three in the league since the calendar flipped to February. offensive player with time and space to make a play.

Per Natural Stat Trick Before Feb. 1 Since Feb. 1 “There are times where you see us running, and after the game, we might sit there and say ‘That wasn’t the right time to go,’ but if the puck Penalty kill percentage 83.0% (6th) 68.8% (30th) takes a different bounce, then it is the right time to go,” Dickinson said. “Sometimes, the puck just lays up perfectly in those instances, and they Shot attempts allowed per 60 minutes 90.0 (9th) 129.7 (31st) make a great play off of it. Shots allowed per 60 minutes 50.8 (10th) 67.1 (30th) “Sometimes they make a hell of play to spin it off the wall right away on a Scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes 44.4 (6th) 72.2 (30th) one touch. It’s the right time to go, but afterward, you’re looking at it and maybe it wasn’t the right time to go because he made a great play off of High-danger chances allowed per 60 minutes 15.5 (5th) 27.3 it.” (29th) The penalty kill now ranks a middling 16th in the league. At 79.8% Expected goals allowed per 60 minutes 5.8 (4th) 8.5 (29th) overall, the Stars are below 80% for the first time since Oct. 14, after the Goals allowed per 60 minutes 5.8 (5th) 11.1 (30th) seventh game of the season.

On Thursday in Nashville, the Predators scored twice on the power play, “We just have to build the trust back into each other,” Bowness said. two days after the Edmonton Oilers did the same. The last four goals the “When one goes, we all go.” Stars have allowed have come with them short-handed. Dallas Morning News LOADED: 03.07.2020 “When we’re going good, it’s more of a feeling that the guys out there are in sync together,” forward Andrew Cogliano said. “I think lately, we haven’t been. The system hasn’t changed in terms of what we’re trying to do. We just need to do a better job of it, really.”

While some of the recent goals have been unorthodox (two 4-on-3 goals, and Charlie Coyle’s swat out of midair in Boston come to mind), there are two main categories of goals that have foiled the Stars. One, shots from the flank that the Stars have trusted their goaltenders to stop but they haven’t. Two, overaggressive pressuring on the wall that leads to open shots elsewhere.

Filip Forsberg’s goal Thursday in Nashville was a shot that the Stars’ penalty kill routinely gives up. They are willing to allow that shot in order to cut off the pass back to the point and the seam pass to the opposite circle. Instead of asking penalty killers to take that flank shot away, they look to Anton Khudobin and Ben Bishop.

Recently, that hasn’t always been the case — also against Edmonton’s Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Toronto’s Auston Matthews and New York’s Pavel Buchnevich.

Given Khudobin and Bishop’s track records as top goalies in the league (across the last two seasons), those type of goals should be eliminated. At least, that’s the expectation.

The second type of goal allowed is more troublesome, when the Stars are too aggressive chasing the puck and end up disrupting their rotation and leaving open shooters.

“Also, you can’t be rushing everywhere,” Cogliano said. “I feel like lately, over the last little bit, we’re just been aggressive at the wrong times and the pucks have been in our net.”

Jason Dickinson added: “When we’re not going well, it seems like teams are just finding seams, they’re finding too many openings on us. It’s not for a lack of effort. It’s sometimes too much. I think sometimes, we get a little bit too antsy and think ‘Oh God, we’ve got to go, we’ve got to go.’ 1179965 Detroit Red Wings

Jeff Daniels, Dave Coulier announce Detroit Red Wings lineup. Yes, we laughed

Chris Thomas, Published 9:55 p.m. ET March 6, 2020 | Updated 12:17 a.m. ET March 7, 2020

The Detroit Red Wings don't need the draft lottery to climb out of the cellar of the NHL standings.

They just need more Jeff Daniels and Dave Coulier.

The accomplished actors are Michiganders and longtime Red Wings fans. And on Friday, before a game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena, they were in the locker room to announce the Wings' starting lineup.

"I wish I weren't drunk," Daniels, 65, said in a video posted by the Red Wings.

Daniels then handed the lineup over to Coulier, a 60-year-old St. Clair Shores native, who announced the players in a thick Canadian accent (think the McKenzie brothers ... or Carl Spackler, as a Canuck).

"Hockey is the best beer sport in the world, eh?" Coulier said.

The Wings showed renewed energy after the introduction, beating the Blackhawks 2-1 to snap a six-game losing streak.

Daniels, who grew up in Chelsea and attended Central Michigan, was in the Wings' locker room when they won the Stanley Cup in 1997, snapping a 42-year drought.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179966 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings snap six-game losing streak with 2-1 win over Blackhawks

Helene St. JamesPublished 10:06 p.m. ET March 6, 2020 | Updated 10:08 p.m. ET March 6, 2020

The Detroit Red Wings scored and checked, they played with energy, they entertained.

Their Friday night Original Six contest against the Chicago Blackhawks at Little Caesars Arena was one of the Wings’ best games of the season. That it came in Game 69, two weeks after they were mathematically eliminated from the playoffs, is too late, but at least they’re showing something.

The Wings (16-48-5) used special teams and Jonathan Bernier’s excellent goaltending to record only their third victory in the last 14 games, coming out ahead, 2-1.

Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri scored to make it 2-0 in the second period, but Patrick Kane took advantage of a defensive breakdown to score in the final minute of the period. The Wings improved to 3-for-3 on penalty kills in the third period. The Blackhawks pulled their goaltender with two minutes to play. The puck was inches from sliding into the net when Chicago defender Connor Murphy cleared it with 12 seconds to go.

Energizing start

Bernier set the tone for the first period when he denied Alex DeBrincat on a wide-open shot off an odd-man rush, kicking out a pad to make the save. Then came back-to-back penalty kills, where Wings skaters were so effective Bernier only saw two shots on goal. Scoring chances were fairly even. Frans Nielsen tested Corey Crawford with a tip-in attempt during a Wings power play.

Second one-timers

Bertuzzi provided a 1-0 lead 20 seconds into the second period when he one-timed a pass from Dylan Larkin to earn his 19th goal of the season. Fabbri followed up at 10:05 — during a power play, no less — one-timing a pass from rookie defenseman Gustav Lindstrom. That gave Lindstrom his first NHL point and Fabbri his 14th goal. Fabbri made the shot from just a few feet inside Chicago’s blue line.

Zadina on horizon

Rookie forward Filip Zadina is awaiting results from a follow-up visit with doctors to evaluate the ankle injury he suffered Jan. 31 in New York against the Rangers. Zadina played the next night when the Wings hosted the Rangers, but throbbing pain prompted an X-ray, which revealed a fracture. Once he’s cleared to practice, Zadina should be back in the lineup within a week. Zadina, the sixth overall pick in 2018, had eight goals and seven assists in 28 games since being called up Nov. 24 to offset an injury to Anthony Mantha. Zadina’s 15 points ranked third on the team behind Dylan Larkin (21 points) and Robby Fabbri (17) from Nov. 24.-Feb. 1.

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179967 Detroit Red Wings

Game recap: Detroit Red Wings defeat Chicago Blackhawks, 2-1

Marlowe Alter, Detroit Free PressPublished 5:54 a.m. ET March 6, 2020 | Updated 10:04 p.m. ET March 6, 2020

Detroit Red Wings (15-48-5) vs. Chicago Blackhawks (30-28-8)

When: 7:30 p.m. tonight.

Where: Little Caesars Arena.

TV: Fox Sports Detroit, NHL Network.

Radio: 97.1 FM (Red Wings radio affiliates).

Detroit Free Press LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179968 Detroit Red Wings Fabbri one-timed a set-up from Gustav Lindstrom — the puck squirted to Lindstrom at the point from a battle in the corner — and Fabbri made it 2- 0 with his 14th goal at 10:05.

Red Wings beat Blackhawks, put on good show for lively home crowd Holding a two-goal lead, and playing one of their better defensive games, the Wings saw Chicago slice the lead in half late in the second period.

Jonathan Toews, from his knees, backhanded a pass to Brandon Saad in Ted Kulfan, The Detroit NewsPublished 10:12 p.m. ET March 6, 2020 | the slot. Saad fed Kane to the side of the net, where Kane fired into a Updated 4:58 a.m. ET March 7, 2020 yawning net, Kane’s 31st goal, at 18:55.

The Wings were visited by actors Jeff Daniels and Dave Coulier, both huge Wings fans, before the game. Both read off the starting lineup in the Detroit — Maybe it didn't have the pure excitement of years ago when locker room. the Red Wings hosted Chicago and both teams were headed to the playoffs. “It was pretty cool to see them in here,” Bertuzzi said.

Those days are gone for a while. Detroit News LOADED: 03.07.2020 But on a cold Friday night in March — with both teams looking toward a long offseason instead of the playoffs — the crowd at Little Caesars Arena had plenty to get excited about in a 2-1 Red Wings victory over the Blackhawks.

Detroit Red Wings center Robby Fabbri, center, celebrates his second- period goal against the Chicago Blackhawks with center Valtteri Filppula (51) and defenseman Gustav Lindstrom.

The Wings played one of their stronger all around games, Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri (power play) had goals, while goaltender Jonathan Bernier continued his fine play with 32 saves.

During a season with few enjoyable evenings, this was definitely one for a lively crowd at LCA.

“We had a real good crowd, the fans got into it big-time,” Bertuzzi said. “Maybe it was the Original Six matchup, it brings a little bit more. But we played tonight and the fans were behind us.”

BOX SCORE: Red Wings 2, Blackhawks 1

Patrick Kane answered with Chicago's goal.

The Wings (16-48-5) ended a 6-game losing streak, with their first win since Feb. 18, while putting a severe dent in Chicago's playoff hopes.

“We were relentless tonight,” Red Wings forward Dylan Larkin said. “They didn’t have a whole lot and their big guys were getting frustrated. We were smart with the puck and created a lot and it was a good game for us.

“That’s the way we have to play.”

Bernier was, arguably, the Wings’ best player again, making a huge save on Chicago forward Alex DeBrincat (Farmington Hills) in the opening minute on a 2-on-1, setting the tone for the evening.

“That was a huge save, an elite, elite save,” Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill said. “What that did was allowed us to find our game. The first couple minutes we weren’t very good, but he made that save, and after that for 40 minutes, we were real good.”

Bernier pointed toward the special teams as a key for the victory — the Wings scored a power-play goal and killed all three Chicago power plays (including a third-period power play).

Coach Jeff Blashill credits an early save by Jonathan Bernier to lead the Wings. The Detroit News

“It’s what you try to do every night,” Bernier said of giving his team a chance to win. “I thought it was the PK tonight, and we scored a big goal on the power play. That’s what made the difference.

“Obviousy you feel good and just try to keep going in one direction. But our PK and PP was real good.”

Bertuzzi and Fabbri scored second-period goals, giving the Wings a 2-0 lead.

Bertuzzi scored 20 seconds into the second period, ending a personal 14-game goal-scoring drought.

Larkin found Bertuzzi alone in the slot, and Bertuzzi lifted a one-timer for his team-leading 19th goal past goalie Corey Crawford (23 saves).

The Wings maintained the lead, with the help of Bernier’s goaltending, and saw Fabbri build upon it. 1179969 Detroit Red Wings Because he was on the injured list and ineligible to be sent to Grand Rapids when final rosters were set, Zadina will not be eligible to play with the Griffins if they make the American League playoffs.

Injury to Red Wings' Filip Zadina 'wasn't best timing,' but he's finally on That’s frustrating for Zadina, and the Wings organization, who relished the mend the idea of Zadina getting that valuable experience of playoff hockey (Zadina got five games worth with the Griffins last year).

“I would like it (playing in playoffs) for sure, but it is what it is,” Zadina Ted Kulfan, The Detroit NewsPublished 1:29 p.m. ET March 6, 2020 said. “They have a real strong them, they don’t need me. They have real good offensive players, and I’ll be cheering for them. I believe they’ll have

a long run and I’m real happy for them. Detroit — It was only an optional skate Friday morning, and there weren’t "It was really my first playoffs (last year), it was great, it gave me some many teammates on the ice with him. confidence for sure. Now I know what to expect." But it still felt awfully good to Filip Zadina to be going through a game-day If he’s healthy and able to contribute, Zadina would be excited about routine. representing the Czech Republic in the men’s world championships, May “I’m feeling better, it has been way better than it was before,” said 8-24, in Switzerland. Zadina, who revealed he had a fractured ankle, forcing him out of the "If I feel good, and play real good, and they'd (Czech federation) be lineup after the Feb. 1 game. happy with me, I would go for sure," Zadina said. "But I don't know how “I’m just trying to get in shape and getting back with the team again and I'll be feeling." getting my confidence back.” Detroit News LOADED: 03.07.2020 Zadina originally hurt the ankle the night before, Jan. 31 in New York, the first game after the All-Star break. Zadina had it X-rayed but the Images didn’t reveal any fracture.

With his family from the Czech Republic in town, and Zadina, himself, on a bit of an offensive roll, Zadina played the next night at Little Caears Arena.

“It was sore, but you know, we’re hockey players so we can play through anything, I guess,” Zadina said. “I had my family here, I just wanted to play the game and they could see me. But it wasn’t my best game. I couldn’t move much.”

After the game at LCA, Zadina knew there was something wrong.

“I couldn’t walk after (the game) and I asked them and we did the X-ray again,” Zadina said. “And it (the ankle) was broken (fractured). It’s hockey. I’m glad I can skate again and feel it and just be on the ice. It makes me real happy.”

The injury was frustrating in that Zadina had scored five goals in the previous nine games before he got hurt, and had the look of a dangerous goal-scorer.

“It wasn’t the best timing,” Zadina said. “But it has to happen sometimes and I’m just hoping it’s not going to happen in the near future (again). I just want to play and just want to be on the ice.”

Coach Jeff Blashill said Zadina was scheduled to be re-evaluated Friday night, and a clearer determination of when Zadina can begin practicing with the Wings and a possible return to the lineup, will come into focus.

“We’re hoping to get him back in a full practice sooner than later,” Blashill said. “The sooner we can get him into practice, the sooner he can get to working to get back in the lineup. I know he’s eager, and we’re certainly eager to get him back.”

With the schedule dwindling, and the Wings only having 13 games left after Friday's game against Chicago, there's a train of thought that maybe it would be best to simply shut Zadina down for the rest of the season.

But Blashill and general manager Steve Yzerman haven't broached that subject, at all.

"I don't anticipate that," Blashill said. "We still have (13) games left. If you get him back next week, you'd still have 10 or 11 games and those are valuable games (in terms of development)."

Zadina did a lot of work on the stationary bike while he was out, but that doesn’t compare to the daily conditioning of an NHL player.

Zadina feels like he’s inching closer to being 100 percent, in terms of both the injury and conditioning, but isn’t quite there yet.

“I just want to be 100 percent ready,” said Zadina, who wouldn’t speculate on a timetable for a return. “I don’t want to be 50 or 70 percent, then come back. I wasn to be healthy and do my best and play like (he was playing before).” 1179970 Detroit Red Wings Maurice Richard, who was 15 years older, retired after the 1960 season. Henri stayed on and won four more Cups over a five-year span from 1965 to 1969. A highlight was in 1966, when Richard’s only goal in the final was the Cup winner in overtime in Detroit. Henri Richard, 11-time Stanley Cup winner who scored clincher vs. Wings in '66, dies at 84 In 1971, he did it again, scoring the series-deciding goal in the third period of Game 7 in Chicago. Richard said later he considered that 10th Stanley Cup his most memorable because of the circumstances.

Associated PressPublished 12:43 p.m. ET March 6, 2020 | Updated 6:12 He had been left out of the lineup for Game 5 of the final by coach Al p.m. ET March 6, 2020 MacNeil. Feeling insulted and unhappy with the atmosphere on the team, Richard assailed his coach in public, calling him “incompetent.”

“I was angry and I said some things I probably shouldn’t have said,” Montreal — Henri Richard, the speedy and durable center who won a Richard said in a 2009 interview. “I spoke out because I thought it was record 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens and once scored necessary. “I’m not saying it’s right because it’s important to respect the the clincher against the Detroit Red Wings, died Friday. He was 84. coach, but I just wanted to play hockey.” The Canadiens announced the death of the Hall of Famer on Twitter, Two years later, in 1973, Richard won his 11th Cup, his only one as calling him “one of the organization’s greatest legends and captain of the Canadiens. After his playing career, he worked as a team ambassadors.” Richard had Alzheimer’s disease. ambassador. He was better known as the younger brother of superstar Maurice He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Lise; children Michèle, “Rocket” Richard and was nicknamed the Pocket Rocket for his 5-foot-7, Gilles, Denis, Marie-France and Nathalie; 10 grandchildren and four 160-pound frame. great-grandchildren. “Henri Richard was one of the true giants of the game,” NHL The Canadian Press contributed to this report Commissioner Gary Bettman said, lauding him as an “incomparable winner, leader, gentleman.” Detroit News LOADED: 03.07.2020 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also paid tribute to Richard on Twitter.

“A legend on and off the ice, in Montreal and beyond, Henri Richard was one of the fiercest competitors in hockey history. And as an 11-time Stanley Cup champion, he set a record that no one has matched. Rest in peace, Pocket Rocket,” Trudeau tweeted.

Known for his tenacity and playmaking, Richard was captain of the Canadiens from 1971 until his retirement in 1975. He succeeded the legendary Jean Beliveau, with whom he shares the record of playing 20 seasons for the NHL club.

Henri Richard played 1,256 regular-season games, another Canadiens record. He scored 358 goals and had 1,046 points, third in team history behind Guy Lafleur (1,246) and Beliveau (1,219). He added 129 points in 180 playoff games.

His 11 Stanley Cups, one more than Beliveau and former Canadiens captain Yvon Cournoyer, is unlikely to be surpassed. Seven were won when the NHL had only six teams.

“No one’s going to break that record, it’s impossible,” Richard said. “I say that without boasting. There are too many teams now and the best players are too spread out.”

Hall of Famer Serge Savard said he had “nothing but good words” for his teammate of eight seasons.

“Obviously, his record of 11 Stanley Cup wins will never be beaten,” Savard said. “Even though he played in the shadow of his brother and of the other big stars who made their mark with the Canadiens — who are all in the Hall of Fame by the way — (Richard) found the way to leave his own mark.”

Cournoyer said, “Henri was a little like me: not very big! With his determination, he proved he was able to play in the NHL.

“Many compared Henri to his brother or put them into competition with each other,” Cournoyer added. “But Maurice was Maurice and Henri was Henri. Each had their own style and Henri proved he was an excellent hockey player.”

Richard twice led the NHL in assists, with 52 in 1957-58 and 50 in 1962- 63. He had nine 20-goal seasons, including a high of 30 in 1959-60. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and perseverance in 1974 and was selected to four league All-Star teams.

The Canadiens retired his No. 16 on Dec. 10, 1975, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

He was also hockey’s most famous leap year boy, born on Feb. 29, 1936. After a brilliant career with the Junior Canadiens, including 56 goals and 109 points in 1953-54, Richard joined his brother on the NHL club in 1955, just in time for the Canadiens to start on a run of five consecutive Stanley Cups. He proved himself right away, with 19 goals and 21 assists in 64 games in his rookie season. 1179971 Detroit Red Wings

Jonathan Bernier leads Red Wings past Blackhawks to stop skid

Updated 11:40 PM; Today 10:00 PM

By Ansar Khan

DETROIT – The Chicago Blackhawks were riding a four-game winning streak and clinging to faint playoff hopes Friday when they made their lone visit this season to Little Caesars Arena.

The Detroit Red Wings played spoilers against their lone-time rivals who they don’t see as much since switching conferences.

Jonathan Bernier made 32 saves and the Red Wings prevailed 2-1 to snap a six-game losing streak (0-5-1).

Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri scored for the Red Wings (16-48-5). The Blackhawks, who entered the night seven points out of the final wild card spot in the Western Conference, fell to 31-29-8. Chicago had defeated Detroit four times in a row.

The Blackhawks pulled goaltender Corey Crawford (23 saves) for the extra skater with two minutes remaining but Bernier made a couple of big stops to preserve the lead.

The Red Wings needed to kill a hooking penalty on Alex Biega with 8:41 remaining to maintain a one-goal lead.

After a scoreless first period, Bertuzzi converted a one-timer from the high slot on a pass from Dylan Larkin 20 seconds into the second period. It was his team-leading 20th goal.

Fabbri also blasted in a one-timer, on the power play at 10:05, to make it 2-0. It was his 14th goal, set up by rookie defenseman Gustav Lindstrom, whose assist was his first point in 14 NHL games.

Patrick Kane put the Blackhawks on the board with 1:05 to play in the second. Parked at the side of the net, he converted a pass from Brandon Saad.

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179972 Detroit Red Wings

Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks (3/6/2020): Time, TV channel, Stream

Posted Mar 06, 2020

By Lauren Williams

The Detroit Red Wings take on the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night at Little Caesars Arena after a few days off. The Red Wings Anthony Mantha has been working to find his rhythm since returning from an upper-body injury. Mantha scored the Red Wings’ only goal in their loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Monday.

The Blackhawks look to continue their win streak as they won the last four in a row. They’re just four points behind four different teams as they look to take the second wild-card spot in the playoffs.

Who: Detroit Red Wings vs. Chicago Blackhawks

When: Friday, March 6, 2020

Where: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit

Time: 8 p.m. ET

Stream: FOX Sports Go | Hulu | YouTube TV

TV: Fox Sports Detroit; NHL Network

Listen: Red Wings Affiliates: Detroit (WXYT-97.1 FM/ 1270 AM); Ann Arbor (WTKA-1050 AM); Grand Rapids (WTKG-1230 AM); Kalamazoo (WQLR-1660 AM); Saginaw (WSGW-790 AM); TuneIn Radio

Michigan Live LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179973 Detroit Red Wings Red Wings: Hosts Tampa Bay on Sunday. Macomb Daily LOADED: 03.07.2020

Bright-spot Fabbri scores, Red Wings beat Blackhawks 2-1

By LARRY LAGE AP Hockey Writer 5 hrs ago

DETROIT — Tyler Bertuzzi and Robby Fabbri scored to give the Detroit Red Wings a two-goal lead and they held on to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on Friday night.

“We have to take steps forward as individuals and as a team," Detroit coach Jeff Blashill said. “Let's do it now."

Jonathan Bernier stopped 32 shots for the Red Wings, who have an NHL-low 37 points and trail the rest of the league by 20-plus points.

“He was definitely a big difference out there, but we didn't get any luck," Chicago defenseman Duncan Keith said. “It seemed like he could see everything, even when I was shooting from the point, and he even got in front of the shots we tipped."

Patrick Kane scored his 31st goal with 1:05 left in the second period to pull Chicago within a goal. Corey Crawford had 23 saves for the Blackhawks.

Chicago is last in the Central Division despite having a winning record and its point total doubled Detroit's entering the game.

The Blackhawks had won four straight, one shy of their season high, to improve their chances of closing strong enough to earn a wild card in the playoffs.

Red Wings center Dylan Larkin said the team will try to play the role of spoilers the rest of the regular season.

“It’s a lot of fun and no matter what, winning is better than losing," Larkin said.

Detroit ended its fifth six-game losing streak this season.

The Red Wings got off to a good start with Bertuzzi's goal 20 seconds into the game. Fabbri scored his 14th goal midway through the second period, putting Detroit ahead 2-0.

“Fabs has been a big spark for us," Larkin said. “He’s a wiry guy and he works hard. He played the middle (center) and I thought he carried the play well.”

Kane's one-timer was his 31st goal this season and it cut Chicago's deficit to a goal.

The Blackhawks had a power play midway through the third period and did not take advantage of the opportunity. They pulled Crawford late in the game to put an extra skater on the ice and could not pull into a tie to force overtime.

Chicago's Connor Murphy gingerly skated off the ice with 12 seconds left. The defenseman appeared to hurt his right leg, which took the brunt of the impact against the right post when he raced back to stop the puck from going into the empty net.

Blackhawks coach Jeremy Colliton said Murphy seemed to be OK.

“Our guys are battling until the end, no question," he said.

NOTES

Chicago scratched D Lucas Carlsson (concussion) and D Adam Boqvist (right wrist) were scratched from the lineup. ... Blackhawks forward Zack Smith had back surgery and needs three to four months to recover. ... Bertuzzi has 19 goals, two away from matching his career high from last year. ... Detroit D Gustav Lindstrom had an assist for his first NHL point in his 14th game this season. ... Actors Jeff Daniels and Dave Coulier, both Red Wings fans, announced Detroit's starting lineup before the game in the team's dressing room. “I loved `Dumb and Dumber' so it was great," Bertuzzi said.

UP NEXT

Blackhawks: Hosts St. Louis on Sunday night. 1179974 Detroit Red Wings lineup than he would on a contender, but he remains the ideal down- lineup player on a good contract.

Wingers Answering our preseason questions about every Red Wings skater Anthony Mantha: Is this the year?

Verdict: Kind of By Max Bultman Mar 6, 2020 In per-game terms, it’s a clear “yes” for Mantha. He has 33 points in 40 games, on pace for 30 goals and more than 65 points over a full season. Problem is, he won’t end up playing close to a full season once again. A Technically, it’s been seven months. But it feels like a lifetime ago that couple of injuries kept Mantha from an opportunity to turn a scorching we asked one preseason question about every skater expected to be on start into a full-year breakout. He did, however, turn in an impressive the Red Wings’ 2019-20 opening roster. RAPM showing at even strength (albeit a rough power-play output), via Evolving-Hockey. Obviously, no one knew at that point exactly how rough a season this would be for the Red Wings. And accordingly, some of the questions That’s at least one standard deviation better than average in every seem almost laughably naive in hindsight. Others, however, actually did category. turn out to be pretty substantial plot lines this season in Detroit. And with less than a month remaining in the season, we’ve seen enough to Tyler Bertuzzi: How much more can he do if he stays with Larkin and answer the questions we asked way back in August. Mantha all season?

Centers Verdict: More

Dylan Larkin: Can he repeat the production … but rein in the penalties? For a while, it looked like the answer might be “a lot more.” We’ll never technically know how Bertuzzi’s year would have ended up had Mantha Verdict: No … but yes. remained healthy and on Detroit’s top line. But Bertuzzi was Detroit’s lone All-Star, should still set a career high in scoring and is close to After topping the 70-point mark last season, it would take something matching his 16 percent shooting percentage from his breakout absurd for Larkin to get back there in the season’s final 14 games. He’s campaign last season. If he sets a career high under these sitting at 49 points, with just 18 goals after scoring 32 a year ago. Part of circumstances, it’ll be hard to argue it wasn’t a success. that is to be expected on a team this bad. No one’s scoring, so by definition no one’s racking up the points. Even with a drop off in his Andreas Athanasiou: Will last season’s experiment at center help his individual production, Larkin has a healthy lead in the team scoring race. game back on the wing? But that’s not what repeating the production meant, so that part of the question is a no. Verdict: Turns out not

Larkin has substantially cut down on his time in the penalty box, though. Athanaisou also was plagued by injuries this season, but his defense After logging 75 penalty minutes last season, he’s under 40 right now. wasn’t up to par even when he was in. The Red Wings, of course, traded He’ll probably take a couple more penalties before all is said and done, him for a pair of second-round picks at the deadline, ending several but Larkin nonetheless has done his part to help unburden one of the recurring Athanasiou storylines all at once. league’s worst penalty kills. It didn’t seem to have much effect on helping Darren Helm: What’s his ideal role? the team win more games, though. Verdict: On this team, whatever it needed Frans Nielsen: How can the Red Wings get the most out of his abilities at this stage? Ideally, Helm would play a down-lineup, defensive role similar to Glendening if he were on a contender. But the Red Wings, with holes all Verdict: Unsolved over the lineup, have played Helm at just about every imaginable spot in This one’s not really a yes-or-no question, but clearly the Red Wings did the lineup, and he’s graded out reasonably well in the process. For not figure it out. Nielsen has just eight points, and, just as troublesome, someone who really needed to step up and show something this season, he hasn’t been able to be the same shutdown defensive forward he was he has. earlier in his career, when he routinely earned Selke votes. Nielsen’s “I think he’s done a really good job,” coach Jeff Blashill said this week. contract has two more seasons on it, and this question looks like it’s “Day 1 of the first game, he was in that spot to potentially be healthy going to linger through the end of it. scratched, and he knew it, and he responded great and he’s had a good Valtteri Filppula: Can a return to his roots spark a resurgence? year the whole way forward. I’ve asked him at times to get back to the physical nature that he used to play with more. He went through such a Verdict: Not really stretch of injuries over a period of time that I thought he had gotten away from that, and he’s been more physical, he’s been more impactful that Admittedly, the premise for this one may have been a tad faulty way. He just, every day, shows up and competes like crazy. … He’s been considering Filppula was actually coming off a career-high 21.8 shooting a bright spot for me.” percentage last season with the Islanders. And naturally, that hasn’t kept up on a team that’s barely scored this season. What’s hard to argue is Jacob De La Rose: What’s reasonable to expect from him health-wise? that signing Filppula proved necessary, considering how much the team has relied on him to center the second line. His veteran presence, too, Verdict: Robby Fabbri has been needed especially to help the coaching staff. But a resurgence Turns out, De La Rose’s heart issue from last season wasn’t the storyline this is not, and the question going into this offseason will be whether the that would be most significant in 2019-20, as Steve Yzerman traded him Red Wings can afford to go into next training camp with Filppula slotted for Fabbri in what looks like his best move as Red Wings general as the second-line center. manager. Fabbri will finish among the Red Wings’ top five scorers this Luke Glendening: Will he finish the season with the team? season, and it looks like he could start next season playing in the top six, too. In a twist of irony, though, the big question for him will be … whether Verdict: Yes he can stay healthy.

Glendening did not get dealt at the trade deadline, and while the Red Justin Abdelkader: Is there another gear left? Wings’ rebuild could always benefit from more picks, keeping Glendening around has some long-term value, too. No, he doesn’t solve their scoring Verdict: Does not appear so woes either now or in the future, but he contributes in just about every Abdelkader came out of the gate with a couple strong games on a line other facet of the game and remains one of the veterans the Red Wings with De La Rose and Helm, but that didn’t hold up, and now he finds will want around as they continue to break young players into the lineup. himself with just three points for the season. The question now is what He’s also at nearly 57 percent in the faceoff circle, one of the best marks the Red Wings are going to do to manage the three years remaining on in the league. The Red Wings have had to ask him to play higher in the his contract. A buyout feels shortsighted considering they aren’t pressed for cap space and that kind of move would only prolong the commitment. But it’s not going to get any easier for Abdelkader to find a regular place in the lineup as he gets older and new wingers like Givani Smith make their way through the system. That’s an issue.

Christoffer Ehn: Can he crack the lineup with regularity?

Verdict: Yes

Fifty-three games out of 68 so far feels pretty regular, so while Ehn has still found himself scratched plenty, he clears the bar for this preseason question. His primary role is as an energy player and penalty killer, and he does that job reasonably well despite matching Abdelkader with just three points.

Defensemen

Danny DeKeyser: Can he repeat last season’s resurgent performance?

Verdict: Not if he’s not on the ice

DeKeyser’s been out all season with a back injury, so he won’t repeat a 2018-19 season in which he anchored the Red Wings through some of their toughest minutes. That has, however, only served to underscore how much they needed him. Detroit’s defense has struggled mightily this season to get out of its zone, and Filip Hronek has been thrust into arguably too many minutes as a promising young player.

Filip Hronek: Is a breakout year imminent?

Verdict: Depends on your perspective

Hronek leads the team in ice time, so he’s certainly broken out as one of Detroit’s most relied-upon young pieces. But it hasn’t always meant success, even while he’s produced close to a half-point per game offensively. I think you could maybe call this a breakout if you wanted because of how much ice time and trust Hronek has earned from the Red Wings’ staff at a young age, but I’ll withhold that term with the idea there’s more in there at both ends of the ice.

Patrik Nemeth: Can the newcomer bring some much-needed shutdown play to the ice?

Verdict: Yes

Nemeth, by Evolving-Hockey’s goals above replacement, has had one of the most positive defensive impacts at even strength of anyone in the league. Now, it hasn’t translated to a substantially improved Red Wings defense corps due to the loss of DeKeyser, so that’s still an issue for the Red Wings as a whole, but individually the free-agent acquisition did what he was signed to do. If DeKeyser can be healthy next season and Moritz Seider can make the Red Wings full time, it’ll be especially interesting to see how much better things get with two more minutes- eaters to share the workload with.

Mike Green: Does he have one more year like last season in him — minus the health issues?

Verdict: Enough to be traded

Green didn’t have the virus issues of last season, but he did still miss some time even while being one of the more relied-upon Red Wings, as he had been in 2018-19. Nonetheless, he was traded at the deadline to Edmonton for a conditional fourth-round pick.

Trevor Daley and Jonathan Ericsson: How much do they have left?

Verdict: Not much

Ericsson was waived earlier this season and has been scratched plenty often since returning. Daley, too, simply doesn’t look like he has much left to give on a good team other than the mentorship both he and Ericsson provide. Both are free agents after the season.

Madison Bowey: Is he ready (or able) to take a full-time job?

Verdict: Yes

Bowey has been scratched his fair share of times, but he’s more or less been a full-time player and the Red Wings’ second-leading scorer among defensemen. There’s still some consistency issues to work on in the defensive zone, and as an RFA that leaves questions heading into this summer as to whether he’ll be back and at what price, but Bowey showed offensive progress at minimum, and got the minutes to match.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179975 Edmonton Oilers

WATCH: Oilers looking past Blue Jackets game as playoffs loom

Ian Kucerak

Published:March 6, 2020

Updated:March 6, 2020 7:54 PM MST

Edmonton Oilers Oscar Klefbom and associate coach Jim Playfair speak about the team’s strategy to getting through the next month of tough games to make the playoffs after practice at Rogers Place on Friday, March 6, 2020. The team is playing Saturday with the Columbus Blue Jackets in town.

“Everything has been structured up till today is getting us prepared for the playoffs, for the push for the playoffs and the hunt that goes into the playoffs,” Playfair told reporters.

Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179976 Edmonton Oilers “There are no easy games anymore, but the concerning part was that Chicago took it to us for 40 minutes,” said Kassian. “We know we’re a good team, but we can’t have lapses like that. We obviously need to fix that issue. But when we play the right way, it’s crazy how good our team Edmonton Oilers grinding their way into playoff mode can be.”

Assistant coach Jim Playfair says the coaching staff believes all of the challenges and speed bumps this team are facing are happening for a Robert Tychkowski reason — to harden and prepare them for what happens in the second Published:March 6, 2020 week of April.

Updated:March 6, 2020 6:18 PM MST “The big picture is going through enough options and scenarios where we’re in playoff mode,” said Playfair. “We’re going to go through situations where it’s a 1-0 game, like it was in Dallas, and we have to find our way through. We’re going to be down in games like we were in It’s great that the Edmonton Oilers are digging down and finding ways to Chicago and have to make a push to come back. We did that. win games that they shouldn’t, grinding points out of nights when they aren’t at their best. “We’re going to play shorthanded. We’ve done that. We’re going to play both goaltenders. We’ve done that. Everything has been structured to That’s a very good sign. prepare us for the push for the playoffs. But an even better sign would be playing their best, winning games “From the outside, maybe it looks like we failed in a particular part of the because they deserve to from start to finish. game, or individuals have failed, but that’s the adversity that we have to Other than the 8-3 romp over Nashville, that really hasn’t been the case manage now to be a really good playoff team.” over the last six games. They say you should never critique a win, but Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020 you can wonder about trends, and the last six games have given us plenty to wonder about.

Feb. 25: Lost to Anaheim.

Feb. 26: Lost to Vegas.

Feb. 29: Outshot 41-22 in win over Winnipeg.

Mar. 2: Trounced Nashville.

Mar. 3: Outshot 43-24 in win in Dallas.

Mar. 5: Lost to Chicago.

That’s 3-3 over six games, with a couple of wins in there where the other team could justifiably argue it deserved a better fate. Is this a concern, or just the usual turbulence that comes from playing nine of 12 games on the road in a stretch drive with so many teams still fighting for position?

“The last game of the road trip always leaves the biggest mark, and we lost that one in a way we didn’t want to,” defenceman Adam Larsson said of their 4-3 setback in Chicago. “If you look at the first two periods, Chicago was the better team. In the third, we made an honest push and we were close, but we have to start on time at this time of year.”

That they didn’t look great in Dallas, either, or were badly outshot by Winnipeg, isn’t something the Oilers are stressing about. Those games, and the points that came with them, are in the bank. And that’s what’s most important.

“At this time of year, it’s not really how you win it, it’s whether you win it or not,” said Larsson. “We take every win we can, any way we can, but obviously we would like our game to get better, and I’m confident it will.

“We battled really hard the whole year. To let it slip now is not something we want. We want to go for that No. 1 spot.”

The Oilers have fought hard to get where they are right now — through key injuries, a gruelling schedule and 13 years of ghosts — and they are the first to admit they haven’t been painting a lot of pictures the last few weeks. But with the framework in place, everyone buying into the system and with a well-documented ability to grind out wins in less than ideal circumstances, they believe they’re in great shape heading into the final 14 games of the stretch drive.

“That Dallas game might have looked like they dominated us, but after looking at the video, the chances were very similar,” said Zack Kassian, adding it wasn’t a night to be looking for style points.

“Yes, there are things we can improve on, but that’s a very good team, a good measuring stick for us, and it was a big, heavy game, kind of like a playoff game. In our situation, we have to take points wherever we can.”

There were two points sitting there in Chicago, a game in which the Oilers should have been able to impose their will, but for the second game in a row they spent most of the night on the their heels. That is a little troubling, even though they almost came back from a three-goal deficit in the third period. 1179977 Edmonton Oilers skill, that quickness and that tenacity on the puck,” said the assistant coach.

“When you leave a situation like the one he was in for a long time and JONES: Edmonton Oilers' mission control still in control, despite moving come into what we’re trying to accomplish, I think there’s probably an parts adjustment period to try to figure out where he fits in with Connor’s line or somewhere just a little bit below that.

“I think the figuring out of the line combinations have been something everyone has been a little hesitant about a little bit. But Thursday night, I personally thought he had some good pace and quickness.” Published:March 6, 2020 As for McDavid’s ‘helicopter line’ Playfair laughed. Updated:March 6, 2020 6:05 PM MST “I don’t see it that way. The transition from the start of the season and

what we wanted to accomplish by this time of year by potentially having Hello, Houston. We appear to have a problem here with re-entry. Leon and Connor drive their own lines,” he said. “I think we’ve been successful with that. I think our star players have impacted every shift After their run of recent injuries, the Edmonton Oilers are finally getting they are on the ice. their team back together. But having players ‘back’ and having their team ‘together’ are proving to be two different things. “When you stand back and look at it, we haven’t identified the lines 100 per cent right now. But we’ve made some really good progress as an There appears to be a malfunction at that junction. organization.

Re-entry has been causing some turbulence. “Here we are in early March and we’re talking about how we’re going to get four lines consistently up and playing, so I think we’ve done a really It’s expected that No. 1 defenceman Oscar Klefbom will bring his 25:35 good job.” per game average ice time back to the line-up for Saturday’s game against Columbus after missing nine games. But how long will it take for The basic message from Playfair is sit back and watch it come together. him to get his game together to reduce the minutes Darnell Nurse has been required to munch and take some pressure off the kids Ethan Bear “In looking at these situations right now, maybe it looks from the outside and Caleb Jones? like we failed in a particular part of our game or that individuals have failed. But the adversity it’s going to take to manage what we face right James Neal, after missing all of February, in his second game back, now is going to help to be a good playoff team. So that’s kind of how we returned to the Connor McDavid line Thursday in Chicago and played a look at each situation,” he said. pathetic game. He was demoted down the lineup halfway through the end of the game. Hello, Houston. Can we put you on hold?

Zack Kassian had failed to find his form in four games since returning to Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020 the lineup to the extent he had yet to convince coaches he’s ready to return to McDavid’s line.

Newcomers Andreas Athanasiou and Tyler Ennis were given a Welcome Wagon gift by head coach Dave Tippett upon arrival at the trade deadline and placed on McDavid’s wings, but didn’t stay there.

Athanasiou looked totally out of place with McDavid and was quickly dispatched to the bottom six. Ennis lasted longer but didn’t last the road trip. Athanasiou ended up back with McDavid for the third period and had a couple of moments but still no real sense of chemistry.

The result was McDavid centred a ‘helicopter line’ (no wings) in Chicago despite producing 14 points in his first six games after returning from his own six-game absence and, essentially, wasn’t able to get anything accomplished as the Oilers lost 4-3 to the Blackhawks.

Friday, the Oilers returned for a highly optional practice. Coach Dave Tippett was absent for family related reasons. And McDavid, like most of the high-profile players elected to be elsewhere, perhaps deciding to get a haircut.

You’d figure that if the Oilers could set themselves up to be where they are with 14 games to go and 10 of them at home, they should be able to maintain their current position and maybe even open the playoffs at home. But you’d also figure the Oilers have to get the re-entry situation rectified and the McDavid line problem solved if they’re going to do anything in the playoffs.

Relax, suggested Jim Playfair, replacing Tippett as coaching staff spokesman for the team’s return to town.

Playfair said he didn’t see any great concern with Neal or Kassian and their performance returning from injury.

“The pace of play when players are out continues to get better week to week and I think catching up to the pace of play is an important part of it. But I don’t see it as a real big issue.”

When it comes to Athanasiou, Playfair was much more willing to analyze the transition of the speedster’s return from playing with the Detroit Dead Things, where he had the worst plus-minus number in the entire league, to joining a team in the midst of a palpitating playoff race.

“He’s an interesting player. We’ve watched a lot of videotape on him and in the last game was probably the first time we’ve seen that explosive 1179978 Edmonton Oilers averaged (25.35) a night, fifth most in the NHL, goes back with Larsson, the rookie Jones might be odd-man out if they want to keep the third pairing of Matt Benning and Kris Russell together.

Oilers' Archibald rewarded with two-year extension off his all-around work “Quite honestly, it was bothering Klef for quite a while but he figured out to get prepared with the medical staff and treatment, and we’re hoping for a long playoff run and with Klef being out, it’s a good investment to make,” said associate coach Jim Playfair, who handles the defence. “Klef Jim Matheson, Edmonton Journal coming back will stabilize things and put everybody back in the positions Published:March 6, 2020 they feel more comfortable in or are better suited for. But it’s going to take eight or nine (defencemen) to get where we want to go.” Updated:March 6, 2020 5:32 PM MST Playfair also has Mike Green (MCL knee sprain) out for several weeks and young Swede William Lagesson in the mix.

Teams make mistakes on players all the time, but when the Arizona “We’ve got a really good combination where we can move players Coyotes decided last June to let Josh Archibald walk even though the around.” feisty role player had a career high 12 goals, had 160 hits and was part of the NHL’s No. 1 penalty-killing unit, lots of people scratched their This ’n’ that: The Oilers are likely talking about an extension for Sheahan heads. as well, either one or two years … Oilers winger Joakim Nygard (broken hand), who will find his way onto the third or fourth-line as a speedy fore- He was making NHL chump change, only $735,000. And even if he had checker when he returns, still isn’t skating with the team after being out gone to salary arbitration and got a favourable ruling that raised it to $1 five weeks. million, that seemed a small price to pay for a blood-and-guts guy. Coyotes slip-up, Edmonton Oilers gain. Edmonton Sun: LOADED: 03.07.2020

They signed him for $1 million as a free-agent in mid-July, and Friday gave the right-winger a two-year extension at $1.5 million a season. Just reward after 11 goals in his last 30 games, along with working alongside Riley Sheahan on the NHL’s No. 2 penalty kill.

Of all the free-agents Oilers general manager Ken Holland signed last summer—Sheahan, Joakim Nygard, Gaetan Haas, Markus Granlund, Tomas Jurco — Archibald has by far had the biggest impact. Two short- handed goals, three game-winners, including one in overtime. All 12 of his goals were either even-strength or while killing penalties, 17 of his 20 points came five-on-five, with three short-handed. Nothing on the power play, although he has shown enough chops to play games with Connor McDavid.

“One of the big things the Oilers were bringing me in for was the penalty- killing and Riley and I have developed chemistry at it and we’ve done a good job at it. Plus I’ve been able to chip in offensively,” said Archibald, who didn’t get his first goal until Dec. 1, but has been terrific the last two and a half months. His 20 points have come in the last 40 games.

Archibald got hurt blocking a shot early in the year, which didn’t help, obviously. His first goal came Dec. 1, in his 20th game. It was his first point, too.

“The start was tough, breaking my foot and I was also sick,” said Archibald, who was trying to find where he fit, apart from the penalty-kill.

“First one over the boards when we have a penalty-kill, he’s a guy every team needs,” said Zack Kassian. “Brings his work boots and hard-hat every night.”

The 175-pound winger routinely knocks down guys 25 pounds heavier.

“My dad taught me at a young age how to make a hit and take a hit and he would say, ‘Don’t back down, stick up for yourself.’ Been doing it my whole life so I’ve gotten used to it. Having a low of gravity helps too,” said Archibald, whose dad, John, was a rambunctious teammate of current Oilers head coach Dave Tippett at the University of North Dakota, and played a few games with the .

SHOULDERING THE LOAD

Oilers No. 1 defenceman Oscar Klefbom, who has missed the last three weeks after minor surgery on his shoulder to clean up some debris that was bothering him for a long while, might be back for the Blue Jackets game Saturday. He was getting several “maintenance days” off from practising, which raised some red flags, but he kept saying there was nothing wrong with him, until there was.

He played 30:57 against Carolina Feb. 16 and suddenly was out. He’s sat out nine games.

“It was good enough to play (before the medical procedure), that’s what you learn in this league, to play through a lot of stuff. Sometimes it gets to a point, though, where you have to be smart,” Klefbom said of his shoulder. “I’m happy where it’s at now.”

Klefbom was playing with Adam Larsson but since he’s been out Caleb Jones has been on the left-side with Larsson. If Klefbom, who has 1179979 Edmonton Oilers 34.4 goals-for percentage in 369 minutes. However, they’re largely tasked with defensive responsibilities, such as being out for 148 draws in the Edmonton zone compared to 72 in the offensive zone.

How ‘little firecracker’ Josh Archibald went from unknown to vital with “When you have confidence and you’re making plays and scoring goals, Oilers you’re helping the team,” Archibald said. “But we get a lot of our confidence from playing defensively and killing penalties.”

Said Tippett: “They’re just good pros and understand their role … and By Daniel Nugent-Bowman Mar 6, 2020 understand their contribution to help us win. They show up every day with the work boots on. They’re real good guys to have on your team.”

And then there are the intangibles. Josh Archibald was largely an unknown commodity when he joined the Oilers as a free agent midway through July. Despite being listed at 5-foot-10 and 176 pounds, Archibald is one of the Oilers’ most feared body-checkers. He was three months from turning 27 and had just 121 NHL games on his resume — 68 of which came last season with the Coyotes. His one- “He’s pretty small, but he’s powerful,” Sheahan said. “The way he’s built, year, $1 million deal wasn’t exactly groundbreaking news. he’s kind of stocky. He’s got that muscle to him. He does a good job of generating his weight and connecting. I know when I played against him, But when Archibald arrived in Edmonton for training camp in September, I felt a few of his hits. He’s solid. You definitely have to keep an eye out.” he was quickly paired up with Riley Sheahan — a centre signed just after Labour Day. The two were teammates with Pittsburgh for a few games There are a few things to note. during the 2017-18 season, so Sheahan knew exactly what to expect from Archibald. When it comes to dishing out hits, timing and leverage are of the utmost importance. “He’s a little firecracker,” Sheahan said. “Out on the ice, he’s always buzzing around. He likes confrontation and physical play. Off the ice, it’s “When I first started (in the league), a lot of guys never expected a 5-foot- the same old story with hockey guys — super nice, caring guy. He’s fun 10, 170-pound player to hit ’em like I do,” Archibald said. “You catch a lot to be around.” of people off guard. They’re coming to try to hit you and you reverse- shoulder them. The low centre of gravity, being able to get low and using The Oilers are going to have their “little firecracker” around for a while my explosiveness, you get up into them helps a lot.” longer after Archibald agreed to a two-year contract extension Friday. The deal, which has been in the works since before the trade deadline, is Then there’s the most crucial tool of the trade — the shoulder pads. worth an average annual value of $1.5 million, The Athletic has One might expect a player of Archibald’s stature to be armed with bulky confirmed. gear. That couldn’t be further from the case. He’s worn the same pads for Archibald was billed as a depth player capable of killing penalties and as long as he can remember. They look as though they’re held together hitting double digits in goals. He’s lived up to that description with the by spit and tape. Oilers — and then some. (Daniel Nugent-Bowman / The Athletic) Let’s start with his play while shorthanded. “They fit me. You don’t have to break them in. They’re molded to my When healthy, Archibald and Sheahan have been a fixture together on body,” he reasoned. “I don’t like breaking in new equipment. I have had the NHL’s second-best penalty-killing team (entering Friday) at 84.5 them forever. When you look at them, every piece has been stitched percent. Sheahan, who has 151 minutes in 63 games, and Archibald, at back on two or three times. I love them. I can’t ever switch.” 137 minutes in 59 games, rank second and fourth, respectively, in Oilers And, finally, there are the family genes. ice time while shorthanded. His mom, Anne, was an All-American swimmer at the University of North “The friendship and chemistry grew a little (since Pittsburgh),” Sheahan Dakota. There, she met (and later married) Jim Archibald, an undersized said. “When you’re just comfortable with someone like that, you can but not underwhelmed winger who played in 16 games for the Minnesota communicate well. North Stars. “We do a good job talking, especially on the penalty kill. We can read off They were settled in Jim’s native Saskatchewan when Josh was born. He each other now.” grew up in Lumsden, a town 30 kilometres northwest in the Qu’Appelle They’re far and away the Oilers’ top two forwards. There are plenty of Valley, where he played his minor hockey. games when it’s not close. Archibald reached midget AA with the Balgonie Prairie Storm and even When the Oilers beat the Hurricanes 4-3 in overtime on Feb. 16, with suited up in a couple of games for AAA Moose Jaw before the family Archibald scoring the winner in the extra period, no less, both were on moved to Minnesota, where Anne is from. Archibald continued his the ice for 4:36 of a possible six shorthanded minutes. hockey career with Brainerd High School and then the University of Nebraska-Omaha. “Not everyone likes to do it. But when you take pride in it and really go after it, it’s a lot of fun — especially with Riley,” Archibald said. By then, with his dad’s tutelage from a young age, Archibald displayed much of the feistiness he’s known for now. Archibald equalled his 12-goal career high from last season when he scored in Thursday’s 4-3 loss in Chicago, accomplishing the feat in nine “I remember wrestling, playing mini-sticks at 2 or 3 years old. He was fewer games. hitting me and throwing me around, trying to toughen me up,” Archibald said of his dad. “It was a lot of fun. Those are great memories that I have. Seven of Archibald’s goals have been at five-on-five, a total that’s been Those things helped me. You don’t think they do, but they really do.” augmented by playing 140 minutes alongside Connor McDavid. Archibald got his first crack with the captain on Dec. 1, filling in on the Jim played with Tippett in college. They were teammates when Jim was right wing for an injured Zack Kassian, and netted his first goal of the in the thick of an infamous brawl against Wisconsin that spilled into the season. stands.

Oilers coach Dave Tippett also turned to Archibald to play with McDavid Tippett sees a bit of the old man in his checking winger. when Kassian was suspended in January and again this week as he has “I know there’s a little mean streak in (Archibald) because I played with been searching for the right linemates for his star centre. his dad, and there was a big mean streak in that one,” Tippett said. “It’s Tippett values Archibald’s speed, grit and relentless forechecking. The not far from the apple tree.” Oilers have outscored the opposition 8-5 when Archibald shares the ice Josh Archibald laughed when asked about the brawl. “I’ve seen it many with McDavid. times,” he said. Archibald’s under-the-hood metrics with Sheahan, his primary pivot, at “I definitely get that side from him. But that’s how I was raised, too. I’m five-on-five are far less impressive — a 45.2 Corsi-for percentage and a not the biggest guy in the world, so you have to stick up for yourself. It doesn’t matter how big or how small, you just never gotta back down from anybody.”

That much was evident in the recent Carolina game when Archibald slugged Nino Niederreiter. The punch caused Erik Haula to rush to his teammate’s defence, grapple down Archibald and touch off a melee.

“I wasn’t expecting to get wrapped up from behind,” Archibald said. “I would have liked to have been able to do something about it.”

For all the fiery play, it’s his work with Sheahan that got Archibald a new deal — and could soon earn Sheahan a new one, too.

Their relationship, dating to the Pittsburgh days, is strong at the rink and away from it.

On the road, it’s not uncommon to see them sitting together in a hotel lobby on the morning of a game or forgoing an optional practice to play two-touch. They often eat together as well, with the more health- conscious Sheahan usually picking the restaurant.

Getting comfortable in Edmonton didn’t happen immediately for either player, both of whom were later additions after free agency began.

As the new deal for Archibald shows, any signs of insecurity and insignificance are long in the past.

“Coming into a new team together, finding your niche, where you fit in, maybe took a little bit longer than we would have hoped,” Archibald said. “Now that we’re rolling and playing together, the confidence is coming.

“It’s been a lot of fun to finally get someone that you can have some chemistry with and really start working with.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179980 Florida Panthers “We have a saying in Russia that if you don’t score, they are going to score on you,” said Sasha Barkov, who attempted six shots and was stoned on a breakaway in overtime, which would have won it.

Panthers give Bruins fight, but OT loss sets franchise record for home “We’re pissed off right now because we played good enough to win this futility one. We just couldn’t score and we had enough chances to do it. We have to play like that until the end of the season. We just set the standard for how we have to play. Anything less is unacceptable.”

By George Richards Mar 6, 2020 Up next for Florida is a game Saturday against a Montreal team now tailgating them in the standings as the once-left-for-dead Canadiens are

making their own run at a playoff spot. SUNRISE, Fla. — To make the playoffs this season, the Panthers need a Worrying about the Canadiens, really, does not matter; catching the likes lot of help from a lot of different places. of the Maple Leafs, Islanders, Blue Jackets, Rangers and Hurricanes is They also need to help themselves. what counts.

If the Panthers do not start winning, it will not matter what the teams in And the Panthers will be watching the scoreboards from here on out, front of them are doing. hoping for some help. They are currently getting it on many a night, only they fail — game after game — to take advantage. On Thursday night, Florida at least got a point in the standings by playing a complete game and stymying some of Boston’s top scorers before Two months ago, it was realistic to think the Panthers could set a number losing 2-1 on a goal with 52 seconds left in overtime. of franchise records. All positive ones. Florida was on its way to some of the biggest offensive numbers (as a team as well as individually) in its Still, it was another loss for a team that desperately needs victories right 26-year history. now. Yet here we are in March, and the Panthers have set one of the most “We did a lot of good things tonight,” coach Joel Quenneville said after dubious franchise records they now own. his team dropped to 5-10-3 since Feb. 1. “It was a pretty even game. I thought we battled hard and probably deserved something more.” Since beating the Kings on Jan. 16, the Panthers have not won a game at BB&T Center. Not a one. In eight games, Florida has acquired just two A month ago, a loss like Thursday’s would have been shrugged off. The points on home ice. Panthers played as well — defensively at least — as they have all season and probably should have taken the win. When they beat the Kings, the Panthers were 16-8-2 in Sunrise, one of the best home records in the league. Today, however, the Panthers are in a fight for their season. They need every single victory they can muster, and moral victories are not going to Now, they are 16-14-4 at BB&T and have lost eight consecutive home cut it, not when you have dug the hole the Panthers have over the past games (0-6-2) for the first time in their history. few weeks. In 2003, Florida lost seven consecutive at home, and that was one of the Florida came out playing a game not seen around these parts very often worst teams in the league. This Panthers team was supposed to be one this season. It was not trying to out-finesse anyone, did not overpass as of the best. is its way and banged with the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins Instead of piling up the points at home as is the script, the Panthers have throughout the night. struggled here. From the drop, the Panthers focused on defending their zone with Their home losing streak had better end Saturday night on Roberto MacKenzie Weegar and Aaron Ekblad patrolling the spot in front of Luongo night against the Canadiens or any chance at the playoffs might goalie , who was terrific with 26 saves in his return. just be done — regardless of what teams in front of them do in their They, as well as Anton Stralman and Riley Stillman, did so not only from games. the beginning of the game but also throughout. “We need to look on the bright side of things here,” Quenneville said. One of this team’s biggest defensive weaknesses has been allowing “We stemmed the tide here as far as playing the right way goes, we had opponents to drift into high-danger spots near the net or camp out in front a little of the Arizona game going. of the cage. “Not getting the extra point hurts, but we still have some time here. We Boston could not do that Thursday, and Driedger was most appreciative know we have to get points in every single game going forward. That has — especially of the play from Weegar. to be the mindset. Play like that, and you’re going to find a way to get points. That was the best sign we’ve seen out of it.” “These guys did one hell of a job making things easy on me,” said Driedger, who made his first start since injuring his groin in a game here Driedger is back Jan. 16. With Sergei Bobrovsky out since tweaking something during warmups “It got scrambly on one or two shots, but the guys bailed me out. Weegs? Sunday before a game against Calgary, Driedger was called up from the That’s the best game I have ever seen him play. He was all over the D- minors where he was on a short rehabilitation assignment. zone, the O-zone. He was incredible and thwarted at least two two-on- Quenneville said Bobrovsky went onto the ice Thursday morning “but ones. Him alone. He was dialed in. It was good to see.” was not out there long.” Of Weegar, Quenneville said, “He was outstanding and had it going. He With Bobrovsky ruled out, Driedger was back in net for the Panthers for broke up a couple plays defensively, joined several attacks, had a great the first time since he had to leave the game against the Kings early with shot. Everything you want from him.” a groin injury. As good as the Florida defense was, and it was pretty sharp, its offense After his game Thursday, do not be surprised to see Driedger in net for continues to struggle. the Panthers on the night Luongo gets his number retired and not The Panthers, the NHL’s highest-scoring team six weeks ago, had plenty Bobrovsky, the high-profile free agent signed to replace the future Hall of of chances against backup Jaroslav Halak (32 saves) but only a quick Famer. one-timer from Weegar in the second found its home. “He looked very patient, very solid and found pucks and controlled Florida did take 33 shots on goal and attempted 65, but only one shot set rebounds around the net,” Quenneville said of Driedger. off the horn. “He was really good. He did everything we were hoping he would do for The Panthers have been held to a grand total of three goals in their past us, and it was good to see him back in the net again. We’ll go into three games. They have all, not surprisingly, been losses. Saturday and make sure he has a chance to go again (depending) on how Bob’s feeling.” The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179981 Los Angeles Kings

Surging Kings take on fast-rising Minnesota Wild

By ANDREW KNOLL |PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 12:47 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 12:47 p.m.

On Thursday, the Kings were all smiles, joking about the return of Kyle Clifford and making reference to the “Major League” films as they reached a season-high four-game surge.

On Saturday, they’ll be back on their grind at Staples Center against the Minnesota Wild, winner of seven of its last nine games, coming out of left field to enter the playoff picture.

“We’re going to play a real good team, a desperate team on Saturday afternoon. They’re on fire right now, and they’ll be another test for us,” Kings coach Todd Mclellan said.

The Kings became embroiled in a goaltenders’ duel Thursday, the pace of which picked up in overtime before they won 1-0 in a shootout against Toronto.

The Wild beat the Sharks that same night and now sits in sole possession of the second wild-card spot in the West. Four teams sit a single point behind Minnesota for the conference’s final playoff spot.

Minnesota started the season 1-6-1, spent a good chunk of time in last place in the Central Division, traded away popular wing Jason Zucker despite his being signed beyond this season, and fired former Ducks coach on Valentine’s Day. But the Wild were beginning to turn the corner under Boudreau and have marched onward under new coach Dean Evason.

While the Kings may not have the playoffs in their sights, they have played with a mix of calm from veterans after a tumultuous trade deadline and hunger from young players eager to cement themselves within the organization and the league. Their four consecutive victories included their first shootout win of the season and are part of a broader stretch in which they have gone 7-2-1, their best 10-game cluster of the campaign.

“It’s a segment of games we’re happy with, but we want to move forward now,” McLellan said.

The Kings have gone on their run largely by committee, with some strong checking efforts and consistently solid goaltending. Goalie Jonathan Quick has gone 4-0-1 in his past five appearances with a sparkling .957 save percentage. The offense has come from wherever the Kings can find it on a given night.

The Wild has received improved play from individual scorers. Left wing Kevin Fiala has been dominant since the All-Star break, putting up 24 points in 17 games after scoring 28 in 45 games prior to the break. He was named one of the NHL’s stars of the month and has taken over the team lead in scoring. Left wing Zach Parise has posted 21 points in 26 games in the 2020 calendar year. Ryan Suter’s 47 points lead all Minnesota defensemen in scoring by a wide margin.

In goal, Alex Stalock has established himself as the top option over former all-star Devan Dubnyk. Stalock has posted a 9-2-1 record with a 1.91 goals-against-average since the start of February.

Minnesota at Kings

When: 1 p.m. Saturday

Where: Staples Center

TV/Radio: Fox Sports West/iHeartRadio

Orange County Register: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179982 Los Angeles Kings Goalie guru Dusty Imoo, who helped Campbell find his game starting in AHL Ontario, made it a point to be at the game to see Campbell and Kings backup goalie Cal Petersen. Imoo left the Kings organization in the summer and spent this past season with Kunlun Red Star in the KHL. Current Kings hit and tribute former Kings who felt ‘weird’ in return to L.A. The shootout

Who better to consult with than Campbell before the shootout? By Lisa Dillman Mar 6, 2020 “He (Andersen) said, ‘Anything I should know?'” Campbell said. “I said, ‘You’re on fire. Don’t think. Just go play.’ He was outstanding and kept us in there all night.” LOS ANGELES — Forget about Reunion Week … this is Reunion Month for the Kings. They won their fourth consecutive game, defeating the Scoring for the Kings in the shootout were Anze Kopitar and Adrian Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0 in a shootout on Thursday at Staples Center. Kempe.

They are 2-0 in these post-trade deadline reunion games this season, By the numbers coming off a victory against former teammate Alec Martinez and the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. It was Jonathan Quick’s first shutout of the season and the 52nd of his career. He hasn’t lost in regulation since Feb. 9 at the New York Next up? Tyler Toffoli on March 21 when the Vancouver Canucks come Rangers. to Staples Center. Get that tribute video ready. The Kings are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games and have won four straight for The boys are back in town, again the first time this season. It’s no surprise their recent surge coincided with the sharp performances they’ve been getting from Quick and Petersen. It was Feb. 5 — exactly a month ago — when the Kings made their first big trade of the season, sending heart-and-soul veteran Kyle Clifford and “It starts with real good goaltending. Quickie was exceptional again,” backup goaltender Jack Campbell to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Trevor Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “When we did make mistakes, the Moore and two draft choices. goalie was there. Pretty good penalty kill. A night where we played the type of game that we probably had to play to win. Clifford and Campbell returned to Los Angeles for the first time since the trade, as did defenseman Jake Muzzin, who was dealt to the Maple “It wasn’t a wide-open freewheeling one. Although they did get some Leafs last season. Muzzin, who played against the Kings earlier this open chances, but I felt we had some of those as well. It’s nice to win season in Toronto, is sidelined because of a broken hand and watched and it’s nice to beat a real good team. Move on and keep saying it, move the game from the press box. the needle forward if we can.”

Hello old friend Said Quick: “We’re just kind of sticking with it. I think we’ve been playing with more confidence after getting a few wins. It’s good to see the hard With Muzzin not playing and Campbell backing up Frederik Andersen, work we’re putting in get rewarded.” some of the sizzle was missing from the reunion game. The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 Leave it to Kings defenseman Drew Doughty to inject a bit of energy into the proceedings. Doughty had promised beforehand he would try to hit ex-teammate and buddy Clifford, and it didn’t take Doughty long to follow through, taking care of business in the first period.

“I live for that stuff,” Clifford said. “It’s part of the game. I welcome it.”

So does Doughty.

After the game, Doughty was in the hallway and I noted that he didn’t waste much time hitting Clifford. Doughty smiled widely, adding that Clifford already told him he was planning on getting back at him.

That won’t be until next season, of course.

“I loved it,” Campbell said. “That shows both of their characters. They love each other off the ice but they’re warriors out there and as competitive as they come.”

Tribute time

The Kings aired a video tribute on the Jumbotron during a TV timeout in the first period, honoring Campbell, Clifford and Muzzin.

Clifford was on the Kings’ Stanley Cup championship team in 2012 and 2014, while Muzzin was a vital part of the 2014 run. Campbell came after the titles but managed to revive his professional career in the Kings’ organization.

“It’s a classy place,” Campbell said. “I know Cliff, Muzz and I really appreciated the gesture.”

Said Clifford: “I thought they did a good job for Muzz, Soupy and I. It’s a world-class organization with L.A. and I think us three guys poured it out on the line, and kind of gave our heart and soul to the organization. It was nice to see the fans have a good response to it.”

Trading places

Clifford was asked what was the weirdest part of the day for him.

“It was weird, altogether,” Clifford said. “I played 10 years here. You go down a different ramp into the building. You’re playing against guys you played with for 10 years. It’s just different.”

Campbell also admitted the day and night felt weird. 1179983 Los Angeles Kings

FINAL – COLORADO 4, ONTARIO 1 – DURZI, STOTHERS

ZACH DOOLEYMARCH 6, 2020

via

The kicked off the week with a 4-1 defeat against the Colorado Eagles, in the first leg of a back-to-back set at Budweiser Events Center.

Ontario got a second-period tally from forward Sheldon Rempal, which tied the game at one, but conceded three goals in the final 5:36 of the middle stanza, as Colorado took a commanding three-goal lead into the third period. Following the trio of tallies against, goaltender Kevin Poulin took over between the pipes, and came on to stop all 12 shots against in the third period. Poulin is expected to get the nod in net tomorrow evening.

Ontario was unable to convert on six opportunities on the man advantage, as it got several shots from the perimeter but could not get a redirection or a rebound opportunity from close range to go. The Reign also surrendered a slew of shorthanded opportunities against, with Colorado having multiple odd-man rushes against while on the penalty kill.

The two teams will square off again in less than 24 hours, a massive rematch for the Reign. Ontario fell into fifth in the Pacific Division, tied on points with San Diego, following the Gulls’ 3-2 overtime defeat in San Jose. The two teams are each on 64 points, with San Diego holding two games in hand.

Sean Durzi

Mike Stothers on making the goaltending change when he did

You’ve got to try something. I don’t think Matty had too much help in front of him tonight, from certain individuals, so there’s only so many things you can do. The plan all along was Matty was going to play tonight, Poulin was going to play tomorrow, so we might as well get him some game action tonight, get him used to the business that Colorado creates in front of the net. A lot of traffic, a lot of movement, good tips. Anyways, that was the thought process and then Poulin went in and made some pretty big saves, so that’s a good thing.

On Poulin coming off the bench, and making those key saves

That is their job as the backup goalie, they’ve got to be ready to go in at a moment’s notice. You don’t get a warmup, you don’t get time, you’ve just got to be ready to go. Poulin’s an older guy, he’s been around for a while, he’s played in the NHL, so you would expect that. That is your job and that’s your role, to be ready any time you’re called upon.

On the Reign not getting to second opportunities tonight

I just didn’t think we were as good as we needed to be tonight to have any success in the game. We had some guys that I don’t feel were totally invested in doing what it takes to get the outcome we were looking for. We’re not good enough to have that, we need everybody in, we need 20 guys in. If you’ve got a few guys that aren’t, then the result is going to be what it was tonight.

On if he expects those that weren’t in tonight to bounce back tomorrow

Absolutely. Maybe they didn’t have it tonight, maybe it’s just one of those things that happens. I think, in the third, the work ethic was there, but that’s the way we need to play right from the start and all the way through. You get some chances, you need to make sure you find the back of the net. You get a couple of power plays, you’ve got to at least get some looks, you can’t get outshot. They’re getting chances shorthanded, and we’re not getting any chances on the advantage. We’ve got to be better and I know we will be.

LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179984 Los Angeles Kings old team coming to town, so there’s been a lot of emotion in his world. So, we want to keep him at the top of his game and make sure he stays confident.

PETERSEN TO START VS MIN; COMPETITION FOR ICE TIME; McLellan, on Saturday’s goaltender: KEMPE “PLAYING WITH AUTHORITY” Cal’s going to get the start tomorrow.

McLellan, on Minnesota’s “surge”: JON ROSENMARCH 6, 2020 Well, their goaltender’s been very good. Four lines deep, they get a lot of offense from their blue line. Not always goals or assists, but the ability to break out and create up-ice, so they’re getting that. And they’re Dave Sandford/NHLI confident. They believe in each other right now, they’ve got something to play for. I think this’ll be one of our toughest tests in a while. We’ve got to INSIDERS. A fine Friday evening to you and yours. Thanks for the well- be ready to respond to it. wishes on Twitter and LAKI – I’m feeling a touch better and am planning on covering Saturday’s matinee. Cal Petersen will draw his first career McLellan, on Adrian Kempe’s impact: start against Minnesota, Todd McLellan confirmed during Friday’s media session. (Stick taps to Alex Faust for passing along today’s audio.) He’s playing with authority. He’s imposing his speed and his will on other teams, playing within the structure, obviously confident, so a lot of good Todd McLellan, on Thursday’s 1-0 shootout win: things going for him right now, so [I’m] happy about that.

When you think about it, there’s two points handed out and nobody LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.07.2020 scored a goal. It’s a strange night where both goaltenders ended up with a shutout and points are rewarded, but our ability to shut down one of the top offensive teams in the league is something that we’re happy with. Any time your focus goes to that, you’re probably going to give up a little bit offensively, which we did do, but we found a way to win the game. What we take out of it is the guys are willing to sacrifice a little bit of it individually for the good of the collective, and that is important for our group. I think that characteristics been in this room for a long time, and the veterans can draw it out of the group. So that’s something we have in there, that’s something we want to keep, and the fact that the group is bigger than any one individual is really important for us.

McLellan, on the competition for ice time:

When I look at our forwards, we’re in an emergency situation. We only have what we have. They’re playing every night basically, unless we decide to go with seven D-men. So, the competition comes internally for ice time within a game. You’re not necessarily going to come out of the lineup right now. But I think in the bigger picture, the competition for your hockey life is on the line for some players that maybe have been career minor-leaguers or trying to break into the league right now. They are getting an unreal opportunity – I’ve said it many times. This opportunity probably doesn’t exist right now in Boston or Tampa Bay. Their young players are down there percolating in the minors, and ours, a lot of ours are up here getting an opportunity. I think that’s a great chance for them, but they need to make good on it. I look at it more that way than the other.

McLellan, on any thought that the lack of extra forwards might make players more “relaxed”:

They could be. It could work in their favor. It also can work in a game, I guess, when you do take ice time away from them, or they get lackadaisical or weak in effort and they hurt the group. And right now, the group is really important – the whole more than the parts – and I don’t think anybody wants to let anybody down so they’re keeping each other honest, at least for now, and that’s a good thing.

McLellan, on the penalty kill’s improvement and player pool:

Walker, MacDermid, a lot of those players that didn’t have a lot of experience at the beginning of the year now have it, and our penalty kill, in my opinion, has improved immensely throughout the year. Maybe more so than the power play. It’s repetition, it’s common partners, it’s understanding structure, it’s understanding the meetings and attack points. But a lot of players have given us good minutes in those situations.

McLellan, on Trevor Moore telling reporters that he’s overthinking things:

Well, he’s got to know that we believe in him. We have him here for a reason, and he’s got to take his personal inventory. ‘When I’m playing well, what do I do best?’ And I think all players have to do that at some point. You can begin to dabble in areas that isn’t maybe your expertise, and I see him playing with a ton of pace, tenacity on the forecheck, create turnovers, a solid penalty killer, and if he does those things, he’s right back to being Trevor Moore and he’s the player we’d thought he’d be. You don’t have to play outside your skin, just play to your strengths and relax a little bit. He’s gone through some emotional nights, too. Coming back to LA, a new team, he’s excited, and then it settles in, his 1179985 Los Angeles Kings The Reign have fared much better on night two, but with the playoff race where it is, there’s no time to lose. The team can’t afford to throw a game away with an adjustment period, and knows that it needs to battle hard tonight against the Eagles, including the altitude and crowd elements. REIGN FEELING PREPARED TO HANDLE ALTITUDE, CROWD AND A “FAST” EAGLES TEAM Rempal agreed that the atmosphere here is like one found in college. Budweiser Events Center is one of the AHL’s smallest buildings, and also one of the noisiest and most packed. Colorado averages 5,211 fans per game, in an arena that has a listed capacity of 5,289 for hockey, good for ZACH DOOLEYMARCH 6, 2020 a 99% filled rate….might as well be a rounding error as the team sells out nearly every night.

You try to put it out of your mind when you come to Colorado, but it Ontario can expect to see two more capacity crowds this weekend, but doesn’t help that it’s looking you right in the face as you enter the Clague feels that he and his teammates are prepared for what is to come building. in a massive pair of games for the playoff push.

As visiting players enter their locker room area, you pass right by the “We know they’re going to be loud and we know they always seem to fly number 5,078. Whether it’s by design or not, and I suspect that it is, around in this building,” Clague said. “We’re ready for that, we know what visiting players and teams are reminded of the altitude of Budweiser to expect, and we just have to get off to a good start and I think we’ll be Events Center each and every time they visit. fine.”

“You definitely feel it a little bit, they don’t just make that up,” Reign LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.07.2020 defenseman Kale Clague said after today’s morning skate. “When you get out there and take a few hard strides, you feel like you’re sucking a little bit of wind. I think once we get the game going, after maybe the first period, I feel like we’ll be adjusted and we’ll be fine.”

The altitude here is something that Reign players and coaches have spoken on, seemingly every time the Reign have played in Colorado. It’s not necessarily a point of focus, and asking them about it this morning may have just put it back into their minds, but whether you want to dwell on it or not, it’s present.

“We’re trying to not let it get in our heads too much, but obviously it’s there and you’re thinking about it in the back of your head,” Ontario forward Sheldon Rempal said. “I think, after the first period we should be fine, the first couple of shifts.”

The first period theme was common from both Clague and Rempal, alluding to how long it takes them to settle in and adjust. The problem with that is how hard the Eagles come out on home ice, and how fast they seem to be when playing at home.

“This team likes to come out fast in this rink, they like playing here and they’re a fast team and I think every time we’ve been here, we’ve been caught a little bit off guard with the way they can skate and the way this building goes,” Rempal said. “We’ve just got to be aware of that.”

Clague put the emphasis on shorter shifts, making sure that you’re not getting caught on the ice for extended periods of time, especially in the defensive zone. It’s that length of time on the ice that can really wear you down and makes it harder to play in Colorado, especially if you’re taking penalties.

He noted that he doesn’t necessarily take any different precautions when playing away against the Eagles, but feels that taking quick shifts are especially important here.

“I don’t prepare any differently, I just prepare the same way, just short shifts I guess, short and hard,” Clague said. “If you get extended, it’s going to be a long night, but if our shifts are short and hard we’ll be fine.”

Ontario Reign Head Coach Mike Stothers echoed what his players said….or perhaps it was vice versa.

Stothers said this morning that he and the Reign staff have made the players aware of the altitude, and being Ontario’s second trip to Colorado, they probably already knew. Though it is a point to touch on, it won’t be an excuse for the Reign, nor will it be what is being harped on as Ontario prepares for a massive set of games here against the Eagles.

“It is definitely an element, but we don’t want to spend too much time and focus on it,” Stothers said. “We’ve made the players aware of it. The importance of going hard but keeping the shifts short, don’t overextend yourself and we can also help ourselves by staying on the ice here tonight and tomorrow, not giving them too many special team situations. “When you’re killing penalties, it really fatigues a team.”

The Reign enter tonight’s action with a 1-4-1 record all-time in Colorado, and 0-3-0 in the front half of back-to-backs at Budweiser Events Center. Ontario has been outscored 15-3 in their three first games, all defeats, but has bounced back to a 1-1-1 record on the second night, including its first ever victory here back in November. 1179986 Los Angeles Kings LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 03.07.2020

PREVIEW – ONTARIO @ COLORADO, 3/6

ZACH DOOLEYMARCH 6, 2020

WHO: Ontario Reign (29-20-5-1) vs. Colorado Eagles (31-17-3-1)

WHAT: AHL REGULAR-SEASON GAME

WHEN: Friday, March 6, 2020 – 6:00 PM

WHERE: Budweiser Events Center – Loveland, CO

HOW TO FOLLOW: Video: AHLTV – AUDIO – Mixlr – TWITTER: @ontarioreign & @reigninsider

TONIGHT’S MATCHUP: The Ontario Reign are back in action with a pair of games this weekend against the Colorado Eagles. Ontario enters tonight’s contest winners of three consecutive games, extended with a 2- 1 shootout win over Bakersfield on Saturday.

WHAT TO WATCH FOR: The Reign skated this morning in Colorado, in advance of tonight’s action. Goaltender Matthew Villalta was the first netminder off, while forward Jacob Doty and defenseman Max Gottlieb were on late for extra work. Forward Michael Spacek has not yet linked up with the Reign, and thus did not skate this morning.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: Ontario and San Diego flip-flopped in the Pacific Division standings five times last week, ending with the Reign reclaiming the fourth seed with Saturday’s victory over the Condors. The Pacific Division remains tight entering the week, with second through fifth place separated by a total of just three points. A Reign regulation win tonight, combined with a Stockton loss, would vault Ontario into a tie for second in the standings.

SEVENTH HEAVEN: The Reign enter this evening’s action in Colorado winners of seven consecutive road games, their longest streak of the 2019-20 season. The streak is the longest active away winning streak in the AHL, and the third longest overall this season, with a victory tonight moving Ontario into a tie for second in that category. The Reign are also tied for fourth in the AHL with 18 road victories this season.

INSANE FROM BLAINE: Ontario forward Blaine Byron scored his team’s lone goal in regulation on Saturday, as he netted the game-tying tally late in the third period to force overtime and eventually a shootout. Byron was tied for the Reign team lead, along with forward Matt Luff, for points in the month of February, as he five goals and seven assists for 12 points, along with a +6 rating, from 11 games played.

THE COLORADO KID: Reign forward and Colorado native Mikey Eyssimont leads all Ontario skaters in head-to-head action this season, with six points (2-4-6) from five meetings. The Littleton, CO native collected an AHL career-high four points (1-3-4) when the teams met on February 16 at Toyota Arena. Overall this season, Eyssimont is tied with forwards Carl Grundstrom and Jaret Anderson-Dolan for the team lead in points (28) amongst active skaters.

ROSTER MOVES: Ontario made three roster moves this week, swapping forward Michael Spacek for defenseman Daniel Brickley with Manitoba, while recalling defenseman Max Gottlieb from Fort Wayne. Spacek has yet to link up with Ontario, and will not feature tonight against the Eagles, while Gottlieb skated with the team at this morning’s skate, but is not expected to be in this evening’s lineup.

COLD IN COLORADO: The Reign enter tonight’s action just 1-4-1 all- time at Budweiser Events Center in the American Hockey League. Ontario earned its first ever win in Colorado last time out, a 4-0 victory back in November. Ontario has especially struggled in first games in Loveland, posting an 0-3 record with a 15-3 goal differential in favor of the home side, in the first game of back-to-back sets in Colorado.

SCOUTING THE EAGLES: Colorado is one of the AHL’s hottest teams, with a 9-3-0 record in its last 12 games played. The Eagles have been led by the return of forward TJ Tynan, who ranked inside the AHL’s Top- 10 with nine assists during the month of February. Hybrid forward/defenseman Jacob MacDonald was tied with Tynan for the Colorado points lead during February with ten points (4-6-10) of his own. 1179987 Minnesota Wild

Gameday preview: Wild at Los Angeles

Sarah McLellan

MARCH 6, 2020 — 8:23PM

3 p.m. at Los Angeles • FSN, 100.3-FM

Road success is of notice

Preview: Before moving on to Los Angeles, the Wild won a sixth consecutive road game Thursday night in San Jose. The team has had only three longer win streaks on the road in franchise history, most recently a seven-game run during 2016-17. Overall, the Wild is 15-15-2 as the visitor. As for the Kings, they won a season-high fourth in a row Thursday after edging the Maple Leafs 1-0 in a shootout.

Players to WATCH: Kings C Anze Kopitar has hit the 20-goal plateau for the 11th time in his career. RW Dustin Brown has four points in his past five games. … Wild LW Zach Parise has eight points during a five-game point streak. C Luke Kunin has a point in each of his past two games since returning from injury.

Numbers: The Wild’s 14 points since Feb. 19 are tied for the second- most in the NHL. Alex Stalock is the fifth goalie in Wild history to register 20 wins in a season. … Los Angeles is 7-2-1 in its past 10 games. The Kings are 16-13-2 at home.

Injuries: Wild D Carson Soucy (upper body) is out. C Eric Staal did not travel after a death in his family. Kings C Jeff Carter (lower body) is also out.

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179988 Minnesota Wild the 3-2 win over the Sharks at the start of this road trip. “It’s allowing everyone to be aggressive. It’s allowing our defense to pinch, and it’s allowing us to stay in the zone and make more turnovers. That’s the way you gotta play.” Under interim coach Dean Evason, Wild is scoring and winning Although the Wild is embracing a get-up-and-go style, it isn’t forgetting to Its offense ranks among the NHL's top five in Dean Evason's first 10 take care of its own end. games. That has long been the identity of this team, and it still is — even if the other priority on the ice is coming into sharper focus.

By Sarah McLellan “We’re totally a defensive team and the way we play. We’re a hard hockey team,” winger Marcus Foligno said. “But this league’s just too Star Tribune good now, and the defense seem to be offensive players. You gotta go MARCH 7, 2020 — 12:52AM for offense. You gotta score.”

Star Tribune LOADED: 03.07.2020

LOS ANGELES – Wins and points aren’t the only totals that have been on the rise during the Wild’s recent surge.

So has the team’s goals-per-game output.

Not only has this uptick headlined the start of Dean Evason’s tenure as interim coach, but it’s also helped spark a 7-3 run that’s planted the Wild at the front of a race for one of the Western Conference’s wild-card playoff berths that resumes Saturday afternoon in Los Angeles against the Kings.

“Any hockey player wants to play offense,” Evason said. “As long as we work our butts off to get back and as long as we support each other when we get in [the zone] regardless if it’s a defenseman or a forward, if we can create some offense, create offense. We just as a team have to back each other up and support each other and have some fun doing it.”

In addition to the top three finishers in each division, the two teams with the most points in each conference will make the Stanley Cup field.

Evason previewed an aggressive philosophy when he was named as Bruce Boudreau’s replacement Feb. 14 after Boudreau was fired, explaining that he’d tolerate eager mistakes but not passive ones.

And based on how the Wild has responded to his direction, the players seem to be fulfilling Evason’s vision.

In the 10 games Evason has been at the helm, the Wild has scored 35 goals (tied for the fourth-most in the NHL) and it’s averaging 3.5 goals- per-game, which ranks fifth. That clip is higher than the team’s season average of 3.13 and above the 3.07 efficiency under Boudreau, both of which sit near the middle of the pack.

With results like that, it’s clear the Wild didn’t struggle to score before Evason took over; eight times the Wild scored five or more goals in a game before the coaching change — including a season-high eight on Dec. 19 at Arizona — and it had a pair of seven-goal performances.

What is different, though, is how clutch winger Kevin Fiala has been — leading the team in goals (13) and points (28) since January, with seven goals and seven assists over his past 10 appearances. And the Wild’s depth scoring has also been timely, especially from the defense.

“We’ve been trying to be aggressive,” defenseman Ryan Suter said. “That’s one thing Dean’s wanted from us. I think we’re doing a good job of being aggressive but also being smart about it.”

Wild defensemen have combined for eight goals and 27 points over the past 10 games and overall are tied for second in goals (42) and third in points (164) in the NHL.

They’re jumping up in the play, supporting the forwards. But once they gain the offensive zone, they’re staying there instead of falling back to get ready to play defense.

“When they do it and we’re moving in the zone, it makes it really hard for teams,” goalie Alex Stalock said. “It’s confusing for them, ‘Who do I cover now? D-man’s down below the goal line.’ It seems to be working.”

This approach could make the Wild more vulnerable off the transition, but since the team has been victorious more often than not lately, the group is finding a healthy medium — thanks in part to the backchecking by the forwards. Stalock’s .932 save percentage over his past eight starts also helps.

“We’re covering for each other,” said winger Zach Parise, who extended his goal streak to four games after burying the game-winner Thursday in 1179989 Minnesota Wild Facing a bunch of old friends and the organization that drafted him in 2005, Stalock was looking to bounce back after allowing four goals on 12 shots and being chased from net last time he started in San Jose back in November. Red-hot Wild leap 4 teams to land in playoff spot for first time in 3 months Mission accomplished.

Stalock was once again tremendous and was rewarded with his 20th By Michael Russo victory in a game the Santa Clara County Public Health Department actually recommended should be cancelled because 20 locals had Mar 6, 2020 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

But the NHL said the show must go on, and Stalock and the Wild were SAN JOSE, Calif. — Alex Stalock examined the Wild’s schedule when it certainly pleased about that. was released last June and thought to himself, “Holy Cow, how are we Since Jan. 16, Stalock is tied with Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy for the going to get around this one?” most wins in the NHL (11). He stopped 40 shots, including 19 in the third For only the second time in NHL history, a team would play 20 of their period as Minnesota was outshot 20-3 in the final 20 minutes. first 30 games on the road. “I know that group pushes,” Stalock said after the Wild snapped a five- Stalock, for one, only unpacked to do laundry and never, ever wasted game losing streak to the Sharks. “They go on, they tweak the lines, they time by storing his luggage in a closet. don’t like losing in this building. Once they get one, it’s loud and they keep coming in waves and I’ve seen it too many times. You’ve got to put “Every time we came back to town, we’d have to hit the road again a few a stop to it in a hurry. You’ve got to stop the bleeding and we did and days later,” the veteran goaltender said. “But we talked. If we could get kept them from getting the big third one.” ourselves into a decent record when the schedule turned in our favor, we knew we’d sit in good shape. And we were. We made it through OK after To say it was a tense period after Joe Thornton cut the deficit to one with the start we did not want.” 10:52 left is an understatement.

It’s pretty remarkable, but after starting the season by losing eight of their “Yeah, they were coming,” said No. 1 defenseman Ryan Suter. first nine road games, the Wild pulled off their latest big road win But the Wild defended well and hard and smart. If all else failed, they Thursday night by outlasting the San Jose Sharks, 3-2, to, believe it or made sure to chip the puck out to the neutral zone and change. not, catapult into a playoff position for the first time since Dec. 6. “We got some blocked shots,” said Zach Parise, whose second-period The Wild opened their three-game trip to California by jumping four beauty of a goal to extend his goal streak to four games turned out to be teams to move into the top wild-card spot in the West. They improved to his 73rd career game-winner. “Guys with really good sticks in lanes and 7-3 under interim coach Dean Evason, 14-6-1 in their past 21 and won you expect at some point for them to have a big push like they did. When their sixth in a row on the road. In those six road games, the Wild have they got that second goal, got a little life but we defended really well. outscored opponents 26-11. “I feel like we were still in control not panicking. I think everyone knew “Mikko (Koivu) before the game said if you want to have a great road trip, what we had to do. Everyone knew their job. So it was good for everyone you have to make sure you win the first one,” said Alex Galchenyuk, who to deliver on that and lock it down.” scored his second goal in 12 games with the Wild and earned ice time in the waning minutes as the Wild frantically tried to hang on to a one-goal Minnesota Wild lead with the Sharks in a period-long, full-court press. “It builds from here now. Still have two super important games. Definitely great start.” ✔

FOX Sports North @mnwild

✔ Tonight was... Wild. #mnwild

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Twitter Ads info and privacy Evason cut down the bench and frequently used forwards Koivu, Joel Eriksson Ek, , Luke Kunin and Marcus Foligno. On the See FOX Sports North's other Tweets back end, assistant coach Bob Woods used defense partners Suter and Since opening the season 1-8 on the road, the Wild are 14-7-2 in the Jared Spurgeon and Jonas Brodin with usual third-pair right defenseman past 23 road games, scoring three-or-more goals in 18 of those games. Greg Pateryn. In that span, the Wild have scored 88 goals, leading the NHL in road “Honestly, I think we could have went to anybody,” Evason said. “That’s goals per game (3.83) since Nov. 5. the way the group was playing. I mean, we have to make a decision on If the season ended today — yeah, yeah, yeah, we know it doesn’t and who we want out there, but I think we could have went with anyone out they’ll be jockeying spots the final 15 regular-season games, but the Wild there and they would have done the same thing. Throwing their bodies, would cross over to the Pacific Division in the first round of the playoffs paying the price each and every guy. We hung on a little bit there at the and play the Vegas Golden Knights. The Wild are 13-6-2 against the end, but we were so committed.” Pacific this season with a goal-differential of +17. They are 6-2 all-time As often happens in the first period at the Shark Tank, the Wild had to against Vegas. weather an early storm but wound up taking a 1-0 lead when Suter fired “It’s great,” Stalock said of climbing over the playoff bubble for the first a shot through Ryan Donato’s screen. Suter would later add an assist time in three months, “but obviously, it’s not over. We can’t be and now has 38 points since Nov. 19, tied for third among NHL complacent. We talk about being a predictable team. Every night we defensemen in that span. want to show up and we want people to know what we’re going to bring. But the Sharks would tie the game heading into the second period before We’re going to play a fast game, we’re going to get pucks to the net, the Wild built a 3-1 lead heading into the third on goals by Galchenyuk we’re going to play strong defensively. It seems to be the right recipe. and Parise that were 3:18 apart. We’re moving up. Let’s keep moving up and see what happens.” A Suter shot hit Parise’s skate and bounced right to Galchenyuk, who whipped a backhander past Martin Jones. Then Kunin, who was elevated into the first-line center role with Eric Staal not on the road trip due to a death in his family, fed Parise with at least what looked like a sensational backhanded pass for a drive-to-the-net, Parise tap-in.

FOX Sports North

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@fsnorth

Parise taps it in!

The #mnwild get another goal in the second period

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Parise said Kunin was actually trying to shoot the puck, something Kunin kinda, sorta admitted after the game.

“I heard (Parise) late,” Kunin said, laughing. “Hey, it worked out, so …”

For Parise, the goal marked his 10th career 25-goal season. Kevin Fiala also picked up an assist on the play to extend his point streak to six games. In the past 16 games, Fiala has 12 goals and 24 points.

Since that trade-deadline deal to the Islanders fell through, Parise has just played terrifically after admitting that it was hard to play the prior few games because he thought the trade was on the horizon.

“I don’t want to use that as an excuse,” Parise said when asked if he was distracted before the deadline. “I think the lines that I’ve been on with Ekker and (Jordan) Greenway and then playing with Luke and Kevin tonight, I just think we’ve had a lot of scoring chances and a lot of opportunities, so everyone benefits from that.”

So, in the end, as tense as the final period was, it was a big road win for the Wild.

“We see the team just being a team,” Evason said. “They enjoy being around each other, and … you get on the road, that’s what you do. You’re together. Before the game, like, the energy was just — (Wild media relations specialist) Megan (Kogut) actually said to me, she goes, ‘Boy, they’re loose,’ and I’m like, ‘Oh Geez, I hope they’re not loose,’ but they were, like, excited. They were having fun. They were all into it.”

The Wild scrapped practice Friday. They’ll fly to Los Angeles in the early afternoon and play back-to-back at Los Angeles on Saturday afternoon and Anaheim on Sunday night.

Behind Stalock’s backbone in net and some fast, gritty hockey, the Wild have put themselves in a great position to have one excellent road trip.

They’re back in a playoff spot, something that seemed a pipedream back in early January and certain in the first month of the season when the Wild lost seven of their first 10 games.

“I think it definitely should give us a boost of confidence,” Galchenyuk said. “There’s obviously still a lot of games left, but to know you’re over that wild-card line, it’s great. But at the same time, I think we deserve it as a group. There’s still a ways to go, but it’s definitely something positive.”

Added Eriksson Ek, “It’s good, but we’ve got to keep going. We have to keep pushing. There’s really hard games coming up for us and we’ve got to try to keep playing the way we are. Today wasn’t really maybe the prettiest win, but we still managed to win. That’s what it’s about.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179990 Montreal Canadiens eligibility, as well as Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and Le panthéon des sports du Québec ( Sports Hall of Fame) in 1994. Three years ago, the NHL named him one of the “100 Greatest NHL Players” as part of the league’s centennial celebrations. Montreal Canadiens great Henri Richard won a record 11 Cups Richard was known for his fluid skating, savvy stickhandling and clairvoyant playmaking. Others possessed harder or more deceptive shots, but the diminutive centre had a keen sense for creating the space TOM HAWTHORN needed for a small skater to make a play. Long-time observers marvelled SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL at his on-ice manoeuvres even late in his career.

PUBLISHED 8 HOURS AGO “He takes the puck over the opponents’ blueline and he cuts to the left,” the sports columnist wrote in 1973. “Then when he has UPDATED MARCH 6, 2020 ‘beaten’ the opposing right defenceman, he swings sharply to his right at full speed. He sweeps across the front of the net, from left to right; he

draws out the goalie and he shoots the puck at a spot, just inside the Henri Richard did not have enough fingers and thumbs for all of his goalpost, as his own speed leaves him with a rapidly diminishing target.” Stanley Cup rings. It was a style he developed playing shinny on an unnamed frozen slough The great Montreal Canadiens centre, who died Friday morning at 84, and on outdoor rinks in his working-class Montreal neighbourhood. had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup as a player a record 11 Joseph Henri Richard was born on leap year day, Feb. 29, 1936, in times, more than his long-time captain Jean Béliveau and more even Montreal to the former Alice Laramée and Onésime Richard, a carpenter than his famous older brother, Maurice Richard, in whose shadow he from the Gaspé who worked for a half-century in the Canadian Pacific lived all his life. Railway’s expansive Angus Shops in east-end Montreal. The couple The younger Richard scored two Cup-winning goals – in overtime of were married in the bride’s parish church of St-Enfant-Jésus de Miles Game 6 of the 1966 final against Detroit and in Game 7 of the 1971 final End. Henri was the seventh of eight children (Maurice, Georgette, Rene, against Chicago. Rollande, Jacques, Marguerite, Henri and Claude). The family lived in a three-storey, red-brick house in the north-end neighbourhood of The latter came after he had criticized head coach Al MacNeil as “the Bordeaux. The Richards were known for their dignified stoicism. worst coach I have ever played for.” MacNeil had benched Richard, who complained the unilingual coach discriminated against French-speaking Henri first saw his brother, 15 years older, play at the Forum at the age of players. The comment was so incendiary that MacNeil received death six. That same year, Maurice left the family home and bought Henri his threats and bodyguards were assigned for the final playoff game at the first pair of skates. The boy played hockey after school and all day on . Saturday and Sunday.

Days later, as captain Béliveau accepted the Stanley Cup from NHL Henri was just 15 when he joined the junior Montreal Nationales, the president Clarence Campbell on the ice at on May 18, arrival of the small skater disappointing coach Pete Morin, who was 1971, it was Richard who was hoisted on the shoulders of teammates. expecting the player to be as solidly built as Maurice. The youngster wore No. 9, the same as his brother, which was the subject of Roch The playoff declaration was an unlikely outburst from Richard, who was Carrier’s famous short story, The Hockey Sweater. never as impassioned as his outspoken brother. When Henri first joined the team, defenceman Doug Harvey asked if the taciturn Henri spent three seasons with the junior Montreal Canadiens, twice rookie spoke English. The head coach replied, “Heck, I don’t even know leading the Quebec Junior Hockey League in goals and points. He if he can speak French. He hasn’t said a word yet.” matched his brother’s famous 50-goals-in-50 games by notching 56 goals in 54 games in 1953-54. The younger Richard shared his brother’s razor-sharp jawline and pinched mouth but was smaller (generously listed at 5 foot 7, 160 Henri still had a year of junior eligibility when he attended the Canadiens’ pounds, measurements likely taken while he was wearing skates and full training camp in 1955. He wound up making the NHL club. equipment) and far less flamboyant on the ice. Maurice was Rocket “When he was on the ice, no one else had the puck,” Blake told Trent Richard, so pint-sized Henri became the Pocket Rocket. Frayne of Maclean’s magazine. “No matter who I lined him up with, that His brother inspired songs, books, poems, films, cartoons, and even, line always had the best scoring record in a given practice.” once, notoriously, a riot. An arena was named for him and, eventually, Uncertain whether so small a player could stand the rigours of the NHL, the NHL trophy for goal scoring. He was héros d’un peuple. A legend. the Canadiens originally only signed him to a three-game tryout so he Henri could not, would not compete with that. He mostly went about his could retain his amateur status and be returned to the junior team. business in quiet, determined fashion, overshadowed not just by his brother but by flashier teammates well known by such nicknames Le Just before he was to make his professional debut, the hard-skating Gros Bill, Boom Boom, and the Roadrunner. Richard brothers clashed heads in a head-on collision during practice. Maurice needed 10 stitches to close a gash on his face near his left eye, “I was kind of shy as a kid,” he said in 1986. “I never wanted to say that while Henri took two stitches to his right cheek and another two on the my brother was Maurice, but everywhere I went – ‘That’s Maurice’s chin. Neither missed a game. brother.’ But I was hiding. I didn’t want anyone to know, eh. That was my way.” After the tryout, the Canadiens signed Henri to a two-year deal. “When it comes to hockey-wise mental equipment, the kid is superior to any Henri spent his entire 20-season NHL career with the Canadiens. He prospect I’ve seen since Charlie Conacher came up with the Leafs,” said retired in 1975 with 358 goals (compared with his brother’s famous total Canadiens general manager Frank Selke Sr.. “Small, yes, but I’d hate to of 544), although the younger liked to point out he rarely got to skate on be in the skates of any opponent who’d dare lay a hand on him while the the power play. More impressive were the 49 goals and 80 assists in 180 big brother was there.” playoff games, most recorded before expansion inflated such statistics. The younger Richard scored against Gump Worsley in his professional “It’s all right to be a hard worker,” he once said, “but you have to produce, debut, on Oct. 15, 1955, as his older brother notched two as the too.” Canadiens defeated the New York Rangers 4-1 at the Forum. Richard was named once to the NHL First All-Star Team (1958) and At first, coach Blake kept the brothers on separate lines, fearing the three times to the Second All-Star Team (1959, 1961, 1963). He skated Rocket would give up scoring opportunities to pass to his kid brother. He in 10 all-star games. His only league individual award was the Bill eventually had Henri centre a line with Maurice on right wing and Dickie Masterton Memorial Trophy for perseverance and sportsmanship, which Moore on left wing. When the Rocket was injured in 1958, Moore shifted he won in his penultimate season. to right wing and journeyman took the left. When the line The Canadiens adding him to the bleu-blanc-et-rouge pantheon by continued to produce goals, it was seen as proof Henri did not rely solely retiring his No. 16 sweater in a ceremony at the Montreal Forum in 1975. on his brother’s talents. Blake pronounced Henri the fastest skater in the He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979, his first year of game. The Pocket Rocket also showed fearlessness when larger players dropped the gloves. He floored Bill Gadsby of the Rangers in his first fight and one night in Boston fought Fern Flaman, tough guy Jack Bionda and notorious hothead Leo Labine.

After the game, Blake said, “Maurice, from now on, instead of you looking after Henri, we’re gonna have Henri looking after you.”

For his part, Henri acknowledged he relied on bluffing and the willingness to throw the first punch.

Richard won the Stanley Cup in his first five seasons. The summer after the fifth championship, he fulfilled a dream by buying his own business.

“It was a kid’s dream,” he said. “I wanted to play hockey with the Canadiens and I wanted a tavern. I had no education, or hardly. I finished school in the seventh grade. So that’s what I wanted to do: Play hockey, and after playing my hockey, I’d have my place, a tavern.”

He sold the eponymous tavern in 1986 after his sons told him they did not want to run the business. He had employed his younger brother, Claude, as a waiter.

Richard succeeded Béliveau as captain of the Canadiens, an honour he held until retiring after a broken ankle limited his 1974-75 campaign.

His retirement ended 33 consecutive seasons in which the Canadiens had a Richard brother in the lineup.

It was said Richard balked when a night in his honour was first suggested. “My father worked for 48 years in the Angus Shops,” he told Canadiens general manager Sam Pollock, according to Tim Burke of the Montreal Gazette. “He never missed a day at work in all that time and they never held a night for him.”

The 1974 celebration went ahead on one condition – proceeds would benefit a gymnasium at the St. Arsène Orphanage. The game raised more than $100,000.

Richard died at a residential care home in suburban Laval after a long struggle with Alzheimer’s. He leaves Lise Villiard, a childhood friend whom he married in 1956, three daughters, two sons, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179991 Montreal Canadiens He could be fierce on the ice and off. During a dressing-room discussion about harsh media coverage, some players suggested not letting the press in. Richard defended the reporters, saying they had a job to do. Serge Savard, then a youngster with the team, joked, “If you like them so Montreal Canadiens’ Henri Richard showed that size was not an issue to much, why don’t you sleep with them?” Richard rose from his seat, become a star athlete walked over to the much taller, much larger Savard – and slapped his face.

He was incredibly loyal to the Canadiens and expected loyalty in return. ROY MACGREGOR He was a veteran when, coming off an injury, management decided to sit SPECIAL TO THE GLOBE AND MAIL him out another game and let an impressive young take his place in the lineup. Richard left the building without informing PUBLISHED 9 HOURS AGO anyone and went home. Next day he told reporters he would “rather pick garbage than sit [out]." UPDATED MARCH 6, 2020 In 1971, nearing the end of his career, he was left out of the lineup for a

playoff game. He responded by calling head coach Al MacNeil Every four years he’d be back in the news – the most recent being last “incompetent.” The team went on to win the Stanley Cup, but next year Saturday, when he finally turned 21. MacNeil was gone and Richard had his regular spot in the lineup. He captained the team to his final Cup, in 1973, and retired two years later, Well, actually, it was Henri Richard’s 84th birthday, but when you’re serving for many years after as a team ambassador. Canada’s best-known leap-year baby people tend to think of you on Feb. 29. Both numbers – real age, leap-year age – are invariably mentioned. “He was extremely respectful and kind,” says Ken Dryden, who played goal for the team during Richard’s final years. When Dryden was called A week later, Canadians are thinking of him again, many with a touch of up in March, 1971, with the team struggling, Richard welcomed him. “He sadness, some surely with relief that the Montreal Canadiens’ great, little never treated me as anything other than a teammate. Not the kid. Not the centre will no longer struggle with Alzheimer’s disease. college goalie. I was a player.

There have been a great many other numbers mentioned as well: 20 “Once you got to know Henri he was funny and had this great laugh. His seasons with the same team, 358 goals, 688 assists, 1,259 regular- eyes would just twinkle.” season games, 129 points in 180 playoff games, 10 times an all-star, named one of the game’s top 100 players in 2017. Dryden remembers being in goal and watching No. 16 skate – “never in a straight line” and seemingly forever. When researching his book The The number that impresses most, however, is 11 Stanley Cups, more Game, Dryden took a stopwatch and measured old games to see how than any player in history, more rings, if they had given them out in the length of shifts had changed over the years. In the 1950s, players stayed early years, than appendages. on for two minutes or so. Not Richard. “Routinely 3:20, 3:30,” Dryden “No one’s going to break that record,” he once said. “It’s impossible. I say says. “He was the only one. He never quit.” that without boasting.” After Dryden’s arrival that March of 71, the team began winning. They There were also numbers concerned with size that seem equally made the playoffs and went to the Stanley Cup final against the Chicago impossible: 5-foot-7, 160 pounds, the reason behind a nifty nickname, Blackhawks. In the seventh game, the Canadiens were down 2-1 when, the Pocket Rocket, that he personally despised. But when your older, stunningly, Henri Richard took over. much larger brother is Maurice (Rocket) Richard – the most fearsome “By then Henri was 35 years old and pretty much a non-scorer,” Dryden scorer of his day – what else could you expect? recalls. “He had a truly horrible shot. I knew it. Bur then he scores the His junior coach told him he was “too small” to think about a career in tying goal and the winning goal. hockey. He would tell his teachers he’d be a “plumber” or some other “It wasn’t the power of his shot. He simply willed those goals in.” tradesman when he grew up. “I never said hockey player,” he says in an old clip that aired on Friday in a Stephen Brunt essay for Sportsnet. Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.07.2020

He became such a successful hockey player, however, that for decades he stood as an inspiration to the undersized, the under-anticipated. Gifted small players everywhere could look at him and say, “If he can do it, I can do it.”

His heart, no surprise, was huge. He defined the much-used phrase “fierce competitor.” After a superb junior career, the little centre was invited to the Canadiens’ training camp in the fall of 1955. Some whispered that it was just a favour to the Rocket, 15 years older and long entrenched as the team’s greatest star. Others said he would soon be sent back to junior, as was very much the norm in the days of the Original Six.

The Rocket’s little brother stunned them at that first camp. Red Fisher, the late, great Montreal Gazette columnist, wrote that the head coach, Toe Blake, said that “when Richard was on the ice, nobody else had the puck.

"At the start of training camp we had no idea what we had. At the end, we couldn't send him back.”

They worried that the slick little playmaker might handle the speed and play but could he deal with the rough stuff in an era of bench-clearing brawls, swinging sticks and no helmets. Not only could he handle it, he often initiated it.

Maurice often said that his little brother was a better all-around player. The two would play together, sometimes on the same line, for five years, each year winning the Stanley Cup. The general manager of the day, Frank Selke Sr., told Fisher that even though the team had the Rocket, Jean Béliveau, Doug Harvey and Bernie (Boom Boom) Geoffrion, “game in, game out, Henri Richard may have been the most valuable player I’ve ever had.” 1179992 Montreal Canadiens visit his friend a few weeks ago but Richard’s wife said it wasn’t a good idea.

It was the same thing for Cournoyer, who tried recently to see the legend Montreal Canadiens great Henri Richard dies at 84 and said he was told by Richard’s wife, Lise, “you wouldn’t want to see him in the state he’s in.”

Cournoyer said, “Henri was a little like me: not very big! With his MICHEL LAMARCHE determination, he proved he was able to play in the NHL.

THE CANADIAN PRESS “Many compared Henri to his brother or put them into competition with each other. But Maurice was Maurice and Henri was Henri. Each had PUBLISHED MARCH 6, 2020 their own style and Henri proved he was an excellent hockey player.” UPDATED 11 HOURS AGO Cournoyer said Richard “was my teammate, but after, he was my friend for life. We played golf together.”

Henri Richard, the speedy centre who won a record 11 Stanley Cups with Known for his tenacity and playmaking skills, Richard twice led the NHL the Montreal Canadiens, died Friday after a long battle with Alzheimer’s in assists, with 52 in 1957-58 and 50 in 1962-63. He had nine 20-goal disease. seasons, including a high of 30 in 1959-60.

He was 84. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and perseverance in 1974 and was selected to four league all-star teams. The Canadiens confirmed his death on Twitter. The Canadiens retired his No. 16 on Dec. 10, 1975, and he was inducted “The Montreal Canadiens are saddened to learn of the passing of one of into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979. the organization’s greatest legends and ambassadors, Henri Richard, this morning,” the Canadiens tweeted. “Our thoughts and sincere After a brilliant career with the Junior Canadiens, including 56 goals and condolences go out to the Richard family.” 109 points in 1953-54, Henri Richard joined his brother on the NHL club in 1955, just in time for the Canadiens to start on a run of five Richard was captain of the Canadiens from 1971 to his retirement in consecutive Stanley Cups. 1975, succeeding the legendary Jean Beliveau, with whom he shares the record of playing 20 seasons for the NHL club. He proved himself right away, notching 19 goals and 21 assists in 64 games in his rookie season. He was better known as the younger brother of superstar Maurice (Rocket) Richard and was nicknamed the Pocket Rocket for his five-foot- Maurice Richard, who was 15 years older, retired after the 1960 seven, 160-pound frame. campaign.

“Richard was a great player and a great ambassador for the Montreal Henri stayed on and won four more Cups over a five-year span from Canadiens organization. His passing is a great loss for all,” Canadiens 1965 to 1969. A highlight was in 1966, when Richard’s only goal in the owner Geoff Molson tweeted. final was the Cup-winner in overtime in Detroit.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman called Richard “one of the true giants Five years later, he did it again, scoring the series-deciding goal in the of the game. third period of Game 7 in Chicago. Richard said later he considered that 10th Stanley Cup the most memorable of his career because of the “The entire National Hockey League family mourns the passing of this controversial circumstances. incomparable winner, leader, gentleman and ambassador for our sport and the Montreal Canadiens,” Bettman said in a statement. He had been left out of the lineup for Game 5 of the final by coach Al MacNeil. Feeling insulted and unhappy with the atmosphere on the team, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also paid tribute to Richard on Twitter. Richard blasted the coach in public, calling MacNeil “incompetent.”

“A legend on and off the ice, in Montreal and beyond, Henri Richard was “I was angry and I said some things I probably shouldn’t have said,” one of the fiercest competitors in hockey history. And as an 11-time Richard said in a 2009 interview. “I spoke out because I thought it was Stanley Cup champion, he set a record that no one has matched. Rest in necessary. peace, Pocket Rocket,” Trudeau tweeted. “I’m not saying it’s right because it’s important to respect the coach, but I Despite his small stature, Henri Richard played 1,256 regular-season just wanted to play hockey.” games, another Canadiens record. He scored 358 goals and had 1,046 points, third in team history behind Guy Lafleur (1,246) and Beliveau Two years later, in 1973, Richard won his 11th Cup, his only one as (1,219). captain of the Canadiens.

He added 129 points in 180 playoff games. After his playing career, he worked as a public relations “ambassador” for the team. His 11 Stanley Cups, one more than Beliveau and another former Canadiens captain Yvon Cournoyer, is unlikely ever to be surpassed. He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Lise, five children and Seven were won when the NHL had only six teams. 10 grandchildren.

“No one’s going to break that record, it’s impossible,” Richard once said. Globe And Mail LOADED: 03.07.2020 “I say that without boasting. There are too many teams now and the best players are too spread out.”

He was also hockey’s most famous leap year boy, having been born on Feb. 29, 1936.

Hall of famer Serge Savard said he had “nothing but good words” for his former teammate of eight seasons.

“Obviously, his record of 11 Stanley Cup wins will never be beaten. Even though he played in the shadow of his brother and of the other big stars who made their mark with the Canadiens – who are all in the Hall of Fame by the way – (Richard) found the way to leave his own mark.”

Savard said the last conversation he had with Richard occurred three or four years ago at the in Montreal. “He was still able to hold a conversation, but couldn’t remember your name.” Savard said he tried to 1179993 Montreal Canadiens Blackhawks #HabsIO pic.twitter.com/A9thgYFZLE— Stu Cowan (@StuCowan1) March 6, 2020

Bowman went back to visit his childhood home with Dryden last October Former Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman still going strong at 86 to do an interview to promote the book.

He remains a regular in Tampa press box as a senior consultant to the “It’s still the same place, Bowman said. “But I was never in the house Chicago Blackhawks and is always a joy to talk hockey with. because there were five or six of us in the house so you were always out on the street all the time playing.”

Bowman said he didn’t really talk with Dryden a lot when he was STU COWAN coaching him because he was busy with so much other stuff.

MONTREAL GAZETTE “You were alone most of the time on the bench,” Bowman said about having no assistant coaches back then. “You had to do everything. It’s Updated: March 6, 2020 different now. I think the big change, too, is all the video that the guys watch. There’s much more information that the teams have on each other. The video, they have the things on the bench now. I never thought TAMPA, Fla. — One of the nicest things about covering a game from the I’d see that. press box at is getting to talk hockey with former Canadiens coach Scotty Bowman during the intermissions. “I wonder how they get what they want to see?”

When the Canadiens played the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday It’s always great to see Scotty Bowman. night, Bowman was sitting in his regular seat in the second row of the Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 press box. The man who won a record nine Stanley Cups as a coach — the first five with the Canadiens — is 86 now and continues to work as a senior adviser for hockey operations with the Chicago Blackhawks. Bowman’s son Stan, who was named after the Stanley Cup, is the Blackhawks’ general manager.

Bowman looks like he hasn’t aged in about 20 years, which he attributes to living in Sarasota, Fla., and is still as sharp as a tack.

When asked if he ever gets tired of watching hockey, Bowman smiled and said no before adding: “This is a good team. They’ve been good for a while.”

The Lightning beat the Canadiens 4-0.

Bowman attends all the Lightning home games, scouting them and the visiting team and providing information for the Blackhawks. He has watched first-hand as hockey has grown in Tampa.

“It’s big because (owner Jeffrey Vinik) has done a good job of building rinks,” Bowman said. “The kids are playing. That’s the thing with these cities now. The youth hockey explodes because it’s a fun game to play when kids get playing it. Vinny Lecavalier’s son plays on a team here now that he coaches. It’s the same in St. Louis. Jeff Brown and (Al) MacInnis and those guys. … The ex-players are getting into coaching because they have kids and that helps.”

Bowman has also seen many changes to the game at the NHL level since retiring after winning the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2002. One thing he doesn’t like is the offensive zone being made bigger by moving the blue lines further away from the net.

“I’m not sure I like the collapsing down,” he said about the defensive systems. “In our day, you had to cover the defencemen because they were closer. Now, they’re farther out.

“I think the biggest change is obviously the speed,” he added. “It’s so fast. You can’t play very long shifts … if you do you’re going to be tired. It’s a different game totally.”

Bowman remembers Boston Bruins star Phil Esposito — who is now a colour commentator for Lightning games — playing shifts that lasted more than two minutes and said the average shift on the Canadiens when he was coaching them was more than a minute. Now, NHL shifts only last about 45 seconds.

Former Canadiens goalie Ken Dryden wrote a book that was published last year about his old coach titled: Scotty: A Hockey Life Like No Other. Bowman said he has been pleased by the reaction fans have had to the book and was impressed by how thoroughly Dryden did his research, even visiting the home on 5th Ave. in Verdun where Bowman grew up.

“I didn’t want to write a book because I always thought it took a long time,” Bowman said. “He didn’t have to talk me into it, but he said we don’t have to rush. I only did it in the winter when I was down here. It took three years. He’s only written four (hockey) books and they’re all good.”

One of the real treats of a trip to Tampa is getting to talk hockey with former #Habs coach Scotty Bowman, who is at nearly every game at Amalie Arena in his role as a senior advisor to hockey operations with the 1179994 Montreal Canadiens those guys leave us because they bring back a lot of good memories from the good old days.”

Yvan Cournoyer is now the oldest living former Canadiens captain at 76. Stu Cowan: Canadiens lose another legend with death of Henri Richard Muller recalled a road trip in 2010 during his first stint as an assistant "He was my dad’s favourite player, by far," coach Claude Julien says coach with the Canadiens when they were going to Buffalo to play the about former Habs captain who won a record 11 Stanley Cups as a season opener, which was celebrating the Sabres’ 40th anniversary in player. the NHL, and Richard joined them to take part in the festivities.

“He came on the flight there, and here he is coming on and he tapped me on the shoulder and said: ‘Do we get any beer?’ ” Muller said with a STU COWAN chuckle. “He said: ‘My wife always packed me a brown bag with my sandwich and my apple and maybe slid a couple of extra beers in there.’ MONTREAL GAZETTE So he says: ‘Times have changed now.’ ” Updated: March 6, 2020 They certainly have and that’s part of what makes the passing of another Canadiens legend so sad.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — There are very few records in sports that Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 one can safely say will never be broken. Henri Richard winning 11 Stanley Cups as a player is one of them.

It was a gorgeous day Friday in Fort Lauderdale — sunny and about 26C — but there was a deep sense of sadness at the Canadiens’ beachfront hotel after news broke that Richard had died at age 84 after a long battle with Alzheimer’s.

Friday was a scheduled day off for the Canadiens, but the team made coach Claude Julien and associate coach Kirk Muller available at the hotel to speak about Richard and what he meant to them.

“You’re sad, but I had heard some rumblings that he wasn’t doing well,” Julien said. “So it’s not like it caught me by surprise. We knew he hadn’t been doing well lately, so it’s still a sad thing to hear. A guy who’s been such an icon for the organization in all the different ways, as a player, an ambassador and everything else. I really liked him as a player as a young kid. He was my dad’s favourite player, by far. So I know today my dad has seen this kind of news and is obviously sad to hear that he’s gone now.”

It’s so sad to think Alzheimer’s robbed Richard of the memories of his 11 Stanley Cups and the 20 years he played with the Canadiens — the last four as captain after Jean Béliveau retired. Richard’s 11 Stanley Cups are two fewer than the Toronto Maple Leafs have won as a team and the same number as the Detroit Red Wings, who rank second and third behind the Canadiens with 24.

“He was a small player, he feared nothing,” Julien said about the 5-foot-7 Richard. “He had a lot of grit in his game. He wasn’t afraid to go anywhere on the ice. He stood up for himself. He had a mean streak, but he was also a good player. He could score goals, he could do all those things. He was a complete player. Like a lot of people today that like the Brendan Gallagher kind of style — little guys that come in there and play big — well, that’s what Henri Richard did. He played big. It’s easy to like a guy like that.”

Julien added his father, Marcel, only got to meet Richard once.

“My father saw him in an elevator, was too shy to say hi to him,” Julien said. “That’s as close as he got to Henri. I’m sure had he reached out to him he would have been more than happy to shake his hand. So it’s something that I’m sure he probably regrets today.”

Muller met Richard for the first time and shook his hand after he was traded to the Canadiens from the New York Islanders in 1995.

“He wasn’t a big guy, but if you shook his hand you knew darn well that he was strong and he was fierce,” Muller said. “He was a competitor and you can’t teach that. When you put skill together and being a fierce competitor like he was, it’s generally a pretty good formula that you’re going to have success. So he earned those 11 Stanley Cups. People will say back then it was different and all that, but there were other great hockey players at the same time.”

There was no such thing as free agency when Richard played, so players would often spend their entire career with the same team.

“There’s still some star players around, but back then (teams) were able to protect their own players in their territory,” Julien said. “So that’s why you had a lot of French players playing for Montreal and, eventually, that changed. Probably for that reason they were a dynasty. It was nice to be able to keep the local guys with the local cities. Unfortunately, with 31 teams now vs. six, it’s changed and it’s a lot tougher. It’s sad to see 1179995 Montreal Canadiens Pearson, who just the other day turned away someone trying to pawn possibly stolen hockey cards, surmises that Richard’s rings are probably collecting dust in someone’s closet.

From the Archives: Robbers left Richard with only one ring after 11 ”It’s possible they were sold,” he said, ”but some people are just greedy.” Stanley Cup wins Richard, who scored the overtime Cup-winning goal in the 1966 final Sadly, his other rings were among a cache of cherished valuables stolen against Detroit and also netted the 1971 winner against Chicago, doubts when burglars broke into his Laval home after his retirement. another player will ever match his feat of 11 Cups.

”You’ll never see that again because of free agency and the fact there are so many teams now,” he said. ”I was in the right place at the right JOHN MEAGHER time.”

MONTREAL GAZETTE Although he might be the best person to render an opinion on the subject, Richard won’t choose the greatest Habs dynasty of all-time: the Updated: March 6, 2020 1955-60 team, or the 1970s team that won six Cups.

”It’s useless trying to compare different eras,” he said, ”because we’ll This story was originally published on March 5, 2000. never know.”

Henri Richard has won more Stanley Cups than any other player in For the record, Richard lists his older brother, Maurice, as the best player National Hockey League history, but he has more scars than rings to he ever saw, Bobby Orr as the greatest he played against and Wayne show for his Hall of Fame career. Gretzky as the best of all-time.

The Pocket Rocket played on a mind-boggling 11 Cup winners during an As for his famous sibling, who is 15 years his senior, Henri said: ”Maurice illustrious 20-year ride with the Canadiens from 1955-75, but he retains was more like an uncle to me. I was 6 when he got married.” only one prized ring from those glory years. As for Maurice’s status as a cultural icon, Henri said: ”In Quebec, people Sadly, his other rings were among a cache of cherished valuables stolen look for a leader, a God or whatever. I think he’s that type of guy. I would when burglars broke into his Laval home after his retirement. Not one never be comfortable with that, but he is, I think.” item was ever recovered, but a couple of days after the burglary, Richard Although a sore back ended his old-timers’ career four years ago, the received a mysterious phone call in which he was offered back his rings Pocket Rocket still keeps busy with tennis and golf, and is employed by in exchange for a tidy ransom. Molson as a public-relations ambassador. Richard, an intensely proud man who once wore the ‘C’ on his jersey and He celebrated his sweet-16 birthday privately with family and friends, but the ‘CH’ on his heart, didn’t cave in and angrily hung up. received a welcome phone call from a well-known Canadian politician. ”No way I was going to pay for my own bloody rings,” he said. ”Senator Mahovlich called,” Richard said with a chuckle. ”Frank calls Two weeks after the robbery, Richard and his wife, Nathalie, sold their every four years.” home and moved into a condo. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 The robbery still digs at the soft-spoken Richard, a leap-year baby in 1934 who celebrated only his 16th birthday on Tuesday — a milestone for someone who wore the now-retired No. 16 jersey with distinction.

”I have an idea who might have been responsible,” Richard said of the robber, ”but I never (pursued) it. For sure, it’s someone who knew the house.”

The irony is that no one in Montreal — or in the rest of Hockey Night in Canada, for that matter — could flaunt Richard’s chunky rings in public without raising suspicion. Each ring is engraved with Richard’s name, jersey number and Cup year. The stolen rings were for the years 1960, ’65, ’66, ’68, ’69 and ’71.

Although Richard began his career with an unprecedented string of five consecutive Cups from 1956-60, only one ring was issued for that dynasty.

”After we won the fifth Cup, the team paid half (the cost) of the ring and we paid half,” Richard recalled.

Richard, who today wears only his 1979-issued Hall of Fame ring and keeps his remaining 1973 Cup band in a safe place, said he has all but given up hope of ever retrieving his stolen rings.

”I guess they’re gone forever,” he said wistfully.

Richard, whose dark eyes, rolling eyebrows and white, wavy hair give him the distinguished appearance of a winter-wise snow owl, has already handed down many of his other hockey momentos to his five children and 10 grandchildren.

Richard, however, is not the only Habs legend to be victimized by heartless thieves. Jean Beliveau’s house was burglarized the night the Canadiens honoured him at the Forum in 1971.

Allan Pearson of Raxan Collectibles in Kirkland has never seen a Stanley Cup ring cross his counter, but added World Series and Super Bowl rings are often sold at international trade shows.

”Sometimes a former player will sell a ring because he needs the money,” Pearson said. ”But a big problem is authenticating the stuff. How do you know if it’s stolen?” 1179996 Montreal Canadiens Thursday, Bergevin’s team played one of those teams that drafts well, the Tampa Bay Lightning, and they smoked the Habs because they simply have far more talent than Montreal.

What the Puck: Accountability appears lacking in Habs' front office The three goal-scorers against the Habs in that 4-0 drubbing Thursday — Victor Hedman, Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn — were drafted by For Marc Bergevin to say coach Claude Julien will be back next season Tampa, and the core of their elite squad was drafted and developed by is also a confirmation that the GM has the owner's full support. the team. Bergevin natters on about building through the draft, but there are only two notable players on his roster drafted and developed by

Montreal, Carey Price and Brendan Gallagher. BRENDAN KELLY One of the few really good Montreal draft picks of the past 15 years, MONTREAL GAZETTE Mikhail Sergachev, played a strong game Thursday and rubbed salt on the wounds of Habs fans by getting the better of in a fight. Updated: March 6, 2020 Bergevin traded Sergachev to Tampa in return for Jonathan Drouin and it’s becoming clearer every day that Tampa won that trade hands-down.

Bergevin admitted in Brunet’s interview that he traded for Drouin because When Marc Bergevin said this week that Claude Julien would be “it was important to bring in a Québécois player.” returning as head coach next season, he also noted something more That’s all you need to know — the Canadiens are more concerned about significant. Bergevin effectively confirmed that he’ll also be back this fall the public-relations spin than icing a contender. as general manager of the Canadiens and that he clearly has the full support of his boss, team president Geoff Molson. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 At the general managers’ meetings in Boca Raton, Fla., Bergevin said Julien was still his man and he wouldn’t be doing that if there was even a remote possibility that Molson was going to axe him at the end of this season.

And that’s the perfect encapsulation of where this organization is under Molson.

The team will miss the playoffs for the third straight season, only the third time this has happened in the long, glorious history of the bleu-blanc- rouge, and it’s the fourth time in the past five years that the Habs will have missed the post-season. So who’s paying the price for this complete lack of success? No one.

Bergevin and Julien will be back, and presumably the GM has no plans to fire his head of scouting and development, Trevor Timmins. This is a company that is simply not into accountability.

One of Bergevin’s many faults is he remains too loyal to his buddies. He stuck with Michel Therrien, Jean-Jacques Daigneault and Sylvain Lefebvre for too long and he appears to be making the same mistake with Julien. But there’s a good chance the reason Julien’s job is safe is because Molson doesn’t want to pay him $5 million per year for two more years to sit on his couch on the West Island.

A number of journalists said was unusual to see Canadiens senior vice- president (communications) Paul Wilson following Bergevin around at the GM meetings. But that doesn’t surprise me. Wilson is the busiest man in the Habs’ organization. Other teams work 24/7 trying to improve their hockey team. The Canadiens devote that time and energy to massaging the media message.

And the Habs’ PR department has been working overtime during the past couple of weeks trying to repair the damage done by Bergevin’s confusing news conference on trade-deadline day.

First they arranged to have Mathias Brunet of La Presse sit down for an interview with Bergevin, and Wilson was there to make sure the GM stayed on message. In other cities, journalists can just phone the GM and have a chat, but not here.

Then Bergevin and Wilson headed to Florida to spread the good-news message that nothing’s changing. Other managers might flinch at missing the playoffs more or less all the time, but not here.

Bergevin also said this week the players have to take the blame for the failed season. And who picked those players? That would be Bergevin, but it’s not his fault.

He told Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet this week that “the expectations” are the biggest challenge for a GM in Montreal. “It’s hard to fast-track a team and, as well as you can explain it, sometimes it’s frustrating because you know what (the fans) want. You want to get it done, but it’s not possible.”

Classic. It’s just “not possible.” Somehow other teams turn it around, some pretty quickly (see the New York Rangers) but it’s just too tough for Bergevin.

This is the same GM who said on trade-deadline day that it’s hard to draft well. Here’s the thing: Some teams draft well, other less well. On 1179997 Montreal Canadiens

Montreal Canadiens legend Henri (Pocket Rocket) Richard dies at 84

Richard played his entire 20-year NHL career (1955-75) with the Canadiens and won an NHL-record 11 Stanley Cups.

MONTREAL GAZETTE

Updated: March 6, 2020

Legendary Montreal Canadien and Hockey Hall of Famer Henri Richard passed on Friday in Laval at age 84.

Richard, nicknamed the Pocket Rocket and considered one of the greatest players of all time, played his entire 20-year NHL career (1955- 75) with the Canadiens and won an NHL-record 11 Stanley Cups.

Born in 1936 in Montreal, he made his NHL debut with the Canadiens in 1955-56, joining his older brother Maurice (Rocket) Richard and winning his first Cup.

Richard was team captain from 1971 until his retirement and his No. 16 was retired by the Canadiens in 1975.

The 10-time all-star finished his career with 358 goals and 688 assists in a Canadiens-record 1,258 games.

The Montreal Canadiens are saddened to learn of the passing of one of the organization's greatest legends and ambassadors, Henri Richard, this morning. Our thoughts and sincere condolences go out to the Richard family.https://t.co/8zuCcsd2Fg— Canadiens Montréal (@CanadiensMTL) March 6, 2020

Montreal Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 1179998 Montreal Canadiens When Richard retired, he became an ambassador for the Canadiens. The success of the team meant everything to him. He was seen regularly at the Bell Centre, walking into the team’s alumni lounge between periods to grab some refreshments. And when he walked, he had a regal Henri Richard’s unique greatness should inspire the team he loved so air about him. Not in a pretentious way, of course. Just in the way of a deeply man who had accomplished so much in the face of so many obstacles.

The powerful message men like Henri Richard could send to Canadiens players, the one Muller and Gionta described, is something that needs to By Arpon Basu be nurtured, cultivated, so that future generations of Canadiens players Mar 6, 2020 can feel the same thing. It is an important part of the Canadiens’ identity that is slowly being lost, with little chance of renewal.

The year after Henri Richard retired in 1975, the Canadiens embarked on Every historically great team in every sport has legends. But perhaps no a run of four straight Stanley Cup victories, their last great dynasty, team treats them, cherishes them, quite like the Canadiens. perhaps ever. Richard is the link between those two great Canadiens dynasties, and now he is gone. The franchise’s history and its link to the history of the people who cheered for them is what makes it special. The Canadiens are the When you look at other dynastic teams in other sports, there has been Canadiens because of their legends, and remembering that, renewal, a regeneration of legendary figures for future generations to commemorating that at every opportunity, is what keeps them the look up to. ’s had Larry Bird and, later, Paul Canadiens. Pierce. The Los Angeles Lakers of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul- Jabbar had Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. The Yankees had the Over the past 20 years, we have seen several of those legends leave us, Derek Jeter era. Terry Bradshaw’s Pittsburgh Steelers had Ben and they have been mourned like heroes. When Maurice Richard died in Roethlisberger lead them to two Super Bowls in four years. 2000 and Jean Béliveau followed in 2014, they were given state funerals attended by political leaders, a nod to what those two great men meant What might be the saddest part of Henri Richard’s passing is not his not only to a hockey team or its fans, but to a population, a people. passing – his health had been deteriorating for years, ravaged by Alzheimer’s Disease – but rather his love of the Canadiens and his This is what makes the Canadiens unique in the landscape of North constant desire to see them succeed. It was so important to him, as it is American professional sports. It is their connection and significance to a to all his contemporaries, the legends of the past that are so dear to this people. franchise because of the excellence they represent. As his health failed But Henri Richard was a special kind of Canadiens legend. He was never him over his final years, that source of pride and joy failed him as well. considered the best player on his own team, let alone the whole league, The impact of Richard’s loss was seen instantly Friday as tributes poured because of how great his teams were. He never won a major individual in from across the hockey world, and the Canadiens will undoubtedly do NHL award until winning the Bill Masterton Trophy, recognizing an excellent job delivering their own tribute, as they always do. perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey, at age 37, the year before he retired. He never registered more than 30 goals or 80 But the greatest way the Canadiens can honour the life and memory of points in any given season. Henri Richard is to again be defined by the winning that defined his career. To create new legends to honour and remember in the future. No, Henri Richard’s legend was tied to team success and, most The Canadiens will never be the Canadiens in quite the same way ever importantly, his integral role in making those teams winning teams. He is again, but they can take steps to coming as close as is realistically the Canadiens’ all-time leader in games played. He scored two Stanley possible in today’s NHL, and they can start taking those steps Cup-clinching goals. And he has his name on the Stanley Cup as a immediately. player 11 times, a record that will never come close to being broken. It would be the most appropriate tribute this franchise could make to the He won the Cup in each of his first five years as a player, joining his older biggest winner to ever wear the uniform. brother Maurice to help form the greatest dynasty in NHL history. There were a dozen players who were on each of those Stanley Cup-winning The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 teams from 1956-60, a list that includes some of the greatest to ever play the game: The Rocket. Béliveau. Doug Harvey. Bernard Geoffrion. Dickie Moore. And Henri Richard.

With Richard’s passing Friday, only two remain with us today: Jean-Guy Talbot and Don Marshall. And every time the Canadiens lose one of their legends of the past, a tie to them being the Canadiens dies as well.

Several years ago, I wrote a story on the unique pressure that comes with playing for the Canadiens. It is different than a place like Toronto, and people like Henri Richard are the reason why. The Maple Leafs have legends as well, and they are around the team to serve as a reminder of those who came before for the ones who wear the uniform today. But it’s the winning, and the pressure to live up to that winning for the current players, that makes Montreal unique.

“I think a lot of what feeds Montreal is the success, the history and wanting to get back to the top,” former Canadiens captain Brian Gionta told me three years ago. “Whether that’s coming from inside or outside the room, those expectations are always on you.

“You feel it in the history. You’re Original Six, most storied franchise in the league. When you put on that jersey you have that honour of representing that team and the area. It’s nothing said. It’s just kind of felt once you put on that jersey.”

Canadiens associate coach Kirk Muller felt the same thing when he arrived as a player in Montreal in 1991, two years before the Canadiens would win their last Stanley Cup in 1993.

“It really made us as players at the time feel like, ‘Wow, look at the organization that we’re part of and the people that have been here before,’” Muller told reporters in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. “Pretty powerful.” 1179999 Montreal Canadiens THE CANADIENS FINISHED WITH THREE 5-ON-5 GOALS SCORED LAST NIGHT WITH ARTTURI LEHKONEN ON THE ICE, OR THE SAME NUMBER AS THE 17 PREVIOUS GAMES. HTTPS://T.CO/ENOTP0JFTX What Melnick thinks: Marc Bergevin’s failings forced him to keep Claude Julien — АRPON BASU (@ARPONBASU) MARCH 4, 2020

Losing all four games to Detroit, one of the NHL’s historically worst teams, is not something you want on your resume. But the real coup de By Mitch Melnick grace was all the blown leads and meltdowns, especially on home ice.

Mar 6, 2020 It’s the job of a head coach to maximize the talent he has. To get his players to a relaxed state where instincts and muscle memory take over.

Too often this season, when there was a moment or two of adversity – I think no matter how strongly Marc Bergevin publicly defends Claude whether it was a bad goal, a bad shift or a bad call – instead of rallying Julien, as he repeatedly did at the general managers’ meetings in around it, the Habs melted. In their own zone, the Canadiens often Florida, there will be nagging questions that can’t possibly be answered resembled a scene from a silent movie from the 1920s with a finger on for another year. And by then, they both could be gone. the fast forward button. Julien seemed powerless to stop it.

As the chorus to fire Julien increased in volume during the Canadiens’ We know that Claude Julien was a good coach. He’s still widely second eight-game losing streak of the season in January, Bergevin kept respected. But in failing to reach the playoffs – Bergevin’s stated goal his earplugs in and I had no issue with it. Any so-called depth Bergevin during his “reset” – Julien’s own impressive career achievements thought he had to make up for the long-term injuries to Jonathan Drouin continue to get smaller and smaller in the rearview mirror. The last time and Paul Byron blew up in his face. He wasn’t exactly pro-active. In fact, he coached a full season and made the playoffs was seven years ago. there was a degree of arrogance about his continued belief in his roster That Bergevin didn’t even wait for exit interviews to announce that he’s that had been significantly altered. bringing Julien back is an admission that his year wasn’t any better. And “It ain’t bragging if it’s true”, said Muhammad Ali over five decades ago. he’s right. Blaming players for their lack of work effort, commitment or Well, in Bergevin’s case it certainly wasn’t true. To this day he continues results is just a weak deflection. to maintain that injuries derailed the Habs’ playoff chances. And if I got Bergevin and Julien are Montreal’s version of “The Defiant Ones.” an 80 in physics in high school instead of a 30, I might have become a They’re shackled together, attempting to reach the promised land while doctor. If only MLB players hadn’t gone on strike in 1994 to avoid having being pursued by a pack of rabid dogs. a salary cap shoved down their throats by owners, Montreal might still have a team in a real ballpark downtown. If only Robert Kennedy had What Bergevin does heading into the draft this summer will likely turned right instead of left after his victory speech in L.A. in 1968. I could determine their fate. It’s fitting, then, that the Bell Centre in June will be play this game all day long. the setting for another sequel, or just the end.

As if injuries aren’t a recurring part of a grueling, compressed schedule. The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 But Bergevin knows this. He knows he dropped the ball. He also must know he didn’t do enough to follow up on how his prized third overall draft choice was spending his off-season. A lot of teenagers don’t listen. It’s worth noting that Jesperi Kotkaniemi will end his second professional season while still in his teens.

That’s not to say this season is all on the GM. But, as Marc Antoine Godin pointed out this week, the easiest decision to make during another non-playoff season is to fire the coach. Bottom line, I believe, is if Bergevin had better built up the Habs to more seriously contend and the results were the same, then Julien would in fact be gone by now. He likely wouldn’t have survived the first eight-game losing streak. Because the warning signs that appeared early never came down.

Special teams were bad to brutal. Except for a brief spurt of success that moved them into the NHL’s top-10, the Canadiens never found any rhythm with the man advantage. The late acquisition of Ilya Kovalchuk helped them win some games but made the power play even worse. You can blame Kirk Muller. He’s part of it. But I’m not sure anybody else could have done much better without a true power play quarterback nor a proven triggerman.

But for the penalty kill to be as horribly ineffective as it was with players (Phillip Danault, Artturi Lehkonen, Nate Thompson, Shea Weber, Jeff Petry) who have a solid track record speaks to coaching more than talent.

The Canadiens’ record on home ice (Bergevin called it “unacceptable”) is a mystery. Their inability to get out of a period without allowing a goal in the last couple of minutes was as maddening as it was predictable. And if you were wondering about their inability to create offence with an extra attacker while eventually surrendering an empty net goal or, for that matter, defend a late lead without being able to score into an empty net or even worse, watch as their opponents tied the game late, it wasn’t just your imagination.

As Arpon Basu explained on TSN 690 on Tuesday, the Canadiens have been, by far, the worst team in the NHL when their opponents pull the goaltender, allowing eight goals, or two more than they have scored when the opposing net is empty.

Julien’s over reliance on defence-first (or defence-only) forwards like Thompson or Lehkonen is nothing new. But It led to way too much of nothing. 1180000 Montreal Canadiens Jonathan Drouin. But Sergachev has taken giant leaps forward for the Lightning this season.

Despite not playing on the top pairing with Victor Hedman, Sergachev is How Mikhail Sergachev’s cross-check helps explain the Canadiens’ need second on the Lightning in ice time since New Year’s Day. The reason to reset that has become a line of demarcation for him is it came the day after his last fight on Dec. 31, 2019 against Jake McCabe of the Buffalo Sabres in response to a hit he laid on Sabres captain Jack Eichel.

By Marc Antoine Godin Just before that, Sergachev had gone to see his coach and general manager Julien BriseBois to ask them what he needed to do in order to Mar 6, 2020 be turned loose, to gain their trust and be used in all situations. He listened to their answers and applied it on the ice, raising his game in the areas of blocked shots and overall defensive play. He is now on the TAMPA – The Canadiens made the decision at the NHL trade deadline Lightning penalty kill and his transition game is better than ever. not to make Nick Suzuki eligible for the AHL playoffs in case the make it there. In order to do so, they would have had to send The trade that sent Sergachev to Tampa came when he was only 19. Suzuki down, at least on paper, so that he was on the Rocket roster at 3 The need for a talented left defenceman already existed in Montreal at p.m. on deadline day and call him back up to Montreal, thus using one of the time, and over the nearly three years since the trade went down, it the four AHL recalls they are allowed between the trade deadline and the has turned in favour of the Lightning. end of the regular season. But you can’t forget that the Lightning, one of the elite teams in the Watching Canadiens players drop like flies of late, saving one of those league, had the luxury of being able to ease Sergachev into the lineup four recalls seems like the prudent thing to do. and allow him to slowly evolve into the player he is today. His first two seasons in Tampa, Sergachev was heavily sheltered by Cooper, being Suzuki wouldn’t have minded extending his season by playing in the AHL used primarily in the offensive zone and playing limited minutes. In playoffs once the Canadiens’ season was over. But in the eyes of Marc Montreal, there was no such luxury. The absence of a viable alternative Bergevin, Suzuki is an NHL player now, so he wasn’t given that option. on the left side of the Canadiens’ top-four would have clearly led to different usage for Sergachev. We know this because we saw it with If Suzuki needed proof that he is not only an NHL player, but a very Victor Mete. important one, he got it Thursday night against the Tampa Bay Lightning. To see Sergachev mature the way he has serves as a reminder that, not The scrum to the left of Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy near the end so long ago, the Canadiens had two glaring needs: a top-flight centre and of the second period was already pretty heated when Shea Weber saw a left defenceman to play in their top-four. In Sergachev, they had a Mikhail Sergachev cross-checking Suzuki, one Claude Julien later solution to one of those needs, and he was traded for a player who was a compared to the one Boston Bruins defenceman Zdeno Chara misguided solution to the other. administered to the throat of Brendan Gallagher for which he received a $5,000 slap on the wrist. Which brings us back to Suzuki.

Weber went right at Sergachev and the gloves came off. His arrival in the Max Pacioretty trade compensated to a certain degree for what the Sergachev trade failed to accomplish before it, providing the “Suzy’s our skilled player,” Weber said. “He’s one of our top players and I Canadiens with the type of centre they coveted. And now, no one would saw what was going on and I think anybody else that would see what be stunned to see the Canadiens trade Drouin or Max Domi this was going on probably would have gone in there too.” offseason for that young, top-four defenceman. Weber may not have come out on the right end of that fight, one that If Bergevin is able to pull it off, he would basically achieve his initial goal, showed how Sergachev’s strength has matured. But it was the act, and except he would have lost two years in the exercise. Two more years on not the result, that was so telling. the odometers of Weber and Carey Price. Two years that would have Despite the influx of players who have suited up for the Rocket this allowed Sergachev to become the defenceman he is today. season – there were eight them in uniform for the Canadiens against the A reset, yes, but situations like this show that some computers take Lightning – Suzuki was still the youngest player on the ice. The message longer to reboot than others. sent by Weber was that he is to be protected, like a precious jewel. The 4-0 loss in a game where the Canadiens already knew they were the On top of the lessons learned from a 4-0 loss where the Canadiens, lesser team changes nothing. What’s unfortunate is that Sergachev missing both Brendan Gallagher and Tomas Tatar, simply didn’t measure never should have been cross-checking Suzuki. up, Suzuki learned just how important he is to his team in the eyes of his captain. The two of them should have been wearing the same uniform.

Our skilled player. One of our top players. The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 “I thought he was in the other battle, I didn’t really see him come in,” Suzuki said. “It was just me and Sergachev talking a little bit, but he cross-checked me and Webby didn’t like that. It was nice to see Webby step up, but I think I’d rather have him on the ice.

“But he stepped up and I thanked him after.”

Lightning coach suspected Sergachev wasn’t fully aware who he was dealing with at first.

“I didn’t expect him to do so,” Sergachev admitted. “I have a ton of respect for him, everybody does. He was trying to protect his teammate because he was smaller than me. I respect that a lot.”

Weber came to the aid of a young teammate because that young teammate is an important part of the Canadiens’ future, and he did so against a player only 10 months older than Suzuki, one who could have been an equally important part of the Canadiens’ future if things had turned out a bit differently.

Aside from the skirmish, Sergachev did not have a great game against the team that drafted him ninth overall in 2016. He hasn’t done so often since Bergevin traded him to the Lightning on June 15, 2017 for 1180001 Nashville Predators — FOX SPORTS TENNESSEE (@PREDSONFSTN) MARCH 6, 2020 There was no reason for the Predators, who arrived at Bridgestone

Arena wearing “Nashville Strong” T-shirts, to lack motivation against the #NashvilleStrong: The Predators aim to rally a city ravaged by a tornado Stars. They were intent on providing solace to the city and rebounding from three consecutive regulation losses, which they did by winning 2-0.

Duchene sees similarities between the Predators’ late-season push and By Adam Vingan Nashville’s rebuilding efforts.

Mar 6, 2020 “We’ve been grinding hard this year,” he said. “Our slogan right now is ‘Embrace The Grind.’ And now the city’s kind of going through something

like that, where people are grinding and trying to get through. It’s The Predators’ charter flight to Minnesota on Monday took off around 11 inspiring to us, just the strength that the city’s showing. … It was really p.m. Two hours later, they landed to the news that a powerful tornado, nice to get a win for them tonight. which traveled 50 miles across Tennessee, had decimated sections of “There’s still a lot to go, but the way that this community has come Nashville. together is impressive. It makes me very proud to be a resident here.” Players were stunned by Images of the aftermath that filled their social- The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 media feeds and inboxes.

“Everybody was shocked,” Predators captain Roman Josi said Thursday. “People lost their lives, houses. It’s just devastating (that) this happened in a place that we all love.”

The tornado originated to the west of downtown Nashville, with winds reaching speeds of 165 mph as it tore through the city and neighboring counties. Another devastating tornado struck Putnam County, located 80 miles east of Nashville. In all, 25 people died as a result of the storm, 18 of whom resided in Putnam County.

None of the Predators’ players live in the North Nashville, Germantown and East Nashville neighborhoods that were hit hardest.

“You can’t help but put yourself in those shoes,” said Predators center Matt Duchene, who signed with the team last summer and whose affinity for Nashville is well known. “It could’ve been any of us, right? This is such a random, natural thing that no one can control, and there was no telling what it was going to do.”

The Predators had a game Thursday against the Dallas Stars and begin a five-game road trip Saturday, so Wednesday was the players’ best opportunity to volunteer. They packed their cars with supplies — water, diapers, household items — and delivered them to the Community Resource Center, where they spent the afternoon.

“I didn’t really know what to expect going out,” Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis said. “I was glad we were allowed to really get hands-on and actually try to help and make a difference. We were there for probably two or three hours almost, just packing up, helping everyone (and) all the other volunteers. It was a great feeling to be a part of something that obviously affects so many people and make a positive impact.”

“It was nice to get out and make some donations and give some time,” Duchene said. “It was amazing to see this community come together, just car after car after car pulling up, opening their trunk and just being loaded with stuff.”

Nick Bonino was among several Predators who volunteered in Nashville on Wednesday. (Courtesy of Nashville Predators)

Several NHL clubs have made donations to tornado relief in Tennessee. The Minnesota Wild and owner , who previously owned the Predators, donated $50,000, which the league matched. The Chicago Blackhawks donated a portion of the proceeds from their “Split The Pot” raffle Tuesday, which netted $31,158, to the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. The Stars, St. Louis Blues and Florida Panthers have also pledged to contribute.

“At the end of the day, sports is so powerful, because it brings people together,” Duchene said. “It gives people joy. When things happen like this, we are able to use that platform to give back. To see the way the league’s reacted, it’s amazing. Obviously, when you’re on the ice, you’re battling and you’re competing and sometimes you hate other teams and other guys and stuff, but when stuff like this happens, that’s all gone. It’s the human factor. We’re very blessed to play this game and be in this league that supports each other so much.”

홏홤활홚황홝홚홧홬홚홖홧홚홉홖홨홝홫홞홡홡홚홎황홧홤홣활.

THE @PREDSNHL HELD A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR THOSE AFFECTED BY THE TORNADOES THAT SWEPT THROUGH NASHVILLE. #PREDS | #NASHVILLESTRONG PIC.TWITTER.COM/RSWI9L1WUF 1180002 New Jersey Devils

Evaluating Devils’ Will Butcher’s 3rd NHL season | A step backward?

By Chris Ryan

Will Butcher’s 2019-20 season was cut short when the Devils defenseman underwent season-ending surgery to repair ruptured tendons in his right thumb, suffered in a Feb. 18 game against the St. Louis Blues.

Butcher’s third NHL campaign ended with 21 points in 56 games, giving him his lowest point total since joining New Jersey as a college free agent out of the University of Denver in 2017. Butcher had 44 points in 81 games as a rookie and 30 points in 78 games in 2018-19.

Had Butcher played a full 82-game season, he would have been on pace for 30.75 points, staying in line with his production from last season. Yet he still would have fallen short of the standard he set as a rookie.

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Part of Butcher’s dip in points was tied to his power-play usage. He averaged just 1:18 of power-play time per game this season, dropping significantly from his 2:39 in 2017-18 and 2:46 in 2018-19.

Butcher’s reduced role on the power play came from the addition of P.K. Subban, plus the stronger play of Sami Vatanen and Damon Severson. But the Devils also continued to push Butcher into a bigger 5-on-5 role.

“It’s been an up and down season for him, but again, the situation we put him in bigger minutes, top-four role’s not always easy," Devils interim coach Alain Nasreddine said. "It was tough. We didn’t have set pairings all year. It’s not like he had a D-partner that he played with and felt comfortable, and that’s something that has a lot to do with it. The chemistry is sometimes tough to get.

"But everyone, from what I hear, is not happy with his defensive game. I’m actually happy. I think he’s taken the step with his defensive game. The problem is we defended too much, and for Butchy to be good on our team is to move that puck and be involved in the offense, but if you look at the first half of the season, we could never get to our offensive game much. Sometimes for a guy like Butchy, it’s tough to stand out because that’s what he does well, that’s where the strengths are.”

Butcher’s injury occurred in the second game after the Devils traded captain Andy Greene to the New York Islanders, and had he stayed healthy, he would have been in line for a bigger workload in the closing weeks of the season.

Instead of using Butcher to eat up some of those minutes, the Devils have leaned more heavily on Mirco Mueller while giving NHL reps to Dakota Mermis, Josh Jacobs and Colton White.

“It’s not an easy loss losing Butchy. We tried to heighten his role this year and get more minutes and it would have been good for him to get back this season in an elevated role, but unfortunately, it’s a big injury.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180003 New Jersey Devils

Cory Schneider, Devils top Blues behind Dakota Mermis’ 1st career goal

By Chris Ryan

Cory Schneider hadn’t stepped on the Prudential Center ice for a start since October. When he did so of Friday, he was tasked with halting the defending Stanley Cup champions St. Louis Blues, who entered on an eight-game winning streak.

Like his past three starts since returning from the AHL, Schneider was up for the challenge.

The Devils goalie stopped 31 of 33 shots, winning his second straight outing a 4-2 Devils win over the Blues in Newark. Schneider is now 3-0-1 since returning to the NHL.

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Schneider allowed his the Blues’ first goal of the night when Vince Dunn scored from the right circle off a rebound on a power play at 12:31 of the first period, tying the game at 1-1.

They pulled within 3-2 of the Devils with 3:11 left in regulation when Jaden Schwartz scored in tight on another rebound at the right post. But Schneider and company held off the late surge to close the game, aided by an empty netter to put the Devils up 4-1 with 56.7 seconds to play.

The Devils gave Schneider a 1-0 lead when Jesper Bratt used a deke and a power move to get to goal on a rush, where he beat Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington for his 16th goal of the season at 8:38 of the first period.

After the first period ended in a 1-1 tie, defensemen Dakota Mermis and Connor Carrick provided a pair of second-period goals to put the Devils in control.

Mermis scored at 6:50 of the frame, netting his first career NHL goal in the process. He floated a soft shot toward net from the left circle, and with Binningston screened, it banked off the far post into net.

Carrick then scored his first goal of the season at 17:58, netting a shot from the right point to extend the Devils’ lead. Kevin Rooney appeared to make it a 4-1 game moments later, but a Blues challenge for goalie interference showed Rooney dragged Binnington’s pad with his skate prior to scoring, and the play was overturned.

Next up

The Devils will close a back-to-back when they visit the Rangers at 7 p.m. on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York, where Mackenzie Blackwood will return to goal.

They will be back at Prudential Center on Tuesday to host the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180004 New Jersey Devils Damon Severson led the Devils in TOI, skating in 27:22 recording one shot on goal. Pavel Zacha won 10 of 15 draws in the face-off circle (67%). Cory Schneider is a career 3-6-2 against St. Louis posting a 2.19 GAA in 12 games played. In Schneider’s last appearance against the Devils’ lines, pairings vs. Blues (3/6/20) | Jesper Boqvist, Josh Jacobs Blues, the net-minder allowed three goals on 27 shots against (.889) in sent back to AHL the March 30, 2019 overtime loss @ Prudential Center. Mackenzie Blackwood has yet to matchup against St. Louis in his career.

Ivan Barbashev lead his Blues squad tallying two goals in 14:07 TOI. By Chris Ryan Jaden Schwartz notched St. Louis’s third goal of the contest. Carl Guunarsson, Sammy Blais and Oskar Sundqvist all tallied helpers in the contest. The Devils will return home for the first time since the NHL trade deadline when they host the St. Louis Blues at 7 p.m. on Friday at Prudential Jordan Binnington posted his first career shutout against the Devils in the Center in Newark. February tilt. Binnington stopped all 17 shots against, improving to 2-0-0 against New Jersey. Jake Allen looks to improve his perfect 7-0-0 record The team reassigned forward Jesper Boqvist and defenseman Josh against New Jersey in seven appearances. Jacobs to the AHL on Friday morning, so forward John Hayden and defenseman Fredrik Claesson will rejoin the lineup in their place. The Devils are 0-3-1 at Prudential Center and 0-7-2 overall against the Blues since the 2015-16 season. New Jersey’s last victory against St. The have three games in three days starting on Louis was Jan. 21, 2014 @ Prudential Center. Friday, so Boqvist and Jacobs will help should that workload while the team continues a push for an AHL playoff spot. Star Ledger LOADED: 03.07.2020

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Cory Schneider will return to goal after Mackenzie Blackwood lost to the Vegas Golden Knights, 3-0, on Tuesday to close a five-game road trip. Blackwood will start against the Rangers on Saturday at Madison Square Garden in New York to close a back-to-back.

After shaking up lines at practice on Thursday, the Devils will go with a couple new forward configurations. Jack Hughes will remain at left wing, but he will skate on the second line with Travis Zajac and Joey Anderson. Miles Wood will hop on the top line with Nico Hischier and Kyle Palmieri.

Here’s how the Devils are expected to line up against the Blues:

FORWARDS

Miles Wood - Nico Hischier - Kyle Palmieri

Jack Hughes - Travis Zajac - Joey Anderson

Jesper Bratt - Pavel Zacha - Nikita Gusev

Kevin Rooney - Michael McLeod - John Hayden

DEFENSEMEN

Mirco Mueller - P.K. Subban

Dakota Mermis - Damon Severson

Fredrik Claesson - Connor Carrick

GOALIES

Starter: Cory Schneider

Backup: Mackenzie Blackwood

SCRATCHES

D: Will Butcher (right thumb surgery, out for season)

Buy Devils-Blues tickets: StubHub, SeatGeek

Here are more game notes via the Devils:

Today’s contest marks the second and final contest between New Jersey and St. Louis in the 2019-20 regular season series. The Devils fell to the Blues in the first contest on Feb. 18 @ Enterprise Center, to fall to 0-1-0 in the regular season series.

In the first tilt, the Devils fell to the Blues, 3-0, marking the seventh the club has failed to dent the net in 60 minutes of action. New Jersey was 3- 3 on the penalty kill and 0-3 on the power play in the mid-February contest. The Blues outshot the Devils, 39-17, marking the lowest recorded shots in a single game for New Jersey this season. The club looks to improve their 2-6-4 record (0-2-4 home) against Central Division opponents.

New Jersey opens up their 14th of 16 sets of back-to-back play tonight. The club looks to improve their 3-6-4 record in first games before heading to The Garden to face-off against the Rangers (6-6-1 second games). 1180005 New Jersey Devils

How Devils are handling rising concerns around the coronavirus outbreak

By Chris Ryan

The worldwide outbreak of the new coronavirus has led to changes and even cancellations of some sporting events, including some of IIHF tournaments that were set to be held in the coming weeks.

While the Devils and the rest of the NHL continue to evaluate the situation, the league isn’t at that point.

LATEST CORONAVIRUS UPDATES FROM NJ.COM

New Jersey reported its first two official cases of COVID-19 diagnosed in recent days. But the Devils don’t have any current plans to alter their schedule, attendance policies or travel for the rest of the season, though everything remains fluid. The team continues to monitor the situation while doing their own due diligence and staying in contact with the league.

At this point, Devils pro and amateur scouts have not changed their travel and coverage plans, either.

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Devils players have also received memos from the NHL and the NHLPA about precautions they can take to remain safe.

“It’s the basics. Like any flu or cold, just keep your hands clean," Devils goalie Cory Schneider said. "Try not to share too much stuff. It’s kind of impossible with our group between towels and water bottles and just closeness. It’s obviously a concern, but at the end of the day, I think we all feel pretty confident that I don’t think it’ll be an issue for us. But you want to be safe and make sure that doesn’t happen.”

The NHL hasn’t given players any new guidelines or restrictions about interacting with fans, unlike the NBA. The NBA recently discouraged shaking hands, giving high fives or signing autographs to help limit contact between players and fans.

Hockey provides natural barriers at games, with glass separating players from spectators, and players are wearing gloves at nearly all times while on the ice.

“They haven’t said anything directly about that. I’m sure if we have any team events where there’s fans, they’ll talk to us about it," Devils forward Kevin Rooney said. "But they usually do a good job with Purell and all that stuff.”

If a cold, flu or stomach bug hits a player in a locker room at any point in an NHL season, there’s a good chance it won’t end with one person. During a week-long Devils road trip in December, nearly half the team dealt with cold and flu symptoms, simply from being around each other in close quarters.

The NHL also dealt with an outbreak of mumps in locker rooms around the league in 2014, where the virus quickly spread between players and forced some to stay away from their teams. The coronavirus represents a different animal than a mumps outbreak localized to NHL players, but new precautions added follow the same ideas.

“There were a few of us that got the mumps, and they would just quarantine them off for a few weeks until they were ready to rejoin the team," center Travis Zajac said. “But it’s like anything where we’re all together all the time. If one person gets it, there’s a good chance that someone else is going to contract it too, so that’s the scary part I guess.”

Star Ledger LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180006 New Jersey Devils season. Schneider was sent to Binghamton of the AHL shortly after that last home start, a loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, in order to try and regain his game.

The key factors in the NJ Devils' 4-2 win over Blues This was Schneider's third win in four games and though the other two games came against the lowly Detroit Red Wings and Anaheim Ducks, he still played very well in an overtime loss in San Jose on that last road trip. The way he shut down one of the toughest teams in the league Abbey Mastracco Friday night was nothing short of impressive. NHL Writer "When you watch him he seems under control," Nasreddine said. Published 4:00 a.m. ET March 7, 2020 "There’s no swimming, there’s not flopping around, he’s in the blue paint and reads the puck well — that’s another big one for a goaltender — and he’s always in position. Also, playing the puck he looks composed and he looks calm. All around, his game has been solid." NEWARK — Dakota Mermis might have grown up a St. Louis Blues fan but his first NHL goal helped end his hometown team’s eight-game The one goal he gave up to Schwartz was a tough one to track. winning streak. The Blues like to play heavy behind the boards and that's exactly what Jesper Bratt scored his fifth goal in eight games, Connor Carrick scored they did. Sammy Blais stripped Travis Zajac behind the net and Brayden his first of the season, Joey Anderson put it away with an empty-net goal Schenn pushed the puck up to Schwartz for the quick-trigger shot. and Cory Schneider made 31 saves in his first home start since Oct. 30 to help the Devils defeat the Blues 4-2 on Friday night at Prudential "They're heavy along the wall and you saw it in the third," Schneider said. Center. "Every time we had it in the yellow they were pinching aggressively. They like to get it along the wall and win puck battles and that's how it started. Mermis, a 26-year-old American Hockey League veteran out of Alton, It was going one way and the guy came through and someone sort of Illinois in the St. Louis area, scored the game winner for the first of his dragged it back the other way and that's when you lose it. When you get career. motion behind the net like that it's hard to keep track of the guys in front."

"It was so great," Mermis said. "It's my hometown team too, so many Schneider mentioned this being a "measuring stick" game. If that's the people were watching and so much adrenaline rushes through your case, then he's certainly measuring up to some of the league's best like body. It's one of the craziest in-the-moment times. It was great." he used to.

The win snapped a 12-game losing streak against St. Louis. New What’s next Jersey’s last win against the Blues came January 21, 2014 with Schneider in net. The Devils will head across the Hudson for their final matchup against the New York Rangers of the season Saturday night at Madison Square "Any time you play the defending Stanley Cup champs it's a good Garden. measuring stick," Schneider said. "I'm proud of this group for going toe- to-toe with them and earning a victory." Bergen Record LOADED: 03.07.2020

How they won

If you go to the net then good things will happen. That’s exactly what the Devils did, getting two good screens on the two most important goals. St. Louis is a heavy team so the Devils were forced to withstand quite a few hits (23 to be exact), but they were able to keep up and get to the dirty areas.

"They're a good team defensively and their defensemen are big and strong," interim coach Alain Nasreddine said. "We knew we had to fight through to get there and we did."

Most of the action occurred in a wild second period but Bratt opened the scoring at 8:38 when he absolutely burned Colton Parayko in transition, blitzing past the defenseman and slipping the puck past goalie Jordan Binnington.

Vince Dunn tied the game at 12:31 in the same frame but the Devils scored twice in the second to take a 3-1 lead into the third.

With Rooney screening, Mermis snapped one past Binnington from the side boards at the far edge of the left circle 6:50 into the second. With just under two minutes left in the period, Connor Carrick wired a wrist shot from the point with Anderson tying up the defenseman in front of the net.

"Nothing happens without that screen," Carrick said. "I'm not beating him with a 40-mph changeup."

Moments later, Kevin Rooney scored by slipping a backhand shot five- hole but his skate dragged Binnington’s pads out so wide it created a crater. The Blues challenged for goalie interference and won, taking the goal off the board and keeping the score at 3-1.

The Blues pulled to within one when Jaden Schwartz was fed from below the goal line and scored from the slot with 3:11 left but Schneider held on and got some help from Anderson for his first win at the Rock since March 25, 2019.

"My son was all fired up," Schneider said. "He was excited."

What it means

Wyatt Schneider was fired up for good reason. He hadn't seen his dad play in an NHL game since October and hasn't seen much of his dad all 1180007 New Jersey Devils “We found out he’s a pretty good penalty killer,” Nasreddine said. “And he played top minutes, top power play. So those are all positives when you go down there.”

What NJ Devils' Jesper Boqvist learned in the AHL and why he might be If he stays in New Jersey for the rest of the season, expect him to play on sent there again one of the top two lines. He’s a skill player and the Devils want to make sure they put him in a position to succeed, which means playing him on the top two lines. Nothing is set in stone yet but he may not get a ton of minutes in tight, late-game situations and he probably won’t be killing Abbey Mastracco penalties at the NHL level because you can’t overwhelm players in these NHL Writer situations and the Devils’ penalty kill is excellent.

Published 4:00 a.m. ET March 6, 2020 He may not finish the season in New Jersey, but that’s not a bad thing in this case.

Boqvist is with the Devils on an emergency recall and the B-Devils are NEWARK — New Jersey Devils fans seemed baffled and angered when currently chasing a Calder Cup Playoff spot. Boqvist has been forward Jesper Boqvist was sent down to the American Hockey League contributing on one of their top lines and having fun doing so. Playing in in January at the All-Star Break. A skilled forward out of Sweden, the more meaningful games this spring could be more beneficial than playing expectations were high after the team decided to keep him in the NHL in meaningless games in Newark. out of training camp instead of returning him to his Swedish team, Brynäs. “The coaches have been good to me, telling me to do my thing,” Boqvist said. “I’ve learned, for sure.” It was an unconventional development plan from the start, and that start was a little rough. Bergen Record LOADED: 03.07.2020

Boqvist never really found his footing in the NHL but the club was unable to send him to the American Hockey League throughout the fall because of his contract with Brynäs. The Devils chose to carry him on the NHL roster and give him some playing time as well as plenty of practice time along with time with development coaches. But practice can only mimic in-game situations and his play was just as inconsistent as his playing time.

Boqvist scored four goals through his first 34 NHL games but he wasn’t playing quality minutes in quality situations.

Once the deadline to return him to Sweden passed and Brynäs decided to move on, the club made the decision to send him to Binghamton and keep him there past the All-Star break and the bye week.

The news of the demotion came as somewhat of a relief to an increasingly unsure Boqvist.

“Of course you want to be here, but if you’re going to get better then you need to play more,” Boqvist said. “I’ve scored a couple goals, I’ve held onto the puck more and especially on the power play. With that comes confidence. And if you play more, too, then confidence comes with it.”

The 21-year-old needed that confidence boost. That much was evident to the New Jersey coaching staff when they saw that he wasn’t asserting himself, especially in the offensive zone, as much as they had hoped. They sensed hesitation in his game.

“You could tell that his confidence was wavering and that he wasn’t really the most confident kid,” interim coach Alain Nasreddine said Thursday after the Devils practiced at Prudential Center. “That’s what our intentions were when we sent him down was to get that confidence back and have him play in more situations.”

Nov 26, 2019; Newark, NJ, USA; New Jersey Devils center Jesper Boqvist (90) scores his 1st NHL goal during the first period of their game against the Minnesota Wild at Prudential Center.

Boqvist scored five goals and assisted on three in just 15 games in the AHL. He started on a line with Joey Anderson and Mikhail Maltsev, then moved to one with AHL veteran Ben Street and Brett Seney once Anderson was promoted to the NHL. Boqvist was able to play on the power play and kill penalties for the first time in his career, which is something he’s grown to enjoy.

“It was fun to learn that,” he said. “You get to see a different way of the game to learn details. It was good.”

With the pressure off of him in the AHL, he was free to play his game. He could make mistakes without them being magnified and play in situations that he wouldn’t otherwise play in at the NHL level. He learned how to close games and hold leads.

This is why the AHL exists, it’s largely a developmental league. It’s unfortunate the Devils weren’t able to start him there but having him in North America did allow him to get a jumpstart in the NHL. 1180008 New Jersey Devils

Devils beat Blues for first time in six years to snap eight-game win streak

By TOM CANAVAN

ASSOCIATED PRESS |

MAR 06, 2020 | 10:33 PM

Dakota Mermis scored his first NHL goal, fellow defenseman Connor Carrick got his first of the season and the New Jersey Devils stunned St. Louis 4-2 on Friday night to snap the Blues' eight-game winning streak.

Cory Schneider made 31 saves in helping New Jersey end a 12-game skid against the defending Stanley Cup champions, dating to January 2014. Jesper Bratt also scored and Joey Anderson iced the game with an empty-net goal.

Vince Dunn and Jaden Schwartz scored for the Blues, who coincidentally started their winning streak with a 3-0 victory over New Jersey on Feb. 18. Jordan Binnington had 28 saves in losing for the first time in seven starts.

Schwartz's goal with 3:11 left in regulation cut the Blues' deficit to a goal, but Anderson tallied his third of the season with 57 seconds left.

The Devils won despite having what would have been a third second- period goal nullified because Kevin Rooney's skate prevented Binnington from using his pads to stop a shot.

Devils wing Joey Anderson (14) celebrates with center Pavel Zacha (37) after scoring on Friday night.

Mermis, who was recalled from Binghamton last month, broke a 1-all tie with a remarkable shot. He got the puck backing up in the left circle and wristed a shot past a seemingly screened Binnington that found the top right corner of the net at 6:50. Playing in his 18th career game, he laughed about it on the bench.

Carrick, who was playing in his 27th game this season, upped the lead to 3-1 with a wrist shot from the point at 17:58 that Binnington also didn't see.

Schneider, who was also recalled from Binghamton last month and got an assist on Mermis' goal, stopped nine shots in the final 20 minutes to improve to 3-0-1 since returning.

Bratt had given the Devils the lead 8:38 after the opening faceoff. He swooped around defenseman Colton Parayko and beat Binnington with a forehand for his fifth goal in eight games.

Dunn tied it with a power-play goal on a rebound.

NOTES: Devils D Will Butcher will miss the rest of the season following surgery to fix ruptured thumb ligaments. ... Blues C Jordan Kyrou returned to lineup after missing two games with an illness. ... St. Louis D Justin Faulk (upper body) missed his first game of the season. ... Blues C Brayden Schenn had a five-game goal-scoring streak snapped.

New York Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180009 New Jersey Devils

Devils surprisingly end Blues’ eight-game win streak

By Associated Press

March 6, 2020 | 11:09PM

The St. Louis Blues’ eight-game winning streak came to an end at the hands of a team very few would have expected to beat them.

The New Jersey Devils ended more than six years of frustration against the Blues by stunning the defending Stanley Cup champions 4-2 on Friday night at Prudential Center in Newark.

And it was a stunner in all aspects.

Dakota Mermis scored his first NHL goal. Fellow defenseman Connor Carrick got his first of the season. Cast-aside goaltender Cory Schneider made 31 saves and added an assist in posting his first win at home in more than a year and helping New Jersey end a 12-game skid against the Blues, dating to January 2014.

“They beat us pretty badly the last few years since I’ve been here, so it’s nice to take one from them and I thought we played well,” said Schneider, who was banished to the AHL in November after a bad start. “I don’t think we snuck one out or got lucky, but we matched them play for play and I thought we were with them right until the end.”

The Blues, who started their winning streak with a shutout of New Jersey on Feb. 18, didn’t go easy. They closed their deficit to 3-2 on a goal by Jaden Schwartz with 3:11 and were in it until Joey Anderson iced the game with an empty-net goal with 57 seconds to play.

“We played some real good hockey,” Blues coach Craig Berube said. “We won eight games in a row and just wound up just not playing good enough tonight. You are not always going to have your best game, night in and night out. This tonight, I thought they were a lot better than us. So they deserved to win.”

Vince Dunn also scored for the Blues and Jordan Binnington had 28 saves in losing for the first time in seven starts.

The Devils won despite having what would have been a third second- period goal nullified because Kevin Rooney’s skate prevented Binnington from using his pads to stop a shot.

Mermis, who was recalled from Binghamton last month, broke a 1-all tie with a remarkable shot. He got the puck backing up in the left circle and wristed a shot past a seemingly screened Binnington that found the top right corner of the net at 6:50. Playing in his 18th career game, he laughed about it on the bench.

“It was incredible, there’s so much adrenaline in that moment that you skate forever after that,” Mermis said. “You start to enjoy it and it’s such a surreal moment but it’s really good to get that one.”

Carrick, who was playing in his 27th game this season, upped the lead to 3-1 with a wrist shot from the point at 17:58 that Binnington also didn’t see.

Schneider, who was also recalled from Binghamton last month and got an assist on Mermis’ goal, stopped nine shots in the final 20 minutes to improve to 3-0-1 since returning.

“They’ve got good players,” Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. “They have young players, they are hungry guys. We knew they were going to play us hard. We are getting the best from every team, all year. This is no different. Give them credit. They played well.”’

Jesper Bratt had given the Devils the lead 8:38 after the opening faceoff. He swooped around defenseman Colton Parayko and beat Binnington with a forehand for his fifth goal in eight games.

Dunn tied it with a power-play goal on a rebound.

New York Post LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180010 New Jersey Devils you can stay six inches or a foot deeper in your net because you’re not afraid of getting beat on the perimeter there around your body.

“I think that’s all just bled into his confidence because he’s such a big, How Mackenzie Blackwood became a bright light in a season of Devils powerful kid. He can make all the saves and all the moves. He’s one of darkness the rarest combinations I’ve seen of size and strength and mobility.”

Blackwood has the physical traits to make all of the flashy saves. He robbed Golden Knights center Paul Stastny of a nearly certain goal By Corey Masisak Tuesday night, kicking out his left leg like a pinball flipper to reject a rebound attempt from close range. He has the ability to get to shots that Mar 6, 2020 smaller or less athletic goalies cannot. But the biggest strides in his game this season have come from less movement, not more.

Mackenzie Blackwood is 23 years old, but he’s no longer just the Like Blackwood, athletic goalies such as Marc-Andre Fleury and Semyon goaltender of the future in New Jersey. His ascendence to the No. 1 spot Varlamov have had to focus on moving less to keep themselves in better in the present and the future has been the most important development position for the second and third shots. When Blackwood made a series for the Devils in a season full of negatives. of rapid-fire saves late in the game against Los Angeles at Staples Center this past weekend, his discipline was on display. He didn’t panic Blackwood has experienced extreme highs and lows in his first full or overreact to any of the shots, which allowed him to stop all of the campaign in the NHL. A focus on his on-ice technique, work rate, attempts. maturity and mental fortitude, in adverse situations night in and night out, has helped his game blossom. “I think it’s a tightening up under pressure. Tightening up and not allowing pucks to go through him,” Resch said. “When there’s pressure, don’t let “He’s a beast,” Devils coach Alain Nasreddine said. “For a guy at his size your arms flare out or your knees be a little wide or your pads not be to be moving the way he does and have the athletic ability that he has, solid. Here is what I would say with him: I don’t see one weakness. He’s that’s just not something you see in every goalie. But look, that’s just raw not going to be perfect, but I don’t see that one flaw. Now it’s just talent. You have to develop that. There have been other goalies who had reinforcing all of the good stuff he’s doing.” similar ability but weren’t willing to put in the work. You see (Blackwood) and it’s just the start. He’s still young, and he’s going to face some Blackwood has pointed to a number of people who have supported and adversity and we’ll see how he reacts to that, but it’s been just a constant motivated him and kept him grounded early in his NHL career. That’s progression with him and it’s nice to see.” evident in Devils defenseman Damon Severson’s description of Blackwood, as an authentic person who doesn’t try too hard to impress Earlier this season, former Devils goalie and current radio analyst Chico others in the room. Resch asked Blackwood if he was ready to be the club’s No. 1 goaltender. Melanson and Jon Elkin, Blackwood’s personal goaltending coach, are a part of that group. Another big influence in Blackwood’s development has “He kind of looked at me like, ‘Well, no. I’m only 23. That’s not the plan,’ ” been Schneider. Resch said. This season, the veteran goaltender has been put on waivers, demoted The plan was for Cory Schneider to continue his revival from the end of to the AHL — twice — and won just two NHL games (both in the past 10 last season and play up to two-thirds of the games, while Blackwood days). Schneider has still embraced his role as a mentor for Blackwood, continued to develop as his partner. Then Schneider struggled mightily even as his rise could mean Schneider’s departure in the near future. and was shipped to Binghamton. The Devils traded for Louis Domingue, but he labored as well. “When I was young, I had a lot of mentors — Roberto (Luongo), Marty (Brodeur). I was fortunate to have, in my opinion, two Hall of Famers to Blackwood earned a heavy workload, even when he scuffled, because look up to and to learn from,” Schneider said. “I think my relationship with the team’s goaltending when he didn’t play left them little chance to them showed me that, look, you’re competing for the net and you want to compete. Resch pointed to that mental challenge, accepting that he play and you’re competing against the other guy, but at the same time, could be the No. 1 guy, as a key turning point. the game is going to continue on whether I keep playing or not.

“He’s always said that when he was younger, like 13, he was always “For (Blackwood), I think early in the year, especially when things weren’t behind (the other goaltenders),” Resch said. “So I asked him, ‘When did going well for the team and for him, he cleared that mental hurdle of you know you were good?’ And he said, ‘Well, when I was with Barrie (in saying, ‘Well, I’m not exactly sure what I’m going to get tonight in front of the OHL), I won Goalie of the Year or something and I thought, oh, I me, but I know that if I do what I need to do, I’ll be OK.’ I think that’s a big guess I must be pretty good.’ That’s how humble he was. Getting past growing process.” that was a big jump at the beginning of the year. And I think Rollie (Melanson) has pushed him to new heights with his work level.” The relationship between the two is genuine. When Schneider won his first game of the season in Detroit at the start of the recent road trip, Blackwood, Nasreddine and two other members of the Devils Blackwood was so excited to heap praise on the veteran. When organization also credited Melanson, the team’s goaltending coach, for Schneider collected a shutout in Anaheim this past weekend, Blackwood the large role he played in Blackwood’s dramatic improvement. came bursting off the bench and engulfed him in a hug in celebration. Blackwood had a personal breakthrough two summers ago, dropping 22 pounds and finding a new level of quickness to complement the rest of “For me, I checked in on him throughout the year, even when I wasn’t his elite athletic attributes. here,” Schneider said. “I understand what that’s like, playing 70 games, 60 games on a team that you may not win most nights or you may not He came to the position late, having played defense into his pre-teen get a lot of help defensively or may not get many goals. But that’s part of years. He was an athlete who had to learn the technique of the position, hockey. It’s still your job. I think we’ve kind of forged that bond where rather than a kid who put on the goalie pads at a young age and he’s eager to listen to me and I try to help him out as much as I can progressed toward the higher levels. without getting in his way. Because at the same time, it’s his process and his game, and he’s going to find his way with or without me. He’s got so That made Blackwood a riskier bet when the Devils drafted him in the much potential that you’d hate to see it not be fully developed or get him second round in 2015, but they valued the potential for great reward. If to where he can go, because obviously you can see right now he’s been this season is any indication, it was a gamble that should pay off in a big one of, if not the best goalies in the league the last few months.” way. holds just about every goaltending record within the “From an on-ice standpoint, I think he’s definitely playing more compact Devils organization. He’s won the most games for a goaltender in NHL and in the crease a little bit more,” Schneider said. “I think the reason for history and a statue of him presides over the corner of Mulberry and that is he’s really trusting his hands. I think early on he wasn’t sure if he Lafayette Streets outside Prudential Center. could get to certain pucks with his hands — shots by the ears, inside the post, things like that. He worked really hard at it. He’s put a lot of effort Blackwood has a chance to claim one of Brodeur’s records. Brodeur won and time into getting his hands to an NHL level where he can go pick 27 games as a rookie in 1993-94. Blackwood has won 21 this season, pucks out of the air. When you can do that, you have a lot more trust that with 16 games remaining to chase New Jersey goaltending history. Technically, he’s already surpassed Brodeur’s rookie total: He won 10 games last year and because he didn’t play in 25 games, his status as a rookie carried over to this season. That puts him one behind Sean Burke, who won 10 games in 1987-88 and 22 the following year, but officially the record belongs to Brodeur.

Blackwood is 7-1-2 in his past 10 games, and 13-4-4 since Dec. 14, a remarkable run for a goaltender on the sixth-worst team in the league. The Devils, wary of overplaying him earlier in the season, have tried to curtail his workload in the second half. He may not get more than nine or 10 starts in the final 16 games to try to catch Brodeur.

“I just want to do whatever I can to be happy with myself and keep working on my game,” Blackwood said. “I come to the rink and just focus on winning my own battles. Like, even if we lose a game, did I win my game? Did I do everything I could right, or play everything I could right? If they beat you with an amazing shot and you lose the game, did I do everything I possibly could to give us a chance? If I can answer yes to everything, then I won my game. And most often, if you win your game, you win the game.”

While defensemen Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar look like runaway favorites to finish 1-2 in the Calder Trophy voting, the competition to fill out the top five could be robust. Chicago forward Dominik Kubalik and Rangers defenseman Adam Fox are strong candidates, as are Blackwood and fellow goaltenders, Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins and Washington’s Ilya Samsonov.

“I know some people have mentioned that to me, but I still think no chance,” Blackwood said of the Calder Trophy chatter. “It doesn’t really matter at all to me. I’m just trying to be ‘Mac of the Year.'”

The accolades may not be a part of Blackwood’s focus, but they highlight how the kid from Thunder Bay, Ont., has turned the organization’s biggest weakness at the start of the season into a strength — not in a few years, but right now. The rest of the roster is in flux and the Devils’ path back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs foggy. One part is clear: Blackwood in net is a good place to start.

“I think when you look at good teams, they always talk about building from the goaltender out,” forward Travis Zajac said. “New Jersey was lucky enough to have that for 20 years with Marty and now you’re seeing (Blackwood) step up and play really well at a young age. We haven’t made it easy on him as a team a lot of nights, so I think that just shows the type of goaltender he can definitely be.”

Added Severson: “There’s usually some positives and negatives in every situation. We’re in a negative situation this season, but there’s a positive in it — Mackenzie is a great goalie and he’s going to be our guy moving forward. Now it’s just a matter of surrounding him with a little more talent and getting better in front of him. Not everything is negative this year, and he’s been a big positive.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180011 New York Islanders The Islanders opened the scoring with a power play when Lee netted his 20th of the season, going top shelf on Anderson at 3:58 of the first.

Ottawa tied the game as Brown tucked in a Nikita Zaitsev rebound at Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s return to Ottawa spoiled as Senators top 13:57. Islanders New York Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020

ASSOCIATED PRESS |

MAR 06, 2020 | 1:07 AM

OTTAWA — Craig Anderson made 37 saves and the Senators beat the New York Islanders 4-3 on Thursday night, spoiling Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s return to Ottawa.

Connor Brown, Mikkel Boedker, Anthony Duclair and Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, who hadn't beaten the Islanders since Dec. 1, 2017.

"(Anderson) was good," Senators head coach D.J. Smith said. "We hung up out there in Pittsburgh. We don't have a lot of home games left and there was a crowd there, guys were pumped up wanting to win and (Anderson) held us strong and gave us an opportunity to win.

"We had some guys who played hard. That's a really good hockey team, but ultimately (Anderson) was the difference (Thursday)."

Pageau was making his return to Ottawa after being traded to the Islanders 11 days ago. Hours after the trade, Pageau signed a six-year contract extension. In five games with the Islanders, Pageau has two goals.

"It's disappointing to obviously lose this one," Pageau said. "We need all the points right now and we need to find our game as fast as we can. I think we need more urgency in our game."

Pageau, an Ottawa native, was given a video tribute during the first television timeout and fans were quick to start chanting his name, as they often did when he scored. The 27-year-old went for a quick skate near the bench to acknowledge the reception.

Jean-Gabriel Pageau Ottawa Senators defenseman vie for the puck.

"The appreciation from the fans, my ex-teammates on the bench was really touching," Pageau said. "There was a lot going through my mind and I was trying to stay focused on the game. Obviously, I can thank everyone now and turn the page and focus on the rest of the season here."

Anders Lee, Mathew Barzal and Ryan Pulock scored for the Islanders, who are 0-3-2 in their last five games. The Islanders have been outscored 14-5 in the last three games. Semyon Varlamov stopped 25 shots.

The Islanders had the lead twice, but failed to hold on. New York also hit three posts in the game.

"It's really disappointing," Islanders coach Barry Trotz said. "I don't want to take nothing away from the Senators, they played a very hardworking, north game and capitalized on the chances we gave them and we didn't capitalize enough on ours."

In the third period, the Islanders were pressing for a tying goal, but the Senators took a 4-2 lead with just over three minutes remaining as Tkachuk picked up his 20th.

New York made it a one-goal game 65 seconds later when Pulock beat Anderson.

The Islanders fired 18 shots at Anderson in the second period, but trailed 3-2 after 40 minutes.

New York took a 2-1 lead early in the second when Jordan Eberle dropped a pass to Barzal, who fired a wrist shot from the slot.

The Senators tied the game as Boedker scored short-handed. Ottawa leads the league with 15 short-handed goals this season.

Duclair gave Ottawa its first lead of the game when he beat Pageau for positioning and scored a pretty goal high on the short side at 14:26 of the second. 1180012 New York Islanders

Despite losing five straight, Islanders are still in playoff hunt

By Andrew Gross [email protected] @AGrossNewsday

Updated March 7, 2020 12:14 AM

After an overnight flight home from Ottawa following the Islanders’ fifth straight loss, Barry Trotz woke up Friday morning with the realization that his team still held a playoff spot.

Somehow.

The Islanders have dropped three straight in regulation, including Thursday night’s 4-3 loss to the Senators, who are out of the playoff race.

The Islanders are in an 0-3-2 skid, are 2-7-2 since Casey Cizikas (left leg laceration) was injured and are 10-13-5 since top-pair defenseman Adam Pelech (Achilles tendon) was lost for the season.

Yet the Islanders still hold the Eastern Conference’s second wild-card spot, two points ahead of the surging Rangers, who have played one extra game, and three points ahead of the Hurricanes, who have played one fewer game. The Islanders will face the Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon at NYCB Live’s Nassau Coliseum.

“That’s the incredible thing about the whole thing is we’re in a playoff spot, and we earned that,” Trotz said after Friday’s practice in East Meadow.

Of course, that the Islanders are clinging to a playoff spot is a vestige of their franchise-record 17-game point streak (15-0-2) from Oct. 12-Nov. 23 that produced a record of 16-3-2. They are 19-20-6 since.

“I said to them, ‘I didn’t feel we were going to win a game way back when,’ ” Trotz said of the Islanders’ 1-3-0 start to the season. “We turned it around and never lost for 17.

“We’re probably where we should be, based on taking the whole year,” Trotz added. “We had a strong front end. The back end hasn’t been as good and now we have a chance to be in a playoff race.”

The Islanders’ success last season — they reached the second round of the playoffs in their first season under Trotz — was predicated on their strong defensive performance. They allowed an NHL-low 196 goals with a goal differential of plus-32, backed by the goalie tandem of Robin Lehner — the Vezina Trophy finalist who left via free agency — and .

This season, with Semyon Varlamov replacing Lehner, the Islanders are tied for eighth in the league with 185 goals against. But their goal differential is only plus-1.

They have allowed at least four goals in their last three games and in four of their last five. Greiss has been pulled from two of his last three starts.

“We’re giving up a lot of goals lately,” said Varlamov, who likely should have stopped Anthony Duclair’s short-side goal and Mikkel Boedker’s shorthanded backhander in Ottawa. “When you give up three, four, five goals, you can’t be happy about it. You’ve got to fix it as soon as possible. As a goalie, you have to give your team a chance to win. You need to make that extra save. That’s our job. I’m not talking about Greisser. I’m talking about myself. I haven’t the past couple of games.”

Notes & quotes: Cal Clutterbuck practiced after missing the third period Thursday with an unspecified issue. Trotz indicated he might be “doubtful” to play against the Hurricanes . . . Tom Kuhnhackl practiced and Trotz said he should be available. He missed the Ottawa game with an unspecified injury.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180013 New York Rangers Yet the Rangers trudge on, and they will learn how far their two spectacular talents can carry them over the next month.

“We just want to win in here,” Zibanejad said. “We really put ourselves in Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad is duo Rangers have longed for a good spot to make something happen.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.07.2020

By Brett Cyrgalis

March 7, 2020 | 1:08am

It seems as if the rest of New York is finally realizing what the Rangers have known all season: They have two must-see talents in Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad, and the pair might be the organization’s most dynamic duo in half a century.

The spotlight shined down on Zibanejad when he became just the third player in franchise history to record five goals in a game, his signature performance as a Ranger including the overtime winner in Thursday’s 6- 5 victory over the Capitals at the Garden. The winner was a breakaway goal set up by a brilliant outlet pass from Panarin, who has not only lived up to the seven-year, $81.5 million deal he signed as a free agent this summer, but also has inserted himself into the conversation for the Hart Trophy as league MVP.

“Unbelievable pass,” Zibanejad said after Friday’s practice, “and after that, I just blacked out.”

Oh, and the win managed to get the Rangers within two points of the free-falling Islanders for the second wild-card spot as they prepared to host the Devils on Saturday night.

“My phone almost burned up,” Zibanejad said. “But I had my dad and my girlfriend here, so it was a special night to be able to share it with them and then go home and kind of reflect. … It was for sure a special night that I’ll remember forever.”

This was supposed to be another season in which the Rangers continued rebuilding and focusing on the future. They have pulled off the rare feat of being competitive in the process, but that could change very quickly with a tough three-game road trip coming up next week against the Stars, Avalanche and Coyotes.

The growth into a contender has been expedited by the arrival of Panarin, who has 32 goals and is tied for third in the NHL with 93 points over his first 66 games with the organization. The 28-year-old Russian has somehow been better than advertised, and his teammates have gawked at his talent all season.

“He reads the game so well,” Zibanejad said, “and his hockey IQ is through the roof.”

It helps that Zibanejad has grown to far greater heights than even the Rangers could have expected when they pulled off an absolute coup of a trade with the Senators in July 2016, sending Derick Brassard and a seventh-round pick to the Senators for Zibanejad and a second-rounder. The aim was to get younger and save some cap space. Zibanejad is still just 26 years old and he has two more years left on his deal with the burglary-worthy price of a $5.3 million annual salary-cap hit.

Despite having missed 13 games earlier this season with a neck ailment, Zibanejad still has a team-leading 38 goals (fifth in the league), plus 33 assists, in 54 games.

“I didn’t know he was this good when I took the job,” second-year head coach David Quinn said. “He has such passion for the game, and he wants to be the best player he can possibly be. [He] comes every day and works hard. He’s everything you want in your best player.”

As tempting as it has been, Quinn has mostly kept Zibanejad and Panarin off the same line, getting them together only on the power play or in late-game or offensively desperate situations. That is unlike most of the great combinations of the past, including the two forwards who might be closest in talent and impact — and , who with comprised the Rangers’ GAG Line of the 1970s.

Having Zibanejad and Panarin on separate lines has made it much more difficult for teams to match up against the Rangers, and Quinn added that having those talents “makes you a lot better coach.” That depth took a hit when Chris Kreider broke his foot last Friday, possibly sidelining the winger for the rest of the regular season. 1180014 New York Rangers

Igor Shesterkin could be back in Rangers net on Saturday

By Post Sports Desk

March 6, 2020 | 2:24pm | Updated

The news keeps getting better for the Rangers and Igor Shesterkin, as their presumptive No. 1 goalie had a full practice Friday without sharing his net and could be ready to start Saturday night’s Garden match against the Devils, less than two weeks after he suffered a non-displaced rib fracture in a car accident on Feb. 23 in Brooklyn.

“He looked good,” coach David Quinn said after practice.

Though the original timeline had Shesterkin set to be reevaluated in “a couple of weeks,” Quinn said he still needed to consult with his training staff, but did not rule out the 24-year-old Russian returning Saturday.

“There’s a chance he could play,” Quinn said.

In his first season in North America, Shesterkin was called up from AHL Hartford on Jan. 6 and became just the fourth player in NHL history to win at least nine of his first 10 games. He has a 2.23 goals-against average and .940 save percentage after taking the reins of the three- goalie situation from Alex Georgiev and Henrik Lundqvist.

Georgiev and Lundqvist shared a net for Friday’s practice. Georgiev has started five of the six games since Shesterkin got hurt, including the 3-1 loss to the Blues on Monday and the dramatic 6-5 win over the Capitals on Thursday — neither game his best performance of the season.

Lundqvist has started just four games since Shesterkin was called up, his most recent a 5-3 loss to the Flyers on Sunday afternoon — the eve of his 38th birthday — which was his first start since Feb. 3.

Rookie winger Kaapo Kakko practiced Friday in the spot in which he ended Thursday night — on the fourth line, next to Brendan Lemieux and Greg McKegg. That moved Julien Gauthier up to the right side with Brett Howden (on the left) and Filip Chytil.

Gauthier has played nine games for the Rangers since he was acquired from the Hurricanes for defenseman Joey Keane. He has managed just one assist, but has shown glimpses of his enticing speed, size and skill.

“He had only played four NHL games before he got here, so you want to ease him in a little bit,” Quinn said. “But we really like a lot of what we’ve seen so far.”

Even though the Devils are ostensibly out of the playoff picture, Quinn did not think his team was primed for a letdown following such an emotional high on Thursday night.

“This is the Devils, they’re one of our rivals, there are 15 games left and we’re two points out of a playoff spot,” Quinn said. “I don’t know how much more this game can mean to our guys.”

New York Post LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180015 New York Rangers

Five-goal night highlights Mika Zibanejad's key contribution to Rangers' season

By Denis P. Gorman

Special to Newsday

Updated March 7, 2020 12:25 AM

GREENBURGH, N.Y. — How did Mika Zibanejad spend the day after authoring a bit of Rangers franchise history?

By going to work.

“This doesn’t change anything for me, really,” he said after practice Friday.

Zibanejad scored five goals in the Rangers’ 6-5 overtime win over the Capitals at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night, joining Don Murdoch and Mark Pavelich as the only players in franchise history to score five goals in a game. According to the Rangers, he is the first player in the league since Sergei Fedorov in 1996 to score five goals, including one in overtime, in a single game.

“My dad and my girlfriend are obviously here,” Zibanejad said. “So it was a special night, be able to share it with them and then go home and just kind of reflect.”

As the Rangers push for the organization’s first playoff berth since the 2016-17 season, Zibanejad has been a key contributor. With 15 games left, he already has a career-high 38 goals along with 33 assists in 54 games. His previous career high was 30 goals last season.

Zibanejad’s production has increased since the start of the calendar year. He has 22 goals and 18 assists in 28 games in 2020, including 11 goals and nine assists in 15 games in February. That earned him the league’s second star of the month honors.

“I didn’t know he was this good when I took the job,” coach David Quinn said.

An argument can be made that he is among the league’s elite centers. Entering Friday, he was third in goals behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews (46) and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl (43). His 71 points trailed only Draisaitl (110), Edmonton’s Connor McDavid (95), Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (88), Matthews (79) and Buffalo’s Jack Eichel (77).

“He’s got such passion for the game. He wants to be the best player he can possibly be. He comes every day and works hard. He’s everything you want in your best player,” Quinn said. “It’s so important for an organization when you’ve got your best player approaching the game the way he does, not only in games but in practices.”

Notes & quotes: The Rangers are three points behind Columbus for the first wild-card slot and two behind the Islanders for the second wild card. “The fact that we’re in this situation really speaks volumes to the makeup of our team,” Quinn said. “We’re playing with a little bit of a snarl right now and not backing down, which is a big part of having success in this league. You better have an attitude.” . . . The Rangers will conclude their regular-season series with the Devils on Saturday night at the Garden. After a 5-2 defeat Oct. 17 at Prudential Center, the Rangers won the next two meetings, 4-0 on Nov. 30 and 6-3 on Jan. 9. “They’re one of our rivals,” Quinn said. “We need to come completely focused mentally and ready to go physically and be willing to pay a price to win a hockey game.’’ . . . Igor Shesterkin practiced, and Quinn did not rule out having the rookie goaltender play against the Devils. The game would be Shesterkin’s first since he suffered a broken rib in a car accident on Feb. 23.

Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180016 NHL

NHL caravan that celebrates Black History Month will be in Seattle this weekend

By Geoff Baker

Seattle Times staff reporter

Nobody has to tell Kyle Boyd about the importance of showing black hockey players of today and yesteryear to future young fans.

As NHL Seattle’s community engagement director, Boyd spent part of this week at Des Moines Elementary School teaching indoor Floorball hockey basics to third, fourth and fifth graders from a variety of ethnic backgrounds. The NHL has long worked to shed its decades-long image as a “whites only’’ sport and believes engaging more fans and athletes of color is the key to its future financial survival in an increasingly competitive sports marketplace.

“We want hockey to be accessible to everybody from every background,’’ Boyd said.

And that’s the main reason behind the NHL’s Black Hockey History Tour – a continent-spanning mobile museum on hockey players of color past and present that makes its first of three regional stops here Saturday morning at the Northwest African American Museum in Seattle’s Central District. Visitors can enter the 525-square-foot museum bus free of charge from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and learn about some of the biggest black players in the game’s history and the milestones and moments they’ve created.

The tour continues Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Seattle Center International Fountain and again Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Matt Griffin YMCA in SeaTac.

Primarily celebrating Black History Month, the tour actually began Jan. 12 in Washington, D.C., and runs through March 22 in Dallas.

The tour, making 14 stops in NHL markets, originally was to feature Willie O’Ree — the Canadian-born first black player in NHL history after breaking in with the 1958 Boston Bruins. But O’Ree, now 84, canceled his appearance this past week out of concerns related to the recent coronavirus scare.

Instead, Kwame Damon Mason, producer of the 2015 documentary film “Soul on Ice, Past, Present and Future’’ will now be on hand to greet visitors. The film tells the story of trailblazing black hockey players, O’Ree among them.

In an interview with The Seattle Times last summer, O’Ree, the league’s diversity ambassador since 1998, said it’s important that young black players and fans see NHL stars that “look like them’’ – having had no such role models growing up beyond his older hockey-playing brother.

But there were black hockey players playing at high levels long before O’Ree, with a senior level “Colored Hockey League’’ existing in his native from 1895 until the 1930s. At its height, the all-black league employed about 400 players.

NHL executive vice president of social impact Kim Davis said last year in an interview that she’d been unaware how far back the history of black hockey players stretched until the museum tour made her aware of it.

“It’s important that we make people aware of this history,’’ she said.

NHL Seattle director Boyd agreed. He grew up playing hockey in his native Minnesota, often the only black player on his teams or even in his league.

And he doesn’t want anybody missing out on the sport he loves because it doesn’t feel inclusive enough.

“We want people to know that hockey can be for everybody.’’

Seattle Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180017 NHL Maurice Richard, who was 15 years older, retired after the 1960 season. Henri stayed on and won four more Cups over a five-year span from 1965 to 1969. A highlight was in 1966, when Richard’s only goal in the final was the Cup winner in overtime in Detroit. Henri Richard, winner of 11 Cups with Canadiens, dies at 84 In 1971, he did it again, scoring the series-deciding goal in the third period of Game 7 in Chicago. Richard said later he considered that 10th Stanley Cup his most memorable because of the circumstances. By The Associated Press He had been left out of the lineup for Game 5 of the final by coach Al

MacNeil. Feeling insulted and unhappy with the atmosphere on the team, MONTREAL (AP) — Henri Richard, the speedy and durable center who Richard assailed his coach in public, calling him “incompetent.” won a record 11 Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens, died Friday. “I was angry and I said some things I probably shouldn’t have said,” He was 84. Richard said in a 2009 interview. “I spoke out because I thought it was The Canadiens announced the death of the Hall of Famer on Twitter, necessary. “I’m not saying it’s right because it’s important to respect the calling him “one of the organization’s greatest legends and coach, but I just wanted to play hockey.” ambassadors.” Richard had Alzheimer’s disease. Two years later, in 1973, Richard won his 11th Cup, his only one as He was better known as the younger brother of superstar Maurice captain of the Canadiens. After his playing career, he worked as a team “Rocket” Richard and was nicknamed the Pocket Rocket for his 5-foot-7, ambassador. 160-pound frame. He is survived by his wife of more than 50 years, Lise; children Michèle, “Henri Richard was one of the true giants of the game,” NHL Gilles, Denis, Marie-France and Nathalie; 10 grandchildren and four Commissioner Gary Bettman said, lauding him as an “incomparable great-grandchildren. winner, leader, gentleman.” Seattle Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also paid tribute to Richard on Twitter.

“A legend on and off the ice, in Montreal and beyond, Henri Richard was one of the fiercest competitors in hockey history. And as an 11-time Stanley Cup champion, he set a record that no one has matched. Rest in peace, Pocket Rocket,” Trudeau tweeted.

Known for his tenacity and playmaking, Richard was captain of the Canadiens from 1971 until his retirement in 1975. He succeeded the legendary Jean Beliveau, with whom he shares the record of playing 20 seasons for the NHL club.

Henri Richard played 1,256 regular-season games, another Canadiens record. He scored 358 goals and had 1,046 points, third in team history behind Guy Lafleur (1,246) and Beliveau (1,219). He added 129 points in 180 playoff games.

His 11 Stanley Cups, one more than Beliveau and former Canadiens captain Yvon Cournoyer, is unlikely to be surpassed. Seven were won when the NHL had only six teams.

“No one’s going to break that record, it’s impossible,” Richard said. “I say that without boasting. There are too many teams now and the best players are too spread out.”

Hall of Famer Serge Savard said he had “nothing but good words” for his teammate of eight seasons.

“Obviously, his record of 11 Stanley Cup wins will never be beaten,” Savard said. “Even though he played in the shadow of his brother and of the other big stars who made their mark with the Canadiens — who are all in the Hall of Fame by the way — (Richard) found the way to leave his own mark.”

Cournoyer said, “Henri was a little like me: not very big! With his determination, he proved he was able to play in the NHL.

“Many compared Henri to his brother or put them into competition with each other,” Cournoyer added. “But Maurice was Maurice and Henri was Henri. Each had their own style and Henri proved he was an excellent hockey player.”

Richard twice led the NHL in assists, with 52 in 1957-58 and 50 in 1962- 63. He had nine 20-goal seasons, including a high of 30 in 1959-60. He won the Bill Masterton Trophy for sportsmanship and perseverance in 1974 and was selected to four league All-Star teams.

The Canadiens retired his No. 16 on Dec. 10, 1975, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

He was also hockey’s most famous leap year boy, born on Feb. 29, 1936. After a brilliant career with the Junior Canadiens, including 56 goals and 109 points in 1953-54, Richard joined his brother on the NHL club in 1955, just in time for the Canadiens to start on a run of five consecutive Stanley Cups. He proved himself right away, with 19 goals and 21 assists in 64 games in his rookie season. 1180018 Ottawa Senators

Senators prospect Logan Brown saves his dad Jeff in Bay of Quinte

Staff Reporter

Logan and Jeff Brown had an awful scare Thursday in Belleville.

Preparing to celebrate his 22nd birthday, he and roommate heard screams from the backyard while watching television in the living room and Brown rescued his father Jeff, a former head coach of the Ottawa 67’s, after he’d fallen through ice.

Speaking to Matt Tidcombe on the Belleville Senators’ website Friday, Brown, who is sidelined with an injury, recounted the awful experience before the club played at home Friday night.

“I heard my Dad screaming and I was inside with Drake and I thought ‘was that my dad’ and I opened the window and sure as (crap), there’s my dog in the lake,” Brown told Tidcombe.

Jeff had been trying to rescue Logan’s golden retriever Boone because he’d gone through the ice in the Bay of Quinte while chasing geese.

“I bolt out, jumped the fence, running out there, and then my dad went out to get the dog. He was yelling at me to get a rope but next thing I know I turn around and the dog’s running at me,” Logan said. “My dad went out on his belly to pull the dog out because he was in there for a good minute. He tried to pull him out but he went in and broke through the ice too.

“He pushed the dog out and I started to run towards him but he’s yelling at me to stay back, I’m about six feet away, on my stomach trying to reach him. There was a big crack in front, so I stayed behind that and got on all fours.

“Luckily, he said he watched a video on Facebook about a week ago of a guy who put himself through the ice deliberately to teach you how to get out so after about a minute, my dad was able to get himself out and onto the surface where I was able to grab him and pull him out.

“It was scary as (bleep).”

Tidcombe reported by the time they got back on land an ambulance had arrived. Fortunately, everybody is fine.

Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180019 Ottawa Senators road trip in California early next week. The Senators face the Ducks Tuesday and are in Los Angeles Wednesday.

THE LAST WORDS SNAPSHOTS: Brady Tkachuk has been Mr. Dependable in a lot of areas Winger Mikkel Boedker had his second of the season with a shorthanded for the Senators effort against the Islanders. He’s sat out a lot this season, but has had a regular chance to play lately and still enjoys scoring goals. “When you score it means a lot regardless of what kind of season you’re having,” Bruce Garrioch Boedker said.

“Scoring goals is a lot of fun. You see the best at it in our lifetime (in Alex) Ovechkin (and) you see the joy when he has every time he scores. There have been many nights Brady Tkachuk has set the tone for the Sometimes I don’t understand if guys score and it’s just another goal. It’s Ottawa Senators. not really, it means a lot to everybody and it’s a proud moment when you His latest effort Thursday against the New York Islanders was just score in this league so you’ve got to remember those things.” It was another example. pointed out to him it was only the second shorthanded goal of his career and he noted he hadn’t done a lot of penalty killing during his 706 games So as the Senators begin their longest road trip of the season against the in the league … Defenceman Ron Hainsey had a solid effort against the San Jose Sharks Saturday night at the SAP Center, you can fully expect Isles with five blocked shots and team-high 28:44 of the ice time. the 20-year-old winger will lead the Senators into battle — just like he Blueliner played 28:30 … Centre Artem Anismov, who has on a consistent basis all season. missed Thursday’s game with an upper body injury, didn’t make the trek to San Jose and there’s no timetable for his return. Selected No. 4 overall the Senators in the 2018 NHL draft, Tkachuk scored his 20th of the season — and it turned out to be winner — in the Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 club’s 4-3 victory over the Isles and that’s the second straight year he’s reached the plateau after firing home 22 goals in his rookie season.

He’s only the third player in franchise history, joining Alexei Yashin and Daniel Alfredsson, to have two straight 20-goals seasons in his first two years in the league. Tkachuk is second in the league in hits with 287 behind Vegas’ Ryan Reaves and is ranked No. 7 in shots with 257 in 68 games.

Tkachuk played 20:47 against the Isles and gave the club a 4-2 lead at 16:55 of the third by simply going to the net to beat Semyon Varlamov.

“He’s a kid that plays with his heart on his sleeve out there,” coach D.J. Smith told reporters following Thursday’s win. “He bangs bodies, he’s reckless and he makes it hard on the other team. Ultimately, it’s great to see him rewarded.

“They had to play a little more minutes with (Mathew) Barzal playing so much but these are important minutes for kids like this. He’s 20-years-old and he’s playing hard minutes and learning to play in his own zone so that when it’s time for us to turn the corner he’ll be a guy that can play in all situations.”

Tkachuk is only going to improve when he’s surrounded by better players down the road during this rebuild and that’s why the Senators are excited.

“People forget how young he is just because of how big and physical he is,” Smith added. “It’s a heck of a feat (to have two 20-goal seasons) and as we get better and have more talent that work ethic is going to push us over the top.

“My big thing is how hard we work every day and he’s one of the guys that pushes the needle and as we get more talent the work ethic has to be there or you won’t have success. That’s what we’re based on and he’s one of those guys.”

THIS N’ THAT

Back after missing four games with a leg injury after blocking a shot Feb. 24 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, Anthony Duclair scored a beauty in the club’s victory over the Isles. He went around former Ottawa centre J.G. Pageau and then went upstairs on Varlamov. “When you see a forward you really want to do your best to cut to the middle and get a better shot,” said Duclair.

It’s only Duclair’s second goal since Dec. 19 and the other one came into an empty net but he’s been playing much better lately with more consistency in his game. “It was my first goal on a goalie in awhile and it was good to see it go in,” he said. “My confidence is back and I’m starting to play better.” Smith certainly agrees with that assessment. “Duke was great (Thursday).” said Smith.

“Great hands, he made plays and you’ve got to give (credit) to the development staff, Shean Donovan works with our guys a lot, and people don’t talk about them behind the scenes. Duke was off with an injury, works with these guys and looks like he was earlier in the year.” … The club is hopeful goaltender Marcus Hogberg, who left the team Monday for personal leave in Sweden, will be able to rejoin the Senators on their 1180020 Ottawa Senators before the start of training camp that required surgery and after doing his re-hab in Ottawa he joined Belleville last month. He’s suited up for nine games and has one goal, but the Senators wanted him to get the feel for playing again before bringing him back to this level. The Ottawa Senators have a chance to help themselves against the Sharks Wolanin has 15 shots on goal and is plus-4 with Belleville and will likely play a big role for the club in the AHL playoffs.

Bruce Garrioch The Ottawa Senators expect the show will go on Saturday night at the SAP Center.

The Ottawa Senators really can’t lose either way Saturday night at the The Senators made their way to San Jose Friday afternoon to prepare to SAP Center in San Jose. start this five-game road trip with three stops in California less than 24 hours after the Santa Clara public health department suggested that all As they prepare to face Sharks to start a five-game, nine-day Western events with large crowds should be postponed. road swing at 7 p.m., the Senators can’t help or hurt their odds of winning the NHL’s draft lottery no matter what the outcome is against San Jose. The Sharks announced their game against the Minnesota Wild would go on as planned after the decision was made and issued a statement While Ottawa fans have been watching their own club’s results this indicating they’ll evaluate events depending on the severity of the season, make no mistake many are scrolling the scoreboard nightly to situation. The San Jose Mercury News noted the club had its smallest see what the Sharks are doing because the Senators hold San Jose’s crowd of the season with 14,517 on hand to see the club’s 3-2 loss to the first-round selection in the NHL draft this spring as a result of the deal Wild. general manager Pierre Dorion made with Doug Wilson for defenceman Erik Karlsson in Sept, 2018. “Sharks Sports & Entertainment is aware of the recommendations made today by the Santa Clara County Public Health Department and we Heading into Friday night’s action, the 29th-ranked Senators had the continue to actively monitor the situation,” the club said in a statement third-best odds of winning the lottery (11.5%) with their own selection and posted on its website Thursday. the fifth-best with San Jose’s (8.5%) selection. Yes, the Detroit Red Wings have a 18.5% chance of victory when the draw is held Apr 9, but if The organization added:”SAP Center undergoes a rigorous cleaning you add up both of Ottawa’s opportunities the club has the best odds at procedure after each and every event, with particular attention paid to 20% depending on where the lottery balls in the spring. high-traffic, high public-contact areas. Many areas will receive additional, enhanced measures throughout the course of events for the foreseeable So win or lose against the Sharks, the Senators may not win or lose future.” either way where it really matters for a lot of fans with only 14 games left in the season. No, the players aren’t watching the odds in the lottery, but Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 the reality is these stops in Anaheim Tuesday and Los Angeles Wednesday may go a long way in determining where the Senators finish in the standings because those clubs are in the lottery as well.

After picking up the New York Islanders first-round selection in the deal that sent Jean-Gabriel Pageau to New York, Ottawa has three picks in Round 1 at the draft this spring in Montreal.

Ideally, the Senators just want to finish the year strong and as they boarded their Air Canada charter Friday afternoon for the long trek to San Jose the players were feeling good about themselves after a 4-3 victory over the Islanders Thursday night at home. The club will make also make stops in Chicago and St. Louis before this trip wraps up.

“We just want to keep working on having the puck,” said coach D.J. Smith Thursday night. “Ultimately, we want to defend but we want to have the puck more. It’s not that fun playing in the (defensive) zone all the time and a lot of guys just play the string out. We’re not going to do that, we’re going to play right to the final buzzer.”

Though Smith doesn’t announce his starter anymore, the expectation is veteran goaltender Craig Anderson will be in net against the Sharks. He’s coming off a 37-save effort against the Islanders in the club’s victory and bounced back strong after a 7-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins Tuesday. With Marcus Hogberg away for personal leave in Sweden, Anderson has a chance to carry the ball here.

Anderson said these games down the stretch can set the tone for the franchise.

“We have to find ways to make games meaningful for us,” Anderson said. “We’re not in the playoff picture but guys are still playing for pride and jobs and what kind of character we (have). We’re learning, we’ve got young guys and we don’t want to create that losing habit around here.

“We want to make sure we at least play hard and play the right way so when we start getting on a roll we have that feeling of know what it’s like to win games and it starts right now.”

The Senators did make one change Friday before they by calling up defenceman from Belleville and sending Christian Jaros back to the AHL. He had been used sparingly since being called up Feb. 22 and had only 7:21 of ice time vs. the Isles.

Wolanin will make his season debut against the Sharks.

This is a good opportunity for Wolanin to re-establish himself at the NHL level. The 22-year-old blueliner suffered a devastating shoulder injury 1180021 Ottawa Senators Radim Simek-Brent Burns Marc-Edouard Vlasic-Mario Ferraro

Brandon Davidson-Tim Heed GAMEDAY: Senators vs San Jose Sharks Goaltending

Martin Jones Ken Warren Aaron Dell

Sick Bay Ottawa Senators at San Jose Sharks, Saturday, SAP Center Tire Centre, 7 p.m. TV: Sportsnet 1, City. Radio: TSN 1200-AM, 94,5-Unique-FM Dalton Prout, Tomas Hertl, Erik Karlsson, Jacob Middleton

Five Keys to the Game: The Big Match Up: Joe Thornton vs Anthony Duclair

1-Jousting for jobs: If you think some of the Senators might be playing Thornton scored his sixth goal of the season in Thursday’s loss to the out the string, keep an eye on Jayce Hawryluk, who is doing everything Minnesota Wild, but how many more goals does he have left in his to get noticed for a guaranteed NHL contract – somewhere – next career? season. He has scored one goal and four assists in six games since joining the Senators. After a phenomenal career – 419 goals and 1,088 assists in 1,633 regular season games and 31 goals and 102 assists in 179 playoff 2-Away they struggle: As poorly as the Senators played in Pittsburgh to games – the final stretch of the season could be the end for Jumbo Joe. start the week, they had intensity and pride at home Thursday. It’s a common theme. The Senators have won only six games away from Thornton went public with his disappointment that he wasn’t traded to a this season, only one more than the lowly Detroit Stanley Cup contender at the trade deadline. Red Wings for the least in the league. Duclair, meanwhile, looked sharp in the Senators 4-3 win over the New 3-Yesterday’s gone: For the longest time, the Sharks hung on and hung York Islanders Thursday. He offered up speed and long lost scoring on to hopes of being a playoff contender. All that is over now and they’re touch in racing past Jean-Gabriel Pageau for his first goal past a goalie carrying a boatload of heavy contracts, including the one belonging to since December. currently injured former Senators captain Erik Karlsson. The Senators are starved for natural scorers at the moment and need 4-Coronavirus concerns: Public health officials in the area are advising everything and anything Duclair can offer. the public to stay away from large public gatherings due to a potential Ottawa Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 devastating outbreak. The Sharks had their smallest crowd of the season Thursday against the Minnesota Wild. The fan turnout could be smaller still on Saturday.

5-Earning playing time: It has been a long, trying season for veteran Mikkel Boekder, a healthy scratch over and over again. Thrust back into regular duty after the trade deadline, Boekder scored a rare shorthanded goal Thursday against the Islanders.

Special Teams

Ottawa: PP 14.8 (29th), PK 76.9 (26th)

San Jose: PP 16.2 (27th), PK 86.6 (1st)

Senators Lines

Brady Tkachuk-Chris Tierney-Connor Brown

Rudolfs Balcers-Colin White-

Anthony Duclair--Jayce Hawryluk

Mikkel Boedker--Scott Sabourin

Defence

Thomas Chabot-Ron Hainsey

Mike Reilly-Nikita Zaitsev

Andreas Englund-Christian Wolanin

Goaltending

Craig Anderson

Filip Gustavsson

Sick Bay: Anders Nilsson, Mark Borowiecki, Marcus Hogberg (personal), Artem Anisimov

Sharks Lines

Evander Kane-Logan Couture-Noah Gregor

Timo Meier-Joe Thornton-Kevin Labanc

Marcus Sorensen-Joel Kellman-Dylan Grambrell

Melker Karlsson-Antti Suomela-Stefan Noesen

Defence 1180022 Ottawa Senators but what often gets lost in conversations discussing his game is how White appears to be a competent defender.

Using Bill Comeau’s Skatr tool, it is easy to compare White’s 2018-19 Nichols: It’s been a disappointing season, but don’t write-off Colin White season with his current one. yet It is pretty easy to identify the change in White’s production share.

Colin White will never be mistaken for a volume shooter. Even during last By Graeme Nichols Mar 6, 2020 16 season’s successful campaign, White only ranked in the 24th percentile in shots and this season, he ranks in the 10th percentile. As a result, his individual goal rate and individual expected goal rate will likely never rate that highly. If Colin White was a restricted free agent this summer, his 2019-20 season would have cost him a lot of money. What is interesting is that the Senators’ expected goal share for and shots for metrics actually rate relatively well across both seasons. After a successful rookie campaign that saw the centre finish with 14 goals and 41 points in 71 games while averaging 16:12 of ice-time per Using HockeyViz.com’s visuals, it is easy to see which areas the game, the Senators believed enough in White’s ability to sign him to a Senators are generating and allowing shots from when White is on the six-year, $28.5 million extension ($4.75 million AAV) last August. ice.

To say that it has not been White’s year is a bit of an understatement. Colin White does not receive much fanfare for it, but the Senators appear to be a better team when he is on the ice. It just does not necessarily The centre has tried to play through a variety of injuries and his show up as evidently as it does in the boxscore. production has markedly dipped. It could prove difficult to silence critics because of the expectations Entering last night’s game, through 57 contests, White only has six goals created by his contract, but asking this player to contribute more given and 19 points to his credit while averaging 15:38 of ice-time per game. his current circumstances isn’t really fair either. It has been a disappointing season for the player and like any player who I believe there is enough evidence to suggest that White could be a very signs a relatively sizable commitment in term and money from the good defensive third line centre for this organization. organization, White has taken some criticism for his precipitous decline in production this season. With the Senators’ prospect depth down the middle and the likelihood that White will get passed on the depth chart quickly by better prospects General Manager Pierre Dorion had one explanation for White’s like (and potentially another centre that the team could select performance this season. early in this year’s draft), the urgency that White develop into a top-six DORION TALKS ABOUT WHITE NEEDING TO GET STRONGER. IF player simply should not be there. HE'S FINISHED APRIL 4TH, THAT'S 6 MONTHS UNTIL OPENING That does not mean that the organization should not spend its remaining NIGHT. 15 games playing White with more skilled linemates to assess and IF THE CHOICES WERE TO MAKE HIM ELIGIBLE TO PLAY IN develop a better understanding of his upside, but I believe that there is BELLEVILLE, OR GO PLAY FOR THE US AT THE WC. HE SHOULD enough to like about White’s game that he can be a valued piece moving GO TO BELLEVILLE, AND HE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE IN JAN. forward. And that is before considering how the organization can graduate prospects and give White a little more talent to work with. — SHAWN SIMPSON (@TSNSIMMER) FEBRUARY 29, 2020 White will never be a prolific goal scorer, but I think he can distribute the Normally, it would be a bit disconcerting to see a strength or conditioning puck well enough to put up some decent numbers moving forward and in issue be brought up when discussing a 23-year old player who was just believing that, it is not hard to imagine a third line eventually being signed to a lengthy extension this past summer, but the organization has bolstered by the presence of White and a speedster like . a history of using these kinds of talking points to portray the situation as being one the player has a significant measure of control over and can With all that said, if the Senators’ volume of prospects and draft picks improve on his own. affords Pierre Dorion the luxury to consider flipping White as part of a larger trade package to return the organization a significantly better The biggest contributor to White’s decline in production is a decline in the player, then there is no harm in that either. quality of his linemates. A hip flexor injury put White on the shelf for seven games early in the season and in his absence, Jean-Gabriel The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 Pageau inherited the first line centre role and never relinquished it. (As an aside, it is interesting how an injury opened the door and helped create favourable circumstances that led to Pageau’s career offensive season. Without it, maybe Pageau does not light up the scoresheets and fetch Dorion that significant return from the Islanders.)

As I articulated last season, the biggest risk in rewarding White with a long-term extension is that his production away from Brady Tkachuk and Mark Stone – his two most common linemates last season – left something to be desired.

At five-on-five last season per NaturalStatTrick.com’s linemate data:

TOI CF% SF% SCF% GF% xGF%

Tkachuk-White-Stone 352:01 52.12 51.84 56.72 59.38 59.41

White without Tkachuk and Stone 362:22 42.46 42.52 40.26 37.14 42.94

The stark contrast in the numbers outlined the argument for giving White a bridge deal which would have afforded the organization a larger window to evaluate White’s performance away from one of the league’s best two-way players in the game. Call it the Mark Stone bump.

As I mentioned earlier, White’s offensive numbers have declined and garnered most of the attention in discussions regarding his development, 1180023 Philadelphia Flyers The most significant win of that streak was when Darren Jensen came up from the AHL and beat the mighty Edmonton Oilers in the first game since Lindbergh’s death for win No. 11.

Alain Vigneault on Flyers’ winning streak: 'Everybody should be excited’ The Flyers host Buffalo and Boston, play at Tampa Bay, then have to get past visiting Minnesota before they can get to No. 13. The opponent, eerily enough, is Edmonton on March 15. by Ed Barkowitz, But that’s getting way ahead of things.

The Flyers have outscored opponents, 36-16, during the streak, including 14-5 in the second period. Couturier mentioned the other night that the Alain Vigneault had the perfect response to the Flyers climbing into a Flyers’ depth was wearing teams down. Consider the following from the virtual tie for first place in the Metro Division on Thursday night. last eight games: Play it coy? Ignore it? Pass it off as meaningless? *Nine players have have at least five points and 14 have scored a goal. No way. He’s advising his group to embrace it. *Travis Konecny has 13 points, Jake Voracek 11, and Kevin Hayes and “It’s quite normal for everybody to be excited. Players, coaches, fans, Scott Laughton with 9. Flyers’ fans, hockey fans, I mean, this is great hockey,” the coach said. *Matt Niskanen is +15. Provorov is +11. Laughton is +10. “The competition is unreal, and we’re playing well right now. So everybody should be excited.” *Seven players have been credited with a game-winning goal (Couturier 2, one each for Claude Giroux, Derek Grant, Kevin Hayes, Travis As the NHL season comes down to its final furlongs, there’s a more Konecny, Tyler Pitlick, Michael Raffl). practical reason to keep piling up the wins. Winning the division will mean home-ice advantage for at least the first two rounds, depending on what *Carter Hart’s save percentage is .935 in six of the wins. Brian Elliott’s is happens to Boston in the other half of the bracket. .914 in the other two.

The Bruins (98 points) have an 11-point lead for the Eastern Conference *The power-play is 8-22 (36.4%). Before the streak, it was hitting at lead over the Flyers and Capitals, who each have 15 games remaining. 19.7%. They’re not catching Boston. This GIF is our spirit animal. #NYRvsPHI | #NowOrNever But consider for a moment the difference between first and second in the pic.twitter.com/zkUsNYK41N Metro Division. If the playoffs started today, the Capitals would face Columbus in the first round. The Flyers would get the Penguins. — Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) February 29, 2020

Unreal redirect by Grant with his skate. Easy goal for Hayes But as gaudy as these numbers are, they won’t mean a thing without pic.twitter.com/f86VUuPqZK postseason success. The Flyers haven’t won a playoff series in eight years and everybody in that locker room knows it. — Brandon Murphy (@2Murphy8) March 5, 2020 “We want to make the playoffs, obviously,” Couturier said. “The higher Pittsburgh is just three points back of the Caps and Flyers and will be a seed you get, the [more] home-ice advantage you get [and that] could be factor to win the division. Three Penguins returned from injury this week, huge down the road. We’re in a good position. We’ve just got to keep and they’ve recovered from a gruesome six-game losing streak by looking at ourselves and stay in control.” winning their last two. Evgeni Malkin had six assists in those two victories. The helmet celebrations

Columbus is riddled with so many injuries, it’d be a minor miracle if they The tradition in the Flyers locker room is the player of the game in the get in. The other wild-card contenders (Islanders, Rangers, Carolina, previous win presents a ceremonial helmet to the top player of that Florida) also have their flaws. night’s victory. Similar things are done throughout the NHL as a way of promoting team unity. This streak is different The Flyers winning streak started on Feb. 18 with a win against Defenseman Ivan Provorov is in his fourth season and this already is his Columbus. Here are the postgame helmet winners courtesy of the Flyers third winning streak of at least eight games. By comparison, Vigneault social media crew: has been an NHL coach for 17 years and this is just his fourth of at least eight games. Feb. 18: Beat Columbus as Claude Giroux broke Bobby Clarke’s franchise record for power-play assists. Note how Kevin Hayes clowns The Flyers have been notoriously streaky the last several years, so it’s around. no surprise there hasn’t been any success in the postseason. But veterans like Provorov and Sean Couturier said things are different under Feb. 20: Defeated Columbus again, this time in overtime. No helmet Vigneault. celebration footage, but here’s Kevin Hayes’ game-winner.

“My first year, we went on a 10-game winning streak,” Provorov Feb. 22: Dumped Winnipeg and gave the helmet to a friend who just explained. “Last year, we had an eight-game winning streak, but it wasn’t happened to be in the neighborhood. like this. It wasn’t the same feeling. We weren’t playing the same way. Feb. 25: Hayes with two more goals as the Flyers took care of San Jose This eight-game winning streak, we’re dominating. We’re controlling the for win No. 4. play for most of the game and deserve every win.” Feb. 28: Dusted the Rangers behind four apples from Jake Voracek. The Flyers won 10 in a row in December of 2016 when Provorov was a rookie and Dave Hakstol was the coach. Then they turned around and March 1: Held on to sweep the home-and-home with New York with help lost seven of eight. They went 20-23-7 following the streak and became from one of the new guys. the first team ever with a 10-game winning streak to miss the playoffs. March 4: No points, but Nate Thompson stepped in when one of the “During this winning streak,” Couturier said following Thursday’s win over Capitals was messing with Claude Giroux. Carolina, “what’s been really good is the [team] mindset. Guys are focused every night. It doesn’t matter who the opponent is. It’s something March 5: Goal, three hits, +3 is enough to earn Ivan Provorov the that shows maturity in our team. … We’ve just got to keep doing what headgear. we’re doing.” Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020 The Flyers team record is 13 wins in a row set by the 1985-86 club, a string that is often forgotten because it was happening when goaltender was killed in a car crash. 1180024 Philadelphia Flyers “I’m seeing the ice different than in the past,” he said. “I’m just moving my feet, trying to create plays and be good in the offensive zone and doing the same things [defensively]. Since coming back from the injuries, I’ve felt confident. It’s nice when you have personal success, but even better A Swiss Army knife in the lineup, Scott Laughton helps Flyers thrive | when your team is winning and you’re contributing to that.” Sam Carchidi Scoring tear

The Flyers have won eight straight. In the last six of those games, by Sam Carchidi, Laughton collected nine points and had a plus-10 rating. He had four multiple-point performances in that span.

In four of those games, he was elevated to the second line, where he The Flyers are winning for a variety of reasons: balanced scoring, great flourished with linemates Hayes and Konecny. teamwork, improved special teams. But when Joel Farabee was recalled from the Phantoms, he went on the The list goes on and on. second line in a workmanlike 4-1 win Thursday over Carolina. Laughton There is another less-obvious reason they are unexpectedly challenging was dropped to the third line – replacing the injured James van Riemsdyk for the Metropolitan Division title: They have several Swiss Army knife – and he played with Derek Grant and Tyler Pitlick, giving the Flyers forwards — that is, versatile players who can play center or wing and fit three “sandpaper” players on that unit. up and down the lineup while not looking out of place. Laughton didn’t complain about being dropped. He embraced it, set up Scott Laughton is among those players. two goals, and was named the game’s No. 1 star.

Despite missing a total of 20 games because of a broken finger and a “I just try to fill in where I need to and do the same things,” Laughton said groin injury, Laughton, known more as a defensive forward in the past, is after the win. “I’ve played with Pitsy before and love playing with him. He quietly having a career season. He has a personal-best 13 goals, 27 works so hard and creates so much, so it was really fun playing with points, and a plus-12 rating in 47 games those guys, and Granter did a really good job. He’s pretty calm in the middle of the ice and makes some really good plays.” “He brings a north-south game and he’s tough to play against as an opponent,” said center Kevin Hayes, who has thrived in his first season Grant has fit in well since being acquired from Anaheim at the trade with the Flyers. “He’s fun to play with, and I don’t think he gets as much deadline. He joins Laughton, Michael Raffl, Pitlick, and Nic Aube-Kubel credit as he deserves for his offensive game.” as hardworking, versatile players who are efficient wherever they are placed in the lineup. All are on the third or fourth lines. Laughton, 25, has played center or left wing and has been on the second, third, and fourth lines at different junctures of the season. He has When the playoffs roll around, the first two lines on each team can been effective wherever coach Alain Vigneault has played him and has frequently cancel each other out. That makes the bottom two lines more helped the penalty kill (26th in the NHL in 2018-19, 12th this season) important. make major strides. That also makes the Flyers a dangerous opponent. He can play a fast game, but, perhaps most important, he is a throwback Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020 player who would have fit in quite well back when the game was more about grit than speed.

In other words, he’s an old-school player who wins a majority of board battles but also dashes down ice and creates odd-man rushes.

Those type of players are extra valuable in today’s game.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Laughton is also a chirper who, along with teammate Travis Konecny, gets under opponents’ skin more than any Flyer.

“I’ve always liked what Scotty brings to our team – that edge, that bite,” Vigneault said. “He’s dependable at both ends. He’s just playing hard, and like the rest of our team, we put our work boots on and we come to work.”

Gordon instills confidence

The Flyers’ first-round pick in 2012, Laughton began gaining confidence when Scott Gordon became the Flyers’ interim coach last season, replacing Dave Hakstol. Gordon had trust in Laughton, having coached him with the AHL’s Phantoms. He gave Laughton more playing time.

“I’ve gotten a lot of opportunity here,” said Laughton, who signed a two- year contract in July than pays him $2.3 million annually. “Just playing in different situations and starting to get more minutes when Gordo came in and then that kind of translated to this year. I’m comfortable in the league and just continuing the process as a pro and getting better.”

Gordon sent Laughton’s career on its current path.

“When Gordo came in, I started playing some big minutes in key situations and I think that gives you confidence,” Laughton said. “It allows you to play your game a little more and feel more comfortable. I’m just trying to be the same player every night.”

Laughton responded to getting more minutes last season, finishing with a then-career-high 12 goals. His growth has continued this season under Vigneault. Laughton said he feels more confident than at any point in a career that has touched parts of seven NHL seasons. 1180025 Philadelphia Flyers

Someone’s holding a $380,000 ticket on the Flyers to win the Stanley Cup

by Ed Barkowitz,

With each passing win, the Flyers’ odds continue to drop. As one sportsbook insider said, we’ve seen this movie before.

“This is the prototype for a 'book getting beat up,” said Nick Bogdonovich, director of trading for William Hill-US. “A longer shot that gets red-hot and comes in with the higher payouts. Saw that with the Blues [last year when] they flipped their script.”

The Flyers’ odds to win the Stanley Cup opened around 40-1. Bogdonovich said William Hill had no significant liability, but DraftKings is holding interesting action.

They took one bet from an unidentified player for $10,000 at 38-1 (pays $380,000) and another for $2,500 at 40-1 (for 60k). That’ll buy plenty of pucks.

PointsBet said it had only about 7% of Cup bets on the Flyers, with the Devils, Senators, Rangers, Sabres, and Canucks generating more. None of those other five teams are much of a threat at this point, certainly not like the Flyboys.

FanDuel has seen similar action, except the Flyers are 10th in their Cup handle.

The Flyers’ Cup odds are down to an average of 13-1 depending on the outlet. They were riding a seven-game winning streak after a grinding win in Washington on Wednesday brought them to within one point of the Capitals for first place in the Metro Division.

Philadelphia hosts Carolina on Thursday, while the Caps play the Rangers in New York.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180026 Philadelphia Flyers

Looking for ninth straight win, Flyers’ next test is Buffalo on Saturday

by Ed Barkowitz,

The Flyers haven’t played many teams who are NOT in the playoff hunt lately. They took care of San Jose two weeks ago, but the Devils put a hurtin’ on them last month.

That Devils game was an eye-opener for all the wrong reasons.

Alain Vigneault on Flyers’ winning streak: 'Everybody should be excited’

The Flyers will go for their ninth win in a row when Buffalo visits the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday (7 p.m., NBCSP). The Sabres have lost five in a row, their star can’t find the scoresheet without a GPS and that trade for Wayne Simmonds at the deadline looks like a flop.

The Flyers have a +20 scoring margin in the last eight games. The Sabres have a -21 for the season.

When the Flyers faced the seemingly wounded Devils on Feb. 6, they were rolled, 5-0. They’ve said they didn’t play that poorly, but 5-nothing is 5-nothing.

Since then, the Flyers have won 10 of 12.

“This team has done a great job of responding when we give up a goal or give up two,” fourth-year defenseman Ivan Provorov said after the Flyers beat Carolina on Thursday. “This year, out of all the years I’ve been here, this is the best we’ve been at pushing back and not getting back on our heels. [It’s] mental toughness and knowing that we have a good team and that no matter what happens we’ll be OK."

The surge has helped the Flyers into a virtual tie for the Metropolitan Division lead with Washington. (The Caps hold the second tiebreaker because of an extra overtime win.) Pittsburgh is three points behind and coming fast. This will be the Flyers third game in four nights.

» NHL Standings

The Sabres had won six of eight ahead of the trade deadline and thought they could make a run at the wild card. So they rolled the dice and sent a fifth-round pick to New Jersey for Simmonds. Buffalo hasn’t won a game since, though it’s hardly his fault.

The Sabres have nine goals during their five-game losing streak. Star captain Jack Eichel has not scored a point in a career-worst six games and is -8 during the span.

“It’s fighting up a big hill right now, but more than anything, it’s our offensive production that’s causing us the pain,” Buffalo coach Ralph Krueger said.

The Flyers have scored at least four goals in eight consecutive games. But if that New Jersey game taught them anything, it’s that pain Krueger mentioned is always as close as your next opponent. No matter what their record is.

Ice cubes

The Flyers blasted the Sabres, 6-1, in December at the Wells Fargo Center. Eichel did not play that night. The two teams meet on April 4 in Buffalo, the final night of the regular season, in a game that figures to be slightly more important to the Flyers. ... There will be no need to scoreboard watch on Saturday at the Wells Fargo Center. The Capitals play at Pittsburgh in the afternoon (1 p.m., NHL Network). ... The Flyers did not commit a penalty on Thursday for the second time this season. Coming into the year, they had only played five such games in team history without a penalty. They’re 4-3 in those games.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180027 Philadelphia Flyers the same things [defensively]. Since coming back from the injuries, I’ve felt confident. It’s nice when you have personal success, but even better when your team is winning and you’re contributing to that.”

A Swiss Army knife in the lineup, Scott Laughton helps Flyers thrive | Scoring tear Sam Carchidi The Flyers have won eight straight. In the last six of those games, Laughton collected nine points and had a plus-10 rating. He had four multiple-point performances in that span. by Sam Carchidi, In four of those games, he was elevated to the second line, where he flourished with linemates Hayes and Konecny.

The Flyers are winning for a variety of reasons: balanced scoring, great But when Joel Farabee was recalled from the Phantoms, he went on the teamwork, improved special teams. second line in a workmanlike 4-1 win Thursday over Carolina. Laughton was dropped to the third line – replacing the injured James van Riemsdyk The list goes on and on. – and he played with Derek Grant and Tyler Pitlick, giving the Flyers There is another less-obvious reason they are unexpectedly challenging three “sandpaper” players on that unit. for the Metropolitan Division title: They have several Swiss Army knife Laughton didn’t complain about being dropped. He embraced it, set up forwards — that is, versatile players who can play center or wing and fit two goals, and was named the game’s No. 1 star. up and down the lineup while not looking out of place. “I just try to fill in where I need to and do the same things,” Laughton said Scott Laughton is among those players. after the win. “I’ve played with Pitsy before and love playing with him. He Despite missing a total of 20 games because of a broken finger and a works so hard and creates so much, so it was really fun playing with groin injury, Laughton, known more as a defensive forward in the past, is those guys, and Granter did a really good job. He’s pretty calm in the quietly having a career season. He has a personal-best 13 goals, 27 middle of the ice and makes some really good plays.” points, and a plus-12 rating in 47 games Grant has fit in well since being acquired from Anaheim at the trade “He brings a north-south game and he’s tough to play against as an deadline. He joins Laughton, Michael Raffl, Pitlick, and Nic Aube-Kubel opponent,” said center Kevin Hayes, who has thrived in his first season as hardworking, versatile players who are efficient wherever they are with the Flyers. “He’s fun to play with, and I don’t think he gets as much placed in the lineup. All are on the third or fourth lines. credit as he deserves for his offensive game.” When the playoffs roll around, the first two lines on each team can Laughton, 25, has played center or left wing and has been on the frequently cancel each other out. That makes the bottom two lines more second, third, and fourth lines at different junctures of the season. He has important. been effective wherever coach Alain Vigneault has played him and has That also makes the Flyers a dangerous opponent. helped the penalty kill (26th in the NHL in 2018-19, 12th this season) make major strides. Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 03.07.2020 He can play a fast game, but, perhaps most important, he is a throwback player who would have fit in quite well back when the game was more about grit than speed.

In other words, he’s an old-school player who wins a majority of board battles but also dashes down ice and creates odd-man rushes.

Those type of players are extra valuable in today’s game.

The 6-foot-1, 190-pound Laughton is also a chirper who, along with teammate Travis Konecny, gets under opponents’ skin more than any Flyer.

“I’ve always liked what Scotty brings to our team – that edge, that bite,” Vigneault said. “He’s dependable at both ends. He’s just playing hard, and like the rest of our team, we put our work boots on and we come to work.”

Gordon instills confidence

The Flyers’ first-round pick in 2012, Laughton began gaining confidence when Scott Gordon became the Flyers’ interim coach last season, replacing Dave Hakstol. Gordon had trust in Laughton, having coached him with the AHL’s Phantoms. He gave Laughton more playing time.

“I’ve gotten a lot of opportunity here,” said Laughton, who signed a two- year contract in July than pays him $2.3 million annually. “Just playing in different situations and starting to get more minutes when Gordo came in and then that kind of translated to this year. I’m comfortable in the league and just continuing the process as a pro and getting better.”

Gordon sent Laughton’s career on its current path.

“When Gordo came in, I started playing some big minutes in key situations and I think that gives you confidence,” Laughton said. “It allows you to play your game a little more and feel more comfortable. I’m just trying to be the same player every night.”

Laughton responded to getting more minutes last season, finishing with a then-career-high 12 goals. His growth has continued this season under Vigneault. Laughton said he feels more confident than at any point in a career that has touched parts of seven NHL seasons.

“I’m seeing the ice different than in the past,” he said. “I’m just moving my feet, trying to create plays and be good in the offensive zone and doing 1180028 Philadelphia Flyers More stunning was the loss of winger Oskar Lindblom last fall when he was diagnosed with a form of bone cancer, Ewing sarcoma, and was immediately ruled out for the rest of the season.

To keep winning, Flyers need only to listen to their Hart It moved general manager Chuck Fletcher to essentially use a shuttle bus for checking line players between Allentown and Philadelphia to fill roster holes. Finally, Fletcher curbed the need for a daily Phantoms Express when he reeled in checking line centers Derek Grant and Nate By Rob Parent [email protected] @ReluctantSE on Thompson at the Feb. 24 trade deadline. Twitter 2 hrs ago Comments While Thompson had a bit of a rough go in his first game or two for the

club, Grant was good from the get-go, and is averaging a point a game The popular theory would be that the Flyers' ongoing late-season splurge here. Now he'll have to overcome another hurdle, as Grant's third-line is a direct result of goalie Carter Hart already starting to come into his scoring mate James van Riemsdyk has come up with a broken hand that own, which isn't entirely true but also wouldn't be idle (or goalie idol) should sideline him at least for the balance of the regular season. speculation. He was replaced Thursday by rookie Joel Farabee, who only recently Hart, after all, is now 19-2-2 with a 1.64 goals-against average and .942 had been sent back on that Phantoms shuttle. saves percentage in 23 games at Wells Fargo Center this season. Yet that lousy bit of bad luck hasn't turned the Flyers' fortunes. Not yet, Um, we'll get to his road numbers another day ... but know that they anyway. They continue to win, and score at a pace that this club hasn't aren't as bad as they had been. produced over an extended period of time for years.

Either way, Hart continues to shine, saving 28 shots in his latest standout "Guys are moving their feet, making things happen and we are performance, a 4-1 home victory over the Carolina Hurricanes Thursday. supporting each other, most importantly," Scott Laughton said after the win over Carolina. "Obviously, you don’t want to lose a guy like JVR, he’s As usual, his post-game posture was stoic, but in an upbeat kind of way. a really good player and a really good player in this league for a while. I think he’s a pretty under-rated passer and can put the puck in the net. "Tonight, there was another strong team, a Metro (divisional) opponent," You need guys to step up at this time in the year and (Farabee) did a Hart said after the Flyers had enough left following an eye-opening 5-2 good job coming in and filling in." win in Washington the night before to quell the 'Canes, too. "From here on in, all these games matter. You just have to take things one game at a Over the eight-game winning streak, the Flyers scored four goals four time. Tonight, we came out hard and put out a really good effort." times and five goals four times. Over the 24 game run of 18-5-1 dating to Jan. 8, the Flyers are scoring at a 3.83 goals-per-game pace, also not He may not have the laughing loose lips of, say, a Marty Brodeur, or shabby. even the cocksure attitude once flashed by a kid named Roberto Luongo. So be it. For Hart is every bit a sincere team player, outwardly and And very indicative that, as good as Hart and Elliott have been, it's much inwardly. It is his greatest strength, a player already showing an innate more than goaltending behind this club's dreaming big playoff dreams (but likely well-drilled) discipline of bracing for the on-ice highs and sailing these days. above the emotional lows, always underscoring his play with a team-first bend. Well, one dream at a time, of course

"It just shows how dialed in everybody is right now," Hart said in further Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 describing the Thursday victory. "Everybody is chipping in. We have all four lines rolling and all three D pairs playing really good hockey right now. I think that is huge."

No matter the result, rare is the game day when Hart doesn't think all his teammates' play was huge. Yet when gazing at the past two months, who's going to think he's doing anything but telling an obvious truth?

Of course Carter Hart has been playing superb hockey as the Flyers have gone from 10th best in the East to the top of the Metropolitan Division as they prepare to take on the Buffalo Sabres Saturday night at WFC.

Then again, backup goalie Brian Elliott has been playing like a successful starter, too, which is what he's been for the better portion of his career. The Flyers goaltending, long the subject of derision, criticism and general jokemaking, is said to be a primary strength now that they've ripped off eight straight wins and are no longer hoping to make the playoffs, but rather, are striving to earn at the very least, home ice advantage in the first round or beyond.

The last time the Flyers won a playoff series was in 2012.

So while that historical fact might tell you to cool the jets of expectation, it doesn't begin to address everything this Flyers team has going for it.

Head-spinning win streaks aside, this club had shown a resiliency all season long, putting together a series of mini-win streaks while never allowing itself to spin out of control after two or three losses in a row. As a result, the Flyers were running at a standings pace ahead of most recent seasons, at least they were until an awful 1-4-1 road trip after Christmas had the naysayers waking up to start their annual smh sessions.

Then came the current run of 18-5-1 and, well, the only head-shaking going on is coming from the Flyers' opposition. This despite the club going most of the year without enough forward depth.

The shortfall came via Nolan Patrick's season-long bout with a migraine condition that simply won't let him get back to NHL readiness, despite continued optimism that can still happen before the playoffs. 1180029 Philadelphia Flyers going to be ready. They are going to be fighting for their playoff berth. So we're going to need our best effort and our best game tonight.”

Whether it was their best game would be up to the style judges. As for On a night of potential danger, Flyers respond like champions the result, that would carry its own beauty. For on a night when the NHL had cleverly set a scheduling trap, the Flyers recovered from a massive victory and a late-night train ride home to run a winning streak to eight.

By Jack McCaffery [email protected] @JackMcCaffery They were challenged. And they responded. on Twitter 23 hrs ago Comments “After that first goal, we didn't just sit back,” Provorov said. “We kept playing our game. And we kept our lead.”

PHILADELPHIA — There will be the drawn-out journeys to the West With that, they had a share of first place with just over a month left before Coast and the wintertime marches into the frozen gut of Canada. There the playoffs. On a night when so much could have gone wrong, and will be the overnight flights and the hassles of travel to New York. There which may have turned disastrous in recent years, the Flyers were close will be the temptations during those visits to Florida. There will be the to being at their best. expectation of playing in various time zones. For the Flyers this season, there was even a game in Prague. “A lot of these guys want to prove that they can be successful,” Vigneault said. “And that's what we're all trying to do right now. Every one of us is There will be all of that. pushing in the same direction.”

Then, there will be the hidden challenges, the games that don't leap from Before the game, Vigneault copped to, “being a pain in the butt the schedule when it is released in the summer but which will, season sometimes.” But he knew what was available to the Flyers Thursday and after NHL season, mean everything. reminded them of that in whatever tone he felt necessary.

The Flyers had one Thursday. “You know, at the end of the day, the credit really goes to the players,” he said. “It goes to them for understanding what it takes to go on the ice and They passed. Impressively. then play the winning way and going out there and executing and doing “We're going to have a real tough game tonight,” Alain Vigneault said it.” before a 4-1 victory over Carolina. “No doubt.” There will be other challenges as the race for a division championship The Hurricanes would be in, rested for their first game in five days and turns even nastier. There is still a trip to Tampa Bay that could sting, and just a slot behind the Islanders for the final Eastern Conference playoff a two-game pip of a swing through Dallas and Nashville. And the season spot. As for the Flyers, they would have played the night before, winning will end with two of the final three games on the road. It's the NHL. It's in Washington to continue a charge toward the top of the Metropolitan how it works. Division. But on a night that had a chance to be sneaky tough, the Flyers won by Not that it was so late in the regular season that there still wouldn't be three goals. It's just what the contenders will do. plentiful standings ripples, but it was March, there were only 16 games Delaware County Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 left, and the room for letdowns had been reduced to the point of discomfort.

Those are the games the very good teams win.

“Good job by our guys,” Scott Laughton decided, “not to have a letdown.”

The Flyers haven't had a letdown since their Feb. 15 loss in Tampa, and the elements of their victory Thursday proved why. Even though it was the Hurricanes who were resting comfortably in Philadelphia as the Flyers wrestled with the Caps, Vigneault's team was able to play its most explosive hockey at the two points in the game where it most mattered.

The Flyers showed immediate jump, taking a first-period lead on an extra-effort goal from Ivan Provorov. Then, after Carolina drew within 2-1 at 2:55 of the third, the Flyers showed a championship-level defiance, scoring twice in the next 1:59, inspiring their excited, Fan Appreciation Night crowd to commence with the smart-phone-watching. As it would happen, the Rangers would defeat the Capitals in overtime. That would give the Flyers and Caps 87 points apiece with 15 games to play.

“That was definitely the response we were looking for as a group,” Vigneault said. “Talk about building. Talk about growing. That's the response we needed right there.”

As has been the case during his blossoming Coach of the Year candidacy, Vigneault made the right moves, expertly calculating that the game would be won by the lower lines. It's why he started Nate Thompson with Nicolas Aube-Kubel and Michael Raffl, then watched his bottom six produce two goals. That included Raffl's modified breakaway on a feed from Tyler Pitlick, good for a 2-0 lead at 9:34 of the second.

“Sometimes it’s just easier to start coming off a back-to-back,” Raffl said. “I think you are still in 'game' mode a little bit. I think we had a good start and followed it up in the second. They are an extremely dangerous team and Hartsy made a couple of really good saves.”

Carter Hart was what he needed to be in net, which was calm and alert. That, too, was from a wise Vigneault calculation to start Elliott in Washington and bring back his younger goalie in his Wells Fargo Center comfort zone.

“Last night in Washington was an emotional, physical, hard game, draining physically and also mentally,” Vigneault warned beforehand. “We don't have a lot of time to regroup. This is a big game. They are 1180030 Philadelphia Flyers said Tuesday. "He’s playing within his limits — he’s high percentage, he’s physical when he needs to be and one of our best defensemen at blocking shots.

For Oskar Lindblom, for Flyers, Robert Hagg is playing, performing and "I’ve liked what he has brought to our group, so hopefully he can continue smiling to contribute the way he has been doing.”

As a third-pair defenseman, Hagg knows his game. And he has played it well. Not trying to do too much and doing the little things have kept him in By Jordan Hall March 06, 2020 10:00 PM the lineup.

Furthermore, his fearlessness in blocking shots (team-best 6.30 per 60) and standing up for others is not lost on his teammates. Robert Hagg walked out one of the equipment rooms at Flyers Skate Zone, exchanged friendly greetings and smiled in his locker stall. “He brings a lot to this team, plays the right way defensively and he’s there to block every shot he can," Kevin Hayes said Tuesday. "We have The 25-year-old defenseman is enjoying himself during a season in a couple guys like that on our back end. It’s a stat that no one really which enjoyment has met obstacles. cares about, but it goes a long way within this group. We know how Hagg is amid a contract year and has dealt with healthy scratches in a important he is to this team. I mean, he’s a great guy, too, so it makes it competitive group of blueliners. Cracking the lineup was a task in itself. that much better. Staying in it has been another test. “He’s a happy guy, he’s a great teammate. I’m happy he’s on my team.” But those pressures of the NHL paled in comparison to the news he Robert Hagg defends his captain. received alongside his close friend and teammate Oskar Lindblom. In December, the 23-year-old Lindblom was diagnosed with Ewing’s will head back to the box. pic.twitter.com/Q9tYNJRZYZ sarcoma, a rare form of cancer that occurs in bones or in the soft tissue around the bones. — NBC Sports Philadelphia (@NBCSPhilly) March 5, 2020

"He’s a mentally strong kid," Hagg said Tuesday. "It’s impressive." Robert Hagg blocks a shot up high. pic.twitter.com/7OSUKrODhZ

So Hagg pushes forward. He's tough on the ice, but sports a big smile off — Ryan Gilbert (@RGilbertSOP) March 1, 2020 of it — just like Lindblom. Hagg never needed another reason to work In the second year of a two-year, $2.3 million deal, Hagg has played hard and have fun. After learning of Lindblom's cancer diagnosis, he had some of his best hockey as an NHLer with restricted free agency ahead one. this offseason. You’re putting life in a different perspective," he said. "It was really tough "Of course it’s a big year because it’s a contract year, but I went through when we found out and a couple of weeks after that. Ever since then, I it two years ago, as well," he said. "Last year, I thought I had a good felt like he wants us to keep playing, keep winning, that’s what he wants. season and this year, when I’ve been playing, I think I’ve been doing a That’s the only thing you can do for him, as well. Keep fighting with him, pretty good job and that’s the only thing I can control. That’s what I’m but he wants you to play and do well. focusing on. When I’m in the lineup, I want to stick in, so I’m taking every I think there’s an extra push for the whole team knowing that. It’s great [opportunity] as I can and try to do the best of it.” when he’s coming down, you can tell everybody is happy. We had a Hagg, not an offensive-minded blueliner by any stretch, has joined in on chance to see him the other day, the whole team, you feel the vibe, the scoring. Through 47 games, Hagg has put up 13 points (three goals, there’s so much energy coming into the locker room and I think that 10 assists), seven shy of matching his career high. helps. It’s going to help now and in the end, too, because we need all the energy we can get. “I've felt pretty good the whole year, but of course lately, a little bit more offense from my side," he said with a smile. "It’s always fun to put the Through their Swedish connection, Hagg and Lindblom have grown close puck back in the net and getting a few assists here and there." with the Flyers. They knew each other prior to joining the Flyers' organization, playing together in 2012-13 on Sweden's U-18 IIHF World He even scored the first man advantage goal of his career in the final Junior Championship team and U-18 international club. This season, minute of a 6-2 blowout over the Panthers last month. One power play through success and hardship, their bond has fortified. shot this season, one goal.

"When he moved over here, we got closer because we saw each other “One hundred percent so far, so should be in there," Hagg said with a every day basically," Hagg said. "But I felt like even going through this laugh. "No, it was a fun time, 50 seconds left in the game, it was fun to try part, it’s bringing us closer as friends, too. You’re getting closer if you’re how it feels to be out there. from the same country, speak the same language and you can help each other out in that way. I felt these years have brought us closer together “I feel the whole season has been like that, fun season. I can’t imagine and I think it’s bringing us even closer together right now.” it’s already March."

Hagg and Lindblom live nearby each other in downtown Philly on the For Lindblom, Hagg and the Flyers will keep pushing. waterfront. "Even though there have been ups and downs during the whole year, in "My girlfriend and his girlfriend are pretty tight," Hagg said. "I talk with him this room, I’ve had a lot of fun this year," Hagg said, "and I think it’s only quite a lot." the start of it, too.”

As Lindblom has undergone his cancer treatment, Hagg has seen his Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 friend's strength.

"He’s still like the same person, you can’t really tell what he’s going through," Hagg said. “He’s living the same way he did before. It’s good to see him. … Nothing bothers him."

(Zack Hill/Philadelphia Flyers)

With injuries to Shayne Gostisbehere (knee) and Justin Braun (groin), Hagg jumped on his chance to play. He has come out of the lineup only three times since Dec. 29, a stretch in which he has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) and a plus-16 rating over 26 games. In those 26 games, the Flyers have gone 19-5-2.

“He’s found a way to earn a spot in our group through an opportunity — Ghost got hurt, Haggs came in and has played real well, and at the same time, the team’s game has picked up," Flyers head coach Alain Vigneault 1180031 Philadelphia Flyers

Even Bryce Harper is Flyer'd up, shows love for Kevin Hayes

By Enrico Campitelli March 06, 2020 11:02 AM

Phillies slugger Bryce Harper is a well-documented fan of the Vegas Golden Knights but he's also a big appreciator of the game of hockey in general.

He's learned a thing or two about Philadelphia and its fans since opting to spend the next decade-plus of his life here a year ago.

Harper showed some brotherly love to the boys in orange on Thursday night after the Flyers took down the Hurricanes, 4-1, to extend their impressive run that has our city buzzing.

Harper posted a photo to his Instagram story of his television featuring Flyers star Kevin Hayes with the message "8 in a row for the Philly boys! [flames emoji]." He also included Hayes' and the Flyers' team Instagram handles. Oh, and there was a GIF of Gritty for good measure.

You may recall when Harper and Hayes teamed up to review pizza around Philly last summer. They're pals.

Worried about Harper jumping on the Flyers bandwagon? Don't be. All are welcome to jump on board and start breaking out your best orange gear.

Athletes come to play in Philly from all across the world these days, and it's just fine for them to keep their allegiances to the teams they rooted for growing up, but it's even better when they show support for the other Philly teams in town. That love goes a long way endearing players to our persnickety fan base. 1180032 Philadelphia Flyers Courier-Post LOADED: 03.07.2020

Joel Farabee in the spotlight with playoffs approaching for Flyers

Dave Isaac, NHL WriterPublished 3:22 p.m. ET March 6, 2020

PHILADELPHIA — The plan was for Joel Farabee to go down to the and play. Get big minutes, touch the puck more and have an impact.

Turns out he was only in one game, last Friday, since he was sent down at the NHL’s Feb. 24 trade deadline. He would have played last Saturday against Charlotte, but the Flyers called him up because Sean Couturier was sick. Turned out to be a false alarm and Couturier played.

“I thought I was playing and saw Coots before the game and he looked pretty good,” Farabee said. “I’d rather have him in the lineup than me. It was good. I watched the game, got a workout in and came back for a full week of practice. Here I am.”

Thursday in a 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, Farabee found himself in the lineup. For real, this time.

It’s going to be that way for a while, too, because left winger James van Riemsdyk has a broken right index finger and is expected to miss about a month. The playoffs begin April 8, so Farabee knows he’s in this for the long haul and the intensity has been high for a while now.

“I can tell from the first period that game was a playoff game,” the rookie said after the win. “I’m expecting the rest of the games to be like that. We’re playing pretty well. Coming off a back-to-back, I thought we had better legs than they did.”

Farabee is, for now, on a line with Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny. He had three shots on net Thursday and hit a post (which officially counts as a missed shot).

It was a good showing after coach Alain Vigneault shifted Scott Laughton, who was playing great with Hayes and Konecny, down a rung on the depth chart. Turns out that worked just fine because Laughton had a pair of assists and Farabee, who turned 20 last week, was productive.

“I just feel that Joel’s got that top-six upside and if you want a player to have success, you have to put him in the right role and I think he has that potential,” Vigneault said before the game. “In some occasions this year he has played in the top six and bottom six, but just sometimes as a coach you go with your feeling and that’s my feeling.”

“Whatever AV wants is what I gotta do,” Farabee added. “As a player I think I can play a lot of different roles and I think that helps me out.”

In 50 NHL games this season, Farabee has seven goals and 20 points. Before Thursday, his last game with the Flyers was Feb. 22 against the Winnipeg Jets.

None of the first 50 have been easy, but he knows it’s about to get tougher and he’s coming off a fairly inactive week where he was mostly practicing.

“Coming from college where we practice all week and play on the weekend, it was kind of similar there. I felt like getting a full week of practice was really good, just being on the ice and getting puck touches and stuff like that,” he said. “As far as the game, I know the system pretty well so it wasn’t too big a chance. Plus I’ve played with TK and Haysey before so I felt pretty good coming right back in.”

As the team has matured from previous iterations of the roster trying to gear up for playoffs, Farabee has matured also.

He’s a pretty heady player to begin with, but there were times earlier in the season where he’d get robbed of key chances and it clearly affected his play. When he hit the post behind Alex Nedeljkovic there was none of that.

“Obviously you want to have personal success but it’s at that point in the season where you gotta put that by. It’s team first now,” Farabee said. “You want to keep getting chances, but if you’re getting chances that means you’re doing something right. I think just keep it going, keep playing hard and the goals are gonna come.” 1180033 Philadelphia Flyers feeling desperate, considering their spot just outside the playoff picture. They’ve also earned a reputation as one of the most sound, puck possession-dominant teams in hockey. Yes, they’re missing Dougie Hamilton, Brett Pesce and their two best goalies. But down 1-0, in what 10 things: Depth leads surging Flyers over Canes and to 8th straight win qualified as close to a must-win game, one expected a vintage 2018-19 Canes performance in the middle stanza, especially with the Flyers

having played the night before. By Charlie O'Connor Mar 6, 2020 26 Instead, it was the Flyers with the relentless puck pressure and possession for shifts at a time. They truly looked like the Bunch of Jerks in the most important part of the game. For the first time in over 200 A road matchup on Wednesday with the prevailing power in the minutes of hockey this season between the two clubs, the Hurricanes Metropolitan Division wasn’t enough to slow the Philadelphia Flyers looked overmatched. Even when they had the puck, Carolina was largely down. On Thursday, they proved that a battle against a should-be- limited to non-threatening shots from the point. They failed to create a desperate foe wasn’t going to get the job done, either. single high-danger chance in the period.

So far, nothing has been able to recently halt this runaway train. Certainly Sure, the Hurricanes cut the lead down to 2-1 early in the third, nullifying not the Carolina Hurricanes. all of the scoreboard work Philadelphia did in the second. But it didn’t erase the sheer dominance from the period. The middle stanza is when The Flyers scored the first goal, took a 2-0 lead by the end of the second the Flyers really flexed their muscles in this one. period and responded with a furious kick in the third when the Hurricanes cut the deficit to one goal. Depth and stars alike led the way, with goals 3. Important game from a process standpoint by Ivan Provorov and Sean Couturier bookending tallies from Michael Raffl and Nicolas Aubé-Kubel in the 4-1 victory. Carter Hart stopped 28 The Flyers may have won two of the first three games against Carolina of 29 shots, while Alex Nedeljkovic took the loss in net for Carolina, this season, but none qualified as the kind of win that checks all of allowing four goals on 32 shots. The Flyers have now won eight straight. Vigneault’s boxes. In all three contests, Philadelphia was outshot and outchanced dramatically (particularly at 5-on-5), and were forced to lean 1. Bottom six leads the way in second game of back-to-back on goaltending and a counter-attacking, opportunistic style.

Usually, a head coach sends out his top line for a game’s opening Against the Hurricanes, that tends to be standard procedure. Even before faceoff, or perhaps his second scoring line if a specific matchup demands Carolina established itself last year as a playoff team, it graded out well it. But on Thursday, in the second game of a back-to-back against a by even-strength play-driving metrics, always ending up at the top of the rested divisional opponent, Alain Vigneault went with his fourth line of Corsi and xG charts. Defeating the Hurricanes usually meant taking Raffl, Nate Thompson and Aubé-Kubel for puck drop. advantage of their porous netminding and hoping that the Canes’ lack of consistent finishing would keep them from taking full advantage of all that Did he have a hunch this would be a game decided by his players at the puck possession. bottom of the lineup? But the Flyers under Vigneault haven’t been a “rope-a-dope” team. When “Back-to-back games, tough game last night, tough opponent tonight,” at their best, they control the play in a “best defense is a good offense” Vigneault said. “We knew we were going to need four lines, and four attacking style that slowly wears down opponents. And since the Flyers lines playing well. Nate’s line, I thought tonight really set a good tempo returned from their bye week, that puck-possession mentality has for us. They were strong on the forecheck, they were strong in their one- manifested itself in fantastic advanced metrics: a 54.79 percent Corsi For on-ones, they all had some big blocked shots, and we needed and a 56.19 percent xG For Percentage. Thursday was an opportunity to contributions from our whole group.” show that they could carry over their play-driving excellence against a It wasn’t just Thompson’s line that carried the load. The trio of Scott team built for it. Laughton, Derek Grant and Tyler Pitlick got in on the party as well. By For the first time this season versus the Canes, the Flyers did just that. the final buzzer, the Flyers’ bottom six had helped to create three goals, After score adjustment, they posted a 55.37 percent xG share (per while the top line chipped in with only an insurance tally late in the third. Natural Stat Trick) at 5-on-5, a far cry from their 39.11 percent rate in the Make no mistake, this game was won first and foremost by Philadelphia’s first three matchups against Carolina. Also, for the first time, they actually depth. outshot the Canes (32-29) after trailing by a combined 103-72 in the Any worries that the loss of James van Riemsdyk to a broken index season series. finger would also break the bottom six were assuaged on Thursday. It On Thursday, the Flyers looked fully capable of playing their preferred turns out that the relentless work of players like Pitlick, Raffl, Laughton style against the Hurricanes and still coming out on top — an important and Aubé-Kubel might be enough to make up for the absence of a 30- statement to make, especially because it’s not impossible that these two goal scorer. Both Grant and Thompson weren’t too shabby in the middle teams could face each other in Round 1, if Philadelphia can secure an of their lines, either. The six-man group was all over the ice, and while unlikely division crown. Vigneault was aware that controlling a game Laughton and Aubé-Kubel were chosen as the “Three Stars” of the game against Carolina is no easy task, and his praise for his club’s 200-foot (by yours truly), it legitimately could have been any of them. effort reflected that. The Couturier and Hayes lines are going to drive play and get goals. No “We had to bust a gut to get this win,” he said, “and we did.” opposing club comes into a Flyers game assuming that those guys will be easy to stop. But if lines centered by players such as Grant and 4. Laughton’s subtle plays essential to create early lead Thompson can also light up the scoreboard on any given night, it turns the Flyers from a formidable foe to something far more frightening. With van Riemsdyk out, Vigneault could have slid call-up Joel Farabee into JvR’s vacated spot at third-line left wing. Instead, the head coach 2. Second-period swarm made a minor swap, moving Farabee into the top six on a line with Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny, and dropping Laughton down to Line 3 with At this point, attentive Flyers fans assume that the team is going to flip Grant and Pitlick. some sort of switch coming out of a game’s first intermission. Philadelphia is rarely firing on all cylinders in the first period, but by the Laughton could have sulked as a result of the “demotion.” Instead, he start of the second, it’s invariably time for the club with eight consecutive played the quintessential Scott Laughton game, laying the groundwork wins to emerge. for Philadelphia’s first two goals with subtle, smart plays.

Still, Thursday’s second period was on an entirely different level. These aren’t highlight-reel maneuvers. The first is a simple puck recovery in the corner following a hard rim around the boards by Grant, and the “I felt that second period, our execution tonight, was one of the best that second is a forced turnover about 120 feet away from the Carolina net. I’ve seen all year long,” Vigneault said. But Provorov never gets the opportunity to collect his own rebound if The Flyers’ numbers in the period were more good than exceptional — a Laughton doesn’t beat Sebastian Aho to the loose puck. Raffl never has 1-0 edge on the scoreboard, 1.16-0.59 advantage by expected goals — the opportunity to snipe his shot past Nedeljkovic if Laughton doesn’t but after accounting for the circumstances, they look far more impressive. jump in front of Brady Skjei and force a change of possession. The Hurricanes hadn’t played since last Saturday, and they came in These are the types of plays coaches appreciate most of all, so it was no The reunited Farabee-Hayes-Konecny line was dominant, even if their surprise when Vigneault effusively praised Laughton after the game. efforts weren’t rewarded with a goal. But, shift after shift, they attacked the Carolina zone, ultimately winning the xG battle 0.89 to 0.06 (94.00 “I always liked what Scotty brings to our team, that edge, that bite, percent share). And Farabee was the trigger man, nearly scoring on dependable at both ends,” he said. multiple occasions, with his best chances coming immediately before a Laughton has learned to embody his role to the point that an apparent Flyers power play in the second period on a point-blank shot from the slot demotion doesn’t faze him in the slightest. It’s just part of the job of being and then in the third on a one-timer that Nedeljkovic somehow sprawled the “glue guy” who isn’t two steps away from the factory, but is actually across to stop. able to fill necessary gaps and pull plays together. That’s been a big part of Farabee’s season: lots of chances, and a “Yeah, I try to (hang my hat on plays like those),” Laughton said. “Those general feeling that the hockey gods haven’t smiled upon him from a situations I try to be good at, and try to play a hard game.” finishing standpoint. Vigneault hopes Farabee’s hard work will get rewarded later, perhaps even in the playoffs. 5. Canes’ work on first goal underwhelming at best “Joel had some unbelievable looks tonight,” Vigneault said. “Some The Flyers are aiming for a division championship, and they’re no longer nights, it doesn’t go in, but let’s keep them for some other nights. living under the constant threat of missing out on the postseason. The Hopefully, that’s what we did.” Canes, on the other hand, are playing for their playoff lives. 8. JvR injury timeline makes Round 1 a possibility Which is why Laughton’s ability to come out with the puck in the corner on Provorov’s goal was so eye-catching. The news surrounding van Riemsdyk was never going to be good once it became clear that he had a fracture in his hand. The verdict: a broken When Grant rims the puck around the boards, there’s little reason to right index finger, and a projected absence of four to six weeks. believe Laughton will come up with the puck. Not only does Carolina have a 2-on-1 advantage in the area, but those two players are Jaccob “My understanding was the same type of fracture as Scotty Laughton had Slavin and Aho — arguably the Canes’ best forward and best so (it) should be … usually when you’re talking about fractures, you’re defenseman. Yet neither approaches the imminent puck battle with any talking four to six weeks,” Vigneault said in his pre-game availability. urgency, and Laughton takes advantage of it. “That’s usually the case. It’s a finger. Wasn’t much of a shot. Just little wrister, got him in the right spot.” Yes, both Slavin and Aho were at the ends of shifts, which surely contributed to the apparent lack of effort. But these are the Canes’ stars Four weeks from yesterday puts van Riemsdyk on track to return on April — they set the tone for the entire team. In the wake of that play, it was 2, with two games remaining in the regular season. That, of course, clear that Carolina, for whatever reason, wasn’t treating this game with would be the best-case scenario. Laughton missed about four and a half the life-or-death stakes it warranted. weeks with his injury, and his initial timeline was three to four weeks. It’s certainly possible JvR could need the full six weeks. 6. Depth again allows Vigneault to spread out minutes Even in the worst-case scenario, however, there’s a good chance van Back-to-back games are always rough on the body. There’s a reason Riemsdyk pushes to return at some point in Round 1. The first game of why the term “schedule loss” has become popular to describe when one the playoffs will likely come at around JvR’s five-week mark, and team played the night before, and the other comes in rested — the considering the postseason’s normal “game then a day off” structure, six former is at a major disadvantage from the jump. weeks would have him back sometime around the middle of the series. This might be a regular-season-ending injury for van Riemsdyk, but Depth, however, can blunt the impact of that disadvantage, and the there’s reason to be optimistic that he’ll don the Orange & Black sweater Flyers have that in spades, even without van Riemsdyk. So it should again in 2019-20. come as little surprise that Vigneault avoided saddling his stars with a heavy workload. 9. Streak won’t last forever, but this isn’t smoke and mirrors

The middle-of-the-lineup and depth players picked up the slack. Grant This isn’t the Flyers’ first extended winning streak in recent years, of skated for 16:24, his largest workload as a Flyer. Pitlick finished with his course. Befitting a club with the reputation for producing dizzying highs second-highest minutes total of the season (15:51). The Travis Sanheim- followed by devastating lows, Philadelphia won eight games in a row as Philippe Myers pairing received an equal share of the load as the recently as last season, from Jan. 14-Feb. 9, in an attempt to salvage a Provorov-Niskanen duo, which usually leads the way by far. No mess of a season. There was also the famous 10-game run from 2016- defenseman had less than 17 minutes of ice time, and no forward came 17, which made them the first NHL team to win 10 consecutive contests in at single digits. That’s balance. and fail to make the playoffs.

This could very well benefit the Flyers tomorrow, when they face the But, now, it feels like the Flyers aren’t just winning games — they’re Sabres for their third game in four nights. Buffalo may be slightly more controlling the pace of play and consistently taking it to the opposition. As rested (they played last night, but were off Wednesday), yet by balancing it turns out, the numbers reflect that perception. Those streaks in other out the minutes of his players on Thursday, Vigneault made it a bit less years were fueled by special teams play, hot shooting percentages and likely they’ll be drained come Saturday night. strong goaltending — not play-driving ability. This run feels different.

Joel Farabee battles in front of Carolina’s net. (Eric Hartline / USA Courtesy of Evolving Hockey. Today) The Flyers won’t keep this streak going forever, of course. They’ll be 7. Farabee returns with spring in his stride hard-pressed to sweep Boston and Tampa Bay — arguably, the two most talented teams in the conference — next week. But even the Joel Farabee wasn’t sent down to the minors on trade deadline day inevitable end of this streak shouldn’t inspire concern. This run is being because the Flyers were dissatisfied with his play or felt he no longer driven by a sound process, one that should hold even after the streak qualified as an NHL-caliber player. In explaining the club’s decision to concludes. call up Farabee after the JvR injury, Vigneault reiterated that point, noting that if Farabee was going to be a healthy scratch while the coaching staff 10. Division lead? Not quite, but almost got a long look at the new acquisitions, it would be better for him to play a few AHL games rather than sit in the press box. For a few minutes, the Flyers seized hold of the Metropolitan Division lead. As the outcome of last night’s Rangers-Capitals game was still in “He was the player who was here at the time, playing well for us,” doubt, Philadelphia temporarily jumped the Capitals by one standings Vigneault said prior to puck drop. “We didn’t want a young player like that point and watched as Mika Zibanejad put the Rangers up with 102 just to be standing around.” seconds remaining, knowing that a Capitals regulation loss would give the Flyers sole possession of the Metro’s top spot. Farabee appeared in only one game with the Phantoms before booking his permanent return trip. And although the 20-year-old didn’t end up on The late heroics of Alexander Ovechkin crushed that dream, and even the scoresheet Thursday, he looked the part of a refreshed player all though Washington ultimately fell in overtime (due to an incredible fifth night. goal by Zibanejad), they still hold the “regulation wins” tiebreaker over the Flyers despite both teams sitting at 87 standings points. Here’s the thing: If the Flyers keep playing at this level, they’ll roll by the Capitals with ease. Since the start of February, Washington has posted a 5-8-2 record, while Philadelphia has won 13 games and lost only three. It’s certainly possible that the Capitals right the ship, as they have the talent to do so. But, assuming current trends hold, it’s not a question of if the Flyers will spend time atop the Metropolitan Division — it’s a matter of when.

“I think it’s quite normal for everybody to be excited,” Vigneault said as he closed out his postgame press conference. “Players, coaches, fans, Flyers fans, hockey fans. This is great hockey, the competition is unreal, and we’re playing well right now. So everybody should be excited.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180034 Pittsburgh Penguins The Penguins’ past four Cups, in fact, have come after not winning the division that season. With that in mind, is reaching first place even a priority for the Penguins?

Penguins have chance to make up serious ground in Metro race “We haven’t given (the division title) much thought,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We are just trying to win games, and we will see where that takes us.”

Chris Adamski Wing Jason Zucker didn’t necessarily disagree with his coach’s classically coach-speak answer. But he did allow that if the league

wanted to formally recognize the Penguins as the best team in their Be it serendipity or the result of intent by the NHL’s schedule-makers, the division, they certainly wouldn’t turn it down. Pittsburgh Penguins have a very Metropolitan final four weeks of the “You know what, you’re trying to win everything, right?” Zucker said. season. “Ideally, if you can win your division, win the President’s Trophy, win the Beginning with 1 p.m. Saturday at home against the Washington Cup, everything, then you have had a heck of a year. You are always Capitals, 14 of the Penguins’ next 15 games are against Metropolitan trying to win everything, no matter what it is. And if we win the division, I Division teams. Only the April 4 season finale at Ottawa and a March 25 think that makes it that much more likely we’ll win more after that.” game in Chicago remain outside of the Metro. Tribune Review LOADED: 03.07.2020 That the Penguins have so many games left against their division rivals foretells a two-fortnight stretch that will be as grueling as it is consequential to the Penguins’ season.

“It’s unbelievable. Our division’s been the best (in the NHL in 2019-20),” forward Jared McCann said Friday after practice in Cranberry. “It’s pretty crazy to see how each (Metro) team wins every night, and these next (15) games here we’ve got a lot against the Metro division, so we are going to have to be ready to play.”

By days, the season is about five-sixths complete. By total games, it’s more than 80% done.

But when it comes to the Penguins’ Metropolitan divisional schedule, they have played only half of their 28 scheduled intra-division games.

That they’ve won only half of those (7-4-3) is attributable to the division’s strength. The Metro’s seventh-place team (Carolina) would have been in fourth place in each of the NHL’s other three divisions heading into Friday’s games. Three of the top seven teams in the league’s overall standings are from the Metro.

Through Thursdays games, the Metro’s top three teams are separated by three points, the next four spots by four points. Not counting last-place New Jersey, first place through seventh place in the Metropolitan entered Friday separated by 12 points. The other divisions had gaps of 38, 20 and 20 points between their first- and seventh-place teams.

“Everyone around the league is really watching it,” forward Nick Bjugstad said of the Metro race. “There are some teams surging right now, and there’s no room to really breathe.”

When the Penguins and Capitals met 13 days prior to Saturday, they were tied for first place. Since, the Penguins have fell to third (84 points) and the Philadelphia Flyers have jumped into a tie with Washington for the division lead (87 points). The Flyers have won eight consecutive, and the Penguins had a six-game losing streak before winning their past two.

What makes the Penguins’ backloaded intra-divisional schedule so quirky is no other Metro team has more than 11 division games left. None of the other contenders (leaving out New Jersey) have more than 10.

Outside of bragging rights against so many familiar and often-disliked foes, what are the stakes in this final stretch? For starters, the Penguins still are not absolute locks for a playoff berth. They are just eight points clear of the Rangers, who sit third in the wild-card standings.

Home ice in the postseason is also on the line. No more than two of the group of Washington, Philadelphia and the Penguins will open the first round at home. Perhaps more problematic, two of the three would put themselves in a likely position to have to go through the other two to advance to Round 3.

“You want home-ice advantage in the playoffs, right?” McCann said, rhetorically. “I feel like that really helps.”

The other prize associated with guaranteed home ice in Rounds 1 and 2 is a division-title banner. That’s something the Penguins have just one of in six years since the Metro was established. The Penguins have a relatively paltry nine division titles in their 51-season history, a total seems to belie their five Stanley Cups. 1180035 Pittsburgh Penguins

‘More motivated’ Evgeni Malkin ‘dominant’ this season for Penguins

Chris Adamski

With 16 games remaining in the season and having missed 14 contests because of injury, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin has matched his totals from 2018-19 in goals and surpassed them in even- strength points.

His plus/minus is a whopping plus-34 better than last season, and his shooting percentage, average ice time and takeaways also are all up.

When it comes to puck possession measured by even-strength shot attempts, Malkin is miles ahead of where he was last season.

“You can see he’s that much more motivated this year,” linemate Bryan Rust said. “This year I think he came out to prove a lot of people wrong. I don’t think he was happy with how last year went. He came out with something to prove, and he’s been awesome all year.”

The 33-year-old has six points over the Penguins’ past two games, both victories. He has 21 goals, 48 assists, 47 even-strength points and 65 takeaways with a 13.1 shooting percentage this season. Malkin is averaging 18 minutes, 29 seconds of ice time, his most in six years, and the Penguins are attempting 54.4% of the 5-on-5 shots while he is on the ice, 4.6% more than when he is not.

”His whole overall game, I think, is just much better (than last year),” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Offensively, he’s been dominant. He’s a threat every time he steps on the ice.

“But I think the biggest improvement I’ve seen in Geno’s game is his decisions with the puck. He’s not playing that high-risk of a game, and he’s playing with a commitment to playing defense when he doesn’t have the puck. He’s working extremely hard at it. But he’s been a dominant player with the puck all year.”

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180036 Pittsburgh Penguins

Jason Zucker on fit with Penguins: ‘It’s still a learning curve’

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 6, 2020 4:21 p.m.

From the first game he played after being acquired via trade from the Minnesota Wild last month, Pittsburgh Penguins wing Jason Zucker has been anything but boastful.

“I don’t think I played very well tonight,” Zucker said after a 2-1 overtime loss to Tampa Bay on Feb. 11. “I thought my hands were terrible. I mishandled pretty much every puck I touched.”

Almost a month into his tenure with the Penguins, Zucker is maintaining that honest and self-deprecating assessment.

“It’s still a learning curve,” Zucker said Friday of his assimilation into the Penguins system, “for sure.”

Zucker has produced during his first 11 games with the Penguins (six goals, five assists). His scoring rates in that sample size are much higher than they had been at any point during his parts of nine seasons with the Wild.

Zucker’s possession metrics have improved, too, since he joined the Penguins — measured both in raw or relative terms. The Penguins have taken 52.9% percent of the 5-on-5 shot attempts when Zucker is on the ice; the Wild were at 47.7% this season with Zucker.

The Penguins are 1.5% better in that category with Zucker on the ice than without him; Minnesota was 1.8% worse with Zucker than without. By almost any statistical measure, he’s been good for the Penguins.

Ripped then tipped.@Jason_Zucker16 tracked that puck down. pic.twitter.com/9aneySL1I7

— NHL (@NHL) February 29, 2020

Perhaps Zucker’s consternation comes from the fact the Penguins are 5- 6-1 since he joined the team, though they have won the past two and he has four points in those games.

“It’s definitely a lot better than it was,” Zucker said of fitting in with the Penguins. “I’m still trying to make sure that that flow keeps going and keep gaining chemistry with (linemates Sidney Crosby and Conor Sheary).”

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180037 Pittsburgh Penguins

Penguins release statement on coronavirus

CHRIS ADAMSKI | Friday, March 6, 2020 1:46 p.m.

As the world and the United States continue to grapple with the threat of coronavirus, the Pittsburgh Penguins publicly addressed the potential pandemic that has spread to Pennsylvania.

The team released a statement Friday afternoon, hours after Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine held a news conference to announce that two people with presumed positive cases of the covid-19 are under quarantine in the eastern part of the commonwealth.

“The team is following the recommendations of the CDC, UPMC and the NHL,” the Penguins statement read. “Our medical staff has been in communication for several weeks with UPMC Infectious Disease about safety and prevention. The safety and health of our players, employees and fans are our first priority.”

Even if COVID-19 has not yet spread throughout the U.S., concern about what is better known as coronavirus has. And it is beginning to have an effect on the sports world. https://t.co/CnhHtr8vkj

— Tribune-ReviewSports (@TribSports) March 4, 2020

Some European soccer leagues have played games in empty stadiums as a method of limiting the spread of the virus. No major sports leagues or teams in the United States have done so, however, though many have announced precautions.

The Penguins play 15 games over a 29-day stretch beginning Saturday at home against the Washington Capitals. They have eight regular- season games left at PPG Paints Arena.

Tribune Review LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180038 Pittsburgh Penguins Columbus and the Islanders still hold the wild-card spots. The Blue Jackets are in seventh place with 79 points. They were idle Thursday. The Islanders blew a chance to catch or pass them by losing 4-3 in regulation to the Ottawa Senators, thanks in part to Mikkel Boedker. First Call: Mika Zibanejad’s 5-goal game highlights wild night in Metropolitan Division Backhander on the PK and we're tied again.

GOAL: Boedker (2) SHG

TIM BENZ | Friday, March 6, 2020 6:55 a.m. ASSIST: Tierney (26) pic.twitter.com/Mo7r9l86z1

— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) March 6, 2020

Friday’s “First Call” is dedicated entirely to a wild night in the Metropolitan The Islanders have lost five in a row, three in regulation. Division and the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile in the Atlantic Division, the Boston Bruins won a fourth And there was a lot of impact on the Penguins. straight game. They beat the Florida Panthers, 2-1, and now have an NHL-best 98 points. The Tampa Bay Lightning kept pace, blanking the Some of it helped. Some of it didn’t. Montreal Canadiens behind a 32-save shutout from Andrei Vasilevskiy.

First and foremost, the Penguins beat the Buffalo Sabres for the first time A splendid 32/32 for Andrei Vasilevskiy's @pepsi shutout. this year, topping them 4-2 on the road. Patric Hornqvist was the engine pic.twitter.com/NF3t2AvQWr with two goals. — NHL (@NHL) March 6, 2020 UPDATED: Patric Hornqvist has points in eight of his last nine games against the Sabres (*7G*-6A), which includes *four* multi-point efforts. The Bolts have 89 points in second place. As for the third-place Toronto His points-per-game average against Buffalo is his highest vs. any one Maple Leafs, they have 79 points after losing 1-0 in a shootout against team. pic.twitter.com/VPoQwDZqbR the Los Angeles Kings.

— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2020 So here is your up-to-date playoff picture, with the Capitals holding the tiebreaker over Philadelphia by virtue of one extra ROW (regulation plus That makes 13 points in his last nine games against the Sabres. It also overtime wins). gives the Penguins two straight wins after six consecutive losses. And it improves the Penguins’ point total to 84. Metropolitan Division

That’s good for sole possession of third place in the Metro, the last 1. Capitals (87 points) automatic qualifying berth in the division. They are three points behind 2. Flyers (87 points) the Philadelphia Flyers and Washington Capitals, who woke up Friday tied for first place with 87 points after a crazy Thursday evening. 3. Penguins (84 points)

The Capitals lost to the New York Rangers, 6-5, in overtime. New York’s Atlantic Division Mika Zibanejad stunned the crowd at Madison Square Garden, scoring five of the goals. 1. Bruins (98 points)

Including the game-winner. 2. Lightning (89 points)

Do we believe it? YES WE DO.@MikaZibanejad scores No. 5 of the night 3. Maple Leafs (79 points) in @EASPORTSNHL OT. pic.twitter.com/GgQqPtRsQ9 Wild-card race

— NHL (@NHL) March 6, 2020 7. Blue Jackets (79 points)

Zibanejad is the first player since Winnipeg Jets star Patrick Laine in 8. Islanders (78 points) November 2018 to net five goals. Prior to Laine, the most recent player to do that was Johan Franzen of the Detroit Red Wings in 2011. 9. Rangers (76 points)

And that’s not it when it comes to some pretty impressive numbers 10. Hurricanes (75 points) surrounding Zibanejad’s big night. The Penguins host the Capitals at 1 p.m. Saturday and the Hurricanes at Context on Mika Zibanejad's FIVE GOALS for the @NYRangers : 1:30 p.m. Sunday.

1st Rangers player to score 4+ goals since 2011 Tribune Review LOADED: 03.07.2020

2nd player in NHL history to score 5 goals with an OT winner

3rd player in Rangers history with a 5-goal game

4th player in NHL history to score a goal in all 4 periods pic.twitter.com/kQpmAZx2zS

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) March 6, 2020

While the Capitals were getting one point in an overtime loss, the Flyers were pulling into a first-place tie thanks to two points via a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. They now have a 40-27-7 record, identical to the Capitals.

Philly got four goals from four goal scorers, including Michael Raffl.

All gas. No brakes. #CARvsPHI | #NowOrNever pic.twitter.com/1mD5B9PDQa

— Philadelphia Flyers (@NHLFlyers) March 6, 2020

The Flyers have won eight in a row. And life has no meaning anymore.

Meanwhile, that Rangers win and the Carolina loss mean that the Rangers are now the last team out of the playoffs in ninth place with 76 points. The Hurricanes fall to 10th with 75, having dropped four straight. 1180039 Pittsburgh Penguins tripped awkwardly over Kris Letang during the second game of the season and missed about a month with a lower-body injury.

In total, Malkin has 69 points in 52 games. But if you look at it on a Evgeni Malkin's 5-on-5 production gives Penguins one-two punch that points-per-game basis, Malkin is tied for fifth in the league with 1.33 was missing last season points per game.

The four others ahead of him are all, without question, the leading candidates for the NHL’s Hart Trophy: Leon Draisaitl (1.62) and Connor MIKE DEFABO McDavid (1.53) of the Edmonton Oilers, Artemi Panarin (1.41) of the New York Rangers and David Pastrnak (1.37) of the Boston Bruins. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette So yes, it's extremely unlikely Malkin win the Hart. But the way he's MAR 7, 2020 12:18 AM bounced back to lead a new-look line has put the Penguins in the conversation for a different trophy — one you can drink out of.

Evgeni Malkin arrived at Penguins training camp in September ready to Post Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 make a statement.

He was coming off the longest offseason of his career and one of the worst regular seasons, too. At the time, it was fair to wonder if Father Time’s forecheck had finally begun to take its toll on the 33-year-old star.

“I can still play like a top player,” Malkin said in September. “I want to show to everyone I’m not done.”

Well, everyone ... have you seen enough?

Six months after those words echoed through the dressing room in Cranberry, Malkin has indeed proven, in so many ways, that he’s not done. The evidence isn’t hard to find.

He put the team on his back during Sidney Crosby’s prolonged absence. He would win best supporting actor in the movie of Bryan Rust's career year. And he's produced about as many points per game as the leading candidates for the Hart Trophy (more on that later).

But let’s focus now on one area in particular: 5-on-5 play.

During last year’s lull, it became apparent that the arranged marriage of Malkin and Phil Kessel had run its course. Kessel’s indifference to playing defense seemed to permeate Malkin’s psyche, as well. And that was just one of the issues with that line, as Malkin ended up finishing the season with a career-worst minus-25 rating.

This year? Malkin has racked up 43 points during 5-on-5 situations. With 16 games left to add to it, the Russian star has already surpassed last year’s season total of 40. When Malkin records his next point, he’ll match his 5-on-5 production from 2017-18 when he placed seventh in Hart Trophy voting.

“His whole overall game is just much better,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “Offensively, he’s been dominant. He’s a threat every time he steps on the ice.

“But I think the biggest improvement in Geno’s game is just his [decision- making] with the puck. He’s not playing as high-risk a game. And his commitment to playing defense when he doesn’t have the puck.”

Indeed. After tallying a career-high 4.06 giveaways per 60 minutes during 5-on-5 situations last year, Malkin has turned the puck over 3.59 times per 60, according to Natural Stat Trick. And after a career-high 4.37 penalty minutes per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play last year, Malkin has just 2.18 under the same circumstances. Those are two good signs he's making smarter, more disciplined decisions.

Now obviously, even-strength situations are important. But this year, maybe even more so. The power play that for years worked as an offensive engine is notably average and inconsistent. After enduring a 1- for-18 slump during the six-game losing streak, the Penguins rank 15th in the league with a 20.5% conversion rate.

Instead of leaning on Kessel to make a perfect pass with the man- advantage, the Penguins need a one-two punch of Crosby’s line and Malkin’s line to keep the wins coming.

“You can just see he’s that much more motivated this year,” Rust said. “This year, he came out to prove a lot of people wrong. I don’t think he was happy with how last year went. I don’t think a lot of people were. ... He’s been awesome all year.”

Now back to that Hart Trophy talk that was promised earlier. There are several leading candidates to win the NHL’s most valuable player award. While Malkin probably missed too many games to seriously enter that discussion, it is worth wondering what would have been had he not 1180040 Pittsburgh Penguins “The health and well-being of our employees, retailers and customers is a top priority,” said Stacey Keating, a spokeswoman for CBL Properties, which manages Monroeville Mall. “We are closely monitoring the situation in our area, have contacted the local health department and will Pittsburgh sports venues, event spaces taking some extra precautions maintain open lines of communication as the situation evolves. We are amid virus fears working with our service providers to ensure thorough cleaning and sanitizing of high-traffic common areas with the appropriate cleaning

agents. We have placed hand sanitizer units throughout the property and ADAM BITTNER recommend that employees and customers follow appropriate CDC guidelines.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Officials with the Galleria at Pittsburgh Mills said they were taking similar MAR 6, 2020 9:52 PM steps. The Mall at Robinson could not be reached for comment.

• The Pittsburgh Cultural Trust, which manages several local theaters and event spaces, said it plans to continue its events as scheduled as Pittsburgh-area sports venues and gathering spaces are taking a wait- well, though it has taken some precautions. and-see approach to COVID-19. “We have informed our staff, volunteers, and artists of best practices to • The Steelers told the Post-Gazette on Friday that they’ll confer with minimizing risk and have implemented enhanced environmental cleaning local experts and officials in deciding what precautions to take at Heinz to provide the safest environment possible,” trust President and CEO Field in the days and weeks ahead. The team is in the middle of its Kevin McMahon said in the statement. “We will continue to follow the offseason, but the stadium clubs are popular event spaces year-round. advice of health authorities and implement measures as necessary with “Fan safety is our top priority. We have entered into preparations for the the understanding that the safety of our staff and guests is of paramount spring and summer season and are working with our partners at UPMC, importance.” as well as the local public health authorities to monitor any impact • Tim Muldoon, general manager of the David L. Lawrence Convention COVID-19 may have on the region,” a spokesman said. “We Center, said the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show will go on as planned are staying informed of any new developments and will take appropriate this weekend. Signs promoting best practices have been posted around precautionary measures and actions, as necessary, to ensure the safety the building, and custodial staff will be taking extra measures to sanitize and well-being of our fans.” “touch points,” such as concession stands and the box office. • The Penguins issued a similar statement Friday. Officials with Stage AE and the Washington Wild Things could not be “The team is following the recommendations of the [Centers for Disease reached for comment Friday. Control and Prevention], UPMC and the NHL,” the statement said. “Our More than 93,000 cases of COVID-19, a new coronavirus, and upward of medical staff has been in communication for several weeks with UPMC 3,200 deaths have been reported, in as many as 60 countries, beginning Infectious Disease about safety and prevention. The safety and health of in China. In the U.S., 12 deaths have been reported. our players, employees and fans are our first priority.” Most COVID-19 cases are mild; some cases are fatal, especially among pic.twitter.com/7AkRgXhlhf the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions. — Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) March 6, 2020 Post Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 • PPG Paints Arena, where the Penguins play their home games, is taking similar precautions. They provided the Post-Gazette with a statement from ASM Global, the company that manages the arena.

“At ASM Global, we are closely monitoring the latest developments regarding COVID-19 globally and any potential impact it may have on our day-to-day operations at PPG Paints Arena,” the statement read. “The health and safety of our guests and employees is our top priority.

“Through public health organizations, such as the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and the World Health Organization, we are staying abreast of the latest updates and developments as they occur. Any actions we take will be consistent with guidelines from these agencies and the Allegheny County Health Department officials.”

• Earlier this week, the Pirates sanitized their spring training facilities in Bradenton, Fla., after a COVID-19 case was reported nearby. Their athletic trainer said they’re working collaboratively with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the World Health Organization and the baseball commissioner’s office on possible further measures.

• Riverhounds SC, meanwhile, said they’ve worked with the United Soccer League Championship to develop protocols that they’ll implement at Highmark Stadium if and when the need arises. For now, they’re proceeding normally and not commenting on what those protocols might be. The team’s home opener against Louisville is set for March 21.

• Robert Morris University’s athletic events and other campus gatherings will continue as scheduled. Jonathan Potts, vice president for public relations and marketing, said the school is monitoring the situation for now while remaining in close contact with its athletic conferences’ offices.

• The University of Pittsburgh, likewise said in a statement that there are no immediate plans to limit events on campus. The university is set to play host to the Atlantic Coast Conference wrestling championships at this weekend.

• Area malls including Ross Park, South Hills Village and the Galleria of Mt. Lebanon deferred comment to their management groups. 1180041 Pittsburgh Penguins Jonas Johansson, leaving Hornqvist to clean up the trash in a mostly vacant net.

“I think there are a lot of elements on that line when you look at those Will the Penguins stick with the hot goalie or the stickhandling one three guys and what they bring to our team,” Sulivan said. “They have against the Capitals? the ability to score. They’ve got good size. All three of them are conscientious two-way players.”

Over the last couple months, there were questions about if McCann or MIKE DEFABO Bjugstad should be the third-line center. By playing both together, the Penguins are putting two center-capable players on the ice together, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette which can have its advantages. MAR 6, 2020 9:43 PM “One is a lefty,” Sullivan said. “One is a righty. So they have the ability to take faceoffs on both sides. I think there’s just a lot of elements on that line that can be a real good line for us.” First of all, stick tap to the Super Genius. ZAR making progress It was Mark Madden, radio host on 105.9 The X, who first made the point that Tristan Jarry’s stickhandling could be an X-factor against a team with Zach Aston-Reese once again skated on his own prior to Friday’s a heavy forecheck like, say, the Washington Capitals. In the weeks since, practice. He’s continuing to work his way back from a lower body injury that point has been widely parroted across the sports media landscape in he suffered on Feb. 16. At the time, the Penguins said his status would Pittsburgh, repeated so often that it was fair to wonder how big of an be “week-to-week.” impact that nuance of the game really might be. Post Gazette LOADED: 03.07.2020 Well, perhaps there’s no better person to ask than Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson. He leads the league in the most painful statistical category — hits taken — with 241 during 5-on-5 play, a whopping 76 more than the next closest skater. Many of those collisions have occurred in the defensive zone, when Pettersson goes back to retrieve the puck with angry forecheckers breathing down his neck.

So, Marcus, does a goalie who can handle the puck as well as Jarry really make a noticeable difference against a heavy forechecking team?

“Oh yeah,” Pettersson said. “In a game, it’s 5-on-5. But if you have a goalie that can play the puck, it’s kind of 6-on-5 getting out of your zone. It’s something that for sure helps us. You never want to go back for a puck when you’ve got two guys coming at you.”

Before the Penguins play against similarly skilled puck-handling goalies, they’re cognizant of this fact. Instead of softly rimming the puck into the offensive zone, they make a point slap it cross-ice or softly chip it down the same side so the goaltender can’t get to it.

“When we play a goalie like [Pekka] Rinne or [Ben] Bishop or [Mike] Smith or any one of those guys, we try to keep it away from him as much as possible because it kind of kills your forecheck," Pettersson said. "It kills your momentum.”

Time will tell if Jarry will have a chance to showcase his stickhandling on Saturday afternoon, when the Penguins host the Capitals at PPG Paints Arena.

Matt Murray started both games against the Capitals this year, winning one and losing one. He made a strong case for a third-straight start on Thursday night in Buffalo, bailing out the Penguins several times in a second period when the skaters weren’t doing their goaltender too many favors.

Murray has now won back-to-back games to help the Penguins snap their six-game skid. His start on Thursday marked the first time since Feb. 6 that one of the Penguins' two goalies started consecutive games.

“I think Matt’s playing extremely well,” Sullivan said when asked about Murray. “You look at the game last night, the second period we got away from our game a little bit. Give Buffalo credit. They played extremely well. They had a number of quality chances and Matt shut the door.”

For what it’s worth, Sullivan was asked if he feels it’s important to see how a goaltender performs against a possible playoff opponent. The coach chose not to tip his hand.

“It’s important for us to win,” he said. “That’s the way we look at it. We’re just trying to win one game right in front of us.”

Line ‘em up

Dating back to last season, the Penguins experimented with a line combination that featured Nick Bjugstad at center, Jared McCann at left wing and Patrick Hornqvist on the right.

With Bjugstad sidelined since mid-November after core muscle surgery, the Penguins weren’t able to go back to it. Until Thursday. Almost instantly, it had success when Bjugstad barreled Buffalo goaltender 1180042 Pittsburgh Penguins season and, entering the 2019-20 campaign, he seemed full of confidence. He even started the season in strong fashion.

The wheels came off for a while, but Murray appears to have found Finally looking like the Penguins, Mike Sullivan’s team is rounding into himself. Consider his meeting with the media: form Matt, was there extra significance to this game because you got a second straight start?

By Josh Yohe Mar 6, 2020 89 “I just go out there and play when my name is called. That’s all I focus on.”

On the two-on-one, is that a textbook save? Or just a reactionary save? BUFFALO, N.Y. — Whether the Penguins thrive or flounder in the Stanley Cup playoffs, nothing about what happened in Buffalo on “I don’t even know how to answer that. You just try to make a read and Thursday will be all that memorable. get over there.”

The Penguins performed well enough and beat a struggling Sabres team, How sharp do you feel? 4-2, to stay three points behind Philadelphia and Washington for first “I feel pretty good.” place in the Metropolitan Division. Do you feel as sharp as you have all season? Ho-hum. “Trending in the right direction for sure.” There was something a little interesting about this game, however. The Penguins, battered by injuries all season, aren’t yet completely healthy Perhaps the Penguins are suddenly trending in the right direction and still, the team as Mike Sullivan projected it before the season slid into following the disastrous road trip to California. The game wasn’t pretty, place Thursday. but it showed some of the Penguins’ promise.

Consider these details: “We weren’t as good in the second,” Sullivan said. “We weren’t hard on pucks. As a result, we were on our heels a little bit. Give them credit. • Sullivan finally ditched the goalie rotation between Matt Murray and They pushed hard in the second period. But I thought we recovered in Tristan Jarry, the one he’s been using for a month, and gave Murray the third.” consecutive starts. Perhaps this was simply because the Penguins ended their six-game losing skid Tuesday. Or maybe it means something They appear to have recovered in general, their lineup finally rounding more. Sullivan would love for Murray to show his vintage form and guide into form. the Penguins through the postseason, and the goaltender delivered a strong performance Thursday, stopping 28 of 30 shots. Jarry has been a Ten postgame observations sensation this season and may very well be the Penguins’ goaltender of • This was kind of a strange game. The Penguins outshot the Sabres, 11- the future. But before the season, there was never a doubt that Murray 0, in the game’s first eight minutes and were utterly dominant. As was the man. That might be becoming the case once again. decidedly mediocre as the Sabres are, it was encouraging to see the • Nick Bjugstad played for the first time since Nov. 15 and picked up an Penguins dominate a team — even a bad one — for a second straight assist in his return to the lineup. Before the season, the third line Sullivan game. However, they were simply awful in the second period. They lost a envisioned for the Penguins included Bjugstad, Jared McCann and Patric ton of puck battles, as Sullivan noted following the game, were sluggish Hornqvist. This was his third line Thursday. The trio has combined for and committed a handful of bad turnovers. Murray bailed them out during 387 goals and, while it’s not a conventional, shutdown third line, all three the middle 20 minutes. In the third period, however, order was generally players are at least average defensively and would seem capable of restored and the Penguins won the game in somewhat comfortable giving the Penguins a possession-driven third line that’s capable of fashion. This was a game the Penguins couldn’t afford to lose, and they scoring. didn’t. So that’s the good news. But we’ll know a lot more about them this weekend when they host the Capitals and Hurricanes. Neither of those • Sullivan finally has duos that he would like to keep together on each of teams is playing especially well but they are crucial games with playoff his lines: Sidney Crosby and Jason Zucker (he’s essentially replacing ramifications. The Penguins appear to have righted the ship during their Jake Guentzel in that role) on the top line, Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust past two games but we’ll know for sure that they are functioning properly on the second line, Bjugstad and McCann on the third line and Teddy with a couple of good performances this weekend. The Sabres are a bad Blueger and Brandon Tanev on the fourth line. Other forwards, notably team right now. So are the Senators. So, I think I’ve seen progress, but Hornqvist, Patrick Marleau and Conor Sheary, will figure to float around we’ll see. the lineup. These duos could remain and were all effective Thursday. Tanev, after missing a game to illness, nearly scored on his first shift. • You’re already aware that the respective returns of Brian Dumoulin and John Marino have greatly aided the Penguins. Everyone knows this. But Indeed, in some ways, these were the Penguins as they were intended to do me a favor and pay attention to Dumoulin on Saturday. We always be even though a couple of new faces were in the lineup. compliment him, and rightfully so, for being the Penguins’ best defensive defenseman. He’s so solid in his zone, rarely is beaten in a one-on-one “I think it felt pretty darn good,” Bjugstad said. “For me, personally, it will battle, and simply makes every good decision. But when you’re next able take a little while. The game was moving so fast for me at first. It’s an to watch the Penguins play, watch the plays he makes with the puck. adjustment. But I felt pretty good.” Watch those quick, short passes he makes that trigger transition play for The biggest news of the day pertained to Murray and Sullivan’s decision the Penguins. Watch for the subtle plays he makes in the offensive zone to give him consecutive starts. Murray responded in a big way. The to find an open teammate. He’s seriously under-appreciated in terms of Penguins were under siege during the second period. They allowed a puck skills and vision. Having him back in the lineup, needless to say, is breakaway, a two-on-none and a three-on-two and gave Jack Eichel a a big deal. He’s been good in each of his two games back in the lineup. couple of quality looks all before they were able to register a shot that • No one gets the fan base worked up like Jack Johnson, and he had a period. Yet Murray was a stone wall, turning aside the feverish Buffalo rough second period. But I’m going to give him a pass because of his attack before Hornqvist scored his second goal to give the Penguins travel itinerary on Thursday. Johnson left Tuesday’s game against breathing room. Ottawa in the second period because his wife, Kelly, had gone into labor. “I thought he was real good,” Sullivan said, “especially in the second and She gave birth to the couple’s third child, Thomas Glenn, on Wednesday third periods. He made big saves down the stretch. In the second period, in Columbus. Johnson’s wife is from Columbus and the couple decided when I didn’t think we were at our best, I thought Matt was really good.” she’d give birth there because her family will be able to help out while Johnson is busy during the season’s busiest stretch. So, Johnson went to Murray exuded plenty of confidence following the game, his answers to Columbus late Tuesday night, was busy with a newborn and his other questions indicating that he’s feeling good about himself. When Murray is two young children Wednesday, then made his way to Buffalo on matter-of-fact and short with his answers, it’s always a sign that his Thursday. However, there were no direct flights from Columbus to confidence is growing. Murray was wonderful down the stretch last Buffalo available, so Johnson had to fly from Columbus to Philadelphia, and then from Philadelphia to Buffalo. He said following the game that he • The Flyers won again Thursday night. The Capitals got a point in New was fatigued. Understandably so. York. The Penguins trail both teams by three points for Metropolitan Division supremacy and have a game in hand on each team. On • Zucker has been a member of the Penguins for a few weeks now, and Saturday afternoon, the Penguins host the Capitals at PPG Paints Arena. he continues to impress. He is playing some seriously high-caliber This should be fun. hockey right now. Zucker made a fine pass to Crosby, which helped set up the Penguins’ final goal. But if you watch him closely, you develop an The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 immediate appreciation for the finer points of his game. Zucker is better on the boards than I realized. He wins a lot of puck battles with simple hard work. He also is starting to develop some chemistry with Crosby. It took a little while, sure. But Crosby isn’t necessarily easy to play with and, quite obviously, Zucker has never played with anyone like Crosby in his hockey life. This isn’t just a really fast guy who can score goals. This is a really fast guy who can score goals … and who can do a lot of other things. High-level stuff from him right now.

• Speaking of high level, watching Crosby fire backhand shots never, ever gets old. He scored on a two-on-one with Sheary, and his plan was simple. Skating down the right wing, Crosby used Sheary as a decoy. This is always going to work with defensemen and goaltenders because Crosby is a pass-first player by nature, and thus, his tendency to pass the puck in such situations must be respected. As a result, any goaltender who does his homework is very well aware that Crosby is liable to pass and is probably leaning a bit to his right. Crosby knows this and naturally ripped off a vicious backhand shot over goaltender Jonas Johansson’s left shoulder. It’s not natural for a goaltender to expect a backhand shot with that kind of velocity. It’s not natural to expect a backhand shot at all on an odd-man rush, but when you can shoot a backhand as Crosby can, it’s an invaluable weapon.

• Malkin racked up two more assists, giving him six in his past two games. For the season, Malkin has now recorded 48 helpers in 52 games, good for 0.923 assists per game. Only two NHL players currently have a higher assist per game ratio than Malkin, and they’re the NHL’s two leading scorers, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid. In fact, Malkin’s assists per game is the second-highest of his career. The only time he boasted a higher number came during his first Art Ross Trophy season during the 2008-09 campaign when he put up 78 assists in 82 games (0.951 assists per game). I’d said before that I don’t believe Malkin is quite the goal-scorer he once was. He’s 33. It happens, even to great players. But he’s made up for that by becoming a more cerebral player and his playmaking has been nothing short of magnificent this season. He’s now averaging 1.33 points per game this season, the NHL’s fifth- best total.

• That’s two more goals for Hornqvist, giving him 17 for the season. No matter where he is slotted in the lineup, Hornqvist is playing some really good hockey right now. Hornqvist is so intense that it’s often amusing to watch him after games in the locker room, as he typically walks around like a chicken with its head cut off. An amusing scene unfolded in the locker room just as the media was entering following the game. Assistant coach Mark Recchi was standing in front of a door when it was violently opened, nearing hitting Recchi hard. It was Hornqvist walking through the door. “Sorry,” Hornqvist said. “But it’s not like I can see through the door.” Everyone just laughed, because that’s Hornqvist.

• I saw a lot of good things from the Marino-Marcus Pettersson pairing. In theory, they should be good together. It would appear to be a nice meshing of skill sets. When they have played together at times this season, I’d suggest the duo has been good but not great. Through two games, however, I believe more chemistry is starting to develop between these two. And make no mistake, this is a key pairing for the Penguins. They know what they’re getting from Dumoulin and Kris Letang if they’re healthy. They’d prefer to keep Johnson and Justin Schultz as the third pairing. They need a second pairing that can play heavy minutes and be relied upon. It should be interesting. They were very good against the Sabres.

• Bjugstad looked perfectly fine, which is probably about as much as could be expected given how long he’s been out of the lineup. I think some fatigue should be expected after his first couple of games because of the time away. I’m quite intrigued to see how he fits in during the remainder of the season. Many have written Bjugstad off because of the long absence and because his style doesn’t seem to fit with what the Penguins do. That’s a fair concern. But keep in mind, this is a big, talented hockey player. He’s capable of scoring at a nice pace, something the Penguins need from their third line. (If you saw Bjugstad grimacing in pain in the first period, it had nothing to do with his recent rehabilitation. Rather, Johansson’s skate blade glanced off Bjugstad as Hornqvist was scoring the game’s first goal.) 1180043 San Jose Sharks The Sharks have issued the following requests of patrons: Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds,

especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing San Jose Sharks say weekend games will take place despite coronavirus your nose, coughing, or sneezing. concerns ▪ If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. By CURTIS PASHELKA | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group Sharks’ Logan Couture talks about the text he got from Alex Stalock

PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 12:46 p.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at ▪ Avoid close contact with people who are sick. 3:30 p.m. ▪ Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.

▪ Stay home when you are sick. SAN JOSE — The Sharks said Friday morning that based on information ▪ Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the immediately available, this weekend’s games at SAP Center will go on as trash and clean your hands. scheduled. Practice happenings The Sharks host the Ottawa Senators on Saturday at 4 p.m. and the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday at 7 p.m. to wrap up a six-game Sharks interim coach Bob Boughner said goalie Aaron Dell will start homestand. Saturday’s game and Martin Jones will be back in for Sunday. Jones, in what was his fourth straight start, stopped 24 of 27 shots in Thursday’s 3- As of midday Friday, games played by the San Jose Barracuda, the 2 loss to the Wild. Sharks’ AHL affiliate, were also scheduled to take place at the downtown arena. The Barracuda play San Diego on Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday Boughner made some adjustments to his forward lines for Friday’s at 8 p.m. practice, as Gambrell was moved up to play with Evander Kane and Logan Couture. Alexander True centered the fourth line with Kevin A season-low 14,517 tickets were distributed for Thursday’s game with Labanc and Antti Suomela on the wings. the Minnesota Wild, roughly 3,000 short of capacity. The Sharks do not typically release anticipated attendance figures in advance of games, but It appears Noah Gregor, who had an assist Thursday on Stefan the team does usually enjoy larger crowds on weekend nights than Noesen’s power play goal, will be a healthy scratch Saturday, although weekdays. Boughner said Friday that the lineup hasn’t finalized. True has been a healthy scratch the last three games. Sharks Sports & Entertainment announced Thursday at 4 p.m. that the Sharks’ game with Minnesota would still take place. “Regardless of what happens tomorrow, (Gregor’s) going to get back in there. We’re playing back-to-back games,” Boughner said. “I don’t want Earlier in the day, public health officials from Santa Clara County called (True) sitting for too long and for that matter, I don’t want (Lean for new measures to prevent the virus from circulating in the community, Bergmann) sitting for too long. We’ve got to get these guys active and we including canceling large gatherings like sporting events. They have lots of games. announced the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Santa Clara County had reached 20. “You want to make sure that these guys are structured and detailed and if that structure and detail slips a little bit, then they need to be reminded When announcing Thursday’s game would take place, also mentioned of how they need to play here on a consistent basis.” that it would be “evaluating further upcoming events in the coming days.” San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.07.2020 The team is encouraging, though, that guests attending future SAP Center events follow the health department’s suggestion, which recommends that “persons at higher risk avoid mass gatherings such as parades, sporting events, and concerts where large numbers of people are within arm’s length of one another.”

The team asks that potential guests who are feeling ill, regardless of their symptoms, refrain from attending public events.

Sharks winger Timo Meier said the message from team’s medical staff has been to “clean your hands, which is obvious. Don’t panic too much. Stay away from other people. Be more cautious than usual.”

The Sharks took one additional safety measure Friday after holding a brief practice at SAP Center.

Members of the media, who are usually allowed into the Sharks’ dressing room after practices and games to conduct player interviews will, at least for now, have to conduct those interviews outside of the room. Players will stand behind a podium with reporters a few feet away.

“It’s not bad. I like to stand behind the podium to do interviews. It’s a little more professional,” Meier said. “With the coronavirus now going on, you’ve got to be careful and wash your hands and keep your distance.”

Dylan Gambrell is a native of Bonney Lake, Wash., which is about 40 miles south of Seattle. Wednesday, health officials in King County recommended to its 2.2 million residents that they work from home. The county, as of then, had 31 confirmed coronavirus cases. Nine deaths have been reported.

Gambrell’s parents still live in Bonney Lake, which has a population of just under 20,000.

“I keep in touch with them to see what they think about it,” said Gambrell, who added that there have been no confirmed cases in his hometown. “Same thing here with the things going on in Santa Clara. Just watch out for it.” 1180044 San Jose Sharks

Bay Area singer makes history at Sharks’ Indian Heritage Night

Soukhya Inamdar became first known Indian woman to sing national anthem for NHL game before San Jose Sharks-Minnesota Wild matchup

By MICHAEL NOWELS | [email protected] | Bay Area News Group

PUBLISHED: March 6, 2020 at 8:12 a.m. | UPDATED: March 6, 2020 at 3:54 p.m.

The Sharks hosted Indian Heritage Night during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild, and the celebration started with a bit of history.

Soukhya Inamdar, a Bay Area native of Indian descent, opened the game by singing the U.S. national anthem. She is believed to be the first Indian woman to sing the anthem before an NHL game.

Inamdar, a senior at Purdue University in Indiana, said in a phone interview earlier this week that she began singing Indian classical music as soon as she was making noise as a child. She remembers her mother helping her learn music as a toddler.

“She would play the keyboard and I would sing, and then I would sing after her,” Inamdar said. “One day I played a song for my mom on the keyboard myself and sang along with it. That’s when she realized the potential in me.”

Inamdar says she sings in four languages (English, Marathi, Hindi and Sanskrit), though she prefers singing American pop songs like those of Whitney Houston and Ariana Grande because “they always have so much energy in them.” Her YouTube channel is filled with covers of Indian and American songs.

Indian Heritage Night is one of 16 heritage events the Sharks are hosting this season. In instances like Thursday’s game, they use community partnerships with heritage groups to identify potential anthem singers.

They’ve been working with IND TV USA, an American media group aimed at a South Asian audience, for several years in an effort to broaden their fanbase.

“Over time that relationship has really blossomed to where they’re actually teaching us about that community and how much they love hockey and trying to bring it closer together and having the hockey audience learn about their audience,” said Doug Bentz, Sharks vice president of marketing and digital.

Thursday’s game is one way the Sharks intend to foster a relationship between those communities. Bentz said the Sharks and IND TV planned to have traditional Indian dancers and henna tattoo artists on the SAP Center concourse as part of the cultural crossover.

Inamdar’s anthem is another element of that. She said friends and supports have called her a “trailblazer,” but she’s more focused on those who will come after her.

“If I think about it, I am going to be opening up more opportunities for hundreds or thousands more kids who also want to be able to perform for these kinds of events,” Inamdar said. “That really means a lot to me. It’s not necessarily just about me, it’s about being an Indian woman.”

San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180045 San Jose Sharks want to get to 40. I just want to keep scoring and helping my team win. We’ve had problems scoring this year for whatever reason. Our [2.6] goals per game average is relatively low. Last year, it was the opposite [at 3.50]. It has been a little different, and that has been a reason why we Sharks' Evander Kane reveals what caused his recent production spike haven’t been winning games. I’m trying to score as much as I can because that helps the team win.”

Kane is capable of helping the Sharks surge. He was awesome in By Scott Bair March 06, 2020 11:02 AM November, with eight points in seven games to start the month and 12 over the 30-day span. The Sharks were 11-4 during their best stretch of the season, but couldn’t sustain such play over a long haul. SAN JOSE -- Evander Kane’s worst stretch of the season was followed by an excellent one. The talented forward recorded six points in the first Another run like that probably won’t produce an identical record three games of this Sharks homestand, with three goals and three considering all the injuries and trades that have transpired since, but assists, including on Logan Couture’s decisive overtime score against Kane hopes to finish the string on a high note individually and as part of New Jersey. the Sharks collective.

It should come as no shock the Sharks won each time. Kane’s points “It’s definitely nice to put the puck in the net consistently,” Kane said. streak ended during Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild at SAP “The more you play like this the better you feel. When you’re getting Center, but he still generated opportunities that didn’t find the net. That touches and assists and getting involved on scoring chances that goes a included a late third-period laser beam that would’ve tied it, if not for a long way. It builds positive momentum you feel like you can sustain. glove save. Ultimately though, it’s all about finishing. I look back at that road trip and feel like I could’ve had six goals. Kane’s recent quality could constitute an about-face. Kane served a three-game suspension for a hit seemingly unworthy of such punishment "I had great chances in the Islanders game. I had a few breakaways and was benched by interim head coach Bob Boughner at Madison against the Rangers where I didn’t find the net. But if you continue to Square Garden in his return to action. generate chances good things will come from it. You can’t get frustrated. You have to keep working and keep pushing to create. I feel like I have He was generating chances after that, but couldn’t find the net during a been creating for the last six or seven games. Now the puck’s starting go miserable, winless Sharks road trip where Brenden Dillon, Patrick in. That’s a good thing.” Marleau and Barclay Goodrow all were traded before the deadline. Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 Then Kane came home and got red hot. The 28-year oldwas quick to caution against links between riding pine and this points surge. Getting benched didn’t inspire better play. There was something larger at play, a team-wide mentality shift that led to better performances following an awful East Coast swing.

“I think it’s easy to look at that as a turning point for me. Honestly, it really wasn’t,” Kane said Thursday morning, before the Sharks lost to Minnesota. “Do I agree with what transpired in New York? No. But there’s no disputing that we didn’t win a game on that trip. That was rough.

“That was the important realization, that we had to alter our attitudes and our mindset as an entire group or it would be a long ride to the finish. I think we came back stronger. We obviously didn’t have a great start against New Jersey, but we finished well and that was huge. When you play top teams, you have to bring it or you’re going to get a-- kicked. Showing well against Pittsburgh and Toronto illustrated that we were playing the right way, and we have to continue doing that.”

Thursday’s loss wasn’t a setback in that regard. While there were moments of lackluster play, the Sharks worked hard through the final buzzer but couldn’t secure an equalizer despite a 20-3 shot advantage in the third period.

Kane has played well on this homestand. So has Joe Thornton, and captain Logan Couture upon return from injury. Brent Burns was the Sharks' player of the month. Goalkeeper Martin Jones has picked it up of late -- he’d certainly like another shot at Thursday’s first Wild goal -- as the veteran stars try to finish strong while working with several young prospects.

“When your top players are going well the team usually has success,” Kane said. “I think we’ve been through a lot this year. We were so used to [fired head coach Pete DeBoer and Steve Spott and other departed assistants] being here, and I think there was a lengthy adjustment period to this new group here and them kind of figuring it out a little bit. I think, as players we’ve kind of had enough and have taken it upon ourselves to push to have a strong finish.

“I mean, like I’ve said, we’re still the San Jose Sharks. We are still a top team. We didn’t have the year we wanted but we want to use these last [15] games to remind ourselves of that as well and build some confidence going into next season.”

Kane is driven to push for goals, and despite a lackluster season for the team and some individual lowlights -- including two three-game suspensions -- the forward is just six goals from 30. That’s his career- high, which can be matched before the season’s out.

“It’s always nice to reach that number,” Kane said. “There aren’t many guys who get to 30, but that’s not the ultimate goal. If I get to 30, then I 1180046 San Jose Sharks Patrick Marleau, Pittsburgh Penguins This one is difficult. Some would argue Sidney Crosby already has won

enough. Others would recall what Pittsburgh did to San Jose in June Ex-Sharks players, coach to root for with San Jose not in NHL playoff 2016. But at the end of it all, you have to just look at the face of 40-year- race old Patrick Marleau. A Stanley Cup literally is all that’s missing from a storied hockey resume. The Penguins certainly have all the tools to be the last team standing, and “Mr. Shark” might even come back to San Jose next season, anyways. By Brodie Brazil March 06, 2020 7:00 AM Prognosis: Even if you didn’t pull for Pittsburgh specifically during these

playoffs, it’s guaranteed you would shed a tear to see Marleau holding a Sharks fans are about to find themselves in the rare position of Cup. witnessing a Stanley Cup Playoff tournament begin from the outside Jason Demers, Arizona Coyotes looking in. It has happened just twice since 1997. The former Sharks defenseman of 300 games has been plagued with The scenario brings a question: If not San Jose, what former Sharks injuries in each of the last two seasons in Arizona, but he always was might we want to win it all? highly regarded among teammates during his time with San Jose. Since Here’s a quick guide on who to pull for in the Cup chase. being traded by the Sharks in 2015, he has seen time in Dallas, Florida and now with the Coyotes. San Jose drafted Demers as a seventh-round Alex Stalock, Minnesota Wild pick in 2008.

The Wild, like Stalock, would be underdogs from the start, which would Prognosis: Seeing Demers and the "Desert Dogs" make even a deep run be fun. Stalock originally was drafted by San Jose but ultimately traded would be refreshing for genuine hockey fans who have watched this away just months before the Sharks went to the Stanley Cup Final in franchise fight for survival to exist in the last decade. 2016. After that, he landed a new contract in Minnesota, where he has maintained ever since. This season, Stalock already set career highs in Justin Braun, Philadelphia Flyers starts and wins. Braun was one of the most underrated Sharks of recent times, and a lot Prognosis: It would be a great hockey story if Stalock could lead a wild- of fans correlated San Jose’s struggles of this season to the departures card team into a Cup winner. of players like him and Pavelski last summer. This season, the Flyers have benefited from the reliable defenseman to the tune of 19 points and Joe Pavelski, Dallas Stars a minus-1 rating. Braun plays more than 17 minutes per night for an 87- point Philly team that has successfully caught Washington in the This one is largely sentimental for Sharks fans, still fond of their former standings. captain, who was not retained over the summer. Pavelski actually has struggled in his first year with Dallas, with his offensive stats about half of Prognosis: The Flyers, like Braun, might not be on enough people’s radar what they were in each of the last several seasons in San Jose. That to win the Cup. A fitting connection. established, the Stars are a deep team with potential lockdown goaltending. Dylan DeMelo, Winnipeg Jets

Prognosis: Pavelski in green is the only reason a Sharks fan would ever DeMelo had his world changed on the day before training camp opened show love for the Dallas Stars. in 2018. That’s when he and Chris Tierney were traded to Ottawa in the blockbuster Erik Karlsson deal. On Feb. 24, DeMelo was traded once Joonas Donskoi and Matt Nieto, Colorado Avalanche more, from the Senators to a reinvigorated Jets club. He’s back on a contender for the first time in a while, but the Jets are in an extremely While Donskoi and Nieto didn’t have long or storied careers in San Jose, crowded race just to qualify for a second wild-card spot. both were important players during important times for the franchise. And it also shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone how well Colorado has come Prognosis: This season has been one personnel hurdle after the next for together in recent years with players like Gabe Landiskog and Nathan Winnipeg, and if the Jets were to do something special, players like MacKinnon leading the youth movement. DeMelo would be seen with extra value. And that would be rewarding.

Prognosis: Sharks fans would be happy for Donskoi and Nieto but more Brenden Dillon, Washington Capitals concerned about Colorado as a long-standing force in the Western Conference. Dillon was in tears, for what turned out to be his final interview as a Shark in the San Jose dressing room. The moment was touching, genuine and Peter DeBoer, Vegas Golden Knights very “on brand” for the team-first defenseman. There almost was a certainty that he would be traded before the deadline, and now he sits The coach who led San Jose to its first-ever Stanley Cup Final was next to Alexander Ovechkin’s stall. “Dilly” already has acclimated well to dismissed this past December. Then, less than two months later, he his new teammates, many of which still have the taste of champagne on joined one of the Sharks’ biggest rivals. There’s no question that despite their tongues from 2018. some of its detours this season, Vegas still is loaded with talent, and DeBoer is more than qualified to lead them deep. After all, look at his Prognosis: If you're a fan of good people, you're a fan of Brenden Dillon, inaugural seasons in San Jose and New Jersey. Both resulted in Cup and who wouldn’t want to watch him party alongside Alexander Final appearances. Ovechkin?

Prognosis: With absolutely nothing against Pete DeBoer personally or Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 professionally, if you want this to happen, you cannot claim to be a Sharks fan.

Barclay Goodrow, Tampa Bay Lightning

He scored what many consider the biggest goal in Sharks franchise history, and now he has a chance to play with a high-powered, high- potential Lightning club out East. Tampa also is highly motivated, after being the first team qualified, and eliminated from last year’s playoffs. Goodrow was extremely well-liked by teammates in California, and his ascent in San Jose was the kind of progression that makes an organization proud.

Prognosis: After being “that close” in several recent seasons, it would be fitting to see this version of Tampa Bay rewarded with a Cup, including a deadline-acquired player like Goodrow who might have pushed them over the top. 1180047 San Jose Sharks allowed in their 5-2 win and was eventually replaced there in the third period by Melker Karlsson for defensive purposes.

“It’s a bit of an adjustment going Crosby and Matthews/Marner back-to- Noah Gregor is one of the young Sharks vying for more time and back games,” Gregor said Thursday morning. “It’s a challenge. I think we responsibility did really well against Pittsburgh. I think we did a poor job against Toronto, they were able to capitalize two 5-on-5 (goals). I was just trying to not get circling in (my) own end and get caught puck-watching, because they’re always making seam plays, and across the ice. It’s being By Kevin Kurz Mar 6, 2020 3 patient, staying in position, trusting the system and doing your best to play hard.”

In real time, it looked like a bad hit. On Thursday, Gregor notched an assist against the Wild. Getting some time on the second power-play unit, his shot to the net was redirected by Late in the Sharks’ loss in Philadelphia on Feb. 25, Noah Gregor made a Stefan Noesen in the first period to tie the game at 1-1. Gregor has found beeline for Flyers captain Claude Giroux, who was handling the puck just the scoresheet now in three of his last five games. inside his offensive blue line. Gregor hit his opponent with a solid hip check, resulting in Giroux’s head snapping back and spinning him around Gregor also finished with four hits against the Wild. In the final minute of as he tumbled to the ice. the second period, he ran Minnesota’s Jonas Brodin into the corner boards after Brodin played a puck deep in the Wild’s defensive end. Predictably, a scrum ensued. Flyers’ 6-foot-5, 210-pound defenseman Phil Myers went after Gregor, as did forward Jakub Voracek. To them, it In the eight games since Feb. 20 when he was re-inserted into the lineup probably looked like Gregor hit Giroux up high, based on the reaction on a nightly basis, Gregor has been credited with 22 hits — second on after contact. The referees viewed it that way, too, giving Gregor a minor the team only to rookie defenseman Mario Ferraro’s 24. penalty for an illegal check to the head. (Myers was issued two minutes Boughner has to be pleased with that. The Beaumont, Alberta, native for roughing, too.) was particularly effective last season, his over-age season in junior, with But replays showed that Gregor was simply playing hard, perhaps 43 goals and 88 points in 63 games; but when Boughner watched video energized from his goal just a few minutes earlier, a rocket one-timer of Gregor last summer, he saw more than just a guy who can score. from the top of the circle that cleanly beat goalie Carter Hart for his “More physical than I thought,” Boughner recalled. “I was surprised how second goal of the season. physical his game is, at times. I’d like to see that more consistently, After the game, Gregor offered his view of the run-in with Giroux, one of because it really helps that line out.” the playoff-bound Flyers’ most important players. Gregor said: “That’s something that I definitely talked a lot about with the “Puck coming to him in the middle, I’m trying to make a play on the puck,” American League coaches. I can bring that physicality to the NHL level. I the 21-year-old Gregor said. “I don’t think I got him in the head or think that’s something that not a ton of guys have that they can play that anything, just trying to make a play on the puck.” way. I think I’ve done a pretty good job of that at trying to include that in my game.” THIS IS WHAT @NHL OFFICIALS CALL A "CHECK TO THE HEAD". #SJSHARKS | #NOWORNEVER | #SJSVSPHI | #FLYERS Something else Gregor would like to continue to improve is his ability to PIC.TWITTER.COM/AESHF364DU hang onto the puck.

— TEAL TOWN USA – A SAN JOSE SHARKS PODCAST “Lots of it just comes with confidence and getting a little more touches,” (@TEALTOWNUSA) FEBRUARY 26, 2020 he said. “I think I’ve improved on holding onto pucks a little longer and protecting the puck. I think I learned that at the American League level, One person surely pleased with the sequence was Sharks interim head different ways to hold on to the puck and create offense. I think I’ve coach Bob Boughner, who has seen Gregor’s tremendous speed on improved in that way.” display but would like to see him continue to be physical at the NHL level, too. That was a big part of the 6-0, 185-pound Gregor’s game during his Couture said: “He’s quick. He’s smart. He sees the game well. As he gets three seasons in the WHL for Moose Jaw, Victoria and Prince Albert. more experience, he’s going to get some more patience with the puck. He has a creativity where he can make plays. You can tell he’s a skilled It’s also a big part of the reason that Boughner has been giving Gregor a player and he has got a good shot.” long look on one of the Sharks’ top lines lately. Thursday’s Sharks game against Minnesota, a 3-2 loss at SAP Center, was the fourth straight that Still, it looks like Gregor will be out of the lineup on Saturday when the Gregor has started in the top six and third straight he began the night on Sharks host the Ottawa Senators. the right wing with Logan Couture and Evander Kane. During line rushes at Friday’s practice as SAP Center, it was Dylan After 17 games with the Sharks earlier this season in which he posted Gambrell with Couture and Kane, while Gregor was an extra. (Boughner just one point, a goal against the Kings on Nov. 29, Gregor was would not confirm any changes after practice.) reassigned to the AHL Barracuda on Dec. 15. He was recalled by the While the Sharks aren’t pleased to be out of playoff contention with four Sharks on Feb. 13 and has been with the big club ever since. weeks left in the regular season, it does give the coaching staff the On Thursday morning, Boughner said he’d like Gregor to “continue to opportunity to rotate different young players in and out of the lineup to get stick with his details” and added: “He’s done a real good job (since) his a better handle on what they have moving forward. Gregor struggled last call up. He’s shown more confidence with the puck. I think his pace against the Maple Leafs and, power-play assist aside, didn’t have a great has been good. I want him to push the pace as much as possible, performance against the Wild, either, with a team-low 42.9 shot-attempt especially with Cooch and Kaner on that line. And when I say details, that percentage and minus-2 rating. His icing in the first period led to line is probably going to see the other team’s best line every night. It’s a Minnesota’s first goal by Ryan Suter. good experience for him to be able to defend, as well as create some “It’s just like with any other young guy, it’s a learning experience. I think offense on that line.” that he’s made a couple young mistakes in the last couple games,” Gregor has seen some pretty good opposition during the homestand Boughner said on Friday. “Regardless of what happens (Saturday), he’s already, including last Saturday when Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby was on going to get back in there.” the other side. According to Natural Stat Trick, Gregor was on the ice for Alexander True will likely return to the lineup after he was a healthy just under 10 minutes against the future Hall of Famer, while he and his scratch the last three games. Antti Suomela will remain in, too. linemates scored a pair of 5-on-5 goals and allowed none in the Sharks’ impressive 5-0 win. “It’s got to be taken that it’s not a bad thing or you’re in the doghouse or anything like that,” Boughner said. “It is a learning experience. (True) has On Tuesday, Gregor got a healthy dose of Auston Matthews and Mitch gotten that message, and I thought (Suomela) when he was out, he got Marner, skating against them for approximately six minutes with both back in and took advantage of the situation and opportunity and he’s teams at full strength. Gregor was on the ice for both goals the Sharks staying. These guys are fighting for a spot where they have to do something every night and be detailed and structured, where they won’t give us a reason to take them back out. It’s a good competition.”

It will continue until the season finale on April 4, as the young players who remain on the NHL roster, like Gregor, will do everything they can to put themselves in a good position going into training camp next September.

— Reported from San Jose

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180048 St Louis Blues offseason and had been in the minors until the Devils’ trade deadline dealings opened some roster spots. This was his 18th NHL game.

He was being challenged by Pietrangelo and was skating the puck away Blues' winning streak ends against Devils from the goal when he turned and fired from the top of the left circle and put it in off the post past a stunned looking Colton Parayko, who was in front of the net. “That happens 15 times a game and it goes wide,” Pietrangelo said. “When we’re winning and on a streak, we’re getting Tom Timmermann 46 min ago 0 those bounces.”

Another goal from a defenseman, this time Connor Carrick, made it 3-1 NEWARK, N.J. — The last time the New Jersey Devils beat the Blue was with 2:02 to go in the second. His shot from the point again found its way more than six years ago, on Jan. 21, 2014. Only three players for the through traffic and beat Binnington. Then it briefly looked like the Devils Blues who suited up on Friday night were in that game, including Alex had gone up 4-1, but the Blues made a successful challenge of goalie Pietrangelo. interference and the goal came off the board.

“I was a lot younger then,” Pietrangelo said. For all their struggles, the Blues closed the gap to 3-2 on a goal by Jaden Schwartz with 3:11 to play and threatened to tie, but New Jersey got a The Blues have aged well in the intervening years, but they couldn’t late empty-net goal to seal it. Vince Dunn had a first-period power-play extend either that streak, which was at 12 games, matching the franchise goal for the Blues’ other score. record for wins against one team, or their current overall eight-game win streak. The Devils, the team that started the Blues’ win streak, were the One streak the Blues kept going was falling behind. This was the fifth team that ended it, beating the Blues 4-2 at Prudential Center on Friday game in a row that they trailed. night. “We didn’t execute very well with the puck,” Berube said. “Just a lot of Considering that the Devils were the only team the Blues played in that bobbled pucks and missed passes. They were quicker than us all night. eight-game run that weren’t in or closely pursuing a playoff berth, they We didn’t really get to our game tonight. The third period there for a while were an unlikely candidate to end it, but that’s the way it goes. The goal I thought we put pressure on them. They did a pretty good job for about that put the Devils ahead came from another unlikely candidate, Alton’s 10 minutes in the third period.” Dakota Mermis, whose first career NHL goal put New Jersey ahead in Also coming to an end was Brayden Schenn’s five-game goal streak. the second period. It was an unlikely night all around. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 “It was a good little run, but it’s over now,” forward Zach Sanford said. “We’ll come into Sunday prepared and start a new one.”

The Blues’ recent games had been getting closer and closer. Win No. 6 came in overtime, Win No. 7 came in a shootout and Win No. 8 required the Blues to hold off some quality chances by the Rangers throughout. On this one, they fell behind again and couldn’t get back.

“It started in the Rangers game and I think it just carried over,” Pietrangelo said. “We’re not aggressive enough on the forecheck, not making plays out of their D zone, just giving the puck away. We’re just chasing the game, so it’s the same things as the Rangers game. We just weren’t able to grab it. We know that’s not good enough.”

For all the disappointment about seeing the win streak end, there was also the reality that the team had just won eight games in a row, regardless of style points.

“We put ourselves in a good spot,” Pietrangelo said. “It’s one game.”

“We played some real good hockey (in the streak),” coach Craig Berube said. “We won eight games in a row and we ended up not playing good enough tonight. You’re not always going to have your best game night in and night out. Tonight they were a lot better than us I thought.”

New Jersey won by getting to the net and blocking Jordan Binnington’s view of shots, while the Blues didn’t do the same thing to New Jersey’s Corey Schneider.

“I don’t think we were connected tonight,” forward Oskar Sundqvist said. “We didn’t help each other. That’s not our game and when we are not playing our game we’re not successful. We need to get back to being connected and being tight.

“We’re not in front of his eyes. If you’re not in front of the goalie’s eyes, he’s going to catch 10 out of 10 so we need to take his eyes away and get some bodies in front of him.”

This has happened before toward the end of some of the Blues streaks. In the final few games, there’s some imperfect play, but they keep on winning. Eventually, the wins turn into losses.

“A lot of times you go on these streaks and maybe you’re getting bounces and finding ways to win that maybe aren’t necessarily playing the way that you want to play,” Pietrangelo said. “We got away with one in New York. I didn’t think we played our game; I don’t think we played our best but we found a way to win. Come in here, we didn’t get the bounces tonight. They got the bounces.”

First instance, there was the goal by Mermis, a defenseman who had been in the Arizona organization. He signed with New Jersey in the 1180049 St Louis Blues

Blues notebook: Go east, young men: club's farm team will be in Springfield, Mass.

Tom Timmermann 41 min ago 0

NEWARK, N.J. — The Blues have secured a new AHL affiliate, signing a five-year deal with the Springfield (Mass.) Thunderbirds that will start next season.

The Blues have been looking for a farm team since their current affiliate, the , was bought on Feb. 6 by the Vegas Golden Knights, who will move them to Las Vegas and use them as their farm team starting next season. Springfield had been the affiliate of the Florida Panthers; the four-year deal between those teams runs out after this season.

The Blues will have the same situation with Springfield as they did with San Antonio: The Blues will oversee the hockey side of the operation, providing players and coaches, while the local ownership will take care of the business side. (The San Antonio coaching staff will relocate to Springfield.) There are advantages to having a team in the northeast: travel is simpler — plane flights are rare — and travel time is greatly reduced, leaving more practice time. Southwest has nonstop flights between nearby Hartford, Conn., and St. Louis for when players are called up.

It’s the second time the Blues have had their farm team in Massachusetts. Their affiliate was in Worcester from 1995 to 2005 before the team was moved to Peoria, Ill.

The Blues have gone through a lot of churn in their farm system in recent years. The Thunderbirds will be their third affiliate in five seasons, with another season in which they didn’t have an affiliated farm team. The Blues farm team was the through 2016-17, but that relationship ended with the Wolves becoming Vegas’ farm team. In 2017- 18, the Blues didn’t have an affiliate when a planned AHL expansion team didn’t materialize and there was one less AHL team than NHL teams and the Blues were the odd team out. That led to a strange season with some Blues prospects in Chicago, some in San Antonio, neither of which situations the Blues controlled, and goalie Jordan Binnington being loaned to the team in Providence, R.I., so he could get games. In 2018-19, the San Antonio affiliation opened up and the Blues signed a five-year deal with the Rampage, but that deal ended early when the team was sold.

Though Springfield has had an AHL team since 1926, the Thunderbirds are in just their fourth season. The previous incarnation of Springfield hockey, which once employed a broadcaster named Chris Kerber, moved to Tucson, Ariz., and local businessmen bought the team in Portland, Maine, and moved it to Springfield.

“Springfield is a strong franchise in a city with a rich hockey heritage,” GM Doug Armstrong said. “Our partnership will allow us to continue to develop our players and further strengthen our franchise as a whole.”

Faulk has injury

Defenseman Justin Faulk missed the game with an upper-body injury, the first game he has missed his season. He is listed as day to day.

It’s unclear what Faulk’s injury might be, but he was injured in practice on Thursday. Faulk played 23:38 against the Rangers on Tuesday, the second most on the team.

Carl Gunnarsson, who had been on standby for the Rangers game while the team awaited word as to whether an ailing Colton Parayko could go, got in this time and was paired with Alex Pietrangelo.

Faulk’s absence leaves five Blues — Brayden Schenn, Jaden Schwartz, Vince Dunn, David Perron and Ryan O’Reilly — with perfect attendance records.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180050 St Louis Blues

Blues' new AHL team will be in Springfield, Mass.

Tom Timmermann 10 hrs ago 0

The Blues' new American Hockey League affiliate will be in Springfield, Mass.

The Blues announced Friday they had signed a five-year affiliating agreement that starts next season with the . Springfield had previously been the AHL team for the Florida Panthers.

The Blues had been in the market for a new affiliate since their current team, the San Antonio Rampage, was bought by the Vegas Golden Knights, who will make it their farm team and will move the franchise to Las Vegas after this season.

Springfield (population 155,000) is just above the Connecticut state line, and the closest major airport is in Hartford, so that's where players will be driving to catch a plane when they get called up.

It will also be convenient for two Blues executives. Assistant general manager Bill Armstrong lives in Rhode Island and Kevin McDonald, who serves as the San Antonio general manager, lives in North Andover, Mass., near the New Hampshire border.

Springfield hopefully will provide some stability to the Blues farm system. The Blues had been using the Chicago Wolves, until the Wolves signed on as Vegas' farm team. The Blues then had a season without an affiliate -- a planned AHL expansion team that would have been their affiliate didn't materialize -- and then the past two seasons they have had San Antonio.

A previous Springfield AHL team, the Falcons, which had a young play- by-play man named Chris Kerber, moved to Tucson, Ariz., in May 2016. A group of Springfield businessmen bought the Portland (Maine) Pirates and moved them to Springfield, changed their named to the Thunderbirds, and began play in the fall of 2016.

"Springfield is a strong franchise in a city with a rich hockey history," general manager Doug Armstrong said. "Our partnership will allow us to continue to develop our players and further strengthen our franchise as a whole."

The Blues control all hockey operations in San Antonio, so players and coaches under contract to the Blues there will simply move to Springfield.

The Blues have had their farm team in Massachusetts before. From 1995 to 2005, their AHL team was the Worcester IceCats.

The Thunderbirds play in the MassMutual Center, an 8,000-seat arena in downtown Springfield. The city has had an AHL team going back to 1926.

Prior to being in Portland, the Thunderbirds franchise was in Baltimore and Erie, Pa.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180051 St Louis Blues Berube still isn't sure how close his return is. The Blues have 15 games to play.

"It’s really hard to tell," Berube said. "From a conditioning standpoint, Blues are up, Devils are down, but Berube is concerned skating, things like that, he can play. But his shoulder’s got to be 100 percent and he’s going to get a test done (soon) and we’ll know a little bit more. But he’s looking good. I can’t really give you a timetable on it but he’s looking good and he’s making a lot of progress." Tom Timmermann 8 hrs ago 0 NO GERMS HERE

Healthiest guy – or maybe most germ-free guy – on the Blues is likely NEWARK, N.J. – The Blues have the second-best record in the NHL, the forward Mackenzie MacEachern. The Blues have one more player than Devils have the fifth worst. The Blues have won eight in a row overall and they have stalls in the visiting dressing room at Prudential Center, so 12 straight against the Devils. MacEachern’s “stall” consists of two folding chairs next to each other and Which probably explains why Blues coach Craig Berube is concerned. his nameplate is attached to a hand sanitizer dispenser on the wall above it. Two and a half weeks ago, when the Blues faced the Devils at Enterprise Center, the Blues had 39 shots on goal and scored just three times, LINES finally breaking through on goalie Louis Domingue midway through the The Blues had an optional morning skate after busing over from second period on their way to a 3-0 win that started their current win Manhattan on Friday morning. Berube said Jordan Binnington will start in streak. goal, which likely means that Jake Allen will start in Chicago on Sunday The best news for the Blues: Domingue is gone. He was first placed on and Binnington will start against Florida at home on Monday. waivers and sent to the minors, and then later was traded to Vancouver. Carl Gunnarsson was the only defenseman to take part in the optional Cory Schneider will go tonight. practice, which would mean he’s likely a scratch, but he came off early, “We’re going to get a different goalie,” Berube said, “but the Devils are 8- which points to someone’s status being up in the air, probably with the 4-4 in their last 16 games. They’ve been playing pretty good hockey, their sickness that’s been going around. power play has been very good in the past eight games, so they’ve got Blues good young talent over there and they’re trying to find a way and prove themselves. It’s not going to be an easy game, we know that. We’re Forwards going to have to be ready to score.” Schwartz-O’Reilly-Schenn The Blues have had two days off since beating the Rangers on Tuesday. Wednesday was totally off. Thursday the team practiced at Prudential Sanford-Thomas-Perron Center. Today, the Blues had an optional morning skate. The schedule is Steen-Bozak-Kyrou about to get very hectic for the Blues: the Devils today, a flight to Chicago to play the Blackhawks on Sunday, then a game the next day at home Barbashev-Sundqvist-Blais against Florida, then an offday with a flight to Anaheim to replay the game interrupted by Jay Bouwmeester’s heart episode. Four games in Defensemen six days, just one of them at home and games on both sides of the Faulk-Pietrangelo country. Scandella-Parayko Berube stressed the need for his team to be patient against the young Devils. Dunn-Bortuzzo

“They’ve got good speed,” he said. “They get on top of you, they don’t Goalie give you any time, so you’ve got to move, you’ve got to make sure you’re doing things quick. A lot of times coming into a game like tonight, you Binnington think, we should win and it’s going to be easy, but it’s not. It’s going to be DEVILS hard. They’re going to put pressure on us everywhere and they’ve got good skill over there they can capitalize on opportunities with their skill, Forwards so you’ve got to stay focused and not get frustrated when you play these teams and just stay with it and keep wearing them down and wearing Hughes-Hischier-Palmieri them down. I thought we did a good job of it last time against them, we Wood-Zajac-Boqvist didn’t get frustrated when it was a 0-0 game for a long time and just stayed with what we were supposed to do. We didn’t give up much Bratt-Zacha-Gusev against them and that’s got to be our mindset tonight. We’ve got to be Rooney-McLeod-Anderson patient but not get frustrated and keep wearing them down and take the game over eventually.” Defensemen

LINE DRIVES Muller-Subban

The line of Brayden Schenn, Ryan O’Reilly and Jaden Schwartz have a Mermis-Severson goal in each game since they’ve been put together. But the line of Zach Sanford, Robert Thomas and David Perron hasn’t been as effective. Carrick-Jacobs

“I think they’re just not connected,” Berube said. “They’re not working in Goalie synch together. They’re a little late. They’re not connected as a Schneider threesome out there. You need three guys on a line to make it work nowadays. If you have two guys doing it and one guy’s not, it just doesn’t St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 work. You need everybody on board and connected all over the ice to make it successful. And the last two games, I’ve found they’re not winning enough puck battles and things like that and are not quite connected the way they need to be.”

HOW'S VLADI?

Vladimir Tarasenko continues to put in the ice time as he nears a return, going the full distance with the healthy scratches during the team's optional morning skate. 1180052 St Louis Blues Pietrangelo and Parayko are the only Blues to have more than one wraparound in their career, and since the league started keeping track no one has more than six. For years, the king of the wraparound for the Blues was forward Dmitrij Jaskin, who attempted 30 of them in his four Wrap music: Blues in front when it comes to scoring from behind the net full seasons in St. Louis though he only scored on one.

Parayko’s wraparound banked in off the goalie’s pad, which is how a lot of them go in. To get them in directly, it helps to have a curve at the toe Tom Timmermann 14 hrs ago 0 of the stick rather than the heel.

“You see a lot of guys go for wraparounds and miss because the puck is NEWARK, N.J. — When Brayden Schenn reached out from behind the spinning,” Allen said, “and if you don’t have a big curve it’s tough to get it Rangers net on Tuesday and tried to pass the puck to Ryan O’Reilly at in.” the far post, his pass hit the pad of goalie Alexandar Georgiev and “It fits in that pocket nicely,” Thomas said. “And you just put it in.” banked into the net. “You feel rather helpless, to be honest,” said , the Blues TV It not only put the Blues in the lead, but it put the team in the history analyst and former NHL goalie. “It’s a helpless feeling of trying to get books. back to your post because you know what’s going on and it seems like Since Schenn was behind the net, the score went into the stats as a slow motion as that player’s going behind the net and you’re just hopeful wraparound goal, the seventh for the team this season and the most for that it rolls off his blade or you get that pad there.” any club since the league started charting the stat in 2009-10. The Blues As they say in Hollywood: That’s a wrap. have gone wild for wraparounds: their seven are more than twice as many as any other team and more than they had in the previous four BLUES VS. DEVILS seasons combined. Only one other time in the 11 seasons the NHL has tracked wraparounds have the Blues had more than two in a season. When, where: 6 p.m. Friday, Prudential Center, Newark, N.J.

“I think it’s a good play,” said O’Reilly, who had a recent wraparound TV, radio: FSM, WXOS (101.1 FM) chance go across the goal mouth and not in. “I think we know in this About the Devils group that you want to take it below the goal line and when you’re attacking the net, if you get a goalie challenging, it’s a good play. You’re Defenseman Will Butcher is out for the season after surgery for a right literally getting it deep and then coming back with it. It’s tough to say it’s a thumb injury sustained Feb. 18 against the Blues. That game, a 3-0 specific mindset, but if you have a lot of speed it’s a dangerous play.” Blues win, marked the start of the Blues’ current eight-game winning streak. It was also the Blues’ 12th straight victory against the Devils; if St. The Blues coaching staff is on the lookout for it and has alerted players Louis wins Friday it will set a franchise record for consecutive wins when the chance could be there, as when Zach Sanford got his against an opposing team. wraparound against Carolina goalie Peter Mrazek on Feb. 4. Between periods, goalie coach David Alexander noted that Mrazek was The Devils are 26-28-12 for 64 points, last in the Metropolitan Division overcommitting to one side, so when Sanford came down the wing, he and 14th in the Eastern Conference. But since the Dec. 16 Taylor Hall faked going to the net, drew Mrazek over and then went around to the trade to Arizona, they’re 16-11-7 for 39 points; that’s 12th in the NHL other side for the goal. over that span. So New Jersey has been playing good hockey lately, particularly with Mackenzie Blackwood in goal. Blackwood is 21-13-8, “There’s a lot of exposure there,” coach Craig Berube said. “A lot of these with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. The goalies come out and challenge way out of their net; you know, (do) a Devils’ 3-0 loss Tuesday against Vegas marked Blackwood’s first little fake and go around wraparound.” regulation loss since Jan. 9. Other teams try them more — Ottawa has tried 37 wraps to the Blues’ 23 St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 03.07.2020 — but the Blues’ success rate of 30.4 percent would be the best ever. Besides Schenn and Sanford, the Blues have gotten wraparound goals from Colton Parayko (in overtime vs. the Islanders), Ivan Barbashev, Mackenzie MacEachern, Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas.

“It’s just one of those things,” Thomas said. “It’s all situational, and I guess we’re looking for it a little bit more than other teams. It’s usually your last option. Usually you’re looking to shoot or pass and then you kind of have nothing and then you go around the net, either wrap it around or look for late guys. I think it’s one of the lower options on your scale.”

Deception plays a key role in a wraparound. The goalie needs to be lured out from his goal.

“If the goalie is on his post, he’s going to beat you to the other side every time,” Thomas said.

“Usually as a goalie you’re just out of position,” goalie Jake Allen said. “You’re too far on that strong side of the net and you’ve just sort of given the weak side up. It’s not that you’re giving it up, you just have a harder time getting there.

“The opposing player’s speed and if we have a defender on them or not (factor in). A lot depends if it’s on his forehand or backhand. Most wraparound goals are scored on the forehand.”

As that list of Blues scorers shows, it helps to be tall and have a long reach to be able to reach the puck out and pull it back more quickly. Another factor that helps: Someone in front of the goal.

“The goalie’s got to make a decision between taking away the pass or the shot, and that’s when you get the guy out of position,” said Alex Pietrangelo, who has two career wraparounds. “When you have a reach like (Parayko) does, it’s such an advantage because the goalie can’t get over quick enough.” 1180053 Tampa Bay Lightning the Bruins in the postseason, with or without Steven Stamkos, out a projected six to eight weeks after core muscle surgery this week.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 Can the Lightning beat the Bruins?

By Diana C. Nearhos

BOSTON — There’s no test like taking on the NHL’s top team twice in five days. And it’s giving the Lightning a good look at where they stand with a month left in the season.

They lost to the Bruins 2-1 on Tuesday at Amalie Arena and get another try for a win today in Boston. Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn called these games a measuring stick. Playing the top team always is, but especially when it’s also an Atlantic Division rival and potential second-round playoff opponent.

The Bruins have a comfortable nine-point division lead on the second- place Lightning. The teams have 14 and 15 games left, respectively, in the regular season. Boston is on pace to take on the second wild card in the first round of the playoffs, and a second-place finish would put Tampa Bay against the division’s third-place team. The Lightning have a 10-point lead over the Maple Leafs (14 games left), who are four points up on the fourth-place Panthers (15 games left).

Barring upsets, Boston and Tampa Bay would meet in the second round. So let’s look at the Lightning’s chances to beat the Bruins in today’s game, for the Atlantic Division title and in a playoff series.

In the game

On Tuesday, the Lightning started slowly and the Bruins seized control.

“We’re kind of waiting to see what Boston team we’re going to get instead of imposing ourselves and being the team that they’re wondering how they’re going to adjust to us,” Lightning forward Alex Killorn said.

The Lightning beat the Bruins twice earlier in the season. Even in October’s disaster of a special-teams performance (Boston went 3-for-5 on the power play, the Lightning 0-for-3), Tampa Bay forced Boston to play its game 5-on-5 and pulled out a shootout win.

The Lightning simplified their game as the night went on Tuesday, finally bringing it to the Bruins in the third period. If they find that earlier in a game, they are difficult to play against.

For the Atlantic Division

The Lightning have lost five of their past seven games, leaving a first- place finish just about out of reach. Unless Boston slips up, Tampa Bay may need to win all 15 of its remaining games to do it.

For a couple of weeks, the Lightning hovered one to three points behind the Bruins. Beating the Bruins twice this week would have put them in a better position.

“This is no time to take a breath and relax,” coach Jon Cooper said. “I think it’s good we’re playing these teams that have something to play for and push. It should be good for us.”

In a playoff series

All three previous Lightning-Bruins games this season were decided by a goal. A playoff series would be fun to watch.

The Lightning need to set the tone and force their opponent to adjust to them, no matter who it is.

Anthony Cirelli has continued to emerge as a shutdown center, and he was matched up with the Bruins’ top line Tuesday against Patrice Bergeron, who has set the standard at the position. That showdown would be one of the highlights of a playoff series.

The Bruins’ depth scoring has been inconsistent. At times Boston has leaned heavily on its top trio: Bergeron, David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand. Pastrnak and Marchand are two of the league’s top six scorers, with 93 and 85 points, respectively.

The Lightning have the pieces to win a playoff series between the teams. Their 10- and 11-game winning streaks this season have been clinics on winning hockey. If they can play at that level consistently, they can beat 1180054 Tampa Bay Lightning

NHL urges players to limit fan contact as coronavirus caution

By Associated Press

Published Earlier today

TORONTO — The NHL has sent a memo to teams urging players to limit contact with fans because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Deputy commissioner Bill Daly confirmed that the league issued the memo in an email to the Canadian Press on Friday.

The move follows a similar directive this month by the NBA, which told its players to stop high-fiving fans and strangers, and to avoid taking items for autographs.

The Lightning are on the road for their next three games, in Boston, Detroit and Toronto. Their next home game is Thursday against the Flyers.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday at the close of the annual general managers meetings in Boca Raton that he ordered a halt to all business-related travel outside North America for league employees. And if an individual ends up in a location affected by the virus on their own, the NHL is mandating a two-week quarantine before that person can return to work.

The Sharks’ home game against the Senators on Saturday night remained on schedule despite a recommendation by the Santa Clara County (Calif.) Public Health Department to cancel large gatherings in the county because of its cases of COVID-19, the disease cause by the virus.

The Sharks encouraged fans to follow another suggestion from the health department, which recommends that “persons at higher risk avoid mass gatherings such as parades, sporting events, and concerts where large numbers of people are within arm’s length of one another.”

The Sharks announced Friday that all events at SAP Center this weekend will go on as scheduled.

The Lightning made their seasonal trip to San Jose to play the Sharks at the beginning of February.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180055 Tampa Bay Lightning “It seems like I’m just finding the right spots,” Killorn said, “and when I do get the opportunity, I’m making the most of it.”

Contact Mari Faiello at [email protected]. Follow @faiello_mari. Lightning shut out Canadiens as Alex Killorn sets career points high Lightning 2-1-1—4

Canadiens 0-0-0—0 By Mari Faiello First Period—1, Tampa Bay, Hedman 10 (Cernak, Kucherov), 0:49. 2, Tampa Bay, Killorn 25 (Cirelli), 12:40. Penalties—Bogosian, TB (Interference), 4:59. TAMPA — Alex Killorn battled against Canadiens forward Jordan Weal at the wall for puck possession before fishing the puck out to the corner. Second Period—3, Tampa Bay, Kucherov 32 (Maroon, Point), 18:55. Penalties—Shattenkirk, TB (Holding), 15:52; Chiarot, Mon (Roughing), The Lightning forward stepped back, hovering at the edge of the left 20:00; Sergachev, TB (Fighting), 20:00; Weber, Mon (Fighting), 20:00. faceoff circle in the defensive zone as the puck and traffic moved around the right side of the ice. And while everyone’s attention was focused on Third Period—4, Tampa Bay, Hedman 11 (Shattenkirk, Gourde), 18:56 where the puck went, no one had sight of Killorn, who raced down the ice (pp). Penalties—Cernak, TB (Interference), 14:59; Chiarot, Mon in line with forward Anthony Cirelli. (Roughing), 17:26; Chiarot, Mon (Misconduct), 17:26; Folin, Mon (Slashing), 19:44. Cirelli pulled the puck back, passing it behind him to Killorn. Only Montreal defenseman Brett Kulak stood in their way. Killorn fired the Shots on Goal—Montreal 8-12-12_32. Tampa Bay 12-6-5_23. Power- puck past goalie Carey Price to set a personal record in the Lightning’s 4- play opportunities—Montreal 0 of 3; Tampa Bay 1 of 3. Goalies— 0 win Thursday night at Amalie Arena. Montreal, Price 27-23-6 (23 shots-19 saves). Tampa Bay, Vasilevskiy 33- 13-3 (32-32). T—2:28. Referees—Jon Mclsaac, Kendrick Nicholson. Killorn’s first-period goal, which gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead, was his Linesmen—Devin Berg, Pierre Racicot. 48th point of the season, a career best. Killorn improved on the 47 points he had in 2017-18. Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.07.2020

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves to give the Canadiens their first shutout loss of the season. The Lightning (42-20-5) got their fourth shutout of the year.

Keep 'em coming, Killer pic.twitter.com/gb0LHttSXQ

— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) March 6, 2020

“I didn’t play well the past few games, so it feels pretty good to get the shutout,” said Vasilevskiy, who improved to 11-1-2 against the Canadiens. “But we played well defensively and we did a great job.’’

Coach Jon Cooper isn’t surprised by Killorn’s successful year.

“For somebody who just turned 30 (in September), to have a career year in really more of a young man’s game … I like seeing that,” Cooper said.

Killorn has recorded seven multipoint games this season and has been one of the most consistent players on the ice. He has gone four or more games without a point only twice this season.

Killorn previously this year set a career high in goals for a season. Thursday night’s goal was his 25th. His previous best was 19 in 2016-17.

Killorn is the third player on the Lightning to get 25 goals this season, after Steven Stamkos (29) and Nikita Kucherov (32), who scored in the second period Thursday to put the Lightning up 3-0.

Killorn’s average ice time has increased from previous seasons to 17:54. He averaged 14:52 last season. His career high is 18 minutes in 2016- 17.

Killorn’s shooting is a part of what has made a difference for him this season. He ranks third in the league and first on the Lightning in shooting percentage at 20 percent. His previous best was 11.8 percent in 2018- 19.

Cooper has known Killorn for almost his entire pro career (with the exception of the first 32 Lightning games in 2012-13 before he took over as coach). Cooper has seen Killorn take on a more veteran status in the league that has built into a more apparent leadership role, too.

“I think that’s just benefited him on the ice,” Cooper said. “He deserves this. He’s worked hard for us for a lot of years.”

Killorn can’t pinpoint what’s different.

“I think as you get older, you get more comfortable in the league, you find different ways to score,” Killorn said. “But it’s been going really well for me this year.”

He has played with Anthony Cirelli for most of the season, getting in a groove with a center who has made a name for himself early in his NHL career. Cirelli assisted on Killorn’s goal Thursday.

Killorn is comfortable being on a line with a player eight years his junior and who can find Killorn in just the right spots on the ice. 1180056 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning players react to Johnny Boychuk skate accident

By Mari Faiello

TAMPA — It was a terrifying moment Tuesday night when Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk took a skate blade to the face from Canadiens wing Artturi Lehkonen.

Lehkonen tripped and fell, and his right skate grazed the side of Boychuk’s face near his right eye.

Boychuk immediately dropped his stick and fell to the ice, grabbing the eye and writhing in pain. He stood up on his own seconds later, skated to the exit door and sprinted down the tunnel.

Johnny Boychuk rushes off the ice after taking Artturi Lehkonen's skate to the face. Very scary. pic.twitter.com/NwpIQAzznP

— Brady Trettenero (@BradyTrett) March 4, 2020

Boychuk needed 90 stitches over the eyelid and a plastic surgeon to repair the injury. The skate missed his eyeball, and the Islanders have said he’ll be fine. He thanked his Twitter followers Wednesday for their positive words and well wishes. He was doubtful for Thursday’s game in Ottawa.

Thank you to everyone for the positive messages and thoughts! I am extremely grateful. Please know they did not go unheard. Luckily for me the skate only cut my eyelid. Sorry for the late response...facial recognition wasn’t working... thank you again my friends. Johnny B

— Johnny Boychuk (@joboych) March 4, 2020

Lightning defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk couldn’t believe it when he saw the replay of what happened, calling the aftermath “nuts.”

“It’s scary,” he said. “Unfortunately I don’t think a lot of us think about that happening until it actually does. Just glad to hear there wasn’t any damage to his eye and he just needed stitches.”

RELATED: NHL limits travel by league employees over Coronavirus

Shattenkirk hasn’t seen anyone take a skate to the face in person, but in high school he saw a player take a skate to the neck. EMTs were on-site, and the was taken to a hospital.

“It’s something that can happen at all levels,” he said. “But it’s part of the game.”

Boychuk Injury Update from Lou Lamoriello: “Johnny Boychuk is ok. Fortunately the skate blade just got the eyelid. It took 90 stitches for a plastic surgeon to fix. But he’ll be fine.” #Isles pic.twitter.com/vYfsx9MAYO

— New York Islanders (@NYIslanders) March 4, 2020

Lightning defenseman Luke Schenn saw the replay of Boychuk’s injury. Schenn can’t imagine what 90 stitches looks like right now but said Boychuk is lucky his eye wasn’t damaged.

“It’s your worst nightmare,” he said. “It’s a freak accident, but you see it (in the league). It’s like someone taking a knife and running it across your face pretty much.”

RELATED: The Lightning are finally expecting new sticks held up by the Coronavirus

Last month saw two other skate-related injuries in the league. Islanders forward Casey Cizikas was cut on his left leg in a game against the Flyers and is still out. Red Wings forward Brendan Perlini took a skate to the face in a game against the Sabres and needed stitches along the outer part of his nose. He also had bruising around his right eye. He has played since.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180057 Tampa Bay Lightning The stuff Schenn has kept is saved in his homemade locker inside his garage. “I’ve played with enough teams now, where there’s a lot of stuff hanging around and stinking up the place,” he joked.

Treasures or trash? Here’s what Lightning players do with old Pat Maroon promotional gear Previous teams: Anaheim Ducks, Edmonton Oilers, New Jersey Devils, St. Louis Blues

By Mari Faiello Maroon, previously a member of the reigning Stanley Cup champion, was traded to the Lightning over the summer, and still has his skates, Published Yesterday gloves and sticks.

“I have a pair of gloves from all the teams I’ve played (with) before,” the forward said. As for the promotional gear, it’s just laying around his TAMPA — It’s been almost two weeks since the NHL’s trade deadline, house. which got us thinking: What do NHL players do with their old promotional and playing gear once they move to another team? “I’ll wear some stuff to work out or go for a walk with the dogs,” he said. “Other than that, I really don’t use it." These Lightning players weighed in: The defenseman hasn’t made his way around the league too much when Kevin Shattenkirk it comes to playing on multiple teams, but after his eight-season stint in Previous teams: New York Rangers, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis New York, he was bound to have some stuff lying around. He has some Blues, Washington Capitals sweatshirts and Winter Classic gear and commemorative jerseys from different playoff runs he keeps around. A few jerseys are even framed in The defenseman’s closet back at his summer home includes old his house. promotional jackets and jerseys stored in boxes. He even has jackets from his championship summer teams as a kid. When he went back home to Minnesota, he reminisced over some old memories seeing some of that old promotional gear. “I mean sometimes, you’re looking for something else and you look through a box and an hour later you kind of forgot what you’re looking “It’s a fun part of being able to play, a fortunate part of being able to for,” he said. “Some of those things are certainly fun to keep.” play,” he said. “Playing all the time, I’ve played in some big games with some big moments and I’m sure I’ll grow to love (the old gear) more When it comes to his playing gear, he passes that off to his older down the road.” brothers, who play in men’s leagues. “They’re usually outfitted in some new Bauer gear,” Shattenkirk chuckled. “New helmets, new gloves and Previous teams: Piráti Chomutov, Chicago Blackhawks stuff.” Chicago holds a special place in the defenseman’s heart. When Rutta Shattenkirk also has donated some sticks and gloves to charities and was traded to Tampa Bay last January, he gave some of his old gear to auctions. family and friends.

Erik Cernak But the stuff he decided to hang onto is kept in a large bag at a friend’s house in Chicago. It’s out of sight, out of mind for now but he said he Previous team: Los Angeles Kings might go through it during this year’s offseason.

The defenseman joined Tampa Bay in 2017 in exchange for Ben Bishop. “Just some things that I’m not going to use for a while,” he said. “I had He wasn’t with the Kings for long — having been drafted in 2015 — but some things at home and I didn’t want to throw them out. It might end up still had some gear hanging around when he made the move. being a cool present for somebody; you just never know and it’s not taking up a lot of space.” “It’s nice memories (going through it every so often),” he said. “I’m grateful for them.” Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 03.07.2020 Curtis McElhinney

Previous teams: Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, Ottawa Senators, Phoenix Coyotes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs, Carolina Hurricanes

The back-up goaltender has had his fair share of moving around prior to getting traded to Tampa Bay. McElhinney leads the Lightning roster with the most teams previously played for (seven).

He said his stuff is packed pretty tightly in a shed in Steamboat, Colo. McElhinney usually takes home two sets of pads and gloves after every season, estimating he has between 12 and 15 sets stored.

“I don’t know what its future goal is, to be honest with you,” McElhinney joked. “It’s not as much with the memories as it is I don’t know what to do with it.”

Most of the promotional gear he ends up just giving away to kids at hockey schools.

Luke Schenn

Previous teams: Toronto Maple Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Arizona Coyotes, Anaheim Ducks, Vancouver Canucks)

The defenseman keeps a bit of his old player gear tucked away in the garage, but most of it he gives to his father, Jeff, who works in a firehouse in Saskatoon, Canada, and plays in a firefighter hockey league.

“I’ve got some of it,” Schenn said, “but when you have multiple pairs ... it’s nice to give it away.” 1180058 Tampa Bay Lightning whether the previous lower-body injury and core-muscle ones are related — or if the first caused the second.

Stralman said it can be a tricky injury to deal with and manage, and you Other NHLers provide path for Steven Stamkos’ recovery from core don’t want to rush to try surgery. That was his dilemma as the Lightning surgery were heading down the stretch before the playoffs last year’s historical 62-win season.

“You can feel OK one day, and then the next day it’s brutal,” said By Joe Smith Mar 6, 2020 15 Stralman, who is now with the Panthers. “It’s just like on and off, on and off until you’re finally so tired of it. I think I saw we were close, you’re

used to playing through most stuff and you think it’s going to go away. TAMPA, Fla. — Ryan McDonagh was a workhorse, shutdown From my situation, I was unsure what it was, it probably wasn’t (sports defenseman for the Lightning from the time he was acquired at the 2018 hernia) to begin with, and then you know later in the season I deadline through three rounds of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. compensated too much then. It’s one of those things you don’t want to jump under the knife right away, either.” That included a monster, 3 minute, 24-second shift against the Bruins in Round 2. McDonagh said he was dealing with his sports hernia while with the Rangers before his blockbuster trade in February 2018 to Tampa Bay. But McDonagh did all this dealing with pain. He was playing with what’s He had also sustained a broken hand and figured that a four-week commonly called a sports hernia, which is a tear in the pelvic region, absence would allow him to rest the core injury. where the abdominal muscles and groin muscles attach. “We weighed options back-and-forth,” McDonagh said. “It was a different Eventually, McDonagh had offseason core surgery to repair the issue. situation. I was in New York at the time, we were fighting for the playoffs, and then they decided to rebuild. I had a broken hand for four weeks, so It was similar to what Lightning captain Steven Stamkos underwent on figured let it try to rehab.” Monday, with his core muscle surgery putting him out 6 to 8 weeks. You can try to play through it, but you’re not the same in a critical area: With both Stralman and McDonagh’s surgeries taking place in the skating. offseason, they had the benefit of taking it slow. There will certainly be more attention paid to Stamkos’ timeline as it’ll be during the playoffs. But “The way the game is today, a half-second too slow, you look way behind both McDonagh and Stralman said to expect a slow recovery, with “baby out there,” McDonagh said. “You can’t be as powerful, can’t shoot the steps.” puck the way you need to, you’re not as effective as a player. Then you start compensating or cheating. You’re not playing the same way, and it Dr. William C. Meyers, one of the top core surgeons, operates out of doesn’t do you or your team any good. There is a point where you try to Philadelphia at the Vincera Institute. According to their site, physical work through it and it doesn’t get any better, so you have to fix it.” therapy likely begins immediately after surgery. That could include cold laser therapy, education and ice compression. Meyers usually asks Because of the unnatural motion of skating, hockey is among the most patients to walk a mile the day after surgery to repair the core muscle common sports for sports hernia/core muscle injuries. All those sudden injury. But each specific recovery and rehab depends on the athlete, their propulsive moments from turning and cutting at a high rate of speed, they injury, previous medical history, etc. take their toll on the abdominal and groin region. You look at the list over the last few years of NHL players who have undergone the “From my experience with it, it’s a quite long recovery period for going procedure, it reads like an All-Star roster. Penguins captain Sidney back to normal,” Stralman said. “It’s not really until about this time of year Crosby missed two months from November to January after having the that I actually can go off the ice and know that I won’t feel it and have surgery. The Stars’ Jamie Benn, Flyers’ Claude Giroux and Shayne pain from it. It’s just scar tissue build-up, everything is all over the place. Gostisbehere and the Penguins’ Jason Zucker are among the many You have to fight through it.” others. McDonagh noted that unlike defensemen, who do a lot of their skating But the fact McDonagh is one of a number of Lightning players to go backward, forwards like Stamkos really are driving that core with their through the surgery and rehab is helpful in providing a blueprint for powerful skating and shooting. “He’s a big powerful guy with that shot,” Stamkos and the team’s athletic training staff, led by Tommy Mulligan. McDonagh said. “Every stride, you want to give 100 percent max effort Former Lightning defenseman Anton Stralman had a sports hernia for a turn or a shot or a hit. If you’re not able to get up to top speed or put surgery done on both sides at the end of last season. Former Lightning all your strength, you’ll take a hit wrong or not shoot it. Your core is the Conn Smythe winner Brad Richards had the surgery in January 2005, base of your strength. It’s really important to take care of it.” then followed it up with a career-high-matching 91-point season and played 11 more seasons. We don’t know when Stamkos will return, with McDonagh came back after his surgery and had one of his better the optimistic timetable of six weeks landing late in the first round. The seasons last year, including getting his name on some Norris Trophy extent of each core muscle injury can be different, as can the type of ballots. repair. Surgeons can use a mesh to cover the torn muscles or suture the “You’ve got to trust your training staff, and listen to yourself — take it one muscle attachments to the bones and ligaments. step at a time,” McDonagh said. “It’s like summer training. You can’t just But both the pain playing through it and the slow pace of recovery and jump to the finish line, you’re not squatting a ton or lifting a ton. Just take rehab can be equally frustrating. There are treatments you can try while baby steps. playing with it, like heat, ice, anti-inflammatory medicines, therapeutic “I think (Stamkos) will come back even better, and he was already having injections and massage therapy. a great year. So it’s something to look forward to for him and our team.” “It’s one of those things that it doesn’t hurt enough to put you out, but it Nuts and Bolts hurts you enough that you either consciously or subconsciously change your stride skating,” said Stralman, who had his double sports hernia • The Lightning beat the Canadiens, 4-0, on Thursday but weren’t entirely surgery in May. “And whether it’s not extending your stride, you take happy with their overall performance. Montreal was short-handed, shorter strides because it hurts too much. There’s just no way to without top liners Tomas Tatar (injured) and Brendan Gallagher (sick), generate power. and essentially had about 7-8 players in the lineup who had played in AHL this season. Tampa Bay pounced on the Canadiens early with two “It’s a very, very frustrating injury.” first-period goals and won, but they know they’ll have to be better against Stamkos had been dealing with an undisclosed lower-body injury for the Boston on Saturday. past month, including missing three games in early February. He said it Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy delivered with 32 saves, picking up his third was something he felt he could “manage” the rest of the season. But on shutout of the season. Feb. 25, Stamkos got hurt again, this time in a game against the Leafs, forcing him to miss the third period. This one seemed more ominous. And “I don’t know what it is right now, but we’ve got to play a full 60 after more extensive tests and conversations to get to the crux of the (minutes),” Maroon said. “We didn’t tonight, but we got a victory. We’re problem, it was decided Stamkos would have surgery. It’s unknown struggling right now, I don’t know why. But we did a good job of jumping on them in the first period, second period.” Said defenseman Mikhail Sergachev: “We still didn’t play well defensively. We gave up odd-man rushes. ‘Vasy’ was just a rock behind us.”

• Speaking of Sergachev, who saw that end-of-second-period fight with Canadiens captain Shea Weber coming? Sergachev, 22, held his own as Weber came after him to defend a teammate. Sergachev has grown into a two-way force this season, gaining a ton of confidence in his physicality since his New Year’s Eve fight with Jake McCabe in Buffalo.

“At first, you’re a little worried for him because he probably doesn’t have as much experience as Weber in that department,” wing Alex Killorn said. “But (Sergachev) is starting to make a little bit of a name for himself. He’s a strong guy, really strong. He uses it in the right way and can stand in there with a lot of tough guys.”

Sergachev said he was surprised that Weber went after him, but understood why. “I’ve got a ton of respect for him, everybody does,” Sergachev said. “He was trying to protect his teammate because he was smaller than me.”

Vasilevskiy might have had the best line on the Sergachev fight: “He’s a big boy. He was born in Russia, right?” Vasilevskiy said, smiling. “There’s always something happening on the streets. So I wasn’t surprised.”

Vasilevskiy picked up his 34th win (in his 50th start) and was encouraged with how he played. “I didn’t play well in the last few games, so it was a pretty good feeling to get that shutout,” he said. “We did a great job.”

• The quote of the night came from Maroon, when asked about the physicality in the game: “It wasn’t there. It was kind of a quiet game.” Some reporters laughed, but he was serious. “I’m just being honest with you/ I’m an honest guy. It was kind of like a soccer game.”

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180059 Toronto Maple Leafs Keefe also pulled rookie Rasmus Sandin back out of the lineup for the second time on this trip in favour of the recently acquired Calle Rosen. Sandin has shown much more poise and potential than his fellow young Swede, but earlier in the week Keefe said “our team just played 15 Maple Leafs drop third straight as offence sleeps through the California games in 29 days in the NHL in February. That’s a lot to ask for a young trip guy, and take on a lot of responsibility here, the injuries as such.”

True, though on Anaheim’s first goal Rosen tumbled over backward as Anaheim entered the zone, and Ceci was at least watching Ducks fourth- Bruce Arthur liner Carter Rowney intently as he scored, while Rosen was looking in the wrong direction. The shot attempts at five-on-five in the first period were 24-12 for Anaheim. This just can’t happen if you’re good, over and ANAHEIM, CALIF—Some people hit sleep on the alarm clock over and over. over, no matter how shrill the ring. You know the type; you may even be the type. They delay, hold off, and only get out of bed when they It was also a return to a pattern that has persisted all season long. This absolutely have to. Like a lot of things, it can be a habit. And like a lot of was Toronto’s 11th back-to-back of the season, and they had swept the things, it can become a lifestyle. set once, though it involved the Detroit Red Wings, which only partly counts. Some of that can be attributed to departed backup Michael The Toronto Maple Leafs concluded this year’s California trip in Anaheim Hutchinson. But not all. on Friday against a Ducks team nowhere near the playoffs, and missing its top four defencemen. Seriously, Matt Irwin played 27 minutes the At this point, maybe you just ask, what does it take? Whether it was other night, and he’s usually sixth or seventh on the pecking order. The about goaltending before, or injuries, or whatever you like, the Leafs Leafs only had to drive from Los Angeles to play this back-to-back. seem almost simplistically motivated now: Get embarrassed enough, Though in fairness, that can take most of a day in Southern California. fight back. Get too successful, let up. Slip here, slide there, maybe pull the game out, maybe not. There are 13 games left in the season, and the And the Leafs still started slow. The Leafs still fell behind 1-0. The Leafs schedule is going to get nastier starting next week, beginning with Tampa still got frustrated in the second, and still needed Jack Campbell, for the Bay at home Tuesday night. Maybe the real alarm won’t go all the way second time in three games, to make pulse-quickening saves. And after off until the playoffs. going scoreless for the first time this season in Los Angeles, the Leafs were scoreless through two periods against this bad, injury-bedraggled But it’s coming. team. Finally, in the third, they pushed. They looked awake. Toronto Star LOADED: 03.07.2020 But Toronto didn’t score, and the Ducks got a break by forechecking hard. Auston Matthews threw a blind pass off the boards into the slot, and Anaheim’s Adam Henrique buried it over Campbell’s shoulder for a 2-0 lead with 9:50 left to go. Anaheim goaltender John Gibson was replaced after an injury by 39-year-old backup Ryan Miller, but at least he wasn’t a Zamboni driver.

The Leafs finally scored on a one-man-gang play by William Nylander, who was so good in Los Angeles the night before: a takeaway and a top- shelf shot with three minutes left and the goaltender pulled snapped a team scoreless drought of 144 minutes and 33 seconds. They pulled the goalie again, stormed the castle. But it was too late. Toronto lost a third straight game, 2-1.

So the Leafs came away from three games against non-playoff teams in California with three goals and one of a possible six points. Lucky for Toronto, Florida — the one team that can push them out of the playoff race — barely played.

It was a mess, again. The Matthews line had its moments, but wasn’t great, and Mitch Marner’s tripping penalty at the end of the second period, eight miles from the play, was juvenile frustration. The John Tavares line, which was terrific in L.A., didn’t really get going. The fourth line of Frederik Gauthier, Kyle Clifford and got stuffed in a drainage pipe.

Clifford did throw a big hit and fight serial pugilist Nicolas Deslauriers, sure. But if you believe in the theory of a fight lighting a spark under your team, the team that played best in the minutes after that was the Ducks.

Also, the third line of Alexander Kerfoot, Kasperi Kapanen and Pierre Engvall was fine, even good. It didn’t score, though.

Every team in hockey tells the world and themselves that they want to play 60 minutes, and after a fine week — three wins after losing to the Zamboni driver on Hockey Night in Canada — the Toronto Maple Leafs came to California to play three teams at the tail end of lost seasons. With one period left, they had one point to show for it. Twenty minutes, on this night, would do.

They played 10 before they made the mistake.

Anaheim playing this well with a corps of sixth and seventh and eighth defencemen undercut the idea that Toronto’s injuries are any excuse. Yes, top dogs Morgan Rielly and Jake Muzzin are hurt. The Leafs had said earlier this week that defenceman Cody Ceci was not an option on this road trip, but he was activated on Friday afternoon and rookie Timothy Liljegren, who has struggled greatly in his 11 appearances, was loaned back to the . 1180060 Toronto Maple Leafs to Matthews’s 54.3. Matthews leads the Leafs in scoring chances for and high-danger scoring chances for, and in percentage of scoring chances and high-danger scoring chances while he’s on the ice.

Auston Matthews should be in the Hart Trophy discussion every season. Like the rest of this team, he has had dips. Sometimes it’s almost too The boss expects a Selke, too easy, and he plays like it’s easy. Sometimes he can conjure a goal from nowhere, and sometimes is caught in the eddies and currents that sweep this team into embarrassing places. In Thursday night’s 1-0 shootout loss to the Kings, the combination of Kopitar and Drew Doughty did a fine job By Bruce ArthurSports Columnist of limiting the Matthews line, while Nylander managed eight shots on goal and drew two penalties.

LOS ANGELES—In a way, the competition to be the game’s top goal But Matthews has had a hell of a year already. scorer this season has been going on for four years. Alexander “There’s some elite goal scorers out there. The guys he’s competing Ovechkin, David Pastrnak and Auston Matthews lead the league: going with — Pastrnak, Ovechkin — they’re doing some pretty great things, into Friday night, Ovi and Pastrnak each had 47 goals, and Matthews and have for a long time,” said Leafs coach . “But he’s had 46. And since 2016-17, Matthews’s rookie season, those are the top clearly established himself as in that conversation with those players, and three snipers in hockey: Ovechkin, then a gap, then Matthews, then he’s obviously young enough he’s just gonna continue to get better.” Pastrnak. Quality carries. The improvement can come at both ends, and that’s what Babcock And as the Leafs ended this week in Anaheim, team president Brendan wanted; Shanahan, too. It is essential to remember that the expectations Shanahan — who rarely speaks publicly, and is also a Hall of Famer who for Matthews should always be colossal. People who see the very best sits eighth in career goals when you adjust by era — loaded still heavier players up close will tell you the only player who clearly has more talent expectations on Matthews. is Connor McDavid. Matthews should be a perennial Hart Trophy “What’s impressed me most about Auston’s season?” said Shanahan. candidate; anything less is not enough. “You know, I always felt when he first came up that he was of those rare He’s getting closer than we might think. players that has the ability to lead a league in scoring and also be its best defensive player. I mean, there’s very few guys that do that in hockey. I Toronto Star LOADED: 03.07.2020 can remember (Sergei) Fedorov, in basketball Michael Jordan. And that’s putting him in some elite company. And I don’t want to put that on him today.

“But he is the kind of guy — and you look down the hallway to a guy like (Anze Kopitar of the Kings, Thursday’s opponent) and how he’s played. I think that Auston is dynamic and explosive offensively, but I think that he also has the ability — with his size and his strength and his awareness and his commitment — to be also, you know, a Selke Trophy winner.”

It’s not a new idea: Early this season, then-coach Mike Babcock said of Matthews, without much prompting, that “I think he has a chance to be the best two-way centre in hockey.” But it should be underscored how much the idea would differentiate him from almost anybody else in hockey. Only 11 players have hit 50 goals in the post-lockout era, and just five since 2010: Ovechkin (four times), Steven Stamkos, Evgeni Malkin, Leon Draisaitl and .

Have any of those five been considered potential Selke winners? Of the premier two-way centres in the game — Patrice Bergeron, Jonathan Toews, Kopitar, Sasha Barkov, Ryan O’Reilly — none have the offensive upside of Matthews. Sidney Crosby has entered that conversation as his career has progressed. The only Selke winner to also score 50 goals that season was … Fedorov in 1993-94, the year he won the Hart. Only two — Troy Murray and Ryan Kesler — have even cracked 40 as Selke winners.

And this season, even as the Leafs have almost overshadowed themselves with injuries, flare-like successes and outsized failures, Matthews has been dominant. Offensively, he’s still got room to grow. Against Florida last week, Matthews took the rare step of using that body, chasing a puck and casually bodying Panthers defenceman MacKenzie Weegar on the way to scoring number 45. He won’t make a habit of it, but it’s nice to know it’s there.

“I think it’s natural to just kind of play the way I always have,” said Matthews earlier this week. “I mean, I think when you finish checks, I try to do that. But I mean, you’re playing to play with the puck, so if I just run around there with my stick up and just trying to kill guys, I mean that’s not really my game, so I’d rather have the puck.”

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In that respect, he’s there. NHL stats can be a finicky wicket, but Matthews is credited with more takeaways than any other player with 70. He is 17th in faceoff percentage among players who have won at least 200 of them. He leads the Leafs in on-ice categories: Toronto has scored 60 per cent of the goals with Matthews on the ice. (Of the top four forwards, William Nylander’s number is 51, Mitch Marner 48.8 and John Tavares 45.5.)

Only linemate Marner has a higher on-ice number for expected goals, which approximately measures where the shots come from on the ice. Only Nylander has a better raw puck possession number at 54.7 per cent 1180061 Toronto Maple Leafs It had been a couple of years between AHL wins for Toronto netminder Parker Gahagen.

The graduate of the U.S. Army’s hockey program at West Point (he was Marlies join Leafs in playoff peril an engineer and later switched to administration) was with the San Jose Barracuda, then took the 2018-19 year off for compulsory service. He came back through the lowest rungs of the minors to shine with Toronto’s ECHL farm team in Newfoundland and jump back to the AHL when Lance Hornby Kaskisuo was hurt and Michael Hutchinson traded, left just rookie Joseph Woll. Friday saw Gahagen make 19 often difficult saves, including a short-handed breakaway with the final result in doubt. The only goals to Like fathers, like sons? beat him required video review on a power play and a 6-on-4.

The Toronto Marlies are experiencing the same rocky playoff road as the “This is a critical time of year and it’s great to contribute,” said the 26- parent Maple Leafs, but while the latter is actually sitting a spot, at least year-old Buffalo, N.Y. native. “It’s a great experience for me, now and in for now, the farm club is definitely on the outside looking in. the future.”

With Friday’s 5-2 win over the at Coca-Cola Coliseum, GAME ON they are still seventh in the American Hockey League’s Northern Division, but put just three points between them and the three teams they The Marlies started strong, killing an early penalty and getting one on the need to pass. Eight of the 17 games remaining involve that trio, power play via Agostino. Miikka Salomaki, who was picked up near the Syracuse, Binghamton and Laval. NHL trade deadline from Nashville for defenceman , then made a nice play to ward off a check and get a puck in front for Gaudet. At stake is the Marlies’ eight-year playoff streak, which the development staff has used as an incubator for many burgeoning Leafs. In reality, the Toronto took the foot off the gas offensively, though it did the job playoffs are already here as rookie coach is finding out. defensively to hold Tampa Bay’s farm club to 10 shots through 40 minutes and four power plays. The one puck that eluded Gahagen also “This time of year, everything’s tight, every line can play, every coach has escaped the attention of the referees and most of the players on the ice been working with their team to iron out details defensively,” Moore said. at 8:26 of the second. Play continued for close to three minutes before a “There aren’t as many mistakes and any team that’s going to go deep or break, when video review showed Alex Barre-Boulet’s shot went in and do anything special will need depth scoring.” out under the bar. Time was put back on the clock.

Moore was clearly impatient as the Marlies left points on the table But Hudson Elynuik, with his first of two goals since Feb. 1, put Toronto through February and had won just two of their previous eights starts. back on top heading into the third.

“Guys knew tonight was important and it was good to see them show up. Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 I’m really satisfied. Our team has bought into the full 60 minutes. I thought our up-ice pressure took away their time and space and our D did a good job holding the middle of the rink and having good gaps. We played fast and countered fast.”

The Marlies and Crunch clubs play at CCC again Saturday night.

NEXT MAN UP

For Moore and the organization as a whole, this predicament isn’t a totally unexpected circumstance.

Both Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren joined the Leafs defence (Liljegren sent down late Friday with the NHL activation of Cody Ceci and should play Saturday) and injuries struck down veteran goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo.

Those who had a quick look with the Leafs such as forward and Nic Petan have been hurt of late (the latter returning Friday with an assist) with young Jeremy Bracco at home the past five weeks dealing with a personal issue, but now back practising.

Moore said he has no timeline on when Bracco will get in a game.

AGOSTINO BRINGS ‘A’ GAME

With his two-goal game Friday bringing him to a team-high 27, forward Kenny Agostino now has 309 points in 338 minor league games.

The 27-year-old was one of the minimum wage off-season additions by Toronto general manager , signing a two-year deal with a $737,500 AAV. But the Leafs have wanted their younger or newer products to play or practice with the big team.

“I’ve had the same mentality, the whole season and the past few years,” Agostino said. “Do what I can … and I’m doing that here.

“Not just me, but this time of year you’re fortunate to have so many veterans (such as Matt Read, Petan, Tyler Gaudet, Kevin Gravel, Pontus Aberg, Rich Clune) who’ve been around this league and the NHL. We’re harping on how important this time of year is. But the older guys are doing a good job of not really putting too much pressure on every game, but taking it a day at a time.”

The Morristown, N.J. native was coming off his longest NHL stint last season, albeit with the transitioning Montreal Canadiens. He was drafted by – but never played for – the Penguins, before winding through Calgary, St. Louis, Boston, New Jersey and Montreal.

ARMY STRONG 1180062 Toronto Maple Leafs

Ceci activated from injured reserve, returns to Leafs lineup

Terry Koshan

ANAHEIM — Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t think he was going to see Cody Ceci again so soon.

Certainly not in the Leafs lineup.

But the veteran defenceman beat expectations and returned on Friday night against the Anaheim Ducks after missing the previous 14 games with a high ankle sprain.

“Everybody put in a lot of work and he responded really well,” Keefe said before the game, referring to the Leafs’ medical staff. “Initially coming on this trip, we weren’t thinking about him playing in any of these games.

“But he has responded very well both with the full team practices we have had and the extra work he has done.”

Ceci, who was hurt on Feb. 5 in a game against the New York Rangers, was paired with Calle Rosen against the Ducks. Rasmus Sandin was a healthy scratch.

With Ceci activated from injured reserve, the Leafs returned Timothy Liljegren to the Toronto Marlies. Liljegren can’t be recalled unless it’s under emergency conditions or the Marlies season ends.

Next to return to the Leafs blue line should be Morgan Rielly, who has been out since suffering a broken foot on Jan. 12 against the New York Rangers and has missed the past 23 games. Rielly also has been progressing a little quicker than the club thought he would.

Jake Muzzin continues to nurse a broken knuckle on his right hand and has not yet started practising with teammates.

“(Rielly) has also responded very well,” Keefe said. “There is no commitment as to when exactly he will go. But he will get another full practice on Monday and then, as expected, he will move into the day-to- day category from there.”

The Leafs’ next game is on Tuesday at home against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180063 Toronto Maple Leafs “How about that effort by Hymes in overtime?” Keefe said. “If that one (scoring chance) ends up going in the net, it’s one for the ages. That effort was incredible.”

Leafs need Engvall to get back on track after impressive start to NHL LOOSE LEAFS career The loss to the Kings marked the first time since March 10, 2012, that the Leafs dropped a 1-0 decision in a shootout. It was the fourth time since the NHL introduced shootouts in 2005-06 that the Leafs lost 1-0 in that Terry Koshan situation. The Leafs have never recorded a 1-0 win in a shootout … The Leafs last week completed the necessary paperwork to make

defencemen Rasmus Sandin, Timothy Liljegren and Calle Rosen, as well ANAHEIM — If Sheldon Keefe hasn’t sat down with Pierre Engvall for a as Engvall, eligible to play for the Toronto Marlies in the Calder Cup heart-to-heart chat, then you can bet the Maple Leafs coach caught up playoffs … One drawback with the injuries in the defence corps is the with the struggling forward toward the end of a recent practice. impact the absences have on the offence. Toronto misses Jake Muzzin’s shot from the point and Morgan Rielly’s ability not only to move the puck After bringing some invigoration to the Leafs lineup following his debut in out of the defensive zone, but also his talent for creating chances once the National Hockey League in November, Engvall, heading into the the Leafs get inside the opposition’s blue line. “Missing the defence that Leafs’ game against the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center on Friday we are, a lot of the emphasis is on how it affects you defensively, but it night, had found himself in a rut in the past couple of months. affects you offensively too,” Keefe said. “A lot of things are happening differently for us on the offensive blue line than when we’re healthy and “I don’t know if hitting the wall is the right term,” Keefe said. “But he is that is stalling us a little bit offensively.” … Leafs prospect Nick Robertson certainly not playing at the level he was when he first arrived here, and scored his 51st goal of the season for the that really made a big difference to our team. in an 8-0 win against Hamilton on Thursday night. “He is a guy we need to get a lot more out of. I have talked to him about Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 thinking a little bit less and skating and using his physical attributes to get on top of the puck and spend more time in the offensive zone, generate more shots and chances and being around the net. He has not been much of an offensive threat for us in that regard.”

On Thursday night against the Los Angeles Kings, Keefe initially had Engvall on the wing on a line with captain John Tavares and William Nylander. Keefe didn’t like what he was seeing, however, and moved Denis Malgin to Tavares’ flank in the second period, demoting Engvall to the fourth line.

Though Ilya Mikheyev continues to work his way back from a lacerated wrist, he won’t be back for a few games yet, and with Andreas Johnsson (knee) done for the season, it’s imperative a player of Engvall’s ilk start to produce more often.

As Keefe noted, the 23-year-old Engvall possesses the strength and the skating ability to be more effective than he has been.

In Engvall’s first 22 games in the NHL, he had 12 points (seven goals and five assists). In his past 24 games prior to Friday, the 6-foot-5, 214- pound Engvall had one goal and two assists.

“It’s hard to say (what has led to the difference in his play),” Engvall said. “I don’t know. You always have ups and downs, but you have to keep going and try to get better every day. Sometimes it doesn’t go that way, but you have to keep going. I’m learning every day.”

Since signing a two-year extension on Feb. 12, Engvall had one goal and no assists in 11 games.

One factor, perhaps, that could be an issue?

“Over time, you draw attention and people in the league know who you are and they take notice,” Keefe said. “When they are watching the pre- scout, you’re not just some guy being called up from the minors. They’re getting a sense of who you are, addressing the matchups accordingly.

“Not that I feel like he has got comfortable or anything like that, but it’s just natural to let your guard down a little bit, and the league is too good for that.”

WORKING OVERTIME

When the Leafs killed off a hooking minor to Tavares in overtime against the Kings, the defence pair of Travis Dermott and Justin Holl was on the ice for the full two minutes.

“It was cool, it was nice to be relied upon that way,” Dermott said. “Especially being in a situation you’re not in all the time, in the highest point of the game, it was a confidence boost. You have to trust yourself, trust the people around you.”

A blocked shot by Holl and some intensive forechecking by Zach Hyman — who Dermott called “an absolute beast” — were among the highlights as Tavares watched from the penalty box. 1180064 Toronto Maple Leafs Keefe wouldn’t say after an optional morning skate and team meeting how he was going to change his lines, and wound up making a move that didn’t last long.

Maple Leafs' effort better but handed a goalie-dominated 1-0 shootout Keefe had Pierre Engvall on the wing with John Tavares and Nylander, loss to Kings but during the second period, moved Engvall to the fourth line and Denis Malgin to Tavares’ line.

“It really felt to me like the Tavares line was going to be the difference- Terry Koshan maker for us,” Keefe said. “Best game John has played a while, Willie played really well. Made a change and put Malgin on that line and it really

started to go.” LOS ANGELES — Time for the Maple Leafs to pick up a win in The Kings had a power play in overtime when Tavares was called for California, isn’t it? hooking at 31 seconds, but the play of Andersen, defencemen Justin Holl The Leafs have one shot left at departing the state with a victory after and Travis Dermott and winger Zach Hyman kept the Kings off the board. losing 1-0 in a shootout against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday Hyman nearly scored shorthanded after a terrific effort hounding the puck night, two nights after losing in San Jose. deep in the Kings’ end.

The Leafs visit the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night before heading home “How about that effort by Hymes in overtime?” Keefe said. “If that one on Saturday. ends up going in the net, it’s one for the ages. That effort was incredible.”

After a subpar effort in a 5-2 loss against the Sharks, the Leafs were GAME ON better at the Staples Center, but they couldn’t get any of their 36 shots For just the third time this season, the Leafs and their opponent were tied past Kings goalie Jonathan Quick. 0-0 after two periods. On Nov. 7, the Leafs beat Vegas 2-1 in overtime, The Leafs were shut out for the first time since last March 19 in Nashville. and on Feb. 8, lost to Montreal in overtime … Kings defenceman Drew Doughty was saying on Wednesday that he wanted to get a hit in on At a time when the Leafs should be building in the final push to securing former teammate Kyle Clifford. That happened in the first period, when a playoff spot, they instead managed just two goals against two of the Doughty crunched Clifford backward over the boards at the Kings bench, bottom three teams in the Western Conference. breaking Clifford’s stick in the process. In the second period, Clifford got some revenge via Kings defenceman Matt Roy, sending Roy flying in the Now the Ducks, who sit between the Sharks and Kings in the standings, neutral zone. Was Clifford surprised by Doughty’s hit? “No, not at all,” are next. Clifford said. “There’s no friends out there. He’s a competitor, I’m a What has to improve on Friday at the Honda Center? competitor, so I welcome it.” … The Kings honoured Clifford, Jack Campbell and Jake Muzzin with a video tribute. While applause was loud “The power play is the first thing,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “The for all three, it was clear Clifford was a favourite among the Kings fan power play has to be lethal for us. With the type of talent we have, it base … Kasperi Kapanen hit the cross bar on a breakaway, while the should be and it has been for quite some time. Leafs were shorthanded, late in the first. Moments later, the Kings’ Martin “But it has gone dry a little bit, so we have to have that be a difference- Frk beat Andersen, but not the post … Quick made a fine glove save late maker for us. We know it can be. That’s the first thing. And then we have in the second period on Nylander and then thwarted Tavares with his left to be able to establish more play in the offensive zone, be able to get toe … Shots on goal after 40 minutes were 19-16 for the Leafs, including more stuff toward the net. 15-13 during five-on-five play … Twice during Leafs power plays, Quick slid across his crease to stop a Matthews one-timer … Leafs fan Justin “Certainly we have to find a way to generate more.” Bieber was shown on the scoreboard, initially to cheers. When he played up the fact he was wearing a Leafs sweater, Bieber was loudly booed. The Leafs were 0-for-3 with a man advantage against the Kings. Coincidentally, or not, his new single was playing at the time … Leafs Boasting the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William prospect Nick Robertson scored his 51st goal of the Ontario Hockey Nylander, among others, the Leafs have not scored a power-play goal in League season for the Peterborough Petes in an 8-0 win against four games, going 0-for-11. Hamilton on Thursday night.

On the defensive side of the puck, the Leafs were sharp, giving Toronto Sun LOADED: 03.07.2020 goaltender Frederik Andersen a chance to see just about every shot that came his way. Andersen, who will watch backup Jack Campbell start against the Ducks, finished with 30 saves, including seven in overtime.

“It was a great game, a beautiful game,” Andersen said. “Great to play behind the team like that, the way we played made it easy for me. Unfortunate we couldn’t get the extra point.”

In the shootout, Adrian Kempe got the winner. After Anze Kopitar scored for the Kings, Nylander kept the Leafs alive when he beat Quick with a backhand. That brought up Kempe, who deked to his backhand. Marner had a chance to keep the Leafs going, but the puck trailed off his stick.

Earlier in the shootout, Matthews fanned on a shot and Jason Spezza was stopped.

“I thought we did a good job as a team,” Keefe said. “It’s a game that really could have gone either way.

“We’re happy to get one point, we could have had two in overtime or the shootout, it didn’t go our way in that sense. But not a lot to complain about for us in the game.”

Except for the fact the Leafs were shut out by the 30th-place team in the NHL. That should serve as some sort of motivation on Friday.

The Leafs remain five points ahead of the Florida Panthers (79-74) for third place in the Atlantic Division, as the Panthers lost in overtime against Boston earlier on Thursday night. 1180065 Toronto Maple Leafs Defencemen caught deep in the zone and exposed. It was “ruining” some of the chemistry, he said.

The Ducks were playing without key defenders such as Hampus Maple Leafs can’t seem to shake the ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ thing Lindholm, Josh Manson, and Cam Fowler, and still it was the Leafs who lost the expected goals battle (42 percent) handily.

Anaheim also lost starting goalie John Gibson with 10 minutes to play. By Jonas Siegel Mar 7, 2020 1 “We know it’s gonna turn around,” Marner said. “There’s no reason to feel like we should put pressure on ourselves. Just gotta stay calm with it.” ANAHEIM, Calif. — It almost sounded like the Leafs were trying to reassure themselves, as much as anyone on the outside, at the end of a “I think for us, we didn’t really challenge the middle,” Matthews added of fruitless, disappointing California road trip. the recent offensive performance. “The goalie didn’t really have too many tough saves to make. I think that’s a bit of an issue for us right now.” “We’re all in this together,” Auston Matthews said, measured and calm in his remarks. “We play through the good and the bad and the adversity. Then, he added more interestingly: “I think we’re kind of one foot in the Obviously, in the position that we’re in, there’s lots of critics and lots of door, one foot out, as far as the way we want to play. And I think we just stuff that comes with it. But I think in this room, we’re headstrong, and it all need to be 100 percent in.” doesn’t matter what’s gonna get thrown our way, we’re gonna come out of it stronger.” By that he meant: “There’s no excuses. We got guys that are missing; everybody’s got guys that are missing. This team (the Ducks) is missing Mitch Marner was more defiant but echoed a similar tone. He talked a lot a lot of their D core. So, it’s no excuse. It’s just stringing together 60 about pressure and not letting that pressure seep into the group amid minutes, playing a complete game on both sides of the puck. When another challenging stretch. adversity hits, we gotta be better at responding.”

“As a team, we’re trying to stay calm,” Marner said. “I know media is a Given how stale things looked throughout the road trip, it’s worth big part in this city that we play in, and I think for our team it’s just about wondering if Keefe brings out the blender and tries to spark something staying off that — the social media. People are just gonna start and get new with the lines. Maybe that’s flipping Nylander and Marner, or even on us. We’re a unit in here. We’re a team. We know what to say to each loading up the star line again — with Matthews, Nylander and Marner all other to get ourselves going.” together on one unit.

Even Sheldon Keefe, at times a blunt critic of his own team, tried to put a It hasn’t helped things either that the once-menacing Toronto power play positive spin on a three-game spin through Cali, opposite three of the five has gone cool and stagnant. worst teams in the league, that netted a single point and saw the Leafs score only once combined in losses to the Kings and Ducks. Marner believed foes were well-prepared for the Matthews one-timer, which meant that he and Tyson Barrie needed to fire it more themselves “It’s an interesting road trip,” Keefe said. “If you’d ever think that our team to inject some diversity and open things up. would give up two goals in two games and only come away with one point, you’d probably think we were talking about a different team.” As much as Marner wants to keep it from infecting the group, the signs of frustration are increasing. There was Marner uncharacteristically hauling In other words, the Leafs could take some solace in their improving down Sam Steel and taking a penalty when the two got mixed up in the defensive performance. second period. There was Nylander snapping his stick across the goalpost a night earlier after his breakaway attempt was shut down. “The offence has dried up for us,” Keefe added. Mitch Marner battles with Jani Hakanpaa for the puck. (Kirby Lee / USA Say what they will, it’s hard to look at the Leafs now — again? — and Today) conclude anything but what’s been made clear for months now, and that’s a team that strays wildly between personalities. GM Kyle Dubas Keefe believed some fatigue might be setting in, too, particularly on said after the trade deadline that “the best way to put it is to use like a defence, where depth parts have been cast into prime-time roles. He Jekyll and Hyde type of way to describe it.” didn’t mention names, but it’s fair to suspect that Travis Dermott, and to a lesser degree, Justin Holl, are in that bunch. The twosome that’s been Jekyll was the three games the Leafs put together last week, cleanly defending top lines with Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly both out got beating the Lightning, Panthers and Canucks. Hyde popped up again for filled in against the Ducks (36 percent possession). large chunks of games in San Jose, L.A. and Anaheim. There’s no predicting which team will show up each night, and after 69 games, that’s Keefe tried to emphasize the strides his team has made defensively in obviously concerning. recent weeks, and it’s true the Leafs gave up only bits and bytes against the Kings and Ducks. But how much does that really mean against two of What’s most surprising here of late is the sudden inability to score, what the lower-scoring teams in hockey? with Matthews on the road to 50 and William Nylander now with 30 goals for the first time in his NHL career. More encouraging were the outings last week in Tampa and Florida. Maybe the Leafs can summon that game when the Lightning come to The Leafs were bottled up by the hobbled Ducks for most of two periods Toronto next week. Maybe not. Predicting much with this team has been on Friday night, slowed through the neutral zone and kept from juicy a challenge all season. Keefe has pointed repeatedly to finding the right looks around the net in Toronto’s 2-1 loss. It wasn’t until the third when stuff offensively on those same nights when things are kept clean the action really picked up and Nylander nabbed the Leafs’ only goal. defensively. Right now, it feels like the only Leafs players scoring with any kind of “Our team takes a lot of heat for how we defend and what we give up and regularity are Matthews, Nylander and now two-time 20-goal man Zach how many goals we give up and all those types of things, and how wide Hyman. open the games are,” Keefe said. “We’ve focused a lot on that as a team The offence, in general, feels a little stale, particularly with how little the in terms of slowing a lot of that stuff down. And I think we’ve done that for third and fourth lines are chipping in. John Tavares has only three goals quite a while here now. in the past 13 games, one of which came on the power play. Kasperi “We gotta find ways within that to generate offence.” Kapanen has three in the past 26 outings. Alex Kerfoot has one in the past 20. You can point to some of the Leafs’ best games of the season in the last little bit. The response game at home against Pittsburgh last month. The John Tavares fails to beat John Gibson in the third period. (Kirby Lee grind-it-out victory in Tampa without Muzzin. USA Today) Mixed in there, too, though are the befuddling losses, including the three Marner talked about the need for more second opportunities and in a row in California. prodding around the blue paint. He also thought the inability of the high forward in the offensive zone, the one who veers out to the blue line, getting shots through to the net was causing problems. Turnovers. There isn’t much time left to find more consistency. Only 13 games remain. But there’s an avenue to this thing turning again here soon — maybe.

The Leafs will start scoring again, for one. This is one of the highest- scoring teams in the league suddenly going cold (though it remains a matter of concern how little is coming from those bottom two lines). That will change. And healthy bodies are trickling back. Cody Ceci got lost on the Ducks’ first goal, but his return to the lineup bumps the inexperienced and struggling Timothy Liljegren back to the Marlies.

Rielly could be back next week from a broken foot.

That will bump either Calle Rosen or Martin Marincin from the lineup, and push someone like Dermott into a more suitable position on the second, and eventually when Muzzin returns, third pair.

Above all though, can this team eject Hyde from the picture before it’s too late?

— Stats and research courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference, and hockeyDB.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180066 Toronto Maple Leafs When you’re playing third-line minutes, you need to find a way to make an impact when your line isn’t scoring.

Pierre Engvall was all right. You’d like to see him make better use of his Leafs Report Cards: Nightmarish offense haunts Toronto’s rough road size in the dirty areas of the ice, but I really enjoyed the line as a whole trip Friday, so we’re going to group him with Kerfoot and Kapanen.

⭐⭐⭐

By Ian Tulloch Mar 7, 2020 7 Kyle Clifford (LW, #73) — His linemates didn’t give him much help, but I loved Clifford’s energy in this game. He was getting in on the forecheck, pressuring puck carriers, not to mention throwing some fists.

This road trip is always one I dreaded writing about. Not because I was .@MAPLELEAFS KYLE CLIFFORD ROCKED DAVID BACKES AND particularly concerned about the hockey, but because I knew it was going NICOLAS DESLAURIERS WAS NOT A FAN OF THE HIT to disrupt my sleep schedule. It used to be a double-whammy heading PIC.TWITTER.COM/YVNJYK6XDQ into California: facing three of the most terrifying teams in the NHL and having to stay up until 1 a.m.? What a nightmare. In 2020, it doesn’t put — SPORTSNET (@SPORTSNET) MARCH 7, 2020 that same fear into you considering how poorly San Jose, Los Angeles and Anaheim have been playing, but the Leafs ended up going 0-2-1 in I received a few messages about the place of fighting in the modern NHL those games with only three goals combined after their 2-1 loss to the after some recent comments about Kasperi Scrapanen. Here’s what I’ll Ducks on Friday. say about fighting: I’m not a huge fan of it. If we’re being honest with ourselves, it probably shouldn’t be in the game anymore considering Offence has never been an issue for this team; the Leafs literally rank what we know about brain injuries. Until it’s legislated out of the league, first in the NHL in goals. They’re clearly in a slump, though, which is though, I can understand why coaches and teammates have so much never fun to watch. It’s much less fun when you’re tired and cranky. I respect for the players who are willing to fight. Clifford felt the need to at didn’t want to spend three late nights this week watching that kind of that moment considering the circumstances and it had a nonzero impact performance either, but welcome to the pain of closely following an NHL on the team’s energy shortly afterward. team. Sometimes it sucks, just like these individual report cards we’re about to dive into. A lot of us disagree on that last sentence and I think that’s OK.

Player reports Justin Holl (RD, #3) — I didn’t love him in this game, but I didn’t hate his play either. It was one of those games where a defenceman doesn’t have ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ a major impact on the game one way or the other, which I’d argue is a pretty big positive when you’re playing the number minutes Holl has been Game Ball : William Nylander (LW, #88) — I think a lot of Leafs fans forced into lately. He’s good at settling things down, which is something need to admit they were wrong about William Nylander. I know a lot of us the Leafs really struggle with collectively, especially on their blue line. grew frustrated after his contract negotiation lasted until Dec. 1, which only got worse when he failed to produce. But it’s time to admit that he’s Martin Marincin (LD, #52) — Is it just me who laughs whenever he whiffs the best value contract in the organization. on a puck? It must be infuriating for some fans, but I’ve accepted that he’s never going to handle a hockey puck well. The one thing you can NYLANDER FINALLY GETS THE LEAFS ON THE BOARD. 2-1. expect him to do well is clog up the neutral zone with that 35-foot stick. #LEAFSFOREVER PIC.TWITTER.COM/7CIQ0F9TZP Make fun of him all you want, but aside from a few Marty Moments here and there, he’s been pretty solid alongside Barrie. I’d actually make the — MAPLE LEAFS HOTSTOVE (@LEAFSNEWS) MARCH 7, 2020 argument that this is the best pairing chemistry-wise that Barrie has He’s been on a tear offensively, but more importantly, he’s combining his played on this season, which just feels weird to say. I think it’s the elite skill with strong defensive play. I’ve always wanted to see Nylander meshing of styles; everything Barrie is good at, Marincin isn’t, and vice engage more defensively because I believed in his 200-foot potential. He versa. seems to be putting it all together this season, scoring his 30th goal of Tyson Barrie (RD, #94) — You know what I thought about Barrie? I didn’t the season while dominating play (again) at even strength. think about Barrie. He didn’t stand out despite playing nearly 25 minutes. Jack Campbell (G, #36) — He pulled out a few video game saves in this That could be perceived as a very good or bad thing depending on your one, which is always fun to watch. There was probably a bit too much opinion of the player. I’ll make the case that it’s not terrible, but I can movement in his crease, to the point where things got a bit dicey, but understand the frustration with an offensive defenceman whose team is overall this was a very strong performance for Campbell. He got beat held scoreless against a weak opponent. clean from the slot, but with the exception of that and a bad rebound, he Coaching staff — I almost want to get rid of this section because of how was perfect in this game. I’ve really enjoyed his play lately. impossible it is to evaluate a coaching staff in a one-game sample. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lineup decisions are usually the biggest factor for me, and I can’t make sense of the Rasmus Sandin healthy scratch. I understand that he’s Travis Dermott (LD, #23) — He’s starting to look much more confident in played a lot of hockey over the past two months, but it feels like they’re his role. When Dermott was playing sheltered minutes on the third punishing him for losing net-front battles, which is something he was pairing, he was fantastic at driving play up the ice. It’s something he’s always going to struggle with considering he’s a skinny 19-year-old. It really struggled with this season against tougher competition, but he’s turns out his replacement, Calle Rosen, can’t exactly carry a pairing with finally starting to settle down now that he’s adapting to just how fast Cody Ceci. some of the league’s best forwards play. I’m not referring to straight-line speed; more so how quickly elite forwards tend to process the game. Now, I will give Sheldon Keefe credit for going back to Kerfoot at 3C. My Some of Dermott’s old habits were really costing him against top-six best guess is that he wanted to see if Kerfoot could provide second-line talent, most notably his over-aggression in the neutral zone resulting in value — or whether Jason Spezza could effectively fill in as a full-time too many odd-man rushes against. He’s striking a much better balance third-line centre. A lot of us have been screaming “No!” for a few weeks, now between a tight gap in transition but still making sure he keeps his but it’s still nice when an NHL head coach ends up coming around on man in front of him. one of these big Hockey Twitter debates.

Here’s hoping he can keep up this level of play. It could go a long way John Tavares (C, #91) — He had a couple of good moments in the toward making this a viable blue line down the stretch once Morgan offensive zone. I can think of a few solid chances Tavares was able to Rielly returns from injury. create earlier in the game, most of them more Grade-B chances; solid but not game-breaking. Then he was given a Grade-A chance in the slot The Third Line — I was a huge fan of the Engvall-Kerfoot-Kapanen after a nice six-on-five pass from Matthews in the final minute of the combination at even strength. Alex Kerfoot looks much more comfortable game, but he wasn’t able to capitalize. playing third-line centre; he has more room to operate in transition, which is where he’s at his best. Kasperi Kapanen has been playing with a level ⭐⭐ of energy that we really haven’t seen throughout his career. I love it. Zach Hyman (LW, #11) — He was making some solid plays away from A) ME FOR WATCHING ALL THREE CALIFORNIA GAMES the puck, but not to the degree that we’ve come to expect from him. It’s very rare that Hyman has an off-night, considering his motor is always B) ME FOR WATCHING ALL THREE CALIFORNIA GAMES running at 110 percent. That said, he didn’t seem to have a significant — MICHAEL (@THELEAFSIMO) MARCH 7, 2020 impact on the game against Anaheim. It’s pretty impressive if you stayed awake for all 185 minutes of that — Denis Malgin (LW, #62) — Here’s my scouting report on Denis Malgin: plus a shootout! It also makes me question a lot of my life choices. fast skater who’s good at handling the puck in transition, but not good enough that he should be taking carries away from Tavares and CODY CECI IS THE TYSON BARRIE OF JAKE GARDINERS. Nylander. Since Andreas Johnsson and Ilya Mikheyev went down with — ACTIVE STICK (@THEOAKLEAFS) MARCH 7, 2020 injuries, the Leafs have had a lot of trouble filling the sixth spot in their top six. Is it Kerfoot on the wing? No. What about Engvall? Haven’t loved I’m not even sure what to do with this tweet, but I love it. that lately either. Maybe Spezza in spot duty? Only if the game’s on the line. Oh I know, let’s put Malgin there. MAYBE THERE WAS ONCE SOME SENTIMENT THAT MITCH MARNER NEEDED TO SHOOT SOME ON THE POWERPLAY SO Needless to say, he’s felt like quite the third wheel when he’s put in this OPPONENTS WOULD HAVE TO AT LEAST HONOUR THE SHOT OR role. I like him much better when he’s the bottom-six energizer bunny WHATEVER, BUT LIKE … KAY, THAT’S ENOUGH. WE’RE GOOD ON with some skill. THOSE PP WRISTERS TIL 2020-21 NOW I THINK.

Cody Ceci (RD, #83) — I didn’t notice him much in his first game back — JUSTIN BOURNE (@JTBOURNE) MARCH 7, 2020 from injury, which I’d argue is a good thing for a bottom-pairing defender. Now, he was on the ice for a couple of goals against, but it’s hard to point There should be a quota for “bad power-play shots.” Once you hit that to a specific play he made on either occurrence that directly resulted in quota, you’re not allowed to shoot from the outside anymore. Imagine all the quality scoring chance. Overall, I thought he played pretty well the good that would do Tyson Barrie. considering he hasn’t played in a month. IT TOOK FIVE MONTHS, BUT THE LEAFS ARE FINALLY PLAYING ⭐ THE SORT OF BORING LOW-SCORING HOCKEY WE’VE BEEN ASSURED WILL LEAD TO PLAYOFF SUCCESS. Frederik Gauthier (C, #33) and Jason Spezza (RW, #19) — Toronto’s fourth line got completely hemmed in on Friday night. I liked Clifford’s — DOWN GOES BROWN (@DOWNGOESBROWN) MARCH 7, 2020 effort as the “digger” on the line, but I didn’t think Gauthier or Spezza did This is how you win: stop scoring. Also, trade Nylander. much of anything to help the Leafs get the puck back on defence or up the ice in transition. I’d make a comment about their offensive play, but Final Grade: C- the Leafs spent 90 percent of their shifts stuck in the defensive zone when the fourth line was on the ice. It wasn’t pretty. The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020

Calle Rosen (LD, #38) — Whenever you’re standing next to Cody Ceci on a goal against and you’re the one who looks like they’re more to blame, it’s never a great sign. Rosen was on the ice for another goal against, which wasn’t necessarily his fault, but he certainly didn’t inspire much confidence with his play in this game.

Auston Matthews (C, #34) and Mitch Marner (RW, #16) — When your two best offensive players fail to generate much offence, it’s tough to win in this league. Everyone goes through off-nights, which this definitely was for Matthews. The Leafs were trying to run everything through him in the offensive zone, looking to feed him the puck in his spot. He definitely had some opportunities in this game, but nothing that ever felt like it had a great chance of beating John Gibson.

Mitch Marner is a separate conversation. He hasn’t looked like himself lately. His passes seem to be off, he isn’t impacting the game defensively as well, and most importantly, he hasn’t felt super dangerous off the rush in a long time. In a big market, when you sign a contract that makes you the fifth-highest paid forward in the NHL, it’s natural that fans are going to be upset when you don’t live up to those expectations. I would argue that a lot of that is on Kyle Dubas for poorly negotiating the Big 3 contracts, but at the same time, Marner needs to play better than he has been of late.

Heat Map

Here’s a quick look at where each team’s shots were coming from, courtesy of Natural Stat Trick.

Game score

Game score is a metric developed by The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn to quickly measure a player’s performance in a single game.

It’s not perfect, but it can help give us a decent idea of how well players performed in a particular game based on their numbers — although I’d always recommend combining stats with video, since single-game numbers can be wonky.

Trending up or down?

This is where we break down the latest trends in my Leafs Report Cards courtesy of Mark Norman. You can play around with the data at his tableau page if you’re interested.

Tweets of the Night

I think this sums up the week best. 1180067 Toronto Maple Leafs them. It may be fine to go unnoticed as a bottom pair guy – the same cannot be said for the group we’re looking at here.

I can’t help but wonder how playing with the puck in the offensive zone Bourne Notebook: Young D-men who have the puck in the O-zone, plus so much will work out at this early stage of their careers in the a Leafs issue postseason, once they’re only playing the best teams, when defences tighten up and when their teams are still looking for them to create. I should specify here, I’m now talking about Hughes and Makar – Colorado and Vancouver both look to these kids to do big things for them, and By Justin Bourne Mar 6, 2020 51 “doing big things” is about to get harder.

We did see Makar have great success with the Avs in his first foray into As I like to do each week around this time, I figured I’d dip into the the playoffs, though; I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that. So, it’s possible notebook to highlight a few things that I have jotted down and elaborate he’ll be just fine. But I do think he was playing with house money, and on a few points I’ve made elsewhere. So without further ado … this year the expectations will be different. Either way, the larger point here is that I think the mold for what D-men aspire to be today looks Many of the league’s best young D-men shine in the offensive zone vastly different than how it used to look, and these O-zone numbers point to that reality. There’s an old adage about defencemen in hockey, and it’s that if you don’t notice them in a game, that’s considered a successful showing. The Hurricanes have their work cut out for them Their job has historically focused on eliminating events against, and since defensive plays don’t generally make the highlight reels, the adage For a team that’s in the midst of a tough stretch and on the cusp of the has made sense. There have always been exceptions to this concept – playoff picture, the schedule for the Carolina Hurricanes looms as a defencemen who do electric things at the offensive end – but those concerning obstacle. Having more games remaining than other teams is players always felt more like anomalies than molds for future defenders. good, of course. But last night the Hurricanes began a stretch where they play four times every week for a month. That’s every Tuesday, Thursday, That seems to be changing. We’re seeing an influx of young defencemen Saturday and Sunday … which happens to include their entire four-game who don’t seek to go quietly through 60 minutes keeping the puck out of season series against the Penguins. Two of their last three games are their net but rather prefer to have the puck and influence the play and act against the Bruins. There’s a ton to like about their team, and yes, they as offensive drivers from the back end. So much for simply getting it out still have 17 games remaining while other teams have fewer. But it’s of your zone, getting it up to the forwards, and being steady. gonna be a long-ass sprint here. Get Petr Mrazek in that hyperbaric chamber, stat. I was given some numbers from Mike Kelly and the good people at SportLogiq that charts the real-time that players have the puck in the When you’re a one-dimensional team, it makes things hard on that one offensive zone on average throughout a game, and one thing stood out dimension to me. Among the D-men that are tops on the list, there’s the very expected names, then boy, an awful lot of players in their first few years One thing I’ve been wondering about with Toronto: how teams would in the league. obviously scout them as a group has made things harder on their star players than they’d otherwise have it on a more well-rounded team. It’s Here are the top 15 NHL D-men in average time of possession in the the same in most sports – if your opponent can only do one thing, you’ll offensive zone per game. focus on taking that away and making that one thing as hard as possible on your opponent. If a basketball team is a one-dimensional three-point 1. Roman Josi (54.22 seconds) shooting team, you’ll play them tighter beyond the arc than you would 2. Quinn Hughes (50.2) another team, and suddenly threes get harder to make.

3. Cale Makar (39.9) With the Maple Leafs, they’ve been so open about how they want to play (offensively and with the puck), and it’s so clear where their strengths lie, 4. Kris Letang (38.9) you have to wonder if that’s not part of the reason sometimes they 5. Thomas Chabot (38.7) struggle as badly as they do. That gets taken away, and there’s no plan B. It’s a lot of pressure (and physical work) on Auston Matthews, Mitch 6. Rasmus Dahlin (37.8) Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares – yes they’re excellent offensive players, but they’re going to experience extra focus and “cut- 7. Alex Pietrangelo (35.7) offs” (essentially small interference cross-checks all over the ice to slow 8. Erik Karlsson (35.6) their momentum).

9. Tony DeAngelo (34.9) Incidentally, this is why what Alex Ovechkin has done over the course of his career is so impressive. It’s so uncommon to know what you want to 10. Morgan Rielly (34.5) do, to say what you want to do, to show what you want to do … and to still be able to do it. In Ovi’s case, the best defences in the world can’t 11. John Carlson (33.7) stop a plan that they know. So, for the Leafs, while it may make it harder, 12. Oscar Klefbom (33.6) it doesn’t make it impossible. Success in that situation is the difference between good and great players. 13. Keith Yandle (33.4) Offensive tip of the day: Take the puck across the net 14. Adam Fox (33.2) A pet peeve of mine that I have to bring up yet again is that so many 15. John Klingberg (32.1) players today come down on a goaltender from a semi-tough angle and just … shoot. Yes, pucks on net are good and you never know what can Even if you think DeAngelo (first played NHL games in 2016-17) and happen, but I feel like the value of taking the puck across the crease isn’t Chabot (2017-18) are stretching the definition here, that’s a chunk of discussed enough. And if you’re a coach of a lower-level team, brand-spankin’ new players handling the pill an awful lot in the O-zone for minor/youth hockey or whatever, I cannot encourage you enough to their respective teams. emphasize this as an offensive plus to your players. There’s a number of factors that go into these numbers, namely how First off, you don’t really get killed cutting across the crease anymore. much raw ice time per game these guys get, of course, but I think the You might get hit, but y’know, get your head up and use your judgement pack of names that the numbers have cribbed together here says there. But the perks are just so plentiful. First, it’s easy to freeze a goalie something pretty clear: the best D-men in the league have the puck in the cause they have to honour the shot I see taken too often. Second, you O-zone a lot, and some of the game’s young stars – namely Hughes open up the goalie and create holes that weren’t otherwise there. Third, here, but also Makar and Dahlin – have the puck in those positions as and maybe most importantly, if you don’t score, you almost certainly much or more than anybody. (Just outside this list are names like Seth create chaos and the possibility of a follow-up rebound/bonus chance. Jones, Ivan Provorov, Drew Doughty and Miro Heiskanen.) They are And fourth, you almost always put the D in a position where they’ll take a absolute offensive drivers for their teams, meaning going “unnoticed” for desperation penalty on you. Even if they don’t, refs see that as a a game or games would simply not be considered a successful night for scenario where non-goals commonly result in penalties, so they’re watching closely.

There are just so many perks with taking the puck across the net versus settling for a shot. Teach it to kids, yes, but even NHLers should lean on it more as an offensive staple.

Who are the league’s ultimate Band-Aid players?

I really enjoyed getting the answers from everyone to a question I asked at the end of a notebook last week. The question was “If you go watch stars like Crosby/Malkin play your favourite team live, would you rather your team win, or get to see those stars do Hall of Fame things?”

This question takes team-specific fans who watch one team all the time to really know: who are the league’s best “Band-Aid” players. A Band-Aid player to me is the guy you put on a line that’s struggling, who instantly stops the bleeding and makes them better. In the AHL, Zach Hyman was that for the Marlies. Now he’s so good at making a line better we never see him off one of the Leafs’ top two, though I’m sure he still has that ability. Connor Brown was that too, Andreas Johnsson a little bit as well.

Looking around the league, there are certain players who always make everyone around them better. But I’m not exactly looking for Patrice Bergeron here, or the other Selke nominees – more the guys who are off the radar a bit (like a Connor Brown was in the AHL). I think Yanni Gourde can do that for bottom lines in Tampa Bay, for example. Maybe Phillip Danault in Montreal? It’s a trait coaches adore, so I’d love to dial in some more names around the league. Submit your suggestions in the comments below and we’ll chat about those guys!

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180068 Vegas Golden Knights But with about two minutes remaining, Roy tried to make a pass at the offensive blue line and Winnipeg turned it into a 2-on-1 that was finished off by Connor for a 3-0 lead.

Golden Knights open road trip with loss at Winnipeg Desperation mode

Winnipeg is battling for its playoff life and it showed, as the Jets played with a sense of urgency that was lacking in the Knights’ game. By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal “You look at the standings, they need every single point,” DeBoer said. “I March 6, 2020 - 7:44 PM don’t know if we feel like maybe we don’t, which would be a mistake on our part.”

The Jets finished with nine takeaways and blocked 16 shots to jump back WINNIPEG, Manitoba — On Winnipeg’s first rush up the ice Friday, into a wild-card spot, while the Knights missed an opportunity to stretch Nikolaj Ehlers circled the net and centered the puck for a wide-open their lead in the Pacific Division. Patrik Laine. “The underlying factor is we weren’t really good with the puck tonight,” Ryan Reaves tried to clear the pass out of harm’s way, but his attempt defenseman Nate Schmidt said, “and that caused us to play slow and went off Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and into the net turn pucks over into their transition.” 32 seconds after the opening faceoff. LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.07.2020 It was a harbinger of things to come.

The Knights were on the wrong end of a series of unfortunate bounces and couldn’t overcome the early deficit in a 4-0 loss to the Jets at Bell MTS Place.

“The game was over in the first period,” Knights coach Pete DeBoer said. “I thought we started to play in the second and clean some of the stuff up we wanted to do, but the first period was unacceptable.”

Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck finished with 29 saves for his NHL- leading sixth shutout. Ehlers finished with two points, and Laine added a goal and an assist for Winnipeg, which led 3-0 after the first period.

It was the 36th time in 69 games the Knights allowed the first goal.

Kyle Connor and Mathieu Perreault also scored, and Jets center Cody Eakin picked up an assist in his first game against his former club.

Fleury had 20 saves but received no run support for the second straight game.

Paul Stastny and Chandler Stephenson each hit the post in the first period, and Brandon Pirri clanked the iron early in the third period for the Knights.

“Same thing with (Los Angeles on Sunday). We got behind the eight ball right away in the game,” Fleury said. “If we started the right way and keep playing the right way for the whole game like we did in the second and third, we’d be in good shape.”

Here’s what stood out from the loss:

Trouble with the kill

Special teams continue to haunt the Knights, who allowed two power- play goals for the second time in three games. It’s the 11th time the Knights have given up two or more power-play goals in a game.

Since the All-Star break, the Knights rank 30th in the league on the penalty kill at 68.1 percent and have allowed 15 power-play goals in 17 games.

Laine converted on Winnipeg’s first power-play chance when Neal Pionk’s shot from the point was blocked and bounced to Laine at the left faceoff circle.

Perreault, in his first game since Jan. 31, added a power-play tally late in the second when he knocked in Josh Morrissey’s pass for his third goal in two games against the Knights.

“We’ve got to be better,” DeBoer said. “We’ve got to figure that out, though, because you can’t give up two power-play goals in a night.”

Highs and lows

In an otherwise forgettable first period for the Knights, forward Nicolas Roy was a bright spot despite one mistake.

Roy set up William Karlsson for a short-handed chance about four minutes in and found Max Pacioretty in the slot for a backhand attempt that was stopped by Hellebuyck.

Roy drew a slashing penalty on Jets captain Blake Wheeler midway through the first and tested Hellebuyck with a backhand with 5:22 left in the period. 1180069 Vegas Golden Knights

Check out Robin Lehner’s new Golden Knights mask

By Rochelle Richards Las Vegas Review-Journal

March 6, 2020 - 3:14 PM

Robin Lehner will soon have a complete, matching set of Golden Knights goalie gear.

Goalie Gear Nerd posted on Twitter Friday photos of Lehner’s new Knights themed mask.

The mask prominently features a skull similar to his Chicago Blackhawks mask, a panda wearing a helmet and holding a sword, and the team’s alternate logo on each cheek.

@RobinLehner’s new @GoldenKnights @Progoalie mask. Love the skull and . ⁣

⁣

: @daveartofficial ⁣#GoalieGearNerd pic.twitter.com/lQo1kWk50C

— Goalie Gear Nerd (@GoalieGearNerd) March 6, 2020

Lehner recently debuted his new Knights themed pads on Tuesday during the team’s shutout over the New Jersey Devils.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180070 Vegas Golden Knights

Cody Eakin enjoys time with hometown Winnipeg Jets

By David Schoen Las Vegas Review-Journal

March 6, 2020 - 2:22 PM

WINNIPEG, Manitoba — There was one advantage for Cody Eakin being traded by the Golden Knights to Winnipeg last month.

“The organization’s been wonderful, and it’s been easy to drive around since I know where I’m going,” Eakin said Friday after the Jets’ morning skate at Bell MTS Place, several hours before the team beat the Golden Knights 4-0. “It’s been awesome so far.”

Eakin, a native of Winnipeg, was dealt to his hometown Jets on Feb. 21 for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2021 draft.

The center, 28, said he holds special memories of his two-plus seasons with the Knights, which includes a trip to the Stanley Cup Final in the team’s inaugural season.

“The first year was pretty special,” Eakin said. “Second year, some ups and downs, unfortunate finish. But just coming together as a group out of nowhere, we’ll always have that special bond. A special year. Just a fantastic organization all around, inside and out. I was thankful for my time there.”

Eakin said he and a few former teammates went to dinner Thursday after the Knights arrived in Winnipeg and shared some laughs.

Entering Friday’s game, Eakin had one assist in five appearances with the Jets. He centered the second line with wings Patrik Laine and Nikolaj Ehlers against the Knights.

“It’s been frustrating with injuries starting the season off, and then trying to catch up the second half makes it tough,” Eakin said. “It’s all part of the game. I’m just trying to work through it and try to get better every day.”

Longtime rivals

When Pete DeBoer was hired by the Knights in January, one of his first phone calls was to Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice asking for advice on taking over a team midway through a season.

Maurice, who gave DeBoer his first assistant coaching job in juniors more than 25 years ago, warned his longtime friend against trying to change too much right away.

“Pete’s the right guy for that team right now. His teams always play fast,” Maurice said. “The number of goals they’ve scored just off the rush or within five or 10 seconds of entering the offensive zone, and it’s all speed. Quick decisions, puck to the net. If not, they don’t mind making plays. And that would be what you saw for four years in San Jose.”

No word on Glass

Knights rookie forward Cody Glass remains sidelined with a right knee injury, and a spokesperson said there will not be an update on his status until the team returns from its road trip next week.

Glass was hurt Feb. 20 while on a conditioning stint in the American Hockey League. He missed 14 NHL games after injuring the same knee Jan. 4 against St. Louis.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180071 Vegas Golden Knights

Zach Whitecloud talks background, The Bachelor

By Ben Gotz Las Vegas Review-Journal

March 6, 2020 - 11:30 am

Zach Whitecloud sure doesn’t sound 23-year-old when he talks.

The Golden Knights rookie defenseman is mature beyond his years, and it shows in his words and his actions. Not just on the ice, where he has been a surprising Knights’ contributor after the All-Star break, but off it as well.

Whitecloud discussed his passions away from hockey, his journey to the NHL and more on the latest edition of the Review-Journal’s Golden Edge podcast. Listen to the full interview above, or read some selected highlights below:

On his quieter style of play:

“I think with my skillset, the best games are the ones that the guys like you who are up in the stands and are at the games don’t really recognize me. I think that’s the biggest attribute to my game is that it’s calm, it’s simple. I play a two-way style. I can contribute offensively and that’s starting to come along a lot more as the games go by.”

On choosing the Knights as a college free agent in 2017:

”It was a time that I got to pick my destination where I thought I would give myself the best chance to make it to the National Hockey League and help a team contribute to a Stanley Cup. I think that was the biggest (thought) process going throughout is who can I help the most? And where will my game fit in the most? And what organization can I fit into that I can help and is involved in the community, things that I like? And Vegas was the biggest spot for me.”

On his fandom of “The Bachelor”:

“It all started in junior hockey. My billet parents, Jack and Karen Forster, we started a Bachelor Monday night. …

“It went from six or seven guys to about 15 or 16 boys. I think the guys mainly came for the food. Some guys would sit on their phones the whole time just to eat. That’s where Bachelor Mondays started for me and I’ve been watching ever since. I haven’t been able to catch up recently though, which I’m kind of upset about.”

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180072 Vegas Golden Knights arrived via trade last week. If Fleury continues to struggle, Vegas will have no choice but to play Lehner more.

LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 03.07.2020 Golden Knights come out flat in shutout loss in Winnipeg

By Justin Emerson (contact)

The Golden Knights allowed three goals in the opening 20 minutes and never recovered, falling to the Winnipeg Jets 4-0 at Bell MTS Place to open a five-game road trip.

It is the fourth time this season that Vegas has been shut out and the third time in six games it has allowed at least four goals.

The Jets scored 32 seconds into the game, then again about four minutes later before finding the net one more time with 1:50 left in the period. They finished the scoring at the 14-minute mark of the second.

“The game was over in the first period,” coach Peter DeBoer said to AT&T SportsNet. “The first period was unacceptable and that’s what happens when you’re playing desperate teams with great goaltending. You get into a hole and it’s hard to come back."

The Golden Knights led in shots on goal 29-24.

Here are three takeaways from the loss.

Another slow start

The idea behind starting the fourth line, something that Vegas has done every game since the All-Star break, was that the trio will start off the game with a burst of energy. The strategy was questioned when the Blues scored against them on the opening shift three weeks ago, and it will be interesting to watch if it is reconsidered again.

The Golden Knights gave up a goal 32 seconds into the game, when a Nikolaj Ehlers centering attempt went off Ryan Reaves and into an open net. It’s the second time Reaves, William Carrier and Tomas Nosek have given up a goal on the first shift of the game. They also gave up a high- danger chance to start the game against the Oilers and Devils recently.

Starting the fourth line hasn’t shown a quantifiable impact, as the Golden Knights have given up the first goal in seven of their last 11 games and have been outscored 6-1 in the last four first periods.

“When you’re not ready to play against good teams, that’s what happens,” defenseman Nate Schmidt told AT&T SportsNet. “We weren’t really good with the puck tonight. That caused us to play slow and turn the pucks over to their transition.”

Facing an MVP

Connor Hellebuyck has been so good this season, he has a legitimate case to become the second goalie in the last 17 years to win the Hart Trophy as the league MVP. He added another bullet to his resume on Friday.

Hellebuyck fended off all 29 shots Vegas sent his way on Friday. The Golden Knights had their chances, generating 3.22 expected goals, according to Moneypuck.com, but couldn’t score an actual goal. It was a rare off night for the Golden Knights, who had scored nearly four goals per game in five outings against Hellebuyck. He entered the game with a career .875 save percentage against Vegas, his worst against any opponent.

Streaky Fleury

The goalie in the other net hasn’t been as consistent. Fleury had a tremendous start to the season, then struggled for the better part of three months before rattling off a terrific stretch right before the trade deadline. It was a sign that maybe Fleury had put it together and would finish strong in what had been one of his career worst seasons.

Then he gave up four goals to the lowly Kings on Sunday, and another four to the Jets in his next start. In the five games prior to last Sunday’s game against the Kings, Fleury posted a .942 save percentage in five victories. In the four games before that, it was an .854 save percentage.

It’s been .805 in the last two games after he went 20-for-24 on Friday, which would be cause for concern if Vegas didn’t have another option. Robin Lehner has given the Golden Knights two strong starts since he 1180073 Vegas Golden Knights It adds a level of urgency to the Golden Knights’ final four weeks of the season.

“Teams around us, no one’s losing games,” coach Peter DeBoer said. Zach Whitecloud gaining confidence as Golden Knights hit the road “We have teams right behind us and right around us. I think it’s going to be like that right to the end.”

It starts with tonight in Winnipeg, where Whitecloud will play in front of By Justin Emerson (contact) friends and family, some of whom have never seen him play as a pro. He’s excited, but he and the Golden Knights both hope it’s the first of

many. Justin Emerson and Case Keefer break down another winning stretch of “I think Zach’s comfortable now, I think he’s going to be fine,” DeBoer Vegas Golden Knights' hockey and look ahead to their upcoming said. “He’s settled in with our group. I think he feels confident in what Western Canadian swing, discussing how they will manage the goalie he’s doing out there and he’s playing a big role for us.” rotation and injury situation. LAS VEGAS SUN LOADED: 03.07.2020 The last time the Golden Knights took an extended road trip Zach Whitecloud wasn’t even on the team. Now as Vegas starts a crucial swing through Western Canada, Whitecloud is firmly entrenched on the Vegas blue line.

Whitecloud has not only earned regular ice time, he’s become the NHL leader in a few underlying categories that suggest he’s more than just a temporary fix. Whitecloud will play his first home game in his native Manitoba when the Golden Knights take on the Winnipeg Jets at 5 p.m. today as Vegas starts five games in a row on the road.

“As each day goes by you keep learning different things to help you in games and practices,” Whitecloud said. “You take the learning lessons as they come and apply them to your game.”

Whitecloud is up to 13 games this season and 14 in his career, and the vast majority of them have been terrific. When he’s on the ice at 5-on-5, he leads the league in share of shot attempts (60.5%), expected-goals percentage (70.1) and share of high-danger scoring chances (76.5%) among players with at least 10 games played, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Those are elite numbers, and they say that for a defensive defenseman, Whitecloud excels in getting the puck up ice and out of his own zone.

“When you defend well in the upper two-thirds of the ice and that’ll make it easier coming back into your zone and you won’t have to defend as much,” Whitecloud said. “If you do your job up the ice and break out well and defend hard, you won’t spend as much time in your own zone.”

Granted, those stats need context.

Whitecloud has been playing on the third pair, meaning he hasn’t been matched with the opposition’s top lines. For instance, against the Oilers last week Whitecloud faced Connor McDavid at 5-on-5 for just 1:04, while playing more time against Josh Archibald (4:55) than anyone else. Ditto for the Sabres game two days later, where he saw Jack Eichel for 2:10 while spending a plurality of his time against Kyle Okposo. It’s easy to rack up great possession numbers when taking on teams’ bottom-six forwards.

And while he plays a defensive-first game and doesn’t get power-play time, Whitecloud has just one point, a secondary assist against the Sabres. It’s not a crucial element of his game, but it’s something that to watch to see if offense comes.

“He’s stepped in and hasn’t looked out of place at all,” said Nick Holden, who has been Whitecloud’s primary defensive partner. “I think he takes pride in those little plays, breakouts and stuff like that. He makes really smart decisions with the puck.”

Whitecloud appears to be part of the Golden Knights’ future, but also their present. He’s played in the last six games and has missed only two games since Feb. 1. He’s drawing into the lineup in favor of veterans Deryk Engelland and Jon Merrill, who both have not played since at least Feb 20.

It figures that Whitecloud will continue to play even as the Golden Knights start a crucial piece of its schedule. Vegas will play three of the next four days, all on the road and all against teams right in the thick of the playoff race. The Golden Knights take on the Winnipeg Jets tonight at 5 p.m., then the Calgary Flames on Sunday before a showdown with the Edmonton Oilers on Monday that could be for first in the Pacific.

Of Vegas’ final 14 games, 13 are against teams in the playoff hunt and eight are against Pacific foes. Those Pacific foes aren’t letting Vegas run away with the division either. Despite a streak of nine wins in 10 games, the Golden Knights are within five points of both the Flames and Oilers. 1180074 Washington Capitals stretch — and Washington was fortunate the Rangers didn’t capitalize more often.

AD Flailing Capitals face another Metro Division test at Pittsburgh “I think it’s just individual mishaps for the most part,” Capitals defenseman John Carlson said of the plethora of penalties. “I think a lot of the time it is not even for breakdowns. Sometimes you can live with Samantha Pell them when it is a breakdown and someone has got to overextend or get caught out of position, but a lot of our penalties right now feel like they March 6, 2020 at 1:01 PM EST are not because of that, and that’s got to be better.

"We got to hold each other accountable. We can only say or show so PITTSBURGH — The Washington Capitals are suddenly a desperate much. We need to clean it up ourselves.” team. They haven’t fallen out of first place in the Metropolitan Division — Washington Post LOADED: 03.07.2020 they are tied with the Philadelphia Flyers with 87 points — but they continue to flail, an array of miscues causing them to spiral with the postseason just a month away.

For a squad that early on looked primed to win the Presidents’ Trophy as the regular season’s top team, Washington is facing a challenging new reality. The Flyers, winners of eight straight games, are playing their best hockey down the stretch. And despite a recent six-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Penguins are just three points behind and have a game in hand.

The Capitals will face the Penguins twice more in the regular season, and both contests will be at PPG Paints Arena. The teams meet Saturday in a high-stakes matinee and will clash again March 22. The Capitals and Penguins split two February matchups at Capital One Arena. Washington won the most recent battle, 5-3, on Feb. 23. At the time, that win was seen as a potential breakthrough for the Capitals. Now? Not so much.

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The Capitals are 10-12-2 against Metropolitan Division opponents this season. Including Saturday’s matchup, the Capitals have four division games left.

Thomas Boswell: Capitals have time to fix their issues — just not a lot of it

“You got to go through adversity; you got to go through bad times; you got to learn some tough things. And our group is learning them, and it is certainly not any fun,” Coach Todd Reirden said. “We have to continue to learn and go through the process.”

The Penguins have won their past two games and are entering a challenging stretch of 10 straight division games. Pittsburgh is catching the Capitals at a vulnerable time — following losses on consecutive nights during which they gave up 11 goals combined. The players seem to acknowledge a sense of urgency, but the question is whether that can translate into consistent •effort over 60 minutes.

“I’m confident with the team. I know the response is there,” captain Alex Ovechkin said. “We just have to realize: We have to play smart; we have to play simple. As soon as we start thinking through it too much and do some stupid decisions on the ice, it cost us the game.”

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During Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden — Mika Zibanejad had five goals, including the winner in the extra period — the Capitals couldn’t stay out of their own way. Ovechkin, who scored two third-period goals, including the equalizer with 42.9 seconds left to send the game to overtime and secure a point in the standings, addressed that issue afterward.

Capitals fall again on a five-goal night from the Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad

“Obviously our line didn’t play well at all,” Ovechkin said. “And I think we get mad. We try to do some bad things on the ice. Me, [Evgeny Kuznetsov] and you know, it cost us zone time and we have to play better no doubt. It’s a good lesson. It’s a hard lesson, but we have to take it and accept it. … [On Wednesday] night I make mistake, and it cost us a game. Tonight, I lost my 'D' again. I have to play better in the defensive zone.”

The Capitals followed the same pattern in their past two games: Get momentum with a big goal, surrender it because of penalties, bounce back with a goal or a kill but follow that up with another penalty. The Capitals took seven minor penalties against the Rangers, including three in a row late in the third period. Zibanejad scored his fourth goal in that 1180075 Washington Capitals

Capitals' Nic Dowd, whose nickname is Judge Judy, got a signed photo from Judge Judy

By Zach Brook March 06, 2020 6:13 PM

Capitals center Nic Dowd found out during the eighth episode of the team's podcast "Between Two Blue Lines" that Judge Judy Sheindlin sent him a signed photograph of herself after she found out that his nickname is based off of her.

Just wrapped up episode 8 of Between Two Blue Lines... @JimmyDowder26 and the real @JudgeJudy pic.twitter.com/fMH9qF2mvT

— Garnet Hathaway (@GarnetHathaway) March 6, 2020

Dowd and fellow Caps forward Garnet Hathaway reacted after seeing the photo that Sheindlin sent him, thanking the team's VP of Communications, Sergey Kocharov, for the nice surprise.

Hathaway read out the letter that Sheindlin sent Dowd in addition to the autographed picture.

"If Nic and guest would like to visit in the future, please call me" Hathaway read, stating that she included her personal number.

Alex Ovechkin gave Dowd the interesting nickname last season, and it stuck.

“It happened while we were playing sewer ball last year," Dowd told The Athletic last November. "It’s called sewer ball because you basically try and screw each other over. You get two touches. If you don’t get the two touches you’re out. You can kick sh**** balls at people, so it’s sewer ball. It happened at Cap(ital) One. Quite frequently, Ovi (Ovechkin) will plead his case as to why he should not be out. Then it usually comes down to rock-paper-scissors, and whoever wins stays and whoever loses is out. Frequently it comes down to that, even though maybe Ovi should be out most of the time. But he’s the big man so, you know…

“One game I said something right away. I was like, ‘No, you should be out. You should be out.’ Ovi looked at me – and he had said this before to other guys, it’s just kinda one of his 'Ovi Sayings' – he looked at me and said, ‘Whatever, Judge Judy.’ Willie (Tom Wilson) was there and had never heard it. Willie just loved it. He looovvveeed it. It was one of those things, like it didn’t even cross my mind because Ovi had said it so many times to other guys. ‘Whatever, Judge Judy.’ But Willie loved it. And it stuck.”

That nickname isn't going away anytime soon.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180076 Washington Capitals

Capitals' Garnet Hathaway, Brenden Dillon have spoken about their 2018 fight

By Mike DePrisco March 06, 2020 5:38 PM

When the Capitals swung a trade for Brenden Dillon before the deadline, the first thought in a number of people's minds was the defenseman's epic fight with eventual Capitals teammate Garnet Hathaway in 2018.

Hathaway was on the Flames and Dillon played for the Sharks at the time, and the two players exchanged massive blows until the referees had to separate the two since neither fell to the ice.

On the Between Two Blue Lines Podcast with Nic Dowd, Hathaway was asked about how he and Dillon handled their history when the latter arrived in Washington.

"We've talked about it a few times actually," Hathaway said. "And luckily [Dillon] hasn't tried to do it in practice which is great.

"I was just looking at it [Thursday night] actually, sitting with him on the bus, we were kinda joking about it."

Hathaway and Dillon tried to watch the video on the bus, but it unfortunately didn't load. Still, Hathaway took the opportunity to get some pointers from his new teammate.

"I asked him some technique questions that he did, we kind of got into it," he said.

He also made it seem like the fight happened more out of necessity than any hard feelings during the game.

The Sharks were up 5-1 with five minutes left in the game, and as Hathaway noted, the fight gave Dillon the "Gordie Howe hat trick." One gets such a hat trick by tallying a goal, an assist and a fight all in one game, and Dillon just needed to drop the gloves to secure the prestigious accomplishment.

"Hockey players get to know each other pretty quickly," he said. "Playing with Dilly, he's a competitive guy but he's always played between the lines, he's an honest player, he's respectful.

"When he got traded, I got his phone number and I texted [Dillon], and first thing when we walked into each other in the locker room it was a nice handshake, 'how you doing?' and just a seamless transition. He makes it easy."

Hathaway then went on to say he believes the Capitals had a great group before the trade, but that Dillon is a perfect fit for them.

The results haven't been there for the Caps since Dillon arrived. The team's 3-3-2 in the eight games he's suited up for them, but it's clear Dillon's teammate see him as somebody who can help this team win a Stanley Cup. With 15 games left in the season and the Flyers right on the Capitals' heels in the division, we'll see if they're right.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180077 Washington Capitals The schedule makers did the Caps no favors this week with three division games in four days. The specifics of the schedule have not allowed the team much practice time. Teams generally do not have a morning skate on the morning of the second leg of a back-to-back or a Caps at Penguins: Can Washington turn things around against rival practice the day afterward. With a back-to-back, Washington did not have Pittsburgh? a morning skate on Thursday prior to the Rangers game and did not practice on Friday. Since Saturday's game is an afternoon game,

however, they won't even get a chance for a morning skate before By J.J. Regan March 06, 2020 3:00 PM playing the Penguins. That means the team has not had a chance to get on the ice outside of a game situation since Wednesday morning and even that was an optional skate. The Caps will not have an actual practice until Sunday in Buffalo. The Capitals (40-20-7) head to Pittsburgh in desperate need of points as they take on the rival Penguins (39-21-6). Catch the game broadcast as Standings watch well as all the pre and postgame coverage on NBC Sports Washington. Pregame coverage begins at 12 p.m. with Caps FaceOff Live followed by Washington still sits in first place of the Metropolitan Division, but barely. Caps Pregame Live at 12:30 p.m. bringing you up to game broadcast at The Caps and Philadelphia Flyers are tied in the standings with 87 1 p.m. Stick with NBC Sports Washington after the game for postgame points, but the Caps hold the tiebreaker. Philadelphia hosts the Sabres coverage with Caps Postgame Live and Caps Overtime Live. later on Saturday so the Caps could find themselves in second place by the end of the day if they do not get a result in Pittsburgh. Here is what you need to know for Saturday's game. The Penguins are third in the division with 84 points. A regulation loss for When last we met Washington would not only leave the door open for the Flyers, but pull Pittsburgh to within one point of overtaking Washington for second. This will be the third of four meetings between the Caps and Penguins this season and the first in Pittsburgh. Washington won the last meeting Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 5-3 on Feb. 23 while the Penguins took the first game 4-3.

It has been a tough stretch for Washington, but the games against Pittsburgh stand out as two of the better games the Caps have played over the course of the last few weeks. Will the rivalry inspire better play from Washington on Saturday?

The struggle is real

The Caps are now 14-14-2 since Dec. 23, have lost three of their last four and nine of their last 13. Things are trending in the wrong direction right now and there is not much time left in the season to get right with only 15 games remaining on the schedule.

The Penguins, meanwhile, seem to be getting over their recent swoon. After losing six straight in regulation, Pittsburgh has won its last two. Those two games were against Ottawa and Buffalo, however, so take that with a grain of salt.

Line changes?

With no practice on Friday, there is no way to know what Todd Reirden is thinking for his lines in this game. Will we see players benched for taking too many critical penalties in Thursday's loss to the New York Rangers? He has shuffled his defensive pairs frequently of late and after giving up six goals including five to one player, it would not be shocking to see the defense change yet again.

Here are the lines from Thursday's game:

Alex Ovechkin - Evgeny Kuznetsov - Tom Wilson

Jakub Vrana - Nicklas Backstrom - T.J. Oshie

Carl Hagelin - Lars Eller - Ilya Kovalchuk

Richard Panik - Nic Dowd - Garnet Hathaway

Brenden Dillon - John Carlson

Dmitry Orlov - Nick Jensen

Jonas Siegenthaler - Michal Kempny

Holtby likely to start

Just as with the lines, we do not know exactly what Reirden is thinking in net, but Braden Holtby almost certainly will get the start. With the team defense playing as poorly as it is, neither goalie has managed to put up good stats of late, but Holtby has been the more steady of the two netminders over the course of the last month.

Here are the stats for both netminders since Feb. 1.

Holtby: 11 games played, 10 games started, 5-4-1, .897 save percentage, 3.32 GAA

Samsonov: 6 games played, 5 games started, 0-4-1, .869 save percentage, 4.34 GAA

No practice time 1180078 Washington Capitals logging big minutes in Hershey. Do not be surprised if he or Tyler Lewington are recalled for the playoffs as black aces, however.

Damien Riat signed a two-year entry-level contract with the Caps on Capitals Prospect Report: Riat signs, Fehervary is close and the Thursday. He has spent the last four seasons playing in the NLA in importance of the penalty kill Switzerland. He recorded 11 goals and 11 assists this season in just 36 games for EHC Biel-Bienne. He missed time due to a head injury after getting hit with a puck. I have seen many people say he was out with a concussion, but I don't believe that was ever actually confirmed so just a By J.J. Regan March 06, 2020 2:16 PM word of caution there. According to a team official, it has not yet been determined where Riat will play.

With 17 games left in their season, the currently sit in first The Athletic's Tarik El-Bashir came out with 11 players to watch for the place of the Atlantic Division with a 35-18-3-3 record, two points ahead of 2020-21 season and placed each of those 11 in one of three tiers: Tier I second-place Providence. on the Caps' roster next season, Tier II potential call-ups and Tier III on the radar but not quite ready. You should check out the article, but here The Capitals have been in "win-now" mode for several years and their are my biggest takeaways. Fehervary is the only player in Tier I and that prospect rankings have taken a hit as a result of the traded draft picks seems correct. There is no question he is thought to be a little ahead of and low draft position. And yet, with no real star player on the roster, Alex Alexeyev -- who El-Bashir places in Tier II -- at this point. I'm not head coach has the Bears in first place and eyeing a ready to call Fehervary a lock to make the roster out of camp next run for a Calder Cup. season, but he is definitely the closest.

"They've done an excellent job down there," Caps head coach Todd Among the Tier II potential call-ups are both Pheonix Copley and Vitek Reirden said. Vanecek. This is notable because with Braden Holtby likely to move on after this season, the Caps will need another goalie to work in tandem He added, "There's been so much stuff that's changed down there in the with Ilya Samsonov. I do not see either Copley or Vanecek being that last six years in terms of us making sure they have the same computers player next season and El-Bashir's rankings reflect that. Hershey's vice we do, watching video and everything is streamlined. All the systems, the president of hockey operations, Bryan Helmer, is quoted as saying "They words, the terminology so when the players come up here they have a are both NHL backups." chance to have success. It's important that we provide them the best opportunity and environment to learn and grow and get better. Major Brian Pinho was a surprise for me in Tier II, but he should not have been. credit to what they're doing down there." He is having a strong season in Hershey with 19 goals and 14 assists. I do not see much NHL potential for him beyond call-ups for spot duty here Washington's ECHL affiliate, the South Carolina Stingrays, is also and there. enjoying a strong season as the team currently leads the league with a 43-12-3-1 record. With 13 games left in the regular season, South Per the Caps, Connor McMichael is on pace for 114 points this season in Carolina has already clinched a playoff berth. The league's postseason the OHL. That would be the most by a player since will begin in April. Christian Dvorak's 121 points and Mitch Marner's 116 points which both came in the 2015-16 season. The Stingrays currently have only one Capitals prospect on the roster and that is defenseman Kristofers Bindulis. In 47 games with the Aliaksei Protas is up to 76 points in 55 games with Prince Albert in the Stingrays, he has six goals and 17 assists. WHL. Last season he had 40 points in 61 games.

Prospect notes If there is one takeaway in terms of player development Hershey and the Caps should takeaway from Riley Barber and Travis Boyd it's that any Washington traded defenseman Christian Djoos to the Anaheim Ducks player projected to be a bottom-six NHL player should get as much for forward Daniel Sprong at the trade deadline. The team referred to it penalty kill experience in the AHL as possible. There are a lot of people as a "minor league" deal. While Djoos' demotion to the AHL this season wondering why Boyd can't get into the lineup in Washington, but really had a lot to do with his cap hit, it certainly appeared as if the team had the answer is very simple. Any of the players Boyd would potentially lost faith in him. What zone a player starts his shift in is an easy way to replace all play on the penalty kill. It doesn't make sense to replace a gauge a team's level of trust in a player. Djoos played in only two games special teams player with Boyd just so he can play eight minutes a night for Washington this season, but he had zero defensive zone starts either and not play on the power play or penalty kill. Is there still value in a third- on the fly or on a faceoff. That may be a small sample size, but a player line sniper? Sure. Brett Connolly certainly had value for Washington, but does not get zero defensive zone starts by accident. If the coaches' level he was also someone the team could feel comfortable plugging into the of trust in a player is that low, it makes sense to move on. Djoos was top six when needed. Barber and Boyd are not top-six NHL players. always an undersized player, but seemed to manage that well in his Could they be productive third-line players? Perhaps, but when that rookie season. Opponents began to exploit that in Djoos' second season, means taking a PKer out of the lineup, that's a tough sell. Looking at the however, and his play deteriorated. Caps' prospect forwards, I see only one with definite top-six potential Sprong, 22, was a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015. (Connor McMichael) and maybe three or four possible reaches. Every He has played 97 career NHL games with 19 goals and 11 assists. He other forward should be learning how to play on the penalty kill because has proven to be a decent AHL producer and at best seems like he could that will boost their odds of making it to the NHL roster. be an NHL depth player. Considering Washington's lack of forward I was asked about Axel Jonsson-Fjallby in a Capitals Mailbag in prospect depth, Sprong comes in and is instantly one of the team's top February. You can read it here. Carl Hagelin is a very good comparable 10 offensive prospects, if not top five. for Jonsson-Fjallby. They are both very fast, bottom-six players. Like One reason the team could afford to move on from Djoos? Because Hagelin, people can often mistake Jonsson-Fjallby for a sniper, but he's Bobby Nardella is having a strong season for the Bears providing a not. If he continues developing, he can step into the NHL and provide similar skillset as Djoos. He has four goals and 24 assists in his first full exactly what Hagelin does; speed and a strong penalty kill without much season with Hershey. scoring finish. I would not let some impressive numbers from the SHL fool you into thinking he could be a 20-25 NHL goal scorer. That's really In what appeared to be a move to assess the team's defensive options not his skillset. prior to the trade deadline, Martin Fehervary was recalled by the Caps in February and played in three games. He spent the majority of that time Joe Snively scored his first career AHL hat trick and four-point game on playing on the second defensive pair with Dmitry Orlov which makes Feb. 25 against Charlotte. For the season, he has 12 goals and 12 sense considering that pair is Washington's biggest hole on defense. The assists in 44 games. results were mixed. Fehervary wasn't bad, but it was also clear that he It has not been the best pro debut for Brett Leason this season who was was not quite ready for a significant NHL role just yet. It often looked like drafted in the second round by the Caps in 2019. He has just three goals he was out of sync with the rest of the team and he would just park in 50 games for the Bears this year. That is fewer than Boyd who has himself in front of the Caps' net and try to clear the front. I think he will four goals after playing just four games for Hershey. To be fair to Leason, make a big push for the NHL roster next season despite Washington however, his shot percentage is pretty low at just 5.36-percent. That likely having another crowded blue line, but as of now, he is better off could suggest he is unlucky or that he needs to be better with his shot selection and shot placement. Either way, it is something that can be improved.

Beck Malenstyn is enjoying a career year, or at least he's about to. He has 15 points this season in just 43 games. Last season he had 16 points in 74.

Mike Sgarbossa suffered a lower-body injury that kept him out since Jan. 5. He finally returned on Saturday after missing 21 games. He registered three points in his return. Despite his lengthy absence, he still ranks third on the team in points with 38, just four shy of the team lead.

Connor Hobbs is out indefinitely after undergoing a successful surgical procedure on his right shoulder.

Goalie Mitchell Gibson is preparing for the ECAC Tournament. His team, Harvard, will play St. Lawrence in the first round in a best of three matchup with games on March 6, 7 and 8 (if necessary).

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180079 Washington Capitals New York Islanders: At six points back of Pittsburgh, the only likely way Washington would play the Islanders is if the Caps won the division and the Islanders took the top wild card spot.

Who could the Caps play in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup Toronto: Washington would have to win the division while the Panthers Playoffs? would have to rally to take the third spot in the Atlantic, thus pushing Toronto into a wild card spot.

New York Rangers: They're hot, but injuries are wearing on the Rangers. By J.J. Regan March 06, 2020 6:00 AM They si t two points shy of the Islanders, but three points shy of the top wild card.

Carolina: With three games in hand on Columbus and one on the The Capitals are struggling right now, but the slate will be wiped clean in Islanders, the hill to get into the top wild card spot does not seem all that April at the start of the Stanley Cup players. With 87 points, even if tough to climb. The Hurricanes trail Columbus by four points, but that is Washington were to go only .500 the rest of the way, the team would still time have 102 points so yes, even with the state of the team at the moment, the playoffs are still very likely. But who will the Caps play? Florida: The Panthers would have to rally to make up the five-point gap between them and the top wild card spot, while also not playing well Here's a look at where things stand as of March 6, Washington's most enough to catch the Maple Leafs which would put Florida back in the top likely playoff opponents are and how the Caps matchup against them. three of the division and back in the Atlantic side of the bracket. If the playoffs were to start now, Washington would be playing...the Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Eastern Conference bracket as of March 6

Washington (1st in the Metro, 87 points) vs. Columbus (1st wild card, 79 points)

Philadelphia (M2, 87 points) vs. Pittsburgh (M3, 84 points)

Boston (1st in the Atlantic, 98 points) vs. New York Islanders (WC2, 78 points)

Tampa Bay (A2, 89 points) vs. Toronto (A3, 78 points)

In the hunt: New York Rangers (76 points), Carolina Hurricanes (75 points), Florida Panthers (74 points)

The Caps and Flyers are tied in the standings and in regulation wins (30) which is the first tie-breaker. Washington remains in first place, however, with a 36-35 advantage in ROW.

Washington is 1-2-0 against Columbus this season with one game left to play on March 19.

Initially, you may think of Columbus as a horrible matchup for the Caps. The Blue Jackets completely owned Washington in the first two matchups against them this season winning by a combined score of 8-2. They play an aggressive forecheck style that has been a major weakness for the Caps. Injuries, however, have really taken their toll on Columbus. Josh Anderson is out for the season while Seth Jones and Oliver Bjorkstrand both suffered ankle injuries that could possibly keep them out for the remainder of the season. And those are just the long-term injuries.

With so many key players out of the lineup, Columbus has won only two of its last 13 games and is barely clinging to its wild card spot. They have also played 68 games which means the Islanders have two games in hand, the Rangers have one and Carolina has three.

Washington, meanwhile, has gone 14-14-2 since Dec. 23, lost three of its last four and nine of its last 13. Philadelphia is tied with them in the standings after winning eight straight.

At this point, neither the Caps nor the Blue Jackets seem likely to stay in their respective places in the standings.

The most likely playoff opponent for the Caps? To me, that would be the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Flyers are hot and suddenly look like the team to beat in the division which would drop Washington down into the second spot. After losing six straight, the Penguins are starting to right the ship with two wins. I believe both Washington and Pittsburgh will ultimately claim second and third in the Metro which would set up a first- round matchup between the two rivals.

Other possible matchups for Washington

Philadelphia: If Pittsburgh catches fire and the Flyers cool off, the Penguins could conceivably still win the Metro setting up a first-round matchup between Washington and Philadelphia. Based on the last two times they have played in which the Flyers won both games by a combined score of 12-4, that does not seem like an ideal matchup. 1180080 Washington Capitals

Capitals give up 5 goals to Mika Zibanejad in back-and-forth overtime loss to Rangers

By J.J. Regan March 05, 2020 9:56 PM

Mika Zibanejad scored five goals, including the overtime winner on Thursday, as the Capitals fell 6-5 to the Rangers. Washington battled back from deficits of 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4 to force overtime, but Zibanejad got the breakaway to finish off the storybook night and end the Caps' hopes of escaping New York with two points.

With the Philadelphia Flyers' win on Thursday, they now pull even with Washington for first in the Metropolitan Division.

Here is how the Caps lost.

5 goals for Mika Zibanejad

Zibanejad killed the Caps with a five-goal performance, and he did it with very timely goals. Zibanejad erased a strong start for Washington by tipping in a shot from Artemi Panarin less than two minutes after Carl Hagelin gave the Caps the 1-0 lead. He then one-timed a shot on a delayed penalty early in the second to give New York the 2-1 lead. With the game tied 3-3 heading into the third, Zibanejad scored just 12 seconds in to complete the hat trick. He then scored his fourth of the game with less than two minutes remaining for a go-ahead power-play goal.

Once the game went to overtime, of course Zibanejad was there for the poetic ending. Dmitry Orlov moved up and Tom Wilson needed to drop back to account for that. He was late getting there leaving Zibanejad open for the breakaway. At that point, there was never any doubt that he was going to finish off the game.

No momentum

A troubling trend for the Caps is their inability to build and sustain any momentum at all. Like Wednesday's loss to the Flyers, Washington got off to a great start. The Caps drew a penalty less than two minutes in, the power play looked much improved even if it didn't score, and Hagelin made it 1-0. They then proceeded to give up the game-tying goal less than two minutes in. Ilya Kovalchuk tied the game at 2 in the second period with his first goal as a Cap and Washington gave up a goal to Tony DeAngelo less than two minutes later.

DeAngelo sneaks in behind Ovechkin

The Rangers entered the offensive zone and kicked the puck out to the blue line. Alex Ovechkin was high in the zone covering the defense. Tony DeAngelo backed up along the blue line, then wheeled into the offensive zone behind Ovechkin. Ovechkin reacted late and Panarin found DeAngelo with the cross-ice pass which he roofed into the net.

Kuznetsov's gaffe

New York scored just 12 seconds into the third period off an egregiously terrible play by Evgeny Kuznetsov. The puck was dumped into Washington's zone and Kuznetsov went to retrieve it. He then just...whiffed. He missed the puck completely and pulled up, allowing an easy steal for Pavel Buchnevich. Buchnevich backhanded the puck to Zibanejad in front of the net and he shot it in before Ilya Samsonov really knew what happened.

3rd period penalties

Washington kept battling back and Ovechkin scored to tie the game at 4. The Caps then proceeded to take three penalties over the course of 4:01. Lars Eller was called for roughing, Carlson for cross-checking and Eller was sent back to the box for high-sticking. Washington killed off the first two penalties, but Zibanejad scored on the third power play to give New York the late lead.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180081 Washington Capitals

Rangers C Mika Zibanejad is 1st player in 23 years to score 5 goals in game against Caps

By Ryan Wormeli March 05, 2020 10:00 PM

The Capitals dropped a tough one Thursday night in New York, losing 6- 5 after an early overtime goal from Rangers center Mika Zibanejad.

By that point in the night, Zibanejad had gotten pretty used to celebrating. His overtime winner was his fifth goal of the game, tying the Capitals franchise record for most goals allowed by an individual player in a single game.

Zibanejad's huge night started early, as he scored one goal in the first period to tie things at 1-1. He then followed it up with another score in the second period before ratcheting things up with two more goals in the third. Finally, he finished the night with goal number five.

The 26-year old is the first player to score five goals in a game against the Caps since 1996, when Sergei Fedorov did the same.

Other players have scored five in a game since 1996, but none in the same fashion as Zibanejad and Fedorov.

#NYR Mika Zibanejad is the first NHL player to score 5 goals in a game with the 5th goal being the OT winner since Sergei Fedorov on December 26, 1996 vs...the Capitals.

— Sportsnet Stats (@SNstats) March 6, 2020

Any way you slice it, this was an incredible, memorable night for the Rangers' center, and another tough finish for a struggling Capitals team.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180082 Washington Capitals Play of the game Yes, this is a Caps-centric site, I am the Capitals Insider, I cover the

Caps and if you're reading this, presumably you're a Caps fan. Having Reirden is angry, Zibanejad scores 5 goals and penalties cost the Caps said that, a dude scored five goals and his fifth was an overtime again breakaway. You've got to give props to him.

Dmitry Orlov went up high in the neutral zone and Tom Wilson needed to drop back to account for him. He was late getting there leaving Zibanejad By J.J. Regan March 05, 2020 11:00 PM open for the breakaway stretch pass. At that point, there was never any doubt he was going to finish off the game.

Stat of the game Mika Zibanejad torched the Capitals for five goals, but Washington did itself no favors with too many penalties and bad misplays with the puck in Ovechkin is now tied for the league lead with a two-goal performance. a 6-5 overtime loss to the New York Rangers on Thursday, and it sounds like Todd Reirden is getting frustrated. Alex Ovechkin ties the game with his second of the game. He's now tied with David Pastrnak for the NHL lead in goals with 47. Check out a recap of the game here. — CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) March 6, 2020 Observations from the loss Quote of the game Penalty problems Reirden is getting frustrated with the penalties. With the game tied at 4 in the third period, Lars Eller took an unnecessary roughing penalty as he hit Brendan Smith from behind with "It's getting too late in the season for players to take penalties and then his head down. Eller tried to wrap him up, but he drove him into the me to have to sit them because they can't go on the ice without taking a boards. It was an obvious penalty and one the team could not afford. penalty," the head coach said after the game. Three seconds after the power play expired, John Carlson delivered a Fan predictions cross-check high to Brendan Lemieux. With three seconds left on that power play, Eller was given another penalty for high-sticking Jacob Hagelin goal Trouba. — Top Line Oshie (@TopLineOshie) March 5, 2020 All three penalties were obvious and they came at a critical time. Washington killed off the first two power plays, but gave up the goal on Nailed it. the third to give New York the late lead. Dare I say, Shutout?

No momentum — TylerKaroway (@BC_2DC) March 6, 2020

One of the most striking parts of the Caps' struggles is their complete Both goalies don't let in a single goal and this game alone extends the inability to build any momentum. season for an entire month, in which one team eventually wins when the They could not build off a strong first period on Wednesday against the opposing goalie dies of fatigue Philadelphia Flyers and ended up losing 5-2. They could not build off of — Officer Grape (@erp0dos) March 5, 2020 Alex Ovechkin's 700th goal against the New Jersey Devils, which tied that game at 2. They would go on to lose that game. Again on Thursday, So pretty much the exact opposite of that happened. they could not build off a strong start, they could not build off a 1-0 lead, they could not build off Ilya Kovalchuk's first goal, they could not build off Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 03.07.2020 overcoming deficits of 2-1, 3-2, 4-3 and 5-4. Even when Ovechkin tied the game with 43 seconds left to go, it didn't matter. Washington did not build that momentum and kept giving the game right back to New York every time.

Benching is a slippery slope

Nic Dowd took two penalties in the first period. He did not play again until the second as he was parked for the final seven minutes of the first. Nicklas Backstrom centered the fourth line in Dowd's absence. Clearly, Reirden was sending a message and holding a player accountable. Eller did not play again in this game after taking his second penalty in the third period.

But benching players can be a slippery slope.

Evgeny Kuznetsov had the worst play of the evening early in the third as he went to retrieve a dumped puck behind the net and just...whiffed. He pulled up and missed the puck completely allowing an easy steal for Pavel Buchnevich. Buchnevich backhanded a puck to Zibanejad in front of the net and he shot it in before Ilya Samsonov really knew what happened. This happened just 12 seconds into the third.

Kuznetsov was back on the ice about two minutes later for his next shift.

Washington was trailing and it was the third period. It makes complete sense why Todd Reirden would want Kuznetsov on the ice, but if you send the message that players are going to get benched for bad mistakes, you lose that message when Kuznetsov goes back on the ice after such a terrible play behind the net.

Turning point

Washington got off to a great start in this game, taking a 1-0 lead off a goal from Carl Hagelin. They then proceeded to give up the game-tying goal less than two minutes later as Zibanejad scored the first of his five goals. After that it was the Zibanejad show, and the Caps would not lead again. 1180083 Washington Capitals Either way, it’s been a problem all season for the Caps, who lead the league – quite comfortably, in fact – in minor penalties with 258. The Rangers are second with 242 and the Blue Jackets are the least penalized team with 175. Panic time in D.C.? Four areas the Capitals need to fix quickly In the past two games alone, Washington has been whistled for 13 minors, including three by Lars Eller on Thursday. Three of the penalties in New York – Eller for roughing, Carlson for cross-checking and Eller for By Tarik El-Bashir Mar 6, 2020 20 high-sticking – occurred in a span of four minutes in the heat of a closely- contested third period.

The Capitals entered the holiday break on Dec. 23 reeling from a Reirden’s frustration boiled over in his postgame press conference. lopsided loss in Boston that wasn’t quite as close as the 7-3 score “It’s getting too late in the season for players to take penalties and then indicated. me have to sit them because they can’t go on the ice without taking a And it’s been a struggle ever since. penalty,” he said. “We have lots of high-end skilled players that end up having to sit there for far too long. … You’re just not going to win with Although it’s unclear if anything tangible changed that night at TD taking this number of penalties. You can only sit players so many times, Garden, it serves as a convenient data point for illustrating Washington’s not dress ’em, scratch ’em for taking penalties. (But) eventually they got second-half swoon. Alex Ovechkin and Co. are a mediocre 14-14-2 since to make a decision in our room that they are going to stop handcuffing that defeat. The Caps’ double-digit lead in the Metro Division has been our entire team from having success.” erased. Areas that were once strengths are now weaknesses. And mild concern has turned into outright panic in D.C. The players agreed, saying it’s now up to them to put an end to the parade to the box. Can coach Todd Reirden, his staff and the players turn things around with 15 games left in the regular season? To do it, here are four big “We’ve got to be more disciplined,” Backstrom said. “It doesn’t matter areas they’ve got to address – and quickly: what league, you’re not going to win any games in the penalty box, that’s just how it is.” 1. Goals against Carlson added: “We’ve got to be better. We’ve got to hold each other Prior to surrendering a touchdown in Boston, the Caps ranked among the accountable. We can only say and show so much (video). We have to top 10 in goals allowed per game. They were eighth, to be exact, at 2.76. clean it up ourselves.”

Including the seven goals allowed in Boston, they have since yielded 4. The penalty kill 3.53 per game (106 goals in 30 contests). After Thursday’s 6-5 overtime loss at Madison Square Garden, that’s tied with the Red Wings for the For the first 37 games, it was the backbone of a penalty-prone club, most goals allowed in that span. Detroit, by the way, is the worst team in clicking along at 85.7 percent, which at the time was good enough for the league, and it’s not even close. second-best in the league. In the past 30 games, though, it’s just 17th- best at 79.0 percent. An even closer look reveals that the unit has Blame the defensemen for not being hard around the blue paint and/or allowed multiple power play goals three times in the past seven games. being out of position far too frequently. Or the forwards for not backtracking with enough vigor. Or the careless turnovers. Or the Is it overtaxed? You bet. Does it make the unit’s job harder when top inconsistent goaltending. Or even the system itself. penalty killers like Brenden Dillon, Tom Wilson and Eller also spend a lot of time in the box? It does. It’s impossible to pick just one cause because, depending on the night, it can one or two or even all of the above. It truly has been a team effort. Here’s the bottom line: If you’re going to be undisciplined, the penalty kill has to be (much) better than middle of the pack for a team to have 2. The power play success.

A team that features Ovechkin, John Carlson, Nicklas Backstrom, T.J. It hasn’t been all bad, of course. Washington still owns a share of first Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Kovalchuk should have a power play place in the ultra-competitive Metro. But the recent stretch begs the in the top 10, if not the top five. Instead, the unit is languishing in the question: Who are these Caps? The team that laid waste to the NHL over bottom half of the league with a meager 19.6 percent effectiveness rate the first two-plus months, or the team that’s been the very definition of (17th). For comparison’s sake, the top seven units are connecting at 23 mediocre since Christmas? percent or better, with the Oilers’ unit, led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, leading the way at 29.8 percent. The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020

The Caps, meantime, have scored one power play goal in the past six games and three in the past 10. Since Dec. 23, they are operating at just 17.3 percent.

The coaching staff has tried different wrinkles in an effort to become less predictable, and they’ve shuffled personnel in an attempt to find a mix that works. So far, though, nothing has clicked.

Difficulty with entries and, as a result, setting up. Lack of a consistent net-front presence. Getting outworked. Losing key faceoffs. Like the team’s bloated goals against, you could pick virtually any aspect to critique and you’d be right.

“You have to make adjustments with players that are playing at the top of their game and others that aren’t, and you’ve got to make sure that if there’s not, that they’re held accountable and not used in those situations,” Reirden said after the unit went 0 for 5 with a combined four shots on goal in Wednesday’s 5-2 loss to the Flyers. “That’s something we’ll continue to do and I think that’s still the best way to get players to play at a higher level.”

Washington’s power play hasn’t finished a season below 20 percent since the 2011-12 season.

3. The penalties

Discipline tends to get overlooked when a team is winning and it tends to get magnified when a team is losing. 1180084 Winnipeg Jets "That was awesome. It was just a good feeling to be back on the bench and fighting with the guys," said Perreault, who skated on the fourth line with Nick Shore and Mason Appleton and said the strong start was key.

Jets dominate in 4-0 win over Golden Knights "We’ve been struggling to get that first goal so playing with the lead was key. When (Hellebuyck) is playing like that, he was seeing every puck Impressive performance has club back in playoff position, for now and every shot they took was in the chest. He was making himself big or they were missing the net. When he plays like that, he gives us the best

chance to win, for sure." Mike McIntyre Vegas generated plenty of chances during the game, coming closest with a couple posts, but couldn’t find a way to solve Hellebuyck.

It’s the kind of impressive performance that makes you wonder just "It was a good team game. I thought our roster top to bottom played real where the ceiling might be for these Winnipeg Jets. good and our details were phenomenal," said Hellebuyck, who cited a playoff-like atmosphere in the building that brought back feelings of the After all, an argument could be made that they iced their deepest lineup Western Conference final two springs ago between these two clubs. of the season Friday night at a loud and rowdy Bell MTS Place. And they played like it, too, dominating the Vegas Golden Knights from start to "That felt like a typical Winnipeg game. When our crowd gets into it like finish in an 4-0 victory which vaults them back into a playoff spot. that it’s so easy to get some momentum and really carry and push our pace on them. I’m just having a lot of fun and taking every moment in like "Playing that kind of game against Vegas is hard. They have a really it might not happen again." good team. It’s not easy to get points from them. It was huge for us, because every point matters from now on," said forward Patrik Laine. The Jets are now 2-0 on this homestand after starting it with a 3-1 win over Buffalo on Tuesday. They’ll attempt to finish it on a high on Monday Indeed they do. Winnipeg improves to 35-28-6 and once again occupy night by hosting the Arizona Coyotes, one of several rival teams they’re one of the two Western Conference wildcard spots with 13 games left on currently jockeying for position with. their schedule. Vegas, which had won nine of 10 to begin the night, falls to 37-24-8 and continue to lead the Pacific Division. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.07.2020

Connor Hellebuyck stopped all 29 shots he faced for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season. He’s not only a legitimate Vezina Trophy candidate for best netminder in the league, but an argument could be made for some Hart Trophy votes as well as league MVP.

"It’s a great milestone, but it’s a testament to the guys in front of me and how well we’ve been playing. When we bring it we know we can shut teams down," said Hellebuyck.

Coach Paul Maurice suddenly has lots of options at his disposal, with Mathieu Perreault returning to the lineup Friday after a 16-game injury absence. Laine and Josh Morrissey also recently came back from nursing hurts, bolstering a roster that also includes trade deadline acquisitions Dylan DeMelo and Cody Eakin.

As a result, Winnipeg’s four lines and three defence pairs were perhaps the most balanced and talented they’ve been in some time. And with shutdown centre Adam Lowry on the verge of returning as early as next week, the Jets are getting healthy just in time for a big push over the final four weeks.

And so while Hellebuyck had to be sharp as usual, this wasn’t a case of the goaltender stealing the show as we’ve seen so often this season. He had plenty of help as the Jets scored early and often to give him some breathing room.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored just 32 seconds into the game, patiently waiting out Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, taking the puck behind the net and banking it in off Vegas forward Ryan Reaves for his 24th of the year.

"The perfect first shift to get the crowd fired up, get the game going for us," said Maurice.

His club struck again at 4:41 of the period as Laine notched his 27th of the campaign, quickly gathering a loose puck in his feet and beating Fleury while on the power play. Just like that, the Jets were in unfamiliar territory, enjoying a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes of any game for the first time since Jan. 14.

And they kept coming, too, with Kyle Connor scoring his team-leading 36th at 18:10. Jack Roslovic made a great feed on a two-on-one rush that came after an ugly turnover from Vegas forward Nicolas Roy. Connor has now scored in five straight games as he continues to set a new single-season high for goals.

"That was something we definitely needed. We’ve been kind of struggling with our first periods lately. Been always kind of chasing the game. But tonight, three goals in the first, that’s huge for us. It gave us confidence and a little bit of security for the next two," said Laine.

Perreault made good on his return by scoring at 14:00 of the middle frame, taking a great slap pass from Morrissey to score his seventh of the year, and first since Nov. 23. 1180085 Winnipeg Jets the Jets, which then cuts down the number of rush chances opponents can create.

Little changes in a player’s game can create ripple effects that change Wheeler stepping it up down stretch everything for them, but even with this change in Wheeler’s forechecking, the impact on his on-ice differentials is too extreme to lay at the feet of just that.

By: Andrew Berkshire There’s likely more going on that we can’t quantify directly, whether it’s a different level of intensity or simply being in the right spots at the right

time. The fact is whatever is happening for Wheeler beyond his When Winnipeg Jets captain Blake Wheeler is on the ice the team increased focus on forechecking, it’s working. If the Jets are going to controls nearly 61 per cent of the slot passes. make the playoffs, or even surprise a team once they get there, their captain finding a level he hasn’t had since 2016-17 is going to be a big With five teams vying for two wild-card spots in the Western Conference reason why. playoff race, the playoffs are far from a guarantee for the Winnipeg Jets. Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 03.07.2020 One of the biggest reasons the Jets have been able to stick around in that pack pushing for the playoffs has been a resurgent second half of the season from team captain Blake Wheeler.

Before the season began, I wrote about troubling signs in Wheeler’s game — identifiers that showed things were slowing down for him offensively and his on-ice impacts were falling off as well.

In the first half of the season that trend seemed to be holding steady, but since the calendar switched to 2020… let’s say things have changed.

Control of slot passes has always been a big part of Wheeler’s game, but it had fallen off in each of the last two seasons. It remained positive in the first half of this season but since then has gone from very good to spectacular, with the Jets controlling nearly 61 per cent of the slot passes while he’s on the ice.

As great as that increased control of slot passes has been for the Jets, the biggest difference maker and trend buster has been how heavily the Jets have controlled the shot metrics while Wheeler has been on the ice — especially from the inner slot.

A 17 percentage point increase in on-ice inner slot differential is a colossal change from among league-worst impacts from the most important area of the ice to among the league best. So has Wheeler found the fountain of youth?

Looking at the individual offensive contributions that Wheeler has made in the first and second halves, he has made a few changes in his tendencies with the puck, but I don’t think it explains why the differentials have skyrocketed into such incredible territory.

Wheeler is shooting less often but from closer to the net on average. He’s also completing more passes to the slot and off the rush. All of the differences are relatively small; for example Wheeler was involved in creating 6.82 scoring chances every 20 minutes at 5-vs.-5 in 2019, and 6.86 in 2020. So where is the change coming from in Wheeler’s game?

Looking through Wheeler’s individual plays, the areas of big change that stand out are in two areas that are fundamentally intertwined.

In the first half of the season Wheeler removed possession from opponents 1.8 times every 20 minutes of ice time at 5-vs.-5, whereas in 2020 he’s completed those plays 2.35 times every 20 minutes, which may not seem like a lot but represents a 30.6 per cent increase in frequency.

Similarly, in the first half of the year Wheeler was recovering 6.46 loose pucks in the offensive zone every 20 minutes of ice time, and since the calendar flipped to the new year that number has risen to 8.16 every 20 minutes, which is a 26.3 per cent increase in frequency.

Combining those two areas you get a nearly 30 per cent increase in the effectiveness of Blake Wheeler’s forechecking in the second half of the season, stifling opponents’ breakout schemes and creating better and longer offensive zone possessions for his team.

Even if he’s not directly creating a lot more scoring chances, he’s creating the opportunity for his linemates to take advantage and create them, often with his opponents now out of position and scrambling because he’s forced them into mistakes.

That forechecking pressure also has a defensive impact even that far from the defensive zone itself, since disrupting clean possessions while defending players are trying to initiate breakouts prevents clean zone exits with control, which in turn cuts down controlled entries going against 1180086 Winnipeg Jets Meanwhile, the Jets made it 2-for-2 on the power play at 14:00 of the second period, with Mathieu Perreault shovelling in his seventh of the season in his return from a 16-game hiatus with an upper-body injury.

Jets make statement in big win over Golden Knights It’s Perreault’s first goal in 22 games, a stretch dating back to Nov. 23 against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and one that increased the lead to 4- 0.

Scott Billeck “That was awesome,” Perreault said. “It was just a good feeling to be back on the bench and fighting with the guys. Especially at this time of

the year, it’s so crucial so those two points are huge. It was just nice to If there’s a special filing cabinet labelled ‘Statement Games’ tucked away be out there.” somewhere in Paul Maurice’s office, it received a new submission on Three of Perreault’s seven goals have come against the Golden Knights Friday night at Bell MTS Place. this season. Maurice’s Winnipeg Jets thrashed the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0, “On the ice was really good, scoring goals,” Maurice said of Perreault. securing their second win of the season against the Pacific Division “But he’s talking on the bench, he’s keeping guys excited and he’s having leaders. fun, enjoying the pressure. I didn’t get him out there a whole lot, more a “You can call it whatever you want,” Patrik Laine said following the game. function of how they were running their bench. I couldn’t find, they split “Playing that kind of game against Vegas is hard, they have a really good some lines up and made it a little harder to find a line for him. But lots of team. It’s not easy to get points from them. It was huge for us, because real good energy in the room. Frenchie enjoys scoring goals as much as every point matters from now on.” anybody, and the people around him enjoy it even more. Because he celebrates the right way.” That’s but one storyline in a game chock full of them, however. Fleury took the ‘L’ for the Golden Knights, allowing four goals on 24 In the game of wild-card musical chairs, the Jets regained their seat at shots. the playoff table, moving into the first of two such spots with 76 points. The Jets now get two days off before welcoming the Arizona Coyotes to “It was a good win. We needed a win,” captain Blake Wheeler said. “They town on Monday to end their three-game homestand. played a good game. They’re fast, they have good sticks. They didn’t give us a whole lot. I think our goalie was outstanding tonight, made the Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.07.2020 stops when we needed him to. He gave us a chance to win.”

Connor Hellebuyck, meanwhile, made 29 saves for his NHL-leading sixth shutout of the season — tying his career-high first established in 2017- 18. It was a statement game within a statement game as Hellebuyck continues to build his case for the Vezina Trophy.

“It’s a great milestone, but it’s a testament to the guys in front of me and how well we’ve been playing,” Hellebuyck said. “When we bring it we know we can shut teams down. I thought tonight was a good game.”

And then there’s the fact that the Golden Knights came into the game 9- 1-0 in their past 10 games.

“It was a big game. We need it,” Maurice said. “We’re going to hit them, including tonight, twice and Colorado twice. So pretty powerful teams. The perfect first shift to get the crowd fired up, get the game going for us. They’re 9-1 so they’ve done a lot of good things.”

The Jets came out, ahem, flying to start this one, evidenced by their 1-0 lead just 32 seconds removed from the opening faceoff.

Nikolaj “One-Man Zone Entry” Ehlers notched No. 24 after streaking down the left side into the zone, rounding the net behind Marc-Andre Fleury, and banking a shot off Ryan Reaves and behind the man known as ‘Flower’.

Patrik Laine, who provided the primary assist on Ehlers’ goal (not counting Reaves’ contribution) would grab his 27th of the season on the power play at 4:41 to push Winnipeg’s lead to 2-0.

“That was something we definitely needed,” Laine said of the good start. “We’ve been kind of struggling with our first periods lately. Been always kind of chasing the game. But tonight, three goals in the first, that’s huge for us. It gave us confidence and a little bit of security for the next two. We were able to close it out. A great win.”

Laine reached 60 points on the goal, and scored a goal few in the NHL can, somehow getting off a quick shot with the puck nestled in his feet.

The first-period slaughtering continued as Vegas resumed shooting themselves in the foot.

Nicolas Roy pulled the trigger this time, committing a brutal giveaway in Winnipeg’s zone. The free pizza quickly turned into a 2-on-1 for the Jets led by Jack Roslovic and Kyle Connor.

With Brayden McNabb left to defend, Roslovic slid a pass to Connor and the latter padded his team-leading goal total with his 36th to make it 3-0 with 1:50 left in the period.

Connor is riding a five-game goal-scoring streak at the moment. 1180087 Winnipeg Jets A self-described “frustrating” year hasn’t seen Eakin scoring as much as he’d like. In 46 games, he’s potted just four goals and added seven assists, a far cry from the numbers he threw up last season.

Eakin wearing chip on shoulder vs. former team Injuries haven’t helped his cause, either.

“Trying to play catch up in the second half kind of makes it tough, but that’s all part of the game, just got to try and work through it,” Eakin said. Scott Billeck But all of that is in the rearview at this point.

His new club is caught up in a dogfight for one of the two wild-card spots If having a chip on your shoulder wasn’t just an idiom in the English in the Western Conference. And most importantly, Eakin is comfortable in language, it’d be interesting to see how the folks responsible for jersey his new digs. modifications would handle the task of fitting them underneath a player’s sweater. “Started playing cards with the guys,” Eakin said. “Kind of getting to some joking in and personalities come out, talking a little bit more and a couple They come in all different shapes and sizes, after all. of games is all it takes to see some habits in the guys. I feel comfortable.”

For Cody Eakin, his chip comes in the form of an unsuspecting trade, Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.07.2020 one where the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights felt he was a surplus to requirements in Sin City. Without any say in the matter, he was shipped to Winnipeg — his hometown — and to a team — the Jets — who are anything but a guarantee to make the postseason.

Eakin’s face wore the disappointment of being dealt when he met with the media for the first time a couple of weeks back. On Friday morning, hours before he’d get a chance to play his former team inside Bell MTS Place, Eakin wanted nothing more than to get back at his former club on the ice.

“Absolutely,” he said. “Nothing would be better than getting the win tonight. I’ll do everything I can and help out and try and get that.”

Eakin’s memories of playing on The Strip are fondly remembered.

He was one of the misfits that then-general manager George McPhee took from the scrap heap during the expansion draft. In the team’s inaugural season two years ago, Eakin helped the team set record after record, culminating with a run to the Stanley Cup Final, one that went through his new team to get there.

Last season, Eakin fired in a career-high 22 goals and put up 41 points, also a career-best.

“First year was pretty special,” Eakin said. “Just coming together as the one group out of nowhere, we’ll always have that special bond.”

And while it was tough for Eakin to walk out the door, it was just as tough for his former teammates to seem him take those steps.

“It’s awful,” Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault said of Eakin not being around. “I’m not even going to talk about how good he is on the ice and how successful he was with us. He’s a veteran.

“But off the ice, he’s such a good guy to be around. You lose a friend and a guy who’s been here since the beginning. All of that, it’s a tough one to see.”

For every player who played in that first season in Vegas, the feelings when it comes to those who have departed since are that much stronger.

“It is more meaningful,” Marchessault said. “We’ve been through something that no other team will go through. Those guys from the first year, there’s a special bonding, for sure. It was a tough day to see Eakin go.”

The loss for Vegas was a gain for Winnipeg, and Eakin has integrated himself nicely into the team, according to head coach Paul Maurice.

“He’s a real good pro, he knows what his game is,” Maurice said. “He’s not trying to find a game or change how he plays.”

Maurice said Eakin’s role has been in flux, partly thanks to the former’s injury-riddled club.

At the moment, Eakin centres the team’s second line with Nikolaj Ehlers and Patrik Laine at his flanks.

“I have to think a player that’s good defensively, wins faceoffs, battles and competes, doesn’t mind playing with Nik Ehlers and Patty Laine because there’s some action there, too,” Maurice said.

“He’s going to have an opportunity to do more than just check, so to speak. We haven’t had a good enough of a look at it for those guys to build any rhythm, but we think they can score some goals.” 1180088 Winnipeg Jets Brayden McNabb-Nate Schmidt Alec Martinez-

Nick Holden-Zach Whitecloud GAME DAY: Golden Knights at Jets Goalies

Robin Lehner Scott Billeck Marc-Andre Fleury

Winnipeg Jets Vegas Golden Knights (37-23-8) at Winnipeg Jets (34-28-6) Forwards FRIDAY, 7 P.M., BELL MTS PLACE Kyle Connor-Mark Scheifele-Blake Wheeler TV: TSN3, RADIO: TSN 1290 Jansen Harkin-Andrew Copp-Jack Roslovic THE BIG STORY Nikolaj Ehlers-Cody Eakin-Mason Appleton Can they hang? Gabriel Bourque-Nick Shore-Mathieu Perreault If the Winnipeg Jets are to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs in a month’s time, there’s a good possibility that they could meet the Vegas Golden Defence Knights in Round 1. First, the Jets need to find a way to secure two points from the team that stopped them from advancing to the Stanley Josh Morrissey-Dylan DeMelo Cup Final two seasons ago. Eight points separate the two clubs in the Dmitry Kulikov-Neal Pionk standings, with the Golden Knights holding the top spot in the Pacific Division and the Jets, entering Thursday, holding down the final wild-card Nathan Beaulieu-Tucker Poolman spot. The Golden Knights come into the game with a 9-1-0 record in their past 10 games, including a 3-0 blanking of the New Jersey Devils on Goalies Tuesday. The Jets have some history on their side, including a 2-0-1 Connor Hellebuyck record at home against Vegas at least a point earned in five of their seven games against them. Laurent Brossoit

FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME INJURIES

1. The Kyle Connor Show Golden Knights: F Mark Stone, F Alex Tuch

Goals in four straight games, Connor will look to continue his ascent to Jets: D Carl Dahlstrom, D Luca Sbisa, D Sami Niku, F Adam Lowry, F the 40-goal milestone against Vegas. Connor scored twice and added an Bryan Little, F Mark Letestu, D Dustin Byfuglien (suspended) assist on Tuesday in Winnipeg’s 3-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres. He leads the Jets in goals with 35, a new career-high set in Tuesday’s game, SPECIAL TEAMS and those 35 tie him for sixth among NHL goal scorers this season. POWER PLAY

2. Top-line dynamite Golden Knights: 21.4% (11th)

Speaking of Connor, since being reunited with Mark Scheifele and Blake Jets: 19.9% (16th) Wheeler three-and-a-half games ago, the tried and true trio has been exactly as one might expect: dominant. The threesome has combined for PENALTY KILLING seven goals and 16 points since being put back together. Golden Knights: 77.7% (22nd) 3. Hellebuyck heroics Jets: 77.1% (23rd) The Jets will need those, surely, if they’re to come away with a win. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 03.07.2020 Hellebuyck, despite his 2-1-1 record against the Golden Knights in five appearances, has his worst save percentage (.875) against Vegas among the 30 other teams in the league. Hellebuyck stopped 25-of-26 in his last time out on Tuesday, his 28th win of the season.

4. Perreault returns?

The feisty forward skated in his second straight full practice without a non-contact jersey and will be an option for the club tomorrow, according to Paul Maurice. The 32-year-old has missed 16 games with an upper- body injury sustained in a Jan. 31 game against the Boston Bruins.

5. A chip on the shoulder

It was pretty evident given Cody Eakin’s demeanor that he was bummed out to be traded from the Golden Knights prior to the trade deadline. Eakin has integrated himself nicely into Winnipeg’s lineup so far, but you can bet he’ll be playing with revenge on his mind on Friday night.

GAME DAY LINEUPS

Vegas Golden Knights

Forwards

Jonathan Marchessault-Paul Stastny-Reilly Smith

Max Pacioretty-William Karlsson-Nicolas Roy

Chandler Stephenson-Nick Cousins-Brandon Pirri

William Carrier-Tomas Nosek-Ryan Reaves

Defence 1180089 Winnipeg Jets own words) this was a direct response to the difference in talent available.

But Winnipeg has been a little more aggressive in just the past two Quantifying how Winnipeg’s many injuries have affected them in the weeks. I suspect that 14 more games of Morrissey with Dylan DeMelo as standings Winnipeg’s top pairing (plus the emergence of Jack Roslovic, Mason Appleton and Jansen Harkins as aggressive forecheckers) will keep that attack going.

By Murat Ates Mar 6, 2020 28 All of this to say: the only thing more fluid than Winnipeg’s roster as a result of its neverending flow of injuries is hockey itself, as a sport.

Still, with injuries being such a prominent story this season — and with a From car accidents to errant pucks, season-long holdouts, viruses and playoff spot still up for grabs — I thought it was about time to quantify the two injuries sustained while playing sports other than hockey, Winnipeg’s Jets’ agony. injury woes this season have been cartoonish. Only six Jets have played all 68 of Winnipeg’s games. Let’s start with the full listing of Winnipeg’s roster.

The roster has been a steady carousel of waiver claims and call-ups but What you’ll see below is every Jets’ player’s Game Score, the number of now, with less than 15 games left to play, good health stands to end the games he’s played for any NHL team this season, the number of games carnival ride. he has missed and the estimated total “cost” of those games missed. I say “for any NHL team” to grant players like DeMelo and Eakin value How much have the Jets injuries cost them this season? And will full while acknowledging they’ve played most of their games outside of health be enough to cement a playoff spot? Winnipeg. Given the massive story that injuries have been — and the fact that there The cost of Winnipeg’s injuries is still time for Winnipeg to overcome those issues and win enough of its final 14 games to make the playoffs — I think it’s time to account for the Dustin Byfuglien true cost of Winnipeg’s cartoonish bad luck. WPG Here is Winnipeg’s current list of injury updates: 1.84 Mathieu Perreault is a possibility for Friday against Vegas. 0 Adam Lowry practiced in a full-contact sweater on Thursday and could return to action on Monday or Wednesday of next week. 68

Carl Dahlström also practiced in a full-contact jersey on Thursday and 1.53 will likely be an option soon (although unlikely to steal a roster spot). Bryan Little Luca Sbisa is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. WPG Sami Niku is week-to-week after his pregame soccer injury last Tuesday. 0.63 Mark Letestu has returned to practice after missing much of the season 7 due to myocarditis, a heart condition he says was likely caused by a virus. Paul Maurice has suggested Letestu could theoretically play this 61 season but cautioned he’s a long way from game shape. A return seems possible, although unlikely. 0.47

Bryan Little has been shut down for the season after surgery to repair his Dylan Demelo perforated eardrum. WPG

Even this isn’t a full accounting of Winnipeg’s losses. Patrik Laine has 0.67 missed time, as has Josh Morrissey. Mason Appleton broke his foot playing football with his mates before Winnipeg’s outdoor game in 56 Regina. Nathan Beaulieu has been in and out of the lineup for a variety of bruises and breaks. The only players to have played all of Winnipeg’s 12 games this season are Blake Wheeler, Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Nik 0.10 Ehlers, Neal Pionk and Jack Roslovic. Mathieu Perreault How do we estimate the cost of all this? WPG Enter Dom Luszczyszyn and Game Score Value Added. 0.31 Game Score is Luszczyszyn’s attempt to summarize a player’s performance with a single statistic. While that’s obviously a difficult feat to 46 pull off, it looks deeper than traditional points metrics by including: 22 More weight for primary points (goals and first assists) 0.08 Impact on expected goals, both offensively and defensively Jansen Harkins Penalty differential WPG Three seasons’ worth of data for each stat (but with recency weighted more heavily) 0.14

Small adjustments for quality of teammates and competition 28

The full write-up is right here. For now, I’ll use Game Score to estimate 40 the true cost of Winnipeg’s injuries in terms of standings points lost. 0.07

The list of caveats is long — no estimate is perfect. No player is a robot. Andrew Copp Sometimes, players, lines or even entire teams will change how they play as a response to the available talent. For example, Winnipeg spent most WPG of the season playing a more passive forecheck with less up-ice pinching 0.68 by defencemen than it did in years past. To my mind (and in the coach’s 60 68

8 0

0.07 0.00

Patrik Laine Kyle Connor

WPG WPG

1.30 1.94

65 68

3 0

0.05 0.00

Mason Appleton Nikolaj Ehlers

WPG WPG

0.12 1.75

43 68

25 0

0.04 0.00

Adam Lowry Neal Pionk

WPG WPG

0.14 0.89

47 68

21 0

0.04 0.00

Cody Eakin Jack Roslovic

WPG WPG

0.11 0.44

46 68

22 0

0.03 0.00

Josh Morrissey Nick Shore

WPG WPG

0.24 -0.30

62 60

6 8

0.02 -0.03

Nathan Beaulieu Gabriel Bourque

WPG WPG

0.01 -0.33

35 52

33 16

0.00 -0.06

Blake Wheeler

WPG WPG

2.45 -0.16

68 35

0 33

0.00 -0.06

Mark Scheifele Dmitry Kulikov

WPG WPG

2.30 -0.33 48 By this, I mean a healthy Byfuglien, Little, Perreault, Laine, Lowry, Letestu, Copp, Appleton, Bourque, Poolman, Beaulieu and Kulikov would 20 likely have played in every game they missed. That's true for these -0.08 players in a way that it's not for healthy scratches and call-ups like Harkins, Niku or Logan Shaw. Luca Sbisa Adding up the cost of Winnipeg's losses in this way gives 2.05 wins lost -- WPG roughly four standings points.

-0.30 Most of that comes from Byfuglien because Dom's model projects the fictitiously healthy, happy Byfuglien as a top-pairing caliber defenceman - 44 - just as it did at the beginning of the season. Little's loss is significant as 24 well, if slightly exaggerated because recent games played get weighted more heavily and Little started the season on fire by points and -0.09 underlying numbers alike. After that, it's a death by a thousand cuts/breaks/bruises. Carl Dahlstrom The next step towards accuracy would be to recognize that, when a WPG player is hurt, he doesn't magically disappear -- his minutes are taken by -0.14 someone else.

15 "Next man up," as Kulikov told me once and I've quoted repeatedly since. A club so deep that its 13th forward or seventh defenceman was better 53 than replacement level would theoretically be hurt less by the same injuries that cripple a team with less depth. -0.09 On that note, Winnipeg's fourth line has been worse than the average Tucker Poolman fourth line this season. The average fourth line yields zero Game Score WPG Value Added, whereas a line of Bourque, Nick Shore and Shaw has "cost" the Jets roughly one win. Smash a puck off of Laine's foot and take -0.65 him out of the lineup for Shaw and it costs Winnipeg more than Laine's 54 Game Score, it costs Shaw's negative game score too.

14 To account for that (without looking at every single individual game) we can take a fantasy-land look at a Jets team with perfect health and -0.11 compare it to the real world.

Anthony Bitetto Some of this will be a guess because Winnipeg shuffled its forward lines even during Little's seven healthy games. Part of that was giving Little a WPG smooth reentry into the team following the concussion he sustained -0.77 during camp but, because this is the Jets, part of it is also because Laine was hurt for three of Little's seven healthy games. 51 Here are the lines from Little's last game this season, with a magically 17 healthy Letestu subbed in for the rookie David Gustafsson.

-0.16 Connor – Scheifele – Wheeler

David Gustafsson Ehlers – Little – Laine

WPG Copp – Lowry – Roslovic

-0.30 Bourque – Letestu – Perreault

22 We know that lines are constantly changing and that perfect health is a myth. Still, I think we can agree on this as a starting point based on the 46 veteran status of the players chosen. This comes at the expense of -0.17 Appleton, who didn't start the season on the roster, and Harkins, who came out of nowhere to bolster Winnipeg's bottom six. It also assumes Joona Luoto that Shore wasn't claimed on waivers and that Winnipeg didn't trade for Cody Eakin. WPG The defence is more difficult to gauge. -0.30 If we get carried away with blue skies, Winnipeg could have run: 16 Morrissey – Byfuglien 52 Kulikov – Pionk -0.19 Beaulieu – Poolman Sami Niku These six men are chosen because of their status on the depth chart WPG when training camp began. There is no Sbisa or Dahlström waiver -0.37 claims. Anthony Bitetto loses his roster spot to Byfuglien. There is no trade for DeMelo and, while you might make an argument for Niku, no 17 one would listen to you.

51 How would this completely healthy, blue-sky team have performed?

-0.23 These game score values are not how each player has played this year but Dom's projection of their true talent based on this season and past For the fastest estimate of Winnipeg's losses, we can sum the "value seasons. If we ran this season all over again with this Jets roster playing lost" for any player Paul Maurice would likely dress if everyone were all 82 games, the numbers you see are his model's best guess at the healthy. value each player would provide. But Winnipeg has been decimated by injuries.

Taking that same model and using the number of games each player actually played, Winnipeg has already lost three wins' worth of value this season. That's a major, six-point cost to Winnipeg's current place in the standings. Given that Winnipeg as we know it is a bubble team, it seems reasonable to suggest guaranteed good health would mean a guaranteed playoff spot, too.

But Winnipeg has been "lucky," percentage-wise this season. You've seen the Jets' shooting and save percentages, yes?

That's true. Even though Winnipeg has been unlucky in terms of injuries, some common estimators of "luck" suggest that the Jets have been lucky in other ways. If Winnipeg stayed perfectly healthy and enjoyed its same good fortune, percentages wise, you could project these Jets to earn 96 points.

If you want to assume "normal" luck, where Winnipeg's goaltending and finishers perform exactly how they're projected to perform, our bubble- wrapped version of the Jets would hit closer to 92 points.

Either way, you're dreaming. Other teams get hurt too, Ates.

Honestly, this time the snarky guest-voice is right. Twenty-eight missed games of Sidney Crosby cost Pittsburgh most of three points all by itself. Fifty-seven missed games of Vladimir Tarasenko cost St. Louis four points all by itself -- and that total is still growing.

Meanwhile, Winnipeg's carnival run of freak injuries is a remarkable, awful thing. Byfuglien's saga, Niku's fender bender, Little's puck to the head and Letestu's heart virus aren't to be trifled with. They've had incredible effects on the people involved, their families and their teammates.

In a real life, human sense, the consequences have been serious and the constant adaptation to new linemates likely cost the Jets on the ice as well. Still, when held up against some of the elite losses faced by other, deeper teams, Winnipeg's bubble position might be better attributed to the play of its healthy players more than absences and injury.

Finally, a note on the stretch run.

Winnipeg has 14 games left to play. Perreault might play in all 14 -- he's possible for Friday night's game against Vegas. Lowry won't play on Friday but could get into the lineup on Monday against Arizona or Wednesday in Edmonton.

If Perreault plays 14 games, bumping Bourque from the lineup, and if Lowry plays 13 games, bumping Shore, Winnipeg stands to gain: 0.17 GSVA. Even if you accept the thought experiment at play for the premise of this article, there aren't enough games left for full health to "guarantee" extra points -- and that's assuming neither player struggles on his way back to regular minutes.

The Jets, of course, aren't in the business of winning thought experiments -- they're in the business of trying to win hockey games. I'm sure they'll take all of the help they can get.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180090 Vancouver Canucks “It’s tough,” Horvat said of his assignment. “I’m not going to lie. He’s one of the top two players in the league in my opinion. He’s not easy to contain. He’s going to get his looks. It was just nice to get the win.”

Canucks 6, Avalanche 3: Canucks answer call to arms with big win over Chris Tanev recorded one of the blocks when he threw his body in front Avalanche of a full-on MacKinnon slapper in the third period with the Canucks nursing a 4-3 lead.

“I mean, it’s 4-3 and we’re trying to make the playoffs here,” said Tanev. Ed Willes “I think anyone on the team is going to do that. It’s what we need to do to win. We haven’t got the results we wanted. We talked about doing the

little things, take a hit, block a shot. We’re playing playoff hockey the rest Travis Green sounded the call to arms for the Vancouver Canucks prior of the year. It’s going to be fun.” to Friday night’s meeting with the Colorado Avalanche and this time his Painterly, Petersson players were listening. You couldn’t really say Elias Pettersson was in a scoring slump heading Here’s what we learned from the Canucks 6-3 win, a victory that snapped into this game but his production wasn’t consistent with a No.-1 centre. a four-game losing streak and kept the locals above the playoff bar. Pettersson was 3-5-8 in his previous 12 games. But his two wingers — Call to arms Miller and Tyler Toffoli — had been carrying the team offensively. Miller At the morning skate, the Canucks head coach issued the following was 5-11-16 over his last 12 games before Friday night. Toffoli was 5-2-7 manifesto for his team. in the seven games since he was acquired at the trade deadline.

“I’m confident in this group. They’re going to play their a–es off for the Miller drew the primary assist on Stecher’s opening goal but Pettersson rest of the year and I’m confident they’re going to put themselves in the took out his paint brush and painted a goal later in the first, holding the playoffs.” puck on a two-on-one before setting up Miller for a tap-in.

Thus inspired, the Canucks opened a 2-0 lead in the game’s first 12 1/2 “Every team has slumps,” said Pettersson. “Every team has games they minutes on goals by Troy Stecher and J.T. Miller and, despite a few feel they should have won. But it is what it is. You just try to think nervous moments, coaxed this one home. largely on the strength of a positive.” three-goal performance from the team’s supporting cast. “He’s a pretty even-keel guy,” said Miller. “Both him and (Quinn Hughes). Antoine Roussel, who enjoyed his most impactful game of the season, I wish I had little bit more of that in me, more flat line. But it’s a big time of scored the go-ahead goal and eventual game-winner in the second, the year and I think they’re going to relish playing big minutes and being converting a centering pass from Adam Gaudette. It was part of a three- a part of these games. It’s a really fun time.” goal performance from the Canucks’ nominal third line which included a Injuries tallied pair for Zack MacEwen and six points collectively. Earlier in the second, Roussel forced a turnover at the Canucks’ blueline which MacEwen You could have made a pretty good team with the players who missed turned into a goal. Friday night’s tilt with injuries. The Canucks’ woes have been well- chronicled: Jacob Markstrom, Brock Boeser, Jay Beagle, Josh Leivo, The line came back to score the insurance marker late in the third when Michael Ferland. But they’re in the pink of health compared to the Avs MacEwen finished off a pretty three-way passing play with his linemates. who were without point-a-game forward Mikko Rantanen; Calder Trophy “I’m just trying to do whatever I can to stay in the lineup and help the candidate Cale Makar, centre Nazem Kadri and winger Andre team,” said MacEwen, who started the season in Utica but has found a Burakovsky, who were both on pace for 30 goals when they went down; regular place with the Canucks. “Each game I’m feeling more and more winger Andre Burakovksky; gritty wingers Matt Calvert and Colin Wilson confident.” and goalie Philip Grubauer.

“It was fun,” Roussel said. “(MacEwen’s) size made him a huge player Despite the injuries, the Avs were 15-3-2 over their last 20 games before tonight.” their meeting with the Canucks.

MacEwen scored his two goals in just over seven minutes of ice time. He For the Canucks defenceman Tyler Myers returned to the lineup after was also credited with four hits on the night. missing one game with an undisclosed injury. Myers logged just over 23 minutes in a strong return. Tanner Pearson added an empty-netter for the Canucks assisted by, naturally, Loui Eriksson. Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.07.2020

Demko delivers

Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko had an interesting night. Through two periods he surrendered three goals on 23 shots but made a five-alarm save off Vladislav Kamenev which had to be reviewed in the second. Demko stopped 16 of 17 in the first period when the Canucks were hemorrhaging scoring chances. He then allowed two on just six shots in the second before turning in a clean sheet in the third.

The Canucks allowed just 15 shots over the final two periods.

“It’s huge for us,” Demko said. “Things have been a little slow the last couple of games for us. Tonight we did a great job. I thought guys were really cognizant of the situation and were able to step up at the right time.”

Handily, Horvat

Bo Horvat, as expected, drew the bulk of the minutes against Hart Trophy candidate Nathan MacKinnon and say this for Horvat: he didn’t let MacKinnon win the game by himself, even if he came close.

The Avs’ star drew assists on goals by defenceman Erik Johnson and linemate Gabriel Landeskog, finished with four shots on net and had another eight blocked or missed the net. 1180091 Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.07.2020

Patrick Johnston: Jake Virtanen's rugby days taught him early lessons in physicality

Patrick Johnston

The Canucks winger was, briefly, a dominant rugby player in his youth.

For a hockey player who often sports a jovial face, the way Jake Virtanen’s eyes lit up when was asked about his brief childhood rugby career was notable.

“It was so fun. I loved playing. I loved the physicality of it,” the Vancouver Canucks winger said of his two years playing rugby at W.A. Fraser Middle School in Abbotsford.

He first tried rugby in Grade 7, but his Grade 8 season was filled with highlights. His team won the Fraser Valley 7s in his age group, as well as the full-on league for Grade 8 15-a-side teams.

The rough-and-tumble game taught him plenty, he said.

“I just felt like it definitely helped, the physicality part of it. You’re not wearing any shoulder pads. You’re not wearing headgear. And you’re going full-on. It’s weird at the start when you first hit some guys with no shoulder pads on, but after a while, you get used to it.”

His physical education teacher, Ryan McWhinney, quickly recognized Virtanen’s physical abilities would serve him well on the rugby pitch. Virtanen was attending Fraser Middle for the hockey academy program, which fed into the program at Yale Secondary.

A 13-year-old Jake Virtanen and his W.A. Fraser Middle School teammates celebrate winning the Fraser Valley Grade 8 rugby sevens in 2010. Submitted

“Because they were in the hockey academy, I only saw him once a week for PE,” said McWhinney, who played sevens and XVs for Canada in the mid-aughts and still teaches and coaches at W.A. Fraser. But he kept talking up the game to Virtanen and his friends.

“He loved how we were big,” Virtanen recalled. “He begged us to play. But my dad said ‘no.’ But then I begged him for like a week straight because I loved playing sports. I wanted to play really badly. Finally my mom and dad gave in.”

But he had no idea how the game really worked. And so McWhinney set to work during their weekly PE sessions.

“He brought me and my buddy to the gym and he taught us just the basics of tackling and stuff. We were pretty much just his goons on the team,” he said with a laugh.

McWhinney remembers a player who was more than just a goon.

“He was a beauty. I enjoyed coaching him, I remember him always laughing,” the veteran teacher said. “He once had three or four kids on his back and he had a big smile on his face. He turned out to be one of our better players.”

Virtanen, with some obvious pride, remembered a game early in Grade 8 when everything clicked for him.

“I remember we had two teams, an A team and a B team. And on that day, I was player of the game in the B game. I had three tries and like five big hits. And McWhinney said they needed me for the A game so I played two games back to back. It was awesome.”

Given his size at his age, McWhinney played Virtanen mostly as a flanker, where he could use his physical presence to win balls and make big yards.

“He was a great kid to teach and coach. Didn’t get to see him much because of hockey academy, but I’m glad I got to coach him in rugby,” he said.

And even though he only played rugby for a short time, the experience instilled in Virtanen a love of the game that persists to this day.

“When it’s on TV, I’ll try to watch it. I really enjoy it. It’s fun for me.” 1180092 Vancouver Canucks 4. Turn it up on penalty kill The Canucks miss the injured Jay Beagle on the PK, and what they’ve

been missing most is a sense of urgency. They’ve been more passive Canucks Game Day: Horvat aims to stop rolling Avs, monster MacKinnon than aggressive and simply can’t allow the Avs’ man-advantage goals.

5. Try to turn off the noise

Ben Kuzma A team day off Thursday was either a great call or already on the schedule. Regardless, getting away from the rink, the endless prodding by media in a hockey-mad market and clearing their heads was probably good timing. NEXT GAME CANUCKS’ PROJECTED LINES Friday Forwards Colorado Avalanche (40-18-8) vs. Vancouver Canucks (34-26-6) J.T. Miller — Elias Pettersson — Tyler Toffoli 7 p.m., Rogers Arena, TV: Sportsnet Pacific; Radio: Sportsnet 650 AM Tanner Pearson — Bo Horvat — Loui Eriksson THE BIG MATCHUP Antoine Roussel — Adam Gaudette — Zack MacEwen Bo Horvat vs. Nathan MacKinnon Tyler Motte — Brandon Sutter — Jake Virtanen With seven regulars out of Colorado’s lineup, the Central Division juggernaut hasn’t missed a beat and is a league-best 15-3-2 since Jan. Defence 16. Meanwhile, the Canucks have lost four consecutive games in regulation for the first time this NHL season and are reeling. They only Alex Edler — Troy Stecher have two wins in their last eight games, and four in their last 14 to slip Quinn Hughes — Chris Tanev from leading the Pacific Division to holding a precarious wild-card position. Oscar Fantenberg — Tyler Myers

As for the Avs, much of the heavy lifting for the NHL’s third-ranked Goalies: Thatcher Demko, Louis Domingue offence continues to come from the machine-like MacKinnon. The hard- nosed, hard-driving, superfast and super-skilled centre was eighth in AVS’ PROJECTED LINES league goals (34) and fifth in points (88) after 66 games. Forwards

Daniel Sedin once called the first-overall draft pick in 2013 the best Gabriel Landeskog — Nathan MacKinnon — Vladislav Namestnikov player in the league at releasing a heavy and accurate wrist shot at speed. Matthew Nieto — JT Compher — Joonas Donskoi

Trying to stymie MacKinnon will be Horvat. The Canucks’ captain Valeri Nichushkin — Tyson Jost — Sheldon Dries relishes prime-time matchups and has more than held his own against stiff competition. Prominence in the faceoff circle helps — Horvat is Vladislav Kamenev — Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — Logan O’Connor ranked seventh in efficiency at 57.5 per cent — and hitting the 20-goal Defence mark and being on pace for 26 proves he can be effective even when playing a tough role. Of his 21 goals, just 10 are at even strength; the big Ryan Graves — Samuel Girard challenge is going to be contributing to team defence, which must be better. Horvat’s minus-13 ranking is the worst among club forwards, but Ian Cole — Erik Johnson he’s adept at winning tough defensive-zone draws. Kevin Connauton — Mark Barberio

The easy part for Horvat is to lead by example. Despite another revolving Goalies: Pavel Francouz, Michael Hutchinson door of right-wingers this season, he hasn’t complained, even when it appeared the Feb. 17 trade acquisition of Tyler Toffoli was a natural fit to INJURIES be reunited with Tanner Pearson and give Horvat two wingers with Canucks: Jacob Markstrom (lower body), Jay Beagle (undisclosed), proven scoring pedigrees. Loui Eriksson hasn’t worked and occasional Brock Boeser (rib cartilage fracture, LTIR), Josh Leivo (fractured auditions for others doesn’t build chemistry. kneecap, LTIR), (concussion, LTIR). FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME Avalanche: Cale Makar (upper body, day-to-day), Andre Burakovsky 1. Keep Virtanen with Horvat (lower body, day-to-day), Mikko Rantanen (upper body, IR), Colin Wilson (lower body, IR), Nazem Kadri (lower body, IR), Philipp Grubauer (lower It might take a few shifts tonight to make the switch, but Jake Virtanen body, IR). Matt Calvert (lower body, IR) made an immediate impact once aligned with the Canucks’ captain Wednesday. He hit a post, was denied on a breakaway, drew a SPECIAL TEAMS retaliatory penalty and assisted on Tanner Pearson’s goal with a hard, POWER PLAY low shot that produced a rebound. Virtanen led the club with six shots, eight attempts and two take-aways in the 4-2 loss to the Arizona Canucks: Third (24.6 per cent); Avalanche: 20th (18.9 per cent). Coyotes. PENALTY KILL 2. Keep eye on rear-view mirror Canucks: 17th (79.7 per cent; Avalanche: 13th (81.2 per cent) Good defence is a team concept. Simple plays to get out of the D-zone and avoid turnovers are vital, so is back pressure from forwards, who Vancouver Province: LOADED: 03.07.2020 understandably bolt to try and cut third-period deficits. And when blueliners pinch in the same manner, there has to be better rotation awareness to not give up odd-man rushes.

3. Keep an eye on Hughes

Hard to tell a Calder Trophy candidate playing through a “tweak” to gear down. Quinn Hughes — a game-time decision we were told but he’s good to go — logged 22:53 Wednesday, and an assist put him eighth in all-time rookie blue-liner assists with 47 through 70 games, including five last season. 1180093 Websites 25.52 21

-4 The Athletic / 2019-20 NHL awards tracker: Why Panarin and Hellebuyck deserve Hart recognition 5

0.7

By Dom Luszczyszyn Mar 6, 2020 93 3.3

16.6

Every Friday I’ll be breaking down the numbers behind the race for each 6.4 major player award: the Hart, the Norris, the Calder, the Selke, the Vezina, the Art Ross and the Rocket Richard. Numbers, of course, aren’t 1.4 everything, but they add much-needed context to the awards race and Brad Marchand can help shine a light on players deserving of more recognition while adding caveats to other players that may have some warts. This post will 3.91 present the top 10 for each category based on set criteria. L Hart Trophy BOS Given to the player judged to be the most valuable to his team. 68 Criteria: Skaters ranked by Game Score Value Added and goaltenders ranked by Wins Above Replacement courtesy of Evolving Hockey. 19.5

Hart Trophy 28

Artemi Panarin 57

4.11 85

L 22.91

NYR 19

66 -7

20.5 12

32 3.6

61 4.1

93 21.1

19.46 2.7

17 1.2

0 Auston Matthews

5 3.90

4.5 C

0.9 TOR

25.3 68

8.9 20.9

2.4 46

Connor Hellebuyck 33

4.10 79

G 28.45

WPG 57

55 93

David Pastrnak 8

4.08 6.0

R 3.9

BOS 9.5

68 10.2

19.0 1.2

47 Nathan MacKinnon

46 3.80

93 C COL 14.8

66 6.8

21.3 0.8

34 Roman Josi

54 3.48

88 D

25.87 NSH

30 67

-116 25.8

16 16

3.6 47

2.8 63

16.1 13.55

-0.2 107

1.1 0

Leon Draisaitl -2

3.68 3.4

C 1.9

EDM 15.1

68 8.6

22.6 1.2

43 Victor Hedman

67 3.32

110 D

29.82 T.B

19 65

35 24.3

10 11

3.3 44

-5.6 55

15.8 9.45

-8.4 98

1.2 0

Nikita Kucherov -4

3.49 4.5

R 2.8

T.B 13.9

65 7.8

18.8 2.2

32 The chart above might be a bit spicy given the scoring leader having a gigantic lead, but let’s start with a philosophically cold take: any player 50 from the top seven listed here is a valid choice and can be argued with 82 good reason. The key to one-number stats like GSVA and WAR is that they’re a great starting point and they put every player on even-ground, 20.65 but they are not perfect encapsulations of each player’s season and that means there’s error around each player’s value. We can be confident in 19 them enough to say “these are likely the best seven players,” but not -1 enough to definitively say “this is the best player by exactly 0.1 wins.” It doesn’t work like that and that leaves plenty of room for healthy debate. 3 Artemi Panarin is the current leader due to the insane difference the 5.4 Rangers face when he’s off the ice. Leon Draisaitl may have more points, but Panarin’s actual impact on offense when he’s on the ice may be 2.5 stronger, even if he doesn’t get rewarded for it the same way. When Panarin is on the ice the Rangers score 4.25 goals-per-60 while -4 Edmonton scores 3.67 with Draisaitl. Relative to teammates, Draisaitl is a very strong 0.8 goals-per-60 higher, but Panarin is even better at 1.38. 5.0 And he’s doing that with strong defense too. Is that enough to bridge a 3.0 17-point gap by points? I think so. Draisaitl’s points are very tough to ignore, but it should also be hard to ignore that he’s the only player here 14.0 with a negative defensive impact – one that is significantly low. Much of 8.0 that was due to an extremely rough December, but that December still happened. We can’t throw it out, we can only hope Draisaitl keeps 2.2 improving through his team’s final 14 games. Dougie Hamilton David Pastrnak and Auston Matthews deserve love too as Rocket Richard threats with strong two-way impacts. Pastrnak is tied with 2.80 Panarin for points, but goals should weigh more than assists and his D defense (according to expected goals) looks a bit better. Matthews lags behind most of the players here by points, but of the top scorers in the CAR league, his defensive impact is legitimately very strong. His goal-scoring combined with the ability to suppress goals and expected goals is an 47 extremely rare breed in this league. 23.3 The wild card though should be Connor Hellebuyck, who according to 14 Evolving Hockey is right there near the top with 4.1 wins. The Jets, with that defense, might be in the basement without Hellebuyck’s heroics this 26 season. 40 Norris Trophy 10.84 Given to the defenseman who demonstrates throughout the season the greatest all-round ability at the position. 63

Criteria: Defensemen that play top pairing minutes with above average -11 usage ranked by Game Score Value Added. 6.0

Norris Trophy 3.0

Roman Josi 6.0

3.48 10.0

D 0.4

NSH Charlie McAvoy

67 2.60

25.8 D

16 BOS

47 65

63 23.1

13.55 4

107 26

-2 30

3.0 5.8

2.0 127

15.0 4

9.0 3.0

1.2 7.0

Victor Hedman 7.0

3.32 5.0

D 4.0

T.B Alex Pietrangelo

65 2.58

24.3 D

11 STL

44 66

55 24.1

9.45 13

98 36 49 23.3

11.85 5

86 30

-1 35

4.0 5.82

2.0 101

14.0 7

-4.0 7.0

2.3 2.0

Miro Heiskanen 12.0

2.43 3.0

D 1.0

DAL John Carlson

66 2.29

23.7 D

8 WSH

25 67

33 24.6

10.42 15

81 60

6 75

1.0 11.17

5.0 104

-3.0 -5

16.0 1.0

2.7 -6.0

Jared Spurgeon 13.0

2.42 -8.0

D 2.9

MIN Shea Weber

60 2.20

22.5 D

11 MTL

19 63

30 24.0

7.46 15

99 21

-2 36

3.0 9.22

6.0 112

8.0 -5

4.0 9.0

1.1 -1.0

Jaccob Slavin 9.0

2.31 -1.0

D 1.9

CAR This award is already engraved with John Carlson’s name on it and this space may just be a paragraph every single week pleading with voters to 65 look beyond his gaudy point total. Yes, it’s sick, one of the best for a defender in a long time – but it feels disingenuous that Erik Karlsson was 67 flogged often for his defensive ability in Norris-caliber seasons while Carlson often gets a free pass. Of the 10 defensive GSVA leaders he 18.8 and Shea Weber (10th) are the only ones with a negative defensive 7 impact – and Carlson’s is much larger. He’s still in the top 10 due to his incredible offense, but it’s mitigated a lot by his inability to prevent 29 expected and actual goals. Carlson ranks last on his own team in both 36 regards and well behind the other nine defenders here. Mike Green lost a Norris trophy for less. 7.74

The front-runner should be either Roman Josi or Victor Hedman, two 87 defenders whose play this season are the best representation of the award’s spirit: a showcase of the greatest all-round ability. Now, that 0 doesn’t mean a purely offensive player can’t win, it just means it has to -4 make up for their defense. For Carlson, I don’t think it does – at least not compared to either Josi or Hedman. The question should be whether a 6.0 12-point difference between Carlson and Josi is enough to close the gap between the two defensively and I don’t think it is (not to mention Josi’s 1.0 and Hedman’s impact on 5-on-5 goals for is actually larger than 12.0 Carlson’s) 5.0 And if you’re interested in a defender whose impact is felt primarily in a single end of the ice, may I instead present either Charlie McAvoy or Miro 2.1 Heiskanen whose defensive prowess are among the best in the league? Quinn Hughes Calder Trophy 2.09 Given to the player selected as the most proficient in his first year of competition in the NHL. D

Criteria: Rookie skaters ranked by Game Score Value Added and rookie VAN goaltenders ranked by Wins Above Replacement courtesy of Evolving 65 Hockey. 21.8 Calder Trophy 8 MacKenzie Blackwood 44 2.60 52 G 6.09 N.J 42 45 0 Cale Makar 3 2.30 5.0 D 0.0 COL 8.0 56 -4.0 21.0 2.3 12 Elvis Merzlikins 35 1.90 47 G 8.62 CBJ 46 31 0 Matt Roy 2 1.67 2.0 D 2.0 L.A 17.0 67 -1.0 18.1 0.6 4 Adam Fox 13 2.29 17 D 3.4 NYR 93 0 Victor Olofsson

0 1.01

4.0 L

6.0 BUF

0.0 52

7.0 18.4

0.3 19

John Marino 21

1.61 40

D 12.57

PIT 16

53 0

20.3 2

6 -5.0

20 0.0

26 0.0

3.61 2.0

73 1.1

0 A lot of hype this year has gone to the stellar defenseman class, and for good reason. Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes have been lights out as 2 offensive studs while Adam Fox has been a strong possession driver. -1.0 John Marino and Matt Roy (who doesn’t get much recognition on a bad Kings team) have put up great defensive numbers too. But a strong 6.0 surge of late might mean there should be a new frontrunner and that’s goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood, who has been lights out for the Devils 4.0 over the last few months. 3.0 Blackwood is now worth 2.6 WAR which is not only the highest among 0.4 rookies, but also one of the highest among goaltenders period. It’s always tricky to cross-compare positions and perhaps the defenders are Dominik Kubalik a bit more impressive as a result, but Blackwood should still very much be in the conversation. He had a rough start to the season which helped 1.38 push the Devils to the basement, but since early December he has a L .931 save percentage, second in the league behind only Anton Khudobin. In that time, the Devils – one of the league’s worst teams – have played CHI at a 110-point pace with Blackwood in net.

65 The rookies I’m less sold on are the two forwards making waves: Dominik Kubalik and Victor Olofsson. The former leads all rookies with 14.3 29 goals while the latter is on a 63-point pace and while both have been 29 great contributors, I just don’t believe it’s at the level of some of the rookie defenders and goalies. Olofsson doesn’t have the best play- 16 driving impacts while Kubalik’s defense has been weak.

45 Selke Trophy

19.15 Given to the forward who best excels in the defensive aspects of the 16 game.

-7 Criteria: Forwards who play over 17 minutes per game, receive 30 percent of their team’s shorthanded minutes and face the top 30 1 percentile of forward competition on average, ranked by their ability to suppress expected and actual goals. 7.0 Selke Trophy -5.0 Anthony Cirelli 16.0 15.7 -12.0 C 1.3 T.B Ilya Samsonov 65 1.20 18.4 G 5.7 WSH 13.3 26 93% 4.2

51.6 3.4

Nick Foligno 97%

14.8 50.0

L Patrice Bergeron

CBJ 8.5

65 C

18.6 BOS

6.1 59

9.6 18.8

80% 4.4

35.8 1.9

Ryan O'Reilly 90%

13.8 32.4

C Brad Marchand

STL 8.4

67 L

20.6 BOS

5.5 68

9.3 19.5

89% 4.1

43.9 2.7

Alex Killorn 93%

11.5 31.3

L Sean Couturier

T.B 7.7

65 C

17.8 PHI

3.6 67

11.9 19.8

85% 2.3

40.0 8.3

Anze Kopitar 91%

9.1 40.5

C Mark Stone

L.A 6.7

67 R

21.0 VGK

2.9 65

9.1 19.4

92% 3.4

39.2 1.8

Phillip Danault 73%

8.9 36.9

C The Selke is a difficult award to judge for two reasons: its primary criterion is defense which is tough to measure and award voters have MTL had a tendency to treat this as a “two-way” award for whatever reason. 69 For our purposes, offensive value isn’t considered here, but there are some strict filters to limit players who aren’t as trusted by their coaches in 18.8 a defensive role. As Craig Custance noted to me when considering the statistical criteria “I want my Selke winner playing more than 13 minutes 2.7 a game.” Fair enough, and apologies in advance to the families of Zach Aston-Reese and Valeri Nichushkin who do have the second-best G defensive rating (a combination or raw and relative expected and actual DAL goal rates). 42 Based on the criteria, Anthony Cirelli should be the front-runner as I noted at the half-season mark. He plays some of the toughest minutes in 0.921 the league and is the primary reason the Lightning have elevated their 0.917 defensive game this season. Of the top 10 candidates, he has the best goal suppression and the second-best expected goal suppression, and 0.004 that goes the same by his regularized adjusted plus-minus in the same categories. He’s also one of two players listed to play more than half his Mackenzie Blackwood team’s penalty kill minutes, something only 15 other forwards (including 2.6 Philip Danault in sixth) in the league can boast. G Cirelli however is not the front-runner and may be in tough for a nomination altogether due to how much reputation plays a role for the N.J Selke. Just ask this year’s actual front-runner, Sean Couturier, who has arguably had stronger defensive seasons, but hasn’t won the award yet. 45 He’s ninth here and you can call that getting his due for past years. 0.916 Cirelli’s will come eventually, even if it should be this year. 0.915 The other usual candidates are here too like last year’s winner Ryan O’Reilly, past winner Anze Kopitar and eight-straight year nominee 0.001 Patrice Bergeron. However, with the latter in a more offensive role of late, I feel like this year should be the end of that streak. One surprise name Jordan Binnington might be Nick Foligno in second, a player who has had very strong 2.3 defensive impacts in the past, but is playing the best defensive hockey of his career right now. He should get some consideration. G

Vezina Trophy STL

Given to the goalkeeper adjudged to be the best at this position. 48

Criteria: Goaltenders that have played half of their team’s games or more 0.911 ranked by Wins Above Replacement courtesy of Evolving Hockey. 0.909 Vezina Trophy 0.003 Connor Hellebuyck Corey Crawford 4.1 2.3 G G WPG CHI 55 37 0.920 0.916 0.911 0.912 0.009 0.004 Tuukka Rask Philipp Grubauer 3.3 2.3 G G BOS COL 39 36 0.928 0.916 0.922 0.917 0.007 -0.001 Semyon Varlamov Jacob Markstrom 2.9 2.1 G G NYI VAN 44 43 0.915 0.918 0.913 0.915 0.002 0.002 Ben Bishop Jonathan Bernier 2.0 109.5

G R

DET BOS

43 68

0.907 93

0.907 14

0.000 16.5

Goaltending is always tricky to evaluate, but this season there’s been Nathan MacKinnon one very clear front-runner for the majority of the year, Connor Hellebuyck, who is currently worth 4.1 wins according to Evolving 108.6 Hockey, almost a full win more than the next closest which is Tuukka C Rask. The Boston netminder has a higher save percentage which may sway voters, but he does it in a much easier environment thanks to the COL stellar defense in front of him. No such luck for Hellebuyck who has had it 66 tough all season. It’s the main reason his WAR is so high. 88 Those two are the clear-cut top two (though Rask’s games played may be an issue), but after that it’s a bit of a log jam of worthy contenders. 16 Semyon Varlamov is next in WAR, but his save percentage differential is half that of Ben Bishop’s who is having another very strong season. 20.6 Blackwood won’t come close to being nominated, but as mentioned in Nikita Kucherov the Calder section, his play of late has been so strong that he’s vaulted up the goalie WAR leaderboards. Not listed is Andrei Vasilevskiy who 101.9 leads the league in wins and likely gets a nomination as a result, but is much lower on the WAR leaderboard due to playing behind a strong R Lightning defense. T.B Art Ross Trophy 65 Given to the player who leads the National Hockey League in scoring 82 points at the end of the regular season. 15 Criterion: Skaters ranked by their projected end of season point total. 19.9 Art Ross Trophy Brad Marchand Leon Draisaitl 101.0 128.8 L C BOS EDM 68 68 85 110 14 14 16.0 18.8 Patrick Kane Connor McDavid 98.5 114.3 R C CHI EDM 67 62 81 95 15 14 17.5 19.3 Auston Matthews Artemi Panarin 96.3 112.3 C L TOR NYR 68 66 79 93 14 15 17.3 19.3 Jack Eichel David Pastrnak 93.5 Mika Zibanejad

C 46.7

BUF C

66 NYR

77 54

15 38

16.5 15

The Art Ross is Draisaitl’s to lose as his main competition, teammate 8.7 Connor McDavid, is someone he shares a lot of points with via an elite power play. Draisaitl’s current lead is 15 points and it projects to stay that Sebastian Aho way through the end of the season where he’s likely to finish with 129, a 43.6 slight drop from his current 133-point pace. In any sense, Draisaitl is now likely to eclipse Nikita Kucherov’s insane mark of 128 points last season C and breaking the 130-point barrier is definitely within reach. CAR Rocket Richard Trophy 65 Given to the NHL's top goal scorer. 36 Criterion: Skaters ranked by their projected end of season goal total. 17 Rocket Richard Trophy 7.6 Alex Ovechkin Nathan MacKinnon 55.9 42.2 L C WSH COL 66 66 47 34 15 16 8.9 8.2 Auston Matthews Kyle Connor 55.2 41.9 C L TOR WPG 68 68 46 35 14 14 9.2 6.9 David Pastrnak Jack Eichel 54.9 41.8 R C BOS BUF 68 66 47 35 14 15 7.9 6.8 Leon Draisaitl Nikita Kucherov 50.8 39.1 C R EDM T.B 68 65 43 32 14 15 7.8 7.1 This looks to be a three-horse race between Ovechkin, Matthews and Pastrnak – all of whom are within just a single projected goal of each other. For now, Ovechkin has the slight edge to capture his ninth (!) title by virtue of sharing the goal lead with Pastrnak and likely scoring more goals down the stretch due to his strong priors and higher usage. A lot will depend on who can stay hot, but for now all figure to eclipse the 55- goal plateau. The last time three players did that in the same season was the 1995-96 season when , Jaromir Jagr and Alex Mogilny accomplished the feat. Draisaitl is a sneaky dark horse threat here and the only other player likely to eclipse 50, though Mika Zibanejad would be in the conversation had he not missed 13 games to injury. His five-goal game on Thursday placed him in the top five.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180094 Websites 147.7 73.0

2017-18 The Athletic / Why the NHL’s salary cap is actually unlikely to rise much next season 4.86

156.8

By James Mirtle Mar 6, 2020 122 75.0

2018-19

There was a bit of fanfare earlier this week when the NHL’s cap 5.09 projection numbers filtered out from the GMs meetings in South Florida. 164.2 The range given by the league — between $84-million and $88.2-million — was surprisingly high, representing anywhere from a solid to a 79.5 substantial increase, the kind of jump that has happened only once the 2019-20 past five seasons. TBD With so many teams tight against the cap, a higher figure would be welcome news for many general managers trying to retain their players TBD and improve their rosters this offseason. 81.5 BILL DALY SAYS HE GAVE GMS A SALARY CAP PROJECTION TODAY FOR NEXT SEASON: THE CAP WILL BE ANYWHERE FROM *- lockout-shortened season $84 MILLION TO $88.2 MILLION. THE EXACT FIGURE WILL BE That milestone revenue figure for the NHL, however, didn't come with NEGOTIATED WITH THE NHLPA. correlative cap growth last year. That's largely due to the fact the NHLPA — PIERRE LEBRUN (@PIERREVLEBRUN) MARCH 4, 2020 opted against using a five percent inflator in the salary cap calculation and instead voted for a far more modest boost of roughly 1.25 percent The only problem is that projected increase isn’t only unlikely, it’s the past two seasons. downright impossible. The players' goal in voting for a lower salary cap? Decrease the amount The biggest reason? Escrow. of escrow being withheld from their pay each season. A lower ceiling should, in theory, result in less money available to players, meaning According to official league figures obtained by The Athletic earlier this revenues more closely align with leaguewide salaries. week, the NHL became a $5-billion league for the first time last season. The successful addition of the Vegas Golden Knights played a key role in That, however, hasn't happened, and escrow remains sky-high. This that, as their incredible first season led to a big boost in the overall season, NHL players have been losing 14 percent of their pay to escrow, revenue figure in 2017-18. which adds up to missing out on a collective $370-million.

Total hockey-related revenue (HRR) jumped nearly 10 percent year-over- Escrow remains a dirty word in NHL dressing rooms, as even players year that season. who haven't been part of the recent lockouts and CBA negotiations understand the implications of having so much of their pay deducted. NHL revenues vs cap Large escrow reductions have become the norm of late, too, with an 2011-12 average of 14 percent withheld going back seven seasons to the last work stoppage in 2012-13. 3.37 The escrow problem 112.3 2013-14 64.3 8.90% 2012-13* 14.00% 2.63 3.70% 87.7 2014-15 70.2 7.60% 2013-14 15.00% 3.70 2.10% 123.3 2015-16 64.3 3.00% 2014-15 17.00% 3.98 3.30% 132.7 2016-17 69.0 8.00% 2015-16 15.50% 4.10 2.80% 136.7 2017-18 71.4 6.20% 2016-17 11.50% 4.43 3.00% summer. They have seen this play out before and know that, ultimately, players hold the final say in where the cap lands. 2018-19 Right now, the smart money is on a very small increase, as the war on 4.70% escrow continues.

11.50% The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 TBD

2019-20

TBD

14.00%

TBD

There remains deep frustration in the NHLPA membership that they are losing so much of their contracts to the NHL's linkage system, so much so that if there is another CBA battle looming, it will be over escrow. Two weeks ago, players received an email informing them that they were getting back only three percent of their escrow withholdings from 2017- 18, money they had waited nearly two years for.

Those correspondences are regular reminders of how much they lose from the dollar value on their contracts each season.

The players' only mechanism for trying to get escrow lowered at this point is trying to keep the cap down, which is why that $88.2-million figure the NHL released was so outlandish. That figure would require the league to hit its high revenue projections for the rest of this season and the NHLPA to go with the full five percent inflator to the cap.

Multiple sources on the players' side said on Thursday that has almost no chance of happening. In fact, many believe the cap will not even reach the league's minimum projected figure of $84-million for next season, which would mean an increase of $2.5-million or less.

This despite the fact that many prominent players' contracts for 2020-21 have a lower salary in that one season due to "lockout protection" in case of a shortened or canceled season. That should help ease escrow a little, which is why some teams are hopeful players may be more willing to support a cap increase.

The other looming factor here could be the growing coronavirus issue. Professional sports teams in Asia and Europe are already playing games in front of empty stadiums because of the threat, and some NHL cities are beginning to advise against having fans congregate at games.

With the playoffs only a month away, that's a scary proposition for a league that is as gate-revenue driven as the NHL.

NHL TELLS ME TONIGHT'S #MNWILD #SJSHARKS WILL GO ON AS SCHEDULED HTTPS://T.CO/SH5QNG4GKK

— MICHAEL RUSSO (@RUSSOHOCKEY) MARCH 5, 2020

If it does come to the NHL playing games in empty arenas, that will obviously affect the league's revenue figures, which in turn will affect the salary cap for next season. And add to escrow deducted from the players' share.

The other thing that could impact revenues would be a falling Canadian dollar, as some are forecasting it could drop to around 70 cents at some point in the medium term.

Even without those outside factors affecting the financial picture, few outside the league's head office seem bullish on strong revenue growth. There is no new TV revenue coming until the U.S. package expires at the end of the 2020-21 season, and ratings for some marquee events like the outdoor games were down.

Some key markets are also down in attendance -- namely Minnesota and the three California teams -- which likely outweighs the good news stories in places like Carolina. Long playoff runs in some of the league's big markets could help, although the NHL misses Chicago, LA, Montreal and Detroit being more competitive.

The reality for the NHL is that without higher revenues -- and lower escrow -- it's hard to envision a path to a much higher salary cap in the near future.

After being burned in years past by the NHL's overly ambitious midseason projections, most league executives said this week they are planning as though they won't have much more space to work with this 1180095 Websites Hextall with her mentor Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick. “I sensed there was a tremendous passion in her voice to want to do

this,” Emrick said in a phone interview. “After 15 minutes on the phone The Athletic / A new voice: How Leah Hextall is breaking barriers in the with her, I said ‘you’re driven to do this, why can’t you?’ And she said, ‘I NHL broadcast booth think I can.'”

Hextall made some more calls — first to Campbell-Pascall, the former Canadian Olympian and current Sportsnet analyst, who encouraged her By Hailey Salvian Mar 6, 2020 41 to call the network executives. Then on to Corte where she pitched the idea of calling a package of Canadian Women’s Hockey League games.

Campbell-Pascall was already tapped to be the colour analyst. Leah Hextall was at home in Winnipeg in December when she got the Corte was intrigued, so Sportsnet gave her an audition: A CHL broadcast call she’d been waiting for. in Brandon between the hometown Wheat Kings and the Moose Jaw Sportsnet executive producer Alison Redmond had a job to offer. The Warriors. Hextall was given a headset, a free booth — and no audience. details came fast. On March 8, in Calgary, Hextall would be the play-by- “I was horrible,” Hextall said with a laugh. “I had three days to prepare play announcer. Assuming it was a junior hockey game, the former host and they even said ‘it’s not a lot of time, we just want to see if you can do and reporter, who is relatively new to the broadcast booth was already it.’ And I was like ‘Oh god.’ excited. And then Redmond mentioned the opponents. “But I did it. … I needed a bottle of wine after, but we got it done.” Calgary Flames versus Vegas Golden Knights. Corte laughed when he heard Hextall’s assessment of her audition, but “This is an NHL game?” Hextall asked. She hung up the phone and he did not agree with her. began frantically pacing around the living room, with tears starting to form in her eyes. She was going to be in an NHL booth. On “Hometown “Nobody’s going to be NHL calibre right away, (so) what we look for is we Hockey.” Part of the first all-female NHL broadcast on Sportsnet for look for the enthusiasm, the passion coming out of the call and you look International Women’s Day. for signs that you know there’s something there and there’s potential,” he said. “Although she might have been really hard on herself, there were The broadcast will include Cassie Campbell-Pascall as the analyst, enough signs that we saw in that rehearsal to say … ‘there’s something Christine Simpson rink-side and feature mostly women behind the there. So let’s continue going with this.'” scenes in production roles. American network NBC will be hosting a similar all-female production as well. Hextall became the national voice of the CWHL with Campbell-Pascall in January 2018. Her play-by-play debut was a regular-season matchup A broadcaster for the better part of 17 years, Hextall has spent the last between the Toronto Furies and Calgary Inferno. Like Emrick and Corte two years working for the government of Manitoba, while calling games before her, Hextall impressed her broadcast partner right away. on the side, mostly for free. It will be just her 12th game called on television. “I remember once she got in the groove, she was great, she didn’t miss a name, she didn’t mistake a player for another player, she was bang on,” Hextall comes from deep hockey bloodlines. Her cousin Ron was the Campbell-Pascall said. “She impressed me right off the hop that she had famed Philadelphia Flyers goalie; grandfather Bryan is in the Hockey Hall the work ethic and she did her research.” of Fame and her uncle Dennis also played in the NHL. On Sunday, she will not only make her NHL debut but be one of just a handful of women Hextall would call eight CWHL games over two seasons before the who have held the play-by-play mic for a televised NHL game. league folded last March. Six games were with Campbell-Pascall, including two Clarkson Cup finals, which featured all-female on-air talent “I’m really confident in her ability,” Rob Corte, the vice president of on both occasions. In 2019, she made history as the first woman to call Sportsnet and NHL productions said. “I know she’s going to knock it out play-by-play for the men’s NCAA Division I hockey tournament for ESPN. of the park.” She did three games for ESPN, which brings her tally to only 11 games “It means the world to me, and it does mean the world to me because I for a televised audience. am a Hextall,” Hextall said. “My dad only had daughters and we’re not And now, a full calendar year since her last game and less than two great hockey players, we’re not going to play in the NHL but the way I years since she started down her new path, Hextall will call her first NHL look at it is this is my NHL debut and I’m going to go at it just like the game. players in my family did.” “All of us that are in this line of work are told ‘no’ quite a few times and so Just four years ago, Hextall feared that her broadcasting career was you have to be made of pretty strong stuff,” Emrick said about Hextall’s over. journey. “She’s dealt with all this really well and when you consider that Hired by Sportsnet in 2014 to host the regional Calgary Flames games her first game was (just over) a year ago, her rise has been meteoric.” and the 5 p.m. NHL pregame show, she was one of many layoffs along While it’s true Hextall’s rise has been quick, it hasn’t been easy. with George Stroumboulopoulos in 2016 as the network looked to pare costs. The cuts were deep to regional programs and her pregame show Hextall, 40, currently works full-time for the Premier of Manitoba as a was cancelled. communications staffer. That’s what she calls her “real job.” Meanwhile, on the side, she is “banging on doors” to get reps in play-by-play, which She was hired shortly-after by ESPN to be a reporter at the 2016 World she says is “almost impossible.” Cup of Hockey, but after that, she said she was denied five job opportunities she felt qualified for. Before joining the NHL on Sportsnet When she first set her sights on play-by-play, Emrick suggested she take team, Hextall had worked at NESN, CTV and TSN dating back to 2005. a page from his book. When he started broadcasting in 1968, there was nowhere to practice, so he would take a recorder and sit alone at hockey She started freelancing – and contributed to The Athletic for about a year games in Fort Wayne, Ind., and call the game to himself. – but she was out of sportscasting full-time. Hextall said she started to think this might be the end of her career. Then she had an idea. Based in Winnipeg, Hextall started showing up at AHL games and doing the same. Eventually, the Moose gave her a booth to “At that moment I thought, you’re in a class of so many doing hosting or sit in to call the games to herself. And this year, the Manitoba Junior reporting, but if you step into the booth, you’re a class of one as a Hockey League invited her to call their games live on a streaming female,” she said. “I had, and still haven’t heard of women calling an NHL service. game on national television or regional television even. So, I just thought to myself that might be a place where, it was something I was interested “It’s not a lot of bells and whistles,” Hextall said. “Getting reps is banging in and if I could get there, then it would definitely open doors for me.” on doors and saying, ‘I’m doing this and I would love an opportunity’ and honestly, doing it for free. I just go do this. It costs me money, I’m driving She decided to try to connect with award-winning play-by-play analyst an hour out of Winnipeg to go do this and it’s my own time and it’s not Mike ‘Doc’ Emrick for guidance. She reached him by phone while he was glamorous in any way, but if you want to get better, it’s the only way to walking through the Detroit airport. She made an impression almost get better.” instantly. “The only benefit that I get from it is just trying to get better, you know no business in the NBA. Sherry Ross became the first woman to call play- one sees it, no one can really hear. It’s all that work just to get the reps, by-play on the radio for the New Jersey Devils in 2009. Campbell-Pascall and to try to get better every time you call.” has been an NHL analyst for years, making her debut in 2004, Caley Chelios is in the radio booth with the Tampa Bay Lightning, among Typically, Hextall will work all day at the office, then go home and start others. memorizing numbers and working on her game sheets for at least two hours a night. On weekends when there is an MJHL game, she will drive However, for all the progress in hockey, there have not been many the hour out to Steinbach, Man., to do the broadcast. female voices in the play-by-play role, certainly not on a nationally televised platform. “She has a very dynamic personality and she really, really wants to do this and that reminds me of myself a long, long time ago,” Emrick said. “If Campbell-Pascall argues that it’s, in part, due to a lack of coverage of you are that committed to wanting to do it, all it takes is the will and the women’s sports, which could be a training ground for young female skill to do it. And the will is the part that gets you over the rejection broadcasters, much like the CHL is for young men. because there is a lot of rejection in any public performance.” “There’s not the same opportunities for women to do well and get the Since December, Hextall has dedicated her time to recording and practice and succeed to move to the men’s side,” she said. “You either watching the Golden Knights and Flames and perfecting her on-air get thrown into the fire or you don’t. And so, I think we would have more vocabulary. opportunities if more women sports would get covered.”

In its essence, hockey is the same plays repeated over and over again. The question of why there aren’t more women in the booth, and in Someone dumps a puck in. Someone passes. Another person sends a broadcasting in general, is something Corte, Sportsnet and most wrist shot on net. What good play-by-play analysts do, is make you forget networks, struggle with. how repetitive the game can be. And that is what Hextall aspires to do. Corte said one part of the answer is that a lot of university or specialized “At first it was just trying to get through the game for me, keeping up with sports programs are still heavily male. Then, there is also the simple fact the speed of it, identifying players and all those important nuggets,” she that doing play-by-play is hard. said. “But now, when I watch games, I have a page, and it’s what I call my play-by-play language, and there is categories for when the puck is in “It’s just such a specific skill and there’s not a lot of people that can do it neutral territory, when on a power player or penalty kill, or puck to begin with, regardless of gender. And it just doesn’t seem like it’s been movement … I have all these categories and when I hear them from a role that a lot of women have gone to and looked at it I think part of it is someone and I like something, I write it down, and I try to incorporate it because there hasn’t been really anybody,” he said. “And this is what when I’m doing a game.” we’re hoping, that Leah can really break the ceiling and open up the opportunities for many others.” Hextall’s play-by-play language page. Hextall has been busy preparing and hasn’t had too much time to think Hextall admits she is a perfectionist, which is reflected in her work ethic. about the bigger picture of what she is about to do on Sunday. But she But she knows she can’t be afraid of making mistakes, she learned that will admit that she does feel some pressure. from Emrick and TSN, NBC analyst Gord Miller. “I want to do a good job regardless,” she said. “But I want to make sure Miller and Hextall were out for dinner one night when he told her that he that — not that the door would close if I absolutely screwed up — but I makes at least five mistakes a game. It happens. want to do enough that it’s not going to about a female calling the game, but it’s just about Leah calling the game, and I just happen to be female.” “To just hear him say that to me made me feel so much better. That someone who’s been doing this and is one of the best at it still makes When asked if the industry is moving towards having more female play- mistakes,” she said. “And that really did something for me and turned my by-play announcers, Corte said “absolutely.” mentality going into this season. Because I thought, you know, you don’t have to be perfect, and that’s something that I think too because I am “The time is right, well probably the time was a few years ago,” he said. female and doing it, I know that there’s a level of scrutiny and I get torn “We just have to build somebody and get somebody into that level to call apart a little bit. But I’m OK with that. I’m OK with people tearing me apart the NHL but I think you’re going to see it really soon.” because I’m learning on national television and I think that takes a little The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 bit of courage to do and I’m proud of that fact.”

And her work ethic hasn’t gone unnoticed. Over the last two years, Corte says he has been “really impressed” with Hextall’s work ethic and desire to get better. It’s been an obvious catalyst to continue investing in her growth in the position.

“That’s what you’re looking for right? You’re looking for somebody who wants to improve and is going to take the steps to do that and Leah has done that throughout,” he said. “And then you also see that from game to game to game, the performance improves. And that’s what we saw and Leah has been excellent in asking for feedback and then taking the feedback, and in her next show implementing it. So when you put all that stuff together, it was pretty easy for us to keep going in that direction with Leah.”

A few months ago, Emrick sent Hextall an email that hit home.

“Keep showing up at the rink, keep doing what you’re doing, you’re getting there,” he wrote. “But do understand, that trailblazing is a very lonely place.”

It is, she has realized.

“I don’t have a path somebody already set up for me, there is no playbook on how to do this,” she said. “But I am so happy to have Cassie with me (on Sunday) because if she had never got into that booth to do colour, I don’t think this door opens now. And what she has done, credibility wise for women in the booth is really important.”

Sunday’s all-female broadcast comes at a time when more women are getting on-air opportunities, and even more time in the broadcast booth across all sports. Beth Mowins calls NFL games, Jessica Mendoza has been an analyst with ESPN, Doris Burke is one of the best in the 1180096 Websites Turcotte ran into someone and injured his right knee. He has missed the five games since.

“I’m just grinding through it,” Turcotte says to Snider beneath blaring The Athletic / Behind the scenes with the Wisconsin Badgers’ future NHL music, a black wrap pulled over his knee. stars Turcotte does the same exercises and lifts the same weights as his teammates, determined to be involved. When Snider asks him if the weight is too heavy, he stiffens his lip and says no. By Scott Wheeler Mar 6, 2020 98 “Nice knee, buddy,” chirps Shay Donovan, a 21-year-old who is often a healthy scratch.

MADISON, Wis. — In the depths of the Kohl Center, home of the “You’re a hundred years old, buddy,” Turcotte fires back. University of Wisconsin’s Badgers men’s hockey team, another week has ended much like the one before it — and the one before that. The last nine months, dating back to June’s NHL Draft, have been a whirlwind for Turcotte. After missing parts of his draft year with a series of Montreal Canadiens goal scoring sensation Cole Caufield, his big brother injuries and illnesses, the knee injury is the second time Turcotte has Brock by his side, stands with his parents. A few feet away, future New missed games this season (he lost a weekend earlier in the year to the York Rangers defenceman K’Andre Miller talks quietly with his mom flu). while Los Angeles Kings player development coach Jarret Stoll waits for 2019 fifth-overall pick Alex Turcotte. But despite the injury, Turcotte is in good spirits, bouncing around the gym. Though Snider describes Turcotte’s strength as average, he has no When the season began, Caufield, Miller and Turcotte made the Badgers issues with his star pupil’s work ethic. the most talked-about team in NCAA hockey, with all of the talent in the world and the expectations that came with it. But they’ve fallen flat, “Alex comes in the gym and he’s always ready to get after it,” Snider faltering to the worst record in the . says. “For him, it’s making sure he has the details down. He’s a goofball. He’s a chatterbox. He tries to get in with the guys.” Now, the bright lights and anticipation of months ago feels distant. Now, they’re just three people in a hallway filled with them. Inside the Badgers’ video room after the workout, head coach Tony Granato rises from his seat to highlight some sequences from their Like the rest of their teammates, they’re trying to navigate their way previous two games against Michigan. through the busy day-to-day of the college hockey player. “We were hard to play against. We deserved better. It didn’t happen. In the middle of one of the final weeks of that disappointing regular We’ve got to have that same mindset going into this weekend,” he says. season, the Badgers opened their doors as they balanced life on and off the ice while preparing for the next chapters in their lives. For some, that When the meeting ends, Granato bumps into Turcotte as they both exit next chapter is NHL stardom. For others, uncertainty looms and this may the room. be the last hockey-playing chapter in their story. “How do you like blue?” he says of Turcotte’s jersey colour, which Wednesday, February 12, 12:10 p.m. indicates he’s injured.

By the time the Badgers are stretching in the hallway outside their state- “I normally chirp blue,” Turcotte answers. of-the-art gym, most have already checked some boxes for the day. At today’s practice, Turcotte is still trying to find out what is the best They’ve already punched the access code outside their sprawling solution for his knee. He has experimented with a brace but he finds it dressing room in Labahn Arena. They’ve walked past the six national bulky, preferring athletic trainer Andy Hrodey heavily tape his knee. championship trophies and the signatures of NHL alums like Ryan Suter Throughout practice, Turcotte comes to the bench to complain about the and Chris Chelios. They’ve opened their fully stocked fridge to pull out a size of his right shin pad. On the ice, though, he skates hard, showing no bottle of water, and the cupboards beside it to grab protein bars. signs of injury. Some have spent time in the team lounge, its furniture provided by alums When practice is over, Turcotte sits in his stall, his knee wrapped in ice. Craig Smith and Joe Pavelski. Before the injury, his schedule was already packed. Now he spends even Everything that surrounds the Badgers suggests high expectations. more time at the rink for treatment. He has an 11 a.m. class on Mondays, And now they’ve put on their identical workout clothes — a grey T-shirt Wednesdays and Fridays called Atmospheres and Oceanic, which he printed with ‘Preparation 313’, the area code for Detroit, where the says is hard due to the math involved. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, he Frozen Four national championship will be played this season — and has an English class that is easier but requires a lot more homework, they’ve wandered below the concourse to the gym, where strength coach including a recent short story assignment. Then he has two online Jim Snider has taken over. classes, Introduction to Art and Development of Young Child. On most days, he’s at the rink from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. for workouts, video, practice, Each player has a mat and a roller and Snider speaks loudly above the or studying at the Fetzer Student Athlete Academic Center. sound of controlled breathing. Turcotte is one of the players who found first semester difficult as he “Left knee pulls in, right knee pulls out,” he directs. learned to deal with his college-age freedom. In the two years prior, when he was with USA Hockey’s national development program, school was It’s Snider’s job to learn which buttons to push with each player so that more structured and the focus was squarely on hockey. he can use the short windows in their schedules where he has their attention to maximize his impact. Because he knows he wants to turn pro as early as possible and might be leaving school at the end of just one season to join the Kings, Each player grabs a piece of paper that details the order of the exercises focusing on school is that much more challenging. and the number of reps. “I’ve caught myself slipping sometimes but I think I’ve been pretty good The players also fill out a form that updates Snider on their sleep, their about getting my work done,” Turcotte says. “You never know when you body weight and their academic load. When sleep is decreased from an want to come back and get your degree.” all-nighter for an assignment, Snider wants to know because lack of sleep heightens the risk of injury. In recent weeks, though, he has hated missing practices and games.

Snider knows everything. “It’s been tough. I didn’t tear anything, thank god. Knock on wood,” he says, tapping his fist to the stall. “But you can be fine one second and He knows that Miller has natural wire strength that requires a certain then you do a movement on the ice and it hurts again and it’s always focus. He knows that Caufield has unmatched efficiency due to how sore. Last year I missed a lot of time. Last year was tough. This year it’s muscular he is relative to his 5-foot-7 frame. a little different with more adversity as far as hockey goes.” Today, Snider is paying particularly close attention to Turcotte. Nineteen days earlier, on the first shift of a Friday night game against Notre Dame, The injury also followed the heartbreak Turcotte felt after a disappointing It’s just getting by in school and doing whatever I need to do to make it quarterfinals loss to the Finns with Team USA at the world juniors, (to New York).” alongside his Badgers teammates Caufield, Miller and Ty Emberson, a Coyotes prospect. This season hasn’t come as easily as his freshman year did, when he led all under-19 college defencemen in points. “It’s part of learning. I still have some knee pain and I think that’s just going to be how it is the rest of the year. I’m just going to play through it,” After the world juniors, Miller rededicated himself to making a statement Turcotte says. down the stretch.

“At this point, it is what it is. I hate watching and I can’t do it anymore. I “Times can be tough but you’ve just got to battle out of it … because at just really want to play and I can rest this thing in the summer.” the end of the day you’re doing it for pride, and the love of the game, and to succeed,” Miller says. Thursday, February 13, 9:30 a.m. Above all, though, Miller does everything for one person: His mom, Amy Emberson and Mick Messner show up to Grainger Hall, home of the Sokoloski. The only child to a single mother, he says his dad was never university’s business school, for their second-year business analytics really in the picture. These days, Sokoloski works as an assistant to the class. It’s the coldest day of the year — with lows reaching minus-14 president of UnitedHealthcare. They talk every day and she comes to all Fahrenheit (or minus-26 Celsius). of the Badgers’ home games and many of their road games.

Emberson, a third-round pick of the Coyotes, is wearing a black hoodie “My mom is my everything so I do everything that I can for her. She has and a toque below his Badgers jacket. Messner, a local kid who has given up a lot in her life to support me and push me to my dreams so I bounced in and out of the lineup, wears a North Face T-shirt below his give a lot of support and credit to her for getting me to this point,” he USA Hockey jacket and a Milwaukee Bucks hat. says.

Today is the second portion of a two-part class in their real estate 12:10 p.m. degrees. Each Tuesday’s lecture is followed by a Thursday lab. A couple hundred students sit around small, round tables, their laptops open to Shortly before practice, Mark Strobel strolls through the lounge as the Excel spreadsheets. The professor leaves them to the day’s exercise, players discuss their Development of Young Child class. When he offers which is designed to have them measure and project video game sales. to help them with their homework, Caufield tells him to describe the three stages of prenatal development. Emberson and Messner work quietly, occasionally leaning into each other to make sure their equations match. When the professor draws out “They gave me stone tablets for my exams and then I had to chisel in the an equation on a nearby whiteboard, Emberson rises from his table to answers,” the associate coach answers quickly. watch him work through it. Strobel likes to keep the room light. The players smile whenever he “We’re going to be in here tomorrow, that’s for sure,” Messner says when enters. He’s the coach who bends them but never breaks them. Emberson returns. Strobel wants to be trustworthy, someone they can turn to. He pays They both work diligently but as class winds down, they grow frustrated. attention to things like eye contact and will circle back with a player if he thinks something’s off. With this team, he feels like 99 percent of the time “What the fuck? How is mine different?” Messner says when something the players let him in and he’s able to help them solve their problems. about his spreadsheet is off. “I try to talk to everybody, whether it’s the third-string goalie or the fifth- Emberson is industrious, quick to pull out his notes from the previous line forward. I go out of my way to do it,” Strobel says. class, or pull up a video the professor has posted to the class’ shared drive. Messner prefers to push ahead. With players like Caufield and Turcotte, who move on quickly, getting his message through can be more challenging because he has to condense “Do you know what you’re doing or are you just hammering it out?” his lessons. That has led to some arguments, too. Emberson asks. “If you want to be the best, you have to be able to take the criticism. The “No, I know exactly what I’m doing,” Messner answers. guys that want to back talk someone who has experience, you’re only hurting yourself,” Strobel says, adding that the results have been mixed At 10:45 a.m., when the class has ended and most have filed out, the with Caufield and Turcotte. pair continue to work, determined to complete it so they don’t have homework, while students from the next class wait for them to leave. He wants to quash any immaturity so that their next coaches don’t have to. Both Caufield and Turcotte have taken big steps in that way, though. Eventually, they give up, grab their matching red backpacks, each stitched with their hockey number, and begin the walk through Madison’s At the start of the year, Strobel would get frustrated when Caufield would windy, snow-covered streets to the Kohl Center for another day of be in the neutral zone banging his stick for a pass while his teammates hockey. were stuck in their own zone. But that’s mostly gone now, Strobel says.

11:00 a.m. Meanwhile, the coach says Turcotte can be overly competitive while striving for perfection. When Emberson and Messner arrive at the rink, Miller is standing in the dressing room taping his stick while other players file in and scatter. “Perfect is impossible,” Strobel says. “Mistakes are where you learn.”

Miller’s focus is different than many of his peers. A first-round pick of the Down the hall, Granato sits quietly in the video room. He’s the big picture Rangers, he has his sights set on Madison Square Garden more than on guy. He’s the coach who went back to school to finish his degree after he Madison, Wis. was hired. He required each player to sign in and spend six hours in the academic center every week. He understands that only a small He’s one of the players who struggles most with the school side of being percentage of his players will play in the NHL and that it’s his job to help a student-athlete and hasn’t decided on a major. them prioritize school and family, not just hockey, in order to prepare Often, while others work on assignments in the academic center, he’s in them for their lives. the gym getting in an extra workout, on the ice by himself, or in the Though he knows people are disappointed by his team’s performance shooting room. He only has one in-person class (and three online this season, Granato recognizes that they’re the second-youngest group courses) so he spends less time on campus than almost anyone. in college hockey and that when they face the conference-leading Penn Because he doesn’t have class on Monday, Wednesday or Friday, he’s State Nittany Lions a day later, they’ll be up against a team with an usually one of the first to the rink. He figures he spends between 30 and average age two years older. 40 hours a week at the rink, not including the full days he’s there on weekends. Granato’s the one who, knowing how badly he needs Turcotte back in the lineup, still has his star player’s long-term health as his top priority. “They’re not easy classes so there’s a lot of work behind them. Managing that in the right way with hockey has been fun … I guess,” Miller says “Turc’s a competitor, a worker, he hates this. There’s no worse feeling in with a chuckle. “I struggle to stay motivated. I don’t know. I love hockey. the world. You’re helpless. You feel you let your teammates down,” It’s kind of bad to say but I feel like school is always second to hockey. Granato says. “I know the frustrations that he’s going through and what together, and they’ve grown up travelling the world for international that does to a player like him.” tournaments on the same team, playing the same position.

Most of all, he recognizes just how much the life of a college hockey Miller calls Emberson his best friend. player has changed. “We’ve had some deep conversations over the last four years. We talk When Granato played for the Badgers, he had almost zero contact with about life, anything family-wise, I can literally talk to him about anything. his NHL team. He didn’t have an agent. He didn’t go to development He’s just that one guy that I have as a friend that I can feel comfortable camps. Nobody other than his coaches were ever in his ear with advice. telling anything and I know that he’ll have my back and support me through whatever I need help with,” Miller says. This year, Granato guesses there are 60 NHL reps at every Badgers home game to see players like Caufield, Turcotte and Miller. Emberson says Miller is like a brother.

“When they get to Montreal, or L.A., or New York, this is a baby step,” he “We can lean on each other through anything in life,” Emberson says. says. “It’s more than hockey at this point.”

3:00 p.m. Friday, February 14, 9:50 a.m.

Goaltender Jack Berry sits in the lounge, a laptop in front of him, and It’s game day and Cole Caufield is the first player to the rink. His types a letter to his girlfriend, varsity soccer star Camryn Biegalski, headphones are in as he mumbles to himself about how cold it is outside. ahead of Valentine’s Day. When other players begin to arrive, he becomes one of the loudest Berry has a lot more time on his hands these days than the rest of his voices in the room. teammates. He took a shot off the knee in a recent practice and some fluid build-up has prevented him from getting back on the ice. “I don’t want to hear it from you!” he yells as Gorniak brags about how good he is at “Fortnite.” He’s also a senior, so his only remaining class is a capstone course for his degree in Agricultural and Applied Economics. And he can’t actually “Hey Bakes, guess who asked about you today?” Caufield says as Tarek attend the class due to a conflict with his hockey commitments. While the Baker enters. players aren’t allowed to take classes during hockey hours, his final “Who?” Baker responds. project is only offered in one time slot so he and teammate Max Zimmer communicate with their professor over email. Caufield smirks.

After groin surgery in the NAHL and back surgery as a sophomore, “Absolutely nobody.” Berry, now 24, may have to watch from the sidelines as another injury Then Caufield argues with Owen Lindmark — a Panthers prospect and threatens the end of his collegiate career. former development program teammate — about who performed better “It frustrates me … If I load it up, it’s like this shooting pain,” Berry says of in the team’s home run derby earlier in the year. He makes sure he tells his knee. “I’ve got six official games left as a senior and I want to be out everyone that No. 8 (himself) didn’t have a single turnover last week, there.” according to the game sheet. When Granato arrives, he compliments his coach’s tan. He’s trying his best to take in the final weeks. The players spend the morning rotating on and off the ice in sweats while “Be grateful for it because as soon as that goes you’re back into the real Caufield straps on a pair of inflatable Normatech pants designed to world,” he says, his voice trailing off. “I would like to play pro (when improve recovery through pressure to the legs. He puts the footrest up on school is over). Where? I don’t know. We’ll see. I don’t really try to think one of the recliners and begins playing a mobile golf game on his iPad. about it. But I do …” “Get in the hole he says,” as teammate Roman Ahcan joins him.

5:00 p.m. On the ice, things have always come easy to Cole, who leads all NCAA At the end of the day, the players split apart on the walk from the arena freshmen in goals. But the off-ice part of college has also clearly come to their apartments, most of which line University Avenue, the city’s main easy to him. He is comfortable in the room and on top of his classes, thoroughfare. according to staff. A day earlier, while his teammates were fooling around in the gym, he was working in the academic center. Seven of the players sit in neighbouring apartment units at the end of the same fifth-floor hallway. In one, Finns Daniel Lebedeff (the team’s de “Cole has actually amazed me,” Brock says of his little brother. “I’ve been facto starting goalie in Berry’s absence) and Jesper Peltonen (a frequent away from him for three years and we’re in some of the same online healthy scratch whose father Ville played in the NHL) are watching Netflix classes and he’s getting stuff done way before me, way before it’s due. in their living room while Canadiens fourth-rounder Jack Gorniak swears He’s a motivated kid. The focus can easily be elsewhere but he knows at a game of “Fortnite” in his room. that in order to do the hockey side of things, you have to take care of school.” Lebedeff and Peltonen are complaining about the absurdity of their schedule. Brock, who just declared a personal finance major, insists there’s a misconception that players like Cole are “all hockey.” Both credit their Behind them, a Christmas tree that Gorniak’s mom dropped off is still lit. mom, Kelly, a teacher, for their academic dedication. Cole tries to get all Though the players get anywhere from a week to 10 days off at of his work done by Wednesday night so that he can focus on hockey on Christmas, the Finns choose not to go home due to the distance. the weekend. Having his brother at Wisconsin has been a big benefit. Because the players are also required to spend most of their summers on campus training and doing summer school, they only get a few weeks “Brock helps me out a lot,” Cole says. “He’s such a good student and at home per year (normally from the end of the first week in May to the someone I look up to and he’s always there to help me when I need it. middle of June). I’m pretty thankful for him.”

Across the hall, when Emberson enters his apartment after picking up It’s not lost on the Caufield brothers how special it must be for their Forage (a salad restaurant they all love) for his roommates, Miller is parents to be able to watch them in one place, either. That hasn’t already on the couch playing “Fortnite” while Brock Caufield lounges on happened since they were kids in Stevens Point, Wis., when Cole, who another. As Brock and Miller wind down, Emberson and Messner get always played up a year or two, helped Brock’s team win two state back to work on their analytics assignment from earlier in the day. championships. They also briefly played together in high school before the younger Caufield left for USA Hockey. Brock didn’t realize how much K’Andre Miller, Ty Emberson, Mick Messner and Brock Caufield have he missed playing with Cole until they were back together. formed a special bond as roommates. (Scott Wheeler / For The Athletic) And even though Brock has found it harder to get into the lineup with Emberson and Messner have grown close because all of their classes Cole and the other freshmen around, he says he wouldn’t change it. are together. Emberson and Brock are tight because they grew up playing minor hockey together. But the bond shared between Emberson Cole has enjoyed the freshman experience. He and Lindmark share a and Miller is unique. They’ve been through it all. They moved to Michigan double room in their dorm and do everything together. He says it’s not for the national development program together, they attended the draft uncommon to find all six freshmen in the same dorm room and jokes that The players recently nominated her for staff member of the month, which they’ve nearly gotten into trouble a few times. included each of them writing nice things about her as part of the submission. She credits Granato. It hasn’t all been smooth sailing, though. Cole has struggled in spurts, including at the world juniors. “(Granato) bought in and as a result we have changed the culture of this team,” she says. “They represent a very dedicated student group.” “Once I came back, it opened my eyes that I still have a lot more to prove and it’s never done,” he says. “The biggest part for me is just being a 5:30 p.m. leader on this team that the guys look to and that when I’m giving my best effort, they can follow.” Though the players start to arrive back at the rink around 4:15 p.m., the pregame routines don’t begin until more than an hour later. After every game at the world juniors, reporters prodded Cole with questions about why he wasn’t scoring, something he knows he has to Granato enters the room of half-dressed players and touches on a few get used to. things to watch for against Penn State and wraps up quickly before the players sprint down the hall to play an elimination game of keep-up “(It) was pretty funny during the tournament when (Montreal reporters) soccer or throw around a football. were just on me. That’s just something that I should expect and get used to and not overthink it,” he says. “I can’t let it bother me and affect me.” At 5:50, the sound of a whistle rings out from down the hall and the players know it’s time to drop what they’re doing and race to the gym, Cole hopes that his play has done the talking the rest of the year and he where Snider awaits to lead a pregame stretch. wants to turn pro once the Badgers season ends. Back in the dressing room after the stretch, players begin placing bets If the Canadiens will have him, he hopes to play in NHL games this (fake money due to NCAA rules) on who is going to score that night. season. Emberson is the first to say he’s got his money on No. 7, freshman Mike Vorlicky, who is without a goal. The room breaks out into cheers, “That’s my goal but I mean I can’t focus on it right now,” he says. “I just agreeing with the bet. hope it works out. I talk to them probably once or twice a week and they just want me to focus on day-by-day and when that time comes we’ll “What dumbass said No. 7?” Vorlicky asks. “I haven’t scored in practice think about it a little more. But I definitely want to be there.” since November.”

12:37 p.m. Above them, a clock counts down and they know that 39:00 and 8:00 are their two cues to leave for warmups and the game. There’s normally at least one hockey player in the computer lab outside Mary Weaver-Klees’ office in the academic center. She’s their unsung Before they leave, Granato enters the room once more with a send-off hero. message before giving the floor to backup goalie Johan Blomquist, the resident hype man and starting lineup introducer. Her desk and walls are covered with the faces of her “boys,” with custom mousepads and pinned photos she forced each player to take on their “Let’s fuck these guys up!” he screams. first day of school so that she could send them to their parents. Earlier this year, a condition on her taking Turcotte’s photo was a request that “Woo!” the room shouts back. he become her screensaver. Outside her office sits a giant teddy bear “We got Bycer, we got Cole, Wyatt, Emby, Zimmer and Leb!” he yells as Emberson named Boog. Boog has been to class with the players and it’s they jump up and begin their march into the Kohl Center. not rare to find one of them sleeping on him. Minutes later, as fate would have it, No. 7 scores the opening goal of the She has folders full of each kid’s information, including a plan for how game. The bench erupts as Vorlicky nearly falls over celebrating. they’re going to finish their intended degree. As she pulls out a sticky note to remind herself that Dylan Holloway owes her a couple of hours They ride that high into a 3-1 first intermission lead and spend the break this week, she compliments this year’s group, who boast a 3.0 GPA pumping each other up. Baker complains of pain in his lower back, which (which she calls “amazing in the world of hockey”). Lindmark massages with a Hypervolt percussion massage gun, while Turcotte tells Hrodey he feels fine in his return. Weaver-Klees has been a guidance counsellor at the university for 37 years and will retire at the end of this semester. When the players run “Come on boys, keep going!” Granato yells as they prepare to head back into her, they light up. She’s the one who helped Emberson and Messner out. become the only two players to get into the university’s prestigious After blowing the two-goal lead, however, the room remains confident business school. She’s also the one who told Emberson and Messner during the second intermission. they had to wear a collared shirt and dress pants to their induction ceremony. “Atta boy, Leb,” Emberson says to his goalie.

“There were many students in shorts and flip flops and they were like “Fuckin’ rights,” the rest of the team encourages while Snider circulates ‘Mary, we’re totally overdressed’ and I go ‘no, no, you represent yourself, with midgame wafers meant to help them refuel. your families, the athletic department, and men’s hockey,’” she says, laughing. “They are two very smart boys.” Players chat and retape their sticks as Granato enters again.

When she considered leaving last year, the Caufields were among those “Pretty simple: You guys throw that period out. We didn’t play it. Play who convinced her to stay so that Cole could get to know her. hard, play for each other,” he says to a round of applause.

“Cole is, oh my gosh, that smile is always there,” Weaver-Klees says. “I Holloway plays hero with a one-timer in the final two minutes of the third hope (he doesn’t leave) after this year but I don’t get a vote. He’s so able. period for a 4-3 win. The postgame celebrations are loud, with Vorlicky He’s so fabulous to work with. He’s got the vision.” getting the team’s Madison firefighter hat for being named the player of the game. The team erupts in a raucous celebration, including a pose for Part of the reason Miller is in such a heavy online course load is because a celebratory photo. she worries he’s going to leave at the end of the season and she thinks she can convince him to finish those classes when he’s in New York. “SPEECH!” they shout at Vorlicky.

“K’Andre is torn between his two worlds,” she says. “He does struggle “Hell of a win boys, let’s get one tomorrow,” he says. with it. My goal is for him to get as far into his undergraduate as he can. I Granato enters one last time, labelling it a goaltender win. “Rock and roll, don’t think that’s his goal but that’s OK.” baby!” Lebedeff responds. She’s also the first to say that hockey players have a harder sport-school “Lots of things we have got clean up for tomorrow,” Granato says. “We balance than any other student-athlete. When she took over hockey eight made it hard on ourselves. Tomorrow we’ll be better.” years ago, she had no idea that players missed school for development camps, the world junior summer showcase, prospect tournaments, world Eventually, the victory music fades as players grab their pre-made junior evaluation camps, and in some cases the world juniors, which land postgame meals out of a heated fridge and begin heading home, in need in the middle of exams. Part of the reason they take online classes is of sleep before they do it all over again a day later. because it’s so hard for them to stay competitive in live ones. Saturday, February 15, 12:30 p.m. about each other and start doing we, we, we instead of me, me, me?” he says. “We’re right there with everybody. Every team we’ve played this Just after a half-hour group meditation in the gym, Max Zimmer sits at a year, who is a better team than we are? Who has better players? Which high top stool in the lounge as he lifts his shirt to check his blood sugar team in college hockey?” level. He was diagnosed as diabetic when he was 2 years old but he has just recently updated his pump and its device. “No one,” they say together.

“This,” he says, gesturing to it, “has made it a lot easier, instead of having “So what’s the difference then? What’s the difference between where to prick my fingers 10 times a day.” we’re at and where they’re at?” Granato asks.

Zimmer, a 2016 fourth-round pick of the Hurricanes, has become an “Experience,” Lebedeff says. inspiration to his teammates and many in the diabetic community. “How do you get experience?” Granato says. “By battling through things “Those younger guys look up to me. I’m just helping them get to where like this and figuring it out and learning the lessons after each game they want to go and get in the right mindset to continue to grow,” he says. about why we were so close. We’ve got two games next week against Arizona State and we’re not going to play them like they’re exhibition Zimmer has built a relationship with the Madison chapter of JDRF, an games. Those are fucking playoff games in our head, they have to be. international organization focused on Type 1 diabetes research. Last Because tonight was a winnable game. But we didn’t dig down hard night, after arranging tickets to the game for a group of local children with enough to find a way to get it done. You’ve got to dig down and find more diabetes, he gave them a tour of the room. inside you. You have to!”

Life as a diabetic elite athlete comes with its complications. He has to 10:00 p.m. pay closer attention to what he eats than his peers and he constantly checks his blood sugar levels throughout games and practices. Hrodey As the players make their way down the hall for their end-of-week hugs keeps tabs on Zimmer, ready if his levels dip too low on the ice. from family and friends, they’re back in their suits, their hair wet from showers. As Zimmer prepares to say goodbye to his collegiate career, he wonders aloud about what lies ahead. It has been a particularly long week for Lindmark, a fifth-round pick in 2019. He has a cold and spent 15 hours in the academic center on “The ultimate goal right now is to play hockey,” Zimmer says. “If I have an Thursday. One of the better students on the team, he hopes to follow opportunity, awesome. If I can honestly tell myself I did everything I could Emberson and Messner into the business school, which means one of and got the most out of each day, then it is what it is.” the tougher schedules.

More than anything else, he can’t believe it’s almost over. He’s tired.

“It’s crazy. I remember my freshman year when some of the seniors were “It’s crazy. I’ve had so much homework. I’ve just been bogged down. It saying ‘Hey you think high school goes fast, college goes by twice as definitely wears on your sleep. That’s the biggest difference between fast,” he says. “As an 18-year-old freshman I’m like ‘yeah, whatever,’ but juniors and college. In juniors you do school but at the same time it’s looking back on it there were a lot of good times, a lot of bad times, just pretty much all hockey,” he says. “Here, there actually is a balance learning a lot of lessons and being a better person at the end of it …” between school and hockey and the classes aren’t easy.”

His voice trails off. Lindmark’s journey to Madison is longer than the one travelled by the A few hours later, it’s Zimmer who speaks up before the game to make teammates that surround him. He was born in Enid, Okla., but he has lost sure the Badgers don’t get ahead of themselves. count of the number of times he has moved (he guesses it’s eight or nine). His dad, Steve, was in the Air Force for 21 years and is now a pilot “We won one fucking game,” he says. “Now we have to show we can go for Southwest Airlines. on a run.” They finally settled down in Naperville, Ill., when he was in eighth grade, 5:25 p.m. shortly before he committed to Wisconsin as a freshman in high school.

In place of yet another team video session, associate coach Mark Around that time, they also adopted Lindmark’s biggest fan: his younger Osiecki hands his laptop to Emberson, who has just been named brother, Abram. As the Panthers prospect chats with his mom, Monica, assistant captain, and tells him to lead the team through some clips. Abram sports his jersey.

Emberson spends the session poking fun at the way the coaches talk. The Lindmarks don’t know much about Abram’s family, other than that he was left at a children’s orphanage in Ethiopia by his mother shortly after “Eat it. Bump it. Good comms,” he mimics. he was born. Eight years ago, before Abram’s first birthday, Steve and The players spend the hours before the game chirping at each other Monica made two trips to Ethiopia through a Christian adoption before Granato enters to try to get them back on task. organization. The first was for paperwork. The second was to bring him home. “We are this close to not just being a good team, to being better than a good team. We’re this close,” he says, pressing his index finger to his This weekend, the Lindmarks made the 2½-hour drive from Naperville to thumb. “To be better than a good team, you’ve got to have results every Madison twice because Abram had hockey of his own back home. night. Now the next part of it is digging down within yourselves and Lindmark hopes he can go to Ethiopia with his youngest brother finding the mental toughness to commit to being better yourself. Can we someday. do it?” he asks. “He’s awesome. It just gives you a different perspective because when “Yep!” the players shout. he first got here, you’d see a little African-American baby with a white family and you’d just get looks and whatnot,” he says. “But he’s awesome “Let’s fucking go!” the coach yells back. and he looks up to me a lot. He loves playing hockey. My mom will send him videos of him shooting in our basement on the net that I used to Saturday doesn’t play out like Friday did, though. The encouraging shoot on. It’s really cool.” intermission player-to-player pep talks don’t work this time. Turcotte asks for ibuprofen for his knee. Emberson tells his teammates to be Whenever Lindmark gets down, he thinks about everything Abram has desperate. Zimmer checks the blood sugar levels underneath the lip of been through (and will have to go through) as a way to contextualize how his pants, like he always does. easy he’s got it.

But the Badgers lose 3-2. Lindmark doesn’t take the highs and lows of the season quite as hard as his teammates in part because of his life experience, because of Abram. When Granato enters the room after the game, nobody’s posing for pictures. He’s happy with how he has progressed in his freshman year even as the Badgers have struggled. “That’s a really good team over there that we could have beaten twice. We let them off the hook. Again, it’s about what we want out of this Around him, as his teammates all meet with their biggest fans, each get season. Do we want more stuff about ourselves or do we want more stuff their own little sliver of perspective, of all of the things more important than hockey — and more important than the outcome of the last four days.

In the months that follow, many will go their separate ways.

For some, the NHL is on the horizon. For others, the end of their hockey careers. But for now, they’ve got classes, workouts, practices and games.

For now, they’ve got each other.

The Athletic LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180097 Websites And Matthews, who tossed the puck blindly into the middle of his own zone and saw Adam Henrique promptly bury it for a 2-0 Ducks lead, owned up to his lack of awareness in that situation.

Sportsnet.ca / Maple Leafs' California catastrophe could haunt them “I thought I heard a guy, at least on our team, that was kind of in that down the line spot,” he said. “Usually I expect a guy to be there. I just tried to kind of break their pressure and obviously I made a bad mistake, bad turnover, that led to a goal.

Chris Johnston | @reporterchris March 7, 2020, 12:51 AM “That’s obviously on me and I take responsibility for it.”

But the most puzzling stat of all is how a group that was until recently scoring four goals per game under Keefe went more than 147 minutes ANAHEIM, Calif. — There is no way to sugar-coat an oh-for-California between goals on this trip — a stretch that went from the second period road trip. of Tuesday’s game in San Jose until William Nylander’s 30th of the Not at this critical stage of the season. Not with a journey formerly known season in the dying minutes. as the Valley of Death now taking you through cities featuring three of the Matthews suggested that they’re still looking to find the right balance NHL’s five-worst teams. between defending and attacking. The Toronto Maple Leafs were left grasping for some positive talking “I think we’re kind of one foot in the door, one foot out, as far as the way points following Friday’s 2-1 loss to the Anaheim Ducks because, at this we want to play,” he said. “I think we all just need to be 100 per cent in.” stage in the process, what else could they reasonably do? “You look at a lot of the goals that we’ve scored here in recent games, a They’re still holding a playoff spot and still holding out hope that things lot of it’s been happening around the net. We need to have more of a will start to fall in place with some key players soon set to return from presence in there,” said Keefe. “But it’s an interesting road trip. You’d injury. However, they also recognize the need to retreat into the safety of never think that our team would give up two goals in two games and only the team environment with the heat being dialled up around them. come away with one point. “As a team, we’re trying to stay calm,” said Mitch Marner. “I know media’s “You’d probably think we were talking about a different team, but that’s a big part in this city that we play in. I think for our team it’s just about the reality, that’s the way it was this week.” staying off that — the social media, people are just going to start getting on us and we’re a unit in here, we’re a team. Should they end up losing grip on their playoff spot down the stretch, this string of games will haunt them. “We know what to say to each other to get ourselves going.” There’s no way around it. This is a group often criticized for being too run-and-gun and it just allowed two goals against in 125 minutes of play and earned one out of a Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 possible four points. That’s not something you’d ever expect to see from Sheldon Keefe’s high-octane team and they’re banking on the likelihood the scoring returns sooner than later.

Still, losing to this version of the Ducks should sting.

They were down their top four defencemen because of injury and somehow managed to tilt the Honda Center ice despite facing a huge deficit in talent.

The Leafs looked sluggish, choppy and disconnected while creating just four high-danger scoring chances at 5-on-5.

“I think they did a really good job in their neutral zone just kind of clogging it up,” said Auston Matthews, in diagnosing why the offence dried up here. “Really wasn’t much [for us] — not many entries, not a lot of odd-man rushes for us tonight, so they did a really good job. Obviously you’ve got to give them credit, they played really well in that area of the game and kind of forced us to dump pucks.

“We didn’t really have too much speed or anything going in on it so they were able to break out pretty quick. We weren’t able to generate much into their zone and sustain pressure.”

Their offensive attack has gone stale, particularly on a once-lethal power play that turned in another 0-for-3 performance against Anaheim.

They also wasted a strong performance from backup goaltender Jack Campbell, who allowed a goal before the four-minute mark and slammed the door shut for the next 45-plus minutes.

He made a ridiculous save on Ryan Getzlaf late in the second period, displaying cat-like reflexes to glove a puck that appeared destined for the top shelf. All the Ducks captain could do was chuckle.

Marner, in the penalty box following an uncharacteristically poor tripping penalty, nearly broke his stick cheering on Campbell.

“That’s a hell of save,” said Marner.

Under the duress of this playoff race — Toronto still holds a five-point edge over Florida in the Atlantic Division, but has opened the door slightly with two more games played — the team’s young stars are taking ownership for missteps.

Marner apologized for that penalty.

“Just stupid on my part there,” he said. “You know, frustration took over there. That’s the last time that happens, I’m better than that.” 1180098 Websites nice to see we’re at the positive end of those situations and it’s at the right time.”

The Flames won their third in a row thanks to a team effort that included Sportsnet.ca / Flames' season of setbacks finally serving them well in vintage Gaudreau, a typically tenacious Tkachuk and yet another in a crunch time recent series of strikes from Backlund.

Talbot, who was suiting up for his 300th start Friday, has been the man in net for all three of those wins, potentially earning him yet another start Eric Francis | @EricFrancis March 7, 2020, 1:43 AM Sunday.

“Two big wins here at home,” said Gaudreau, whose club had only won one of seven games at home prior to this week. CALGARY — It was the type of game playoff teams win. “The power play was huge tonight and the penalty kill was great. You win The kind that buries looming rivals. games in this league with special teams and we won both tonight.” The kind that sees a team rise to the occasion, weather inevitable storms NOTES: The NHL issued a warning to players Friday, suggesting they and finish strong. limit contact with fans with an eye on avoiding Coronavirus. That was the formula the Flames used to open up a five-point gap “I just got done signing for 20 minutes, so I obviously didn’t get the between them and the Coyotes with a 3-2 win over a visiting Arizona club memo,” smiled Tkachuk after the game. that arrived with designs on inching closer. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 After allowing the first shot on goal for the league-leading 10th time, the Flames did an impressive about-face mere minutes later.

Goals by Johnny Gaudreau and TJ Brodie 41 seconds apart gave the Flames the lead six minutes in before Mikael Backlund’s 10th goal in 13 games put them up 3-1 early in the second.

And then they held on.

Carl Soderberg’s crease-crashing rebound midway through the second made it a one-goal game and would likely have led to a further meltdown earlier in the season as the Coyotes fired 21 shots on net in the second.

But what followed was a second-half display of playoff-type hockey by a Flames team certainly rounding into form.

“You’ve got to be comfortable in these type of games,” said Matthew Tkachuk, who assisted on all three goals, including a brilliant pass to set up Gaudreau’s power-play marker.

“The minute they made it 3-2 it got scrambly there, but we were able to roll right after that, which is really nice. We were talking about it before the third — it’s going to be a playoff-type period. This is a four-pointer and this is going to be the way it’s going to be down the stretch, so I’m happy with our effort, especially in the third.”

Coming off a successful road trip in which the Flames picked up seven of 10 points, they’ve now won the first two of a five-game home stand to sit third in the Pacific, three clear of a boatload of challengers.

It’s a tiny bit of breathing room, which is a reward for two weeks of solid play.

“Every game right now has to be a playoff-type atmosphere — all these games are going to make or break our season right now,” said Cam Talbot, who stopped 32 of 33 shots after Taylor Hall’s bullet beat him 1:11 in.

“To get an extra two points tonight and to get some help from around the league helps when we see that team (division-leading Vegas) coming in here Sunday. To be able to close those gaps and push other teams down is obviously huge.”

So is Sunday’s showdown with the Golden Knights, who were blanked by Winnipeg to sit just three up on the Flames.

The Flames have every right to feel ready for their biggest test yet, as a season of setbacks is finally serving the team well.

“It’s paramount that you’re able to deal with adversity,” said interim coach Geoff Ward of the game-opening goal, which did little to sag his bench.

“You need to be battle tested at this time of year. I thought things went so well for us wire to wire last year, so we really didn’t get that adversity to be as battle-tested as we have been this year. Whenever you get battle tested like this you get to develop this little bit of skin. You get to develop a mindset that, ‘You’re okay and you’re still in control and you do what you need to do to have the response in order to get the hockey game back under your control.’

“If we treat all that adversity we’ve gone through the right way, it makes you better and I think the guys have done a really good job with that. It’s 1180099 Websites he decided to quit, and they won four straight Cups after that. I mean, he could have won 15 Cups if he kept going.

"He was the biggest champion. Nobody’s going to ever come close to Sportsnet.ca / Remembering Henri Richard, the NHL's 'biggest winning 11 championships, in any sport." champion' I reached out to Bob Gainey about Henri Richard and he paid tribute to the man with words that could only come from Bob Gainey. This is wonderful: pic.twitter.com/w0uIpGtXFG Eric Engels | @EricEngels March 6, 2020, 1:16 PM — Eric Engels (@EricEngels) March 6, 2020

Richard’s only company in the category is Boston Celtics legend Bill MONTREAL — I met Henri Richard once. He was kind and Russell, who won 11 NBA titles. approachable, but slightly reserved. He was a legend and carried himself that way, but without a hint of arrogance. He wore a well-tailored suit and There will never be another. the kind of smile that presented a youthfulness only his white hair And my dad says that Henri Richard was one of a kind, too. betrayed. And this was long before Alzheimer’s disease took a firm hold of his life, but not so long ago that I’d have been too young for it to have "He was absolutely tenacious, with moves and with strength and the made any tangible impact on my life. Because growing up in Montreal, I ability to pass the puck when he really needed to thread the needle," he heard a lot about the "Pocket Rocket" — about his remarkable career, said. "He was a great playmaker, and he was a great two-way player as about him being the winningest Montreal Canadien of all time, and about well." him being one of the most tenacious and competitive people anyone had ever met — and the significance of all of that wasn’t lost on me when I I once shook the man’s hand, and it’ll always mean something to me that had this brief opportunity to shake his hand and make it clear it meant I had a chance to do that. something to me. Rest in Peace, Henri Richard.

My father, Stephen, was (and still is) one of Henri’s biggest fans. He told Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 me about when he was 13 years old and the cherished memory he gained the night the great Maurice Richard’s brother made his own history with a Cup-clinching goal in the 1966 Final against the Detroit Red Wings. He described in detail the time Henri flew into the offensive zone, skipped his way over Keith Magnuson’s stick and uncorked his wicked wrist shot to beat Tony Esposito and put the Canadiens up 3-2 over the Chicago Blackhawks in the third period of Game 7 of the 1971 Cup — and how he once got to discuss this with the man on a flight from Toronto to Montreal after some Canadiens and Maple Leafs old-timers competed against each other in an annual golf event.

And then there’s the story my father loved most, the one I’ve heard countless times since I was a kid — about a couple of games of tennis he once played with Richard and Canadiens legend .

"It was the early 80s, I was 29 or 30, and I had a business associate who invited me to Tennis 13 in Laval," my father recounted on Friday morning shortly after hearing of Richard’s passing. "I showed up, and as we got on the court Richard and Cournoyer were warming up. What I remember most is that these two guys were basically the same size, they were smaller guys, but they also had the same sized-legs and they were the biggest legs I had ever seen.

"We played a couple of games, and then they wanted to play singles. I didn’t care. I was so honoured they let us play with them. They were so gracious."

And competitive. Richard was always described as being uber- competitive.

Think about what he fought through to carve out his own timeless legacy. He was 15 years younger and three inches shorter than his older brother Maurice, who had become the most iconic player in the game not named Gordie Howe — a player who had already won three Stanley Cups, scored an NHL-record eight points in a single game and been the league’s first 50-goal scorer — before Henri had joined up with the Canadiens in 1955. There are long shadows, and then there are black holes.

But Henri immediately found his way to the light. And then 20 years went by and he retired having played the most games (1,256) and having recorded the third-most assists (688) and points (1,046) in Canadiens history. He had his No. 16 retired by the franchise just months after he hung up his skates, and he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1979.

Oh yeah, and there were the Cups. Henri won his first one as a rookie, and then sipped Champagne and beer from hockey’s holy chalice 10 more times — or more than any other player in NHL history.

"He won (expletive) 11 Stanley Cups," former Canadiens captain and recently-inducted Hall of Famer Guy Carbonneau said emphatically in a phone conversation Friday morning. "He had 11 Stanley Cups in 20 years, and the year he retired was because he wasn’t playing a lot and 1180100 Websites The anti-MacNeil backlash was so strong someone fired off a death threat saying he was going to get the coach. The police responded with around-the-clock protection. Unfortunately for MacNeil, that meant around the clock in his house, on the road, at the rink, even on the bench Sportsnet.ca / How the 1971 Stanley Cup defined (and obscured) Henri during Game 6. Richard’s legacy “They were with me 24 hours on the hop for seven days. I had [a police officer] right on the bench with me,” MacNeil said. “I was going to ask him if he could help me on the power play.” Gare Joyce | @garejoycenhl March 6, 2020, 4:22 PM So, just as the Rocket had his St. Patrick’s Day riot, the Pocket Rocket

had the tempest that put a coach in self-exile for his health and welfare. It might figure as only a line or two in his obituaries today, but Henri The Canadiens came back to tie the series at three games apiece with a Richard was the centre of a controversy that ranks as probably the most win in Game 6 in Montreal and then came from two goals down in the misinterpreted in the long, storied history of the Montreal Canadiens. second period to beat the Black Hawks 3-2 in Game 7. First and foremost, the obituaries will mention that Henri Richard — who You’d imagine that the victory would have won MacNeil a long-term passed away today after a long battle with Alzheimer’s — was the contract, and in another time and place it surely would have. It seemed younger brother of Maurice “Rocket” Richard, the Canadiens legend who like MacNeil was operating under that assumption — he had talked about held NHL records for goals and points upon his retirement. Henri literally taking French lessons to accommodate the Canadiens. But his reward skated in Maurice’s considerable shadow back in the ’50s, when for that glory run was a job in the organization — back in Halifax with the Montreal rolled over the five other teams and became the dynasty that all Voyageurs. future contenders and pretenders would be measured. Any fear that Henri Richard would forget his place in Canadiens’ lore was allayed by Over the years, Richard seemed uneasy discussing the tempest, his sobriquet — the “Pocket Rocket.” stopping just short of walking back his comments.

Those obituaries will mention his standing among the 100 greatest “I was kind of embarrassed when it became a big story in the papers,” he NHLers of all time and his record 11 Stanley Cups as a player. (Though, told the Toronto Star’s Jim Proudfoot. “I was just mad because he wasn’t when asked by fans and media about his 11 Cup rings, he would note, using me.” possibly in jest, that in the early days teams didn’t hand out rings to the champions — maybe just some lesser parting gifts.) That this record will On another occasion Richard was even more forthright. never be broken is an assumption we can make without dwelling on it. “The press made a big thing about it … the French-Canadian player and Other notes will be made, of course, including his captaincy of the the (anglophone) coach,” he said. “It was all BS. If you’re winning, Canadiens — figuratively the torch that was passed on to him by Jean nobody cares about that stuff. When you lose, you get bad press in Beliveau in 1971. Beliveau likewise cast a considerable shadow. Henri Montreal.” Richard would be named to the NHL’s Second All-Star Team three times, MacNeil also had tried to take a high road, an overpass above the hard though twice that meant he was the second-best centre the Canadiens feelings. rolled out there. Only once, in 1958, did Richard supplant Beliveau to make the First All-Star Team, despite the fact that his own GM was his “[Richard’s insults] never bothered me,” MacNeil told the Calgary Herald biggest fan: “Game in, game out, Henri Richard is the most valuable in 2002. “There was a lot of turmoil. Richard was a decent guy, a good player I’ve ever had,” Frank Selke once said. person. [But] running a hockey club is not a democracy. It’s a dictatorship.” There will likely be some colour splashed on the canvas for the memorial portraits of the Pocket Rocket. Mention will be made of his diminutive By the time I wrote about that series years later, Richard had retired from stature (five-foot-seven) and style (the definitive two-way centreman of the public eye and his memory was failing. However, I did manage to his era, and arguably the best skater in the league). connect with the other principal in the contretemps for the ages. MacNeil, who never had a real shot at a head-coaching job in the league, was They might even mention his modesty, which was plain to anyone who scouting for Calgary at the time. We had a pleasant conversation about ever talked to him, a by-product and perspective that became ingrained contemporary matters, but that ended when I asked about ’71. playing second violin to his brother and Le Gros Bill. I only ever talked with Richard a couple of times, but the first conversation set the tone. “I have no interest in talking about it whatsoever,” he told me. Back in ’86, when the Oilers were running through the league like the Canadiens had in the ’50s, I asked him how Montreal’s best teams would I suggested to MacNeil that his side of the story had never been told in have taken on . Richard left himself out of the equation full, but that gained no traction and he ended our talk then and there. Old and named others to what he thought was Montreal’s all-time checking resentments might die, but they never fade away. line: “I’d have on right wing, Donnie Marshall at centre Others who had been in the Montreal room in ’71 were circumspect and Bert Olmstead on the left side,” he said. about it.

Eventually though, the obituaries will mention the Stanley Cup of 1971, “We did not talk much about all that,” Jacques Lemaire said. “We had a and you’ll get to the part about his role in the controversy that could have job to do. Coaches have to respect players, and vice versa. I don’t think unsettled a Canadiens team in the final. [complaints about a coach] should be done in public. [If you have a Montreal had made a most unlikely run to the Stanley Cup Final: firing problem] it should be in private.” coach Claude Ruel mid-season when it looked like Montreal would miss I did talk to a reliable witness in the Canadiens’ dressing room and the playoffs; replacing him with Al MacNeil from its AHL affiliate in someone who could well identify with skating in a legendary brother’s Halifax; promoting a bunch of young players from the farm team; shadow: Peter Mahovlich, who, in 1971, was not long removed from the installing a rookie goalie with a handful of NHL games, Ken Dryden, for AHL. the playoffs; and then upsetting the Boston Bruins, the dominant team in the league that season, in the first round. It looked like the Canadiens’ “The story gets told that Henri gets blamed for getting Al fired, and that’s Cinderella story had reached midnight when the heavily favoured just wrong,” Mahovlich told me. “Henri wasn’t the only one who was mad Chicago Black Hawks took a three-games-to-two series lead into Game 6 [at MacNeil after the game]. People forget Fergy [Montreal tough guy in Montreal. John Ferguson] said just about the same thing after Game 5. It’s just that [the media] played up Henri.” During the Game 5 loss in Chicago, MacNeil decided his team needed a shakeup, so he juggled the lines. He also chose to sit Henri Richard for a Henri Richard long stretch. Given the fabled Richard temperament (Maurice Richard was two sticks of dynamite in search of a lit match), Henri spit sparks — On that aforementioned St. Patrick’s Day long ago, Maurice Richard was then exploded. After the game, he called MacNeil “the worst coach I’ve already a hockey icon, but became a political one in Quebec when he ever played for.” This of course set off a maelstrom in Montreal. wasn’t allowed to dress for a game. Likewise, Henri Richard was drafted both into lore and a political cause: In Montreal, even a Stanley Cup couldn’t save an anglophone coach’s job, nor spare him the wrath of the fiercest, proudest competitor, a local Quebecois hero.

The narrative wasn’t quite the truth, but it had the ring of truth. In that way, it overshadowed the indisputable: the fact that in Game 7 in Chicago, in that tense come-from-behind Canadiens win, Henri Richard scored the game-tying goal with less than two minutes left in the second period and the Stanley Cup winner a couple of minutes into the third. And even if he spent years afterwards trying to diffuse the controversy, pride let him go only so far.

“When I scored the winning goal in Game 7, everybody knew I’d been right,” he told the Montreal Gazette in 2004.

Jean Beliveau, who retired at the end of that series, wound up with an executive position for life in the Canadiens organization. Henri Richard never quite had Beliveau’s profile and was far behind him when it came to ease with the public. As it played out, Beliveau became a friend of the Molsons, and Richard became the proprietor of a tavern.

When I saw Henri Richard at the last game at the Forum, he seemed sheepish coming out to be introduced alongside the Hall of Famers. He knew that the loudest ovations were going to be reserved for the last two to emerge for a turn in the spotlight: Beliveau and the Rocket. Henri Richard seemed even more sheepish in the final ceremony that night, a passing of the torch that had him accepting the flame from Beliveau while the Rocket stood by and applauded.

With the Rocket’s and Beliveau’s deaths in 2000 and 2014, respectively, both were afforded the solemnity and spectacle of state funerals, while the Pocket Rocket will be more simply remembered for his 11 championships — if not 11 Stanley Cup rings.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180101 Websites But the Canucks defended competently, if not comfortably, and were happy to see Colorado’s Matt Nieto miss an open net early in the third period when the score was still 4-3.

Sportsnet.ca / Canucks' MacEwen making good on Benning's belief in Troy Stecher, J.T. Miller and Tanner Pearson, into an empty net, had the his potential other goals for Vancouver, which needed the win to retain a playoff position they’ve held all winter in the Western Conference.

The Canucks used Bo Horvat head-to-head against Hart Trophy Iain MacIntyre | @imacSportsnet March 7, 2020, 2:00 AM candidate Nathan MacKinnon, who had two assists and 12 shot attempts for the Avalanche and was still easily the game’s most dangerous player.

Vancouver’s shutdown defenceman, Chris Tanev, said MacKinnon is the VANCOUVER — It was a little ironic when Vancouver Canucks general probably the toughest player in the league to defend. manager said after the Tyler Toffoli trade that minor-league call-up Zack MacEwen had become a full-time NHL player. Because “He’s extremely tough, especially since he’s got that new move where it MacEwen was shoved back out of the lineup as soon as Toffoli arrived looks like he’s going to shoot it, but basically spins and gets a lot on his nearly three weeks ago. backhand,” Tanev said. “I don’t know if there’s another player in the league who can do it like that. But Friday, in one of the few games in which Toffoli didn’t score for his new team, MacEwen scored two as the Canucks, frantic to stay above “I thought after the first, we sort of played a little better. The first, we were the playoff cut line, beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-3 to end a costly four- fortunate to be up 2-1. We were very opportunistic… but they controlled game losing streak. most of the play. After that, I thought it was a pretty even game.”

People at Rogers Arena got so carried away, a couple of fans tossed One point up in the wild-card race, the Canucks play the Columbus Blue hats on to the ice when the 23-year-old undrafted forward from Prince Jackets Sunday at Rogers Arena. Edward Island and the Quebec League chipped in his second of the game from an Antoine Roussel pass to give the Canucks some breathing Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 room at 16:43 of the third period.

Two goals, three goals, whatever. It may as well have been five for the impact MacEwen made in the 19th game of his National Hockey League career.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said. “I can’t say I’ve had many like it so far in my career. It’s definitely a night I’m going to remember, and I think it will help my confidence that my game is trending in the right direction.”

It was just MacEwen’s third game back in coach Travis Green’s lineup after sitting out five. Full-time work sure looked part-time for the six-foot- three forward earning a living on hard work, physicality and promise.

“I saw the quote,” he said of Benning’s praise. “It was definitely a vote of confidence for me to know that they feel that way about me. It’s just good to know my game is progressing to the NHL level. I just want to keep proving that though with each game, each chance I get to play.”

Canucks goalie Thatcher Demko, who won Friday for just the second time in five starts since Jacob Markstrom underwent knee surgery, was MacEwen’s teammate and roommate with the Utica Comets the last two seasons.

“I’ve been with him every step of the way,” Demko said. “He comes to the rink every day and (is) a good pro. I’m just really happy for him.

“He’s been in and out of the lineup all year, called up and sent down. For him to rise to the occasion tonight and get those two is huge. I think his game has come a long way. He’s a big strong kid. He goes out there and wears his heart on his sleeve. He’ll do anything for the team.”

The trio of MacEwen, Roussel and Adam Gaudette was probably the Canucks’ best line against Colorado.

It also produced what turned out to be the game-winner when Roussel converted a goalmouth pass from Gaudette, who spun away from Avalanche defenceman Ian Cole, to break a 3-3 tie at 12:17 of the second period.

The Canucks have looked a lot more comfortable lately chasing a lead than actually playing with one, which is understandable given the amount of practise they’ve had at the former and lack of success at the latter.

During their four-game dive, the Canucks had a late lead in two games, were tied in the third period of another and came out with zero points. So, yeah, they look a little nervy with the lead. Lobsters in the fish tank at a busy seafood restaurant are more comfortable than the Canucks with a lead, because the crustaceans don’t know what’s coming.

But on Friday, after a porous first period in which they led 2-1 despite getting outshot 18-7 and forced Demko to make a pile of difficult saves, the Canucks held the Avalanche to 14 shots over the final 40 minutes.

They still blew a lead, of course, as Colorado goals by Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin less than five minutes apart early in the second period vaporized a 3-1 Vancouver advantage. 1180102 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Canucks coach talks slump, playoff race: 'You gotta love the pressure'

Rory Boylen | @RoryBoylen March 6, 2020, 6:51 PM

At the NHL trade deadline just 11 days ago, the Vancouver Canucks were coming off an outstanding and almost unfathomable 9-3 win against the Boston Bruins and looked like they could take a run at the Pacific Division title.

But after beating Montreal 4-3 in overtime in their first post-deadline game, the Canucks are losers of four in a row — all in regulation. Today they occupy the second wild card spot, with the same number of points as the two teams behind them in Nashville and Winnipeg (Vancouver has a game in hand).

The Canucks’ starting goalie is injured. So is Brock Boeser. And their schedule over the next week should be a challenge, with games against Colorado, Columbus, the New York Islanders, Arizona and Colorado again. It would be easy to panic, but for Canucks head coach Travis Green, this is the kind of situation he likes his team to be in…for the most part.

“I love it where we’re at right now,” he told reporters on Friday. “I don’t love that we haven’t got points in our last four games, but we’re going through some adversity and that’s OK. We’re going through some pressure and that’s alright as well. And I know when we get there we’re going to be so much better off for it.”

Vancouver hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, nor have they won a round since reaching the 2011 Stanley Cup Final. It’s been a slow build back up to the promise this roster now exudes, but they’re still, overall, a young team.

Elias Pettersson, 20, and Quinn Hughes, 19, are two of the team’s most important players and neither has experienced the kind of pressure- packed games the team is facing in the coming weeks. Thatcher Demko, 24, has been thrown into the deep end.

But general manager Jim Benning has also brought in players who have experienced these things. Tyler Myers and J.T. Miller have both played in the conference finals in the past two seasons and Tyler Toffoli has a couple Stanley Cup rings. Alexander Edler is the last remaining member of the 2011 team who played a significant role.

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This pressure is a learning experience and a test rolled together for the whole team — and the coach believes it will make them stronger.

“When you’re going through this adversity, you’re going through this pressure, you’ve gotta have honesty with your group,” he said. “Your players have to be honest with themselves, they gotta believe in themselves as well. And we have belief in our team.

“You gotta love it. You gotta love the pressure. We want guys that love playing in these type of games when the heat is on. You’re going to need that when you’re playing Game 6 on the road. And this is all good learning measurements for our group.”

So while some Canucks supporters are, understandably, worried about a pending collapse — the type they’ve seen before — Green is challenging his players to embrace what’s coming at them now.

“I’m confident in this group,” he said. “They’re going to play their [butts] off for the rest of the year, and I’m confident they’re going to put themselves in the playoffs.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180103 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Oilers’ Draisaitl thinks split with McDavid makes team ‘more dangerous’

Jordan Horrobin | @JordanHorrobin March 6, 2020, 8:52 PM

The Edmonton Oilers have two Hart Trophy candidates on their team. Amazingly, they used to play on the same line.

Leon Draisaitl (110 points) and Connor McDavid (95 points), the two leading scorers in the NHL, have found plenty of success in their young careers playing side-by-side. But this season, the talented forwards are showing they might be more valuable to the Oilers when they’re split up.

“I think it makes our team a lot more dangerous, a lot harder to defend,” Draisaitl said Friday in a phone interview on Tim and Sid. “A lot of times, when Connor and I would play together and we didn’t have a good night, you shut both of us down at the same time. Now, it’s a different look.”

On Dec. 27, Edmonton lost to the Calgary Flames, 5-1. That’s when Oilers coach Dave Tippett made a change, moved Draisaitl from McDavid’s line into the centre spot on line No. 2.

The Oilers were 20-17-4 at the time, an 88-point pace. They’re 16-7-4 since, which is a 109-point pace, and are two points off the Pacific Division lead amid a tight Western Conference playoff race.

“I’d be lying if (I said) we weren’t all thinking about it,” Draisaitl said of the playoff race. “But you can’t think too far ahead.”

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If Edmonton does make a successful push to the post-season, a lot of credit will be due to Draisaitl’s ability to thrive away from McDavid, one of the league’s premium playmakers who is closing in on his fourth consecutive season of 100-plus points.

Draisaitl now plays with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Kailer Yamamoto on his wings. In 24 games together, the trio has amassed an impressive 77.14 goals-for percentage and a 56.32 expected goals-for percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick (for context, Draisaitl and McDavid only have a 48.57 goals-for percentage and 47.13 expected goals-for percentage together this season).

On a team level, things are going well for Edmonton. Individually, Draisaitl has made a compelling case to earn MVP honours — but he says he’s not thinking about it too much.

“I try to block that out as much as I can,” Draisaitl said. “I think for us especially here in Edmonton, we’re all kind of sick of losing and the main reason we’re all playing right now is to make the playoffs and make a push.

“Obviously whatever I can do to help the team win hockey games, that’s all that matters right now to all of us.”

Draisaitl’s impressive showing on the second line, away from McDavid, is helping the Oilers win hockey games. And it may be enough to help them reach the playoffs for just the second time since 2006.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180104 Websites teammates made a point of seeking him out for a tap on those same shinpads as the puck flew up, over the glass and out of play. The shot block came on one of three Colorado power plays on the night. The Canucks were perfect on the kill and limited the Avs to just four shots on TSN.CA / Five Takeaways: Canucks vs Avalanche goal with the man-advantage. The Canucks penalty kill had struggled of late allowing seven goals on 18 opportunities entering the night including

a pair of late power play goals in Columbus last Sunday. But with Demko Jeff Paterson providing the last line of defense and the penalty killers in front of him doing their part, too, the Canucks were able to shore up a sore spot in their game. They had key penalty kills at 1-0 in the first period and again at 4-3 in the third. Goals there could have swung this game in Colorado's TAKEAWAYS favour, but the Canucks ensured that didn't happen. 1) As it turns out, the third time was the charm for the Vancouver 5) It wasn't quite the Boston game of three weeks ago, but Friday was Canucks. After letting third period leads get away in their last two games, another solid showing by the Canucks against a top team in the league -- the Canucks were full value their 6-3 victory over Colorado on Friday and one that arrived on their doorstep on a roll. Colorado was 7-0-2 in its night. After a loose first period in which they outscored the Avs 2-1 but last nine games overall and had won nine in a row on the road. Teams were outshot 18-7, the Canucks tightened up their game considerably weren't taking points off the Avalanche of late. So give the Canucks over the final 40 minutes allowing just 14 Colorado shots the rest of the credit for stepping up when they absolutely had to. Sure there are 15 way. And rather than sitting on their 4-3 lead after two periods, the games still left on the schedule so another loss wouldn't have sunk them, Canucks extended their cushion and put the game out of reach scoring but given the recent blown leads, four straight regulation losses at the the only two goals of the final frame. The Canucks made the necessary wrong time of the year and the mood in the market, it sure felt like the adjustments defensively to slow the Colorado attack as the night went Canucks needed Friday's win. And they delivered. With Winnipeg on. There is never any stopping Nathan MacKinnon entirely -- he had two blanking Vegas earlier in the night and temporarily moving in front of assists, four shots and 12 attempts and looks like a threat every time he's Vancouver for a few hours, it marked the first time since December 28th on the ice. But the Canucks didn't allow MacKinnon to dominate the the Canucks had dropped below the playoff bar. But with their win, the hockey game and swing the outcome in the Avs favour. According to Canucks ensured they won't spend the night looking up at eight teams Natural Stat Trick, the Avs had just four even strength shots on goal and ahead of them in the standings. Friday was a good night for the five scoring chances at 5-on-5 over the final period. It felt like a much Vancouver Canucks. The challenge now is to back it up with another more controlled night of hockey by the home team than we've seen of strong result on Sunday when Columbus comes to town. The Blue late when they had the lead and couldn't make it stand up. Jackets stop off in Edmonton, so the tables will be turned from a week 2) The Canucks third line had its game of the season. The trio of Adam ago. Last Sunday, the Canucks were playing back to back when they Gaudette between Antoine Roussel and Zack MacEwen combined for visited Nationwide Arena. Now it's the Canucks turn to get Columbus three goals and six scoring points. Roussel's goal at 12:17 of the second playing on consecutive nights. period put the Canucks in front for good at 4-3 while MacEwen scored his TSN.CA LOADED: 03.07.2020 first of the night 2:12 into the middle frame and then put the dagger in the Avalanche with the 5-3 goal with just 3:17 remaining. Both of his goals came on big-league shots just weeks after Canucks General Manager had declared MacEwen a 'full time NHL'er.' MacEwen did all of his damage -- two goals on two shots, four hits and drawing a second period penalty -- in just 7:15 of ice time. While his ice time was low, his impact was anything but. And his second goal was a clear nod from the coaching staff to the kind of night MacEwen and his linemates were having. With the Canucks up by one and with ghosts of recent games hovering over them, Travis Green utilized a line with two youngsters and his trust in that combination paid off when Roussel worked the puck from behind the net to MacEwen in the slot and the Big Fella roofed the puck short side on Colorado goalie Pavel Francouz. Aside from a Tyler Motte goal in Toronto on Saturday, depth scoring had left the Canucks during their losing skid. But the third line stepped up in a big way and that performance was key to delivering a much needed victory.

3) The Canucks power play went 0 for 3 on the night, but that didn't really matter to the bottom line of the hockey game. What was important to note about two of the three Canucks opportunities with the man- advantage was that they came back to back to open the third period. Veteran defenseman Erik Johnson was called for slashing 1:38 into the third and at 3:26 Vladislav Namestnikov was whistled for holding. The Canucks didn't do a lot with those four minutes over overlapping power play time that included a brief 10 second two-man advantage. But the most significant development of that stretch of the game was that it kept Nathan MacKinnon on the Colorado bench since he doesn't kill penalties. He had a 30-second shift to start the period, but then his team ran into penalty problems. MacKinnon didn't get his second shift of the period until the five and a half minute mark. The best way to contain one of the most-dangerous players in the league is to keep him on the bench and limit his opportunities to even the score. As it turned out, of the three periods on the night, MacKinnon played the least in the third when his team needed him the most.

4) MacKinnon still had his moments in the final period, but perhaps his most-noticeable sequence was snuffed out by Canucks defenseman Chris Tanev. With Alex Edler off for hooking and the Avs operating on the power play with a chance to tie the game, MacKinnon wound up for a one-timer from the circle to the right of Thatcher Demko but was unable to test the Canucks netminder. That's because Tanev stepped into the shooting lane and blocked MacKinnon's blast with his shin pad. It was the biggest of his eight blocks on the night -- a new season-high for any Canuck player. And the value of that play was underscored as Tanev's 1180105 Websites Keefe pointed out that the Kings hold their blueline better than anyone in the league, but still couldn't handle Nylander.

"Just the way that he commanded the puck," Keefe said when asked TSN.CA / Getzlaf: Being an elite two-way NHL forward ‘the art that’s hard what made the 23-year-old effective, "the way he skated through the to come by’ neutral zone against a team that makes it really hard to get through the neutral zone. When he had it, he seemed to pick them apart. In the offensive zone he was on the puck, he was cutting back, attacking the net, it seemed like he had a guy on his back for a lot of the game and it Mark Masters didn't faze him and he got opportunities. They didn't go in for him, but I liked how he worked."

TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes Nylander fired nine shots on net matching his career high set earlier this on the Maple Leafs. The Ducks skated at Honda Center on Friday. The season in Florida (Jan. 12). Leafs held a limited media availability Friday night. Tavares, Nylander get back on track; Malgin joins the line What stands out about Auston Matthews? Despite falling short against the Kings, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon "What doesn't?" said Anaheim Ducks defenceman Michael Del Zotto. Keefe saw some positives from his team in their shootout loss, "He's one of the best players in the league. Specifically, as a specifically, the play of John Tavares, William Nylander and Denis defenceman, you have him off the rush and you think you have the angle Malgin. Keefe felt that line changed the game for them and praised or you have stick on puck and he's able to pull the puck two or three feet Tavares for the way he commanded the puck. to get in a shooting lane and more often than not it's a minus and in the The Leafs have only managed two goals in two games on the California back of the net. He's a special player." trip and there's an obvious way they can spark some offence. Matthews has 46 goals on the season, third in the league, and often "Power play is the first thing," said Keefe. "Like, power play has got to be earns praise from opponents for his offensive wizardry. But when lethal for us and with the type of talent we have it should be and it has Brendan Shanahan held a rare and impromptu media session on been for quite some time, but it’s gone dry a little bit here. We have to Thursday, the Leafs president chose to highlight the defensive potential have that be a difference maker for us." his franchise's No. 1 centre possesses. Shanahan called Matthews "one of those rare players who has the ability to lead a league in scoring and Toronto was 0-for-3 on the man advantage Thursday night and is now 0- also be its best defensive player." for-11 over the last four games.

"I read that," said Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf with a smile. “He’s a great The Ducks penalty kill is ranked 25th (77 per cent) and allowed two goals player, there's no doubt about it. He's been very successful in this league (both by Tavares) to Toronto in a 5-4 overtime loss last month. at scoring goals and I think that (defensive) part of his game is being developed. And, obviously, I don't see him enough to really comment on "We don't want to see the power play," cautioned Ducks coach Dallas whether he's a top defensive forward, but Brendan is trying to send a Eakins. "We just don't want to see it come over the boards. It can be message to him that he's got to play both ends of the rink all the time and highly, highly dangerous and they haven't cracked on it a whole lot lately, has the capability of doing it." but the chances they're getting are A-plus and eventually those go in the net." How hard is it to be an elite defensive player and still produce big offensive numbers? Anaheim has allowed six power-play goals against in the last five games, including two on Wednesday in Colorado. "That's the art that's hard to come by," said Getzlaf, who is on pace to lead the Ducks in points for the ninth time in his career. "You're probably NHL: Maple Leafs 0, Kings 1 (SO) not going to be the best two-way forward scoring 50 goals a year, but The goalies put on a show in this one, as both Jonathan Quck and he's a player that has capabilities of doing that and the more he rounds Frederik Andersen stopped every shot they faced in regulation and out his game the more comfortable he'll be with it, I'm sure." overtime. Quick turned away all 36 shots he faced while Andersen Shanahan also reflected yesterday on how hard it is to take the leap in stopped all 28 he faced including 10 in overtime. In the end, Adrian today's NHL as a team. Getzlaf, who won the Stanley Cup with the Ducks Kempe scored the winner in the shootout in the fourth round. in 2007, believes defensive maturity is a big part of making the jump. --- "You have to play both ends of the rink all the time and then consistency Another reason the Leafs offence is lacking some punch right now is all is the difference when you're talking about great teams," he said. "They the injuries on defence. Morgan Rielly (foot), Cody Ceci (ankle) and Jake (great teams) play the same way every night, every shift and have the Muzzin (hand) have all been out of the lineup. ability to turn it up when they need to." "Missing the defence that we are, a lot of the emphasis is on how it Getzlaf: 'You're probably not going to be the best two-way player scoring affects us defensively, but it affects you offensively, too," Keefe said. "So, 50 goals' a lot of things are happening differently for us at the offensive blueline ... After Brendan Shanahan said that Auston Matthews has the potential to and that’s stalling us a bit offensively." be a Selke Trophy winner one day, members of the Ducks shared their Earlier this week, Keefe said none of the injured players were expected thoughts on the possibility as well as Matthews' overall game. back this week, but the team activated Ceci off the injured reserve --- Friday.

While the Matthews line has been humming along pretty well of late, the Ceci returns to the Leafs lineup after missing 14 games with a high ankle John Tavares line has been more up and down. Head coach Sheldon sprain. Keefe is struggling to find the right player to slot in beside Tavares and "Initially, coming into this trip, we weren't thinking about him playing at all William Nylander. It was Pierre Engvall who got the first look last night in in any of these games, but he's responded very well to both the full team Los Angeles before being replaced by Denis Malgin for the final 40 practices we've had and the extra work he's done and the medical staff minutes. and Cody feel ready to go," Keefe said. "It really felt to me like the Tavares line was going to be the difference Ceci, who sustained the injury on Feb. 5, will be paired with Calle Rosen, makers for us," Keefe said after the 1-0 shootout loss. "I thought this was who replaces Rasmus Sandin in the lineup. the best game John's played in a while. Willy played really well. We made the change to put Malgin on the line and they really started to go. Timothy Liljegren has been loaned to the AHL Toronto Marlies. They really changed the game for us in the second period and really got things going for us, because they (Kings) didn't really have much of an The @MapleLeafs have activated defenceman Cody Ceci from answer for them." injured reserve. #LeafsForever — Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 6, 2020 "With their D beat up right now and some inexperienced guys, our forecheck is going to be our key, which it typically is most nights for us," noted Del Zotto. "So, if we can get on the forecheck, have success in their zone we should be all right tonight."

"The key's going to be to really try to jam up their speed," said Eakins. "We do want to get after their back end. I thought we had some success in their building with really forechecking them hard."

Leafs Ice Chips: Ducks forecheck looks to exploit beat-up D

With a banged up blue line, the Maple Leafs have to continue to find a way to get by on their road trip and it's an area that the Ducks will look to exploit tonight. Mark Masters reports.

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Jack Campbell returned from a 17-day layoff and looked pretty sharp in San Jose on Tuesday night giving a lacklustre Leafs team a chance to win. But Campbell fell on his sword after allowing four goals on 37 shots saying he felt like the loss was on him even though the sentiment around the room was he played pretty well.

"Yeah, I mean, 'Pretty well' for me isn't good enough," Campbell said last night. "So, I’m just looking forward. I had good practices and I know the boys are playing well."

Campbell is aiming for his first win in Anaheim (0-3-0, .867 save percentage), but the ex-King feels comfortable playing in California.

"This place is a special state, you know, playing with L.A.," he noted. "We've always had good games there with L.A. and the Ducks so just trying to continue that trend."

John Gibson starts for the Ducks. He's 1-3-1 with a .906 save percentage in his career against the Leafs.

Leafs' Campbell: Playing 'pretty well' isn't good enough

Coming off a loss on Tuesday against the Sharks in his last start, Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell spoke about having higher expectations for himself and being ready when he's needed. Campbell also explained how special it is for him to play in California and the importance of Friday's game against the Ducks. Mark Masters has more.

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The Ducks are also dealing with some injuries on defence, but still managed to upset the Avalanche in overtime on Wednesday in Denver despite playing on consecutive nights.

"Our guys dug in and I thought it started with Getzy right off the bat," said Eakins referencing the Ducks captain. "He dragged us right into the fight and the guys jumped in from there."

Josh Manson and Erik Gudbranson are both sidelined with upper-body injuries, but both were able to skate this morning. Their status for tonight's game is up in the air.

"Like always, when you see them back out with the team, that means they’re getting close," said Eakins. "But I’m not sure either one of them are through the woods yet."

"I'm feeling a lot better," said Manson, who got hurt on Tuesday, "so it’s something we’ll talk about with the coaching staff and medical staff and go from there."

TSN.CA LOADED: 03.07.2020 1180106 Websites Now the hope is that the wait, almost like an NHL training camp for Pasichnuk, will not cost him some meaningful pro games.

4. LW Drew O’Connor - Sophomore, Dartmouth TSN.CA / Friday Five: NHL teams turn focus to top NCAA free agents 6-foot-3, 200 pounds

Age: 21 Frank Seravalli Stats: 29 GP, 21 goals, 11 assists, 32 points

The ECAC’s Co-Player of the Year has sprouted into a can’t-miss find. It’s a Mail-it-in March edition of the Friday Five. March means all eyes in O’Connor was just 5-foot-8 at age 18, a big reason he wasn’t on NHL NHL scouting circles have turned toward college hockey, where each radars in his draft year, but has grown to 6-foot-3 while playing for the team is attempting to mine a diamond from the rough. This is their annual appropriately named for the Big Green. NHL teams have flocked to watch shot at “free players,” potential prospects who won’t cost a draft pick O’Connor, who they see as a legitimate NHL power forward prospect because they’ve already been passed over in the draft for one reason or with a nose for the net. His 38 goals (in 68 games) are the third most in another. the country over the last two seasons – with a 16 per cent shooting percentage this season – but his overall game has grown as much as his This season’s crop might not be as deep as past years, but there has still body. There is definitely no shortage of NHL interest in O’Connor, but been no shortage of interest in the high-end free agents. there is no guarantee the sophomore will decide to leave school early.

Here are five undrafted NCAA free agents who are generating significant 5. RW Mitchell Chaffee - Junior, Massachusetts interest from NHL teams this spring: 6 feet, 200 pounds 1. LD Connor Mackey - Junior, Minnesota State (Mankato) Age: 22 6-foot-2, 200 pounds Stats: 30 GP, 16 goals, 13 assists, 29 points Age: 23 If Cale Makar was UMass’ engine on their Frozen Four run last year, Stats: 34 GP, 6 goals, 17 assists, 23 points Chaffee was one of the key cogs offensively. He took home the Herb Gallagher Award as best forward as voted by the New England College Exactly 28 of the NHL’s 31 teams have expressed interest in Mackey Hockey Writers, won the Hockey East scoring title, and was named a since he set foot on Mankato’s campus. He was highly sought after last first-team All-American. Those accolades don’t come by accident, even if season but returned for his junior campaign and set some ground rules: they didn’t bring quite as much name recognition. This season, Chaffee’s no contact from NHL teams after Christmas so he could focus completely total point production has dipped a bit with the departure of some on the season. Seven NHL teams personally met with Mackey before significant talent from the team, but he’s on track to set a new career high Christmas, two others have joined the fray since, and all nine are willing in goals. Scouts see Chaffee as a talented skater whose game has to offer Mackey a chance to immediately step into the NHL this season matured, and one who could well find his way to the NHL. The Michigan and burn the first year off his entry-level contract. Mackey, 23, has NHL native and two-time Hockey East All-Academic team player will have bloodlines - his father, David, played 126 games - and he’s expected to plenty of options available if he decides to depart Amherst after three set a new college career high in points as a big blueliner who can skate. years. 2. G John Lethemon - Senior, Michigan State Also under consideration: C Josh Dunne (Clarkson), C Patrick 6-foot-2, 190 pounds Khodorenko (Michigan State), C Will Graber (Dartmouth), LD Matt Kiersted (North Dakota), LW Marc Michaelis (Minnesota State/Mankato), Age: 23 LD Colton Poolman (North Dakota), RD Josh Maniscalco (Arizona State).

Stats: 31 GP, 2.10 GAA, .937 SV% Contact Frank Seravalli on Twitter: @frank_seravalli

Lethemon would probably scoff at the notion that he is a “late bloomer.” TSN.CA LOADED: 03.07.2020 The 6-foot-2 netminder has started nearly half of the Spartans’ games each of his four seasons in East Lansing. There were NHL teams – including the Winnipeg Jets – that had interest in spending a late-round pick on Lethemon back when he was draft eligible. Plus, goaltenders routinely take the longest to develop. But it’s this season – with his consistency and the third-best save percentage in the country – that has really caught the eye of NHL teams. He cemented his status as the premiere free agent goalie when he outduelled the other candidate, Penn State’s Peyton Jones, in a 48-save shutout in Happy Valley in November. There are six or seven clubs with serious interest. For Lethemon, it will all be about the best fit as opposed to just upfront dollars because he has his eyes set on a long and fruitful pro career - a mirror of his time at Michigan State.

3. LD Brinson Pasichnuk - Senior, Arizona State

5-foot-10, 208 pounds

Age: 22

Stats: 36 GP, 11 goals, 26 assists, 37 points

The waiting has been the hardest part for Pasichnuk. Since the Sun Devils are an independent, they don’t have a conference tournament and automatic bid. The team has been sitting around since Feb. 22 waiting to find out whether their season will continue in the NCAA tournament. Pasichnuk is an undersized, but thickly built offensive genius who is third among all defenceman in the nation in scoring this year. The co-captain and power play quarterback, seemingly on the ice half the game with fellow undrafted free agent Josh Maniscalco, is very likely to step into the NHL this season. After 20 teams displayed varied interest, the Bonnyville, Alta., native is believed to be down to three suitors. All three are willing to have him burn the year on his entry-level deal this season. 1180107 Websites

USA TODAY / Henri Richard, Hockey Hall of Famer and Canadiens legend, dies at 84

Scott Boeck

USA TODAY

Henri Richard, a Hockey Hall of Famer who won a league-record 11 Stanley Cups, died Friday after a long battle with Alzheimer's disease.

He was 84.

Richard, a center, spent his entire 20-year career with the Montreal Canadiens and was the captain from 1971 to 1975. He was the younger brother of Hall of Famer Maurice "Rocket" Richard.

Born in 1936, Richard made his NHL debut during the 1955-56 season and recorded 40 points with 19 goals on his way to his first Stanley Cup title.

Known as the "Pocket Rocket" for his diminutive size (he was 5-foot-7, 160 pounds), he holds the franchise record in games played (1,258) and is ranked third in assists (688) and points (1,046). He recorded 358 career regular-season goals before retiring after the 1974-75 season. He added 129 points in 180 playoff games.

"A lot of people said I wouldn't make it in the NHL," Richard told the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

In 1973, he became the ninth player in NHL history to reach 1,000 career points. In 2017, Richard was named one of the "100 Greatest NHL Players."

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USA TODAY / New York Rangers' Mika Zibanejad scores five goals vs. Capitals, including OT game-winner

Chris Bumbaca

USA TODAY

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad had a hat trick in the bag early in the third period but didn't stop there. Four goals apparently was not enough for him either.

Thirty-three seconds into overtime, Zibanejad received a pass from Artemi Panarin and slipped it past Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Sasonov for his fifth goal of the night and a 6-5 victory to give the Rangers a pivotal two points. The 26-year-old became the second player in NHL history to score his fifth goal in overtime, something that hadn't been done since Sergei Fedorov accomplished it on Dec. 26, 1996 for the Detroit Red Wings — also against the Capitals.

“The puck followed me today, I guess,” Zibanejad said. “You look at the goals and it’s unbelievable plays being made and today I was at the right spot at the right time.

“It’s a night I’ll remember for a long time.”

Alexander Ovechkin kept the pressure on Zibanejad and the Rangers in the third. After Zibanejad made it 4-3 12 seconds into the period, Ovechkin tied it at 9:22.

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With the Rangers on a powerplay, rookie Kaapo Kakko fired a shot off the board that rebounded directly to a darting Zibanejad, who once again gave the Rangers the lead. Ovechkin tied the game less than minute later, with 43 seconds on the clock.

But when overtime rolled around, Zibanejad had the first opportunity and he didn't miss.

No NHL player had scored five goals in a game since Patrick Laine of the Winnipeg Jets did it on Nov. 24, 2018. Zibanejad joined Don Murdoch (1976) and Mark Pavelich (1983) as the only Rangers to score five times.

"Sit back and watch it and enjoy it because it was a special night in so many ways for him and for us obviously to win a game of that magnitude, the ebbs and flows of it," Rangers coach David Quinn said. "It was a special night obviously, not just for Mika, but for all of us to be part of it."

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With his pair of goals, Ovechkin is tied with Boston's David Pastrnak atop the NHL goals list (47). Zibanejad's quintet of goals gave him 38 on the season.

Following the game, Zibanejad's teammates pranked him by emptying out of the locker room before he returned to surprise him.

The Rangers are still alive in a crowded Metropolitan Division playoff picture, with four teams — the Pittsburgh Penguins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders and Rangers — competing for the two Eastern Conference wild card spots. Meanwhile, the overtime loss dropped the Capitals into a first-place tie with the Philadelphia Flyers.

USA TODAY LOADED: 03.07.2020