SPORT-SCAN DAILY BRIEF NHL 11/04/17 1081425 Ducks’ rally falls short in playoff rematch with Predators 1081460 Brandon Dubinsky upset over being poked in eye 1081426 Ducks’ Andrew Cogliano about to make 800 a significant 1081461 Blue Jackets | Coach John Tortorella returns to Tampa for number celebration 1081427 Ducks Gameday: Ailing power play has been no advantage 1081462 Why Stars' top-heavy scoring depth isn't a huge concern for head coach 1081428 Arizona Coyotes preaching 'accountability' before Saturday's game vs. Hurricanes 1081429 Defenseman Dakota Mermis ready to make NHL debut on 1081463 Red Wings 'have got to quit passing up shots' to regain Thursday winning ways 1081430 Coyotes’ Duclair still searching for more complete game 1081464 Red Wings shooting for ‘dirty’ goals 1081431 Coyotes’ Adam Clendening clears waivers, assigned to Tucson Oilers 1081465 Oilers Snapshots: Boyle back for second game after cancer diagnosis 1081432 Bruins give Brad Marchand a ‘maintenance day’ 1081466 Jones: Oilers end losing streak but still have lots of work to 1081433 Here’s what we learned about the Bruins Thursday night do 1081434 Bruins notebook: Alex Ovechkin will present the usual 1081467 Oilers snap losing streak with win over Taylor Hall and the problems for the Bruins Devils 1081435 Young Bruins getting ready for first test vs. Alex Ovechkin 1081468 Andrej Sekera skates with for first time 1081436 Krug starting to feel good about his game since knee surgery 1081437 Marchand missing from Bruins practice with lower-body 1081469 Oilers Game Day: Roles reversed as high-flying Hall, issue Devils pay visit 1081438 Kuraly, Nash step up for shorthanded Bruins 1081470 Which Oiler would you want to be stranded on a deserted island with? 1081439 Sabres Notebook: Eichel, Kane a 'killer' combo; military appreciation; Stars rolling at home 1081471 Preview: Rangers at Panthers, 7 p.m., Saturday 1081440 Inside the NHL: As hockey's tankers struggle, Astros show 1081472 Panthers 'just got to limit our mistakes' on defense, Bob it takes a total approach Boughner says 1081441 Kane, Eichel form 'killer' combination for Sabres 1081473 Panthers hope to add three injured forwards back to lineup 1081442 Sabres boost military appreciation efforts for game against Rangers 1081443 Sabres' Okposo finally enjoys net result 1081474 The Next Day Look: Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Florida Panthers 3 Flames 1081444 Tkachuk's slick overtime setup proves the Flames winger is more than a pest 1081475 Shore, Lewis taking advantage of the Kings' efforts to 1081445 From Trefilov to Brathwaite, 1998-99 was a revolving door create more offense this season for Flames goaltenders 1081476 What we learned from the Kings' 5-3 win over Toronto 1081446 Vegas goalie woes recall Flames revolving squad of 1081477 POSTGAME NOTES: PETERSEN EARNS FIRST PRO netminders in 1998-99 SHUTOUT AND WIN WITH 1-0 DECISION IN SAN 1081447 Big by Giordano, big goalie effort by Smith in OT win DIEGO over Penguins 1081478 LIVE BLOG: REIGN AT GULLS – 11/3/17 1081479 NOVEMBER 3 PRACTICE NOTES: RUSHES, PREDS, SHORE/LEWIS, AMADIO, KEMPE 1081448 Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward is now in a backup role. 1081480 NOVEMBER 3 PRACTICE QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS How’s he handling it? 1081481 SCOOP FROM STUTTS: REIGN YOUNG GUNS ANXIOUS FOR SOCAL SERIES INTRODUCTION 1081482 WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 3 1081449 Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy not afraid to show some fight 1081450 Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Wild 1081483 Wild-Chicago game preview 1081451 Jan Rutta’s versatility gives Blackhawks more options on 1081484 Matt Dumba shows mental strength by rebounding from defense loss with strong game 1081452 Reliving Hawks’ victory vs. Predators in Game 5 of 2010 1081485 Wild looking forward to rematch with "No. 1 rival" Chicago playoffs Blackhawks 1081453 Artem Anisimov relearning to play center with new 1081486 Wild’s Marcus Foligno won’t seek revenge against linemates Blackhawks 1081454 Forsberg knows Chicago Blackhawks counting on him 1081487 For Wild, things get serious with Blackhawks coming to 1081455 Blackhawks' Anisimov looking more like his old self town 1081456 Meet the new Chicago Blackhawks: Forsberg and Oesterle 1081457 Adjustments made, Artem Anisimov is back to being effective center for Blackhawks 1081458 How long can the Avalanche expect Semyon Varlamov to save them? 1081459 Veterans with disabilities take to the ice for an ability clinic in Centennial 1081488 Montreal Canadiens like having AHL affiliate Laval Rocket 1081524 Sean Couturier: Stunning transformation making Flyers' close at hand coach Dave Hakstol look like a genius 1081489 Canadiens goalie Carey Price down with 'minor' lower 1081525 For Flyers' Will O'Neill, a night to remember body injury 1081526 Five observations from Flyers' stunning win in St. Louis 1081490 Byron Froese named captain of Laval Rocket, with Chris 1081527 Best of NHL: Predators hold off Ducks in rematch of West Terry and Matt Taormina as assistants Finals 1081491 Basu: Price will come out of this, the question is when 1081528 Will O'Neill makes long-awaited NHL debut in Flyers' win vs. Blues 1081492 Nashville Predators 5, Anaheim Ducks 3: 3 things we learned 1081529 Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel helps stabilize injuy-riddled 1081493 Predators' problems affecting rhythm at even defensive unit strength 1081530 Matt Murray has gotten hit a lot. It's the cost of doing business. 1081531 Carl Hagelin: ‘Bottom line, I have to score’ 1081494 Taylor Hall scores, but Devils can't slow down Oilers | Rapid reaction 1081495 WATCH: Devils' Taylor Hall scores 1st career goal vs. 1081532 Three things to know: Sharks’ Vlasic’s head injury is a ‘you Oilers never know’ situation 1081496 New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers: LIVE score 1081533 Sharks putting Thornton in position to succeed coming off updates and chat (11/3/17) major knee injury 1081497 What's different about Taylor Hall's 2nd return to Edmonton with Devils St Louis Blues 1081498 Devils' lines, pairings vs. Oilers (11/3/17) | Marcus 1081534 Yeo has relied on defensive nucleus thus far Johansson out 1081535 Maple Leafs vs. Blues preview 1081499 Devils' Marcus Johansson diagnosed with concussion, out 1081536 Blues' Allen enjoying timely reunion with boyhood mentor vs. Oilers 1081537 Blues re-focus to find identity after loss to Flyers 1081500 Oilers 6, Devils 3: Post-game observations 1081538 Blues focus is on offense after season's first shutout 1081501 Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 4 1081502 Taylor Hall scores but Devils lose first road game, 6-3, to Oilers 1081539 Lightning’s , Alex Killorn fined $5K for 1081503 Game 12 Live Blog: Taylor Hall scores but Oilers beat Rangers run-in Devils 6-3 1081540 Lots of NHL power at Lightning practice 1081504 Focus for Devils' Brian Boyle now squarely on hockey 1081541 What’s more fun than the Lightning? Nothing. 1081505 Devils Taylor Hall on 2nd Edmonton return: 'Used to it' 1081542 Join in as the Lightning re-lives its greatest moment 1081506 Devils confirm a concussion for Marcus Johansson 1081507 Connor McDavid shows Devils the definition of a young star 1081543 Amadio gets first goal in surging Kings’ win over Leafs 1081544 Saturday game preview: Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues 1081545 No break for road-weary Leafs 1081508 Islanders’ bright future tied to one outcome 1081546 Leafs lose 5-3 against Los Angeles after difficult start: 1081509 Islanders finally have some oomph in their power play Feschuk 1081547 Game Day: Maple Leafs at Blues 1081548 Two penalty shots later, Maple Leafs' Matthews winds up 1081510 Kevin Hayes, 2 Lightning players get soaked for $5,000 by in record book NHL 1081549 Inability to execute killing Maple Leafs on road trip 1081511 Rangers’ Kevin Hayes doesn’t seem too fazed by his NHL 1081550 Putin Team idea just Ovechkin being Ovechkin, rather fine than 'politic stuff' 1081512 The question hanging over Rangers’ sudden upset streak 1081551 Mirtle: The Maple Leafs would be lost without Auston 1081513 Kevin Hayes, Rangers center, fined for unsportsmanlike Matthews right now conduct NHL 1081565 No offence, but Canucks need to figure things out 1081514 With lessons learned, Oak View Group’s Tim Leiweke is 1081566 Elias Pettersson appears to be on the right track with doing it his way Vaxjo Senators 1081515 Winger Mark Stone striving for consistency on Senators' 1081552 Cody Eakin, Erik Haula adjust as Gallant is pleased with behalf lineup shuffle 1081516 Game Day: Golden Knights at Senators 1081553 Golden Knights enter a struggling team 1081517 Maxime Lagacé's long and winding road to an NHL goal crease 1081518 Warrenspiece: It's an Anderson family affair for ceremonial faceoff Saturday 1081519 Senators' Mike Condon shares what game day is like in the life of a backup goalie 1081520 Brennan: About going to Sweden … maybe Sens should have passed 1081521 Brennan's Top 9: Most popular jersey numbers in Senators history 1081522 Mark Stone is invaluable to the Senators, and his price tag is rising by the day 1081523 Moving Mike Hoffman up the depth chart would do wonders for the Senators 1081554 For Capitals rookies, there’s playing in the NHL, and then life as an NHL player 1081555 Pheonix Copley is back from injury and that's good news for the Caps' goalie depth 1081556 Caps' penalty kill was still bad on Thursday, but delivered when it mattered most 1081557 Caps' top prospect Ilya Samsonov reportedly suffers concussion in KHL game 1081558 Caps break seven-game streak with rare first goal Websites 1081567 The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: On sophomore slumps, Eberle-for-Strome trade, and scoring increase 1081568 The Athletic / How 20-year NHL veteran Matt Cullen defied odds and discovered the fountain of youth 1081569 The Athletic / NHL Trends: A look at who's up and who's down after the first month of the season 1081570 The Athletic / Basu: Price will come out of this, the question is when 1081571 The Athletic / Custance: What's the trade value for Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist? 1081572 The Athletic / Bourne's notebook: (Carey) Price check, Tkachuk uses edgework to burn Crosby, Laine is fine, eh 1081573 Sportsnet.ca / Oilers outmuscle Devils in attempt to push their way to the top 1081574 Sportsnet.ca / Injured Oilers defenceman Sekera skates with teammates 1081575 Sportsnet.ca / Sens, Avs, Preds discussed three-way trade involving Duchene, Turris 1081576 Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs’ Marner still looking for his dance partner 1081577 Sportsnet.ca / Mike Smith giving Flames all they can ask for and more 1081578 Sportsnet.ca / Carey Price’s massive struggles highlight four surprising NHL stats 1081579 Sportsnet.ca / How NHL team playoff hopes start to die in November 1081580 Sportsnet.ca / A look at how projected No. 1 NHL pick Rasmus Dahlin is playing 1081581 Sportsnet.ca / Era Adjusted: Vladimir Tarasenko vs. young Brendan Shanahan 1081582 TSN.CA / What’s wrong with Carey Price? 1081583 TSN.CA / Dreger Report: NHL, NHLPA could face marijuana discussion 1081559 Goalie whisperer's loud presence 1081560 Maurice says Lemieux does things "we can use" 1081561 Five keys to Jets vs. Canadiens 1081562 Lemieux carving out role as an agitator 1081563 Bourne's notebook: (Carey) Price check, Tkachuk uses edgework to burn Crosby, Laine is fine, eh 1081564 What is the Winnipeg Jets' most optimal forward lineup?

SPORT-SCAN, INC. 941-284-4129 1081425 Anaheim Ducks Had one come earlier the Ducks might not have been climbing uphill all night. More often, the power play has been a momentum-killer and another example of how badly they miss three top forwards in the Ducks’ rally falls short in playoff rematch with Predators sidelined Ryan Getzlaf, Ryan Kesler and Patrick Eaves. Silfverberg got them close with his second goal in three games. But the Ducks were still left feeling embarrassed about their early effort Friday By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register and appear done with lamenting over their injured heading into Saturday’s game at San Jose. PUBLISHED: November 3, 2017 at 9:53 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2017 at 11:05 PM “It’s November,” Wagner said. “We’ve already played 10, 12, 13 games now. These guys aren’t coming back. A few of them maybe. We proved that we can play for that last half of the game with the lineup that we have. ANAHEIM — Some of the cast from the Western Conference finals wasn’t on the Honda Center ice for the reunion of the Ducks and “We’ve done it in certain games at center times, but I don’t think we’ve Nashville Predators but the end result hasn’t changed. played a full 60 like that, which is frustrating as a group. We got to flush it and figure out a way to do it tomorrow.” Try as they did with a rally that evoked their Game 6 elimination, the Ducks made a game of it Friday night after falling into a huge hole. The comeback again couldn’t be completed as the Predators skated away victorious, holding them off for a 5-3 win. Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.04.2017 Even with the goal-scoring James Neal off to Vegas in the expansion draft, grinding center Mike Fisher now retired and big-minute defenseman Ryan Ellis on the shelf after knee surgery, Nashville still won in the same manner – building a big lead and withstanding some furious work from the Ducks. Hampus Lindholm and scored to pull the Ducks within a goal but they couldn’t get another past Predators goalie Pekka Rinne over the final 12-plus minutes of regulation. Rinne made 35 saves and added an assist when P.K. Subban wrapped up the win with an empty- net goal. That it got to that incensed the Ducks (6-6-1), who dropped their second in a row as both have come to open a home-friendly stretch in their schedule. Most shocking was the presence of a team that’s become their playoff nemesis failing to draw a fiery approach from the Ducks until they absolutely had to. “We didn’t come out like we wanted to in the first period there,” Lindholm said. “No emotions, really. That’s something we need to clean up. … You just have to look at yourself in the mirror and see what you can do with yourself to get motivated to get out there and just play as hard as you can.” Poor starts have been a recurring issue with these Ducks. It had their Coach Randy Carlyle saying “the days of hollering and screaming” are over but also suggesting other measures might be needed. “We’re going to find some ways to shock some people or do something that normally players don’t like,” he said. “It’s on us as individuals to get yourself ready,” Ducks winger Chris Wagner said. “I don’t think there’s a certain method for the group as a whole. But you just got to focus on yourself and just be ready at the puck drop.” This initial get-together of bitter playoff foes involved two of the NHL’s most penalized teams. That lived up to the billing as both the Ducks and Predators paid their share of visits to the respective boxes. Nick Ritchie had trouble staying out as the winger had three of the Ducks’ four minors. Attempts to use his big body and play physical came with a price. Two of Ritchie’s penalties were from cross-checking while the other was a slash. The last one proved costly as Viktor Arvidsson pumped in a power-play goal in the second period. It took a 4-1 deficit for the Ducks to start playing with energy and precision. With the exception of a nice tic-tac-toe goal by Antoine Vermette from Ritchie and Ondrej Kase, passes often went into skates or simply nowhere near teammates. “It all starts with execution,” Carlyle said. “If you can’t make a tape-to- tape pass and you can’t share the puck with your teammates, you’re going to have a difficult time getting through the neutral ice and getting into the opposition’s zone. “And we took some penalties. The momentum was clearly in their favor for the first 20 minutes.” And as Nashville gained its first three-goal lead, the Ducks frittered away their early chances. Back-to-back power plays came and went in the first period after Scott Hartnell opened the scoring. Roman Josi followed with a wrist shot in the final minute after being left wide open in the high slot. A goal with the man advantage finally did arrive at the end of the second when Lindholm ripped in a rising shot following a faceoff win by Rickard Rakell. It got them out of the league basement in terms of power-play goals, but it was just the fifth in 41 chances this season. 1081426 Anaheim Ducks Berra, 30, made two relief appearances for the Ducks in place of John Gibson as Ryan Miller recovered from a wrist injury. The Ducks kept the Swiss netminder around as a third goalie to make sure Miller was in full Ducks’ Andrew Cogliano about to make 800 a significant number health and ready to go forward after his first start Sunday in Carolina. Another reason to keep Berra around for a few extra days could have been to see if other teams in dire need of a goalie secured other options By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register first. Because of his age and NHL experience, Berra requires waivers before he can be reassigned. PUBLISHED: November 3, 2017 at 8:23 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2017 at 8:24 PM Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.04.2017 ANAHEIM — The higher the number has reached, the more Andrew Cogliano’s teammates marvel at the Ducks winger as he tries harder to shrug it off the latest milestone each time. Saturday night in San Jose, Cogliano is set to play in his 800th consecutive game and he will do just that barring anything unforeseen that will keep him from suiting up just like every other night in his 11-year stay in the NHL. Three other players in the 100-year history of the league have hit that number without missing a game – Doug Jarvis (964), Garry Unger (914) and Steve Larmer (884). Cogliano and Jarvis are the only ones to have played in that many straight from the start of their careers. When asked about the dutiful forward and his impending achievement, Ducks forward Chris Wagner offered a simple summation. “Freak,” he said. “Pretty amazing,” said Corey Perry, who has played with Cogliano the last seven seasons. “In this day and age, the way the game is played, how quick it is, how big players are, how fast, it’s pretty amazing to hear and have somebody that you respect on the team to go through something like that. “He’s a professional day in and day out. He does his work and he puts his work in and puts his time in.” Cogliano isn’t loathe to talk about the iron man streak but it’s a subject that he doesn’t bring any attention to. The number continues to rise with each game but the significance is the game itself. His attitude is similar to that of Cal Ripken, the Hall of Fame shortstop whose record of 2,632 consecutive games played should stand forever. You just show up for work. Work, in this case, is the thing he loves. “There’s odd times when it pops in my head and you kind of wonder,” Cogliano said. “You have a little bit of a second where you say it’s pretty cool, I guess. Or it’s pretty unique. But I think, honest, how I was raised to be someone that went to work and was a part of a team and played hard. And just did your job. “And I felt like I’ve been very fortunate to do that. A lot of this has to do with, just in a way, luck. That’s one thing I have kind of always pointed to.” Luck has played its part, particularly given the number of his teammates who have missed action due to injury and illness. But there’s work involved and those around him testify to Cogliano’s dedication to keeping a peak level of fitness. Fanatical, perhaps? “A little bit,” Perry said. “Yeah. A little bit. That’s how he’s built. That’s how his mind works. It’s worked.” “I’ve always had some very good people I surround myself with who are knowledgeable with strength training and nutrition,” Cogliano said. “If it’s chiropractors, if it’s massage therapists that are always willing to help me. And I think that’s been a key for me.” Being depended on is what Cogliano values most. Not once has a coach decided he needed to sit out in order to motivate him or because his game was failing. He joked that “maybe behind closed doors they didn’t want me to play. Or they wanted to sit me.” “That’s probably the one thing I’ve maybe been the most proud of. There was some tough times in Edmonton there for a couple of years. There could have been games where the coach just didn’t want to play me. Wanted to healthy scratch different guys. I was never that guy. “I think as I keep playing I hope that continues. I just wanted to be someone who is a guy that the coaches want in because they think you’re helping the team.” The Ducks put goalie Reto Berra on waivers, with the hope that the veteran won’t be claimed this morning and they can send him to their affiliate in San Diego. 1081427 Anaheim Ducks

Ducks Gameday: Ailing power play has been no advantage

By ERIC STEPHENS | [email protected] | Orange County Register PUBLISHED: November 3, 2017 at 5:54 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2017 at 6:01 PM

ANAHEIM — The Ducks hope to find a cure for their sickly power play Friday night when they take on the Nashville Predators at Honda Center in the teams’ first of three scheduled matchups this season. Coming off a 26-save outing in a 3-1 loss to Toronto, John Gibson (5-4-1, 2.83 GAA, .919 save percentage) will make the start in goal. He has started all but one game for the Ducks this season. Working with the man advantage hasn’t given the Ducks (6-5-1) much through the season’s first month. They’re back at the bottom of the league in success rate with an NHL-low four goals in 37 power-play chances. Just one of those four goals has come at home, where they’ve also had 27 attempts in seven contests. The Ducks went 0 for 4 against the Maple Leafs on Wednesday. Defenseman Kevin Bieksa could return to the lineup. Bieksa injured his hand when he fell during a fight with Philadelphia’s Radko Gudas but he returned to practice Tuesday and could draw in next to Sami Vatanen, with Jaycob Megna taking a seat after a tough game against Toronto. To activate Bieksa off injured reserve, the Ducks put goalie Reto Berra on waivers. Berra got in two games with the Ducks but has recently been kept as a third goalie to make sure Ryan Miller recovered well from his first start Sunday in Carolina. Ondrej Kase has goals in his last two games and is tied with Rickard Rakell for the team lead with five. Brandon Montour leads the Ducks in defense scoring with four goals and seven points. The two have helped offset slow starts from Jakob Silfverberg and Corey Perry, who have three goals between them. Cam Fowler (knee), Ryan Getzlaf (face), Patrick Eaves (illness) and Ryan Kesler remain out. The Ducks already have 68 man-games lost to injury. Much like tonight’s hosts, the Predators (5-5-2) have been trying to find their stride as they’re coming off back-to-back losses to the New York Islanders and San Jose. Those two defeats are coming off a 5-1-2 run that answered season- opening defeats at Boston and Pittsburgh. Pekka Rinne (5-2-2, 2.10 GAA, .931 save percentage) has done his part in goal but backup Juuse Saros has struggled. Rinne will make his 25th appearance against the Ducks in the regular season. Filip Forsberg is off to a terrific start in leading Nashville with eight goals and 13 points. Finding offense beyond him has been challenging. No other players has more than three goals, with Ryan Johansen and Kevin Fiala yet to score their first. Just as the Ducks have struggled on the power play, Nashville has had its issues at even strength. The Predators have strong puck possession numbers (52.6 percent Corsi-For rating) but it hasn’t translated to production. They’re averaging 29 shots per game but only 13 of their 28 goals have come in 5-on-5 play. Playing a man down has been a problem. Nashville has been penalized 81 times, the most in the NHL. While their penalty killing has been solid with an 83.6 percent success rate, the Predators have been short- handed 61 times in all. They lead the league with 16.8 penalty minutes per game. Former Ducks center Nick Bonino isn’t expected to play as a lower-body injury is expected to keep him out for an eighth consecutive game. Bonino signed a four-year free agent contract with Nashville this summer after winning two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh.

Orange County Register: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081428 Arizona Coyotes

Arizona Coyotes preaching 'accountability' before Saturday's game vs. Hurricanes

Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 5:01 p.m. MT Nov. 3, 2017

The Coyotes finish a brief two-game home stand when they host the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, but the team is preparing differently. Arizona (1-12-1) has not registered a win at home yet this season. The way things have been trending, the Coyotes are forced to take a different approach. “Honestly, it’s a home game but you have to treat it like a road game,” Christian Fischer said after Friday’s practice at Gila River Arena. “In the situation we’re in we need every point we can get.” The Coyotes let a one-goal lead slip away in the last second of the first period in Thursday’s game against the Sabres. The “brain fart,” as Zac Rinaldo dubbed it, opened the floodgates for what became five consecutive unanswered goals by Buffalo that proved insurmountable for the Coyotes, who have now lost two straight. “It’s situational play,” coach Rick Tocchet said. “We’re up 1-0 on Buffalo, few seconds left and we have the puck in their end. Next thing you know, they score a goal because we lost coverage. Situational play, right? Time and place. That’s happened a lot this year, for whatever reason.” Friday’s practice was about more than just fixing mistakes from Thursday’s game. Tocchet wants his young players to own their mistakes and learn from them. “We talked about (accountability) today,” Tocchet said. “That’s great, the first part, but what are you going to do about it? If you’re struggling, we’re going to give you the tools to help you. But it’s up to you to apply yourself. If you’re having a tough time in certain aspects of your game, then apply yourself.” The Coyotes will have to do a better job of protecting the goaltender against the Hurricanes than they did against the Sabres. Carolina registered 60 shots on goal in a 5-3 loss to the Avalanche on Thursday. “It doesn’t surprise me for that team to get that many shots,” Tocchet said. “You have to be ready to play that team." Like Arizona, the Hurricanes are a predominantly young team that is learning along the way. The biggest difference between the programs are the systems in place, as Bill Peters is in his fourth season with Carolina which has allowed time for his young players to get adjusted. “I think it’s their fifth year of process and they’re starting to reap the benefits of staying patient with the young guys,” Tocchet said. “They have a quick team and I think this is a year they’re going to break out.” Although goaltender Antti Raanta has been taken off injured reserve and thrust back into playing duties, Tocchet maintained the Finnish netminder is still being evaluated on a day-to-day basis and would not commit to a starter between the pipes for Saturday. “We’ll see how he is tomorrow,” Tocchet said. “We’ll just go day to day on that, but I know he wants to start playing some games and we’ll see if he feels good.” Raanta, who saw his first game action Thursday after suffering an injury on Oct. 12, was not limited in practice and stopped 26 of 31 shots against Buffalo while being bombarded by odd-man rushes through most of the game. Tocchet said the Coyotes ran drills in Friday’s practice in an effort to prevent the volume of odd-man rushes on the goaltenders. “I think he’s solid,” Tocchet said. “It’s just nice to have him in there. He had a 2-on-0 breakaway and a couple of 2-on-1s so we have to limit those because you want to give him a chance. The second period was obviously our worst period. In between is when we keep making the egregious mistakes.” Scott Wedgewood, who was acquired from the Devils on Oct. 28, and Louis Domingue are the other two goalies on the Coyotes’ roster. Domingue cleared waivers last week and is on the active roster, but the goaltender is not currently skating with the team.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081429 Arizona Coyotes For a player making his NHL debut, having a veteran skating next to him allows a breath of relief.

“It’s huge,” Mermis said of the pairing. “He’s played on a lot of good Defenseman Dakota Mermis ready to make NHL debut on Thursday playoff teams. He’s been around, he knows the game well and for me it makes my job a lot easier if I get in a bad situation. He’s got that leadership for me to follow.” Richard Morin, azcentral sports Published 2:38 p.m. MT Nov. 2, 2017 | Updated 5:49 p.m. MT Nov. 2, 2017 Tocchet said the best advice he can give a player making his debut is to take advantage of that first shift. He wants Mermis to get involved, whether it’s throwing a puck on net or finishing a hit. It’s been an uphill climb for Coyotes defenseman Dakota Mermis, but Rest assured, Mermis will not let his moment go to waste. He’s been he’s finally getting a taste of the summit. working toward it his entire life. A native of Alton, Ill., Mermis was not drafted. He was not a blue-chip “You dream of playing in the NHL, you dream of this moment,” Mermis prospect. He was cut in training camp. said. “And certainly the people around you — the family, the friends — they push you and want that dream for you as well. I think that’s really Now, he’s in the NHL. kept me going and it all kind of pays off tonight.” In a journey that’s made stops in St. Louis, Denver, Green Bay, Wis., It's been a frustrating few weeks for many Coyotes players, but perhaps , Springfield, Mass., and Tucson, Mermis made his NHL debut for none more than goalie Antti Raanta — who will be activated off injured the Coyotes on Thursday against the Sabres. reserve to start in net vs. the Sabres on Thursday. “It’s been crazy,” Mermis said. “A lot of fun, a lot of people reaching out For Raanta, who suffered a lower body injury on Oct. 12, the past three and just saying congratulations. It’s been a whirlwind, but it’s nice to just weeks have felt like three months as he could only sit and watch as the get in here and skate. Just to put all that aside and focus on the moment Coyotes stumbled through their recent five-game road trip. that I’ve prepared for. It’s been a long time coming for me and I just want to enjoy every step of it.” While watching from afar, Raanta has been able to assess some of the Coyotes’ struggles in different phases of the game. As a team, Raanta Mermis found out he was recalled from AHL Tucson after practice said, they need to be able to put together a full 60 minutes. Wednesday and drove up to Phoenix with his fiancee that night. He notified his parents and brother, who caught a 7:30 a.m. flight from St. “Of course there’s going to be ups and downs in the games, but I think Louis and are expected to be in attendance. we haven’t played 60 minutes yet — like a full 60 minutes,” Raanta said. “There’s been lots of learning processes for the guys, but no one has The Coyotes promoted Mermis, who has tallied three points in seven quit. You just need to stick with it and stick with our plan. I think that’s the games with the Roadrunners, for defensive insurance due to injuries on biggest thing with us.” the blue line. When Niklas Hjalmarsson was placed on injured reserve Thursday, it meant Mermis would make his debut. On the team’s East Coast trip last week, Raanta began practicing with the team and there was speculation he could come off IR and start the The 23-year-old signed a three-year, entry-level deal with the Coyotes in final two games of the trip. Still, the team wanted to be cautious to make 2015 and was in the final round of training camp cuts prior to this season. sure the goalie was fully healthy. It was just the latest on a long list of obstacles. "It’s been a long three weeks, and when the team hasn’t won and you “I think back to juniors and going through drafts,” Mermis recalled. "It’ll be have to watch the game from the press box it’s been really frustrating,” the long path. It’s not the golden ticket where you jump in when you’re 18 Raanta said. “But we wanted to make sure that everything is good to go or anything like that. With hard work, you think you can get there. I and wanted to see that everything feels good. … Everything feels good trusted that process and here I am.” right now, and it felt good being on the ice with the team.” Mermis prides himself on being a multi-faceted player who can play in a Raanta, acquired on draft day during the offseason, has logged just 90 variety of situations. While he has no single area of expertise, the blue minutes of ice time to go with a 0-1-1 record this season. Among Raanta, liner hopes to help the Coyotes in a number of ways while continuing to Louis Domingue, Adin Hill and Scott Wedgewood, the Coyotes have improve his game. allowed a league-worst 4.31 goals per game. “I just (want) to keep improving my game in all facets,” Mermis said. “My But Raanta feels like he’s hitting the reset button prior to Thursday’s goal was to be a guy who can play in any role I’m asked. If I need to jump game. in offensively or being a solid defensive guy, I can play in those areas. I probably don’t stand out in one area, per se, but I can play a solid game “For me it’s almost like a fresh start for the season right now,” Raanta all-around and I’m hoping to bring that here.” said. “Just have to go out there and try to keep it simple and help the team win the game.” Mermis played youth hockey with Clayton Keller, another Coyotes rookie. And like Keller, the team’s newest defenseman will have to learn the Head coach Rick Tocchet is excited to have his No. 1 goalie back, and different pace of the NHL game. hopes Raanta can be a stabilizing force for the Coyotes. “As a smaller guy, I think (it’s about) strength and getting your weight up,” “That’s why we acquired him, that chance to have a No. 1 goalie and to Mermis said. “There’s a lot of big guys in the NHL. It’s such a skating solidify that position,” Tocchet said. “He can steal you games but when game, and if you can keep your body position on guys that’s going to go you’re up he can also help stabilize some things. We’re excited to have a long way. him back.” Head coach Rick Tocchet isn’t looking for Mermis to produce like a top- Outlook: The Coyotes return to host the Buffalo Sabres home in a battle pair defenseman. With Hjalmarsson on the shelf, the Coyotes just need a of last-place teams. The Sabres have just eight points on the year, last in solid defender to lean on. the Eastern Conference … Defenseman Dakota Mermis, who was recalled from Tucson (AHL) on Wednesday, will make his NHL debut on “We think he’s been playing well down (in Tucson) and that he deserves Thursday with his fiancee, parents and brother in attendance … Goalie a chance,” Tocchet said. “It’s kind of a next man up thing with our Antti Raanta will get the start in net, his first appearance since Oct. 12 defense trying to shore up some things. Obviously, Nik is a big hole and when he suffered a lower body injury … Anthony Duclair returns to the everybody is going to have to eat up the extra minutes." lineup for the first time in three games. He has three goals on the season and has been a healthy scratch the last two games … Brendan Perlini Mermis may not be the biggest or flashiest player on the ice, but those moves up to the top unit, allowing Max Domi to slide down to the second aren’t attributes in which his game his rooted. line. Since returning from injury on Oct. 26, Perlini has tallied a pair of “I try to be a solid guy and I pride myself on being a hard player to play goals. against,” Mermis said. “Maybe a little undersized, but I try to make up for The Coyotes have scored the first goal in nine of their 13 games this that in grit and in other ways. Just being solid and whatever I’m asked to season, which ranks first in the NHL. Their 11 total first period goals do I feel like I can do it.” ranks 10th. Mermis feels fortunate to be paired with Coyotes veteran defenseman Arizona has 334 hits as a team, the most among any NHL team. Luke Alex Goligoski, who scored the overtime winner in Philadelphia for the Schenn leads the Coyotes with 36. team’s only victory and has been one of the team’s few anchors in the first month of the season. Max Domi is just one point away from reaching 100 points for his career. He is on pace to become the quickest player to reach the milestone in Coyotes history with Thursday being his 154th career game. Clayton Keller enters Thursday’s contest with a seven-game point streak, the longest of his career and tied for the longest streak by a rookie in Coyotes history (Peter Mueller, Jan. 10-21, 2008). This is the first of two meetings between the Coyotes and Sabres this season. Last year, the Coyotes were 1-1-0 against Buffalo with Max Domi leading the team with three points in those two games.

Arizona Republic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081430 Arizona Coyotes “It’s a little different playing Rick’s style, but at the same time I kind of like it,” he said. “That’s how the top players play every night and that’s how they get opportunities. I haven’t been coached that way since I was Coyotes’ Duclair still searching for more complete game young so it’s nice to see a different side of it. “I’m just trying to learn as much as possible from Toc. He’s coached at the highest level skill guys in the league, so it’s awesome learning from BY CRAIG MORGAN | NOVEMBER 3, 2017 AT 6:25 PM him.” UPDATED: NOVEMBER 3, 2017 AT 6:39 PM Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.04.2017 GLENDALE, Ariz. — One play in Thursday’s 5-4 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Gila River Arena highlighted the reasons for Anthony Duclair’s two-game absence from the lineup. With the Coyotes trailing 2-1 late in the second period, Duclair tried to put a move on Buffalo defenseman Jake McCabe at the left circle in the Sabers’ zone to get to the net for a scoring chance. On face value, the play made sense. His team needed a goal and he was trying to use his skill and speed to get around McCabe for a scoring chance. A deeper look at the play showed the problem with Duclair’s decision. McCabe stripped Duclair of the puck while Coyotes defensemen Alex Goligoski and Luke Schenn were tired from a long shift and heading for a change. Jason Demers managed to replace Schenn and get to the left side to stop the puck carrier, Sam Reinhart. But by the time Oliver Ekman-Larsson could get on the ice to replace Goligoski, who took far too much time getting to the bench, Reinhart had passed to Seth Griffith, springing Griffith on a breakaway. There were no backcheckers because Jordan Martinook had fallen while trying to reverse course after Duclair’s turnover. Martinook collided with Duclair, taking both players out of the play and center Brad Richardson was too deep in the zone to recover. In simple terms, this was a case of situational awareness. Duclair made the wrong decision because his defense needed more time for a change. “I’d prefer him to go wide,” coach Rick Tocchet said after the game. “We had two defensemen that had been out there for a minute. It’s probably not the right time to try to play to the middle when you don’t have any speed.” To single out Duclair’s mistake would be unfair after what Tocchet called “a comedy of errors” in the second period that resulted in numerous turnovers and numerous odd-man rushes for the Sabres. There were plenty of other offenders. “There are about four or five individuals that have to understand what it takes to win,” Tocchet said. “We have some guys in here that have to be able to play when the heat is on and make the right decision. You can’t go off the grid because it gets hard.” Even so, the play serves as an explanation for Duclair’s two games as a healthy scratch despite favorable underlying numbers, including the sixth-best Corsi For percentage (52) on the team and favorable defensive metrics. “You’ve got to earn your ice time,” Duclair said. “You’ve got to earn the trust of your team and your coaches. They do have high expectations for me so for myself, when you don’t reach those expectations, consequences are going to come.” Those consequences could include a return to the press box on Saturday when the Coyotes host the Carolina Hurricanes. Better situational awareness is just one of the areas the coaching staff has highlighted for Duclair. Since the offseason, they have asked him to work on using his speed to create chances and to use his lower-body strength in the corners to generate zone time, puck possession and more chances. “Battling down low, puck protection, just moving my feet in the corners and I think offensively, I can get more opportunities using my speed,” said Duclair, who has three goals and five points in 12 games. “I feel better than last year. It was huge for me to get off to a better start but I still think I can do more. I think everyone can do more. When the team is struggling you’ve got to look individually at what you can do to help the team win. That’s what I’m trying to do.” Tocchet insists Duclair has been a willing pupil. “He has a good attitude, which I like,” Tocchet said. But Duclair knows willingness and work ethic won’t be enough. Execution and proper decision-making must accompany those attributes. 1081431 Arizona Coyotes

Coyotes’ Adam Clendening clears waivers, assigned to Tucson

BY MATT LAYMAN | NOVEMBER 3, 2017 AT 11:00 AM UPDATED: NOVEMBER 3, 2017 AT 11:10 AM

The Arizona Coyotes announced Friday that defenseman Adam Clendening had cleared waivers and has been re-assigned the AHL Tucson Roadrunners. Clendening was placed on waivers on Thursday prior to the Coyotes’ loss to the Buffalo Sabres. The 25-year-old has appeared in five games with the Coyotes this season, scoring 0-2-2 with a -1 plus-minus rating. He averaged 15:56 time on ice and saw time on a pairing with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He signed a one-way, one-year deal this offseason for a reported $650,000. His departure from Arizona’s NHL defensive group comes in a week that had a flurry of transactions. The Coyotes this week recalled defenseman Joel Hanley, then re-assigned him and recalled defenseman Dakota Mermis, who made his NHL debut on Thursday night. Arizona also placed defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson (upper-body) on injured reserve.

Arizona Sports LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081432 Boston Bruins

Bruins give Brad Marchand a ‘maintenance day’

By Kevin Paul Dupont GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 4, 2017

The weekend is a perfect time to catch up on the “Season Ticket” podcast. With three of their top forwards already on the sidelines, the Bruins were without top left winger Brad Marchand for their 30-minute off-day workout in Brighton Friday. Coach Bruce Cassidy labeled it merely a “maintenance day,” but he acknowledged that he has been proven wrong before when characterizing injuries as nothing serious this season. “It’s a maintenance day, lower body, he just needed a little rest,” said Cassidy. “I truly believe this is nothing serious. You’ve heard me say that before. It’s just precautionary. He plays a lot of minutes, so we gave him the day.” Marchand did not factor in the scoring in Thursday night’s 2-1 win over the Golden Knights at the Garden. He logged 25:17 in ice time, more than any of his fellow Boston forwards, and was his typical presence in even-strength, power-play, and shorthanded situations. “Marshy’s a worker, he always wants to be out there,” said Cassidy. “So for his own good, shut the engine down for a day.” Marchand careened awkwardly into the boards with slightly more than three minutes gone in the second period. After getting upright, he made his way to the bench and appeared to be testing one of his knees before he sat down. Seven seconds later, Riley Nash scored to put the Bruins ahead, 1-0. Marchand is the club’s leading goal scorer (8) and point getter (13) through 11 games. The Bruins are already without three key forwards — David Krejci, David Backes, and Ryan Spooner — as they prepare to face the Capitals Saturday night at the Garden. Frank Vatrano (nine games, 0-0—0) skated in Marchand’s spot on the Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak line during the workout. Krejci (suspected back issue) will miss his sixth straight game Saturday. Backes underwent colon surgery Thursday and is not expected to play for the remainder of the calendar year. Spooner is expected out through November with an adductor tear.

Kevin Paul Dupont Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081433 Boston Bruins Cassidy labeled it merely a “maintenance day,” but he acknowledged that he has been proven wrong before when characterizing injuries as nothing serious this season. Here’s what we learned about the Bruins Thursday night “It’s a maintenance day, lower body, he just needed a little rest,” said Cassidy. “I truly believe this is nothing serious. You’ve heard me say that before. It’s just precautionary. He plays a lot of minutes, so we gave him By Kevin Paul Dupont the day.” GLOBE STAFF NOVEMBER 3, 2017 Marchand did not factor in the scoring Thursday. He logged 25:17 in ice time, more than any of his fellow Boston forwards, and was his typical presence in even-strength, power-play, and shorthanded situations. The weekend is a perfect time to catch up on the “Season Ticket” “Marshy’s a worker, he always wants to be out there,” said Cassidy. “So podcast. for his own good, shut the engine down for a day.” Some thoughts, reflections, recollections, and a few shots high off the Marchand careened awkwardly into the boards with slightly more than glass following the Bruins’ 2-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights three minutes gone in the second period. He made his way to the bench Thursday night. and appeared to be testing one of his knees before he sat down. Seven seconds later, Riley Nash scored to put the Bruins ahead, 1-0. ■ Until further notice, Sean Kuraly is David Backes. With Backes undergoing surgery Thursday to remove a portion of his colon, the Bruins Marchand is the club’s leading goal scorer (8) and point getter (13) need a big body up front to help add some structure to a hybrid NHL/AHL through 11 games. The Bruins are already without David Krejci, Backes, forward lineup. and Ryan Spooner as they prepare to face the Capitals Saturday night at the Garden. Kuraly, using his 6-foot-2-inch, 205-pound frame to box out at the right post, knocked home the winning goal midway through the third period. Frank Vatrano (nine games, 0-0—0) skated in Marchand’s spot on the His career résumé is far leaner than that of the 33-year-old Backes, but Patrice Bergeron-David Pastrnak line during the workout. Kuraly plays center, is a similarly big body, and plays with a rookie’s energy and enthusiasm that coach Bruce Cassidy is hoping to harness. Krejci (suspected back issue) will miss his sixth straight game Saturday. Backes underwent colon surgery Thursday and is not expected to play “We’re allowing some young players to grow on the job here,” said for the remainder of the calendar year. Spooner is expected out through Cassidy. November with an adductor tear. Kuraly, previously with 16 shots on net in 10 games, was among the ■ Jordan Szwarz, playing in first game as a Bruin, didn’t get on the club’s most active shooters vs. the Knights, unloading a half-dozen times scoresheet, but he chipped in with three shots on net, spending much of and landing four (game high) on goalie Max Lagace. The most effective the night between Danton Heinen and Anders Bjork (three shots between was when he staked his claim at the right post and nudged the puck over them). He also had a brief twirl with those two on the No. 2 power-play the line at 9:53 of the third period for the winner, a split-second before he unit and added 22 seconds of penalty-kill duty. was belted to the ice by Brayden McNabb. “I felt good out there, pretty comfortable,” said the 26-year-old It was the first regular-season goal of Kuraly’s career, his first since center/wing. “Some nerves going into the game, but after a couple of connecting in double OT of Game 5 of last year’s playoffs vs. the shifts I got settled in and felt pretty good overall.” Senators. The nerves, explained Szwarz, were due in part to being out of the NHL “He’ll have to work on his shot every day,” said Cassidy, asked what the for more than two years, toiling exclusively in the AHL for the Coyotes 24-year-old Kuraly will need to build into his game to help fill the Backes and then the Bruins. role. “David can really bring the puck and knows when to get it on net.” “I’ve been there before, so I know what it takes,” he said. “But obviously Cassidy knows Kuraly will always be a straight-line (“north-south”) player, the nerves are going to be there. Just get a couple of shifts under your not expected to make fancy plays, and believes he’ll have to learn how to belt, and then fine after that.” take better angles on the puck. ■ Following the game, Cassidy said Backes underwent successful “He wants to get on people so quick, and sometimes there’s a better surgery at Mass. General and was feeling OK. route than a straight line,” said the coach. “But the good thing about Sean is, and why he keeps playing, he can recapture that ice because he’s got “I heard it went well, but I don’t know what that means, to be honest with such good foot speed. you,” Cassidy said. “I have no timeline on it.” Cassidy also would like Kuraly to improve at the faceoff dot. With Backes is not expected to return until sometime around the new year. He Dominic Moore now in Toronto and Backes on the shelf for at least a needed the surgery to clear up an infection related to his recent acute couple of months, the Bruins can use help from a lefthanded stick at the case of diverticulitis, a painful inflammation of the digestive tract. dot. Kuraly won four of his 10 drops Thursday. Backes tweeted a post-op picture of himself in his MGH hospital bed, his “He’s a player that I watch closely,” said Kuraly, the former Miami (Ohio) young daughter at his side. standout, asked about filling the Backes void. “He does a lot of things that have been really successful over the years. ■ Rookie standout Charlie McAvoy had a relatively quiet night for his 23:12 of ice time. He didn’t factor in the scoring and attempted but one “Obviously, it’s a role that he’s carved out for himself that’s been very shot (blocked). However he did land a game-high seven hits, after successful. I’ve tried to watch him closely during practice and emulate averaging only two a night in his previous 10 games. some of the things he does.” When he saw the total on the postgame stat sheet, the 19-year-old In terms of improving his shot, Kuraly said there’s more to it than release. McAvoy was surprised. Backes has made a career (499 points) out of contributing from very short range, with tips, redirects, and willingness to own the space around “I didn’t have much recollection of that,” he said Friday. “It didn’t seem the crease. In that sense, Kuraly might be the better shooter, but it often right at first. I guess it happens. I do try to use my body . . . but I was takes a savvy hand to crack the 24-square-foot safe. trying to remember seven hits and I couldn’t. It felt like I got hit seven times.” “I don’t think it’s as much the actual shot as it is the, you know, the attitude and timing and spots on the ice,” said Kuraly, “and realizing that ■ Painful lesson for rookie Jake DeBrusk, who was one stride from how ready you are to shoot a lot of the time. The reason he scores so leading a two-on-one breakout from his defensive zone until Nate many goals is that he’s ready to shoot. Schmidt clipped the puck off his stick. Some three seconds after the steal, Cody Eakin cashed in the 1-1 equalizer. “Guys at this level, we can all shoot the puck. Give us some time and space, we can all shoot it. It’s about the approach and being ready to “I had no idea he was there,” said DeBrusk. “I was just looking to make a shoot the puck and having the urgency to fire it through the net.” play. If I had it to do over again, obviously I would say be harder on the puck, move it quicker. But it happened so fast. ■ With three of their top forwards already on the sidelines, the Bruins were without top left winger Brad Marchand for their 30-minute workout in “There are good players in this league and he burned me on it. I felt it Brighton Friday. more than anyone in the rink, obviously, because it was my mistake.” Cassidy didn’t pull back the ice time on his promising rookie. He knows there are growing pains with his freshmen. “That play’s going to happen,” said Cassidy. “It happened to Kuraly the last time against Vegas. That’s the exact definition of being hard on the puck. Don’t ever assume someone’s not coming to get it.” The mission, said Cassidy, is for the coaching staff to continue to build good habits into the kids such as DeBrusk, Bjork, and McAvoy. “Listen, if he got stripped every day and he wasn’t ready to play at this level, he wouldn’t be here,” added the coach. “It’s going to happen. It’s part of the process for young players. “We’re not OK with it. But that’s one of the steps we’ll give him the chance to play out of. I do believe Jake is an honest player and takes his mistakes to heart.” ■ Other than a 31-second span of the first period vs Vancouver on Oct. 19, the Bruins have not trailed on the scoreboard in their last five home games (3-0-2). ■ Next up for the 5-3-3 Bruins are the 6-6-1 Capitals, who will be at the Garden Saturday night. After scoring seven goals in his first two games, Alexander Ovechkin has a total of 10 and hasn’t dented the net for five straight games (0-4—4 on 17 shots). Asked why there is only one Ovechkin, Cassidy first said, “I don’t know the answer to that.” More context was added to the question, specifically: why aren’t more players wired to shoot as their first option? Cassidy fell back on Ovechkin’s abundant gifts: his size (6-3, 235) and skating, described by the coach as “flat-out foot speed,” and strength on skates. “If there’s anymore out there and they aren’t playing,” mused Cassidy, “we’d love to have them.”

Kevin Paul Dupont Boston Globe LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081434 Boston Bruins

Bruins notebook: Alex Ovechkin will present the usual problems for the Bruins

Rich Thompson Saturday, November 04, 2017

Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin will shoot from any angle at any time all the time. Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask experienced Ovechkin’s unhesitant shoot-first mentality in the past and expects more of the same when the B’s play the Capitals tonight at the Garden. Ovechkin is currently 11th in the NHL in scoring with 10 goals and five assists in 13 games. “I haven’t seen this year yet but obviously he got off to a really hot start,” said Rask, after the Bruins practice yesterday at Warrior Ice Arena in Brighton. “I think a lot of times with pure goalscorers when they are hot they are hot and then they go through cold and hot streaks. He is dangerous no matter what, either on the power play or one-on-one situations. He can get that shot off quickly through the (defenseman’s) legs.” Ovechkin tormented the Bruins long before Rask took over in goal from Tim Thomas. Ovechkin faced the B’s 42 times in the regular season and has 18 goals and 23 assists on 198 shots. Rask does not have as good a record against the Capitals as Ovechkin has against the Bruins. Rask is 1-9-5 against the Caps with a .889 save percentage and 3.07 goals-against average. “When they are on the power play you try and take him away because when his shot is on net it is going to go in,” said Rask. “They also have other guys who can shoot it so they are very dangerous.” The other half of the Capitals’ Russian connection is center , a prolific passer who is 20th in the NHL in scoring with three goals and 12 assists. In 10 games against the Bruins, Kuznetsov has three goals and eight assists. Live look at a ‘god’ Some of the younger Bruins, like defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forward Anders Bjork, will experience Ovechkin in real time for the first time tonight. “It is going to be crazy going against him because he and Sidney Crosby are my generation’s big name players we all looked up to as gods,” said Bjork. “I’m pretty excited to see that shot firsthand because it will be different from TV and the highlight videos I’ve watched.” McAvoy had seven hits in Thursday night’s 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights and his physical play has escalated with each game. McAvoy and blueline mate Zdeno Chara will likely be on the ice most every time Ovechkin leaves the bench. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said he will get into Ovechkin and Kuznetsov in greater detail at the pregame skate today but added that all the players are aware of the Russian connection. “These guys know who he is, obviously, but until you see him live with his strength and power on the ice,” said Cassidy. “Charlie will probably see a lot of him with the matchups we are in and Big Z has seen him many times over the years. But that will be a good matchup for Charlie.” Bruins left winger Brad Marchand was excused from practice with lower body issues but will play against the Caps. Cassidy ruled out center David Krejci (back) but hopes he will be available Monday night against the Minnesota Wild at the Garden. . . . The Bruins begin a stretch of five games in eight days that includes a home and home with Toronto. Cassidy said goalie Zane McIntyre, called up to replace injured backup Anton Khudobin (lower body), will start one of the games against the Maple Leafs.

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Young Bruins getting ready for first test vs. Alex Ovechkin

Rich Thompson Friday, November 03, 2017

Russian collusion is acceptable behavior in Washington D.C., -- when it comes to the NHL, at least. The Bruins were on the practice ice this morning preparing for tomorrow night’s encounter with the Washington Capitals at the TD Garden. The Caps’ Russian imports, Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, are two of the most dangerous snipers in the game and are among the NHL’s scoring leaders after 13 games. Ovechkin has 10 goals and five assists and leads the league’s top 30 scorers with 63 shots. Kuznetsov has three goals with 12 assists on 32 shots. Some of the younger Bruins like defenseman Charlie McAvoy and forward Anders Bjork will experience Ovechkin in real time for the first time at the Garden. Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said all his players his players are aware of the Capitals’ Russian connection. “These guys know who (Ovechkin) is obviously but until you see him live with his strength and power on the ice... Charlie will probably see a lot of him with the matchups we are in and Big Z (Zdeno Chara) has seen him many times of over the years. “But that will be a good matchup for Charlie.”

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Krug starting to feel good about his game

By Joe Haggerty November 03, 2017 4:27 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – Torey Krug said prior to the game Thursday night against Las Vegas that he’d have to wait and see how much of a difference it would make shedding the protective gear off his helmet with his fractured jaw finally healed. Well, clearly it was a factor after Krug enjoyed one of his best games of the season in the 2-1 victory at TD Garden. Krug nearly doubled his season point output by assisting on both goals and appeared much more involved in the offensive zone after an uncharacteristically quiet start to the season. Clearly, there had been some evidence that his game was beginning to turn prior to Thursday night. Krug has three shots on net in his past two games after registering a big, fat donut in the shots on net category in the previous three games. “[It was] really good. The peripheral vision was better and overall, I just felt more comfortable [shedding the protective gear],” said Krug, who has two goals and five assists in 10 games, along with a minus-7 rating, after his two assists and plus-2 evening vs. Vegas. “Physically, I missed training camp, a lot of exhibition games. On the mental side of things, you get pretty frustrated because you know how well you can play, but you’re just not playing up to your potential. The stars aren’t lining up for you. It’s a grind both mentally and physically. “That’s the hope,” added Krug when asked if he was ready to go on an offense-heavy streak now. “I just want to feel good out there…breaking pucks out, feel comfortable with my game. Those little streaks, they’ll come when you feel good about your game.” The first period certainly wasn’t Krug’s best as he still battled a couple of turnovers against the Vegas pressure, but he turned those early “burps”, as Bruce Cassidy called them, into smart, aggressive plays around the net in the latter two periods. For both goals, it was hard, accurate shots from Krug that forced Vegas goalie Maxime Lagace into scrambling saves and eventually set up the dirty work goals from Riley Nash and Sean Kuraly. That’s exactly the kind of thing that the Bruins are going to need from Krug over the next stretch as they battle through a number of injuries that have significantly weakened them down the middle of the ice. “I think [the facemask] hinders a person – especially a guy that plays a finesse game,” Cassidy said. “You’re not used to having that on there. It’s a reminder that you’re protecting an injury. You know, there’s enough going on the ice that you don’t need those reminders. So, probably [now] in the back of his mind, ‘okay, I’m healed, I’m even more prepared to play.’ I think he’s been coming out of his [funk]…his game has been coming around anyway. For the most part, it’s been solid. “There have been a couple of burps here and there that we weren’t able to get out from under in terms of just tough luck, to a certain extent. We didn’t get a save or we didn’t get a clear after or whatever. So, I think for the most part he’s been managing the puck well, making his plays, and starting to feel like Torey again. [His game vs. Vegas] was good. We need his offense, especially now since we’re a little bit depleted. If he can add some secondary scoring like he generally does then we will be that much better.” Thursday night was Grade-A evidence of that as Krug played a major role in the two goals required to get the two points against a gritty, competitive Vegas bunch that wasn’t going to go away easily.

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Marchand missing from Bruins practice with lower-body issue

By Joe Haggerty November 03, 2017 12:53 PM

BRIGHTON, Mass – Brad Marchand was the new player missing from Bruins practice on Friday while utilizing a maintenance day to deal with a lower-body issue that’s nagged him recently. Bruce Cassidy assured that it was minor in nature for Boston’s leading scorer and the expectation is that he’ll be fine to play on Saturday night against the Washington Capitals. “It’s a maintenance day for the lower body…just needed a little rest,” said Cassidy, when asked if the absence was due to Marchand flexing his knee Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights after a collision in the corner. “I truly believe this is nothing serious. I know you’ve heard me say that before, but it’s just a precautionary thing so we could give him a day [off the ice]. Nash, Kuraly power Bruins past Knights, 2-1 “He’s a worker and always wants to be out there, so for his own good we’re just shutting the engines down for a day.” Clearly, that sounds like the typical bumps and bruises that a top player is going to absorb along the way to a team-leading eight goals and 13 points in 11 games this season. Still, bells and whistles are clearly going off every time one of Boston’s regulars is missing from the Warrior Ice Arena practice sheet with so many core players already on the shelf due to injuries. The Bruins can’t afford to lose Marchand, or anybody else for that matter, with David Krejci, Ryan Spooner, David Backes, Noel Acciari, Adam McQuaid and Anton Khudobin all banged up and not ready to play. Here are the line combos and D-pairings from Friday’s practice with the Capitals coming in for a Saturday night date at TD Garden:

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Kuraly, Nash step up for shorthanded Bruins

By Joe Haggerty November 03, 2017 1:21 AM

BOSTON – With a handful of Bruins players down with injuries, the cliché has been that it creates opportunities for others to step up into the void. There hadn’t been an overwhelming number of B’s players that have really raised their game thus far, but that changed on Thursday night against the Vegas Golden Knights as both Sean Kuraly and Riley Nash had their best games of the season. Kuraly and Nash were the two goal- scorers for the Bruins in the tight-checking 2-1 win over the Golden Knights at TD Garden, and found a way to light the lamp with Vegas’ defense focused on shutting down the stacked Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak line. “That’s what this league is about. A lot of top lines are really good. Patrice Bergeron [and his line] certainly win their share of battles, but a lot of times they can also cancel out. At that point it can become a special teams battle, or a battle of the third and fourth lines,” said Nash, who scored the game’s first goal on a second-effort bid in front of the net after his first shot rocketed off the post. “I think at this point our third and fourth lines haven’t contributed enough, myself included. It just has been a tight-checking so far, so hopefully these can help out the confidence and we can start contributing more on a regular basis. That can help our team put some winning streaks together.” Certainly, it was about Nash scoring the first goal for the Bruins in the second period, and then it was about Kuraly crashing the net in the third period while fighting through Brayden McNabb trying to take him out of the play. Torey Krug and Jake DeBrusk had each initially fired up shots at the Vegas net that were stopped by Maxime Lagace, but the big-bodied Kuraly was the one that finally broke after driving straight toward the Vegas net. Both Bruins goals in the Vegas win were second-chance efforts right around the front of the net, and that’s exactly what the B’s coaching staff has been preaching for weeks while waiting for it to arrive. On Thursday night against a fourth-string rookie goalie ripe for the pressure, the Bruins finally started to kick in their dues-paying, blue-collar production in a winning effort despite missing some pretty big offensive guns. “It was good to see Sean get rewarded. He’s certainly more than willing to go to those [dangerous scoring] areas. Those are the type of goals he’s going to score,” Bruce Cassidy said. “He’s not a guy who’s going to come down the wing and inside-out someone generally and blast it in. He’ll track pucks down, loose pucks, breakaways, and second chances. So, good for him [to score a goal]. “The opportunities will be there. We’re not asking anybody to be something they’re not, but be what you are on a regular basis, and you’ll get plenty of opportunity. Riley fits into that category and I was happy for him. He’s a guy that pitches in offensively and he had a tough start that way, so maybe this will get him going a little bit confidence-wise.” Certainly the Bruins can’t expect to get scoring from secondary contributors like Nash and Kuraly every single night, but even a gradual uptick in their production could go a long way toward absorbing some of the organizational losses currently incurred by the injuries thus far to Krejci, Backes, Spooner, Acciari and Adam McQuaid among others. That was the case on Thursday night as skilled, bottom-6 veteran forwards in Nash and Kuraly proved just important they could be in showing the young B’s players how to get things done.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081439 Buffalo Sabres Cemetery. Alumni Danny Gare and Rene Robert will accompany the veterans.

The foundation will also be donating $7,500 to the Buffalo Blues Benefit Sabres Notebook: Eichel, Kane a 'killer' combo; military appreciation; for Veterans. It will be held Nov. 25 at the Cove on Transit Road in Stars rolling at home Depew. Sabres alumni will be in attendance for the benefit, which has a $10 cover with all proceeds going to the WNY Veterans Housing Coalition. More information can be found at BuffaloBlues.org. By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 3, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 3, 2017 The Sabres built a 5-1 lead during their victory over Arizona. If it weren't for Robin Lehner, Buffalo could just as easily been in a 5-1 hole. The goaltender made a handful of highlight-reel saves, stopping breakaways DALLAS – It's rare to get a two-on-zero breakaway. Rarer still is for it to and point-blank chances. happen while a team is short-handed. "There was a couple periods where it felt like every shot was Grade A," The Sabres want opposing power plays to know it can happen to them – Lehner said. "It kept coming." especially when Phil Housley throws his most gifted offensive players onto the ice. The Sabres need that to stop whether it's Lehner or Chad Johnson in net Saturday in Dallas. The Stars are 4-1 in American Airlines Center and While the Buffalo coach typically employs defensive-minded forwards on have five straight home victories over Buffalo. his short-handed unit, he finds spots to put Evander Kane and Jack Eichel in the mix. It's paying off. "We let guys get behind us, and it's just assignments," Housley said. "It's really basic, technical stuff that we can correct, but Robin came up big at Kane scored his NHL-best third short-handed goal of the season during those times with breakaways, big saves and save after save early in the Thursday's 5-4 win in Arizona. The Sabres had just three short-handed first to keep it a 1-0 game. Hand it to him. He came to play." goals as a team last year.

Eichel earned his second short-handed assist, which is tied for the league lead with New Jersey's Adam Henrique and Florida's Derek Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2017 MacKenzie. "They're very deadly," Housley said of his playmakers. "They do a terrific job. The other team has to be aware of that because if they get an opportunity they don't need many. They've been converting on them." The latest goal was an easy one. Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers wiped out at the blue line, and Kane and Eichel took off on a two-on-zero. Goaltender Antti Raanta never had a chance as Kane fed Eichel, who gave the puck back to Kane. The goal came during the only short-handed shift of the night for Kane and Eichel. Housley uses them sparingly. The duo is tied for 14th on the team in short-handed ice time at 52 seconds per game, but they make the most of it. While Kane has killed penalties in the past – he averaged 1:18 per game last season – this is Eichel's first extended opportunity. With the early success, it will certainly continue. As the NFL protests about racial inequality devolved into debates about patriotism, a gap formed between some fans, athletes and teams. Perhaps sensing that, the Sabres are stepping up their military appreciation efforts. The Sabres' Military Appreciation Game next Friday in KeyBank Center will feature everything from free suites to meet and greets to Air Force vehicles to dog tags. The Sabres are offering $25 tickets in the 300 Level to all active, reserve, National Guard and retired military personnel. The tickets can be ordered at Sabres.com/military. The first 15,000 fans for the game against Florida will receive a Sabres- themed military dog tag. Those arriving early will see the Sabres take pregame warmups in camouflage jerseys that will be auctioned off in a benefit for the Sabres' foundation. Buffalo alternate captains Ryan O’Reilly and Zach Bogosian are donating a suite to members of the Coast Guard, and those members will be invited to the dressing room for a meet and greet with players following the game. The Sabres are also donating more than 200 tickets and an additional five suites to military organizations. Sabres players will meet with children of military families after their morning skate. Military members will also receive a 25 percent discount at the Sabres Store the day of the game. Before the game, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station will display military vehicles in Alumni Plaza. The Blue Aces Air Force band will perform in the 100 Level pavilion, and lead singer Christina Bagley will perform the anthems. The Sabres are making their military efforts more than a one-day event. The players will visit the Coast Guard Station on Fuhrmann Boulevard after practice Wednesday. The Sabres' foundation is sponsoring a Sabres Military Appreciation trip to Washington on Monday. With help from Veterans One-Stop Center, the Sabres will take four veterans from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars to tour the D.C. monuments and Arlington National 1081440 Buffalo Sabres Eberle the last two years, among others, have limited the Oilers' offense. Edmonton entered the week dead-last in the league in scoring with just 24 goals in 11 games. McDavid has five goals and 13 points in 11 games Inside the NHL: As hockey's tankers struggle, Astros show it takes a total but we saw how Hall piled up points year after year with no help and approach never saw the playoffs. As for Arizona, the Coyotes are starting to get the feel of the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers, who tried to tank for so long and kept failing that GM By Mike Harrington | Published Fri, Nov 3, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 3, Sam Hinkie earned the same fate as Murray and got fired. They have a 2017 28-year-old GM in John Chayka who isn't drawing many Theo Epstein comparisons the way his team is playing. That mystique coach Rick Tocchet built as Phil Kessel's buddy while an assistant in Pittsburgh sure is gone as the head man in Arizona. The discussion about tanking never really goes away in these parts as long as the Sabres stay near the bottom of the NHL standings, and it got Did you see the angst on Tocchet's face that the MSG cameras kept a new jolt Wednesday night when the Houston Astros wrapped up the catching Thursday night? Hilarious. first World Series title in their 56-year history just four seasons after they were 51-111. The three hockey teams seem as hopeless now as the Astros did in 2014, when Sports Illustrated famously put Springer on the cover and Pro-tankers are quick to hop on the Astros' bandwagon as a foolproof drew howls by declaring the Astros World Series champions in 2017. But example of how the strategy works. Folks who think the strategy is folly the lesson is there for them: Don't just sit idly by thinking everything is (hand raised here) are equally quick to point out the NHL's overall solved from getting one player. Or even a couple. standing heading into Thursday night had Edmonton, the Sabres and Arizona as the bottom three teams. Hall of Famer and Fox analyst John Smoltz called that Astros' strategy "the ability to change their roster for the better" during Game Seven. Yes, the great tankers of the spring of 2015 still resided at the bottom That's bang-on. Draft and develop. Draft and develop. Make shrewd some 2 1/2 years later — even with Connor McDavid now in Edmonton moves in the offseason and at the trade deadline. And even after all that, and Jack Eichel in Buffalo. hope luck shines your way. Nobody, not even this corner, would have predicted that back in the days And then if you ever figure out a way to win, it won't be because you when Sabres fans held their breath rooting for defeat and downright tanked. It will be because you solved the entire picture. embarrassed themselves by cheering mightily for the Coyotes in that infamous overtime defeat here on March 26, 2015. Sabres analyst/Astros fan Brian Duff gets to World Series, sees epic Game 5 Here's what all sides should agree upon: The Astros' victory proves that tanking can be the kickstart to a turnaround — but it's everything else Ovechkin pushes 'The Putin Team' around the tank that ultimately determines whether a team has success or continues to reside in the netherworld of the standings. The Capitals are here Tuesday night to meet the Sabres and offseason subtractions have left them not nearly the team they were last season. The Astros lost at least 106 games for three straight seasons from 2011- They went just 6-6-1 in their first 13 games and carried a negative goal 2013, joining the expansion Mets of the 1960s as the only teams in differential. baseball history to do that. That made them the ultimate teardown, as they were in the World Series in 2005 and won 86 games as recently in Alex Ovechkin started the season with seven goals in the first two games 2008. but has just three goals in the last 11 games. Lately, however, Ovechkin is making far more news off the ice. He drew praise last week for buying Then they turned to analytics and stockpiling draft picks, opting to go to a sweater, coat and hat for a homeless man he saw on the street in the bottom to try to get back to the top. George Springer came at No. 11 Edmonton but then drew scorn when he took to Instagram Thursday in the draft in 2011 and Carlos Correa No. 1 in 2012. They whiffed at No. afternoon and announced a social media movement in support of 1 overall Mark Appel in 2013 but traded him for a deal that brought Ken Russian President Vladimir Putin called The Putin Team. Giles from the Phillies, and got Alex Bregman No. 2 in 2015 after failing to sign No. 1 Brady Aiken in 2014. "Lately, in the Western Press, I’m noticing a comparison to Putin’s team. And you know, I really liked that comparison," Ovechkin said in part of But there were other shrewd moves: Jose Altuve as an international free the post, which was translated by Caps beat writer Isabelle Khurshudyan agent in 2011, Dallas Keuchel as a seventh-round pick. GM Jeff Luhnow of the Washington Post, who is fluent in Russian. "Personally, I’m ready then won the offseason, as Rex Ryan famously said, last winter by to be a member of that team. I never hid my relationship with our adding character players like Brian McCann, Carlos Beltran, Josh president, always openly supported him.” Reddick and Charlie Morton, who earned the win in Game 7 of the World Series. And the GM put his team over the top by acquiring Justin Putin, of course, is a super-charged figure in the Western world in part Verlander on Aug. 31. because of his annexation of Crimea and allegations that Russia interfered with the 2016 election that brought Donald Trump into office. Those moves have absolutely zero to do with tanking and everything to do with the team's ultimate victory. Go back to hockey and you see the "It's not about political stuff," Ovechkin insisted when reporters asked him real problem: Where are the other moves? about the post after a win Thursday over the New York Islanders. "I don’t try to be politics man or someone like that. I just support my president The Sabres frittered away numerous prospects and draft picks with and just support my country because I’m from there." former GM Tim Murray's trades and here's an astonishing stat about the abysmal amateur selections of former GMs Murray and : The season hits the one-month mark on Saturday, with Game 200 being Since the 2010 draft, the only player taken outside the first round who Vegas' trip to Ottawa. Through Thursday, there had been 197 games has played 50 games for the Sabres is defenseman Jake McCabe, a played and offense is up a half-goal per game, from 5.6 to 6.1 — which second-rounder in 2012. would be the highest over a full season since the 2005-06 post-lockout campaign. From Murray's first draft in 2014, no one other than Sam Reinhart has played an NHL game with Buffalo. It takes time for prospects in hockey That 6.0 mark has always been a pretty good number for the league to but none of the Class of '14 seems to be on the radar going forward and strive for from this view, and increased rules enforcement on slashing that's just plain embarrassing. Kyle Okposo, holder of a seven-year, $42- and faceoffs is creating more power plays and more scoring chances. million contract, scored his first goal Thursday night. Are the Sabres Now, let's see if these calls and these man-advantages continue as the going to be forced to trade Evander Kane, whose play is worthy of big season moves on. The 05-06 season, which we all wax poetic over when money, because someone they overpaid for is going to be an albatross it comes to offense, was at 6.2 goals per game so we're just about at par to their salary cap? with that one right now. Last year's average was just 5.5 and clearly Is Zach Bogosian ever going to get healthy and stay healthy to be worth needed to go up. a shred of the salary he's getting paid? Will new GM Jason Botterill finally In an unrelated chat last week without the numbers as part of the show us all mercy and buy out doing-nothing Matt Moulson after this conversation, Sabres goalie Robin Lehner said the sense of players season? around the league is that scoring is on the rise. People were quick to jump on the Edmonton bandwagon last year when "It's been a lot faster league this year," Lehner said. "So many more Connor McDavid & Co. got to Game 7 of the second round of the players have personal shooting coaches and are thinking of different playoffs. So what's happened this year? McDavid suddenly has no help ways to score. These guys are so good, they focus on goals that people as injuries to Leon Draisaitl and the trades of Taylor Hall and Jordan watching may think are bad goals but that's what guys are going for. "They're taught from behind the net to shoot for our skates because they know there can be a hole, even when we're on the post. They're good enough now to make that shot. And the whole mindset of attacking has changed. There's a lot more people in front with everyone crashing." The analytics community loves Cody Franson, and the former Sabres defenseman is again forging good numbers during his limited duty in Chicago. But with the Hawks still looking for answers all over the ice, Franson is about to get a lot more work. Franson, who was quite the punching bag in Buffalo the last two years, has landed on Chicago's top pair alongside Duncan Keith after arriving at camp in September on a professional tryout offer. And his analytics are again strong. Franson has put together a team-best 55.24 percent Corsi rating at even strength and a 62.5 at all strengths in his four games. After sitting out two weeks as a healthy scratch, he cracked the lineup Oct. 28 against Colorado and has put together seven shots on goal and averaged 18:15 in two games since returning. "I’ve been in places where sometimes you don’t get too much feedback as to why you’re not playing," Franson told Chicago reporters, seemingly making a reference to his last two years in Buffalo. "And it makes it hard to leave your work at work and not take it home with you. Whereas here, they’re in your ear letting you know what’s going on. It’s a little easier to separate the two and stay positive.” Franson has an assist in three of the first four games he's played this season, including one on the power play Wednesday against Philadelphia that helped the Hawks snap an 0-for-17 skid. "His quickness is pretty amazing … he’s been good for the power play,” said coach Joel Quenneville. “We like what we’re seeing.” "He’s been a good puck mover. You can tell he’s confident on the power play," added captain Jonathan Toews. "That shot makes him dangerous and makes everyone better out there." *Wondering where the big struggles are for the Penguins? Look no further than the second game of back-to-backs, which saw them drop to 0-4-1 with Thursday's 2-1 overtime loss in Calgary. Pittsburgh has been outscored, 31-8, in those five games, which includes a 10-1 loss in Chicago and 7-1 defeats in Tampa Bay and Winnipeg. Another insane number is 5-on-5 scoring, where the two-time defending Cup champions are an NHL-worst minus-21 (39-18). That's crazy. The Sabres, by comparison, entered Saturday at minus-7 (29-22). * Toronto's Auston Matthews scored on a second-period penalty shot Thursday in Los Angeles and was stymied by Kings goalie Jonathan Quick on another attempt inside the final two minutes after the Kings were called for intentionally dislodging the net. Had Matthews scored, he would have become the first player in NHL history to tally two penalty shots in the same game. * The Jets already have three hat tricks this year, equaling their total of last season, and the biggest news is that none of them are by Patrick Laine. Mark Scheifele was the latest to connect, Thursday against Dallas, and he joins Nikolaj Ehlers (Oct. 9 at Edmonton) and Blake Wheeler (Oct. 29 vs. Pittsburgh). Winnipeg had three hat tricks last season, and all were by Laine.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081441 Buffalo Sabres

Kane, Eichel form 'killer' combination for Sabres

By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 3, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 3, 2017

DALLAS – It's rare to get a two-on-zero breakaway. Rarer still is for it to happen while a team is short-handed. The Sabres want opposing power plays to know it can happen to them – especially when Phil Housley throws his most gifted offensive players onto the ice. While the Buffalo coach typically employs defensive-minded forwards on his short-handed unit, he finds spots to put Evander Kane and Jack Eichel in the mix. It's paying off. Kane scored his NHL-best third short-handed goal of the season during Thursday's 5-4 win in Arizona. The Sabres had only three short-handed goals as a team last year. Eichel earned his second short-handed assist, which is tied for the league lead with New Jersey's Adam Henrique and Florida's Derek MacKenzie. "They're very deadly," Housley said of his playmakers. "They do a terrific job. The other team has to be aware of that because if they get an opportunity they don't need many. They've been converting on them." The latest goal was an easy one. Coyotes defenseman Jason Demers wiped out at the blue line, and Kane and Eichel took off on a two-on-zero. Goaltender Antti Raanta never had a chance as Kane fed Eichel, who gave the puck back to Kane. The goal came during the only short-handed shift of the night for Kane and Eichel. Housley uses them sparingly. The duo is tied for 14th on the team in short-handed ice time at 52 seconds per game, but they make the most of it. While Kane has killed penalties in the past – he averaged 1:18 per game last season – this is Eichel's first extended opportunity. With the early success, it will certainly continue.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081442 Buffalo Sabres

Sabres boost military appreciation efforts

By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 3, 2017

DALLAS – As the NFL protests about racial inequality devolved into debates about patriotism, a gap formed between some fans, athletes and teams. Perhaps sensing that, the Sabres are stepping up their military appreciation efforts. The Sabres' Military Appreciation Game next Friday in KeyBank Center will feature everything from free suites to meet and greets to Air Force vehicles to dog tags. The Sabres are offering $25 tickets in the 300 Level to all active, reserve, National Guard and retired military personnel. The tickets can be ordered at Sabres.com/military. The first 15,000 fans for the game against Florida will receive a Sabres- themed military dog tag. Those arriving early will see the Sabres take pregame warm-ups in camouflage jerseys that will be auctioned off in a benefit for the Sabres' foundation. Buffalo alternate captains Ryan O’Reilly and Zach Bogosian are donating a suite to members of the Coast Guard, and those members will be invited to the dressing room for a meet and greet with players following the game. The Sabres are also donating more than 200 tickets and an additional five suites to military organizations. Sabres players will meet with children of military families after their morning skate. Military members will also receive a 25 percent discount at the Sabres Store the day of the game. Before the game, the Niagara Falls Air Reserve Station will display military vehicles in Alumni Plaza. The Blue Aces Air Force band will perform in the 100 Level pavilion, and lead singer Christina Bagley will perform the anthems. The Sabres are making their military efforts more than a one-day event. The players will visit the Coast Guard Station on Furhmann Boulevard after practice on Wednesday. The Sabres' foundation is sponsoring a Sabres Military Appreciation trip to Washington on Monday. With help from Veterans One-Stop Center, the Sabres will take four veterans from World War II and the Korean and Vietnam Wars to tour the D.C. monuments and Arlington National Cemetery. Alumni Danny Gare and Rene Robert will accompany the veterans. The foundation will also be donating $7,500 to the Buffalo Blues Benefit for Veterans. It will be held Nov. 25 at the Cove on Transit Road in Depew. Sabres alumni will be in attendance for the benefit, which has a $10 cover with all proceeds going to the WNY Veterans Housing Coalition. More information can be found at BuffaloBlues.org.

Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081443 Buffalo Sabres "It found its way in," he said. "We moved our feet in the offensive zone. We worked. We chipped pucks in, and we were able to get them back and maintain possession. We were able to dictate the play in the Sabres' Okposo finally enjoys net result offensive zone more than we have in games' past. "We've just got to keep playing. You get a 5-1 lead, you just have to play smart, keep moving your feet, keep making plays. We just got on our By John Vogl | Published Fri, Nov 3, 2017 | Updated Fri, Nov 3, 2017 heels. You know a team is going to come, make a push. If they score a goal, you've got to still get on your toes and just keep playing the right way. DALLAS – Kyle Okposo tried to make it short and sweet. "We'll learn that as we go." "Yes," he said with a relieved grin. "Simple answer. Yeah, a big weight off my shoulders." Buffalo News LOADED: 11.04.2017 But this deserved more. He's one of the Sabres' leaders, a guy with a history of performing. So when it took him 11 games to score his first goal of the season, a little deeper meaning was needed. "It's a big goal for me," the right winger admitted. "I've been pressing. I felt like the last five games have been better for me, but still without that goal, it's always tough. You're looking to get those zeros off the board. "Hopefully, the floodgates open, but that was a big one for me." The early season struggles for Buffalo and Okposo weighed on the alternate captain. After getting last season cut short because of a concussion-related hospitalization, the 29-year-old wanted to show he was back. Then game after game passed with little or no production. He once went 16 games without scoring a goal, but that was seven years ago. Those days were supposed to be long gone. Now he's looking to build off a modest streak. After scoring during Thursday's 5-4 victory over Arizona, Okposo has points in two straight games. He's still carrying just one goal and three assists, but the zero is gone as the Sabres head into Saturday's game in Dallas. "It's tough when you go that long without a goal," Sabres coach Phil Housley said. "You want to contribute offensively. He's a big part of our team, and it was great to see him score, especially at that point in the first period. It was a huge, huge goal for us." Okposo's goal came with 0.9 seconds left in the first period. It tied the game, 1-1, and propelled the Sabres to a 5-1 lead. They barely held on after allowing three goals in the final 7:49. "Maybe we just thought the game was over before it was over," left wing Benoit Pouliot said. "But in the end, it was good. We won." They won in no small part because of the line of Okposo, Pouliot and Ryan O'Reilly. The trio combined for three goals and five assists. Pouliot scored twice and added an assist. O'Reilly had three helpers. "We were connecting," Pouliot said. "We were supporting each other a lot." It's becoming a trend. All four of Pouliot's goals have come in the past five games. O'Reilly has four goals and 10 points in the last eight. "They've sort of been carrying our team," Housley said. "Obviously, you can see it in their points and their contribution, but I thought Factor's line was really solid. We needed some other scoring from other lines, and they came up big for us." Goals by Okposo, Pouliot and Seth Griffith, who scored on a breakaway, helped take pressure off the top line of Jack Eichel, Evander Kane and Jason Pominville. Kane scored a short-handed goal, and the scoring from elsewhere allowed the Sabres to tie their season high with five goals. "Everybody's going to have to contribute if we want to be successful," Griffith said. "We can't rely on those guys every night." Lack of secondary scoring has been a big problem for Buffalo, which ranks at 25th in the NHL at 2.62 goals per game. Kane has seven goals. Pominville has six. Pouliot, O'Reilly and Eichel have four. No one else has more than two as the Sabres have stumbled to a 4-7-2 record, though they're 4-3-1 in the last eight. The Wraparound: Sabres 5, Coyotes 4 "There's still a lot of things that we need to be better at in terms of our structure, our game," Pouliot said. "Like at the end we kind of got away from it a little bit, but that hopefully gives us a big boost of confidence offensively." It was a giant boost for Okposo. 1081444 there. That one (move) and the one cutting in, too … the cutting in, people probably won’t (realize), it’s a subtle move but it forces the middle guy to freeze and stay in the middle instead of coming to me. Tkachuk's slick overtime setup proves the Flames winger is more than a “So two pretty big plays by a young guy in OT.” pest As if the coach needed more proof that this kid is a gamer.

“We all saw that goal at the end,” Gulutzan said. “He showed great Kristen Odland, Postmedia patience, and we ended up getting an odd-man rush. Gio made a heck of Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 6:30 a shot, and he made a heck of a pass. PM MDT “That kid responds … he reeks character.” And Smith couldn’t agree more. Now that they’re on the same side, Mike Smith can finally say what he “Huge,” said the Flames goalie, shaking his head when asked about really thinks about Matthew Tkachuk. Tkachuk’s play in the overtime frame. “Huge. It bounces over his stick, “It’s fun now that he’s on my team,” the Calgary Flames netminder said and it’s going to happen (in the third period). Unfortunate they get a little with a chuckle. “But I was pretty rattled when I played these guys last deflection in the slot there, but that kid, he’s the heart and soul of our year, and I had to play against him. team. “He was in my face all game.” “He’s in every battle, and he’s got his nose over the puck. He’s a feisty little bugger.” Being a you-know-what disturber is one of the 19-year-old winger’s most notable attributes, and, so far this 2017-18 campaign, Tkachuk is not letting up. Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.04.2017 But highlights of Thursday’s 2-1 overtime victory versus the Pittsburgh Penguins reveal that playmaking ability, hockey sense and resilience are all part of the package — and, at the same time, there is evidence of growth. Take the Penguins’ game-tying marker with 1:12 remaining in the third period. Tkachuk was ready to receive a pass along the boards, but instead, Evegeni Malkin sent the puck towards the point and somehow it hopped over Tkachuk’s stick and right to Kris Letang. Letang shot, and the puck was deflected past Smith by the Penguins’ resident goalie agitator Patric Hornqvist. Tkachuk sighed in frustration. But the play didn’t bother his coach. Heck, Tkachuk was in the perfect spot positionally, and the play could have gone drastically different. “That happens,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan. “Ninety-nine times out of 100, his line probably corrals it. Whether it hopped or went under, he was in the right spot. For him, to come back, he doesn’t get fazed. He plays.” And continued playing, despite having made what he perceives as a mistake. “I was frustrated because I did everything I could,” Tkachuk had said afterwards about the play. “I mean … I sealed the wall. The puck was a little bit off the ice. My stick was on the ice. And if I have it, I pass it to Fro (Michael Frolik) and it’s an empty-net goal or we have numbers and it’s an empty-net goal. It’s just kind of an unfortunate bounce.” So what did he do? Shook it off, of course. There was still work left to do in the extra frame. “I tried to get it out of my head and tried to be a good supporter on the bench the last minute or whatever and in overtime,” Tkachuk said. “Because to be honest, I didn’t really think I was going to go out there in overtime.” He did, only for second time in his career and set up Mark Giordano for the game-winner. But that wasn’t all. Picking up the puck in the neutral zone from Sidney Crosby, Tkachuk duped the Penguins captain again when he faked him out along the boards to turn the play back up the ice. He was able to cruise into the opposition zone, leaving only Olli Maatta to fend off Tkachuk, Mikael Backlund and the Flames captain. “I knew once I did that, I had numbers,” Tkachuk said about his slick move. “Guys were yelling on the bench. I tried to actually give Gio a one- timer, but I missed the pass a little bit and he adjusted great and made an awesome shot.” Giordano returned the praise. “That’s pretty cool,” the captain said of Tkachuk’s pass. “I think the move he made was better — the fake coming back and then cutting up ice. That really opened up the play. Three-on-three, you get a lot of ice out 1081445 Calgary Flames The spotlight briefly belonged to Malcolm Subban, until he joined Fleury on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Oscar Dansk debuted with three straight victories and a sparkling stat- From Trefilov to Brathwaite, 1998-99 was a revolving door for Flames line. goaltenders On Monday morning, Dansk was named the NHL’s second star of the week. On Monday night in , he was injured. Wes Gilbertson Maxime Lagace has started the past two contests for the Golden Knights, Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 6:38 including a 2-1 road loss Thursday to the Boston Bruins. PM MDT Nineteen-year-old Dylan Ferguson, the only other crease option under contract to the NHL’s 31st team, was S.O.S-ed from the ’s Kamloops Blazers to back up. Just how deep were the 1998-99 Calgary Flames on their goaltending depth chart? “I lived that almost 20 years ago, so I completely understand what (Ferguson) is going through,” said Garner, who tended twine This latest arrival, it seems, didn’t even own duds for the occasion. professionally for more than a decade but logged his only big-league action during that eye-opening stint in 1998-99. “Coming out of junior, “We were in Pittsburgh, and even with (Tyrone) Garner up, we didn’t mentally, it’s tough. You’re excited because this is something that you’ve have a backup,” recalled Al Coates, the Flames’ general manager during dreamed of your whole entire life, but you’re not expected to be there. that injury-riddled season, the first of the Young Guns promotional era. You’ve already gone to training camp, been sent back to your junior “Our East Coast League team was in Johnstown, which was not that far team. They all have depth charts, and you kind of know where you stand away, so we made a phone call to get their goalie. Toby O’Brien, the on the depth chart, and really you’re not expecting to be there for another manager there in Johnstown, told this kid, ‘You know, this is the National year or two years, if that. Hockey League. You have to look presentable.’ So the kid goes and he rents, I think, a tuxedo. “So it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. You’re excited. You’re nervous. You kind of question yourself and you wonder if you’re ready, “It was either a rented tuxedo or a rented dress suit. It was pretty but you have to get in the mindset that whatever level you’re at as a comical. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure for him.” goalie, your job is to stop the puck.” That kid, Pavel Nestak of the , was actually the Flames’ The difference, at least for now, is Ferguson hasn’t been pressed into insurance policy to their insurance policy for a Jan. 5, 1999, clash with action. mulleted superstar Jaromir Jagr and the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Garner’s emergency recall with the 1998-99 Flames lasted more than a Coates had summoned another netminder from the Flames’ farm club in month. Saint John, N.B., but Nestak made the 110-kilometre drive from Johnstown just in case one of Igor Karpenko’s three connecting flights He was the backup to Giguere, then the backup to Trefilov. was delayed. And then, suddenly, he was next up. As it turns out, Nestak was back in his rented finery by puck-drop. Trefilov was injured in the opening minute on Jan. 4, 1999, in Boston. Karpenko was signed and delivered — by a taxi-cab, that is — midway Garner, who had debuted in the third period two nights earlier in Buffalo, through the pre-game warmup. He served as the second-stringer to was now needed for 59-plus minutes of relief against Ray Bourque and Garner, a 20-year-old junior up from the of the Ontario the Bruins. Hockey League on an emergency recall. He started the following night in Pittsburgh. Garner made his first and, as it turns out, only NHL start that night. “I remember, when I played in the Boston game, a reporter asked me: “They lost the game 5-1 and Garner played the whole game, but ‘How did you feel?’ ” said Garner, who now works as a police officer in (Karpenko), you would’ve thought he played the game and won the game Burlington, Ont., and also runs his own goaltending academy. “There because he was dancing around the dressing room afterward,” said were times where I felt confident, and there were times — and again, it’s Hockey Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Peter Maher, the longtime radio voice the mental aspect of going from junior to pro hockey — where I didn’t feel of the Flames. “He was just so excited to have been involved in an NHL confident. I kind of felt overwhelmed, and then your mind starts going and game, even though he didn’t actually play. you have to regroup. Then, you get a flurry of shots and you felt good again, you felt confident, felt like ‘Yeah, I can play here.’ “He stood out from everything in the room. The players were pretty down, but he was excited as hell.” “And then you have Sergei Samsonov and Joe Thornton come down and tic-tac-toe and it’s in the net, and then you’re feeling like, ‘Maybe I’m in a Everybody who accompanied the out-of-town team to Pittsburgh on Jan. bit over my head.’ But you don’t have time to really digest that until after 5, 1999, seems to have a knee-slapper from that visit to The Igloo. the game.” Brian Sutter, the first of three brothers from ’s famous hockey The Golden Knights have only dressed five masked men so far, but it’s family to serve as head coach of the Flames, remembers a panic as the early. equipment staff tried to find a sweater for one of the puck-stopping options. The Flames’ run of bad luck between the pipes — or as Sutter refers to it, “the roving goalie spectacle” — didn’t start until Nov. 3, 1998. “It was a last-minute thing, and we sent him out in somebody else’s jersey,” Sutter chuckled. “We said, ‘Hey, nobody knows who the hell he is Acquired in an off-season swap, Wregget had been in the blue paint for anyway! So how is anybody going to know if there’s a different name on 11 consecutive games that fall — including both halves of a season- the back of his jersey?’ And he went out for warmup like that.” opening set against the San Jose Sharks in Tokyo — before being sidelined by a troublesome back. He wouldn’t return until February. The Flames used a franchise-record six goaltenders during the 1998-99 campaign — Ken Wregget, Tyler Moss, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Andrei For upwards of a month, Moss split the duties with Giguere, then Trefilov, Garner and finally Fred Brathwaite. considered the goaltender-of-the-future at the Saddledome. Karpenko, who would later represent Team Ukraine at the 2002 In mid-December, Moss was hobbled by a groin tear. Olympics, and Nestak would also tug on the Flaming C logo but wouldn’t see any game action. In their first contest after Christmas, Giguere was lost due to a hamstring pull. They can all laugh about it now, although the current plight of the Vegas Golden Knights — with a rash of goaltending injuries of their own — must The next day, the Flames reacquired old pal Trefilov, who had previously be bringing back some painful memories. played three seasons in Calgary’s organization and cost a seventh-round pick to bring back from the Chicago Blackhawks. Golden Knights go-to Marc-Andre Fleury, who agreed to waive a no- move clause to become the face-of-the-franchise for the expansion Trefilov was the answer for one week. squad in Sin City, suffered a concussion in only the fourth game of their After he suffered a groin injury of his own, it was Garner’s turn. existence. The losses, like the injuries, piled up. That 5-1 defeat in Pittsburgh marked eight straight. “At one point, (Dave) Elston did a cartoon,” Coates said. “The circus was in town, and there was a cartoon floating around of me talking to two bears, asking if either one of them played goal.” The Flames finally solved their crease crisis — not at the circus, but the Spengler Cup. Brathwaite had been a backup for the Edmonton Oilers from 1993-96, but he was toiling that winter with the Calgary-based national program and had just backstopped Team Canada to gold at the annual holiday tournament in Davos, Switzerland. A 26-year-old Brathwaite was home for a belated Christmas break when the Flames offered a job. Except that they wanted him to fly east, not west. “I was back in Ottawa and I got a call from my agent saying, ‘Hey, the Flames would like you to go down to Saint John and play because they don’t have any goalies because everyone is hurt,’ ” said Brathwaite, now the goaltending coach for the New York Islanders. “So at that time, I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to go to Saint John, but the only problem is my equipment has gone back to Calgary with the national team.’ So they said, ‘Well, come to Calgary because we need a goalie for practice anyway, and then you can fly out to Saint John on the weekend.’ OK, perfect. “And then they said, ‘You know what? We want you to play tomorrow against Dallas.’ So I kind of got thrown in against Dallas and ran from there. It was a whirlwind, probably, four-day event, and then I ended up staying there for two-and-a-half years.” Indeed, Brathwaite would never board that flight to Saint John. He delivered a 21-save shutout against the Stars, helping to snap the Flames out of their eight-game skid. He made 33 stops in a losing effort two nights later, then allowed just one goal on 32 shots in another W in his next start. He was soon a fan favourite at the Saddledome. (“I think they were more happy that a goalie was sticking around and not getting hurt every second day,” he quipped.) After Theo Fleury was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in late February, the mid-season addition emerged as the eventual winner of the Molson Cup, awarded to the guy who accumulates the most three-star points. With Brathwaite proving he should stay and others checking out of the infirmary, Garner was returned to junior, Trefilov returned to the International Hockey League, Giguere returned to the farm club in Saint John. Nestak, hopefully, returned his rental tuxedo before he incurred any late charges. This is now a hard-to-believe chapter in Flames’ franchise history. They finished ninth in the Western Conference that season, falling six points short of earning a playoff invite, but Sutter insists it’s way too soon to write off the Golden Knights, who have now dropped three in a row after an 8-1-0 intro that made them the feel-good hockey story of the fall. “You look at what’s going on in Las Vegas … It is a rallying call, and it makes guys care for each other and think about each other and feel for each other,” said Sutter, who was head coach for four NHL organizations and is now skipper of the senior-level Innisfail Eagles. “And when you do that, it’s amazing how they want to help each other and not let each other down. “There was a lot of teams hated playing against us that year, even though it was a revolving door with the goalies.”

Calgary Herald: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081446 Calgary Flames squad in Sin City, suffered a concussion in only the fourth game of their existence.

The spotlight briefly belonged to Malcolm Subban, until he joined Fleury Vegas goalie woes recall Flames revolving squad of netminders in 1998- on injured reserve with a lower-body injury. 99 Oscar Dansk debuted with three straight victories and a sparkling stat- line. Wes Gilbertson On Monday morning, Dansk was named the NHL’s second star of the November 3, 2017 5:38 PM UTC week. On Monday night in Brooklyn, he was injured. Maxime Lagace has started the past two contests for the Golden Knights, including a 2-1 road loss Thursday to the Boston Bruins. Just how deep were the 1998-99 Calgary Flames on their goaltending depth chart? Nineteen-year-old Dylan Ferguson, the only other crease option under contract to the NHL’s 31st team, was S.O.S-ed from the Western Hockey This latest arrival, it seems, didn’t even own duds for the occasion. League’s Kamloops Blazers to back up. “We were in Pittsburgh, and even with (Tyrone) Garner up, we didn’t “I lived that almost 20 years ago, so I completely understand what have a backup,” recalled Al Coates, the Flames’ general manager during (Ferguson) is going through,” said Garner, who tended twine that injury-riddled season, the first of the Young Guns promotional era. professionally for more than a decade but logged his only big-league “Our East Coast League team was in Johnstown, which was not that far action during that eye-opening stint in 1998-99. “Coming out of junior, away, so we made a phone call to get their goalie. Toby O’Brien, the mentally, it’s tough. You’re excited because this is something that you’ve manager there in Johnstown, told this kid, ‘You know, this is the National dreamed of your whole entire life, but you’re not expected to be there. Hockey League. You have to look presentable.’ So the kid goes and he You’ve already gone to training camp, been sent back to your junior rents, I think, a tuxedo. team. They all have depth charts, and you kind of know where you stand on the depth chart, and really you’re not expecting to be there for another “It was either a rented tuxedo or a rented dress suit. It was pretty year or two years, if that. comical. Needless to say, it was quite an adventure for him.” “So it’s a bit of an emotional rollercoaster. You’re excited. You’re That kid, Pavel Nestak of the Czech Republic, was actually the Flames’ nervous. You kind of question yourself and you wonder if you’re ready, insurance policy to their insurance policy for a Jan. 5, 1999, clash with but you have to get in the mindset that whatever level you’re at as a mulleted superstar Jaromir Jagr and the Penguins in Pittsburgh. goalie, your job is to stop the puck.” Coates had summoned another netminder from the Flames’ farm club in The difference, at least for now, is Ferguson hasn’t been pressed into Saint John, N.B., but Nestak made the 110-kilometre drive from action. Johnstown just in case one of Igor Karpenko’s three connecting flights was delayed. Garner’s emergency recall with the 1998-99 Flames lasted more than a month. As it turns out, Nestak was back in his rented finery by puck-drop. He was the backup to Giguere, then the backup to Trefilov. Karpenko was signed and delivered — by a taxi-cab, that is — midway through the pre-game warmup. He served as the second-stringer to And then, suddenly, he was next up. Garner, a 20-year-old junior up from the Oshawa Generals of the on an emergency recall. For about a month, Tyler Moss split duties with Giguere. Garner made his first and, as it turns out, only NHL start that night. Trefilov was injured in the opening minute on Jan. 4, 1999, in Boston. Garner, who had debuted in the third period two nights earlier in Buffalo, “They lost the game 5-1 and Garner played the whole game, but was now needed for 59-plus minutes of relief against Ray Bourque and (Karpenko), you would’ve thought he played the game and won the game the Bruins. because he was dancing around the dressing room afterward,” said Hockey Hall-of-Fame broadcaster Peter Maher, the longtime radio voice He started the following night in Pittsburgh. of the Flames. “He was just so excited to have been involved in an NHL “I remember, when I played in the Boston game, a reporter asked me: game, even though he didn’t actually play. ‘How did you feel?’ ” said Garner, who now works as a police officer in “He stood out from everything in the room. The players were pretty down, Burlington, Ont., and also runs his own goaltending academy. “There but he was excited as hell.” were times where I felt confident, and there were times — and again, it’s the mental aspect of going from junior to pro hockey — where I didn’t feel Everybody who accompanied the out-of-town team to Pittsburgh on Jan. confident. I kind of felt overwhelmed, and then your mind starts going and 5, 1999, seems to have a knee-slapper from that visit to The Igloo. you have to regroup. Then, you get a flurry of shots and you felt good again, you felt confident, felt like ‘Yeah, I can play here.’ Brian Sutter, the first of three brothers from Alberta’s famous hockey family to serve as head coach of the Flames, remembers a panic as the “And then you have Sergei Samsonov and Joe Thornton come down and equipment staff tried to find a sweater for one of the puck-stopping tic-tac-toe and it’s in the net, and then you’re feeling like, ‘Maybe I’m in a options. bit over my head.’ But you don’t have time to really digest that until after the game.” “It was a last-minute thing, and we sent him out in somebody else’s jersey,” Sutter chuckled. “We said, ‘Hey, nobody knows who the hell he is The Golden Knights have only dressed five masked men so far, but it’s anyway! So how is anybody going to know if there’s a different name on early. the back of his jersey?’ And he went out for warmup like that.” The Flames’ run of bad luck between the pipes — or as Sutter refers to it, Goalies who suited up for the Flames in 1998-99, from top left, clockwise: “the roving goalie spectacle” — didn’t start until Nov. 3, 1998. Ken Wregget, Tyler Moss, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Andrei Trefilov, Tyrone Garner and Fred Brathwaite. Acquired in an off-season swap, Wregget had been in the blue paint for 11 consecutive games that fall — including both halves of a season- The Flames used a franchise-record six goaltenders during the 1998-99 opening set against the San Jose Sharks in Tokyo — before being campaign — Ken Wregget, Tyler Moss, Jean-Sebastien Giguere, Andrei sidelined by a troublesome back. He wouldn’t return until February. Trefilov, Garner and finally Fred Brathwaite. For upwards of a month, Moss split the duties with Giguere, then Karpenko, who would later represent Team Ukraine at the 2002 considered the goaltender-of-the-future at the Saddledome. Olympics, and Nestak would also tug on the Flaming C logo but wouldn’t see any game action. In mid-December, Moss was hobbled by a groin tear. They can all laugh about it now, although the current plight of the Vegas In their first contest after Christmas, Giguere was lost due to a hamstring Golden Knights — with a rash of goaltending injuries of their own — must pull. be bringing back some painful memories. A parade of goalies dressed for the Flames after Jean-Sebastien Giguere Golden Knights go-to Marc-Andre Fleury, who agreed to waive a no- went down with a hamstring pull. move clause to become the face-of-the-franchise for the expansion The next day, the Flames reacquired old pal Trefilov, who had previously played three seasons in Calgary’s organization and cost a seventh-round pick to bring back from the Chicago Blackhawks. Trefilov was the answer for one week. After he suffered a groin injury of his own, it was Garner’s turn. The losses, like the injuries, piled up. That 5-1 defeat in Pittsburgh marked eight straight. “At one point, (Dave) Elston did a cartoon,” Coates said. “The circus was in town, and there was a cartoon floating around of me talking to two bears, asking if either one of them played goal.” The Flames finally solved their crease crisis — not at the circus, but the Spengler Cup. Brathwaite had been a backup for the Edmonton Oilers from 1993-96, but he was toiling that winter with the Calgary-based national program and had just backstopped Team Canada to gold at the annual holiday tournament in Davos, Switzerland. A 26-year-old Brathwaite was home for a belated Christmas break when the Flames offered a job. Fred Brathwaite was a fan favourite at the Saddledome. Except that they wanted him to fly east, not west. “I was back in Ottawa and I got a call from my agent saying, ‘Hey, the Flames would like you to go down to Saint John and play because they don’t have any goalies because everyone is hurt,’ ” said Brathwaite, now the goaltending coach for the New York Islanders. “So at that time, I said, ‘Yeah, I would love to go to Saint John, but the only problem is my equipment has gone back to Calgary with the national team.’ So they said, ‘Well, come to Calgary because we need a goalie for practice anyway, and then you can fly out to Saint John on the weekend.’ OK, perfect. “And then they said, ‘You know what? We want you to play tomorrow against Dallas.’ So I kind of got thrown in against Dallas and ran from there. It was a whirlwind, probably, four-day event, and then I ended up staying there for two-and-a-half years.” Indeed, Brathwaite would never board that flight to Saint John. He delivered a 21-save shutout against the Stars, helping to snap the Flames out of their eight-game skid. He made 33 stops in a losing effort two nights later, then allowed just one goal on 32 shots in another W in his next start. He was soon a fan favourite at the Saddledome. (“I think they were more happy that a goalie was sticking around and not getting hurt every second day,” he quipped.) After Theo Fleury was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in late February, the mid-season addition emerged as the eventual winner of the Molson Cup, awarded to the guy who accumulates the most three-star points. With Brathwaite proving he should stay and others checking out of the infirmary, Garner was returned to junior, Trefilov returned to the International Hockey League, Giguere returned to the farm club in Saint John. Nestak, hopefully, returned his rental tuxedo before he incurred any late charges. This is now a hard-to-believe chapter in Flames’ franchise history. They finished ninth in the Western Conference that season, falling six points short of earning a playoff invite, but Sutter insists it’s way too soon to write off the Golden Knights, who have now dropped three in a row after an 8-1-0 intro that made them the feel-good hockey story of the fall. “You look at what’s going on in Las Vegas … It is a rallying call, and it makes guys care for each other and think about each other and feel for each other,” said Sutter, who was head coach for four NHL organizations and is now skipper of the senior-level Innisfail Eagles. “And when you do that, it’s amazing how they want to help each other and not let each other down. “There was a lot of teams hated playing against us that year, even though it was a revolving door with the goalies.”

Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081447 Calgary Flames “You have no choice,” Smith said. “As a goalie, you’re standing back there, and you can’t really control what happens in front of you. So there’s no sense in worrying about the shot-clock. You just worry about Big goal by Giordano, big goalie effort by Smith in OT win over Penguins the next save. I know it’s cliche coming from a goalie, but it’s the truth.” Smith seemed to be duelling all night with Carl Hagelin, who had a nice backhand shot on a first-period breakaway that was tossed aside by the Kristen Odland, Postmedia Flames goalie. November 3, 2017 9:19 AM UTC Then, five minutes into the second period, Bryan Rust nearly scored on a chance in front, but the puck slid behind Smith along the goalmouth (!), and he was able to smother it. Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry watches the puck sail over his glove Shortly after, he made one of those “pull-your-groin” type left-pad saves as Flames Mark Giordano scores the winning goal in overtime at the on a point shot from Letang (the uber-flexible Smith didn’t actually pull his Saddledome on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017.Al Charest / Postmedia groin, by the way.) The other day at WinSport, Mike Smith ditched his goalie-standard CCM, The ice tilted back in the Flames favour for a portion of the second period grabbed a player stick and practised his one-timers. when Calgary had three powerplays, two of which were drawn by Johnny Gaudreau and one — near the end of the frame — drawn by Matthew Guess the Calgary Flames netminder has heard about the team’s Tkachuk. secondary scoring problems too. Ryan Reaves had thrown Tkachuk into the boards near the Flames’ And if he wasn’t so busy trying to single-handedly fend off the Pittsburgh bench, and, on the play, the 19-year-old winger looked like he hit his ribs Penguins on Thursday night in a 2-1 overtime victory largely dominated and exited the game. Reaves was delivered a roughing penalty with 47 by the visitors, the 35-year-old probably would have tried to chip in. seconds left in the second period. But in the end, it was Mark Giordano that eventually got the job done As for their penalty kill — which went one-for-one — Gulutzan pointed to when Matthew Tkachuk pick-pocketed Sidney Crosby to set up the Smith again. Flames captain with 2:19 gone in the extra frame. “I think as the game went on, too, the way we came back for Smitty is a The finish was impressive, especially because the Penguins had tied the big thing for our team. We showed him that we can play with the top score 1-1 with 1:12 ticks left in the third period when Patric Hornqvist’s tip team. We responded in a positive way, and it’s going to be good for our sent Kris Letang’s shot past a furious Smith. group moving forward.” Up until that point, it looked like Sean Monahan’s garbage goal with 4:07 remaining in the final frame was going to stand up as the game-winner. Calgary Sun: LOADED: 11.04.2017 But Smith was the unanimous hero on this night, facing 41 shots in regulation from the defending Stanley Cup champions who, by the way, won 3-2 against the Edmonton Oilers at Rogers Place just 24 hours before. In the end, he made 43 saves on 44 shots. “That was one of the best goalie performances I’ve seen in a long time,” said Flames head coach Glen Gulutzan whose club improved to 7-6-0. “It gives you confidence going into any building … when you know you have a goalie like that, and you’re sitting on the bench playing, there is a sense of assurance that you’ve got a guy in there that’s battling every night. Mike Smith makes one of his 43 saves against the Penguins. “He’s one of the leagues best goalies, and that’s a big thing.” A large chunk of his stellar play came in the third period — exactly when you’d expect a tired team would drift off. He made a blocker save on Brian Dumoulin off the rush 1:10 into the final stanza, stopped Jake Guentzel on a partial breakaway at the halfway mark and stuck out his blocker again with 5:22 remaining when Phil Kessel released a shot while fending off a back-checking Mark Giordano. Pittsburgh was the third straight team that has come into Calgary on the second half of back-to-backs. And, prior to Thursday’s game, the Penguins were 0-4 on the second night this season having been dominated by lopsided scores such as 10-1, 7-1 and 7-1. “Early in the game, ‘G’ was out there for three minutes, I think,” Smith said. “They came at us pretty hard. Obviously we want to clean that up. We want to be better at home. We want to have better starts. “That was a team that hadn’t had much success at back-to-backs. They were hungry to try and get one (Thursday).” That wasn’t the only factor working in Calgary’s favour. They were also facing former the Edmonton Oil Kings goalie Jarry who had a total of one National Hockey League performance before Thursday’s clash. To start the game, the Flames made it easy for him. Capped off by a terrible shift by the Flames’ fourth line, the team spent the entire first five minutes in their own zone, and it went steadily downhill from there. Johnny Gaudreau carries the puck into the Penguins zone Thursday night. Mikael Backlund took a tripping penalty and, by the end of the Penguins’ power-play, the shots were 14-3 for the visitors. With very little even- strength pressure on Sidney Crosby & Co., the Flames were eventually out-shot 19-8. 1081448 Carolina Hurricanes Ward, 33, said he has enjoyed being around Darling, who at 6-6 and 232 pounds all but dwarfs Ward, who is 6-1 and 185 pounds.

“We’ve established a real good friendship and support each other,” Ward Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward is now in a backup role. How’s he handling said. “He’s top-notch guy and I think he’s a real good goaltender. With his it? size he covers up a lot of the net. I think there’s great things ahead for Scott.” BY CHIP ALEXANDER Ward said he isn’t sure how many games he’ll be slotted into — he has never played fewer than 28 in a full season — and said there is no long- [email protected] range goaltending schedule that is set. NOVEMBER 03, 2017 5:24 PM “I think if anything it has taught me a lot of patience,” he said. “I don’t know what they have in mind but I anticipate I will be playing the back-to- back games.” Cam Ward has had better November nights. The game against the Blues was a night after the Canes won 6-3 in Toronto. It was the first of 18 back-to-back sets for Carolina, its most Then again, the Carolina Hurricanes goalie has always had more since the 2013-14 season. October opportunities. “It’s a tough part of the schedule, those back-to-backs,” Ward said. “The Ward was the starter Thursday as the Hurricanes were beaten 5-3 by the lesson has been learned, that you need both goalies to be going.” Colorado Avalanche in Denver. The Avs, who aren’t lacking speed, scored three second-period goals — the third on a power play after a Regardless of who’s No. 1. failed coach’s challenge by the Canes’ Bill Peters — and goalie Semyon Varlamov turned in a career-high 57 saves. Ward had been rock-solid in his other starts this season. Both of them. News Observer LOADED: 11.04.2017 With the coming of Scott Darling, brought in to be the Canes’ No. 1 goalie this season, Ward found himself in a most unusual role. Long the franchise goalie, he was relegated to being the backup as Darling started eight of the Canes’ first 10 games. In 11 previous full seasons, Ward played in 88 total games in October. This is different. “There’s no question it has been an adjustment,” Ward said earlier this week. “I’m doing what I can to stay sharp in practice. When you’re not playing as much you have to emphasize more the practices and trying to stay sharp.” When the season began Oct. 10, against the Minnesota Wild at PNC Arena, Darling was in net. It was the first time Ward had not started a Canes home opener in his career and he watched as Carolina rallied for a 5-4 shootout victory. Ward’s first start came on the road against the Edmonton Oilers on Oct 17. He was back in his hometown and finished with 48 saves in the Canes’ 5-3 win. “It was a lot of fun to play in Edmonton,” Ward said. “Obviously I have a lot of family and friends who still live there. When you haven’t played as much, your focus is even more dialed in, because you know you have to be ready when you haven’t seen many shots.” Ten days later, he was back in net against the St. Louis Blues at PNC Arena. He faced 34 shots in a 2-1 loss as the Blues scored the winning goal midway through the third period when the Canes couldn’t clear the puck from their zone and Brayden Schenn had an open shot from the slot. “Both games I was real sharp,” Ward said. “I’m trying not to put too much pressure on myself, just have some fun and go out and play. Just enjoy the fact I’m still playing and playing with a great group of guys.” The loss to the Avs was a tough one for the group. It was 2-2 after the first period and Colorado took charge in the second, getting goals from Blake Comeau and Gabriel Landeskog for a 4-2 lead. Peters used his challenge on the Landeskog goal, claiming the Avs were offside crossing the offensive blue line, but the goal was upheld on review. Under the altered NHL challenge rule, an unsuccessful challenge for offside results in a delay-of-game penalty and the Avs added a power- play score by Mikko Rantanen for a 5-2 lead. “We got the double whammy,” Peters said. Derek Ryan’s goal late in the second gave the Canes a fighting chance but Varlamov shut them down in the third period with 22 saves. The Canes made a change in goaltender coaches this season, bringing in Mike Bales, who worked for the Pittsburgh Penguins — and goalies Matt Murray and Marc-Andre Fleury — on Stanley Cup-winning teams the past two seasons. He’s still getting a feel for his two new goalies, of what’s the appropriate amount of work. Darling’s numbers through eight games aren’t dazzling: a 3-3-2 record, 2.70 goals-against average and .897 save percentage. Darling and Ward both will need to be better. 1081449 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy not afraid to show some fight

Paul Skrbina Chicago Tribune

The last time Connor Murphy found himself in a fistfight his father had a front-row seat. And he wasn’t necessarily rooting for his son. Fifteen seconds — and some prodding — after the Blackhawks defenseman lowered his right shoulder into Flyers left winger Taylor Leier and sent him to the ice in a heap with what referees declared to Murphy was a clean hit Wednesday, Murphy shed his gloves and absorbed a right hook from Scott Laughton. The scrum lasted all of six seconds before the two tumbled off their feet with 6 minutes, 42 seconds left in the first period of the Hawks’ 3-0 victory at the United Center. Gord Murphy, an assistant coach with the Flyers and a former NHL defenseman, watched from the bench as his son and his player each were punished with five-minute penalties. “I did talk to him after. He was cool about it,” Connor Murphy said Friday after practice. “He understood. I don’t think your parents ever like to see you getting in fights, but he understands it is part of the game.” Murphy also understands he should choose his fighting partners carefully. Noted Flyers tough guy Wayne Simmonds shoved Murphy after the hit, but Murphy had no interest in taking him on in his fourth career fight. “You just have to know to not go against the heavyweight guys,” Murphy said. “I thought maybe once he was gone it would have been cleared up, but a couple of other guys kept yelling and asking (me to fight) so I figured I might as well just get it over with.” Murphy said while the hit was deemed clean, he understood why the Flyers wanted a piece of him. “They just want you to own up to hitting a guy,” he said. “But I understand. An organization like Philadelphia, they want to show they’re a tough team and they need to stick up for their teammates every time they get hit. “The thing I don’t like the most is sitting out for five minutes.” One-timer: Defenseman Gustav Forsling, who missed Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury suffered during a loss to the Avalanche last weekend, is expected to miss Saturday’s game against the Wild but could return Sunday against the Canadiens, Blackhawks coach Joel Quenneville said.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081450 Chicago Blackhawks

Saturday's matchup: Blackhawks at Wild

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

Storylines: The Hawks haven’t had great luck against division opponents so far this season, going 1-4-0 against the Central Division. Trending: Blackhawks goaltender Corey Crawford has allowed more than three goals in only two of his 10 starts. Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk has allowed four goals or more in four of his eight starts.

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081451 Chicago Blackhawks

Jan Rutta’s versatility gives Blackhawks more options on defense

Chris Hine Chicago Tribune

During the Blackhawks’ loss to the Avalanche last week, defenseman Jan Rutta didn’t give much thought to coach Joel Quenneville asking him to switch from right defenseman to left. Rutta was too busy scolding himself over his play earlier in the game. “I was pretty pissed about my performance in the first period,” Rutta said. “I was just working hard and trying to get the frustration out of me.” Perhaps Rutta benefited from not thinking too much about the switch to his off-hand. Quenneville liked what he saw and kept Rutta on the left side Wednesday for the Hawks’ victory over the Flyers. Quenneville might have found a solution to the logjam of right-handed defensemen he has been juggling through the first month of the season: play Rutta on the left. That would allow Cody Franson and Connor Murphy, who were toggling in and out of the lineup, both to play. And with left-handed Gustav Forsling out for the Hawks’ road game Saturday against the Wild because of an upper-body injury, Rutta, Franson and Murphy appear as if they will be in the lineup, with Rutta taking one for the team — and filling a void. One positive, he said, is he can easily one-time the puck off a pass from another defenseman. But Rutta said he needs to adjust to receiving passes in the defensive zone on his backhand and angle his body the correct way to defend attacking forwards. “The angles are obviously a little bit different when I’m gapping on forwards,” Rutta said. “You pick up passes on your backhand more than you would like. … I don’t think (the switch) is hard. It’s just unusual. Most of my time I’m used to turning basically one direction so it’s just another challenge.” Rutta, whom Quenneville partnered with Brent Seabrook against the Flyers, said he could not remember the last time he played on the left. Not every defenseman can make the switch. “I’ll admit, I’m not the best at it,” Murphy said. “It’s not easy. Your mindset is so different. You’re so used to angles on your one side because you do it every day. … “You find yourself in awkward situations. Like the offensive blue line, if there’s a puck trickling, you have to catch it on your backhand and there’s a guy flying toward you, you’ve got to have the ability to stop it and get it around your body.” Rutta’s ability to adjust well to the switch gives Quenneville some added lineup flexibility. “It gives you way more options when guys can play both sides,” Quenneville said. “It really enhances the opportunities to make adjustments in games. Sometimes you lose a guy (and) … whether it’s getting the pairs you want or (getting favorable) matchups, you have a lot of opportunities to do what you feel is best.” For now, Rutta playing out of his comfort zone is what’s best for the Hawks. “I’m just pretty happy that I’m playing,” Rutta said. “I’m not really taking sides.”

Chicago Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081452 Chicago Blackhawks The next day, some of Hossa’s teammates got their hands on a video clip of his solo celebration. They couldn’t stop watching it.

‘‘He’s jumping up and down and banging on the glass, all by himself,’’ Reliving Hawks’ victory vs. Predators in Game 5 of 2010 playoffs Brouwer says. ‘‘It was absolutely hilarious.’’ The overtime intermission — the Blackhawks walked down the tunnel to 11/03/2017, 09:38PM a standing ovation as Gene Honda announced Kane’s goal over the public-address system — was the first time the modern-day, unflappable, Mark Lazerus unkillable Blackhawks mentality really showed itself. @MarkLazerus | email There wasn’t any premature celebration. There wasn’t a whole lot of backslapping and fist-bumping. Oh, there was the usual Seabrook chatter—the ‘‘Here we go, Red!’’ and the ‘‘Come on now, boys!’’ that tend to spill out of him before games and in big moments. Toews might have That pressure building up in Marian Hossa’s mind came to a head during had a few words. But in what would become the Blackhawks’ hallmark, it Game 5 of the Blackhawks’ first-round matchup with the Nashville was a pretty mellow place. Party away from the rink, all business at the Predators. With the series tied 2-2, the Blackhawks built up a 3-1 lead on rink. goals by Andrew Ladd, Niklas Hjalmarsson, and Tomas Kopecky, with Hossa setting up his countryman on the latter. Then the bottom fell out. ‘‘It’s all about riding those highs and lows and trying to stay even-keeled,’’ says Brent Sopel, one of the more veteran players on the team. ‘‘We just Joel Ward’s shorthanded goal late in the second period gave the sat there and talked about our strategy. We still had four minutes of Predators new life. Then Martin Erat scored early in the third to tie the penalty kill ahead of us to start overtime. game, then again with 8:21 left to give Nashville a 4-3 lead. The United Center, filled with so many fans — some Cup-starved and grizzled ‘‘Our PK had been phenomenal — I was enjoying taking Shea Weber veterans, some new adoptees who had just been turned on to the sport shots off every part of my body. We were comfortable and confident that — sounded like a morgue. Shortly before Erat had picked Denis we could get through that penalty kill, then we’d just go from there. Never Grebeshkov’s pass out of his skates and beaten Antti Niemi with a quick at any point did we get too high and never at any point did we get too wrister to give Nashville the lead, Pekka Rinne had robbed Patrick Kane low. It was a real asset of that team.’’ and Patrick Sharp on a power play. Frustration was mounting. Particularly on Hossa. During those 18 tense minutes, Toews’ thoughts turned to what might be going on in the other dressing room, just a few feet down the hall. And moments after coming up empty on a chance of his own, with time ticking down on the crucial and pivotal game, Hossa chased down ‘‘When the other team ties it up like that, your heart sinks and you feel Nashville’s Dan Hamhuis for a loose puck deep in the Predators’ zone. like you really let a huge opportunity slip,’’ Toews says. ‘‘You’re just trying Hossa just wanted to go in hard on the forecheck and get the puck back. to move on. But it’s a completely different feeling when you’re the one He wound up shoving Hamhuis in the side and sending him hard into the who ties it up. You get that second chance and you have that feeling of boards at full speed. The five-minute major for boarding was an easy call, destiny. You just know you’re going to pull it off. So you just keep that met only with a dismissive wave by a fuming Joel Quenneville on the positive chatter going and keep everyone in that right frame of mind. bench. Someone’s going to be the hero. Make that play and make it you.’’ Hossa trudged off to the penalty box, thinking, What have I done? And that hero, fittingly, turned out to be Hossa. ‘‘I tried to forecheck and do everything I could to get the puck back, but I The Blackhawks finished off the kill, and Hossa stepped out of the box hit the guy in a tough spot,’’ Hossa says. ‘‘I was like, ‘Oh, no.’ Usually I and drifted immediately toward Rinne’s right side — the same spot from don’t take those types of penalties. And in a crucial game like this? You which Kane scored the equalizer, only on the other end of the rink. Sopel work so hard to try and create something, and then you do something fired a shot from the far point, and the deflection came right to Hossa, like that. I couldn’t believe it.’’ who smacked it in for the game-winner. Hossa did a rock-star power slide from his knees, twirling as he pumped both fists in jubilation. With 63 seconds left, shorthanded, against one of the best trapping teams in the league, the game appeared over. And with it, possibly the series. And with that, possibly Hossa’s sanity. Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 ‘‘You’re writing it off,’’ Troy Brouwer admits. But every championship has a turning point. An obstacle to overcome. An unlikely victory. In 2013, it was Brent Seabrook entering the penalty box and patting a full-tilt Jonathan Toews on the head and telling him it’d all be okay before the Blackhawks rattled off three straight wins to erase a 3-1 series deficit against Detroit. In 2015, it was Toews breaking Ducks goaltender Frederik Andersen’s brain with two late goals to force overtime in Game 5 — a game that was a loss in the short term but a huge win in the long run. In 2010? It came with their best penalty killer, Hossa, in the box. And with Kane, who had played 10 measly minutes of shorthanded time all season, on the ice. Lingering. Looming. Lurking. ‘‘I don’t know if he played a single minute on the PK all year long, and he’s just hanging out by the red line, waiting for a breakaway pass,’’ Brouwer says with a laugh. It never came. But when the Blackhawks managed to enter the zone, Kane did what he does best, which is find open ice. With the play all to one side, Kane slid toward Rinne’s blind side, stick on the ice, praying for the puck to come his way. Seabrook fed Toews for a quick shot, and the rebound came toward Kane and Ward on the right side of the crease. Kane got there first, sweeping in a backhander with 13.6 seconds left. Kane wheeled around and raced down the ice in celebration, firing off windmill fist pumps as Sharp hugged him. The crowd at the United Center spontaneously burst to life, the sounds of The Fratellis’ ‘‘Chelsea Dagger’’ reverberating throughout the cavernous arena. And all by his lonesome in the penalty box, Hossa looked like the littlest kid on the team, jumping up and down like a madman as a mix of relief and joy washed over him. ‘‘It was a weird place to be, celebrating in the penalty box,’’ Hossa says. ‘‘But it was exciting.’’ 1081453 Chicago Blackhawks

Artem Anisimov relearning to play center with new linemates

11/03/2017, 10:09PM Mark Lazerus @MarkLazerus | email

Being Patrick Kane’s center is more like being Patrick Kane’s second left wing. Kane is unusual among wingers because of the way he dominates the puck. It’s Kane who usually leads the breakout, Kane who usually carries the puck through the neutral zone, Kane who usually dictates entries and what happens once in the offensive zone. That was just fine by Artem Anisimov, who spent two years as Kane’s center. It freed Anisimov up to focus on his defensive responsibilities, and to go hard to the net and look for loose pucks to stuff in. That worked out great, as Kane had his two best seasons in the NHL and Anisimov potted 42 goals. But now that Anisimov is back on a normal line, with more typical wingers, there has been something of a relearning curve. He’s just starting to get the hang of this whole center thing again. After posting just one goal and one assist in the first 10 games, he has scored in three straight — one short-handed, one at even strength and one on the power play — while adding an assist. “I feel much better because I have the puck more, and I make more plays and feel confident,” Anisimov said. He took a moment to think of the right word to describe his mental process over the first month of the season before settling on the perfect one: “reinforcement.” He just had to remember how he played most of his career before landing in between Kane and Artemi Panarin, two gifted and unusually creative puck-handlers. “It’s true,” Anisimov said. “I carry the puck more through the neutral zone [now] and just try to make plays and be responsible in all zones.” A rotating cast of wingers hasn’t really helped. Anisimov has spent most of the season with veteran Patrick Sharp on his left wing but has cycled through a few right wings. The last three games, Sharp and Anisimov have played alongside rookie John Hayden, and the results have been promising. “Way, way better,” coach Joel Quenneville said. “[Anisimov has] been way more effective, having the puck more, carrying the puck more, [and] he has more pace to his game. . . . His game and the pace have really picked up. It’s such a big improvement in our team game when you add his presence in the middle of the ice.” The bruising Hayden is quite different than the shifty Kane, but Anisimov has been impressed. “He’s really skilled, too,” Anisimov said. “And he’s a big guy, and he wins the battles all over the ice. It’s helpful. He always gets the puck.” Anisimov has been more aggressive lately, too. He fired nine shots on goal over the last two games — the same amount he had in the previous seven games. Anisimov looked lost for much of the first month of the season — almost like a first-year player adjusting to an all-new system. Considering how different his role is without Kane and Panarin on his line, that’s sort of what he is. But like so many other players adapting to a new role, it just took a little bit of time to figure it out. “You lose two wingers like he had — that was a pretty great position to be in, playing with two of the best in the game,” Quenneville said. “So maybe there are some adjustments there. [But] I don’t think he’s complaining with who he’s playing with now. And Arty, that big middle center you like, gives you some options when he’s playing like that.” NOTE: Defenseman Gustav Forsling will miss a second straight game Saturday in Minnesota with an apparent head injury, but he returned to practice Friday and could play Sunday against the Canadiens.

Chicago Sun Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081454 Chicago Blackhawks "But I have to move on. Just let it go. It happened -- I can't do anything else. Just keep working."

Forsberg knows Chicago Blackhawks counting on him Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.04.2017

John Dietz Follow @johndietzdh

The first time Anton Forsberg was in net this season, he made 39 saves in a 4-3 overtime loss at Toronto. It was quite an impressive debut for the Chicago Blackhawks' backup goalie, whom general manager Stan Bowman acquired as part of the Brandon Saad-Artemi Panarin trade in June. The skinny: Minnesota is 5-4-2 and has won three of four. … The Hawks lost 5-2 on Oct. 12 in the teams' first meeting. The game was tied at 1-1 midway through the third period, but Chris Stewart's controversial goal at 10:32 opened the floodgates for the Wild. The Hawks lost an offsides challenge, and the Wild then scored on the ensuing delay-of-game penalty to take a 3-1 lead. … Stewart leads Minnesota with 6 goals. … Devan Dubnyk (4-3-1, .905, 3.03 GAA) is off to a rough start. He went 99-54-13 with a .924 save percentage and 2.17 goals-against average in his first 2½ seasons in Minnesota. … Corey Crawford starts for the Hawks. Ten days later, Forsberg shined again, turning away 40 shots against the high-powered Edmonton Oilers in another overtime loss. Brimming with confidence, Forsberg took a .929 save percentage and 2.81 goals-against average into his third start at Colorado last Saturday -- and promptly got lit up by the surprising Avs, giving up 5 goals on 20 shots in just 26 minutes and 42 seconds. "It was one of those nights where our coverage wasn't great," coach Joel Quenneville said. "We were loose against a team that's dangerous and fast and can score." Said Forsberg: "Sometimes you make some unbelievable saves. In those other games I kept them from scoring and this one I didn't. That's the difference. "If we look at the game, I moved the same way. It's just sometimes those games are going to come." True enough. But they can't come very often because every NHL team relies on their backup to start about 20-25 times in relief of their starter. And although Forsberg looked very solid in his first two starts, the jury still is definitely out on the 24-year-old Swede. In what is admittedly a ridiculously small sample size, Forsberg is nonetheless 1-9-2 in the NHL, with an .884 save percentage and 4.07 goals-against average in 13 games (10 of which came with Columbus). His numbers this year (.895, 4.26) are awful thanks to that one bad start, but that's not the worst part of being a backup goalie in the NHL. "Last year if I had a bad game, I usually played the night after," said Forsberg, who was 50-27-7 with the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters in the AHL the last two seasons. "You get a rematch and can kind of forget it right away. It's easier to move on. "Now I kind of have to move on by working in practice and wait for the next opportunity." That likely will come Sunday at home against Montreal. After that, Forsberg should see the net again on Nov. 12 when the Hawks host the Devils the night after playing against Scott Darling's Carolina Huricanes. Of the 5 goals Forsberg allowed to the Avs, it's the third one that still leaves a sour taste in his mouth. With the first-period clock racing toward 0:00, Forsberg got enough of a slap shot that it trickled through his legs and didn't cross the goal line. Just before he could put his glove over it, though, Duncan Keith swept it out of the crease. Unfortunately for the Hawks, Mikko Rantanen swooped in and backhanded a shot that bounced off Forsberg and into the net. "There's three seconds left in the period and it would have been a totally different game if we come in down 2-0 instead of 3-0," Forsberg said. "That's, for sure, my goal. I'm a little bit (upset) about that one. 1081455 Chicago Blackhawks

Blackhawks' Anisimov looking more like his old self

John Dietz Follow @johndietzdh

One week after lamenting his poor play, Artem Anisimov has rattled off a three-game goal streak and looks like the center the Blackhawks have relied on the past two seasons. "Way, way better," coach Joel Quenneville said after practice on Thursday, a day before traveling to play at Minnesota. "He's been way more effective having the puck more, carrying the puck more. Has more speed to his game." It was Anisimov who snapped the Hawks' ugly 0-for-18 power-play skid in a 3-0 win over Philadelphia on Wednesday when he scored the game's first goal midway through the second period. Quenneville also likes how the big center understands that he must carry the play through the neutral zone more than he did the past two seasons, when Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin were on the wings. Anisimov mainly has had Patrick Sharp on his left side this season, and John Hayden has been getting a look on the right side the past few games. "We're getting to know each other better," said Anisimov, who had 1 goal and 1 assist in the first 10 games. "It makes the game easier." Quenneville didn't rule out moving him up the lineup. A Brandon Saad- Anisimov-Patrick Kane line could create headaches for opponents. "Certainly his pace has really picked up," Quenneville said. "(That) gives us such a big improvement to our team game when you add his presence in the middle of the ice. … "Still think he could play with some top guys as we're going along." No fun sitting: After Tanner Kero was called up from Rockford in late December last season, he appeared in 47 straight games. The young center impressed coaches so much that when Artem Anisimov went down with a leg injury in Game 69, it was Kero who then centered the second line with Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane. It's a different story early this season, though, as Kero will likely sit for a sixth consecutive game when the Hawks play at Minnesota. Kero's playing time has been reduced because of the addition Tommy Wingels, who has centered the fourth line in 11 of the past 12 games. Kero admitted Thursday sitting hasn't been easy, but coach Joel Quenneville appreciates the way the 25-year-old has gone about his business. "Have to commend him on his attitude," Quenneville said. "Every day he works hard. He treats practices like games. "It's obviously frustrating, disappointing. Persevering is what it's all about right now and finding a way to stay game ready." Slap shots: Defenseman Gustav Forsling, injured vs. Colorado last week, will not play against Minnesota. Coach Joel Quenneville was hopeful Forsling could play at home against Montreal on Sunday. … Quenneville said Jordin Tootoo (upper body) is closer to returning, but he did not give a timetable.

Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081456 Chicago Blackhawks

Meet the new Chicago Blackhawks: Forsberg and Oesterle

Our series on the eight new Blackhawks concludes today with goalie Anton Forsberg and defenseman Jordan Oesterle. Forsberg, who came to the Hawks in the Brandon Saad-Artemi Panarin trade last June, has looked good in most appearances but he struggled in his last outing at Colorado. Oesterle signed a two-year deal when free agency opened. The Dearborn Heights, Michigan, native attended Western Michigan from 2011-14. He has been a healthy scratch in 10 of the Hawks' 13 games but can add an element of offense when on the ice. How you became a goalie: "I don't really know. I think it was more the gear -- I thought it was cool. Once I started watching hockey, I was always watching the goalies for some reason." Favorite hockey memories: The World Junior and Calder Cup championships, and his first NHL game. Favorite player growing up: "I liked Peter Forsberg a lot; I don't know if it's just because he has the same last name." Most mischievous thing you did as a kid: Just like Connor Murphy, Forsberg said ding-dong ditch. "I think every kid would do that when you're younger. Ringing doorbells and running around, and go back again. It would drive somebody crazy. I didn't do a lot (wrong) when I was young. I was kind of a laid-back guy."

-- John Dietz Daily Herald Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081457 Chicago Blackhawks

Adjustments made, Artem Anisimov is back to being effective center for Blackhawks

By Tracey Myers November 03, 2017 4:45 PM

Artem Anisimov was at his usual spot in front of the net on Wednesday night, scoring a goal that was as necessary for his confidence as it was to help the Blackhawks’ lagging power play. In his first two seasons with the Blackhawks Anisimov’s net-front presence, and the production that came from it, was fairly regular – 20 goals in 2015-16 and 22 in 2016-17. But Anisimov didn’t look the same and wasn’t as effective to start this season – at least until lately. Now coming off three games in which he’s had a goal in each, Anisimov is back to being the effective center the Blackhawks need him to be. “I feel much better because I have more puck and I make more plays and feel confident,” Anisimov said following Friday’s practice. Coach Joel Quenneville said Anisimov has been, “way, way better” in his last three games. “He’s been way more effective having the puck more, carrying the puck he has more pace to his game,” he said. “He did a great job on the net- front goal the other day by being in the right spot, but certainly his game and the pace has really picked up. It’s such a big improvement in our team game when you add his presence in the middle of the ice.” Some of it was adjusting to new line mates. Centering Artemi Panarin and Patrick Kane the past two seasons, Anisimov would throw the puck to Kane, get to the net, let Kane and Panarin work their magic and be ready for any rebounds or tip/deflection chances that came his way. Now with Patrick Sharp and John Hayden, Anisimov is back to being the main puck carrier. It’s a readjustment, but Anisimov is finding his form again. “Right now it’s a little bit easier,” Anisimov said. “We play already four games together with Sharpie and Hayds, and you kind of get used to it and get to know each other better. It’s making the game easier.” So does having more confidence. Struggling to score as much as others through this recent stretch, Anisimov looked like he was lacking that necessary confidence. Three goals in as many games isn’t a massive scoring streak, but it does lend a boost. Anisimov has worked through some changes this season, from line mates to where he’s at in the lineup to resuming a true center role. It took a little time, but it looks like he’s regaining his form. “You lose two wingers like you had, that was a pretty great position to be in playing with two of the best in the game. So maybe there are some adjustments there. But he can still be a position to be playing with some top guys as we’re going along as well,” Quenneville said. “I don’t think he’s complaining with who he’s playing with now, and I think with Arty, that big middle center you like, gives you some options when he’s playing like that.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081458 Colorado Avalanche Avalanche: Goalies Semyon Varlamov and Jonathan Bernier both figure to get a start in the back-to-back weekend games; the Avs play at the New York Islanders on Sunday. … Colorado will travel from New York to How long can the Avalanche expect Semyon Varlamov to save them? Sweden on Sunday. .. Defenseman Patrik Nemeth scored his first career NHL goal in the Avs’ 5-3 win Thursday against visiting Carolina. Nemeth has played in 118 career games. “To get the win is the most important thing (but) it’s been way too long since I scored,” Nemeth said. “My role By NICK GROKE | [email protected] | The Denver Post here is to play solid defense and get the puck out of the zone. If I score, then great. It means I’m doing my other job well.” … The Avs did not PUBLISHED: November 3, 2017 at 2:20 pm | UPDATED: November 3, practice Friday before traveling to Philadelphia … Colorado is 5-1 at 2017 at 4:38 PM home. “We keep this thing going at home, we find a way to get it done,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “Tonight it was Varly. Last game it was Mac (Nathan MacKinnon) and Mikko (Rantanen) and (Gabe Patrick Roy stood on his head at the peak of Avalanche goaltending in Landeskog’s) line carried us. Time before that it was the (Carl) 1996 when he turned away 63 shots through 104 minutes into a third Soderberg line. We’re finding different ways to get it done. We know how overtime of Colorado’s Stanley Cup-clinching shutout victory over hard wins are to come by in this league. We have to continue to improve Florida. That Avs team was the best in the NHL, from front to back. and get more consistent.” The effort Thursday night from Colorado’s current goalie, Semyon Flyers: Defensemen Andrew MacDonald, Shayne Gostisbehere and Varlamov, lifted a team in much deeper need of his standout Radko Gudas are on the injured list. MacDonald is long-term but performance. The Avs’ porous defense was peppered from all sides by Gostisbehere and Gudas are day-to-day. … Gostisbehere has 98 career Carolina, to the tune of 60 shots through 60 minutes. He stopped 57 of points in 153 games. If he reaches 100 points within his next 10 games, them, a regular-season Avalanche record. he will get to the century mark faster than any defenseman in franchise history, … Rookie forward Nolan Patrick, the No. 2 draft pick in June, is Varlamov’s netminding fell nearer to Ron Tugnutt’s 70-save game for the day-to-day with concussion-like symptoms. … The Flyers started a Quebec Nordiques in 1991, an offensive onslaught from the wild days of tradition this season, making their top player from a victory wear a cape the pre-trapping NHL. during postgame interviews.Goalie Michal Neuvirth (33 saves) wore it The Avs, outshot 60-27, needed every one of his saves in a 5-3 win over Thursday. “It doesn’t look that bad,” Neuvirth told reporters. “Anyway, I’m the Hurricanes. happy to get to wear it.” “They were throwing it on net from everywhere,” Colorado coach Jared Bednar said. “But we gave up way too many shots from the interior of the Denver Post: LOADED: 11.04.2017 ice. They were breaking down our coverage. Low to high plays. Their D has some skill guys back there who can shoot it and their shots were getting through.” Through 12 games, the Avs are allowing 33.8 shots per game, eighth- most in the NHL. On one particularly egregious sequence in the second period Thursday night, four Colorado skaters crowded in front of Varlamov, but none put a check on Carolina’s forwards or a stick on the puck. And Derek Ryan punched a shot past all of them. “I did not like our D zone coverage at all,” Bednar said. “We were getting beat back to the net, we had trouble getting pucks stopped. We would do the right things sometimes and get the puck, but then we’d give it back. Part of that was their hard work and some of it was self-inflicted.” The Avs are plus-2 on the season with 39 goals scored and 37 allowed. They can, on occasion, rely on Varlamov to carry them. He stopped 54 on Jan. 6, 2015, in a victory over Chicago. But the Avs are 2-3 when they get outshot this season. The quality of those shots is Bednar’s biggest concern. “I don’t mind a lot of the shots,” he said. “We did a good job of sealing guys out and letting him see it. But he did make some big saves in all three periods. It’s good to get that performance from him when we didn’t have our A game.” But eventually some of those shots find the net. How long can the Avs expect Varlamov to carry them? Colorado allowed 31.7 shots per game last season, seventh-most in the NHL. It led to a league-high 276 goals against — and the worst record in the NHL. Varlamov’s 57 saves were a career high and he helped the Avs move to 5-1 at home. More immediately, though, it washed out a bitter taste. In his previous game, the 29-year-old Russian allowed seven goals in a blowout 7-0 loss to the expansion Vegas Golden Knights. “That was a really tough game mentally,” Varlamov said. “I thought I had a good start to that game and then everything collapsed. It is what it is. There are no easy games. If you have a bad game, the next night you have to bounce back.” Spotlight on: Ivan Provorov. The second-year Flyers defenseman, 20, anchored a young and inexperienced blueline Thursday by logging 27:18 in a stunning 2-0 victory at St. Louis. The Russian blocked 10 shots to tie a team record and delivered five hits — a night after logging a career- high 29:51 in Wednesday’s 3-0 loss at Chicago. Playing on consecutive nights against a well-rested team Thursday, the Flyers used four first- year defensemen in Robert Hagg, Travis Sanheim, Mark Alt, and Will O’Neill, who made his NHL debut. Those four had combined to play just 27 NHL games and the team said Thursday’s blueline was the youngest in franchise history. Provorov is the leader of the pack. NOTEBOOK: 1081459 Colorado Avalanche

Veterans with disabilities take to the ice for an ability clinic in Centennial

By DANIKA WORTHINGTON | [email protected] | The Denver Post November 3, 2017 at 7:39 PM

People handed out pads and helmets before directing the veterans to the ice rink, where they sat down and strapped into sleds. With two short hockey sticks in each hand, players pushed themselves across the ice, some hitting pucks, sometimes passing them beneath their sleds, others discovering creative ways to right themselves after tipping over. The National Sports Center for the Disabled and AT&T hosted a free Veteran’s Day Ability Clinic at Centennial’s Family Sports Center Friday, teaching about 25 veterans how to play sled hockey and to curl as Veteran’s Day, the Winter Olympics (Feb. 9-25) and the Paralympics (March 8-18) draw near. People wearing jackets, sweaters and a U.S. Air Force Academy hoodie slid alongside members of the Warrior Avs Sled Hockey Team, the Avalanche’s veteran-only sled hockey team. Four members of the Avalanche’s adult sled hockey team will be playing for Team USA at the Paralympics. “It’s very important,” said Glen Carter, a Warrior Avs player who is sitting out this season due to a back injury. “I tell people I play hockey and the first thing I get is a funny look from them.” Carter is an amputee. He was born with valley fever, which moved to his knee when he was in his mid-40s. After 13 surgeries, he said, “enough is enough.” “I don’t look at it as a disability,” Carter said. “No, it’s a different ability. I look at mine as a gift.” His amputation led him to sled hockey, which requires all players on a team to have a lower leg injury, with a few exceptions. Carter had never played hockey before. But less than a year after his amputation, he was playing for the Warrior Avs. A back injury prevented Carter from enlisting but his family is steeped in the military, with relatives fighting in wars from World War I to Desert Storm. He said joining the team was life-changing and provided a source of camaraderie, describing his teammates as family and “people who get it.” Another team member noted how beneficial it is to have something to get people out of the house. After the sled hockey scrimmage wrapped up, the crew left the rink for instructions on how to curl. Heading back on the ice, some people used the hack, which is similar to a runner’s starting blocks, to push themselves forward on the ice and release the stone. Others stood or sat in wheelchairs and used a stick, rather than a broom, to push the stone forward. Both sled hockey and curling have been growing in popularity among all segments of the disabled community, including veterans, NSCD CEO Kim Easton said. But it’s not just those sports. “As a veteran, we’re used to always being physically fit and active,” said Jonathan Lujan, a Marine and 2014 Paralympic alpine skier. “Once we lose that, it kind of takes that part of us away.” But that physically fit nature of veterans attracts them to sports. And the mental toughness of the military prepares them to compete, especially on an elite level. Word of mouth and events like Friday’s help raise awareness of Paralympic sports, Lujan said. “Look at all the participants we have out here,” Lujan said. “I don’t think we expected this many.” The event was also a celebration of a $20,000 donation from AT&T that will help NSCD nearly double the number of veterans the organization can accept for its 2018 Paralympic Experience in January that runs through five sports at the YMCA Snow Mountain Ranch.

Denver Post: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081460 Columbus Blue Jackets

Brandon Dubinsky upset over being poked in eye

By George Richards @GeorgeRichards Posted Nov 3, 2017 at 11:09 PM Updated Nov 3, 2017 at 11:09 PM

BRANDON, Fla. — Brandon Dubinsky sat out the third period of Thursday night’s win over the Florida Panthers. Part of the reason was he had to serve a pair of penalties. Dubinsky also got poked in the eye by Florida defenseman Keith Yandle and was afraid his eyeball had been scratched in the scrum near the net. In the end, Dubinsky said his eyesight began returning to normal midway through the period, but with the Jackets up big in a 7-3 win, there was no real reason for him to come in. “There was no need for him to play,” coach John Tortorella said Friday morning after avoiding the Dubinsky situation following the game. “It gave me a chance to play some other people.” Dubinsky initially was called for cross-checking Florida wing Jonathan Huberdeau in the back with 21 seconds left in the second period. Yandle, Florida’s veteran defenseman, then jumped to Huberdeau’s defense with Dubinsky saying being poked in the eye was a dirty move. “He eye-gouged me, I don’t know if he scratched my eye but the doctor says it looks good,” Dubinsky said. “It was a gutless move by him.” Dubinsky still had redness around his left eye after practice on Friday and is expected to be back in the lineup Saturday at the Tampa Bay Lightning. “I was down by the net and knocked Huberdeau from behind,” Dubinsky said. “The puck is right there; (Sasha) Barkov came in and grabbed me and that’s part of it. You have to protect your guys but this situation is a little bit different. ... I don’t think this is something we need in our game.” Wing Matt Calvert was hit in the face by a flying puck for the second time in as many seasons when he got whacked while sitting on the bench. He was struck by an errant puck off the stick of Josh Anderson in the second period. Calvert said he had to push his two front teeth forward and back into place to continue playing; on Friday, he visited one of the Lightning’s team dentists and had a temporary bridge put in. “It was interesting but it happens,” said Calvert, who took 36 stitches to his forehead after being hit by a Nick Holden slap shot last November. He returned to score the winning goal. “I went back in the room and they had to push them back up. The mouth guard helped hold them in. It is what it is. The great thing about this league is Tampa Bay’s dentist was ready to take care of me.” It appears Pierre-Luc Dubois will continue to get a look as the fourth-line center after moving over from wing. “He said when his dad coached him, he always put him at center when his legs weren’t moving,” Tortorella said. “His legs haven’t been moving. So, it’s a perfect opportunity.” Gabriel Carlsson is close to returning after being out since the fourth game of the year. Yet, Tortorella likes his defensive lineup so much, he says don’t expect any tinkering to it. “I’m not going to change the six D right now, whether he’s healthy or not. I don’t think it would be fair,” Tortorella said. “I think our guys have played well. ... It’s a good problem to have.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081461 Columbus Blue Jackets

Blue Jackets | Coach John Tortorella returns to Tampa for celebration

By George Richards @GeorgeRichards Posted Nov 3, 2017 at 8:57 PM Updated Nov 3, 2017 at 8:57 PM

BRANDON, Fla. — John Tortorella said he hadn’t run a practice inside the Tampa Bay Lightning’s practice center to the east of Tampa in years. On Friday afternoon, the former Lightning coach was back on home ice as he led his Blue Jackets through a quick but spirited workout. Tortorella grinned as he said the old barn had not changed much. The Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup championship banner that Tortorella saw raised to the rafters of Tampa’s arena was almost always in his view. Tortorella keeps a home in the Tampa area and says coming back for games here can be “confusing” because it’s a place close to his heart. “We come back for parts of the summer,” said Tortorella, who coached the Lightning from 2000 to ’08. “We have a lot of good friends here. I just try to keep it as business, though. It gets a little confusing for me, quite honestly, when you come back, so I just focus on our team and what we’re trying to do here.” This weekend, however, Tortorella says he is going to let himself take in the moment as the Lightning honors that title team. “I think that’s something that I would like to enjoy with some of those guys,” Tortorella said. “I don’t want to miss that stuff. I think you can stop thinking about the game and enjoy some of that stuff. The amount of work they put in, as far as all of us as a group, that’s fun. The other stuff, I don’t know. You just focus on your team.” Last season, the Lightning waited until the Jackets came to town to retire Martin St. Louis’ jersey so Tortorella could be there. On Saturday, the Lightning has a reunion of that Stanley Cup championship team. Tortorella planned on joining his old players for a special dinner Friday night and praised the Lightning organization for keeping that 2004 team close. After all, the Lightning wasn’t able to officially celebrate its Cup team until the 2005-06 opener after the NHL lockout wiped away the 2004-05 season. “It shows you how hard it is to get there,” he said. “It has been a long time, but it’s true what they say: You don’t forget one another when you go through that stuff, and I think this organization has done just a terrific job in trying to keep the people together.” Blue Jackets forward Matt Calvert said he grew up idolizing St. Louis because of his hard-nosed play and tenacity. A smaller, skilled player as a youngster, Calvert looked to the (officially listed) 5-foot-8 St. Louis as inspiration. “I was real small growing up, and that was the era when only big guys made the NHL,” Calvert said. “He was one of those small guys who succeeded. He was always the guy I leaned on. I appreciated what he did for guys like me. He gave us the attitude that, ‘If he can do it, I can do it.’ ″ Don’t tell Tortorella, but the young Calvert turned on his hero during those 2004 Stanley Cup finals. Being from (coincidentally) Brandon, Manitoba, Calvert jumped on the Calgary Flames bandwagon and was pulling for them to bring the Cup back to Canada. “As much as I liked him, Calgary was in those finals,” Calvert said. “We didn’t have a team in Winnipeg at the time, so Calgary was pretty much the closest team we had. He scored some big goals in that series. It was fun to watch.”

Columbus Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081462 Dallas Stars

Why Stars' top-heavy scoring depth isn't a huge concern for head coach Ken Hitchcock

By Mike Heika , Staff Writer Contact Mike Heikaon Twitter:@MikeHeika

The Stars have 28 goals from forwards in 13 games. Nineteen have been scored by Jamie Benn, Tyler Seguin and Alexander Radulov. That's both great and a little concerning. The fact the top line is tearing it up has to be seen as a fantastic trend, because there was some thought those players might have to adjust to a more defensive system under new coach Ken Hitchcock. The fact very few others are contributing, however, is a massive reason this team is barely hovering above .500 at 7-6-0. And yet Hitchcock was philosophical before Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Jets. "I'm beginning to think that [depth scoring] is the most overused phrase in the league," Hitchcock said. "Everybody is complaining about it, and you still have to get wins. Depth scoring only matters when your top dogs aren't doing anything, and our top dogs are scoring. It's not a real focus for us, guys are going to get scoring." Mattias Janmark tallied his third of the season Thursday, and he leads the pack of forwards who aren't on the first line. Radek Faksa and Tyler Pitlick have two apiece. Martin Hanzal and Brett Ritchie have one apiece. Jason Spezza, Devin Shore and Antoine Roussel have yet to score. That's a pretty slow start for three guys who tallied 15, 13 and 12 goals last season. "You hope when you get that first one, that maybe things will really open up for you," Spezza has said. But while it's easy to look at history and say that Janmark scored 15 goals two years ago or that Ritchie had 16 last season, Hitchcock advised against that kind of logic. "You've got to be careful there. When you don't win, somebody still scores goals. You have to be really careful with your evaluation there," Hitchcock said of looking back at a Stars team that went 34-37-11. "I think the proper evaluation is when the team is playing well, what are the guy's real numbers? When you have a tough season, somebody still scores goals. You might lose 6-4, but somebody still scores those four goals." Mix in the fact the system run by former coach Lindy Ruff was a little more risky, so it produced more goals and allowed more goals. The current Stars focus first on preventing goals and hope that will lead to turnovers and counterattack goals. But right now, that's working for only one line. Asked if breaking up Benn, Seguin and Radulov to spread their scoring and possibly spark other lines is a temptation, Hitchcock said he doesn't like that idea. "I think that's a big mistake," he said. "You try to strengthen people because they're not keeping up? It's their job to keep up." And the players know that. While the top scorers don't want to openly demand that from their teammates, they do understand just how much more dangerous the Stars could be if there was more scoring depth. "We're all in this together," Benn said. "The 20 guys who are playing every night, we need everyone to pitch in. We all need to be better at the 5 on 5 game." Hitchcock said he believes the entire roster is trying hard to do that. "Personally, you want them to feel good and get off the schneid, but sometimes that just doesn't happen," Hitchcock said. "The bottom end, they maybe haven't scored, but they have a ton of scoring chances, they've put great pressure on people, and you're hoping that's just a matter of time."

Dallas Morning News LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081463 Detroit Red Wings

Red Wings 'have got to quit passing up shots' to regain winning ways

Helene St. James, Detroit Free Press Published 12:16 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017 | Updated 5:22 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017

If the Detroit Red Wings are going to surface from their trek through Western Canada with any points, they better figure out how to score. They used Friday as a travel day, heading from Ottawa to Edmonton for a Sunday game against the Oilers, home of reigning Art Ross Trophy (the NHL's MVP award) holder Connor McDavid. The Oilers have problems of their own (they’ve won just three of their first 11 games) but the Wings can’t afford any complacency, ranking in the bottom five in the NHL with a 2.57 goals-against average. They looked like they might make it three victories in a row Thursday at Ottawa, until a second period that saw them caught too much in their own zone. They wound up losing, 3-1. “You help yourself if you score early, which we didn’t,” coach Jeff Blashill said afterwards. “This is the league. Every night is going to be like this. It’s going to be a tight game, and you have to find a way to come out on top. We’ve got to keep grinding. We are going to Edmonton and it’s going to be another tight game, most likely.” The Wings have scored 12 goals over the past six games, but five of those goals came in one game, against Arizona. They’ve failed to score a power play goal in seven of the last 10 games after scoring four man- advantage goals the first four games. Here are some observations as the Wings trek west for a trip that also includes a game Monday at Vancouver and Thursday at Calgary. Enough with the fancy passing There’s certainly something to be said for not wasting possession of the puck by taking a shot that’s likely to lead to the opponent gaining possession. But getting the puck near the paint and having someone there willing to get shoved around in pursuit of a dirty goal is key to scoring in today’s NHL. Blashill is beating the message over and over — the Wings have got to make it harder for opposing goaltenders. “We’ve got to quit passing up shots,” he said. “We’ve got to get more net presence and make sure we are shooting the puck. “You’ve got to score. We have to find a way. Again, that’s the league. It’s like this every single night and we have to find a way. We are going to help ourselves by scoring more. That’s just a fact.” Henrik Zetterberg reiterated what he said last week during a road trip through Florida, noting, “we’ve got to get better on a few things. Score some uglier goals, I think. Pucks are lying there, we just have to win those battles.” Net front focus As the game at Ottawa wore on and the Wings fell behind 2-0, lines were juggled. One interesting move was Anthony Mantha being moved to Henrik Zetterberg’s line — it reflected the the lack of net-presence on the top line. Tomas Tatar plays in physical zones but Gustav Nyquist is more of a playmaker who keeps to the perimeter. Blashill said he “had to tell them a couple games to make sure they have a net presence if they are going to play together. They don’t have a natural net-presence guy and you’ve got to make sure you are fighting to get to the net. I had Mantha lots of the second and third period and he’s a big body so he’s got to get to the net.” Goaltending switch likely Expect Petr Mrazek to start against the Oilers. Jimmy Howard has played great and given the Wings a chance to win six straight starts, but Mrazek has sat for more than two weeks. Detroit Free Press LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081464 Detroit Red Wings Mrazek hasn’t played since Oct. 20 against Washington. Detroit News LOADED: 11.04.2017 Red Wings shooting for ‘dirty’ goals

Ted Kulfan, The Detroit News Published 5:43 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017 | Updated 5:46 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017

The Red Wings aren’t scoring enough goals, and one way to do that is getting those “dirty” goals coaches are so found of. Either tips, rebounds, screens, a rebound goal, second-chance, any number of type of goals the Red Wings haven’t been able to score much of lately – or, really, much of this season. “We’ve got to get better on a few things, score some uglier goals,” captain Henrik Zetterberg said. “Pucks are laying there. We’ve just got to win those battles. We were in front of the net but we didn’t win any second battes or second chances. “It’s been an issue before, I would say, but the last two games it had been better.” Coach Jeff Blashill has stressed the importance of getting to the net with more frequency lately, particularly during a recent six-game winless streak. In today’s NHL, scoring dirty goals is a must. Goalies are too good and, simply put, goals overall are difficult to come by. “We’ve got to quit passing up shots,” Blashill said. “We’ve got to get more net-front presence and make sure we are shooting the puck. “We had chances early (Thursday in Ottawa) and late but you have to score, you have to find a way. That’s the league, it’s like this every single night. We have to find a way, we’re going to help ourselves by scoring more.” The Red Wings ranked 25th in the league with a 2.57 goals-against average, an indication any sort of offense would be welcome. They’ve only scored 12 goals over the last six games – and five of those goals came in Tuesday’s victory over Arizona. “Any team could score more,” forward Dylan Larkin said. “Any game at any level, youy could look at it and say we wanted to score. We had opportunities but it comes down to buliding, when guys have confidence and shoot the puck with confidence. “We’re getting opportunities, that’s a good sign. Any team would want to score more.” The Red Wings visit an Edmonton Oilers team Sunday that was expected to be an offensive powerhouse and win plenty of games – neither of which has happened yet this season. It would be a good time, as any, for the Red Wings to score a dirty goal, any goal, really. “We’ve got to keep grinding,” Blashill said. “We’re going to Edmonton and it’s going to be another tight game.” Mantha moving In an effort to generate offense Thursday, Blashill moved Anthony Mantha on to Zetterberg’s line to establish a net-front presence. “They don’t have a natural net presence guy (Zetterberg line) and you’ve got to make sure you are fighting to get to the net,” Blashill said. “I had Mantha (with Zetterberg) a lot in the second and third period. He’s a big body so he’s got to get to the net.” Mantha cut Ottawa’s lead to 2-1 with a tipped goal on the power play late in the third period. “There’s definitely more to come,” said goaltender Jimmy Howard on Mantha’s potential. “He works on his game every single day, just like the rest of us. The sky’s the limit for him.” Ice chips The Red Wings didn’t practice Friday, using the day more of a travel day flying from Ottawa to Edmonton. They’ll practice today in Edmonton. … Blashill didn’t name a goaltender for the game against the Oilers but with another game Monday in Vancouver, he’ll play Petr Mrazek in one of those games. 1081465 Edmonton Oilers “I didn’t expect it. It was a shot in the dark,” said Hall, after the Devils morning skate. “You have to take your shot once in a while.”

Hall got booed whenever he touched the puck, often a sign of respect for Oilers Snapshots: Boyle back for second game after cancer diagnosis terrific opposing players but in this case, some of it seemed a little cheap. He didn’t ask to get traded. JIM MATHESON, EDMONTON JOURNAL This ’n that: Defenceman Kris Russell took a shot in the face at the morning skate but played with his usual visor and no more … Devils top Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 six winger Marcus Johansson is out with a concussion … The Oilers sat 11:15 PM MDT fourth-liner Jujhar Khaira for a sixth time, not a good sign for a young player … Hall of Famer Paul Coffey was at the game, coming into town to be part of the Canadian Mint commemorative Silver Coin presser for the NHL’s Centennial. Coffey is one of the 100 greatest players of all On Hockey Fights Cancer night, nobody could appreciate the NHL’s time, of course initiative more than New Jersey Devils forward Brian Boyle, who’s living and actually playing with chronic myeloid leukaemia. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.04.2017 Boyle played his second game Friday against Edmonton Oilers since told he had the form of blood and bone marrow cancer before training camp, when he wondered why he had no energy putting his skates on. “Once up the ice and my legs felt like I’d been doing laps for hours,” said Boyle. “I thought it might be lyme’s disease, that’s rampant up where I’m from.” Boyle was under a lot of stress because he had lots on his plate. He was tired, but wrote it off. Heck, he’s an athlete, no worries. But he was wrong. “I was working out, I was trying to see some family, play some golf and see some friends. We went from Toronto (he finished up with the Leafs last spring) back to Tampa (the Lightning had traded him there at the deadline) and we had a baby there,” he said. “We were renting a house and had to unpack that whole thing. I went through free agency, which is stressful, then we had to rent and furnish a house in Jersey. “From the trade deadline, I also lost my grandfather. It was a stressful time.” But when he got to Devils camp, he knew something was up. His legs felt like 100-pound weighs when he got to the ice. “Went for the blood work and it wasn’t lyme disease,” he said. It was way worse than that for the big forward, whose extended family has dealt over and over with cancer. He had suffered with them, but now he was the one who was sick. “I lost three grandparents to cancer, two to prostate, one to breast cancer,” he said. “I lost an uncle and my father was given a pretty bad diagnosis when I was in high school. He had kidney cancer … and miraculously disappeared. It’s a long story but he’s got a book out on it, actually.” The six-foot-six, 245-pound Boyle, who signed a two-year deal with the Devils in July, has been a hard-nosed, hard worker throughout his 626- game NHL career. But the Sept. 19 cancer diagnosis, where the bone marrow makes too many white blood cells was a kick in the gut. “It was devastating … it’s cruel, unfair, but this is where our faith comes in. We’ve had some scares with our kids recently too and it’s way worse than it’s any kid than it’s an an adult, or me vs my kids. Not even close,” said Boyle, who was definitely on the Oilers radar at the trade deadline because they badly needed a guy who could win more than 50 per cent of his draws. “I’ve got so many tweets and well wishes from people. A gentleman reached out and said he had a five-year old in hospital battling cancer. It’s awful,” said Boyle. “I’m lucky. I’m basically on a pill. “I just saw that (referee) Kerry Fraser has cancer. I’ll reach out to Kerry. It’s not a club you want to be part of but the support system’s pretty great.” Boyle, who’s taking regular blood tests and can’t eat two hours before games and one hour after, has his life back. “I’m really, blessed to be playing,” he said. Ex-Oiler winger Taylor Hall saw the photo of Justin Bieber’s girlfriend Selena Gomez wearing a Devils’ jersey after watching Bieber’s pickup hockey game in Los Angeles, and he got right onto his twitter account. “Sup Selena?” Hall tweeted, figuring she might want to see the real thing in a Devils jersey, not the Biebs. There was no response from Gomez. 1081466 Edmonton Oilers For the Oilers, their 24th game of the regular season is the end of a five- game road trip in Boston on Grey Cup Sunday. It would likely require 26 points by then to be in possession of a playoff position. Jones: Oilers end losing streak but still have lots of work to do with Friday night’s victory over the Devils, they’re now 4-7-1 through 12 games. TERRYJONESSPORTS Do the math. Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 They’d still have to go 8-3-1 in the next 12. 11:08 PM MDT Nine of the next 12, including the final game of this (now 2-2) home stand Sunday afternoon against the Detroit Red Wings are on the road. There’s the temptation to make the declaration that the Edmonton Oilers Eight of them are against Eastern Division teams that the Oilers used to arrived for the 2017-18 season under a Beaver Full Moon on the night of own. Friday night was the first time in six games Edmonton has managed Nov. 3. to defeat an Eastern team this year. We won’t do that in this space because there was a false alarm on Game Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1 back on Oct. 4 and another when they won their first game back from a road trip to start this series and lost the next two. The way this season has started the team that finished with 103 points last year and inspired predictions and projections of a trip to the Stanley Cup final with their play in the playoffs last year, the Oilers could still very well end up dead on arrival by Grey Cup Sunday. The fact is, despite the 6-3 win over Taylor Hall and the New Jersey Devils came to town 9-2-0 and with a 5-0 record on the road, Edmonton is a dozen games into the season and still has yet to put two wins together. So lets stand down on any excited expectations. There were enough of those before the season started. Not that there weren’t things about their game to celebrate. It was only the second time this season they managed to get more than three goals a game. Six goals is one more than the previous high of five to open the homestand against Dallas. The Oilers scored the first two goals of the game, which they did Saturday in losing 5-2 to the Washington Capitals. The Oilers came into the game on a six-game streak of being tied after the second period. The game story was the same every night. Get down early. End up tied after two. Give up one early in the third. Fail to battle back. While the Devils, with Taylor Hall getting his fourth goal and 16th point of the season, tied it up 2-2. But the Oilers battled back, determined to win races to the puck and battles and reinstated the two-goal lead by taking a 4-2 score to the second period dressing room. If their will had been questioned, there was no lack of it as they looked more like the team they did at the end of last season. They finished up playing relaxed, confident and in-control hockey. And Rogers Place in the third period became the happiest place north of Disneyland again. A big negative on the front end of this season has been the lack of scoring by anyone not named Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Patrick Maroon and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, none of the goals came from them last night until Draisaitl popped the fifth goal late in the third and Nugent- Hopkins scored his sixth into an empty net. The following Oilers have managed to get one-seventh of the way through a hockey season and haven’t scored more than one goal: Zack Kassian, Drake Caggiula, Jussi Jokinen, Anton Slepyshev, Jujhar Khaira, Oscar Klefbom, Darnell Nurse, Kris Russell, Matt Benning, Eric Gryba, Iiro Pakarinen, Yohann Auvitu and Kailer Yamamoto. Nine of them have zero goals. Last year in 13 playoff games, 10 Oilers had eight or more points. This year only Connor McDavid (16), Patrick Maroon (10), Leon Draisaitl (9) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (9) have eight or more points. McDavid, with three assists Friday night, extended a league-high longest point streak at home to 17 games. He’s also had more multi-point games than any other player since the start of last season. So there was all of that. But the hole they dug was so deep that they came into the game in 30th place overall and will go into their next game still in 30th overall. Statistically, more than 80 per cent of teams in possession of a Stanley Cup playoff spot by Grey Cup or American Thanksgiving end up in a playoff spot. 1081467 Edmonton Oilers

Oilers snap losing streak with win over Taylor Hall and the Devils

Robert Tychkowski Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 10:03 PM MDT

With the Oilers sitting in 30th place in the first week of November, Taylor Hall must have felt right at home when he returned to Edmonton Friday night. It didn’t last long, however, as the Oilers spoiled their former teammate’s visit with a desperately-needed 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils at Rogers Place. After watching Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Patrick Maroon carry the offence all year, the Oilers finally got some run support from the rest of their lineup with Drake Caggiula and Oscar Klefbom scoring their first of the season and Ryan Strome and Milan Lucic scoring their second. None of the goals were things of beauty — a couple went in off of skates and one was a knuckler that fooled Cory Schneider, but that’s the kind of puck luck that has been eluding them lately, so the odds evened out for them at just the right time. The win stops the bleeding for the 4-7-1 Oilers, who are 12 games into the season and have yet to win two games in a row. They started the day seven points and six teams below the playoff cutline, so this helps. The Oilers looked ready to run away with it in the first period, they played keep away with the puck in the early going and jumped out to a 2-0 lead on a power play goal from Caggiula at 6:40 and an even strength marker from Strome at 8:35. It was exactly the start they needed. But the middle needed a little work. The Devils swung the momentum back in their favour and closed the gap to 2-1 on a goal from Hall at 15:00 and erased the lead by the 5:02 mark of second period when Jersey’s Jesper Bratt put a screened shot past Talbot. A collapse looked imminent at that point, but not for long as the Oilers took back control with a clutch goal from Klefbom just 61 second seconds later. Then Lucic, fresh from his fight with Dalton Prout, restored the two- goal lead with second of the season at 18:56. Draisaitl made it 5-2 midway through the third period, McDavid’s assist was his third of the night. It was the 17th three-point night of his career. Nugent-Hopkins added an empty netter. Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081468 Edmonton Oilers

Andrej Sekera skates with Edmonton Oilers for first time since knee surgery

JIM MATHESON, EDMONTON JOURNAL Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 3:46 PM MDT

When Andrej Sekera was playing 20 minutes a night in the second pairing for Edmonton Oilers last season, people took him for granted, but his absence has definitely made hearts grow fonder for the veteran defenceman. You almost expected to see his locker stall— equipment, skates, helmet — all glassed in as revered testament to the blue-liner’s worth when he took his first practice with his teammates Friday morning, close to six months after his May surgery to repair torn ligaments in his left knee. “It feels good to be out there with the guys, getting used to the rhythm again … the passing, the shooting, skating-wise,” he said, sweat pouring from his forehead after staying out after the game-day practice to skate with forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Jujhar Khaira, who weren’t dressing against New Jersey Devils. “This is better than being out there on the ice, with just the trainers.” When Sekera tore the anterior cruciate ligament in Game 5 of Edmonton’s second-round playoff series with the Anaheim Ducks, doctors said his recovery would be from six to nine months. He had surgery May 18, so Nov. 18 would be the six-month target, which would put him back on the Oilers’ five-game road trip which starts in Dallas that day. “I think I’m right where I should be. I feel better and better each week,” he said. “The leg is getting stronger. With this injury, the body decides when it’s ready to go. Somebody takes six months; somebody takes nine months. I don’t know how my body will respond.” The injury came on a harmless-looking collision with Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf. Sekera had made it to centre and dumped the puck in. “I just played the puck, got hit, and I felt a ‘snap.’ It wasn’t anything painful,” said Sekera, who tried to come back but his left leg felt like spaghetti. “You dump the puck in, you get hit 100 times (like that). I guess my body was in a position where it couldn’t take the impact. It broke down.” Sekera and blue-line partner Kris Russell were a valuable second-pair and he also got power-play time. They’ve sorely missed his unflappable game, also his ability to play lots of minutes against good players. He’s left a major hole on the back-end. “We miss him a lot, he breaks a lot up through the middle and gets the puck moving forward. He’s really smart back there,” said Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Skating with the Oilers is only the first step, of course. He’ll need contact, also drills where he spins and plants his left leg to see how it holds up, long before he plays. “I haven’t been cleared yet to do any battle (drills),” he said, “and I have to wait a couple of more weeks to do that.” Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081469 Edmonton Oilers LATE HITS — Anton Slepyshev will skate on the second line right wing, taking the spot of Kailer Yamamoto, who’s played eight NHL games … D Kris Russell had to leave to morning skate after being hit in the face with Oilers Game Day: Roles reversed as high-flying Hall, Devils pay visit a puck, but he is expected to play tonight. Five Oilers’ keys to the game Robert Tychkowski Tough out Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 1:32 The New Jersey Devils are pretty much the last team Edmonton wants to PM MDT see right now. They are fast, on a roll and scoring goals, three things the Oilers are not.

New Jersey ranks sixth in the NHL in goals per game while the struggling New Jersey Devils at Edmonton Oilers: 6:30 p.m. MT, Rogers Place; TV: Oilers are 31st. Edmonton needs a win bad, and this will be a tough team Sportsnet, radio: 630 CHED to get it from. This isn’t the way the script was supposed to go when Taylor Hall and Getting deeper the New Jersey Devils made their visit to Edmonton this season. The Oilers are now seven points out of the final playoff spot and will have It was supposed to be the Oilers who were lighting up the NHL and the to leapfrog six teams to get there. Devils who were struggling for answers in a mounting garbage pile of defeat. It’s still a manageable deficit, but throw a few more losses onto the pile and it won’t be. They have to go 41-24-6 to get the 95 points it took to But the roles are reversed tonight as Hall and the 9-2-0 Devils look to make the playoffs last year. stick another dagger in a 3-7-1 Oilers team that is somehow back in 30th place. Special teams “It’s been a good start to the year, and that’s probably why I’m more The Oilers are never going to crawl their way out of this early hole unless comfortable coming in here,” said Hall, who has 15 points on the season, they figure out their special teams. It’s getting ridiculous, with the power more than any member of the goal-starved Oilers. “This is a special place play 29th and the penalty-killing 30th. for me to play and I loved my time here, but coming back this time, I don’t Wednesday’s game against Pittsburgh marked the fourth time this feel the same nervousness about the reception. I’m just here to try to season (in 11 games) in which Edmonton gave up two or more power- help my team win a hockey game.” play goals. When they met last year, for the first time since Edmonton dealt Hall to Third-world problems the Devils for defenceman Adam Larsson, the Oilers were in the middle of a 103-point season and looked like they were on their way to The Oilers have been tied in the third period in their last six games (three becoming Stanley Cup contenders for years to come. of them at home) and lost four of them. Hall admitted at the time it was tough to see the Oilers having so much A team that was so adept at closing out games last season is now finding success in his absence, while the Devils were losing their way through a way to lose them. The Oilers need to rediscover the poise they had in the early stages of a rebuild. the third period last year because they are letting valuable points slip away. The view this year is much more palatable. Secondary scoring “The position our team is in is a lot better this time, it’s been a lot more fun this year,” he said, adding he feels no added motivation to stick it to Take away Connor McDavid, Patrick Maroon, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and the team that traded him. Leon Draisaitl, and the two power play goals from Mark Letestu, and the other nine forwards have combined for two goals in 11 games this “I just want to win a hockey game, that’s the biggest thing. To go 10-2 season. would be a great start to the year.” The top players on this team are getting zero support. Too many The Oilers are trying to downplay the return, understandably. It’s a tough passengers on a losing team. pill for the organization to swallow that the player they tacitly blamed for years of losing in Edmonton is now a lead dog on a winner, while their The big matchup own team sits last in the league in offence. Taylor Hall vs. the Edmonton Oilers “I think we’re beyond that now, I don’t think coming back has anything to do with it,” said head coach Todd McLellan, who isn’t interested in the The former first overall draft pick and cornerstone of the second rebuild Hall storyline, just the player. “He’s a driving force on that team. They returns to Edmonton, with the Oilers in 30th place again and the red-hot feed off of his pace, too, he’s a big factor. New Jersey Devils on a three-game winning streak and sitting fourth overall at 9-2-0. “It’s not about Taylor and playing against him, it’s about trying to find our game finding some guys to play that way on our team.” With fans in Edmonton pulling their hair out over their team’s woeful power play and lack of offence, Hall has 15 points, which would make We know what theyu2019re bringing, so we have to find ways to limit that him the leading scorer on the Oilers this season. speed, get to the forecheck and use our size to our advantage.Patrick Maroon Hall felt he was made a scapegoat when the Oilers traded him and would love to add to Edmonton’s misery. The Devils have definitely been a handful. They’ve traded their clogging defensive style for a high-octane attack that is paying major dividends so Edmonton Journal: LOADED: 11.04.2017 far. They are young, fast, and they come at you hard. They are basically everything the Oilers want to be. “They made some changes this summer and they’re off to a really good start,” said Oilers winger Leon Draisiatl. “They’re always very structured and have a really good goaltender. It’ll be a good game.” It’s a game the Oilers are desperate to win. They are losing ground in the West and the bleeding has to stop if they want a chance to make the playoffs. “They’re a young, tenacious team,” said winger Patrick Maroon. “They’re fast, they strip pucks, they back check hard. They’re well-coached. They’ve been proving they’re a good hockey team. We know what they’re bringing, so we have to find ways to limit that speed, get to the forecheck and use our size to our advantage.” “We want to get rolling here,” added Ryan Nugent-Hopkins. “We want to get back on track.” 1081470 Edmonton Oilers Ryan Nugent-Hopkins | “The Youthful Sage” Have you ever looked at Nuge and from time to time thought to your yourself, “Man, this dude would do really well for himself on a deserted Which Oiler would you want to be stranded on a deserted island with? island”? Yeah, me neither. Minnia Feng Though you initially mistook him for an elementary schooler who got 11 hours ago separated from his parents, Nuge will prove to be a constant, reliable presence on the island. In the beginning, you consider using him as bait to catch some wild boar when food was running low, but his surprising maturity and experience impress you over time. After a long time on the You open your eyes. The searing sunlight hits you immediately and you island, you might even forget that this youthful sweet summer child is on see a flash of red, causing you to blink a few times as you recalibrate to the island, but in actuality, he's been here longer than anybody else. your surroundings. You'll become so used to his presence you start to neglect his existence, but behind the scenes he's been quietly toiling away, keeping things Blue skies, untamed greenery and seemingly endless water greets your afloat the whole time through countless mishaps and disasters. vision as you sit up, the events that led you here flooding into your consciousness. Like shuffled flashcards, they appear in no logical order His biggest contribution is defensively, setting up booby traps against and the task of rearranging is left to your groggy mind: predators and even handcrafting levees against the storms that constantly ravage the island, but this goes mostly unnoticed. Throughout Congratulations, it appears you are now stranded on a deserted island. the hard times on the island, however, the intense UV rays and labour You don't know this but the rest of the flight survived, rescued on a raft – never managed to etch one wrinkle onto his frustratingly perfect skin. unfortunately, you didn't and somehow ended up here. As you sit on the While you've transformed an unrecognizably haggard and filthy human sand and contemplate the chances of making it out alive, you see a being, Nuge somehow maintained his translucent complexion and figure walking toward you from the corner of your eye – it's a member of despite the obvious lack of razors on the island, is impeccably clean- the Edmonton Oilers. shaven with no hint of a beard in sight. Who did you picture in your mind? If you really were stranded on an Pluses: Defensively responsible, experienced island and had to work with this person for your collective survival, who's the player you want there? There are many factors to consider, some of Minuses: Kind of invisible on the surface which you can glean from their demeanour, as well as certain hockey skills that may translate off the ice and onto the island to useful survival Fun Time Index: 4/10 instincts. Let's walk through this thought exercise with some in-depth analysis, and if you have a pick with reasons to back it up, share your Chances you both survive: 95% thoughts in the comments section. If you have any other queries you Chances of getting eaten by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins: Non-existent, as would like me to explore using this meticulous scientific method*, feel food procurement will never be a problem with his dependable free to leave suggestions. resourcefulness. *This could not be less scientific. Overall grade: A+ If the person walking toward you on the island is Eric Gryba, make yourself at home but remember, you are now in Eric Gryba's home. Peter Chiarelli | “The Barterer” Let's be real, this man is practically begging to be transported to a deserted island living situation. A self-described “outdoor enthusiast,” Imagine your surprise when the person you end up trapped on an island the current penalty-minute leader of the Oilers is the co-owner of a with is the bespectacled, Harvard-educated architect behind the Oilers company that creates products for waterfowl hunters (i.e. people who team you know and love. Immensely relieved, you naturally let him take hunt ducks and geese for food and sport). Before I say any more, let me the reins at directing your survival as you sit back and wait for rescue. just gently lay here the bio from his company's About Us page (and be sure to listen to some of the duck calls he provides for his fellow hunters): Not too long after, the two of you realize you are not alone on the island as you encounter a few different tribes native to the island. Chiarelli “Before Eric put his first pair of skates on at the age of 4, he was already approaches and barters with the tribal leaders with easy confidence and retrieving ducks and geese from the field like a veteran bird dog.” gusto, and you nod your head in approval in the background, though you have no idea what is going on. So before you even greet Gryba with a hello, know in your heart that he is the captain, and your survival depends on him. Beyond being able to Eventually, however, Chiarelli's bartering skills appear increasingly odd; handle both of your dietary needs with ample skill (and take considerable one of his first moves is to exchange a barrel of bananas you just joy in the process), rest assured that any adversaries you may come procured for the Islanders' barrel of less fresh, discarded bananas. You across on the island, man or animal, will be promptly annihilated. Did you raise an eyebrow but let it go because on the same day, you lucked out see what happened to Antoine Roussel when he made the very poor life with the best harvest in ten years on the island and that euphoria decision of getting into a “fight” with an aggravated Eric Gryba? Bad dampens the memory of the questionable bartering. His strange logic things. Bad things happened. continued, however, when he would trade away your best potatoes for obviously smaller potatoes; the first time this happened, you were okay Gryba is the player who guarantees you the longest survival period on with it because those smaller potatoes turned out to be rather underrated the island, perhaps even beyond your natural lifespan had you never left and surprisingly delicious (perhaps they were organic). The second time, civilization, as your newfound fondness for fresh fowl and lazy afternoons however, the potatoes you received in return from the Islanders were drinking fresh coconut juice with Eric might just become better than real obviously discards, rather shrivelled and not very delicious at all. Those life. There's a very high chance that if your initial attempts to get rescued subpar bananas you received earlier from that same tribe were also don't work, you might just set up camp and live out a pretty sweet life given away for free to a newly formed tribe not long after. grilling ducks with an NHL player. In the end, you become increasingly puzzled and skeptical but because Pluses: Protein procurement, pugilistic ability of that one lucky harvest, choose to overlook most of the things that Minuses: May not want to actually leave the island happened, including the old leather shoes he kept collecting because they had good “grit.” He often claims to have very good vision, despite Fun Time Index: 10/10 his glasses, but you become concerned when he mistook you for a crocodile that one day as you walked back toward your hut. You get Chances you both survive: 95% rescued pretty soon after, but not before he has bartered the rest of your personal belongings away for a pile of twigs and pebbles. Chances of getting eaten by Eric Gryba: Very low if he has other things to hunt, but know that he could very easily if he wanted to Pluses: Experienced barterer, has long-term vision Overall grade: A- Minuses: Long-term vision is whack Other players like this on the team: Zack Kassian (real toss up with this Fun Time Index: 2/10 one), Patrick Maroon (not sure about survival, but a good time will be had by all) Chances you both survive: 80%

Chances of getting eaten by Peter Chiarelli: Low, but he may decide to thrive in. In fact, it's not outside the realm of possibility to think that trade you away for some bruised fruits at some point, at which point your Larsson would consider it a nice vacation from civilization, fashioning a survival is no longer guaranteed hammock for himself with some banana leaves to take a catnap in after catching and eating some fish with his bare hands. Overall grade: B Having grown up in hinterlands of northern Sweden, his survival instincts and familiarity with the wilderness should be quite high, albeit honed in a Having Russell as an island companion is an interesting experience; very different climate. His lack of attachment to humans and ability to often times, he will do things that look glaringly stupid, like letting a stray throw his body around (he's currently second in the NHL in hits) makes fox walk into your hut and steal all the food without trying to do anything him a very useful island companion/protector, though that same disdain (don't question the animal selection, my understanding of wildlife is very for human contact also risks his desire to get rid of the useless person questionable). His utility and effectiveness at island survival, when always asking him questions and hiding behind him (that's you). From a measured statistically, is often glaringly bad. But at the same time, you temperament perspective, despite his curmudgeonly demeanour, strangely cannot imagine island life without him, and despite his erratic Larsson's extremely dark, so-dry-it-reminds-you-of-dehydrated-plane- performance as an island companion you even barter large quantities of food sense of humour could be just what you need to stay sane in this food to keep him around. type of situation. If anyone's going to have a mental breakdown, it won't be him, and as long as you make yourself reasonably helpful and don't On the other hand, this man is very good at using his body as a shield, talk too much, it shouldn't be too long before he devises a solution (in having led the entire NHL in blocks last year with 213. That's 213 times a silence) to get you both rescued. puck hit him somewhere on his body at high speed, and he is still alive. So whether it's an angry native tribe throwing tomatoes at you, or a herd Pluses: Emotionless, ruthless, fearless of angry Persian cats throwing spears at you, it's a good bet that Russell Minuses: Emotionless, ruthless, fearless will not be able to suppress his innate instinct to hurl himself at any incoming object(s). Fun Time Index: 3/10 Pluses: Human shield, sometimes useful Chances you both survive: 85% Minuses: Sometimes very unuseful Chances of getting eaten by Adam Larsson: Alarmingly high Fun Time Index: 4/10 Overall grade: A Chances you both survive: 70% Chances of getting eaten by Kris Russell: He won't do anything on Kailer Yamamoto | “The Horror Movie Protagonist” purpose to harm you, however, given his tendencies he may err and accidentally kill you, like haphazardly dropping a knife on your foot when Kailer's the kind of kid who naturally rises to the role of protagonist you're carving meat wherever he goes; no matter whether the story is a nerdy kid trying to become prom king, an undersized player trying to make it to the NHL, or Overall grade: B a hapless guy surviving a week on a deserted island, he will somehow overcome any and all obstacles to make it to his goal.

That's great for him, but there's no telling what will happen to you. By The first thing you see when Puljujarvi walks toward you is his mouth. being trapped in a perilous situation with someone like Yamamoto, you You wonder why this kid is smiling so much when you're both trapped on risk becoming one of those likeable but disposable supporting characters a deserted island, and also, how is that smile so huge? It's like a perfect in horror movies, maybe not the first to die but maybe the third or fourth. slice of cantaloupe. Mm, some cantaloupe sure does sound good. Either way, you'll probably die. As you awake from your delightful melon reverie, you notice Puljujarvi is Kailer would probably be a supportive friend in your ordeal, but not being trying to communicate with you, but you do not understand anything he is the biggest guy himself, he's really got to fend for himself before being saying. After suspecting at first your linguistic processing abilities were able to take care of others. His oversized tenacity means he won't be impaired as a result of the plane crash, you realize he is happily speaking afraid to challenge any predators or villains that you chance upon, but the Finnish while you look blankly at his stupidly happy face. The one word actual efficacy of said attack is, unfortunately, a toss-up; think of him as a you do manage to pick up, however, is “pizza,” and latching onto the one loyal but low-HP Pokemon. mutual point of understanding, the two of you set out to make a pizza from the ingredients foraged on the island. Each day, you guys make a Pluses: Good attitude toward survival, high energy different pizza, and it becomes a sweet bonding activity as the two of you pass the time before rescuers come. Minuses: A better protagonist than you Slightly frightened by this big kid's appetite, you realize he has never Fun Time Index: 8/10 actually been full the entire time you've been on the island and has been Chances you both survive: 50% eating a strange concoction of bark and seaweed at night. One day, you catch him attempting to eat a rock and have to slap it out of his hands Chances of getting eaten by Kailer Yamamoto : Very low; this would only before he causes major dental damage that neither of you can fix. His happen if this was your purpose in the movie, and to keep the protagonist cantaloupe smile is the one thing keeping your spirits up and to see it alive a supporting character like you had to be sacrificed as food, which become toothless would be soul-crushing. The two of you spend the rest is a valiant way to go out of your time on the island continuing to make pizzas and the occasional meme until rescue boats finally pull ashore. Overall grade: B Pluses: Great smile, cooperative, fun kid Minuses: Insatiable appetite, communication barrier Oscar Klefbom | “The Liquid Sunshine” Fun Time Index: 5/10 It will be the friendliest of greetings if the person you are stranded with is Oscar Klefbom. He will greet you like an old friend, asking you if you are Chances you both survive: 80% okay in his hybrid Swedish-Canadian accent, and no doubt assure you that everything will be okay. Your eyes, blinded by the sunlight just Chances of getting eaten by Jesse Puljujarvi: Low; despite his hunger, he moments ago, will be immediately purified by the sight of this beautiful seems like an affectionate kid and as long as you establish a bond with human as your future prospects brighten with optimism and snow-flecked him, he will eat inanimate objects first lingonberries. Overall grade: B+ Of course, he will try to help in any way; his kind, self-sacrificing nature (he's currently top 10 in blocks in the NHL) and superhuman stamina (as the current ice-time leader amongst all Oilers) makes him a great island Adam Larsson | “The Stoic” companion. But despite the immediate surge of hope, the more time goes by without hints of rescue, the more crestfallen Klefbom will Sometimes when you watch an Adam Larsson pre-game interview, you become. As much as his happy spirits will keep everyone optimistic for a wonder if he's actually there at all. The answers sound like they could be few days, the deafening crash when the day comes that Oscar Klefbom formed by a bot, his eyes darting around with a look simultaneously alert is SAD (I shudder at the very thought) will feel like someone scratching and vacant. This is a man unfazed by life, and being thrown out of a your soul apart. Seeing Adam Larsson moping around in a curmudgeonly plane and onto an uninhabited island is just the type of situation he'd way and poking a stick at the sand is not exactly a morale booster, but at least his demeanour will stay relatively even throughout the ordeal. On the other hand, there may be nothing more heart-wrenching than seeing the spirits of a sunny Swedish man sagging down with the weight of impending death by starvation. Truthfully, a little part of me died just thinking about this possibility, so imagine how much death would be accelerated for everyone involved once you subtract water and food. His niceness also means you'll have to be the one who fends off attacking bears, as Klefbom will only very unhelpfully suggest domesticating and raising the bear as a cute pet. Any negotiation with hostile forces will also be your responsibility, unless you wish to be fleeced. Pluses: Agreeable, cooperative, aesthetically pleasing Minuses: Too agreeable Fun Time Index: 8/10 Chances you both survive: 60% Chances of getting eaten by Oscar Klefbom: Virtually nonexistent. This man is so nice he'd probably eat his own arm before considering harming you Overall grade: B

Milan Lucic | “The Heavy Baggage” You're initially very relieved when you see the hulking human structure that is Milan Lucic walking toward you on the island. Salvation seemed assured as this big man, known for being strong, fearless, and skilled, promised everything would be in order, pointing to his strong track record in island survival in the past. However, as time went by, you started getting little hints that he's not as good at certain things as his brand would suggest; when the tide started coming in and you had to head back to the shore in order to save your supplies, you sprinted hard but Lucic was nowhere to be seen on the backcheck. He's a nice enough guy but over time, you become even more adept than him at things like catching fish and starting fires, and you forget this hyped guy is even on the island. He also starts calling you “Connor” after a few weeks in a deluge of wistfulness, and over time you start humoring his presence more than anything – he landed on the island with all his super heavy and expensive luggage somehow in tow, and it's frankly too difficult to trade or ship him out to another island. Pluses: Seems very strong and useful Minuses: Not actually that strong and useful Fun Time Index: 4/10 Chances you both survive: 65% Chances of getting eaten by Milan Lucic: Medium. More likely four years ago, but you could probably fight him off in this situation now Overall grade: B

Hunter the Canadian Lynx | “The End” Unfortunately, you are dead within 10 seconds and there is nothing to write about hereafter. Pluses: Absolutely lethal Minuses: Absolutely lethal Fun Time Index: 0/10 Chances you both survive: 0% Chances of getting eaten by Hunter the Canadian Lynx: 100% Overall grade: DNF

Personally, I'm inclined to go with someone dependable and emotionally detached like Larsson because I certainly cannot risk any heightened hysteria. Taking into account my extreme lack of knowledge about island survival (as is likely apparent from the article), having a companion with an ability to rough it is essential. Consider your own strengths and weaknesses before deciding with whom you'd like to embark on your island adventure – no man is an island, but choosing the wrong one may just mean you are trapped on it forever. The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081471 Florida Panthers

Preview: Rangers at Panthers, 7 p.m., Saturday

Matthew DeFranks

Rangers at Panthers When/where: 7 p.m./BB&T Center, Sunrise TV: Fox Sports Florida. Radio: 880-AM; 850-AM (Palm Beach) Scouting report: The Panthers (4-7-1) finish a five-game home stand with their first game against the New York Rangers. Florida went 1-2-1 during the first four games of the home stand, including an 8-5 loss to Tampa Bay on Monday night and a 7-3 loss to Columbus on Thursday night. Goaltender James Reimer was pulled from both games about halfway through after allowing a total of nine goals on 38 shots. The Panthers have lost three games in a row and seven of their past nine games. … The Rangers (5-7-2) have dealt with their own struggles this season, enduring a five-game losing streak. But New York has bounced back recently, winning three of its last four games, including victories over Vegas and Tampa Bay. In his first 11 games, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has stumbled to a .904 save percentage and 3.00 goals against average, both career-worst numbers. Mika Zibanejad leads the Rangers with 14 points (eight goals and six assists). … Panthers forwards Colton Sceviour, Connor Brickley and Jared McCann are all probable. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081472 Florida Panthers

Panthers 'just got to limit our mistakes' on defense, Bob Boughner says

Matthew DeFranks

As the Florida Panthers have allowed 15 goals in their past two games, coach Bob Boughner has talked about missed assignments costing Florida on the scoreboard. On Friday, he was asked why the missed assignments kept occurring. “Our 20-plus chances were on missed assignments, too, right?” Boughner said. “So that’s what happens. It’s a game of mistakes. We just got to limit our mistakes. We’re making a little too many of them right now. “Sometimes, they’re individual, just getting beat out of the corner. Sometimes, someone’s in not the right spot on the X and Os. That happens with every team every night. Usually the team that makes less mistakes wins.” The Panthers are fifth in the league in scoring (3.58 goals per game) but second-worst in goals allowed (4.17 per game). Since the Panthers entered the league in 1993-94, only three teams have allowed more goals per game. One is this season’s version of the Arizona Coyotes, who have surrendered 4.36 goals per game. The other two spanned entire seasons: the 1993-94 (4.73) and the 1995-96 San Jose Sharks (4.35). The Panthers have already allowed opponents to score at least seven goals in two games this season. The franchise record is four games. -- With the potential return of three injured Panthers forwards (Connor Brickley, Colton Sceviour and Jared McCann), Florida’s lines resembled a look seen early on in the season. Here’s what they looked like. Jonathan Huberdeau – Aleksander Barkov – Evgenii Dadonov Connor Brickley – Vincent Trocheck – Radim Vrbata Jamie McGinn – Jared McCann – Nick Bjugstad Micheal Haley – Derek MacKenzie – Colton Sceviour Rookies Chase Balisy and Owen Tippett worked as the extra skaters. Brickley’s promotion to the second line is somewhat surprising. He played mostly on the third line before his got hurt, but also played one game with the fourth line and one game with the second line. A solid forechecker, Brickley has two goals and five assists this season. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081473 Florida Panthers Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.04.2017

Panthers hope to add three injured forwards back to lineup for game against Rangers

Matthew DeFranks

The Florida Panthers could welcome back as many as three injured forwards back to the lineup for Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers, a potential boost for a team that’s lost three games in a row. Connor Brickley (upper body), Jared McCann (lower body) and Colton Sceviour (upper body) all practiced on Friday morning, the first time in about two weeks all three participated in practice. Panthers coach Bob Boughner said all three were probable for Saturday, but the team still awaited final clearance on Sceviour. “I think it just adds some balance to our lines, as well. I think that we were playing pretty good hockey when those guys were in,” Boughner said. “We were getting contributions and secondary scoring from the bottom of the lineup, and I think that’s going to help.” McCann and Sceviour each exited Florida’s win over Washington on Oct. 21 and haven’t played since, missing five games. Brickley left the Panthers’ win over Anaheim on Oct. 26 after a collision at the blue line. He’s missed three games. The potential return of those three players should help the Panthers’ penalty-kill unit, which entered Friday as the third-worst in the NHL at 70.8 percent. Brickley and Sceviour are two of Florida’s most-used penalty-killers, while McCann can contribute shorthanded, as well. In their absence, the team has relied on forwards Aleksander Barkov, Vincent Trocheck, Derek MacKenzie and Chase Balisy to kill penalties. “We were killing with four guys, and all those guys that were out can kill,” Boughner said. “It’s going to help us a lot.” Boughner did not say when he expected goaltender Roberto Luongo to return. Luongo has missed the past six games since injuring his right hand against Pittsburgh on Oct. 20. Luongo has practiced with the team throughout this week, including Friday morning. Boughner said he’s been surprised by Luongo’s progress. “I was encouraged by what I’ve seen,” Boughner said. “He was kicking the puck real well today, and he looked strong even on his goalie handles and things like that, he looked like he was moving the puck well. Encouraging.” In Luongo’s absence, James Reimer has become the Panthers No. 1 goalie, starting all six games. But he was pulled in back-to-back losses beginning with a 8-5 defeat to Tampa Bay on Monday and continuing with a 7-3 loss to Columbus on Thursday night. Boughner said the staff had not decided if Reimer or backup Antti Niemi would start Saturday versus the Rangers. “Energy-wise, I think he’s played a lot of hockey,” Boughner said. “They all have. It’s been almost every other day here for a bit now. We’ll see. We want to keep his fresh. Obviously, we want to keep everybody as fresh as we can.” Reimer’s save percentage sits at .890 and he’s posted a 4.00 goals against average. Both would be career-worst numbers across an entire season. Malgin to Springfield The Panthers sent forward Denis Malgin to Springfield on Friday morning, a move to not only create roster space for the possible return of injured players, but also to get Malgin more playing time. Malgin, 20, was a healthy scratch in six games during the first month of the season and only averaged 9:33 of ice time in the five games he did play in. He played two games on the third line and three on the fourth. “He’s an offensive player and you never want to let those guys lose their touch and lose their confidence,” Boughner said. “Get down there and fill the net, score goals and feel good about himself. When he gets back up here, it’s not fair to him or for his development to sit here and play on the fourth line and play seven, eight minutes a night. It’s better for him to go down there, play 20-plus minutes and be on the power play. It’s just more about his progression as a player.” The Panthers also sent forward Chase Balisy to Springfield. 1081474 Florida Panthers

The Next Day Look: Columbus Blue Jackets 7, Florida Panthers 3

Matthew DeFranks

The Florida Panthers lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets, 7-3, on Thursday night at the BB&T Center in Sunrise. The Panthers have now allowed 15 goals in their last two games and James Reimer has been pulled in back-to-back games. The Panthers are now 4-7-1 with nine points, on pace for 62 points. Here’s another look at Thursday night’s game. The story James Reimer pulled for second straight game as Panthers lose to Blue Jackets, 7-3 Telling number 9.18. James Reimer’s goals against average across the last two games in which he played less than half in each. Reimer allowed Tampa Bay to score five goals on 19 shots on Monday before Columbus scored four on 19 shots Thursday night. It is the second time in Reimer’s career he has allowed at least four goals on 19 or fewer shots in back-to-back games. The first came as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs on Jan. 23 and 25, 2014. Under the radar quote of the game “No one’s going to feel sorry for us. Can’t feel sorry for ourselves. We got to get out of it together,” Panthers coach Bob Boughner said. The Panthers now join the Montreal Canadiens in the cellar of the Eastern Conference, both with nine points entering Friday’s games. Florida has its second three-game losing streak in the season’s first 12 games and lost consecutive games in regulation at home for the first time this year. The Panthers’ scheduled gets softer in the next week, with games against the New York Rangers (5-7-2), the Carolina Hurricanes (4-5-2) and the Buffalo Sabres (4-7-2). Move of the game Vincent Trocheck was all over the Panthers highlights on Thursday night, contributing a three-point night in the loss. It was Trocheck’s second three-point game of the season. His first point came off an assist to Mark Pysyk after Trocheck threw a shot of Sergei Bobrovsky’s pad. Trocheck sped into the offensive zone and up the right side, and his move on Ryan Murray wasn’t all that fancy, it was enough to delay him and get to the net. Pysyk was all alone in front for the first goal of the game. Assist of the game The Blue Jackets tied the game shortly after Trocheck’s goal with Josh Anderson’s first of two goals on Thursday. Brandon Dubinsky drew all the eyes from Panthers defenders, including Mike Matheson, who left Anderson to tend to Dubinsky. Dubinsky then split the Florida defense with a pass that set up Anderson on the doorstep. Shot heat map (via Natural Stat Trick) All seven of the Blue Jackets goals came from between the dots, including two on a power play attack that hadn’t scored on the road all year. After the game, Boughner talked about how the Panthers need to support their goaltenders better by forcing shots to come from the outside. Florida, meanwhile, was able to generate offense from both the blue line and a sharp angle on Trocheck’s shorthanded goal. Sun Sentinel LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081475 Los Angeles Kings

Shore, Lewis taking advantage of the Kings' efforts to create more offense this season

Curtis Zupke

Nick Shore and Trevor Lewis, unleashed? That’s probably a leap to think of the Kings’ depth forwards that way. For years under former coach Darryl Sutter, the two were defensive pluggers, the kind of player that Sutter relished in a system that didn’t encourage creativity. They seemed like relics from the Sutter era when the Kings talked of transitioning to a more modern offense over the summer. Through 13 games, however, the approach under John Stevens has allowed their former identities to surface. Shore’s pretty assist to linemate Lewis was a highlight of Thursday’s win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. His three points in 10 games constitute an uptick. Lewis has shown flashes from his younger self and already has four goals, or one-third of his 12 from last season. “I think we’ve really put a focus on scoring more and offensive zone play,” Lewis said. “Obviously the new system we’re playing, I think starting off with Shoresy and [Kyle Clifford], we grasped it right away. I think that helps and it helps create more.” Lewis was a 75-point player in junior hockey and a 20-goal scorer in his last full season in the minors. Stevens and the Kings would like him to tap into that, using his defense to feed his offense. “We think he can score,” Stevens said. “We want him to try and score. We want him to be a real sound guy. He’s primary guy on the penalty kill, but we don’t see any reason he can’t get pucks stopped up in the offensive zone, create stuff on the rush, challenge defensemen wide. We believe he can score, so I’m glad to see him get rewarded for his work.” Shore also has a resume that shows offensive prowess. He was nearly a point-per-game player at the University of Denver and also a 20-goal producer, in 38 games, in his last season in the minors. That role shifted to a more conservative one under Sutter, and Shore understood. “When you come in, you’re asked to play a certain way,” Shore said. “That never really stops. You’ve always got to be responsible. But I kind of [get] to work on [the] offensive game.” Asked if it’s more fun, Shore said, “It’s always fun when the puck goes in the net.” Penalty shot rarity Toronto’s Auston Matthews became the fourth player in NHL history to take two penalty shots in one game Thursday. Stevens said he had never seen that at any level of his hockey career, let alone by one of the best players in the game. “I don’t know if I ever care to see Auston Matthews in two penalty shots,” Stevens said. Matthews converted the first one but missed wide on the second. NEXT UP VS. NASHVILLE When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. On the air: TV — FS West; Radio — 790 Update: This is the second straight game the Kings will face an opponent playing on consecutive nights, but Nashville still boasts a mobile defense led by P.K. Subban and Roman Josi. “Maybe the best skating defense in the league,” Stevens said. “They skate pucks out of trouble probably better than any team in the league.” The Kings swept the three-game series last season, with two overtime wins. LA Times: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081476 Los Angeles Kings

What we learned from the Kings' 5-3 win over Toronto

Curtis Zupke

Kings’ games against Eastern Conference teams tend to be unpredictable affairs. The styles of play differ, and the lack of familiarity makes the twice-a-season meetings akin to seeing a European team on a barnstorming tour. The Kings’ 5-3 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs held true to that. Even though the teams met a week ago, it was a scoring fest to start and a mad scramble to finish for the Kings. Here’s what we learned: Nick Shore made a precision pass to Trevor Lewis for a 3-0 lead in one of the surprise plays of the game. Shore and Lewis were plodders under former coach Darryl Sutter, but their skill from their younger days has resurfaced under John Stevens. Both were 20-goal scorers in the minors. “Shore and Lewie have had chemistry regardless of who plays with them, so we’re going to ask them to play some hard minutes for us, but I thought they had a couple of real good cycle shifts there,” Stevens said. The Kings challenged Connor Brown’s goal on goalie interference. This has been an increasingly controversial topic, and Stevens echoed what a lot of coaches have said about how the rule is interpreted. “I’d just like to have a little more direction on it, so moving forward you don’t waste a timeout because you kind of know what they’re looking for,” Stevens said. “But I’m still not sure what that is.” The Maple Leafs center became the fourth player in NHL history to take two penalty shots in one game, according to the NHL. Matthews took one in the second period because Anze Kopitar reached in on him during a breakaway. Stevens didn’t agree with that call but he had no qualms about the second penalty shot given in the third period, because Jake Muzzin knocked the net off the moorings. Matthews converted the first attempt, a backhand on Jonathan Quick, but missed high on the second try. “I was just trying to open him up,” Matthews said of his first attempt. “He’s just so hard to get the puck by. He’s so athletic. He makes those saves that you see on the highlight reel.” The other players with two penalty shots in one game are Mud Bruneteau (1938-39), Eric Cole (2005-06) and Max Pacioretty (2013-14). LA Times: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081477 Los Angeles Kings

POSTGAME NOTES: PETERSEN EARNS FIRST PRO SHUTOUT AND WIN WITH 1-0 DECISION IN SAN DIEGO

JOEY ZAKRZEWSKINOVEMBER 3, 2017

STORYLINE: Goaltender Cal Petersen made 27 saves for his first professional win and shutout and forward Philippe Maillet scored the game-winning goal in the first period as the Ontario Reign defeated the 1-0 at Valley View Casino Center Friday night in San Diego. GAME TIMELINE: – Reign forward Philippe Maillet opens the scoring with a 5-on-3 power- play goal from T.J. Hensick and Jonny Brodzinski at 8:02 of the first period. Reign dominate the opening period 14-3 shot advantage. – No scoring the in the second period, but both teams put on a shooting display. Ontario with 16 shots in the frame to San Diego’s 14. – Reign goaltender Cal Petersen denied all 10 Gulls chances in the third period to secure a 27-save shutout. The shutout and the win are firsts as a professional. NOTES: LA Kings prospect Austin Wagner joined the Reign for strength and conditioning as he recovers from an injury. NEXT GAME: Saturday, November 4 vs. San Diego Gulls, 6:00 p.m. PT – Reign Power Play Pack: Ticket, hot dog and soda starting at $25 with NO FEES at OntarioReign.com Join the Reign as they host the San Diego Gulls and open the SoCal Series on Saturday, November 4 a Citizens Business Bank Arena at 6:00. Celebrate San Antonio Regional Hospital Night! The Reign will be wearing special SARH jerseys and hosting a jersey auction. For Reign season tickets, along with information on other ticket plans and group packages, call 909-941-PUCK (7825) and visit OntarioReign.com! Become a “Fan” of the Reign on Facebook at Facebook.com/OntarioReign, join the conversation on Twitter at Twitter.com/OntarioReign and follow us on Instagram at Instagram.com/OntarioReignHockey. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081478 Los Angeles Kings – Crescenzi with a couple rights connects on Oleksy. SoCal rivalry alive and well. 15:06 left in 1st. 0-0

– SD Penalty: Sam Carrick whistled for high sticking. ONT go on game’s LIVE BLOG: REIGN AT GULLS – 11/3/17 1st power play 6:20 into 1st period. 0-0 – SD Penalty: Devan Sideroff goes off for tripping. 1:02 of 5on3 for ONT JOEY ZAKRZEWSKI NOVEMBER 3, 2017 now. 12:48 to go in 1st. 0-0 – ONT Goal: Phil Maillet cashes on on 5on3 w/ tic-tac-toe setup of the right corner. 1-0 ONT. Hensick and Brodzinski with assists at 8:02. ONTARIO REIGN – SD Penalty: Jordan Samuels-Thomas with a crosscheck in the corner. Ontario Reign 1 (3-6-0-0) vs. San Diego Gulls 0 (4-4-1-0) 3rd ONT PP coming up. 7:35 left in 1st period. 1-0 ONT Game #9 – ONT Penalty: Mersch battling with Oleksy at net front. Falls and clips Oleksy with high stick. 4on4 for 1:21 now. Friday, November 3, 2017, 7 p.m. PT – ONT dominating in shots, 11-2, with 5:34 left in 1st. 4on4 over. SD on Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, CA brief 1st PP. 1-0 ONT Referees: Andy Howard, Chris Pontes – SD Penalty: Too many men. Served by Kevin Roy. Comes at 15:02. Brief 4on4 and ONT goes on 4th PP. 1/3 so far. 1-0 ONT Linesmen: Greg McAlpine, JM McNulty – ONT PP comes to a close. Back to 5on5…for now… 1-0 ONT with 2:21 3rd Period: left in 1st. – Puck is down for the 3rd period. ONT on PK for 38 second to start – A penalty-filled 1st period comes to a close. 1-0 ONT. Reign 1/4 on frame. 1-0 ONT power play with 14 shots. SD 0/1 with 3 shots. – 1st promo timeout quickly arrives. Both teams grappling for possession. Pregame: 13:40 left in 3rd with ONT holding a 1-0 lead. ONT Starters: Gravel, LaDue, Hensick, Brodzinski, Mersch, Petersen – Six total shots through the first 8 minutes of the first period. Brodzinski with the best chance. Dances in front of Irving. 1-0 ONT. SD Starters: Pettersson, Olesky, Sabourin, Liambas, Samuels-Thomas, Irving – Sam Herr comes in ith three quality chances. Left alone in front of Irving. Pad stop. Finds Roy pinching in at point. Another pad stop. ONT Scratches: Falkovsky, Watson – In the Face: Luff blasts it into the mask of Irving. Creates rebound and SD Scratches: Bickel, Tropp, Kerdiles, Schultz, Hansen skirmish. SD holds tight. ONT picking up pace. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2017 – 9:32 left in the contest and ONT up 1-0. Reign take 3-3 shot tie in frame to 11-3 advantage in a blink. – SD pushing back, but Reign D rising up. ONT now up in shots 41-26 and lead 1-0 with 5:07 left in contest. – ONT’s 41 shots a new season high. Previous was 36 on 10/14 at CHI and 10/21 vs. BAK. – Petersen with the save of the game. Rebound to left, dives head first to catch it…you guessed it…on the mask. 4:04 left in 3rd. 1-0 ONT – 2 minute warning. SD pulls Irving for extra man. Icing call and timeout for SD. 2nd Period: – 2nd period is underway and we start off with another penalty. Tripping to ONT’s Kevin Gravel 11 seconds in. – Early 2nd period SD PP closes. Drop to 0/2. 1-0 ONT with 16:31 to go. – Hensick with golden chance to put in a rebound bast Irving. Tries to put puck against the grain of goalie slide. Holds on. 14:26 left in 2nd – Reign have caught Gulls twice in bad changes so far. Tough passes missing for breakaways. Still 1-0 ONT with 10:50 left in 2nd period. – Massive save by Irving keeps the Reign lead 1-0. Luff show shot off left circle. Rebound. Sutter denied rebound twice by right pad. – Choppy 2nd period at the halfway point. No flow. Handful of icings handed to SD. 9:04 left. 1-0 ONT – Good tip by Iverson from a Devane shot. SD counters with scrum in front of Petersen. Loses stick, but comes up with stop. 5:57 left in 2nd. – Better period for SD. 9 shots so far. ONT with 13. 27-12 advantage with 4:47 left in 2nd. 1-0 ONT off Maillet PPG in 1st. – Excellent shift by Paul LaDue. Blocks a shot and creates a breakaway for himself. Runs out of gas. 1-0 ONT with 2:10 left in 2nd. – ONT Penalty: Zac Leslie knocks the net off and draws a delay of game call as SD builds momentum. 1:03 left in 2nd. – Auger with 3 big blocks to bail out ONT defense. Period closes w/ ONT holding 1-0 lead. Gulls get 14 shots in 2nd period. 1st Period: – Puck is down in San Diego. Big hits from SD. Petersen denies point blank chance seconds in. 1081479 Los Angeles Kings Amadio always had a reputation as a defensively-inclined forward with the propensity to score, but his ability to bury the puck during his 19-year- old season was brought about when he gained more confidence in his NOVEMBER 3 PRACTICE NOTES: RUSHES, PREDS, SHORE/LEWIS, shot. AMADIO, KEMPE “My first couple years, I was always pass-first and maybe not taking the opportunity to shoot the puck and score,” he said. “I think the biggest thing for me was just shooting whenever I got the chance.” JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 3, 2017 That transferred into a strong debut for the Ontario Reign, with whom he totaled 16 goals and 41 points in 48 games last season. It’s not easy to make the leap into professional hockey as a 20-year-old, but Amadio was Good afternoon from El Segundo, the City of Brotherly Love. Today the pleased with how the season unfolded. Kings practiced at 11:00 a.m. and aligned as such: “Yeah, I think I had a pretty good year last year,” he said. “I had a slow Gray: Iafallo-Kopitar-Brown start adjusting to the league, and then when I got a little more comfortable I started playing my own game, and it went forward from Blue: Pearson-Kempe-Toffoli there.” Yellow: Cammalleri-Shore-Lewis It resulted in Brooks Laich, playing in his 771st career game, retrieving White: Andreoff-Laich-Amadio the puck shortly after the goal celebration. -Nic Dowd wore a black jersey and skated as a fill-in with the “He was a great linemate last night,” Amadio said. defensemen. In other words, there were no changes from the lines and –Unless you had been, um, sent to Belize over the summer, you had pairings used at even strength against Toronto on Thursday. There was most likely heard John Stevens’ desire for the team to hit the center of quite a bit of transition, pace and skating work, some of which appeared the ice with speed. “I think part of our identity as a hockey team has to be to be used to set up power play entries. that the LA Kings are a team that goes hard to the net, and quite -Of note: Pekka Rinne, who turns 35 today, is expected to draw the start honestly, if we lead the league next year in coaches challenges for goalie for Nashville in Anaheim tonight, so the likelihood that Los Angeles faces interference, I’d be really happy about that,” Stevens memorably said at Juuse Saros is raised. Saros, 22, is the heir apparent to the crease his introductory press conference. should the team ultimately part ways with Rinne in the semi-foreseeable Hello, Adrian Kempe! future, and while that’s very, very difficult to fathom, Rinne’s seven-year, $49-million contract expires after 2018-19. Saros, who was 10-8-3 with a “I thought it was just a great all-around play,” Stevens said. “It was one of 2.35 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage last season, is the plays that was fun to watch last night.” winless in three starts with a 4.36 GAA and .817 Sv% this year. The net-front drive has been something that Kempe should be -Trevor Lewis, long noted for his responsible play and 200-foot particularly equipped to replicate. He’s not only got the speed to be able judiciousness, punctuated the first period barrage by beating Curtis to create havoc on the attack, but he’s also shown a willingness to go to McElhinney after a pair of Nazem Kadri turnovers. With four goals on the hard areas and use his six-foot-two frame as an asset in protecting the season, he’s well on pace to surpass last season’s career-high of 12. puck, as he did in hauling towards the net. Such positional acumen isn’t limited to the harder areas or spots in the “That’s one thing that we want to do, use a lot of speed through the defensive zone. On both Kadri turnovers, Lewis quickly skated to a soft middle, and that’s our game plan too,” Kempe said. “That’s really spot to the left of the slot where damage could be inflicted. On the important for the centers, so whoever’s in the middle – and I always have second turnover, as soon as Cammalleri stepped into the zone to pick off that in mind. If I’m in the middle and they’ve got the puck on the side, it the clearing attempt, he created space from Jake Gardiner, who creates a lot of opportunities if I carry my speed through the middle attempted to play the pass but couldn’t break it up, received Shore’s feed instead of backing off. That’s something they talk about and something I through Gardiner and Nikita Zaitsev, and wristed the puck from a sharp try to do every game.” angle into a mostly open net. There is so much chaos in hockey with moving parts and the spectacular “I kind of knew he was backside the whole time, so I was just kind of ability by players to simply read and react without wasting any precious looking for him to open up,” Shore said. milliseconds of action. Is there a reminder in Stevens’ voice that goes off in his head when an opportunity to drive to the net presents itself, or is It was a play that had roots in the final minutes of practices, when players that something that’s simply innate? remain on the ice to handle additional pucks and to reinforce scoring and retain skill. Lewis said it was a play they’d connected on a number of “Most of it is natural because the game is so fast,” Kempe answered. times at the end of practices. John Stevens acknowledged the natural “Obviously you’ve got to think what you’ve got to do and everything, but chemistry between Shore and Lewis after the game. The partnership has you don’t have time to think before you come out on the ice – what you’re been strong this season even as they’ve skated with Kyle Clifford and going to do and everything. Everything happens fast, and you’ve got to Michael Cammalleri as left wings. know what to do when you get the puck. We’re playing in the best league and playing for a long time, too, so it kind of comes naturally to you.” Shore, who missed the previous two games with an undisclosed injury, was effective in his first game back in the lineup. He was happy that his It’s the type of play that has Kings fans glowing when they consider the line was able to generate “a decent amount” of scoring chances in the 5- skill-speed-and-size package of the center who recently turned 21 and 3 win. now has 10 points in 13 games. “Only executed on one, but I thought the looks were there,” he said. “Well, that’s one of the reasons why we want him at center ice. He carries a lot of speed in the middle of the ice,” Stevens said. “He’s willing Aaron Poole/NHLI to take pucks into traffic, and it wasn’t just him. There were a lot of other -After Thursday’s win over Toronto, Mike Amadio retrieved his phone, people getting to the blue paint. That whole line – Tyler took a guy on his which was literally buzzing. He received numerous wishes of support back to the net, Tanner took a guy on his back to the net, so it’s certainly from his close friends, his parents, uncles, his brother and sister. something I think we need to continue to push. If you’re going to get to the net, you do it a couple different ways. You drive middle lane to get At what point did it really hit home that he had scored his first career there, and you put pucks on the net and you arrive there. I thought that goal? was a big-time play there with traffic. Not only did he protect the puck and get through the hole, he had the presence to make a great play to Ty, “When I saw the highlights and seeing all the guys I was on the ice with who stayed with him and drove the back post.” were just as excited or maybe even more excited than me, I think that’s when it hit in,” he said. “It was a pretty special feeling.” LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2017 Amadio played in the Ontario Hockey League, but he and his brother were Colorado Avalanche fans, and his father was a New York Islanders fan. His favorite player was Joe Sakic, and though he never posted junior seasons of 60 and 78 goals, as Sakic did during his 17 and 18-year-old seasons with the , Amadio did hit the 50-goal barrier during an impressive season as the North Bay Battalion’s captain in 2015-16. 1081480 Los Angeles Kings the guys are really committed. We have really committed workers and checkers and they’re our top guys. I think that translates into good penalty killing. They’ve been together for a while. I think Dave does a NOVEMBER 3 PRACTICE QUOTES: JOHN STEVENS good job of going over the detail of that stuff, and I think that we all have a good understanding of the reads, so we’ve been able to remove some hesitation that allows us to be more aggressive. I don’t know. I don’t think there’s any one thing, but those are some of the factors that I think have JON ROSEN NOVEMBER 3, 2017 allowed us to be successful. On whether he had ever seen a player receive two penalty shots in the same game: PRACTICE NOTES No. [Reporter: Not at any level?] I can’t recall. I’d have to go back. But On any message leading into the third period of a game with a big I’m getting old and my memory’s not [inaudible/laughs]. I don’t know if I’d momentum swing: ever care to see Auston Matthews in two penalty shots. You look at the game, we wanted a really good start because we were On Brooks Laich’s interference penalty while leaving the penalty box: coming off a road trip and we really wanted to focus on having a really good start, and they played the night before. We obviously did that. Built I tried to argue that. He’s a veteran guy, give him a break there. But they a five-nothing lead and then we kind of put the sails up a little bit there, called the rule. If he’s not all the way out of the box, it’s considered and that’s not the team you want to put the sails up [against]. I really interference, and he still had a foot in the box. I think I’d have to agree thought the last three minutes of the second period, they get a penalty that they made the right call. shot, a goal, and then they score with a second and a half left. It gave them life, said, ‘you know what? We’re going to hang around, see what -One quote withheld for today’s practice report happens here.’ Otherwise I think we’d have made it a lot easier on ourselves. So, we just told the guys we’ve got basically a three-nothing -Lead photo via Aaron Poole/NHLI lead going into the third period here, and we need to play the game the LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2017 right way. I still think we didn’t check very well from the midpoint on of the hockey game, but I think it’s a good lesson for us to learn, one, that that the start of a hockey game’s very important. Even though I thought Toronto played very well, they chased the game. And, two, we’ve got to play a lot better without the puck than we did last night. [Reporter: What was it without the puck, Johnny, that you saw in your team? Was it gaps?] Just lots, to be honest with you. We gave up a lot of chances in D-zone coverage, which means we had people back in position but weren’t getting seals. So, for us, number one, it’s work. It’s physical, on puck recovery, in your battles, stick detail, and decisions. They all factor into being really good defensively. We can be. We weren’t. That’s just the fact of the matter. We’ll maybe give a one-off coming off a trip. Guys are a little bit mentally tired. We’re fortunate we can correct these things when we’ve won a game, but it’s not sustainable to give up those kinds of chances at home. [Reporter: After a game like that, do you focus on the things you can get better on? Even after a win, is that your main takeaway?] Well, we’ve been honest with ourselves from day one. When we win games, what did we do well, and what do we need to do better? We did a lot of things good last night. Like, the power play had some big goals for us. I thought we did some really good things offensively. We got production from different parts of our lineup. But we’ve got to tighten up. I think we know we can. But we just had a really good discussion this morning just about what we were talking about now. I think we’ve always wanted to make sure we’re trying to get better, and I think to do this you have to be honest with your performance. We were, the guys are, and we’re looking forward to tomorrow. On whether Nashville presents a different look when compared to recent opponents: Really, really aggressive forecheck. Maybe the best skating defense in the league. They skate pucks out of trouble probably better than any team in the league. Depending on who plays net, one of the best puckhandling goalies in the league. They play a 1-1-3 neutral zone, which is a little bit different. There are a few teams that play it, but they’re very good at it, and their pursuit of the forecheck is very good. They’re going to come after you and they’re going to really pursue the puck aggressively, and I think their defense is a big key to their hockey team. It’s a different challenge, a little bit of a different animal than we’ve faced here lately, but certainly a team we’re going to have to be ready for. On Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown provide a “comfort zone” for Michael Cammalleri: I don’t know. I think Cammy’s a real good veteran player that kind of knows what he needs to do to get ready. I think it’s been a little bit of an adjustment when you change teams. A little bit of a different style, learning exactly what expectations are and not becoming hesitant in what he’s thinking as a hockey player, but he came really well trained, he came in excited about being here. We’ve moved him around quite a bit. He’s been playing power play with those guys, and I think he’s a good fit there, and then he’s been actually moved around with some of our younger guys and what I’d call our real working skilled players. I think when you have a veteran guy in your lineup like that that’s got a lot of experience in the league, I think it can only help the people he plays with. On a defining characteristic of the team’s penalty killing success: Well, I didn’t think it was as good last night. I think that’s an area that has to be better and it has been really good all year. Obviously, we’ve been getting great goaltending. I don’t know if there’s one characteristic. I think 1081481 Los Angeles Kings

SCOOP FROM STUTTS: REIGN YOUNG GUNS ANXIOUS FOR SOCAL SERIES INTRODUCTION

JOEY ZAKRZEWSKI NOVEMBER 3, 2017

ONTARIO REIGN The Ontario Reign kick off the SoCal Series against the San Diego Gulls tonight at 7:00 at Valley View Casino Center in San Diego, California and several of the Reign youngsters and Head Coach Mike Stothers are looking forward to diving into the heated rivalry. Tonight is the first of 12 meetings between the two clubs and the two sides have met 38 times (including preseason and postseason) over the past two seasons. All-time, the Reign are 10-10-2-2 and last season, both teams held an identical 6-4-1-1 head-to-head record. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081482 Los Angeles Kings

WAKING UP WITH THE KINGS: NOVEMBER 3

JON ROSENNOVEMBER 3, 2017

I spend a lot of time on Twitter. It’s part of the job description. Over 82 games, there are highs and lows. One of the highs – and, I must say, this isn’t an extensive list – is tweeting out, once or twice a year, my favorite question. I mean it only out love and frivolity, and not ridicule. “What will Kings fans complain about when their team is up, 5-0?” This sounds a bit harsh and condescending, but yes, this does happen. Like, the Kings could be boat-racing a top team, and within a minute and a half of the fifth goal, I’ll receive a complaint that Nick Shore is playing over Nic Dowd, or that Jonny Brodzinski is still in the AHL, or that some player something something should’ve made it 6-0. How dare they! Reporters love pressing their @ button and reading these observations. I was prepared to type my favorite question last night, had even spruced it up to fit comfortably in 140 characters, and was flexing my index finger above “Tweet” when Auston Matthews mishandled a puck during a breakaway on some soft Staples Center ice with Anze Kopitar’s stick in the same zip code as his hands, and a controversial penalty shot was assessed by the referee that hadn’t fallen and appeared to be well behind the play. (On the only slowed down replay I saw at the time, I thought I had seen Kopitar’s stick brush against Matthews’ hands, but after an additional 10 or so post-game viewings, I, like everyone, couldn’t find any contact.) Some 10 minutes of real time later, Kings fans had a legitimate Twitter gripe in a game that was once a rout. Former Selke Trophy winner Anze Kopitar hustles on the backcheck and impressively *does not commit an infraction* and one of the league’s brightest superstars is gifted a penalty shot, which he converts. Lesson learned: even in a 5-0 game, poke the Hockey Gods at your own risk. Against a team that has Toronto’s firepower, the trajectory of a game can change quickly. Aaron Poole/NHLI Teams, coaches and players are wary of the first game at home after an extended road trip out of concerns of potentially passive play due to the relaxation and reset of returning home. Perhaps colloquially, there’s not always great jump from the get-go in that first game back. Such a start wasn’t a concern at all for Los Angeles, which took advantage when Michael Amadio’s first career goal (assists: Tanner Pearson, Staples Center Ice) was backed up by Michael Cammalleri’s power play will-in after impressive movement down low by Anze Kopitar and Dustin Brown. Teams need power plays to score big goals, and yes, when a power play establishes a multi-goal lead less than five minutes into the game, that qualifies as a “big goal.” Cammalleri then kickstarted a third goal when he read a play deftly, jumping into the offensive zone to intercept Nazem Kadri’s Nick Shore-contested outlet along the boards before feeding Shore, who picked the perfect moment to find Trevor Lewis, who ran a quick route to find the most dangerous spot on the ice from which to score on that play. The Kings ultimately made it 5-0 in the second period, and yes, score effects took over at that point, but once the game got away from Toronto, even before Matthews’ penalty shot, Los Angeles’ game had some areas that could stand to be cleaned up. This mostly goes back to the understanding that You’re Not Going To Step On A Team’s Necks For 60 Minutes, Especially A Good Team Like The Maple Leafs, but after the airtight lockdown game against Boston and a gritty effort in the loss at St. Louis, the Kings yielded more opportunity than they’re comfortable in doing over the second half of the game. Aaron Poole/NHLI Adrian Kempe is wholly unrecognizable from the player he was in Ontario and during his first Los Angeles stint. John Stevens has not been shy in articulating his desire for the centers to attack the center of the ice with speed, and Kempe’s ability to lower his shoulder and hit a seam between Nikita Zaitsev and Jake Gardiner was like watching a running back sense daylight and power through a pair of flat-footed defensive backs well past the line of scrimmage. He even drew a penalty on the play before dishing to Tyler Toffoli, who more or less had to shovel his stick towards the net for an easy chip-in. Such a play is in line with the hard, physical, competitive minutes he’s etched out with his linemates, all of whom are benefiting from some impressive shared chemistry. He’s not winning faceoffs yet, but he’s checking well and using size and strength as assets, and for someone who turned 21 years old a month and a half ago, that’s awfully impressive. Now’s the time to buy stock in whichever company triple-stitches the number nine onto Kings jerseys. LA Kings Insider: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081483 Minnesota Wild

Wild-Chicago game preview

NOVEMBER 3, 2017 — 10:27PM Megan Ryan

BRIAN CASSELLA, TNS – TNS Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford. Wild gameday 7 p.m. vs. Chicago • FSN, 107.9-FM Wild seeks consistency against Chicago Preview: The Wild (5-4-2) will look to avoid last season’s fate, when the team beat Chicago (6-5-2) in the first meeting of the season but dropped the remaining three. A 5-2 result Oct. 12 was the Wild’s first victory of the season. Chicago is coming off its first shutout, which ended a three-game losing streak. Quotable: “I just think it’s such a rivalry. They’ve met in the playoffs quite a few times and in proximity to us, they’re fairly close. An in-divisional game, I just think the games are very tight checking and every game has such meaning. … We have to be able to put games together and not just be mediocre. Win one, lose one, win one, lose one, during the course of the year. Because if you look at teams that make the playoffs, they’re generally 15 games over .500. You’ve got to put a pretty good run together to get to that stage. And the fact that it’s the Blackhawks, who have been the premier team, not only in our division but in the league the last few years, it’s easier to get up.” – Coach Bruce Boudreau. Numbers: Chicago goaltender Corey Crawford ranks fourth in the league with a 1.92 goals-against average and third with a .941 save percentage. Injuries: Forwards Zach Parise (back) and Charlie Coyle (leg) are out while Landon Ferraro (hip) is questionable. Forwards Marian Hossa (allergies) and Jordin Tootoo (upper body) and defensemen Michal Rozsival and Gustav Forsling (upper-body injuries) are out for Chicago. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081484 Minnesota Wild myself, like, ‘It’s only one game.’ And I want to be able to do this consistently every night, not just be something that’s seen in the eyes of people as redemption. I want to be able to make a difference every Matt Dumba shows mental strength by rebounding from loss with strong night.” game Star Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2017

By Megan Ryan Star Tribune NOVEMBER 3, 2017 — 11:45PM

Wild defenseman Matt Dumba checked Canadiens right wing Michael McCarron while shielding him from the puck, one of many simple but effective plays he made in the Wild victory. Matt Dumba had possibly the worst game of his NHL career Tuesday. On Thursday, he played arguably his best. Despite Dumba one day surrendering the turnover that cost the Wild the game and then watching the last 19 minutes, 17 seconds from the bench to rallying for double assists, blocks and hits in a big victory two days later, the defenseman didn’t actually make any drastic changes during that off day in between. Instead, he relied on the same resource he has since he was 16: sports psychology. “Over the years, though, I’ve really built up my mental strength and the stuff that I like to do in my routines and rituals,” Dumba said. “It’s just staying consistent with those and really just honing those and finding what’s best for you.” Dumba worked with sports psychologist Derek Robinson throughout his juniors career with the Western Hockey League’s Red Deer Rebels. With him, Dumba developed a routine — such as doing visualizations before every game — that the 23-year-old still uses now in the NHL. Wild coach Bruce Boudreau, who considered benching Dumba after his play in the 2-1 loss to Winnipeg on Tuesday, said what impressed him about the player’s quick comeback in the 6-3 victory over Montreal on Thursday was Dumba’s obvious preparation and ability to not overcomplicate. “When you make simple plays, good things happen. He didn’t try to do too much. And when you do that, you end up doing more than enough,” Boudreau said. “He didn’t overhandle the puck. He shot the puck when he got it from the point. A lot of good things. He played a good game.” Not surprisingly, that is exactly what Robinson said he worked with Dumba on during their four years together. “He’s an emotional player who cared a lot, so then you’ve got to let go of mistakes. You’ve got to rebound better, and you’ve got to find consistency. Routines is a good example of that and the mind-set you have,” Robinson said. “Players like Matt are fiercely competitive, which makes them so good. … He cares, and sometimes it’s easy to care too much and try too hard. And one thing Matt and all defensemen have to learn, especially talented offensive defensemen, they have to learn to simplify their game so less is more.” The fact that Dumba said he didn’t do anything differently from bad game to good game shows he was channeling that advice, not forcing changes that might backfire instead of benefit. “Honestly, I just prepared for another game,” Dumba said. “The last couple weeks, I’ve been really focused on hockey and taking care of myself and working out and getting on the ice early practicing. I knew it was just a matter of time before it all came together, and I think it will here in the next couple weeks and hopefully months and the rest of the year.” Dumba said he’s also worked on his mentality, not letting one play define his season or dictate how he feels. Winger Mikael Granlund, who hangs out with Dumba a lot away from the rink, said he tries to do his part to help his friend with that aspect. “It’s a different thing on the ice and then off the ice, you just try to take your mind off the game and sometimes that’s the best way to not get too much into it,” Granlund said. “When you have a day off or something, do something else. Don’t think about hockey.” In general, Dumba’s season has been fairly volatile for one of the Wild’s top-four defensemen. And while Dumba seeks to concentrate his big rebound into more stability Saturday night against Chicago, Robinson said his advice to his former client would be to let go of mistakes and refocus on the next challenge — but also give himself a break. “It felt good, really good,” Dumba said of being able to atone for Tuesday’s mistakes so quickly. “At the end of the game, I still said to 1081485 Minnesota Wild

Wild looking forward to rematch with "No. 1 rival" Chicago Blackhawks

By Megan Ryan NOVEMBER 3, 2017 — 1:59PM

Tommy Wingels (57) checks Mikko Koivu into the boards during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 12, 2017, in Chicago. The most recent time the Wild played the Chicago Blackhawks, it almost derailed its short season. While the Wild did come out with the 5-2 victory at United Center on Oct. 12, three forwards left the game injured, adding to the two that were already out ahead of the game. The good news for the Wild is that of those injured ranks, all but Zach Parise and Charlie Coyle are back to it. Parise is still recovering from back surgery, as is Coyle with his leg surgery. "It's like I always tell the guys, 'Anybody can do anything once,'" coach Bruce Boudreau said. "To be able to master it and get to do it two times and three times and four times, that's what's difficult. We know we've got a difficult task. We are hopefully going to meet them." Last season, the Wild beat Chicago in the teams' first meeting but dropped the next three. “It’s really important. It’s our biggest game of the year, even though it is November and Game 12," Boudreau said. "Up to date, right now, it’s probably our No. 1 rival. Last year, we beat them the first game we played them, and they beat us the rest of the games. So they obviously got up for it a little bit more than us. We’re mentally ready, and we’ve gotta get to that stage tomorrow.” The Blackhawks are coming off their first shutout of the season, a 3-0 result Wednesday against Philadelphia, that also snapped a three-game losing skid. "We always play these guys hard, and it probably stems from those rivalries in the playoffs and the fact that they’re always top of the league," goaltender Devan Dubnyk said. "That’s another part of it, but for right now, we’re going to want to change that if we do end up facing them in the playoffs, but that’s certainly a long way away from right now. We’re trying to concentrate on what we’re doing and get consistent. Again, it’s always good when Pittsburgh rolls in, Chicago rolls in, it’s always a tough task and forces you to be sharp." The only players missing from practice Friday at Xcel (minus Parise and Coyle) were center Matt Cullen and defenseman Jonas Brodin. Star Tribune LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081486 Minnesota Wild

Wild’s Marcus Foligno won’t seek revenge against Blackhawks

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 3, 2017 at 4:21 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2017 at 4:21 PM

Wild winger Marcus Foligno claims revenge won’t be on his mind during Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks at Xcel Energy Center. When the Central division rivals played in Chicago on Oct. 12, Foligno dropped the gloves with Blackhawks winger John Hayden midway through the second period. Their lengthy fight ended with Foligno eating a vicious right hook from Hayden. Foligno broke his cheekbone on that punch and missed a game before returning to the lineup wearing a full cage with his helmet for the next six games while the injury healed. Foligno was relieved to get the full cage off for Thursday’s 6-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens at the Xcel Energy Center. “It felt great,” Foligno said. “It just gives me more vision out there when I’m looking down for pucks. It’s a lot more clear.” Foligno occasionally whiffed on pucks during the six games he wore the cage. He said it messed with his depth perception, especially when looking down at his feet. “That makes it hard,” Foligno said. “If I were to lose sight of the puck for a second it takes a second longer to find it again and shoot it. That happened a couple times. I’m happy to have it off, for sure. Hopefully I don’t whiff on any more pucks.” Foligno said he wasn’t as physical during that stretch because he had extra protection. “I had a full cage on so I didn’t want to be out there being stupid or anything like that,” Foligno said. “It says a lot about someone who can hit and back it up, and when I’m wearing a full cage that part is kind of gone. I think it’s more of a respect factor of being clean when I’m wearing something like that and not running around and taking liberties with it.” As for Saturday’s game, Foligno said his focus won’t be on Hayden. “We have to win a game tomorrow,” Foligno said. “That’s the only thing on my mind. You know, whatever happens, happens. I’m not really looking into getting revenge or anything like that. I guess if it comes up, it comes up. At the end of the day, my biggest focus is on playing so we can beat this team.” And what will happen if he runs into Hayden? “I don’t know,” Foligno said with a laugh. “We’ll see.” POWER SURGE? After suffering through an 0-for-19 drought on the power play, the Wild finally broke through Thursday when defenseman Jared Spurgeon buried a crisp backdoor pass from center Mikko Koivu. “We definitely want to build on it,” coach Bruce Boudreau said. “We worked a little bit on the power play today. It was more that we showed numbers and got mad. You know, we don’t want to be 0-for-19 on the power play anymore. When the power play is working, we’re usually getting that extra goal a game, which is usually enough to win.” “You need the power play to be a difference-maker to win games,” winger Chris Stewart added. “It was just a matter of time before we broke through here, and hopefully we can keep it rolling. … As long as it’s creating energy instead of taking away energy like I think it was previously, that’s all we can ask for.” FERARRO CLOSER After participating in Thursday’s morning skate, Landon Ferraro was back on the ice for Friday’s practice. He sustained a hip flexor injury in the 4-3 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 20 and hasn’t played since. “He’s getting closer,” Boudreau said. “I’ve got to believe by the weekend, he’d be ready to play. Then again, I’m not the doctor.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081487 Minnesota Wild

For Wild, things get serious with Blackhawks coming to town

By DANE MIZUTANI | PUBLISHED: November 3, 2017 at 3:01 pm | UPDATED: November 3, 2017 at 8:34 PM

It doesn’t take much to get Wild coach Bruce Boudreau going when talking about the Chicago Blackhawks. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the 62-year-old coach is looking at Saturday’s match-up as a potential turning point for the Wild. “I think it’s really important,” Boudreau said. “It’s our biggest game of the year.” And not only because the Blackhawks are in town. After a rough start, the Wild have won three of their past four games, and Saturday’s meeting with the Blackhawks gives them a chance to cap a season-long, six-game homestand in style. They are 3-2-0 at the X the past two weeks, and 4-2-0 would go down a lot better than 3-3-0. “We could take what’s been a good homestand and turn it into a great homestand,” winger Chris Stewart said. “We want to end on a high note.” “We had a great start last night (in a 6-3 win over Montreal), and we’re going to need the same things tomorrow,” center Eric Staal added. “It’s a good test for us against a good team, and we should be excited about it.” The first thing the Wild need to do, Boudreau says, is build some consistency. The Wild have only won back-to-back games once all season. “We have to be able to put games together and not be mediocre, like win one, lose one, win one, lose one,” Boudreau said. “If we look at teams that make the playoffs, they’re generally 15 games over .500. You’ve got to put a pretty good run together to get to that stage. And the fact that it’s the Blackhawks, who have been the premier team not only in our division (but) in the league the last few years, it’s easier to get up.” Stewart said it’s always easier to get up for the Blackhawks because the Wild have been the little brother in the rivalry over the past five years or so. “I still remember my first time here (in the 2014-15 season) when they sent us packing in the playoffs,” Stewart said. “They are a team we want to beat every time we play them.” Wild goaltender Devan Dubnyk agreed that the bad blood has something to do with the Blackhawks knocking the Wild out of the playoffs in three consecutive seasons. “It probably stems from those rivalries in the playoffs,” Dubnyk said. “We’re trying to concentrate on what we’re doing right now and get consistent. Again, it’s always good when Pittsburgh rolls in, Chicago rolls in, it’s always a tough task and forces us to be sharp.” A few weeks ago, the Wild were sharp in a 5-2 victory over the Blackhawks in Chicago despite finishing the game with just eight forwards. While it’s always good to win the first game of the season series, Boudreau knows that doesn’t hold much weight in the grand scheme of things. Especially considering the Wild won the first game of the season series last season before dropping the final three. “We know what happened last year,” Boudreau said. “We beat Chicago the first game, and then they won the rest, because they were defiant and they weren’t going to lose. We have got to be able to meet their energy and their push on Saturday because they’re going to come in here wanting to prove a point, I’m sure.” Pioneer Press LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081488 Montreal Canadiens “We have a lot of depth this year, older guys with a lot of valuable experience,” said Terry, 28. “And even the guys who are second or third year have one more year of experience. Montreal Canadiens like having AHL affiliate Laval Rocket close at hand “Last year we had a good team. We got into the playoffs with a good run and gave Syracuse everything they had.” The Canadian Press On Friday, they finally named their first captain — veteran centre Byron Froese. Terry and Taormina were picked as alternate captains in voting Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 6:15 among the players. All three have some NHL and extensive AHL PM EDT experience. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2017 LAVAL — There are 18 métro stops between the Montreal Canadiens’ home rink and that of the team’s new American Hockey League affiliate, the Laval Rocket. Not that players are big users of public transit, but having their top farm club close at hand appears to be popular with the Canadiens’ brass, their top farmhands and the fans. “The nice thing is there are always a lot of upper management at every game, so you have the chance to prove yourself and open some eyes so that hopefully when they need to call on someone, you’re that guy,” Rocket defenceman Matt Taormina said Friday. After two seasons as the St. John’s IceCaps in Newfoundland and Labrador, the Canadiens moved their AHL team into the new 10,000-seat Place Bell in Laval, one of Montreal’s closest suburbs, and renamed it the Rocket. It follows a recent trend among NHL clubs to keep their top farm club nearby, making it easier to call players up or send them down and for management to track their progress. The Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks are among other teams to have their AHL affiliate in the same city. “It’s a great opportunity for the players to show (management) what they can do,” said Rocket coach Sylvain Lefebvre. “Instead of maybe once a month, it’s almost every game. “It’s a conversation we had as a team, so there’s always someone here from the organization. The big club is always looking to improve and they’re always looking for players who are ready to come up and help out.” Place Bell is an impressive facility and it ought to be, with its price tag ballooning from $92.6 million when it was first announced in 2012 to about $200 million at its completion this year, most of it paid for with public money. The site includes the main arena, a practice sheet and an international-sized rink. The Canadiens’ entertainment arm, Evenko, is paying a reported $1 million per year for 20 years to operate the arena, which also plays hosts to concerts that are not quite big enough for the 21,000-seat Bell Centre downtown and to other events. Local boxer David Lemieux is to fight there for the middleweight title against Billy Joe Saunders of Britain on Dec. 16. Attendance averaged 6,481 through Laval’s first six home games, although after a sellout for the inaugural game on Oct. 6 it looks to be settling at just under 6,000, which is above average for the AHL. The team averaged 4,103 last season in St. John’s. The Canadiens had their affiliate in Hamilton until the Bulldogs’ owners decided to drop the AHL in favour of an Ontario Hockey League junior team. The farm club moved to St. John’s while waiting for Place Bell to be completed. Forward Chris Terry, who played in St. John’s last season, liked both cities. “The fans are great here and they were great in St. John’s,” said Terry. “Obviously, the distance compared to the big club is a big thing. “It’s a 30-minute drive as opposed to a three-hour flight. But from a hockey standpoint, we’re still here playing hockey, it’s just a new venue, new fans and a new experience.” The Canadiens’ AHL clubs have not done well in recent years, although they’ve performed their main function of graduating players to the NHL, with forwards Charles Hudon, Michael McCarron and Jacob De La Rose the most recent examples. Lefebvre has coached the squad since 2012 in Hamilton. They missed the playoffs four straight years before finally getting in last season, when they were ousted in the first round. To ensure the club succeeds in Laval, they loaded up on veterans. 1081489 Montreal Canadiens

Canadiens goalie Carey Price down with 'minor' lower body injury

PAT HICKEY, MONTREAL GAZETTE Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 9:47 PM EDT

WINNIPEG — Any time you see the words Carey Price and lower-body injury in the same sentence, there has to be cause for concern. Price, who has struggled this season, was absent when the Canadiens took to the ice Friday for an early afternoon practice at Bell MTS Place. A Canadiens spokesperson said the goaltender was taking a therapy day, which usually means a player is physically or mentally fatigued. But coach Claude Julien said he was suffering from a “minor” lower-body injury. While he puts an emphasis on the word minor, Julien said Al Montoya will start against the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday (7 p.m., Sportsnet, TVA Sports, TSN-690 Radio). He also said the Canadiens would be calling up a goaltender from the Laval Rocket and, shortly after 5 p.m., the team announced Charlie Lindgren has been recalled. “I don’t know when he got hurt,” Julien said. “When I got here this morning, they told me he had a lower-body injury.” There’s concern because Price has a history of knee problems, including a strained medial collateral ligament that kept him on the sidelines for most of the 2015-16 season. At times this season, he has appeared slow moving from one side of the crease to the other. That was the case on at least two of the goals he surrendered in a 6-3 loss in Minnesota on Thursday. Price has a 3-7-1 record with a 3.77 goals-against average and an .877 save percentage. After the Minnesota game, Price was asked if he was injured and he said no. Julien said he wasn’t making any goaltending plans beyond Saturday’s game. If Price isn’t ready to play Sunday in Chicago, Montoya could play back-to-back games or Julien could call on Lindgren, who has a 3-0 career record in NHL games. “My job is to be ready whenever they need me, but I’m not looking past tomorrow night’s game,” said Montoya, who was in goal Monday when the Canadiens were 8-3 winners in Ottawa. With back-to-back games on the schedule, it was already likely he was slated to play one game this weekend, but he probably was pencilled in for the start in Chicago, which is his hometown. The news about Price overshadowed a change in one of the top two lines. Continuing with a move he made in the latter stages of the Minnesota game, Julien had Alex Galchenyuk playing with Jonathan Drouin and Artturi Lehkonen. Galchenyuk spent most of the practice at right wing, but took a couple of turns on the left side. “I think he’s been competing harder,” Julien said of Galchenyuk, who has spent most of the season on the fourth line with his ice time supplemented by power-play duties. “His compete level is much better than it has been. All we need from him is to work hard. “When he does that, he’s a much better player. When he doesn’t do those things, it doesn’t matter how much talent you have, it’s never going to come to the surface.” Competing was the theme of Friday’s practice, which concluded with a series of one-on-one battles. “We worked on our compete level,” Julien said. “We want our guys to be better; it’s as simple as that. We dig ourselves into holes in games and that puts us in trouble. I think this is more of a mental thing, so we have to be better prepared to start the game. When we struggle, it’s because we’re not mentally sharp.” Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081490 Montreal Canadiens

Byron Froese named captain of Laval Rocket, with Chris Terry and Matt Taormina as assistants

PRESSE CANADIENNE Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 1:35 PM EDT

Centre Byron Froese was named captain of the Laval Rocket, after a vote by the players, while forward Chris Terry and defenceman Matt Taormina will be his assistants, the American Hockey League team announced Friday. Froese is in his seventh season of professional hockey and signed a two- year contract with the Montreal Canadiens last summer. He was selected in the fourth round, 119th overall, by the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. The 26-year-old forward played 62 games in the NHL with the Maple Leafs and Tampa Bay Lightning, scoring two goals and three assists. For his part, Terry is playing his second season with the Canadiens’ AHL team. He led the St. John’s IceCaps scorers last season with 30 goals and 38 assists, and he appeared in 14 games with the Habs, scoring two goals and two assists. For his part, Taormina agreed to the terms of a two-season contract with the Canadiens after winning the Eddie Shore Trophy last season, awarded to the best defender of the AHL. He currently leads AHL defencemen with 11 points, tied with Shea Theodore. The Rocket will begin a two-game series in two nights against the at Laval’s Place Bell on Friday night. Montreal Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081491 Montreal Canadiens “I feel terrible for him because he’s working hard, he’s positive, he does and says all the things that you want to hear from a guy, but we’re still finding ways to put him in tough spots. When a guy’s not feeling his best, Basu: Price will come out of this, the question is when I don’t know how he’s feeling mentally or whatever, but you’ve got to do your best to help him out and give him chances to succeed. We’re not giving our goalies enough chances to succeed.” Arpon Basu Price has a 3-7-1 record, .877 save percentage and 3.77 goals-against average this season. He is one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL right 9 hours ago now, based on those numbers. But we’ve seen this before, very recently. From Dec. 22 to Jan. 21 of last season, Price went 3-5-3 with an .887 save percentage and 3.42 goals-against average. He allowed 38 goals in WINNIPEG – It is probably a helpless feeling. 11 games over that span; he’s allowed 39 goals in 11 games over this The Canadiens have a ton of things they need to work on to dig one. The obvious difference is this is the start of a new season, and the themselves out of this 4-8-1 start to the season, and they went about that numbers have nowhere to hide, nothing to cushion the blow. work Friday. Over the remainder of last season, after Jan. 21, Price had a .928 save They began practice working on zone exits, as simply as you possibly percentage in 27 games. So it is not exactly impossible to imagine he can. Puck stopped behind the net, a defenceman picks it up, passes it up won’t figure it out. In fact, it is all but assured that he will. to a winger on the wall, he chips to a forward in support, and away they But when? How? Does he need time off to perfect his technique? Can he go. Over and over again, something all these players have done since be allowed to play through this with the hope his teammates will carry they were 10 years old. him in the meantime? How exactly do you allow a goalie to find his They moved on to an equally simple offensive zone drill which game? Any other player can work his way through a slump knowing his emphasized finding tips in the slot and in front of the net. Over and over teammates can pick up the slack. If he’s a goal scorer, other players can again. Repetition. Simplicity. score. It can be comforting at a time like this, getting down to basics. Price does not have that luxury. His position dictates that he play. The team is built that way, any team is, because there’s a reason why backup Except there was one player missing from practice, and that one player goalies are paid less than starters. overshadows everything the Canadiens are working on, everything they hope to achieve resting on his shoulders. Fair or not, that’s the reality, The Canadiens season is hanging by a thread in early November. They and the Canadiens can work on perfecting those little details in their need their best player to figure things out quickly. game all they want. And now he’s injured. It won’t matter much if Carey Price doesn’t perfect the little details in his. The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 Price missed practice with a minor lower-body injury. I only mention the word “minor” because Claude Julien emphasized it in both languages as he announced the news after practice. It is a minor injury, Price is day to day, breathe. Al Montoya will start Saturday at the Winnipeg Jets, Charlie Lindgren will back him up, and Price will sit out. The way he has played of late, this news was not received as the bombshell it normally would be. “I have no concern about the fact Carey will find his game and will be a big part of our success,” Julien said. “We know he’s going through a tough time, we won’t hide it. No one is hiding from it. But we know what kind of goalie he is. Unfortunately, a forward or a defenceman can go through something like this and it’s always a little harder to tell because he’s not the last person left to stop a goal. So when it’s a goalie, it’s obviously always worse.” It is indeed worse, in so many ways. Because the Canadiens confidence as a team flows out from their crease. And when that tap is shut off, we can blatantly see the result. Except as obvious as that elephant in the room is, talking openly about Price’s struggles has almost become taboo among a group that has gained so much from his greatness. They owe him so much, not only do they hesitate to talk openly about his difficulties, they want to help him get through it more than anything in the world. And when they can’t, when they can’t outscore the mistakes, it becomes frustrating and it can snowball. The emperor has no clothes, as it were, and everyone wants to compliment the cut of his suit. Karl Alzner is not necessarily someone willing to point out the nudity, but as a newcomer he seems a little more willing to admit that watching what is happening to Price this season is difficult, even within the context of the team’s overall troubles. Alzner, as a defensive defenceman, saw the opportunity of playing in front of Price as a big plus when he signed with the Canadiens, though the five years and $23.125 million he was offered was ample enough reason to make that decision. Regardless, the belief in Alzner’s mind was that he would help an elite goalie and make his job easier. It seemed like a perfect fit. Now this. “Everything is a product of your teammates and the way that we’re playing. Unfortunately for him, he’s the guy,” Alzner said. “He’s the last line. He’s the most recognizable guy on the team, the guy that’s really electrified the franchise over the last 10 years or whatever it’s been. So it’s tough, tough for us especially as d-men because we take so much responsibility in how the goalie's numbers end up being and how they’re playing. 1081492 Nashville Predators

Nashville Predators 5, Anaheim Ducks 3: 3 things we learned

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 11:42 p.m. CT Nov. 3, 2017 | Updated 1:13 a.m. CT Nov. 4, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — The Western Conference finals rematch between the Predators and Anaheim Ducks on Friday initially didn't have the same oomph to it as their venomous six-game series. That quickly changed. Playoff-like tension surfaced as the game, won 5-3 by the Predators, progressed, reminding those watching why these teams share such animosity. Here are three observations from Friday's win: Lineup shakeup An ineffective offense at even strength has compelled Predators coach Peter Laviolette to frequently shuffle his forward lines, admitting Friday morning that he's doing so more than he'd prefer. In search of any sort of successful connection to rectify his team's league-worst five-on-five production, Laviolette promoted forward Scott Hartnell to the left wing on center Ryan Johansen's line with forward Viktor Arvidsson, among other changes. Hartnell, playing his 1,200th NHL game, directed in his fourth goal this season past Ducks goaltender John Gibson in the first period with his right skate. The Predators scored at least three goals for the first time since Oct. 17 and had 21 five-on-five shots reach the net. Captain on a hot streak Predators captain Roman Josi, who assisted on Hartnell's goal, scored his second highlight-worthy goal in as many games later in the first period. Josi swooped into the high slot and whipped a shot behind Gibson. Since returning from a brief absence because of injury, Josi has four goals and eight points in eight games. He is one of two NHL defensemen averaging more than four shots per game after leading the Predators on Friday with six. Two Predators defensemen, Matt Irwin and Yannick Weber, each recorded their first points this season on Irwin's second-period goal. P.K. Subban had an empty-net goal. Penalty problems The Predators recently have been harping on their on-ice discipline. Nashville, which had committed a league-high 81 penalties and faced 61 shorthanded situations before Friday's game, faced four Anaheim power plays. A cross-checking penalty taken by Predators defenseman Mattias Ekholm with 18 seconds remaining in the second period led to a Ducks power-play goal three seconds later. Nashville, which led 4-1 at the time of the penalty, gifted Anaheim unnecessary momentum. The Ducks controlled play throughout the third period as their comeback attempt fell short. Tennessean LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081493 Nashville Predators

Predators' penalty problems affecting rhythm at even strength

Adam Vingan, USA TODAY NETWORK — Tennessee Published 4:20 p.m. CT Nov. 3, 2017

ANAHEIM, Calif. — There are statistical categories that an NHL team doesn't want to be leading. Penalties come to mind. The Predators' night off Thursday knocked them from their ignominious perch, but they still were second in the league in minor penalties (69) and total penalty minutes (201) before playing the Anaheim Ducks on Friday. "There's no explanation," Predators center Ryan Johansen said. "We've just got to watch our sticks and do whatever you can to not put yourself in bad situations." A breakdown of the minors by type may point to some specific issues. Nashville has nine hooking penalties, eight holding penalties and six interference penalties. Those obstruction-related infractions, for example, could mean that the Predators are out of position. The team doesn't analyze it in such a way, though. "I don't think there's any one thing," Predators coach Peter Laviolette said. "I'd be guessing off the top of my head, but I think we took a wide variety the other night (against the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday). ... Not one thing in particular." The Predators' penalty problems also have limited important even- strength ice time to develop an offensive rhythm. Nashville had a league- worst 13 five-on-five goals through its first 12 games, averaging roughly five shorthanded situations per game. "I would really like to see if we stayed out of the box, whatever it was, seven or eight times (Wednesday), that's 15, 16 minutes of even-strength hockey. I would like to see what our team would be doing, so we need to stay out of the box." Tennessean LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081494 New Jersey Devils

Taylor Hall scores, but Devils can't slow down Oilers | Rapid reaction

Updated November 3, 2017 at 11:44 PM; Posted November 3, 2017 at 11:43 PM By Chris Ryan,

Despite Taylor Hall scoring his first career goal against his former team, the Devils couldn't slow down the Edmonton Oilers in a 6-3 loss on Friday at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The Oilers opened up a 5-2 lead when Leon Draisaitl scored off a Connor McDavid pass with 6:42 left in regulation, marking the third straight goal for the Oilers. It gave McDavid his third assist of the game. The Devils pulled within 5-3 when Brian Gibbons tipped in his team- leading sixth goal of the season. It set a new career high for Gibbons with 5:35 left, but a Ryan Nugent-Hopkins empty netter sealed the game, as the Devils didn't have enough time to mount a further comeback and overcome some early struggles. A flat opening 10 minutes of the game allowed the Oilers to strike for a pair of goals, with Drake Caggiula netting a power-play goal off a Connor McDavid assist at 5:40 before Ryan Strome tipped in an Adam Larsson shot at 8:55. Hall scores 1st vs. Oilers Hall's goal got the Devils on the board and gave them life later in the first period. Miles Wood sprung through the neutral zone toward goal, where his shot was saved, allowing Hall to swoop in for a goal off the rebound at 15:00. The Devils tied the game in the second period off Jesper Bratt's fifth goal of the season, where he turned at the top of the left circle and whipped a shot off iron and into net at 5:02. But another lull cost the Devils in the second period, and the Oilers seized control again. Moments after Bratt's goal, the Oilers went back on top when Oscar Klefbom sent a knuckling slap shot past Devils goalie Cory Schneider at 6:03 to put the Oilers up 3-2. Edmonton controlled play for the remainder of the second period, and they delivered a back-breaking goal to take a 4-2 lead one minute before the second intermission. Milan Lucic got behind the Devils' defense and tapped in a shot at the left post for his second goal of the season. The loss marked the first road loss of the season for the Devils. They fell the 9-3-0 on the season, and all three losses have come on Fridays. Johansson out Marcus Johansson missed Friday's game after suffering a concussion during Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Johansson is still with the Devils on their Western Canada trip, and he will stay with the team when they travel to Calgary. Next up The Devils will wrap up their Western Canada swing with a 9 p.m. game against the Calgary Flames on Sunday. They will return to New Jersey for a 7 p.m. game against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday. Chris Ryan Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081495 New Jersey Devils

WATCH: Devils' Taylor Hall scores 1st career goal vs. Oilers

Posted November 3, 2017 at 10:07 PM By Chris Ryan

Taylor Hall is used to scoring goals in Edmonton. He just did it in a different uniform on Friday night. Hall scored his first career goal against the Edmonton Oilers when he potted a rebound at the 15:00 mark of the first period to pull the Devils within 2-1 at Rogers Place. The Oilers drafted Hall first overall in the 2010 NHL Draft, and he played six seasons in Edmonton before being traded to the Devils prior to the 2016-17 season. Why 2nd EDM trip is different In Hall's first season with the Devils, he went goalless in two games against his former team, but he did record an assist in Edmonton. Hall's first period goal was his fourth of the season and his 16th point -- more than any current Devil or Oiler. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081496 New Jersey Devils

New Jersey Devils vs. Edmonton Oilers: LIVE score updates and chat (11/3/17)

Posted November 3, 2017 at 8:30 PM By Chris Ryan

Cory Schneider, Taylor Hall and Nico Hischier will lead the New Jersey Devils into their second tilt of a three-game Western Canada swing when they play Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers at 9 p.m. on Friday at Rogers Arena in Edmonton. The Devils enter riding their third three- game winning streak of the season, but if they want to improve on their franchise-best 9-2-0 start to the season and win four in a row for the first time, they will need to do so without Kyle Palmieri and Marcus Johansson. Join NJ.com's live chat during the game in the comments section. You can also follow along with live score and stat updates above. Lines vs. Oilers Here is everything you need to know about the game: What: New Jersey Devils (9-2-0) vs. Edmonton Oilers (3-7-1) When: 9:00 p.m. Eastern, Friday, Nov. 3, 2017 Where: Rogers Arena, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada TV: MSG+ Live stream: MSG GO Radio: The One Jersey Network More to know: The Devils will start Cory Schneider after his 2-0 shutout over the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Schneider owns a 7-3-2 record against the Oilers over the course of his career. Forward Kyle Palmieri will miss his fourth straight game with a lower body injury, but he did resume skating on his own in New Jersey. Forward Marcus Johansson will also miss Friday's game after suffering a concussion during Wednesday's game in Vancouver. With Johansson out, the Devils will go with 11 forwards and seven defenseman. Defenseman Dalton Prout will enter the lineup after being a healthy scratch on Wednesday. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081497 New Jersey Devils

What's different about Taylor Hall's 2nd return to Edmonton with Devils

Updated November 3, 2017 at 3:46 PM; Posted November 3, 2017 at 3:12 PM By Chris Ryan

Taylor Hall's second trip back to Edmonton has a different feel. The Devils forward returned to play his former team for the first time in January of 2017, where the 2010 No. 1 overall pick received a video tribute from the team that drafted him. This time, Hall doesn't have to worry about that. "Just used to it again," Hall told media in Edmonton on Friday. "This was a special place for me to play and I loved my time here, but coming back this time, I don't feel the same nervousness about the reception or anything like that. I'm just here to help my team win a hockey game." Johansson out with concussion Hall was dealt to New Jersey in a blockbuster trade on June 30, 2016, where the Devils sent defenseman Adam Larsson to Edmonton in exchange for Hall. Hall has already called New Jersey his new home, and he has made the effort to be one of the team's leaders. "It was unexpected for me to get traded, and still to this day, it's been fun for me to get used to a new city, new team, new coaching staff and new guys," Hall said. "Like I said, I loved my time in Edmonton, but (Newark) is a great city to play in. We have a great fan base, a fun group of guys in our locker room. I can't complain." When Hall visited Edmonton last season, the Devils were clinging to hopes of being a playoff team before eventually bottoming out and finishing last in the Eastern Conference. The Devils enter Friday's game at 9-2-0 in first place in the . 3 things to watch on Devils' road trip Hall's 15 points lead the Devils through 11 games, and he said his second season in New Jersey has been fun. "You look at what people are projecting you to finish at and how people see your team, it gives you motivation. For us, we trust what we have in our locker room, and the management and coaches trust in us, as well. So it's been fun to be the underdogs so far this year, but I don't think we're going to catch teams as much like that here." Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081498 New Jersey Devils

Devils' lines, pairings vs. Oilers (11/3/17) | Marcus Johansson out

Posted November 03, 2017 at 03:01 PM | Updated November 03, 2017 at 03:30 PM By Chris Ryan

The Devils will continue their Western Canada swing on Friday with a stop in Edmonton to play the Oilers at 9 p.m. In Taylor Hall's second game back in Edmonton since the June 2016 trade that sent him to New Jersey, the Devils will look to continue their franchise-record 9-2-0 start, while the Oilers aim to get back on track after going 3-7-1 in their first 11 games. Here are the Devils' projected lines for Friday's game, with forward Marcus Johansson out due to a concussion. The Devils will go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen. Taylor Hall,Chris Tanev Darryl Dyck | The Canadian Press via AP FORWARDS Taylor Hall - Nico Hischier - Drew Stafford Brian Gibbons - Adam Henrique - Jesper Bratt Brian Boyle - Pavel Zacha - Jimmy Hayes Miles Wood - Blake Coleman Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081499 New Jersey Devils

Devils' Marcus Johansson diagnosed with concussion, out vs. Oilers

Updated November 3, 2017 at 3:29 PM; Posted November 3, 2017 at 2:41 PM By Chris Ryan

Devils forward Marcus Johansson will miss Friday's game against the Edmonton Oilers after suffering a concussion in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Coach John Hynes announced Johansson's concussion following Friday's morning skate in Edmonton. The team did not practice on Thursday. Johansson slammed his head and face into the boards behind the Canucks' net during the opening minute of Wednesday's game. Johansson was behind a Canucks player, jockeying for position and battling for the puck, before he got tangled up and fell forward. Johansson stayed on the ice for a couple minutes before slowly getting up and skating under his own power to the bench and down the tunnel. Devils prospects update The Devils didn't rule Johansson out until the third period, saying he was being evaluated for an upper body injury. The forward was absent from Friday's more skate at Rogers Place. With Johansson out Friday, the Devils will go with 11 forwards and seven defenseman against the Oilers. They brought only 13 forwards on their trip to Western Canada, and Stefan Noesen will be a healthy scratch. 3 things to watch on Devils' road trip Johansson also missed Saturday's 4-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes after being a late scratch following warmups. Johansson's absence adds another hole to the team's top six, which is already playing without forward Kyle Palmieri. Palmieri did not make the Western Canada road trip, and he was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 22 with a left foot injury. Palmieri resumed skating on his own on Thursday. Star Ledger LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081500 New Jersey Devils 4. Boy, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins empty-net goal at 18:08 was a cluster- disaster for the Devils. Hall was controlling the puck through the Oilers’ zone was looking for a teammate as an outlet. But there wasn’t a player Oilers 6, Devils 3: Post-game observations where he thought there should be and the puck wound up banking all the way toward the Devils’ crease.

Which Cory Schneider had just so happened to have left as he skated to Andrew Gross, Published 2:47 a.m. ET Nov. 4, 2017 | Updated 3:25 a.m. the bench. ET Nov. 4, 2017 Will Butcher did a good job of racing back as the puck was heading either inside or outside the left post but couldn’t prevent Nugent-Hopkins from gathering the puck for the easy goal. So the Devils departed Edmonton late Friday night for Calgary knowing they weren’t going to go undefeated on the road this season. “I was just trying to make a play,” Hall said. “Sometimes on offense you just want to play instinctual. Obviously the pass didn’t work. I didn’t put it OK, so maybe that’s a little flip. But a 6-3 loss to the Oilers at Rogers on any of their tape. It was just a bad bounce. That’s the way it goes. Place shouldn’t be blown out of proportion just yet. When it rains it pours. It seemed like everything kind of went in for them, bounces off skates. You’ve just got to forget about it.” “I just think we didn’t play consistently enough through the game,” Devils coach John Hynes said. “There were times we had good opportunities Schneider was asked if he thought about trying to race back to his crease and pushes. as he saw the puck go down ice. “I just think when you look at the game, we had some mistakes,” Hynes “I kind of headed (to the bench) pretty hard,” Schneider said. “I saw it added. “Their top line put some at the net. We made some mistakes was coming out. I don’t know if I would’ve been able to turn and get there when the deadly players on the ice were theirs. We’ve got to take some in time, just judging from the pace of it. I didn’t think it would get down to lessons from that. I think we can be better. I think we can be better than our net like it did. Butchy made a great effort to try and get there. It’s we were tonight. We’ll take a day to regroup and make sure we finish the tough because you’re coming hard to the bench. For me to try and stop road trip better than we did tonight.” and get back, I don’t know how much difference it would’ve made. It stinks to get there and have it go in right away.” The Devils play the Flames Sunday night with the overall tenor of this Western Canada swing in the balance since they are, so far, 1-1-0. The 5. Hall was surprisingly booed by the Oilers fans, who had greeted him Devils got out of Vancouver on Wednesday night with a 2-0 win. warmly last season. It probably had something to do with his check on Zack Kassian. “Obviously the Vancouver game we just defended too long,” captain Andy Greene said. “They did a good job of disrupting us. We didn’t Either way, Hall did not seem fazed by it. control the puck very well in coming out of the D zone and breakouts. We didn’t make good puck decisions in the neutral zone. I think tonight was “The heck with it,” Hall said. “Whatever.” more of a back and forth. Obviously those first (eight) minutes, we gave them a two spot. I thought, after that, the period was pretty even but we New Jersey Devils give chase as Edmonton Oilers' Milan can’t give them two goals like that. It just seemed like any time we got 6. The Devils have been awarded one power play in the two games on momentum going, we either had a bad breakdown or something this trip (which means we didn’t get to see 6-foot-6 Brian Boyle used as a happened and they took over. That’s kind of what happened.” net front presence on the man advantage). Taylor Hall scores but Devils lose first road game, 6-3, to Oilers Needless to say, the Devils need more chances and that’s something Devils confirm a concussion for Marcus Johansson they can change. Still, the Devils are 9-3-0. “I think sometimes you can put yourself in position by the way you play to be able to get yourself on the power play,” Hynes said. “A little bit harder In some ways, though, that’s eerily similar to the 9-3-3 start the Devils on the puck. A little bit more attacking. Lots of time playing with the puck had last season before sinking to last place in the Eastern Conference. and more on the attack than we have the last games you get in situations where you draw more power plays.” “Our record, we’ve got to be proud of that and take confidence in that,” Taylor Hall said. “At the same time, we were 9-3-3 last year and finished 7. The Devils are scheduled to practice in Calgary on Saturday at 3:30 in 27th place (overall in the NHL). We’ve got a lot to learn and a lot to p.m. Eastern time. My flight is scheduled to get me there in time for that. improve on. If you look at the last two games we were outshot, Of course, the weather here in Alberta is a bit on the snowy/icy side. So outplayed. We’ve got to figure it out quickly and get healthy at the same here’s crossing my fingers for a good travel day early Saturday morning. time.” Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 Healthy probably won’t happen on this road trip since Kyle Palmieri (left foot) is back in New Jersey and Marcus Johansson (concussion) probably will be given more time to recover. No, to Hall, the issue is not getting healthy but being a harder team to play against. New Jersey Devils' Dalton Prout (5) hits Edmonton Oilers' “You look at their team, at 3-7-1, they’re a hungry team,” Hall said. “We’ve got to be ready for that. We have to treat this as a very important game and a game where we can really come in and do some damage and put them on their heels and we didn’t do that.” Some post-game observations: 1. As I maintained in the Live Blog (and certainly not an original thought among Devils observers) things seemed to be coming to head in terms of having a game like this. The team just hadn’t played all that well over its three-game winning streak. Now, the intriguing thing will be seeing how the Devils react and finish this road trip. If they stick to the team they are starting to become, it stands to reason they’ll play well in Calgary. 2. There were some ugly faceoff numbers as the Devils were 22 of 66 (33 percent). Normally reliable Blake Coleman was 2 of 11. Normally reliable Brian Boyle lost 3 of 4. Steady veteran Drew Stafford, though a wing, lost all four faceoffs he took. Meanwhile, Ryan Strome, Leon Draisaitl and Connor McDavid combined to win 31 of 42. 3. Taylor Hall may have been self-critical about being a minus-2 despite scoring his first goal against his former team but, during the 20:40 he was on the ice, he was the Devils best skater with a game-high shots. 1081501 New Jersey Devils

Devils Daily Faceoff: Three storylines for Nov. 4

Andrew Gross, Published 3:15 a.m. ET Nov. 4, 2017 | Updated 3:25 a.m. ET Nov. 4, 2017

CALGARY – And so the Devils have come to the last stop in their three- game Western Canada swing with the tenor of how they ultimately view this road trip hanging in the balance. The Devils (9-3-0) have split the first two games of the trip after a 2-0 win at Vancouver on Wednesday night and a 6-3 loss at Edmonton on Friday night. New Jersey Devils' Taylor Hall (9) gets a shot off Both games were similar in that the hosts controlled the puck and the play much more than the visitors. As a result, the Devils had limited opportunities to force their opponents into mistakes. Which is why the Devils were 0 for 1 on the power play against the Canucks and 0 for 0 against the Oilers, marking the first time this season they did not get a man advantage opportunity. Surely, these are among the things the Devils will work on when they practice on Saturday at Scotiabank Saddledome at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time. Here are three storylines for a snowy Saturday in Canada: First period – Back to their roots: Over the last two games, and really over their last four games, the Devils have gotten somewhat away from the team identity they’ve tried to establish of being the aggressor, of being the faster team, of being the harder team to play against. Practices are still fast paced. But the team needs to re-find some of that consistency. And that does start in practice. And it really isn’t going to be based on an Xs and Os adjustment from the coaching staff. It will come from the players’ collective resolve, likely with some of the veteran leaders speaking up. New Jersey Devils' Marcus Johansson, of Sweden, is Second period – Marcus Johansson’s concussion: The top-six forward suffered a concussion 57 seconds into Wednesday’s game and obviously was held out Friday without skating. Johansson was in the Devils’ dressing room after the game and will remain with the team through the road trip. It’s unlikely that he would be able to return from a concussion quickly enough to play on Sunday. But whether he skates or if he resumes workouts may give a glimpse into whether there’s the chance for a speedier recovery to an injury that defies timetables. Third period – Keith’s turn? Cory Schneider had his first shutout of the season at Vancouver and was the victim of some defensive breakdowns on Friday, though he has to make the save on Oscar Klefbom’s unscreened, knuckling slap shot that gave the Oilers a 3-2 lead in the second period just 61 seconds later. So will coach John Hynes turn to Keith Kinkaid for the final game on the road trip? Probably not but Kinkaid, at 3-1-0 with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .910 save percentage, has been more than reliable this season. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081502 New Jersey Devils But Hall, who had an assist in the Devils’ 3-2 overtime loss at Edmonton on Jan. 12, scored his first goal against his former team as he backhanded in the rebound of Miles Wood’s backhander to cut the Taylor Hall scores but Devils lose first road game, 6-3, to Oilers Devils’ deficit to 2-1 at 15:00 of the first period. “I was happy to contribute,” Hall said. “I thought when I was out there, I created some chances. But, at the end of the night, I’m a minus-2. I’ve Andrew Gross, Published 11:44 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017 | Updated 3:02 got to look in the mirror and get better from that.” a.m. ET Nov. 4, 2017 The Devils, who lost 17 of 20 faceoffs in the first period and 44 of 66 in the game, tied it at 2 at 5:02 of the second period as Jesper Bratt, set up by fellow rookie Nico Hischier, spun and shot from above the left circle EDMONTON – The Devils still have a chance to be better than .500 on and Talbot did not see the puck with Hischier setting a screen. this three-game Western Canada swing, the mindset Taylor Hall had opined the team needed to take on the road to determine whether they The Oilers, though, quickly regained at 3-2 lead as defenseman Oscar could back up their strong start to the season and determine whether Klefbom beat an unscreened Schneider with a knuckler of a slap shot they would be a contending team or a mediocre one. from high in the slot at 6:03. But not if they play like they did on Friday night against the Oilers. “It rolled for sure and dipped at the end,” Schneider said. “But he’s that far out and I get a good look it, I’ve got to find a way to squeeze it or “We’ve just got to make more plays,” Hall said. “You can see they were knock it down.” making passes, they were making plays, they were finding ways to get through the neutral zone. I thought we had trouble doing that. That’s Milan Lucic, who had thrown some haymakers against Prout in a mostly on the forwards being better on the puck and not spending as heavyweight bout at 6:19 of the second period, then got behind Wood to much time in our own end.” the left post to give the Oilers a 4-2 lead at 18:56 off Ryan Nugent- Hopkins’ feed. Hall scored his first goal against his former team but his second return to Edmonton was spoiled as the Devils had their three-game winning streak Leon Draisaitl, wide open at the left post, extended that to 5-2 at 13:18 of snapped with a 5-2 loss at Rogers Place. the third period before the Devils’ Brian Gibbons scored his team-high sixth goal to cut it to 5-3 at 14:25 as he tipped in Will Butcher’s blue-line It also marked the first road loss for the Devils (9-3-0) in six games this blast. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins’ empty-netter at 18:08 clinched it. season. The Devils conclude this road trip at Calgary on Sunday night. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 “We can be better just all around, from me on out,” goalie Cory Schneider said. “We have to find a way to end this road trip the right way and put a complete game together.” The Oilers (4-7-1) did not allow the Devils a power play, significant since their penalty kill unit ranks last in the NHL. “We had our chances to make plays,” Hall said. “You get three goals in this league, you should win. We’ve got to find a way to defend better than we did.” Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the Oilers while Schneider stopped 36 shots. “Obviously, we can’t be giving up north of 30, 35 shots every night,” said captain Andy Greene after the Oilers’ 42 shots marked the third time an opponent has taken at least 40 against the Devils and the fourth time in seven games the Devils have allowed at least 37 shots. “It’s tough, you start defending too much,” Greene added. “A lot of it comes from if we can break out a little bit cleaner and faster and get to our game. Then we’re spending less time in our defensive zone.” The Devils, without top-six forwards Kyle Palmieri (left foot), who missed his fourth straight game and Marcus Johansson (concussion), injured 57 seconds into Wednesday night’s 2-0 win at Vancouver, dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the third time this season. Brian Boyle, diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia at the start of training camp and acknowledged before the game by Oilers as the NHL marks Hockey Fights Cancer month by taking the ceremonial opening faceoff against Connor McDavid, played his second game for the Devils. New Jersey Devils' Brian Boyle, top, checks Edmonton There had been some cracks in the Devils’ game recently, most notably when they blew a two-goal lead in the final 75 seconds of a 5-4 shootout win over the visiting Senators on Oct. 27 and as the Canucks kept them hemmed in their own zone and chasing the puck for much of the second and third period at Vancouver. And those two periods carried over to the Devils’ play to start the first period on Friday night as the Devils had trouble exiting their zone and playing the puck near their own crease. Burly defenseman Dalton Prout took an ill-advised interference penalty against Drake Caggiula as he tried to stand up the left wing along the boards well after the puck had skittered ahead. Caggiula then took Connor McDavid’s cross-crease feed to make it 1-0 with a power-play goal at 5:40. New Jersey Devils' Taylor Hall (9) celebrates a goal Ryan Strome, establishing position at the crease, made it 2-0 at 8:55 as ex-Devils defenseman Adam Larsson’s shot from the right point banked in off him. 1081503 New Jersey Devils 5. You see that third line for the Devils? Boyle at 6-foot-6, 245 pounds, Pavel Zacha at 6-3, 210 and Jimmy Hayes at 6-5, 215. “That’s a big line,” defenseman said. Yes. Yes it is. Game 12 Live Blog: Taylor Hall scores but Oilers beat Devils 6-3 6. Four No. 1 overall picks in this game, which you don't see all the time: Devils Taylor Hall (Oilers, 2010), Nico Hischier (Devils, 2017) and Oilers Connor McDavid (Oilers, 2015) and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (Oilers, 2011). Andrew Gross, Published 7:38 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017 | Updated 11:46 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017 Devils (9-2-0) Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Drew Stafford The Devils keep finding ways to win, which has certainly not been the Brian Gibbons-Adam Henrique-Jesper Bratt case this season for the Oilers. Brian Boyle-Pavel Zacha-Jimmy Hayes Yet there’s no doubt that the Devils’ task tonight at Rogers Place is no Miles Wood-Blake Coleman easy one as they play the middle game in a three-game Western Canada swing that opened up with Wednesday night’s 2-0 win at Vancouver. Andy Greene-Steven Santini Tonight’s game marks ex-Oiler Taylor Hall’s second return to Edmonton after he had an assist in a 3-2 overtime loss on Jan. 12. John Moore-Damon Severson Wednesday’s trip-opening victory gave the Devils a franchise best 9-2-0 Mirco Mueller-Will Butcher start, was their fourth straight win and left them 5-0-0 on the road, the Dalton Prout only NHL team to have earned all possible points on the road this season. Cory Schneider (6-1-0, 2.84 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) Still, there are things that should concern the Devils heading into tonight’s game. Oilers (3-7-1) First, Wednesday’s win was largely the result of Cory Schneider’s 37 Patrick Maroon-Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl saves as coach John Hynes acknowledged it might not have been one of the team’s finer performances. Particularly in the second third periods, Milan Lucic-Ryan Nugent-Hopkins-Anton Slepyshev the Devils chased the puck far too often and did not execute crisply. Drake Caggiula-Ryan Strome-Jussi Jokinen Second, the Devils blew a two-goal lead in the final 75 seconds of a 5-4 Iiro Pakarinen-Mark Letestu-Zack Kassian shootout win over the Senators a week ago and, honestly, only the arbitrary nature of shootouts led to the team feeling better after that one, Darnell Nurse-Adam Larsson glossing over the blown lead. A 4-3 win over the then-winless Coyotes the next night was also not a Picasso as they were outshot 37-25. Oscar Kelfbom-Matt Benning The Devils will again be without Kyle Palmieri (left foot), missing his Kris Russell-Eric Gryba fourth straight game but at least skating again back in New Jersey (two Cam Talbot (3-6-1, 3.10, .904) straight days now on the ice after not skating at all prior to that after getting hurt in practice on Oct. 22). Devils starters: Schneider, Greene-Santini, Hall-Hischier-Stafford And Marcus Johansson (concussion) is out indefinitely after getting hurt Devils scratches: Ben Lovejoy, Stefan Noesen, Marcus Johansson on the first shift on Wednesday night. (concussion) So that’s two top six forwards out of the lineup for the foreseeable future. Oilers starters: Talbot, Klefbom-Benning, Maroon-McDavid-Draisaitl So Hynes will dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the third time Oilers scratches: Yohann Auvitu, Jujhar Khaira, Kailer Yamamoto this season (the Devils are 2-0-0 so far) with burly defenseman Dalton Prout dressing for the fourth time this season. Right wing Stefan Noesen First period: Classy move by the Oilers before the opening faceoff as and defenseman Ben Lovejoy are the healthy scratches tonight. NHL marks Hockey Fights Cancer month. Boyle is called out as somebody who is battling leukemia and gets a nice ovation from the “With a day off yesterday, there’s lots of time to play 11 forwards,” Hynes crowd as he is acknowledged. Boyle then has the honor of taking the said. “There’s the possibility to double shift to use some forwards that ceremonial opening faceoff against McDavid. Very sluggish start for the don’t play on special teams that are playing real well. Then, on the Devils, who are consistently hemmed in by the Oilers (much like they backend, it can give you some situational players to be able to use. We were by the Canucks despite winning). Canucks have trouble getting know we’re going to face a pretty high-skilled team. We felt if we go with their early shots to be accurate but Klefbom takes a hard shot from the seven defensemen, we can use guys in different situations and with high slot at 2:24 that Schneider gets a pad on. Rough start for Prout, too. matchups.” He had a giveaway early in the Devils’ zone and just had a no-doubt- about-it interference call against Caggiula at 4:49. Just a bad penalty to What to watch for tonight: take. Prout tried to stand up Caggiula along the boards but it was well 1. The Oilers have lost two straight and just 2-5-0 at home. And they’ve past when the puck had gone up ahead. Caggiula draws the penalty then had a surprisingly hard time scoring goals. Their top line of Patrick scores the power-play goal to give the Oilers at 1-0 lead at 5:40. Maroon-Connor McDavid-Leon Draisaitl has combined for 11 goals. The McDavid, on the left, with a good cross-crease feed and Caggiula had an rest of the roster has combined for 13 goals. So it will be interesting to all too easy tap-in for his first point of the season. Prout out of the box, see how Hynes deploys his troops against that top line. I would suspect gets a chance in the offensive zone but can’t get two shots through, first the defense pairing of Andy Greene-Steven Santini would be on a lot. from the right point and then a backhander in the slot. Prior to that, Wood tried a wraparound to the right post that was dangerous. At 7:54, Oilers 2. That said, the Devils have to start giving up fewer shots and relying on up on shots 3-2 and Devils seem to be finding their legs. But they’ll have the goaltending to keep things square. The Devils have allowed 33 or to rally as Strome makes it 2-0 at 8:55. Larsson wound up for a shot at more shots in five of their last six games, given up 37 shots in back to the right point and the puck bounced around in the crease before going in back games. At least it’s not a new trend. The Devils allowed 41 shots in off Strome. The Devils do show more oomph as Hall pushes it up ice but a season-opening 4-1 win over the Avalanche and 50 shots in a 6-3 win Talbot stops his sharp angle shot, the Stafford’s subsequent wraparound at Toronto on Oct. 11. try and then Henrique as he’s fed cutting to the crease. Schneider comes up big on Parkarinen’s one-timer inside the left circle to keep the Devils 3. Special teams tonight could be a huge tipping point. The Devils come deficit at two. Devils up on shots 9-8 at 14:53. Hall has been hearing into the game ranked fifth in the NHL on the power play at 11 for 41 (26.8 boos during the game. Now he hears a lot as he cleans up on a rebound percent) – though just 25th on the road at 2 for 19 (10.5 percent) – while of Wood’s backhander at the crease with his own backhander to bring the Oilers’ penalty kill languishes at 31st and last in the NHL at 28 for 41 the Devils within 2-1 at 15:00. That’s Hall’s fourth goal of the season and (68.3 percent). At home, the Oilers’ penalty kill is just 13 of 24 (54.2 team-leading 16th point. Shots are now 13-8 at 16:36. Obviously obvious percent). to note here but next goal in game could decide this one. Schneider 4. Game 2 for Brian Boyle after his training camp diagnosis of Chronic again big on McDavid from the slot at 17:15. The Big Line, or The Bigs Myeloid Leukemia. Think of this as Boyle’s preseason since he had no (Boyle-Zacha-Hayes) with a good shift creating a chance. Devils up on training camp. His play should improve on a game-by-game basis. shots 15-10 and escape a period that could’ve been much worse for them. Devils brutal in the faceoff circle so far, winning just 3 of 20 (15 percent). Second period: Schneider has to come up big again in the opening minute, getting a pad on Draisaitl’s blast. Prout/Butcher then have a rough shift trying to get the puck out of their own zone. Devils up on shots 18-13 at 3:12. Zacha may have just made the game’s best defensive play, stretching way out on a backcheck to get his stick on the puck to break up an Oilers rush into the Devils’ zone. The Devils tie it up at 4:02 as Hischier, along the left boards, gets it to Bratt above the left circle. Hischier then heads to the net to create a screen and Bratt spins and shoots and it didn’t look like Talbot ever saw it. But the Oilers get the lead back quickly as Klefbom, high in the slot, takes a slapper on a rolling puck. Schneider wasn’t screened at all so the puck probably knuckled a bit. Schneider certainly looked surprised to have been beaten on that one. At 6:19, two heavyweights, Prout and Lucic drop the gloves in the Devils zone. There are some heavy haymakers thrown, though a good portion of the time is spent wrestling, too. Talbot with a good save on Henrique, who was allowed to skate into the right circle at 9:30. Talbot follows that with a glove save on Stafford from close range at 9:49. Devils up on shots 22-19 at 10:11. Maroon just whiffed on a sure goal at the right post at 13:30 after McDavid pickpocketed Prout behind the crease. Schneider with a short side pad save on Draisaitl at 15:40 as he came in on the left. This time, Schneider smothers a hard slapper from Klefbom at 16:14. Oilers now up on shots 24-23. Zacha comes oh so close to tying it from the left circle after Hall skates free on the right and gets him with a good feed. But Zacha’s shot rings off the post at 16:42. And this certainly has the potential to be a killer goal as Nugent-Hopkins feeds the puck across the crease and Lucic gets behind Wood to the left post to make it 4-2 at 18:56. The Devils get outshot, 19-9 over these 20 minutes but still seemed in it until that Lucic goal. Devils have now won 8 of 39 faceoffs (21 percent). Third period: Zacha with another dangerous chance, getting low in the left circle but Talbot stifles him again at 2:53. Remarkably, Devils still waiting for their first power play of the game. That’s actually been a real issue on this road trip. The Devils were 0 for 1 on the power play at Vancouver. So they just aren’t forcing opponents into taking penalties right now. Gryba, who had injured Hall when Hall was an Oiler and Gryba played for the Senators, just misses on another heavy hit. Oilers still doing a good job controlling the puck. Devils need to press a little here to tilt things in their favor and get some more scoring chances. Also, Devils appear headed to give up at least 40 shots for the third time this season as Oilers have 36 shots at 9:03. Draisaitl wide open at the left post to make it 5-2 at 13:18. And this one is over. Probably, Gibbons tips in Butcher’s blue-line blast with Talbot protesting it was tipped in by a high stick to bring the Devils with 5-3 at 14:25. The goal is reviewed but it stands and the Devils have a little life. Nugent-Hopkins with an empty- netter to make it 6-3 with 1:52 to go. That was nearly a Hall own goal empty-netter as he was skating in the offensive zone and tried to get it to a non-existent teammate at the left point. Devils outshot 42-34. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081504 New Jersey Devils

Focus for Devils' Brian Boyle now squarely on hockey

Andrew Gross, Published 6:25 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017

EDMONTON –Brian Boyle, last to the team scrum at center ice for coach John Hynes’ final words, was sent on the “rotten egg” punishment lap always doled out at Devils’ practices. And the veteran forward couldn’t have worn a bigger smile as he motored around the rink to end the team’s morning skate at Rogers Place, where the Devils faced the Oilers on Friday night on their second stop in a three-game Western Canada swing. The reason was simple: Boyle was part of the team again, able to fully focus on hockey after his diagnosis of Chronic Myeloid Leukemia at the start of training camp. Friday night’s game marked Boyle’s second back in the lineup after he made his Devils’ debut by logging 15:19 in Wednesday night’s 2-0 win at Vancouver. The questions Boyle, 32, are fielding are becoming less and less leukemia-related and more and more about how he can help the rapidly- improving Devils. “I’m just trying to play my best, really,” said the 6-foot-6, 245-pound Boyle, who signed a two-year, $5.5 million free agent deal to join his fifth NHL team. “I’m trying to get better like I always have. The league seems to get faster every year and I try to get faster every year. I’m not falling behind any more. “Some of the anticipation plays during the game that happen, reading and reacting, that’s tough to duplicate when you’re out and that’s a big strength of my game, I think,” Boyle added. “I’m not going to be the quickest guy so I need that as a strength. So I’m trying to feel as comfortable as possible and get that back as quickly as possible.” Devils Taylor Hall on 2nd Edmonton return: 'Used to it' Hynes started Boyle on third-line center Pavel Zacha’s left wing along with Jimmy Hayes while also slotting Boyle in as a net-front presence on a power-play unit with defenseman Damon Severson, Zacha, Drew Stafford and No. 1 overall pick Nico Hischier. Boyle was on fourth-line center Blake Coleman’s left wing along with Miles Wood against the Canucks. In addition to the hulking Boyle, Zacha is 6-3, 210 pounds and Hayes is 6-5, 215 pounds. “That’s a big line, that’s a heavy line,” defenseman John Moore said. “When those guys are going, they’re hard to play against.” Moore, also Boyle’s teammate with the Rangers from 2013-14, called Boyle’s addition to the Devils’ lineup, “Huge,” no pun intended. “It is huge, that dimension that, I guess, is missing from our forward group and the versatility that he brings with his size and his physical skills,” Moore said. “They are needed by our group.” Devils general manager Ray Shero moved quickly to bring in Boyle as a free agent with his signing being announced just minutes after the market opened for business on July 1. New Jersey Devils' Brian Boyle talks with linesman It was one of the moves, along with acquiring left wing Marcus Johansson, who suffered a concussion on Wednesday, from the Capitals, drafting Hischier and signing defenseman Will Butcher, the reigning Hobey Baker Award winner, as a college free agent out of the University of Denver. Boyle, who reached the Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers in 2014 and the Lightning in 2015, has built a reputation as a difference maker in the playoffs. It was one of the main reasons the young Maple Leafs acquired him from the Lightning last season. But the Devils finished last in the Eastern Conference last season and have not made the playoffs since 2012. “I remember having conversations with them,” Boyle said. “Let’s not sell ourselves short here. I came and signed here and I thought that made our team better. Then there were other additions to make our team better. In this league, with a salary cap, it shouldn’t take four or five years. That doesn’t do it anymore.” Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081505 New Jersey Devils

Devils Taylor Hall on 2nd Edmonton return: 'Used to it'

Andrew Gross, Published 5:29 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017

EDMONTON – It was a visibly relaxed Taylor Hall that met with the media after the Devils morning skate on Friday at Rogers Place, a stark contrast to how he reacted on Jan. 12 in his first trip back to face the Oilers as an opponent. “I’m just used to it,” said Hall, selected No. 1 overall by the Oilers in 2010 and swapped to the Devils for defenseman Adam Larsson on June 29, 2016. “This is a special place for me to play, I loved my time here. But coming back this year, I don’t feel the same nervousness about the reception or anything like that.” Hall had an assist in the Devils’ 3-2 overtime loss at Edmonton on Jan. 12, the second time the teams had met in six days and a stretch Hall acknowledged as “stressful.” Despite tying for the team lead in points last season with 20 goals and 33 assists, Hall’s first season with the Devils was a disappointing one for both him and the team, which finished last in the Eastern Conference. Taylor Hall returns to Edmonton a fully-committed Devil But Hall now has a comfort level in being a Devil and the team came into Friday night’s game with a 9-2-0 record. “I think the position our team is in is a lot better,” Hall said. “It’s been a lot more fun this year.” Johansson out The Devils confirmed left wing Marcus Johansson suffered a concussion going head first into the backboards just 57 seconds into Wednesday night’s 2-0 win at Vancouver. Johansson is out indefinitely but will remain with the team on this trip, which concludes Sunday night at Calgary. Johansson has three goals and two assists in 10 games. Devils confirm a concussion for Marcus Johansson Palmieri skating Right wing Kyle Palmieri (left foot), injured in practice on Oct. 22 and on injured reserve, has resumed skating on his own and was on the ice both Thursday and Friday in Newark. He missed his fourth straight game on Friday night. Briefs The Devils dressed 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the third time this season, with right wing Stefan Noesen and defenseman Ben Lovejoy being the healthy scratches. …Center Adam Henrique is spearheading the Devils’ effort for the Movember Foundation to raise money and awareness for men’s health issues for the second straight year. That means Henrique, along with teammates Brian Boyle, Blake Coleman, Jimmy Hayes, Miles Wood and rookies Nico Hischier, Will Butcher and Jesper Bratt will all sport mustaches this month. Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081506 New Jersey Devils

Devils confirm a concussion for Marcus Johansson

Andrew Gross, Published 3:44 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017 | Updated 3:47 p.m. ET Nov. 3, 2017

Devils coach John Hynes confirmed after the team’s morning skate at Rogers Place here in Edmonton that left wing Marcus Johansson did suffer a concussion in Wednesday night’s 2-0 win at Vancouver. He is out indefinitely. Johansson went hard into the boards on his first shift of the game as he chased Canucks rookie Brock Boeser, who veered to his left as Johansson continued face first into the backboards just 57 seconds into the game. A woozy Johansson was attended to on the ice then skated slowly under his own power to the Devils bench before being led to the team’s dressing room for evaluation. New Jersey Devils' Marcus Johansson, of Sweden, is The team did not practice on Thursday so Friday’s morning skate was the first opportunity for Hynes to give a medical update on Johansson. As with any concussion, there is no timetable for a recovery. Johansson remains with the team here in Edmonton and will also accompany the team to Calgary for Sunday night's game against the Flames. Meanwhile, Hynes also confirmed that Kyle Palmieri (left foot), injured in practice on Oct. 22, has resumed skating. Palmieri, placed on injured reserve on Wednesday retroactive to Oct. 22 in order to activate Brian Boyle (Chronic Myeloid Leukemia) from IR, skated on his own both Thursday and today in Newark. Without Johansson (three goals, two assists), Hynes is dressing 11 forwards and seven defensemen tonight against the Oilers. Defenseman Ben Lovejoy and forward Stefan Noesen will be the healthy scratches. Based on the morning skate, here’s how the Devils will start tonight: Taylor Hall-Nico Hischier-Drew Stafford Brian Gibbons-Adam Henrique-Jesper Bratt Brian Boyle-Pavel Zacha-Jimmy Hayes Miles Wood-Blake Coleman Andy Greene-Steven Santini John Moore-Damon Severson Mirco Mueller-Will Butcher Dalton Prout Cory Schneider (6-1-0, 2.84 goals-against average, .921 save percentage) As for the power play units: A – Hall-Butcher, Hayes-Henrique-Bratt B – Severson-Zacha, Stafford-Boyle-Hischier Bergen Record LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081507 New Jersey Devils

Connor McDavid shows Devils the definition of a young star

By Associated Press November 4, 2017 | 12:35am | Updated

EDMONTON, Alberta — The Devils fast start has been fueled by its talented youth. The Oilers know what it is like to have one of the best young players in the game and Connor McDavid didn’t disappoint. He had three assists and the Oilers beat New Jersey 6-3 on Friday night to hand the Devils’ their first road loss of the season. “Tonight was the first time in a while that we had everyone going, and all lines playing well and playing the right way, and we were rewarded,” McDavid said. “So it’s good to see.” Drake Caggiula, Ryan Strome, Oscar Klefbom, Milan Lucic, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers. They snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-7-1. Taylor Hall, Jesper Bratt and Brian Gibbons responded for the Devils. They dropped to 9-3-0. “It seemed like everything kind of went in for them,” Hall said. “Passes off skates and everything tonight.” Edmonton started the scoring five minutes into the opening period on the power play as McDavid sent a pass through the crease to Caggiula, who tapped the puck in before goalie Cory Schneider could get across. The Oilers made it 2-0 three minutes later when Adam Larsson’s point shot ended up going off Strome and in. Hall came back to haunt his old team with five minutes left in the first when he backhanded the rebound from Miles Wood’s shot past goalie Cam Talbot. The Devils tied the score five minutes into the second period when Bratt’s spin-around shot hit the post and caromed into the net. The Oilers regained just over a minute later on Klefbom’s blast on the rush. Edmonton made it 4-2 with 1:04 to play in the second when a rebound hit Lucic while he was driving to the net and bounced in. The Oilers added some insurance with seven minutes remaining in the third period when McDavid made a perfect pass to Draisaitl at the side of the net for his third of the season. The Devils got that goal back just over a minute later on a tip by Gibbons, his team-leading sixth. Edmonton got an empty-net goal as Hall sent the puck back to the point and almost scored on his own net, leading to a tap-in by Nugent-Hopkins. New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081508 New York Islanders that support Vladimir Putin. Let’s unite and show everyone a strong and united Russia.” He later backed that up after beating the Islanders, 4-3, by saying: “Like every human from different countries, they support their Islanders’ bright future tied to one outcome president.” That could be interpreted as a shot at the divisive nature of Donald Trump’s presidency, and if it is, Ovechkin just needs to own it. (Although By Brett Cyrgalis November 3, 2017 | 12:48PM the relationship between Trump and Putin is another story altogether.) If athletes want to be politically active, great, but it doesn’t help to hedge.

Brave Boyle TAMPA — If you’re an overly superstitious Islanders fan, look away. Brian Boyle is one of the real good guys to come through the New York That’s because a thought recently arose that is hard to fathom hockey locker rooms in the past few years, and it was terrible news to considering the preceding two decades of general incompetence and bad hear that the current Devils winger is dealing with a form of leukemia. But luck that has become synonymous with the franchise currently roaming it was great to hear that it was treatable, and even better to see him on the New York area looking for a new home. It’s a thought that most the ice Wednesday night in Vancouver, making his season debut. Islanders fans have likely contemplated but probably haven’t said aloud for fear of angering some looming and malicious 200-by-85 deity. It’s a Even Lightning coach Jon Cooper, who had Boyle in Tampa Bay for two- thought that would have been dismissed as impossible not long ago plus season after his departure from the Rangers in 2014, said he when an organizational ethos was “woe is me” with the same permeating stopped what he was doing to watch the game. Hope Boyle keeps strength as winning was during the best run in professional sports while playing, and keeps getting better. collecting four straight Stanley Cups to open the 1980s. Stay tuned . . . Just imagine, for a moment, the Islanders win the bid to develop the site at Belmont Park and begin to put the shovels in the ground for a new . . . to Taylor Hall’s Twitter account. Just in case you didn’t follow the arena tomorrow. Imagine that excites captain John Tavares, and he Devils forward, here’s the link. He’s had a couple real gems lately, signs and eight-year extension the day after. Imagine that lifts an including a little holler (as the kids might say) towards pop star Selena enormous weight off the back of general manager Garth Snow and he is Gomez, as well as calling out his teammate (and No. 1 overall pick) Nico able to trade away some of his stockpiled assets for Colorado’s Matt Hischier for his bio. Duchene (as well as another much-needed NHL defenseman). Imagine Parting Shot the Islanders then go on a tidy little postseason run under relatively young and energetic coach Doug Weight, and look at their organizational If you’ve seen people dressed up as the clown from “IT,” with signs that depth and realize they could have some sustained success even through read “Phil Kessel, your soul is mine,” well here’s the hilarious Halloween the other side of the pending 2020-21 lockout. reason — thanks to Ryan Reaves. Now what? New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2017 Now you realize what is driving co-owners Jon Ledecky and Scott Malkin to such lengths to try to change the image of this franchise. And it’s their stewardship that has enabled these flights of fancy to be verbalized, both because they are something new compared to the rocky ownership of and the mess that lay before him, and because they seem whip-smart and motivated. For full disclosure, my rooting interests lie strictly in fast games and good stories. I am not pulling for this to happen or not to happen. But I feel obliged as a reporter to point out that these are things that could potentially line up for such a beleaguered organization, when in the past just about any precious egg that was given to them was handled with a sledgehammer. There is the catch-all phrase of “changing the culture” when leadership changes within an organization. What that really means is changing the way people think, the way they project into the future, the way they set expectations and go about trying to meet them. It’s not to say that previous regimes of Islanders’ leaders weren’t trying, but they could never quite stop things from going wrong — and that eventually led to the mindset that things never go right. You can call that “culture” or “an environment of winning/losing.” But it’s also some sense of psychic energy along the lines of superstition, which is based in the fear of the unknown. And the biggest unknown right now is the first domino: Winning the right to build a new arena. It’s hard to figure what the state is thinking or what might possibly compete with a new arena in terms of tax revenue (profit being the one thing that matters above all else). Ledecky has repeatedly said “there is no Plan B.” Of course there are contingency plans, but he doesn’t want anyone to hear them. It wouldn’t do anyone any good. Because if this fails, then it’s back to the Same Old Islanders. It’s back to Doom and Gloom. It’s back to things like watching your best player walk out the door for nothing in return while your prospects flame out in the minors. But if it works? Well, then you’ve got the start of what could be a very different story. Curious Ovi This is a very politically polarizing time, not just in the United States but in the world. That makes it impossible for Alex Ovechkin to slink off into any bit of naiveté concerning his unabashed support of Russian president Vladimir Putin. It’s hard to accept Ovechkin saying “It’s not about political stuff,” as he did to the Washington Post on Thursday night, just hours after he put up an Instagram post creating “Putin Team.” Part of the post, properly translated by the newspaper, read: “I’m certain that there are many of us 1081509 New York Islanders

Islanders finally have some oomph in their power play

By Arthur Staple Updated November 3, 2017 7:52 PM

There was one obvious change and likely a few other subtle changes to the Islanders power play prior to their Oct. 19 game against the Rangers at Madison Square Garden. The obvious one was the addition of Ryan Pulock to the lineup. He hasn’t been a consistent participant, having played five of the last seven, but he’s a mainstay on the second power play unit. The rest of the tweaks have been amplified by the play of the Isles’ big three. John Tavares and Anders Lee have five of the team’s nine power- play goals, all coming since that game in the Garden after an 0-for-20 start to the season on the power play. And Josh Bailey has six power-play assists, among the league leaders. “Couple goals go in and you start getting confidence,” Weight said. “They’re moving the puck quicker and they’re not panicking — sometimes all it takes is getting some results. We’ve got two units that seem to be working well. Pulie’s done a good job on his as well.” The Islanders are 5-2 in those last seven and had one of their better games in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Capitals. Tavares and Lee struck for power-play goals on Thursday and both were set up by Bailey, who is on a goal-creating tear of late. Bailey has nine assists in the past four games and 13 for the season, which puts him in the top five in the league. Since the start of the 2016- 17 season, Bailey has 56 assists. Only 10 NHLers have more over the same span and those are the headline names of the league — Connor McDavid, Erik Karlsson, Patrick Kane and Nicklas Backstrom among them. “There have been nights he’s been our best forward, not just with point totals,” Weight said. “He’s a guy you can rely on away from the puck, just a smart player.” With that Lee-Tavares-Bailey trio scoring at even strength and on the power play now, the Islanders can feel they’ve got a winning formula. “You go through swings like this throughout the season,” Bailey said. “When you get hot you just want to ride it as long as you can.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081510 New York Rangers

Kevin Hayes, 2 Lightning players get soaked for $5,000 by NHL

JUSTIN TASCH Friday, November 3, 2017, 3:02 PM

BRANDON, Fla. — This wasn’t exactly a Super Soaker fight on a hot summer day. It was two pro hockey players spraying water out of a bottle with a scrum in between. But it was all deemed unsportsmanlike by the NHL, which fined Rangers center Kevin Hayes and Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn $5,000 each on Friday after their antics early in the third period Thursday night. No unsportsmanlike penalties were called at the time. It began with some jawing back and forth and Hayes spraying water in the direction of Killorn at 3:01 of the third as play was set to resume after a video review with a faceoff near the Ranger bench. Killorn took exception and poked his stick over the boards and into the Rangers’ bench area, which prompted J.T. Miller to hit Killorn before a fracas broke out. “The ice was pretty dry,” Hayes deadpanned Friday after the Rangers’ practiced at the Ice Sports Forum ahead of their Saturday game against the Panthers. That included Steven Kampfer’s second fight of the night, this against J.T. Brown. Killorn was also assessed a slashing penalty, giving the Rangers a power play. That infuriated Stamkos, who was pleading his case with a referee on his way back to the bench. Stamkos then squirted water toward the Ranger bench out of frustration. “Boys will be boys,” Alain Vigneault said after the game. Perhaps for the Lightning it was frustration boiling over while their firepower was subdued by the Rangers. Stamkos leads the league with 24 points but didn’t register a point Thursday for just the second time this season. Kevin Hayes started a scrum during Thursday's game in Tampa when he squirted water from Rangers bench. The Rangers know full well they need to pile up a bunch of wins quickly, knew Tampa Bay had been the best team in the NHL, and they put their foot down. “This was a good wakeup call, measuring stick,” Ryan McDonagh said. “We knew we had to play really sharp defensively. It doesn’t matter who our opponent is going forward. We’re gonna use this as an example for us to keep building.” Bad decisions and disorganization had been leading to poor start after poor start and a constant need to come from behind. Thursday the Rangers looked like a different team. “I just think we played smarter,” McDonagh said. “We really just tried not to overextend ourselves.” Kampfer was given a maintenance day Friday after he, as Vigneault put it, “gooned it up” against the Lightning. Vigneault expects to play the same six defensemen, with Brendan Smith remaining a scratch. It’s possible center David Desharnais, who played just 1:15 in the third period and sat the final 14:56 plus overtime, will be scratched for Paul Carey, who worked in Desharnais’ spot during practice. Carey last played on Oct. 13. Regardless of who’s in, the Rangers are well aware that their important victory on Thursday will only mean something if they ascend and make up for their wretched start to the season. “We need to follow it up,” Vigneault said. New York Daily News LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081511 New York Rangers

Rangers’ Kevin Hayes doesn’t seem too fazed by his NHL fine

By Brett Cyrgalis November 3, 2017 | 11:48PM

BRANDON, Fla. — Kevin Hayes, the comedian. The Rangers forward took a humorous approach to his $5,000 fine levied for spraying a water bottle from the bench at the Lightning’s Alex Killorn during the 2-1 overtime victory at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Thursday night. “Basically, the ice was pretty dry, so I wanted to get it wet,” Hayes deadpanned after his team’s practice Friday. The Department of Player Safety announced the fine Friday morning, to go along with matching fines for Killorn and for Steven Stamkos. The incident happened at 3:01 of the third period, when Hayes sprayed from the bench, then Killorn speared him from the ice with his stick. A melee ensued, which included a fight between Steven Kampfer and J.T. Brown. After the officials called an extra two-minute minor on Killorn for slashing, Stamkos furiously argued with the officials about the call and eventually went to his bench. He sprayed a water bottle in the direction of the refs and the Rangers — only hitting MSG reporter John Giannone, who was between the benches. “Just had some words,” Hayes said. “Something like that happens all the time.” After getting into two fights, Kampfer got the day off practice under the guise of “maintenance,” but coach Alain Vigneault had a better explanation. “Gooned it up the other day, so [he] deserved the day off,” Vigneault said. Kampfer is expected to stay in the lineup for the team’s match against the Panthers in Sunrise, Fla., on Saturday night, along with Nick Holden. That would leave Brendan Smith as likely a healthy scratch for the second straight game and fourth time this season. Up front, it seems Vigneault is going to make David Desharnais a scratch in order to get Paul Carey back into the lineup. Carey last played Oct. 13, and has sat out nine straight. “There’s no doubt that Paul has been out for a while. He’s been working hard,” Vigneault said after practicing with Carey in Desharnais’ spot between Jimmy Vesey and J.T. Miller. “Looking at a couple options and putting him back in the lineup is one of them.” Although the team practiced differently, the defensive pairs are supposed to stay the same as they were for the game against Tampa, with Ryan McDonagh alongside Holden, Brady Skjei with Kevin Shattenkirk and Marc Staal with Kampfer. Vigneault said Henrik Lundqvist would get his third straight start in goal after sitting for two straight before that. New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081512 New York Rangers

The question hanging over Rangers’ sudden upset streak

By Brett Cyrgalis November 3, 2017 | 4:43PM

BRANDON, Fla.—The question for the Rangers now is if they can keep their focus when they’re playing a team that’s not the best in the league. Because the Blueshirts made it very clear that the main reason they finally came out of the gates clean, and why they maintained the poise throughout a 2-1 overtime victory Thursday night against the Lightning at Amalie Arena, was because they were hyper-aware the opponent was so dangerous. By keeping things simple and focusing on defense, they shut down the top two scorers in the league — Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov — as well as the top-scoring team in the league with the best record. “Without a doubt, it’s a step in the right direction,” coach Alain Vigneault said after his team’s practice here Friday before traveling to Sunrise, Fla., where they will take on the substantially less intimidating Panthers on Saturday night. “Thought [Thursday] night, our compete level and our structure and execution was good. We need to follow it up. It was just one road win and we have to be real good [Saturday].” The game against the Lightning was a glimpse of the successful Rangers of years past, when they played sound defense and were offensively opportunistic. Because it was exactly the opposite of the way they had played while getting off to such an ugly start to this season, it now stands as an example of what they need to do going forward if they want this 5- 7-2 record to start leaning towards the other side of .500. “Think we just played a smarter game,” captain Ryan McDonagh said. “Trying not to overextend ourselves, and were creating some really good looks just by being in structure, staying close, not running around our zone much. It’s something we’ve been emphasizing here over the last couple weeks, so it’s good. The Panthers have allowed 15 goals in their past two games.AP “Against a high-powered offensive team, we proved that can be effective for us.” But now the Blueshirts take on a Panthers team that is 4-7-1, second-to- last in the Eastern Conference, and has given up 4.17 goals per game, second-worst in the league. The Rangers are going to know all of that going into the game, and if it’s going to adversely affect their focus, it is still a pratfall they have to show they can avoid. Because any confidence the Blueshirts are carrying, now with their first road win and their first winning streak following a 6-4 comeback win Tuesday over Vegas at the Garden, it’s not much of a foundation. The memories of all of their awful starts are still fresh, easily regurgitated that they’ve given up the first goal of the game on the the first shot three times and the third shot another three times. “There was a stretch there when it pretty much happened every game. It’s tough when it’s, ‘Oh no, not this again,’” forward Kevin Hayes said. “I think it’s too early for doubt, to be honest. We know what we have in the locker room, and we have some great players.” The defensemen were supposed to be the one part of this revamped roster which had significantly improved and should not have been a cause for concern. But almost to a man, they have started the season with substandard performances, from McDonagh to new addition Kevin Shattenkirk to the resigned Brendan Smith. Mistakes were aplenty during a historically bad 1-5-2 start, and they hardly subsided for any length of time. The game against the Lightning though was tight and simple, and almost inarguably their best overall performance of the season against the toughest opponent. “It was a good wake-up call, measuring stick,” McDonagh said. “We had to be really sharp defensively. It doesn’t matter who our opponent is going forward, we can use this an example for us to keep building.” New York Post LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081513 New York Rangers

Kevin Hayes, Rangers center, fined for unsportsmanlike conduct

By Steve Zipay Updated November 3, 2017 6:08 PM

BRANDON, Florida — Maybe Kevin Hayes has a secret hobby: Gardening. After practice on Friday, asked about his $5,000 fine for squirting a water bottle from the bench at Lightning forward Alex Killorn, Hayes deadpanned: “I thought the ice was pretty dry . . . it happens all the time.” Killorn and Lightning captain Steven Stamkos also were fined $5,000 for unsportsmanlike conduct by the NHL’s Department of Player Safety in the wake of the incident at 3:01 of the third period in the Rangers’ 2-1 overtime win on Thursday. Killorn also was penalized for a retaliatory slash, and Stamkos was fined for arguing with the officials and squirting water himself, some of which struck MSG broadcaster John Giannone, who was between the benches. Nonetheless, after back-to-back wins, the Rangers’ mood was sunnier both post-game and on Friday. “I thought when we left the rink, everyone was happy with the way we played,” said Hayes, who shrugged off the team’s 5-7-2 record. “It’s too early for doubt,” he said. “We know who we have here in the locker room. We knew it was going to be a tough trip. We’ve just got to win a couple games.” As players headed out of the facility where the Lighting also were practicing on an adjacent rink, captain Ryan McDonagh said players knew that Thursday’s game would be “ a wakeup call. We had to play a smart game” with an emphasis on defense, and not just “hope” plays, where the risk is higher. “We can use it as an example of the way we have to play.” Next up are the Panthers (4-7-1 and losers of two straight) on Saturday. The Panthers’ No. 1 goalie Roberto Luongo is injured. A strong start, which has not been the norm through the first dozen games, will help. “I’ve always felt it was just a matter of time before things fell into place,” coach Alain Vigneault said, “as far as us going out and having the starts we deserved and felt we earned.” Newsday LOADED: LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081514 NHL “The difference in Seattle is we have an ownership group that came in at the beginning of the process,” Leiweke says.

That “pre-baked” group includes billionaire investment banker David With lessons learned, Oak View Group’s Tim Leiweke is doing it his way Bonderman and Hollywood movie producer to own any future NHL franchise. Originally published November 3, 2017 at 7:00 am Updated November 3, Bonderman, a minority owner of the Boston Celtics, also likely would 2017 at 8:56 PM partner in any NBA franchise. By Geoff Baker Ackerleys in talks Leiweke has quietly approached several Seattle-area residents to play a local NBA ownership role as well. LOS ANGELES — Tim Leiweke leans back on a plush couch in his private office and gets an earful about the previous day’s NHL board of Among locals negotiating NBA ownership with OVG are Chris and Ted governors meeting. Ackerley, whose late father Barry owned the Sonics from 1983-2001. Both spent years helping run that team and say Leiweke is best suited to The couch is Leiweke’s preferred spot for conducting business at his two- return the NBA because of his relationships and comprehensive business year-old Oak View Group (OVG) sports venue company’s headquarters. plan. Seated on the cushion to his left is OVG executive Peter Luukko, who also serves on the NHL’s board as executive chairman and acting Though the NBA franchise would be a third-party tenant in a city-owned governor of the Florida Panthers. KeyArena run by OVG, Chris Ackerley points out that the Seahawks and Mariners also don’t own their stadiums. The key, he adds, is they have Leiweke hopes to land an NHL franchise as part of his company’s sufficient autonomy from local government and authority over revenue planned $600 million renovation of KeyArena. streams. For 20 minutes, Luukko briefs him and a handful of OVG officials on Ackerley says Leiweke’s plan offers those benefits. where the league’s owners stand. “You have a world-class developer on the front end putting all the pieces “You won’t find anyone more connected in the sports world than Tim,” in place,” Ackerley says, adding that KeyArena teams would have “the Luukko says afterward. “Whatever he says will happen, I like his ability to pull the levers they need to control to have the asset function for chances.” them economically.” It’s expected the NHL will grant Seattle a team if the city council next Ted Ackerley adds: “They’ve done a tremendous job of getting their arms month approves a Memorandum of Understanding on OVG’s remodel. around what the requirements are, so that if and when either league But for all of Leiweke’s hockey ties — he won a Stanley Cup as president looks at the opportunity, they can’t poke holes in it in terms of lacking the of the Los Angeles Kings in 2011-12 — his NBA connections run deeper. complexity and the detail it requires financially.” OVG’s main financial backer is James Dolan, whose Madison Square NBA commissioner Adam Silver agrees with Leiweke’s low-key public Garden Co., owns the NBA’s New York Knicks. Leiweke also has 30 approach to basketball returning, adding that serious discussions can’t years of contacts from executive jobs with four NBA teams. begin until an arena gets built. In a city still stinging from the loss of the Sonics nearly a decade ago, He says he wouldn’t bet against Leiweke getting something done. “He’s Leiweke’s close ties to the NBA could offer a glimmer of hope to fans always delivered in all of my business dealings with him.” aching to see the return of that league to Seattle. Business and friendship Can he deliver? Silver and Leiweke met 25 years ago when Leiweke was president of the Yet, some skepticism remains about Leiweke’s ability to deliver an NBA Denver Nuggets and Silver had just joined the league’s executive ranks. franchise. Leiweke from 1996-2013 ran what morphed into Anschutz Silver says Leiweke felt the NBA was a global entertainment property, Entertainment Group (AEG), achieving global success building and and the two of them and then-commissioner David Stern spent years operating stadiums, arenas and teams for reclusive Denver billionaire discussing how to export it internationally. Phillip Anschutz. By 2009, deputy commissioner Silver and Leiweke had partnered But there also were some misses. extensively on joint AEG-NBA arena ventures in Shanghai and Beijing. Supporters of a rival Seattle arena project — a new facility pitched by They’ve attended many games together. entrepreneur Chris Hansen for the city’s Sodo District — note that Leiweke built Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., without delivering “It’s often the case that the people you work around are also your promised tenant teams. Also, those supporters note that Leiweke friends,” Silver says. “It’s a friendship built around our business similarly touted a “Farmers Field” stadium project in Los Angeles to lure relationship.” back the NFL, but it never was built. Silver says Leiweke has “been involved in the building and operation of Leiweke left AEG in March 2013 over the Farmers Field venture, having more NBA arenas than anybody on the planet.” feuded with Anschutz over cost. Gaining greater control and avoiding “I have no concern that the building proper won’t meet our requirements,” similar missteps is a big reason Leiweke, 60, co-founded OVG in Silver says of a KeyArena renovation. November 2015 alongside music-industry titan Irving Azoff. Family affairs “Everyone in life feels a desire, a passion, a purpose to go test themselves,” Leiweke says. “That’s what I plan to do.” In a 2012 profile of Leiweke in The New Yorker, Stern described him as “a modern day P.T. Barnum.” Indeed, growing up in St. Louis, Leiweke Leiweke envisions KeyArena being sustained initially by about 50 annual sold a life-insurance policy to his younger brother Tod, then 16. concerts through an OVG partnership with LiveNation. “I’m like, ‘Do I really need this?’ ” says former Seahawks president Tod He dismisses the notion he’d forsake basketball in Seattle to profit solely Leiweke, now the NFL’s chief operating officer. “But had I kept paying my off concerts and hockey, as some have suggested. What he can’t do, he premiums, it probably would have been a heck of an investment.” says, is promise an NBA team not yet available. When Tim was 11 and Tod 8, their mother Helen died from cancer. Their “We’re not going to mislead people,” Leiweke says. “We’re not going to father Jack was financially depleted by her medical bills, so Tim — the try to sell them on something that’s not out there. They shouldn’t fourth of six children — worked after school at a bakery. misinterpret that as a lack of passion for the NBA.” His dad got Tim the insurance sales job after high school. Leiweke’s In Kansas City, he had promised teams “within two years” of Sprint younger brother describes a “hardscrabble life” that precluded both from Center opening in 2007. But a planned relocation of the NHL Pittsburgh attending college. Penguins fell through, and no local K.C. ownership group materialized in either league. “It built some strength in Tim that you see today.” It was a lesson learned. By 1979, Tim wrangled a job as assistant general manager of the St. Louis Steamers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. Two years later he became vice president and GM of indoor soccer’s Kansas City Comets, AEG executives, who would only speak anonymously, say Leiweke hiring his brother as director of community relations. outtalked his ability to deliver. The Leiwekes pioneered in-game entertainment — including darkening “He’s a great salesman,” one says. “And I don’t mean that as a the arena pregame and introducing players via strobe lights and smoke compliment.” machines. Another confides: “We’ve spent years cleaning up the mess he left “Working for your older brother isn’t always easy,” Tod Leiweke says. behind.” “But by gosh, it was like working for Beethoven or Bach at the time, because he just had this innate sense of how to do things.” A simmering feud between OVG and AEG boiled over last spring during Seattle’s Request for Proposals process on renovating KeyArena. With The NBA’s Golden State Warriors tried to hire Tim — by then the OVG’s proposal about to be picked, the competing Seattle Partners Comets’ president — as their vice president of marketing. But he pairing of AEG and Hudson Pacific Properties withdrew and accused the declined and told them to call his brother, who got his first sports City of Seattle of an unfair process. executive job. The conflict’s seeds lie in Leiweke’s AEG departure and failed Farmers Those who know the Leiwekes say Tim sells the vision and softer-spoken Field venture. He had secured a $700 million naming-rights commitment Tod keeps everything running. It’s been speculated that Tod would return from Farmers Insurance Co. and convinced reluctant boss Anschutz to to Seattle to run his brother’s operation if teams come. But Tod laughs, pony up another billion-plus. saying he doubts they’ll work together again. “We’re going to cut a ribbon, and I’m going to be the one cutting it,” “I think we love each other too much.” Leiweke told reporters. On the NBA fast track But he and Anschutz were quarreling; Anschutz worried that revenue projections weren’t enough to repay the project’s $1.8 billion cost. AEG By 1988, Tim Leiweke became a senior vice president and the first executives questioned Leiweke’s public salesmanship, feeling he was employee of the NBA’s expansion Minnesota Timberwolves. He joined a getting ahead of his boss. young, hungry promotional team that included future Cleveland Cavaliers CEO Len Komoroski and Sacramento Kings president John Thomas. Anschutz then stunned the NFL and city politicians by listing AEG for sale, hoping for $8 billion to $10 billion. But Anschutz never got his price “We had a lot of fun together,” Leiweke says. “We invented and created and quickly pulled AEG off the market. It was simultaneously announced all kinds of new theories and business practices that are looked at today that Leiweke was leaving by mutual agreement. as pretty revolutionary in sports.” Leiweke says Farmers Field taught him an important lesson. The Timberwolves made Coca-Cola their “official soft drink” and barred Pepsi from arena sales, signage and game broadcasts. Leiweke also “That was a decision made by my owner,” Leiweke says. “I was the true engineered a groundbreaking naming-rights deal for what became the definition of a minority partner.” Target Center. And forming OVG was Leiweke’s way to ensure he was never in that They lined up 25 corporate sponsors and set the ongoing NBA position again. attendance record that first season. A new chapter Golden State Warriors president Rick Welts, a Seattle native and former Sonics ballboy, worked in marketing for the NBA back then. He says Everybody answers to somebody. Leiweke tells folks he answers to his Leiweke pushed the league to be more adventurous business-wise. wife Bernadette, who associates say smoothed his rougher edges. Leiweke caught the eye of Stern, who urged him to become president of He’ll sometimes answer to his daughter, 32-year-old Francesca Bodie, a the Denver Nuggets in 1991 and build their arena, the Pepsi Center. Stanford-educated OVG vice president he pushed to take jobs in her youth like he had. She worked at Staples Center in middle school and Downtown L.A. ‘re-energized’ sits opposite Leiweke in meetings, sometimes challenging him. By 1996, Anschutz had lured Leiweke to Los Angeles. Anschutz’s “He wants everyone to be all in,” Bodie says. “And with that he company was a minority owner of the NBA’s Lakers and became majority understands that people are going to have questions or look at things owner of the NHL’s Kings, putting Leiweke at the forefront of both. from a different perspective.” Lakers owner Jerry Buss became Leiweke’s mentor and Buss’ daughter, On this particular afternoon, in a weekly OVG executive team meeting, Jeanie, his “sister.” Leiweke and his media-division president, onetime Billboard magazine honcho Ray Waddell, are butting heads over an upcoming annual “He’s a guy that gets things done,” says Jeanie Buss, who became co- conference hosted by the Pollstar concert magazine. owner of the Lakers after her father’s 2012 death. “He understands this business better than anybody in terms of not only the venue, but also He understands this business better than anybody in terms of not only from a team perspective.” the venue, but also from a team perspective.” - Jeanie Buss Leiweke helped build Staples Center in 1999, then spearheaded the OVG bought Pollstar in July, and Leiweke feels some of Waddell’s 2007 opening of L.A. Live — a surrounding multi-billion dollar conference plans lack grandeur. entertainment district. Leiweke elevates his voice and silences the room. “He re-energized downtown Los Angeles,” Jeanie Buss says. “Things that people said could never happen, he made happen.” “We want to build the best conference ever,” Leiweke pointedly tells Waddell. “Everything we do, every decision we make, has got to reflect By 2010, Leiweke set out to complete the final piece of L.A. Live with an that.” NFL stadium. Discussion over. And three years later, that would be his undoing at AEG. His daughter admits: “When he says, ‘Hey, we’re doing this,’ I shut my Failures, missteps mouth and figure out how to do it.” Staring out the 10-foot-high, floor-to-ceiling windows of his 21st-floor Waddell shrugs off the exchange. “Tim’s hired people who are the best at private office towering over West L.A., it’s tough to imagine Leiweke what they do. You go to work for him, you know he expects the best.” failing. Leiweke has the autonomy from OVG co-founder Azoff and bankroller The office offers plaque, trophy and photographic testament to Leiweke’s Dolan to think big. successes. His private bathroom has a backstage photo of then- President Bill Clinton addressing the 2000 Democratic National OVG has 110 employees, and its headquarters in the 22-story Westwood Convention at Staples Center. Leiweke lobbied to have the convention Center seem in constant expansion mode. there, opening it with a speech of his own. He wants everyone to be all in.” - Francesa Bodie, Leiweke's daughter There’s a framed Toronto Sun article titled “The House that Tim Leiweke Leiweke had a 10th-floor bank of offices but three months ago grabbed Built,” referencing his remodel of Toronto’s BMO Field soccer stadium. 20,000 square feet on the 21st floor. Meeting that morning with OVG Leiweke ran the Toronto Maple Leafs, Raptors and Toronto FC for Maple general counsel Christina Song, Leiweke tells her to hire another lawyer Leaf Sports and Entertainment after his run at AEG ended. to ease her mounting workload. During lunch, Bodie and an OVG manager lean in to ask what registration number Leiweke wants embossed on the Dassault Falcon 900 jet the company is leasing for its growing overseas business. ‘We’re the best option’ Azoff’s offices are one floor below, so the legendary manager of The Eagles frequently drops by. The tough-talking Azoff has long been nicknamed “The Poison Dwarf” for his short stature and cutthroat demeanor. “Irving is the one guy I feel I still have to answer to,” Leiweke half-jokingly tells staffers. Azoff has known the Leiweke brothers more than 20 years. A basketball fan from Illinois, he has known Silver about as long as Leiweke has. Azoff laughs at how some view the KeyArena renovation as his secret plot to fill it with only concerts. “The sexy thing is obviously basketball,” Azoff says. “I understand people clamoring about ‘basketball, basketball.’ But here’s the thing: We’re the best option to bet on to eventually get basketball.” And while Hansen’s project lingers in Sodo, the Seattle City Council for now is giving Leiweke’s venture the only look. Associates say Leiweke doesn’t do waiting well; he excels at the big picture, preferring others do the bureaucratic cleanup. “He knows how to surround himself with the right people and figure out things that he may not necessarily know,” Jeanie Buss says. Leiweke’s brother adds: “He doesn’t like to micromanage.” Still, he’s not beyond nitpicking. Earlier that day, Leiweke decides a youngish financial director sounds too deferential answering a question from Azoff via speakerphone. “Speak up,” Leiweke chides. After the call, Leiweke, more softly, tells him: “When somebody asks you what you think, you’ve got to tell him what you think. And be convicted about it.” That’s like Leiweke’s approach to KeyArena — a symbol of his new company and corporate freedom. No matter who questions his vision, he’ll keep selling it big — with all the conviction he can muster. Seattle Times LOADED: 11.04.2017

1081515 Ottawa Senators Like Stone, Brassard is striving for consistency following his down and up 2016-17 season. He says there should be no reason for taking the Golden Knights lightly. Winger Mark Stone striving for consistency on Senators' behalf “There is no doubt in our minds that they are a very good team,” said Brassard. “We’re watching highlights. We’re watching scores. They’re beating a lot of good teams. They’re well coached. Knowing (Vegas Ken Warren coach Gerard) Gallant, he’s going to have those guys ready. They have a lot of good players. It’s not like the expansion with Columbus. They have Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 7:48 some premier players.” PM EDT Boucher is giving all the credit in the world to the Golden Knights, who are proving a point. The Ottawa Senators did what they had to do this week in preventing the “They are absolutely relentless,” Boucher said. “That’s it. That’s how they pothole from growing into a sinkhole. get their success. This is probably the hardest working team in the league. Period.” Yet, if Mark Stone has it his way, there would be no need for major recovery projects at all. “To be relied upon to be a top line, you have to consistently produce and Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 play the right way every night,” Stone said of Thursday’s 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, which came on the heels of Monday’s 8-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. “Every night after those tough games, I go home and think about it and try and bounce back as best I can. But I don’t want to have bounce-back games. I think as a team, especially, we want to have just good, consistent hockey throughout the whole year. We don’t want to be talking about bouncing back all the time.” Accordingly, Stone says there should be no reason why the Senators aren’t fully prepared to face the expansion Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday. After that contest, the Senators won’t play again until next weekend, when they have consecutive games against the Colorado Avalanche in Sweden. A loss against Vegas would make for a long week. “We have a really good Vegas team coming in,” Stone said. “They work extremely hard. I think they caught everybody by surprise and we don’t want them to catch us by surprise. We want to control the play and really pound them.” For the most part, Senators head coach Guy Boucher has been impressed by how team leaders have handled the opening 13 games, with the Senators compiling a 6-2-5 record that has them second in the Atlantic Division behind the Tampa Bay Lightning. Stone, who now wears an “A” as an alternate captain, talked in the pre- season about wanting to be a more consistent player game after game. So far, so good. Stone leads the Senators with 14 points, including eight goals, and he passed the 200-point mark for his career with a goal and an assist against Detroit. Although he has battled prolonged slumps in the past, he has been a steady performer in the first month of this season, carrying negative plus/minus in only three of 13 games. “I’m a little bit better than I was at the start of last year, but I still have some room to grow,” he said. “There are still some games where I don’t feel like I’ve contributed enough.” In Stone’s view, contributing doesn’t always mean flashy goals and assists totals. The end goal is simply to have more goals than opposition every night. Stone is, in many ways, the poster boy for Boucher, capable of translating sound defence into offence in a hurry. “Some nights, you’re going head to head against some of the top guys in the league,” he said. “That night against Toronto (a 6-3 win on Oct. 21), I was able to get two goals, but, at the same time, when you’re going up against (Auston) Matthews, you’re just looking for 50/50. If you can get out of that match up 50/50, it allows other guys to play well.” Stone and centre Derick Brassard, who has six goals and five assists, have displayed a strong early-season connection. Before coming to the Senators in July 2016, Brassard had some idea of what Stone was all about because the two played together on a Canadian world championship team. After playing with Stone on a consistent basis, Brassard has a greater understanding of the nuances of his game. “He’s an elite player and pretty unique the way he plays,” Brassard said. “He’s tall and lanky, with that great reach. He has such a great hockey sense. And he shows up every night. He enjoys stealing pucks. He wants it all the time. If you’re a player who plays 18 minutes plus (per night), you’ve got to bring something all the time.” 1081516 Ottawa Senators

Game Day: Golden Knights at Senators

Ken Warren Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 7:33 PM EDT

Five keys to the game 1-Take away hope early: Vegas may have finally come down to earth, losing three consecutive games for the first time. It’s imperative the Senators jump on them from the outset. 2-Don’t stray from focus: Even after an early goal was disallowed Thursday, the Senators kept pushing before Mark Stone scored the game-opening goal. They pushed even harder in the second period. 3-Rolling four lines: The return of Kyle Turris allowed Senators head Guy Boucher the option of rolling four lines over and over again in the first two periods on Thursday. More of the same Saturday will help wear down the Vegas defence. 4-Ending strong: Boucher is trying not to talk about the difference between home and away, but the seemingly endless stretch at – eight of nine games — is finally over. With a win, the Senators will have gained 10 points from the eight games. 5-Taking advantage of the advantage: Alex Burrows’ timely power-play goal Thursday kept the Senators rolling with the man advantage. They’re 4-for-13 in their past four games..

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081517 Ottawa Senators

Maxime Lagacé's long and winding road to an NHL goal crease

Ken Warren Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 7:15 PM EDT

If it’s Saturday, Maxime Lagacé must be in Ottawa, starting in a matinee for the Vegas Golden Knights, right? Because of the wild run of injuries for the expansion Golden Knights, the bumpy Lagacé goaltending road show — 10 teams and four leagues during the past six seasons — will stop at Canadian Tire Centre against the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. “It has been crazy,” Lagacé, 24, said following a late Friday practice in Ottawa following Thursday’s 2-1 loss to the Bruins in Boston. “I was called up and then sent back down (to Chicago of the American Hockey League) and then called back up. It was so crazy, but I’m having fun with it. I’m very happy with the opportunity.” The spate of goaltending injuries for Vegas has been bizarre. It began with Marc-André Fleury going down down with a concussion four games into the season. That was followed by a lower body injury for Malcolm Subban. Oscar Dansk, the minor league call-up for the back-up, had a stunning three-game victory run, earning himself NHL second star of the week honours. Then he, too, left a game against the New York Islanders with a lower body injury, giving Lagacé centre stage this week. The situation is so wild that the Golden Knights reached down to Kamloops of the Western Hockey League to bring back 19-year-old Dylan Ferguson. Under normal circumstances, he might be three, four, even five years away from receiving a taste of the NHL. “We seem to get a goalie going, he plays three great games and then he gets hurt,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said. “That has been the pattern so far. It’s part of the game, with players getting hurt, but not too often do you get three goaltenders hurt in a 10-game segment.” Lagacé, goaltender No. 4 on the depth chart not long ago, started against the New York Rangers on Tuesday and came within 10 minutes of defeating the Bruins on Thursday. Suddenly, the long trip from P.E.I. to Cape Breton to Shawinigan to Sherbrooke to Texas to Missouri to Bakersfield to Idaho to Chicago was worth it. “I wanted a good year,” Lagacé said. “It was a little tough the previous year, but I knew what I could do. I had a good summer. I worked hard. I showed up to camp in good shape. I had a good camp. “The past few years in the in the AHL, sometimes you wonder if it’s ever going to come. Now that I’m here, you want to take advantage of it.”

Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081518 Ottawa Senators WHAT GOES AROUND: Dylan Ferguson, who will serve as Golden Knights back-up goaltender Saturday, has a connection to the Senators. Ferguson was drafted by Dallas in the seventh round (194th overall) in Warrenspiece: It's an Anderson family affair for ceremonial faceoff July. He was then traded to Vegas with a second-round pick in 2020 for Saturday Marc Methot. Methot originally went to Vegas in the expansion draft. While Methot has no goals and no assists in 13 games in Dallas, his steady play is missed on the Senators’ blue-line. Ken Warren Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 7:00 Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 PM EDT

Craig Anderson will have the ultimate viewpoint Saturday afternoon. Anderson’s wife, Nicholle, will be part of the pre-game festivities for the Senators Hockey Fights Cancer ceremonies before the game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Nicholle Anderson successfully battled a rare throat cancer and has been named the National Hockey League’s Hockey Fights Cancer ambassador. She will be joined by 10-year-old Ryan Mercer before the ceremonial faceoff. Mercer was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma when he was nine and has undergone chemotherapy and radiation sessions ever since. “It’s an honour for my family to be part of this,” Craig Anderson said. “You take the cards as they come and play them as best you can. My wife has been very strong with what she has been dealt and able to battle through. To be recognized here is a true honour. Very many other people could be honoured and dropping that puck, too.” CAPTAIN KARLSSON WILL TAKE FACE-OFF: “Not a chance,” Craig Anderson when asked if he would skate from the crease to be involved in the draw. “But I would have been one for one for my career.” FROM ONE CREASE TO THE OTHER: Anderson can’t help but be impressed at how Vegas has withstood its run of goaltending injuries. “Any time injuries occur, it brings an opportunity for another guy to fulfill a role,” he said. “They’ve been a solid team from the get go. From a goalie’s standpoint, it’s remarkable for a guy (Maxime Lagace) to step in and have that confidence, but it seems like he has been handling it really well.” NO CHANGES FOR SENATORS: Senators defenceman Dion Phaneuf took another day off from practice Friday, but he is expected to play Saturday. “He’s just managing it, so that he is able to play the game and not worry about it,” Senators head coach Guy Boucher said. “It’s not an injury, it’s just a nagging thing. He managed it well (Thursday). He played great, so we want the same thing (against Vegas).”… Defenceman Mark Borowiecki, who has missed the past two games with a virus, will stay away Saturday, too. The Senators are attempting to find ice time for Borowiecki wherever they can, away from his teammates. He is expected to travel with the team to Sweden on Monday. RODEWALD IMPRESSES: Three games into his NHL career, Jack Rodewald’s confidence is growing. After seeing 12 shifts and 8:53 of ice time in the Senators’ 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, mostly in the first two periods, he believes he held his own. “It was nice to get going, get a bit more minutes and I’m feeling more comfortable with each game I’m playing,” said Rodewald, who played primarily with Nate Thompson and Alex Burrows. “We spent more time in their zone than in ours, created a few chances and got on their defence. Boucher liked what he saw. “It gives us an identity on a fourth line. He learns fast because he’s really smart. He’s got the speed. He’s got the size. He’s very strong. He has a lot of NHL attributes. I’m not afraid to put him on the ice.” Boucher said Rodewald had been quicker than any other call-up in understanding his role at the NHL level. AGRICULTURAL REPORT: In terms of defensive depth on the farm, there is good news and bad news. Thomas Chabot, who has missed the past three games with Belleville of the American Hockey League because of a groin injury, returned to the lineup Friday against Charlotte. Christian Jaros, who took an elbow to the head in Belleville’s home opener Wednesday, is out with a suspected concussion. PROSPECT PATROL: Logan Brown, the 19-year-old centre who began the season with the Senators, has three goals and five assists since returning to Windsor of the Ontario Hockey League … Winger Alex Formenton, who also started the season in Ottawa, has one goal and five assists in five games with London of the OHL … Drake Batherson, the Senators’ fourth-round selection (121st overall) in June, has 17 goals and 12 assists in 16 games with Cape Breton of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. 1081519 Ottawa Senators

Senators' Mike Condon shares what game day is like in the life of a backup goalie

Don Brennan Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 6:01 PM EDT

Backup goalies always prepare like they’re going to play, which turned out to be a good thing for Mike Condon when he went from the bench to the blue paint as Craig Anderson’s replacement after two periods on Monday night. The water wasn’t as cold as it could have been when he jumped in. Condon, a huge baseball fan, is so dedicated to his routine that he didn’t even stay up to watch the conclusion of the World Series on Wednesday. He knew Anderson was starting for the Ottawa Senators against the Detroit Red Wings the next night, and he had faith his partner would have a strong bounce back, but Condon had to be ready just in case. While he bent his own rule, he couldn’t break it. “I went to bed at 11:30. I think it was the top of the sixth,” Condon said. “It’s too late for me. I’m usually in bed by 10:15. “If I go to bed at midnight, I wake up at 6:50 a.m. to get here at 7:30, for a 9:15 meeting. That’s only (six-plus) hours of sleep. You need at least eight. I do at least.” You may be wondering why Condon had to be an hour and 45 minutes early for a team meeting. I did, so I asked. His response was to share what game day is like in the life of a backup goalie. “You’ve got to eat breakfast, you’ve got to get a 10-minute hot tub, you’ve got to stretch,” he said. “Go for your treatment, make sure your pelvis is aligned, go and turn everything on, turn your muscles on, turn your eyes on. Then you’ve got a 9:15 meeting, then you’ve got 9:50 PK (meeting), then on the ice at 10:15. “After the skate, talk to you guys, eat, go back (home), sleep, come back (to the rink) and do it all over again. A 7:30 game, which stinks, then you’ve got to lift (weights) after the game … You’re probably getting home at midnight. “Time to go to bed.” Like many players who can’t stay up as long as it takes to wind down, Condon swallows a couple of approved supplements to help him nod off. “That’s the biggest thing, that wrestling when you can’t fall asleep,” he said. “That’s when I used to get into a lot of trouble, you want to fall asleep but you can’t.” Proper rest was essential for Condon when he played 27 games in a row last season. “That’s when breathing and meditating, bringing yourself down, is important for sleep as well,” he said. “That’s another thing I had to learn when I was going through that.” Condon, whose been with the Senators for a year, figures he’s not missing much when he’s devoting his entire day to the job. “There’s not much to do when it’s cold, right? he said. “I’ve already been to the War Museum twice.”

— Don Brennan Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081520 Ottawa Senators ON SECOND THOUGHT: Gifted Ottawa artist Tony Harris is just wrapping up a project for the NHL in which he was commissioned to paint portraits of the Top 100 players of all-time. He turned out two per Brennan: About going to Sweden … maybe Sens should have passed week, which will make you shake your head in amazement when you see the quality of the work … Running back Trey Williams was released from the Toronto Argos practice roster and then picked up by the Dallas Cowboys. Doesn’t that sound backwards? … World Series star Justin Don Brennan Verlander is finally getting around to marrying Kate Upton, and you have to wonder what has taken him so long. Was he waiting for her to get Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 5:48 prettier? … Karlsson’s two-zone saucer pass to Mike Hoffman in the PM EDT playoffs was No. 3 on TSN’s Top 10 all-time assists list. First was a Connor McDavid spin around back hand feed last week. There needs to be a re-count … The Vegas Golden Knights said they had no interest in When the National Hockey League was picking teams to play in Sweden Andrew Hammond. The proper Senators response to that would be this season, the Ottawa Senators should have shielded their eyes and pumping seven behind whatever minor-league goalie they put between turned the other way. the pipes Saturday. For the most part, the players would have been fine with being THINGS I THINK I THUNK: Everybody is talking about the fact Sports overlooked. Illustrated predicted the Houston Astros to win the 2017 world series three years ago, but little has been said about George Springer being on Oh, some are pumped up about going to Stockholm on Monday, with the magazine’s cover when they did. Now that would be nailing it … If, games next Friday and Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche. like me, you already miss baseball, take note: pitchers and catchers Fredrik Claesson, who grew up five minutes from the arena, is excited report for spring training in 101 days, and Grapefruit League play begins about the chance to play in front of family and friends. Erik Karlsson in 111 … The Houston Texans might have made it two titles in a row for might say he is, too. But, with all the appearances and interviews he’s the biggest city in Texas if not for the season-ending injuries to J.J. Watt scheduled to do, Karlsson will have little time to himself. This will be a and Deshaun Watson. The latter is particularly crushing to those who very busy work week for him. have the outstanding rookie quarterback in fantasy leagues. I feel your Others will be visiting that part of the globe for the first time. But, once the pain … To be in your late 50s, you have to be older than 57 and a half. I novelty factor wears off, reality will set in. still have have a good three months of being in my mids … Let me get this straight: If the Redblacks are hosting a semifinal game, they can’t That’s when they’ll wish they’d have been able to keep their regular use the makeshift grandstands at TD Place because engineers have not routine. signed off on a project that was completed weeks ago? Only in Ottawa. “For us, it’s the time change and stuff,” said Derick Brassard, who has LAST CALL: The son of former antagonizing star Claude Lemieux scored been down this long and tired road before. “We play a lot of games. The his first NHL goal for the Winnipeg Jets on Monday. Brendan Lemieux, season is a grind. And now you go there, the time change, your week … who played on Logan Brown’s line last season in Windsor, also took a it’s going to be hard. We kind of sleep the first couple of days, then, after misconduct in the same game. The apple doesn’t fall far … For such a that, you play back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday. You wake up big man (6-5, 240 pounds), new Buffalo Bills receiver Kelvin Benjamin the Sunday, come back here and you have two days off. sure does have soft facial features … A partial season-ticket holder for games was extremely disappointed to see Toronto “I’d rather play every second day because your mind and your body are Maple Leafs logos on the beer cans at the home opener. “There is no still fresh. Now it’s almost like a bye week. I’ve played in Stockholm, with need to flaunt this product in our face,” wrote the longtime Ottawa fan. Columbus against San Jose in the pre-season. It was fun, but it was Surely, that will change … If you live in Saint John and you have a pre-season.” chance to go to the Grey Cup, there can be no reason good enough to To make this trip possible, the Senators had to take on 19 sets of back- pass on it. The Reversing Rapids will be there when you get back … to-back games — tied with Pittsburgh for most in the league — during the Now tending goal for the Carleton Ravens, former Senators draft pick regular season. François Brassard sent a tweet out to the Golden Knights. “I’m available,” it said. “This is my recruiting video.” Attached was a clip of Brassard “It’s a cool experience, we’re going to have some fun,” Brassard said, scoring one of his two QMJHL goals. “but then we’re back for a week and then we’re on the road for 15 days. ”

Exhausting, for sure. Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 Clearly, the Senators’ schedule was not agreed to with the players in mind. It could wind up damaging their chances of qualifying for the playoffs and winning a round or four, especially because they did not take full advantage of having 10 of their first 14 games at home. Going to Sweden might be good for the league, but not for the participating teams. “We’ve got to deal with it, it’s the hand we were dealt,” winger Alex Burrows said. “You try to make the most of it. It’s probably not ideal, with the travel and the time off before and after, because then your schedule is going to be more compressed towards the end, but we should be fine.” Maybe, but they’d be better if they didn’t sign up for Sweden. OFF THE BAT: Almost zero was mentioned about the embarrassing fact the Senators managed to to draw barely over 15,000 (15,069) for Monday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, their biggest rivals, whose own fans live just two hours down the road from Canadian Tire Centre. Meanwhile, nearly as many turned out to watch the Ottawa’s 67’s play Wednesday morning at the same venue. That bubbling sound is Eugene Melynk’s blood boiling … I have never heard an acceptable explanation as to why the Redblacks have byes on two of the last three weeks of the CFL season, and, should they finish first, their reward will be the wheelbarrow full of rust accumulated while playing one game in six weeks. I promise you that question will be asked of league officials at Grey Cup week until they provide one … Brian (Soupy) Campbell would certainly be on my 67’s all-time team, which would also have on the blue- line , Doug Wilson, Bruce Cassidy, Brad Shaw and Ian Turnbull, who had 25 goals and 39 assists in 51 games before becoming a first-round pick of the Toronto Maple Leafs … My two healthy scratches would be Chris Snell, who had 52 goals and 221 points in 183 games, and Jeff Ricciardi, who for my money was the toughest 67 of them all, pound for pound. 1081521 Ottawa Senators

Brennan's Top 9: Most popular jersey numbers in Senators history

Don Brennan Published on: November 3, 2017 | Last Updated: November 3, 2017 5:28 PM EDT

We stray from the usual top five because of a seven-way tie for third place on this list. Any omissions or debates on dates should be taken up with Hockeyreference.com. I don’t have their number, but here are the most frequently called digits in Ottawa Senators history: No. 9: Milan Michalek. Craig Robertson/Postmedia CRAIG ROBERTSON / CRAIG ROBERTSON/TORONTO SUN/QMI AGENCY No. 9 (12 players): Doug Smail (1993), Marc Fortier (1993), Andy Schneider (1994), Derek Mayer (1994), Dan Quinn (1996), Alex Daigle (1998), Bill Berg (1999), Kevin Dineen (2000), Martin Havlat (2001-06), Brendan Bell (2009), Milan Michalek (2010-16), Bobby Ryan (2016- present) No. 10 (12 players): Darcy Loewen (1993-94), Rob Gaudreau (1995-96), Andreas Dackell (1997-2001), Toni Dahlman (2002-03), Peter Bondra (2004), Brandon Bochenski (2006), Tyler Arnason (2006), Shean Donovan (2008-10), Marek Svatos (2011), Mike Lundin (2013), Shane Prince (2015-16), Tom Pyatt (2016-present) No. 16 (12 players): Laurie Boschman (1993), Brad Lauer (1994), Dave McLlwain (1996), Sergei Zholtok (1997-98), (1999-2002), Mike Sillinger (2001), Petr Schastlivy (2001), Jody Hull (2002-04), Brian McGrattan (2006-08), Bobby Butler (2010-2012), Mark Stone (2013), Clarke MacArthur (2014-present) No. 17 (12 players): Jody Hull (1993), Dave McLlwain (1994-95), Tom Chorske (1996-97), Chris Murray (1998-99), Colin Forbes (2000-01), (2001), (2002), Filip Novak (2006), Denis Hamel (2007), Filip Kuba (2009-2012), Dave Legwand (2015), Nate Thompson (2017-present) No. 27: Dennis Bonvie. Jeff Bassett/Ottawa Sun JEFF BASSETT, OTTAWA SUN No. 27 (12 players): Blair Atcheynum (1993), Phil Bourque (1994), Hank Lammens (1994), Joe Cirella (1996), Janne Laukkanen (1996-2000), Ricard Persson (2001-02), Dennis Bonvie (2003), Todd Simpson (2004), Peter Schaefer (2006-07), Randy Robitaille (2008), Alex Kovalev (2010- 11), Curtis Lazar (2015-17) No. 28 (12 players): Mark Osiecki (1993), Jeff Lazaro (1993), Bill Huard (1994-95), Steve Duchesne (1996-97), Denny Lambert (1998), Stephen Leach (1999), Ted Donato (1999), Joe Juneau (2000), Tod White (2001- 04), Martin Lapointe (2008), Zenon Konopka (2012), Matt Kassian (2013- 14) No. 33 (12 players): Tony Cimellaro (1993), Jim Thomson (1993), Troy Murray (1994-95), Greg Pankewicz (1994), (1997-2001), Chris Herperger (2002), Josh Langfeld (2003-04), Brad Norton (2006), Pascal Leclaire (2010-11), Jakob Silfverberg (2013), Fredrik Claesson (2016-present) And the most popular … No. 21: Logan Brown, far right. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Fred Chartrand FRED CHARTRAND / THE CANADIAN PRESS No. 21 (13 players): Martin St. Amour (1993), Dominic Lavoie (1993), Dennis Vial (1994-1998), Andreas Johansson (1999), Kevin Miller (2000), David Oliver (2001), Steve Martins (2002-03), Bryan Smolinski (2003-2006), Jason Smith (2009), Ryan Potulny (2001), Nikita Filatov (2012), Mike Kostka (2016), Logan Brown (2017) No. 2 (13 players): Jim Kyte (1993), Radek Hamr (1993), Kevin MacDonald (1994), Jim Paek (1995), Lance Pitlick (1996-99), Grant Ledyard (2000), Bobby Dollas (2000), (2001), Brian Pothier (2003-06), Lawrence Nycholat (2007), Luke Richardson (2008- 09), Jared Cowen (2012-16), Dion Phaneuf (2016-present)

— Don Brennan Ottawa Citizen LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081522 Ottawa Senators A little over a month ago, I asked Matt Cane — whose mathematical model has been quite adept at predicting future contract values — what we could expect to see on a Stone deal. At the time, Cane had the Mark Stone is invaluable to the Senators, and his price tag is rising by average annual value at $5.9 million per season. the day That didn't take inflation into account, though, nor did it consider any potential bump in Stone's performance. James Gordon Theoretically, it made sense for the Senators to focus first on dealing with their unrestricted free agents because, at the end of the day, those guys 14 hours ago can walk for nothing. But every day that the Senators delay getting soon-to-be RFA Stone under contract beyond this season, the cash register ringing in the There are few, if any, NHL players whose on- and off-ice personalities distance gets a little bit louder. contrast quite as dramatically as Mark Stone's.

When things aren't going the Ottawa Senators' way, his anger and frustration are on display for all to see. When things are going their way, The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 and particularly when he's just scored at a big moment in a game, there is no match for his unbridled exuberance. His teammates can't help but get caught up in the moment. Stone is a classic case of leading by example, an approach popularized here by a certain Swedish captain whose number now hangs in the Canadian Tire Centre rafters. Off-ice, he's soft-spoken and reflective, willing to take on the media responsibilities that come with being an alternate captain on a Canadian team despite rarely seeming overly comfortable with it. Whether it's the ‘A' on his sweater or his position atop the Senators' scoring leaderboard following a one-goal, two-assists performance in Thursday night's 3-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings, one thing is certain: Mark Stone is invaluable to the Ottawa Senators. “I think he showed it last year, too, but he's a lot more consistent and mature and ready to take that (leadership) role,” Senators coach Guy Boucher said following the game. “I think, last year (with a) new coach, (he was figuring out) where guys stand, and he's not necessarily one of those guys that's an outgoing, talking kind of guy. “But he's a very bright individual that kind of reads the circumstances, and I think this year he's really taken a prominent role and a leading role,” Boucher added. “I don't think he's had one bad practice. Not a lot of guys you can say that about. He's been on. What I mean by on is the switch is on every practice and in every game.” Stone said he's made an effort to be more consistent this season, but added he still has room to grow. “There's just some games where I don't feel like I'm contributing enough, and to be relied upon to be on a top line, you have to consistently produce and play the right way every night,” he said. “So, every night after those tough games, I go home and think about it and try to bounce back as best I can. “But I don't want to have bounce-back games, and the team especially. I just want to have good, consistent hockey throughout the whole year.” Production. Check. Leadership. Check. Work ethic. Check. Intrinsic motivation. Check. As a result, the pending restricted free agent's price tag is rising by the day. Thirteen games into the season, Stone is on pace to blow away his previous career highs in goals and points. His best season, from a pure scoring perspective, came in 2014-15, when he found the back of the net 26 times and added 38 assists. Were he to match his current output through the end of this year, he'd finish with 50 goals and 88 points. While it's extremely unlikely that he'll reach those heights — he's currently sporting a completely unsustainable 22.9 percent shooting percentage — it wouldn't be the first time a player earned an overpay on a contract based on a one-season PDO bender. The difference between Stone and those one-hit wonders is that his Selke-quality two-way play and underlying statistics already provide a strong foundation to stack goals and points on top of. In terms of pure possession, Stone is the only Ottawa forward with a positive Corsi% at 51.07 (he leads the entire team). Add shot-blocking into the mix, and Stone is second in Fenwick% behind the lightly used Alex Burrows. He also possesses the kind of super-premium talent that can really move the needle for a franchise, something the Senators don't have in abundance. Earlier this year, The Athletic's Dom Luszczyszyn, writing at the time for The Hockey News, ranked teams and players by a measure called Game Score percentile in order to identify which teams had enough “star power” to be considered a true contender. The Senators made the cutoff thanks in large part to Stone's presence near the top of that list. 1081523 Ottawa Senators Using Corsica.Hockey’s line combination tool, we can see how these lines have performed for the Senators over the last two seasons:

And for comparison’s sake, here is the line of Hoffman-Pageau-Pyatt: Moving Mike Hoffman up the depth chart would do wonders for the Senators Not only do the Senators generate significantly more shots, goals and expected goals than the opposition with Hoffman playing up the lineup, the statistics indicate that their performance is less luck-driven than the Graeme Nichols Hoffman-Pageau-Pyatt combination. 21 hours ago Despite being heavily outshot, the Hoffman-Pageau-Pyatt line has scored a disproportionately high volume of goals relative to the opposition thanks to the combination of the Senators’ high shooting percentage and high save percentage. Since becoming a regular in the Senators' lineup during the 2014-15 season, Mike Hoffman has developed into one of the league’s most Which in turn could help explain why the coaching staff continues to keep prolific scorers. this group together. If they are scoring 73 per cent of the total goals when they're on the ice, it would be hard to overlook those results, irrespective Over the past four seasons, only 19 players have scored more goals than of the unflattering expected goals or possession metrics. (As an aside, Hoffman’s 86, but none of those players have averaged less ice time these underlying metrics probably look worse because of the system the than Hoffman's 16:39 per game. Senators play that emphasizes taking away the middle of the ice.) According to Corsica.Hockey, of the forwards who have played more Over the course of his career, whether it be the QMJHL, AHL or NHL, than 2,500 five-on-five minutes during this time span, only 11 players Hoffman has improved with each season at every level. Perhaps this have produced a higher goals per 60 minutes of five-on-five ice time rate league familiarity and experience has garnered the respect of his than Hoffman’s 1.05. coaches who are now more comfortable using him in situations that he would not have been used in in the past. Simply put, relative to his ice time, Hoffman’s been one of the league’s most efficient scorers and his numbers would look even better if he had a It probably helps that the organization loves Pageau and general little bit better luck. Only four players have hit more posts or crossbars manager Pierre Dorion has often joked about Pyatt being a favourite of with their shots than Hoffman. Boucher, so perhaps it helps Hoffman that he’s playing with two linemates whose defensive contributions can help make up for his own Via NHL.com: shortcomings. For such a dangerous player, Hoffman’s usage with the Senators has Hoffman’s place on the depth chart could also be a function of Boucher’s frequently been called into question. design to create a more balanced lineup. The problems stem from the fact that his coaches have historically Tyler Dellow astutely noted that this Senators team that has generated a elected to diminish Hoffman’s role whenever the score becomes close or lot of offence from the bottom of its lineup this season, which has the stakes of the game became greater. During the latter stages of the contributed to its success. From a long-term perspective, however, the team’s Cinderella run in 2014-15, I will never forget Hoffman being Senators are struggling to generate shot production, so if there is any relegated to a fourth-line role as the team desperately made a push for concern, it lies in the possibility of seeing their production regress and the playoffs. normalize over time. Perhaps the most infamous Hoffman lineup controversy occurred the The Hoffman-Pageau-Pyatt line is often left untouched, but if Hoffman’s following season, during a Dec. 8, 2015, game against the Florida production begins to suffer or the bottom six's luck begins to normalize, Panthers, when then-coach Dave Cameron shuffled his lines to replace Boucher will have to throw his lines into the blender. Hoffman in the latter stages of the game with Mark Borowiecki. Ideally, the Senators could get ahead of this potential problem by making Rather than put the team’s best goal scorer alongside other skilled a trade and addressing their depth – similar to what the team did at last players, Cameron employed a risk-averse strategy. season’s trade deadline, which was a big contributing factor to the team’s “I knew Boro would be safe and be physical and give them energy and post-season success. If the Senators have to look at internal solutions, would allow the other two guys to do some work,” Cameron explained. maybe it makes the most sense for Ryan Dzingel to play with Pageau “Same as last year; you move Hoff down onto another line and he’s not and Pyatt. against their best players and it worked tonight.” Dzingel still generates a ton of individual chances with his speed, and Rather than thinking about the message being sent to Hoffman or any of although he is not as dangerous of a scorer, he shares Hoffman’s quality the other forwards on the team, Cameron elected to put a defensive in being able to use his speed and ability to carry and transition the puck defenceman on the top line because Borowiecki could be relied upon to from the defensive zone to the opponent’s end. play it “safe.” Dzingel has also had success playing alongside Pageau and Pyatt Considering the manner in which Hoffman was utilized in his first few before, albeit in limited minutes, and this move would free Hoffman up to years in the league, it’s almost hard to believe that he’s finally being play in a role that he is more suited for: finishing passing sequences entrusted by the coaching staff to consistently face tough matchups now. while playing with noted possession savants like Brassard and Stone. For the past two seasons under Guy Boucher, Hoffman is finally getting more minutes. Hoffman’s average ice time of 18:56 per game so far The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 would represent a new regular-season high. Perhaps most importantly, not only does Corsica.Hockey’s data show that no Senators line has played more five-on-five minutes over the last two seasons than Hoffman, Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Tom Pyatt's 343 minutes and 19 seconds – but even when the Senators have a one-goal advantage, Boucher has not hesitated to put Hoffman on the ice. Through the team’s first 12 games this season, only Pageau (67:55) has played more than Hoffman (65:04) amongst Ottawa’s forwards when the Senators are up by one goal. It remains surprising, though, not to see Hoffman getting big minutes alongside other skilled players as he's proven to be one of the most efficient scorers in the league. Like essentially every one of his teammates, Hoffman has had success over the past two seasons playing with Mark Stone – it hasn't really mattered who's playing centre. Whether it’s Kyle Turris or Derick Brassard, when Boucher puts Stone and Hoffman on the same line, great things happen for the Senators. 1081524 Philadelphia Flyers General manager Ron Hextall said one of the reasons he traded Schenn to St. Louis in the off-season was because he thought Giroux or veteran center Filppula could make a smooth transition to left wing. Giroux has Sean Couturier: Stunning transformation making Flyers' coach Dave made the most of the change, and, barring injuries, figures to stay there Hakstol look like a genius for a long time. “A lot thought went into it, a lot of discussion,” Hakstol said of moving Giroux. “At the end of the day, it made sense for our team and we felt it by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | made sense for all three of them. They’ve all worked very hard to make it [email protected] a productive line.” Hakstol credited Giroux for being so open-minded to the switch. Raise your hand if you thought Flyers center Sean Couturier, defensive “When your captain welcomes it with open arms, that says a lot about his specialist, was going to blossom into one of the NHL’s leading scorers in character,” he said. the season’s first month. Maybe Giroux also foresaw Couturier’s breakthrough season. Maybe he, I don’t see any hands … oh, wait, in the corner. There’s a guy over too, was in the back of the room with his hand raised. there, perfectly coiffed hair, with his hand in the air who looks strikingly similar to Dave Hakstol. Oh, it is the Flyers’ third-year coach. Give Hakstol props for thinking outside the box. While most of us Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.04.2017 believed Couturier wasn’t fast enough and wasn’t a good enough finisher to play on the Flyers’ top line — and was better suited as a third-line center — Hakstol saw something else. He saw a player who, until this season, didn’t develop much offensive prowess because he was centering wingers who didn’t get him the puck in Grade-A scoring areas. So Hakstol, in what now looks like a stroke of genius, moved Claude Giroux — one of the league’s top centers in his outstanding career — to left wing. That put the 6-foot-3, 211-pound Couturier, whose dad, Sylvain, once had a brief stint with the Los Angeles Kings, between two elite playmakers, Giroux and right winger Jake Voracek. “Jake and G deserve the credit,” said Couturier, who recently replaced Val Filppula on the No. 1 power-play unit. “They’re always giving me scoring chances.” The numbers support him. Couturier is on a pace for 246 shots, far more than his career high (165) set in 2013-14. In three of the first 14 games, he had six shots three times. Before this year, he had only reached the six-shot mark four times in 416 games. Couturier, 24, who survived an accidental blindside hit to the head by his former teammate, Brayden Schenn, in Thursday’s 2-0 Flyers win in St. Louis, has been the team’s MVP thus far. Heading into Saturday night’s game against visiting Colorado, he led the Flyers — and was among the NHL leaders — with nine goals, 17 points, and a plus-10 rating. He also had eight assists, and his attention to defense had bolstered the line’s overall effectiveness. [Five observations from Flyers’ stunning win in St. Louis] In his six previous seasons, Couturier never collected more than 15 goals or 39 points. He is now on a pace for 53 goals and 100 points. And while no one expects him to reach those lofty numbers, a 25-goal, 70-point season seems realistic. “It’s still early in the year, but things have been going pretty well and I’m pretty confident right now,” said Couturier, the player who turned out to be the first-round draft pick (eighth overall) the Flyers acquired, along with Voracek and a third-round selection, in the 2011 trade that sent Jeff Carter to Columbus. “If we keep playing the same way as a line, we’ll get a lot of chances and produce a lot. But it’s still early in the year and obviously teams are going to match lines and pre-scout us.” He paused. “At the same time, if we play the same way, play our way, we’ll create a lot of chances,” he said. [Flyers prospect Vecchione off to sizzling start with Phantoms] Couturier’s line has been one of the NHL’s best, combining for 18 goals, 31 assists, 49 points and a plus-16 rating in the first 14 games. “Coots has made us better…at both ends,” Voracek said, mindful that he had a minus-24 rating last season and is now plus-3. He entered the weekend with 14 assists, second in the NHL. Without being saddled with the defensive ability of a center, Giroux (seven goals, 16 points in his first 14 games) has flourished and is skating with the creativity he displayed earlier in his career. Then again, it helps that Giroux is more than a year removed from hip and abdominal surgery, which hindered his skating last season, when he finished with just 14 goals and a minus-15 rating. 1081525 Philadelphia Flyers thought I was going to die for a second. I was fine a minute later.” … There’s a chance first-round draft pick Nolan Patrick (concussion symptoms) will return Saturday. For Flyers' Will O'Neill, a night to remember Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.04.2017 Updated: NOVEMBER 3, 2017 — 10:59 AM EDT by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

ST. LOUIS — After parts of seven seasons in the minors, defenseman Will O’Neill finally realized his dream and reached the NHL on Thursday night. At age 29. As if that wasn’t momentous enough, O’Neill and the Flyers’ oh-so-green defense — missing three injured veterans — helped engineer a stunning 2-0 victory over a St. Louis team that had the most points in the NHL and hadn’t lost at home this season. “It’s always nice to contribute to a win, and I thought everybody played great,” O’Neill said after the Flyers’ most unlikely victory of the young season. O’Neill was used sparingly, playing just 9 minutes and 25 seconds. But he played strong positional hockey, jumped into the offense a few times, and took three shots. He was paired mostly with Mark Alt and a bit with Robert Hagg because he was each’s partner on the AHL’s Phantoms. “I just tried to keep the puck going, keep the game going, and compete as hard as I could,” O’Neill said. “Good team effort, and I was happy to be a part of it.” Despite his long career in the minors, O’Neill said he didn’t lose faith. “I always believed in myself that I was a good player, that I could play at this level,” O’Neill said. “There were certainly times where it seemed I really couldn’t catch a break, but things happen for a reason and you keep getting better as a player and an organization recognizes that and you get a chance. That’s all you want.” O’Neill’s mother and sister traveled from his hometown of Salem, Mass., to be at the game. So did his “best friend I grew up across the street from. My dad’s a hockey coach and he couldn’t come [because] he had a game, but I’ll call him later,” O’Neill said. For the first time in franchise history, the Flyers used four defensemen who had fewer than 15 games of NHL experience: Hagg (14), Travis Sanheim (10), Alt (3), and O’Neill, who was inserted into the lineup because of an injury to Radko Gudas. The defense is also missing two other injured players, Andrew MacDonald and Shayne Gostisbehere. The Flyers became the first team to win a game with four defensemen with fewer than 15 NHL games of experience since Colorado in 2009. “Everybody is here for a reason. Everybody can play,” said Ivan Provorov, who anchored the defense by playing 27:11, dishing out five hits, and tying MacDonald’s club record with 10 blocked shots. “The guys who came in did a really good job.” Added Provorov: “I think everybody really battled hard. The boys played for each other, played smart, and that’s why we got the win.” The hard-fought victory pushed the Flyers to 7-6-1 entering Saturday night’s game against visiting Colorado. “It was a grind,” right winger Jake Voracek said. “They are a heavy, big team. I think we knew we had to play like that — patient.” They received an outstanding performance from Michal Neuvirth, who made 33 saves, including 12 in the first 11 minutes, and from a patchwork defense that included O’Neill. O’Neill, who will not play Saturday if Gudas or Gostisbehere returns, said he never thought about walking away from the sport. “I love to play the game,” he said. “It’s great and I always thought, ‘Keep on playing. Keep on playing,’ no matter where it takes me.” On Thursday, it took him to the Scottrade Center, site of the Flyers’ grittiest win of the season. Sean Couturier took a blindside hit to the head from former Flyer Brayden Schenn in the second period but returned in the third period after going through the concussion protocol. “I just lost my wind there,” Couturier said. “I was trying to catch my breath. I was kind of panicking. I 1081526 Philadelphia Flyers

Five observations from Flyers' stunning win in St. Louis

Updated: NOVEMBER 3, 2017 — 10:33 AM EDT by Sam Carchidi, STAFF WRITER @BroadStBull | [email protected]

ST. LOUIS — Key takeaways from the Flyers’ 2-0 victory Thursday night over the Blues: Look up the word “gritty,” and they should use Thursday’s win as a prime example. Partially because of injuries, the Flyers used four first-year defensemen — players with a combined 27 games of NHL experience — and blanked a team that had been tied for the most points in the league. One of the D-men, Will O’Neill, made his NHL debut. “Everybody is here for a reason. Everybody can play,” defenseman Ivan Provorov said. “The guys who came in did a really good job.” Making the win even more satisfying, the Flyers (7-6-1) were playing on back-to-back nights, while St. Louis (10-3-1) had not played since Monday and was well-rested. It was the type of victory that can galvanize a team and bring it together. Provorov is turning into an all-star right before our eyes. He tied a franchise record with 10 blocked shots Thursday, added five hits, and anchored the inexperienced defense. Provorov played 27:11, surpassing 27 minutes for the fourth straight game. Enjoy, folks. He’s only 20 and one day might be remembered as the best home-grown defenseman in franchise history. Veteran center Jori Lehtera didn’t produce any points in his 13:45 of action, but he had his best game as a Flyer. Playing against his former team, Lehtera won numerous puck battles, and his line got the Flyers going in the right direction with some strong shifts in the first period. Until then, St. Louis had dominated the game, getting 12 of the first 14 shots and spending an inordinate amount of time in the Flyers’ end. Speaking of players who had their best games of the season … Brandon Manning scored the game-winner, had six shots, played 22:56, and provided veteran leadership for the oh-so-green defense. Manning’s goal was originally waved off because the refs ruled Jake Voracek had interfered with goalie Jake Allen. But it was overturned after a challenge by Flyers coach Dave Hakstol. “A little bit of good karma,” said Manning, who had a recent goal in Ottawa taken away because of goalie interference. “As soon as I saw it, I was hoping Hak would challenge it. … It all worked out in the end.” Michal Neuvirth withstood St. Louis’ first-period barrage and was the main reason the Flyers were in a scoreless tie after the first 20 minutes. Overall, he made 33 saves. Neuvirth (1.83 GAA, .941 save percentage) has played in only five of 14 games but maybe, just maybe, will start to get more playing time. Brian Elliott (3.11, .892) also played well on the mini-road trip, allowing two goals Wednesday in Chicago.

Philadelphia Inquirer / Daily News LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081527 Philadelphia Flyers

Best of NHL: Predators hold off Ducks in rematch of West Finals

Staff Report By The Associated Press November 04, 2017 1:51 AM

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Roman Josi scored one goal and assisted on another as the Nashville Predators built a three-goal lead before holding off the Anaheim Ducks 5-3 Friday night in a rematch of last season's Western Conference Finals. Scott Hartnell, Matt Irwin and Viktor Arvidsson also scored for the Predators in the first meeting between the teams since Nashville won their 2016-17 playoff series in six games to reach the Stanley Cup Final. Pekka Rinne made 35 saves and P.K. Subban added an empty-net goal with 18 seconds left to seal it. The Predators had lost four straight in Anaheim since their previous victory on April 4, 2014. Antoine Vermette, Hampus Lindholm and Jakob Silfverberg scored for the Ducks, who cut it to 4-3 in the third period after trailing by three late in the second. Anaheim pulled within one at 7:41 of the third. Derek Grant's shot went wide of the net and off the backboards before Silfverberg put in the rebound. Nashville opened a 3-0 lead early in the second. Predators defenseman Matt Irwin fired a shot from just beyond the left circle and past goalie John Gibson for his first of the season (see full recap). EDMONTON, Alberta -- Connor McDavid had three assists and the Edmonton Oilers beat New Jersey 6-3 on Friday night to hand the Devils' their first road loss of the season. Drake Caggiula, Ryan Strome, Oscar Klefbom, Milan Lucic, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers. They snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-7-1. Taylor Hall, Jesper Bratt and Brian Gibbons responded for the Devils. They dropped to 9-3-0. Edmonton started the scoring five minutes into the opening period on the power play as McDavid sent a pass through the crease to Caggiula, who tapped the puck in before goalie Cory Schneider could get across. The Oilers made it 2-0 three minutes later when Adam Larsson's point shot ended up going off Strome and in. Hall came back to haunt his old team with five minutes left in the first when he backhanded the rebound from Miles Wood's shot past goalie Cam Talbot. New Jersey tied it five minutes into the second period when Bratt's spin- around shot hit the post and caromed into the net.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081528 Philadelphia Flyers “It’s a great moment for Will. His belief is beyond reproach,” William O’Neill said from his office at Salem State. “I admire his dedication, his passion, and his perseverance is incredible. If you ever waver from that, Will O'Neill makes long-awaited NHL debut in Flyers' win vs. Blues you have no chance.” But until Thursday night, O’Neill wasn’t exactly sure his game could hold up at the highest level, despite 346 games in the minors. By John Boruk | NBC Sports Philadelphia November 03, 2017 2:28 PM “I’ve played in a lot of AHL games, and preseason games, it’s certainly different," O'Neill said. "You get there and you just need to get into the game, get your feet wet. You’ve played a lot, and just do what I always For the majority of professional hockey players at the highest level, that did.” first NHL game is the rest stop off the interstate. Sure, they’re looking forward to it, but it’s just the first stop to a final destination. Of the six defensemen the Flyers dressed against the Blues, Brandon Manning, with his 150 games played, was the most experienced of the Thursday night in St. Louis — as Will O'Neill made his NHL debut in the six and yet even he realized how quickly O’Neill blended in despite not Flyers' 2-0 win — at the corner of Clark and 14th Streets may as well having a single practice or morning skate to get acclimated. have been the parking lot at Disney World for the 29-year-old, who leading up to the game, had heard and experienced just about every “Yeah, it’s pretty impressive,” Manning said. “He’s obviously been other player’s first NHL experience, except his own. around, he’s obviously had some experiences, but you don’t know what to expect for your first game, and he came in and did a great job. When “I always believed in myself that I was a good player, that I could play at he was out there, he looked like he had been there before.” this level,” O’Neill said. “There were certainly times where it seemed I couldn’t really catch a break, but things happen for a reason. You keep Three shots on net, 9:25 of ice time, and just like the past 11 years from on getting better as a player, an organization recognizes that and gives the day he was drafted, O’Neill was barely noticed. For an NHL you a chance. That’s all you want.” defenseman in his debut, anonymity is the best way to go about it. If O’Neill wasn’t Mr. Irrelevant of the 2006 NHL draft, he was pretty darn “Everyone was great,” O’Neill said. “They were trying to get me going, close. He was the fourth-to-last player taken in the seventh round, 210th trying to pump me up and knowing they’ve all been through that at overall or 188 picks after the Flyers had chosen Claude Giroux in the first different parts of your life. I just took all of that in.” round. Giroux walked on stage wearing the Flyers' sweater. O’Neill received a phone call back home in Massachusetts from the . Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 When you’re Will O’Neill, it’s never about Will O’Neill. He has made it his responsibility to look out for his younger teammates, whether that meant giving guys who didn’t own a car a ride to the arena, or just covering the tab on an afternoon lunch. One of those guys was Wilkes-Barre/Scranton forward Jake Guentzel, who came to the AHL on an amateur tryout. Penguins coach Clark Donatelli thought it might help Guentzel to be situated next to O’Neill in the team dressing room. Perhaps, O'Neill could impart some of his wisdom, knowledge and experience on Guentzel. This past June, Guentzel blew the doors off his entry into the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when he scored 13 goals. And if he hadn’t shared the ice with arguably one of the greatest players on the planet, Guentzel may have walked away with the Conn Smythe Trophy as Most Valuable Player of the postseason. Whatever Guentzel learned along the way, O’Neill was part of the process. However, O'Neill's caring, unselfish demeanor to give back doesn’t stop when he’s away from the rink. In the community, he frequents local schools and hospitals, dropping off toys, books and whatever else he can contribute, no matter where he’s gone. All of which explains why he’s been recognized and honored as the AHL’s Specialty Man of the Year for his outstanding contributions to the community for not one, but two different organizations. When general manager Ron Hextall brought O’Neill into the Flyers organization on Day 1 of the free-agent frenzy in 2016, it certainly wasn’t intended to be a depth signing at the NHL level, but rather Hextall’s recognition of a player with strong character who could impart wisdom and guidance to one of the most talented group of prospects in the league. O’Neill was just happy he had a place and a role within the organization. Pursuing a different career even as he entered his late-20s never entered O'Neill’s mind. After all, his father, William, has been the head hockey coach at Salem State University for the past 36 years, so the idea of transitioning to a new job just doesn’t seem to resonate. “I’ve always loved to play the game,” O’Neill said. “It’s great. I always thought you just keep on playing, keep on playing no matter where it takes me year to year. That’s what I want to do. That’s what I love to do. I love to watch it, I love to play it. It’s pretty much everything I know. You just want to keep on playing at the highest level as long as you possibly can.” As you might expect, O'Neill wanted to share the greatest experience of his life with those who have been there every step of the way. His mom, Liz, along with sister, Rachel, arrived from Boston, and so did O'Neill's best friend, Peter O’Toole, who he grew up with in Salem and now works for an investment firm in Chicago. The only person missing was dad, who had a game of his own. 1081529 Pittsburgh Penguins Tribune Review LOADED: 11.04.2017

Penguins' Chad Ruhwedel helps stabilize injuy-riddled defensive unit

JONATHAN BOMBULIE | Friday, Nov. 3, 2017, 8:09 p.m. Updated 6 hours ago

By winning in Edmonton on Wednesday night and picking up a point in the standings for an overtime loss Thursday in Calgary, the Penguins have kept a five-game, 10-day western road trip from circling the drain. Perhaps no skater has been more responsible for keeping things from falling apart than defenseman Chad Ruhwedel. Starting the season as the team's seventh defenseman, Ruhwedel has given the Penguins a capable performer at a position where injuries were stretching the depth chart thin. They've been playing without top-six defensemen Matt Hunwick and Justin Schultz, who are recovering from concussions. Ruhwedel has averaged about 18 minutes per game on the road trip. Most importantly, Ruhwedel has helped in an area where the Penguins needed it most: puck possession at even strength. In the first four games of the trip, the Penguins outshot their opponents 56-40 when Ruhwedel was on the ice in five-on-five situations. That's par for the course with Ruhwedel this season. When it comes to shot-based stats, he has been the most effective player on the team's blue line by a long shot. When Ruhwedel has been on the ice, the Penguins have taken 54.9 percent of the game's even-strength shot attempts. The next-best figure on the team belongs to Ian Cole at 51.6. Kris Letang, by comparison, is at 47.7. Ruhwedel's shot-attempt ratio has been 55 percent or better for each of the first four games of the road trip, which concludes Saturday night in Vancouver. “I think when you look at our team, we're at our best when we get back to pucks and we advance the puck as quickly and efficiently as we can,” coach Mike Sullivan said. “We get out of our end zone, and we get the puck into our forwards' hands as quickly as we can. When we talk about playing the game fast, that's one of the specifics of that type of a game and Chad's the type of guy that can do that. “He gets back to pucks because of his mobility. He has decent vision. He can make a first pass and help us get out of our end zone, and that's an important aspect of our team game.” A strong performance on the road trip has been part of a yearlong climb up the depth chart for Ruhwedel, who was largely an unknown when he signed with the Penguins in July of 2016. After bouncing between the NHL and AHL in the Buffalo Sabres organization for the first three years of his career, the 27-year-old San Diego native quickly made an impression on the Penguins with a strong showing in Wilkes-Barre at the start of last season. By Christmas, his minor league days were pretty much over. “It all starts in Wilkes,” Ruhwedel said. “You've got to prove yourself there and play good minutes, keep getting better and make sure people are noticing you. Do all the little things right. This organization is really good about noticing the good things players do. I was fortunate enough to have that happen to me last year.” In June, he got a strong vote of confidence from the Penguins, a two- year, one-way contract that pays him the same whether he's in the NHL or AHL. The next step is to lock down a top-six spot for good, which, of course, won't be easy. It would require Ruhwedel beating out an entrenched NHL player for the job. Add up all the pluses in his column, though — a positive career trajectory, skating ability that fits his team's style of play, the best analytics on the team — and it no longer seems like an unrealistic goal. “It's all just a big process,” Ruhwedel said, “and it helps being in the right place at the right time.”

1081530 Pittsburgh Penguins “His playing style, yeah, he can be a little bit aggressive,” Buckley said. “I think that keeps the opponent off-guard at times. He’s not going to change his game. Matt Murray has gotten hit a lot. It's the cost of doing business. “I know there is a lot of potential contact and people coming around you. Sometimes that can be tough. It’s like a really good quarterback dropping back in the pocket, feeling the heat of the rush, and you still have to get JASON MACKEY the pass off. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette “It’s the same thing for goaltenders. You still have to be able to focus on the puck, be aggressive, be aware of anything that’s coming.” [email protected]

5:19 AM NOV 4, 2017 Post Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2017

CALGARY, Alberta — Although he plays a position where theoretically it should never happen, Matt Murray has been getting hit a lot. He knows it, you know it, the Penguins know it. Who could’ve missed Murray shaking his head, trying to clear the cobwebs, last Saturday in Minnesota? Murray incurring contact seems to be a regular occurrence. Last season, this infuriated Murray. “I think it’s a bit of a problem in the league right now with goalies getting hit,” Murray told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in late January. Minnesota Wild's Jared Spurgeon chases the Penguins' Carl Hagelin as goalie Devan Dubnyk watches the play during Saturday's game in St. Paul, Minn. Carl Hagelin: ‘Bottom line, I have to score’ That trend really hasn’t gone anywhere when looking at the entire NHL, but it’s been especially prevalent when opposing teams play the Penguins. The book to beat Murray evidently involves making sure the 6-foot-4 netminder has to fight through contact while opposing teams find themselves toeing the line of legality. “For the last couple years I’ve noticed that I get hit a lot, in the head especially,” Murray said this week. “I think part of that is because I’m a bigger goalie, and I like to play over top of it. I like to really get my head forward. “I definitely attack the puck more than other goalies do.” In a way, Murray is blaming himself here. It’s how he likes to play the position: Don’t sit back, play on your toes — a phrase he uses often — with your head and hands overtop your skates. “You’re sticking your neck out a little bit,” Murray said. “’Physically, not metaphorically.” When opposing skaters attack the net, Murray continued, his body is extended into a volatile area. Taking the odd one off the head is inevitable. It’s the cost of doing business. Doing anything about this is tough, Murray said. It’s similar to a quarterback waiting an extra second in the pocket for his receiver to burst open and taking a hit as a result. You just hope one isn’t too costly. “You can’t let it affect your positioning.” Murray said. “That’s what they want when they’re running you. They want to back you up and make you think about it. “You have to be willing to take a hit. You have to be loose enough where you can take a hit, and it’s not going to hurt you. “You don’t want to fight it. You see it coming, accept it and hope for a penalty or a waived-off goal.You definitely don’t want to try too hard to avoid it because then it gets in the back of your mind, and you’re thinking about it.” Murray, of course, has not let this affect his play. Penguins goaltending coach Mike Buckley said he feels Murray “prepares himself very well for contact. … He’s in great shape. He can absorb contact.” The injuries Murray has incurred to this point in his career might give fans a reason to disagree with that statement, but think back to how many were intentional or simply freak plays? The biggest thing for Buckley — and the Penguins — is to make sure Murray’s puck-tracking remains solid, that he’s able to fight through traffic and contact to find rebounds and adjust to second-shot opportunities. 1081531 Pittsburgh Penguins “ ‘Haggy’ is an important player for us,” Penguins coach Mike Sullivan said. “He’s played in a lot of high-stakes games for this team and helped this team have so much success. Carl Hagelin: ‘Bottom line, I have to score’ “Our expectation is high for ‘Haggy.’ Our hope is that he becomes that two-way player we know he’s capable of. He brings that leadership capacity in the locker room. He’s a great teammate. That’s what we love JASON MACKEY about him. That’s what we want to see from him on a consistent basis.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette If puck-possession is your thing, Hagelin hasn’t helped much there, either. He’s contributing to a shot rate of just 49.85 during five-on-five [email protected] play, which would qualify as a career-worst for him. 5:20 AM NOV 4, 2017 The same can be said for the number of five-on-five goals the Penguins have scored compared to the other team when Hagelin is on the ice

(42.86) and his individual shot rate per 60 minutes of ice time (13.2). CALGARY, Alberta — Carl Hagelin found himself a healthy scratch for Love our Pens coverage? Consider subscribing. Wednesday’s 3-2 win over Edmonton. Support journalism. Subscribe today. Although Hagelin has been dealing with a few minor health issues, it’s not hard to figure out at least one of the reasons why the Penguins Hagelin not scoring has also been a contributing factor to the Penguins’ decided to give him a night off. bottom-six struggles. “Bottom line, I have to score,” Hagelin said. “It doesn’t matter how much In the lineup Sullivan has most often used — Sidney Crosby with Jake you shoot, you have to score.” Guentzel and Conor Sheary, Evgeni Malkin with Bryan Rust and Phil Kessel — only Patric Hornqvist (five goals) has scored more than once Hagelin has not scored much since the start of last season, and the among bottom-six forwards. drought has the Penguins in the unenviable position of paying Hagelin $4 million a year — only to get nowhere near that in terms of offensive Through 15 games last season, Matt Cullen and Nick Bonino had production. combined for four goals by themselves. Hagelin, Eric Fehr, Scott Wilson and Rust — the wingers who saw the most bottom-six minutes at the Penguins goaltender Matt Murray makes a stop during a preseason time — had two goals apiece. game against St. Louis in Cranberry. “We have to start scoring five-on-five,” Hagelin said. Matt Murray has gotten hit a lot. It's the cost of doing business. So few goals might be frustrating for some, but that’s not how Hagelin Especially as five-on-five goals have been harder to come by for the operates. Penguins’ entire team. Hagelin doesn’t see power-play time. Scoring five- on-five is where he should theoretically be making himself most valuable. He’s stayed positive through this whole thing, believing soon his luck will change. As a group, the Penguins have scored just five goals during five-on-five play over their past seven games. “There have been some pretty good looks in recent games that I’ve had or been involved in, two-on-ones and stuff,” Hagelin said. “It’s frustrating “That’s a big part of my game,” Hagelin said. “I have to start scoring five- at times, but I think more for me, I’m getting the looks. It’s important to on-five.” keep going. It’s fun to be out there and getting chances offensively. But That’s the easy part. Pinning down why Hagelin hasn’t scored isn’t as any player will tell you, it is more fun to score.” easy.

Look at the number of shots on goal Hagelin has generated. It pretty Post Gazette LOADED: 11.04.2017 much aligns with what he’s done through his career. Over the past two seasons, Hagelin has averaged 2.1 shots on goal per game. His career mark is 2.2. This season Hagelin has gotten 32 shots on goal in 14 games, an average of 2.3 a night. Where the biggest dip comes, of course, is in Hagelin’s shooting percentage. It’s almost like it fell off a cliff. Hagelin shot 9.4 percent and averaged .21 goals per game (17 over an 82-game season) from 2011-12 through 2015-16. Over the past two seasons, Hagelin has shot just 4.4 percent. Penguins defenseman Ryan Reaves, right, checks Calgary's Mark Giordano in the second period. “The good thing is, the more you shoot, sooner or later they’re going to go in, right?,” Hagelin said. That’s the hope anyway. Hagelin has spent time up and down the lineup, with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, on the opposite wing as Patric Hornqvist, in roles where theoretically he should score. After returning from a broken fibula that hampered him at times last NHL, one of the NHL’s best and fastest skaters also feels like the process is there. “I think I’m playing better,” Hagelin said. “I think I’m skating better this year. That’s why I’m getting more shots and more looks. “I know when I’m involved and getting some shots on net, I’m doing something good. Just have to keep doing that, get a good bounce here. The more you throw pucks at the net, usually it goes in sooner or later.” The positive part to all of this is that Hagelin is the type of player who doesn’t necessary need a gaudy goal total to influence outcomes. He’s responsible defensively, communicates well on the ice and is among the Penguins’ best penalty killers. 1081532 San Jose Sharks The Sharks are 14-17-3 without Vlasic in the lineup over the last three years for a reason: he’s the most irreplaceable player on the team.

Although the Sharks boast one of the Western Conference’s deepest Three things to know: Sharks’ Vlasic’s head injury is a ‘you never know’ blue lines with the emergences of rookies Tim Heed and Joakim Ryan, situation Vlasic is the linchpin that holds the backend together, matching up against the league’s top forwards on a nightly basis. By PAUL GACKLE | [email protected] | Bay Area News When Vlasic’s around to neutralize the Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid Group and Patrick Kane’s of the world, it frees Brent Burns up to play in more offensive-minded situations, generating scoring chances from the November 3, 2017 at 2:35 PM backend with his quick-released shot. Vlasic’s role also allows the Sharks third pairing to feast off favorable matchups against opponents’ third and fourth lines. SAN JOSE — Sharks coach Pete DeBoer adjusted his assessment of Heed and Brenden Dillon have possession ratings of 56.70 and 58.33 Marc-Edouard Vlasic’s head injury Friday, acknowledging that the respectively, the highest among the Sharks everyday defensemen. By timetable for the defenseman’s return is unclear. yanking Vlasic out of the mix, the Sharks aren’t just losing the NHL’s best shutdown defender; it forces everyone else to play out of position, Get Sharks news in your inbox. Sign up now for the free Sharks Report expanding their roles out of their comfort zones. newsletter. “You don’t replace him,” DeBoer said. “Whoever you put in there, it’s a DeBoer said Thursday that he doesn’t believe Vlasic’s concussion will different dynamic. But we’ve got to find a way.” keep him out of the Sharks lineup on a “long term” basis, but Friday he provided a more-detailed explanation of his reasoning. At this point, it looks like the pairing of Burns and Joakim Ryan will stay in tact Saturday, while Dillon slides up to take Vlasic’s spot alongside “I don’t know if it’s longterm. My initial feeling was that it wasn’t going to Braun, and Dylan DeMelo partners up with Heed, playing on his off side. be a long time,” the Sharks coach said. “But you could have setbacks, But this alignment could change before Saturday’s game. there’s all kinds of things that go into that. Does DeBoer ask Dillon to play Vlasic’s shutdown role with Braun or “He came in yesterday and was feeling okay, which led us to be positive does he disperse the responsibility among his entire blue line? about it, but you never know.” “In a perfect world, we plug someone in there and they get the job done Vlasic missed a second-consecutive practice Friday after suffering a and can handle that assignment,” the Sharks coach said. “If they can’t, head injury in a collision with Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen we’ll spread it out.” early in the third period Wednesday. That whole part about finding a way to absorb Vlasic’s loss will be even If we’ve learned anything about concussions over the last few years, it’s more challenging if he isn’t back in the lineup on Wednesday when the that the nature of the injury is inherently unpredictable, which is why it Tampa Bay Lightning roll into the SAP Center. was surprising that DeBoer gave such an optimistic prognosis Thursday. The Lightning are averaging 3.86 goals per game, tops in the NHL, while Like our Sharks Facebook page for more San Jose Sharks news, Steven Stamkos leads the league in scoring with 24 points and Nikita commentary and conversation. Kucherov has banked the most goals with 13 tallies in 14 games. Two years ago, Ben Smith suffered a concussion when Vlasic hit him in the ear with a slapshot in pregame warmups on Oct. 17, 2015. Smith returned to the lineup on Oct. 28, and he skated for 4:03 on Oct. 31. After San Jose Mercury News: LOADED: 11.04.2017 that, the concussion symptoms flared up again and he was sidelined until Dec. 20. Rourke Chariter of the AHL Barracuda is also battling a head injury right now. Chartier suffered his concussion back in early May during the Calder Cup Playoffs, and although he passed his baseline tests on Oct. 16, he’s yet to suit up in a game for the Barracuda this season. Barracuda coach Roy Sommer’s assessment of Chartier’s injury two weeks ago sheds some light on why Vlasic’s health status in shrouded in uncertainty. “I have no idea,” Sommer said on Oct. 17. “These things (concussions) are a whole other animal. You don’t want to put timelines on them. When he’s ready to go, he’s ready to go.” Although it might be challenging to keep a player as competitive as Vlasic off the ice, DeBoer expressed confidence in the NHL’s concussion protocol back in training camp. Unlike Joe Thornton decision to play with a knee tear during last year’s playoffs, DeBoer doesn’t want his players trying to battle through concussions. “That’s a different animal than a broken bone or a ligament,” DeBoer said on Sept. 29. “(Concussions) are so individual. They’re scary.” 2. Paul Martin is highly doubtful for Saturday. The timing almost worked out perfectly: one left-shot defenseman is returning to health right as another left-shot defenseman suffers an injury. Paul Martin participated in his first full practice since the Sharks bout with the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 7 Friday, but the veteran blue liner doesn’t believe he’ll return to the lineup until next week. “I don’t think I’ll be in tomorrow,” Martin said after practice, referring to the Sharks bout with the Anaheim Ducks at SAP Center. “I’d assume they’ll want me to get into a couple of practices first.” Martin, who suffered a setback with his surgically-repaired ankle in the first two games of the season, said he would benefit from another full practice to get his timing and game conditioning back. 3. Vlasic is the most irreplaceable Shark. 1081533 San Jose Sharks

Sharks putting Thornton in position to succeed coming off major knee injury

By Marcus White November 03, 2017 1:44 PM

Only 19 other players in NHL history have accomplished what Joe Thornton did on Wednesday night, scoring 1400 career points. The 38- year-old’s second period assist was his ninth point in 12 games this season, and the eighth in his last eight games. All things considered, that’s not bad for a player in his 20th NHL season, let alone one coming off of offseason knee surgery to repair a torn ACL and MCL. Perhaps because of that, Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer has utilized Thornton a bit differently this season. According to Corsica, Thornton has started 63.27 percent of his even strength shifts beginning outside of the neutral zone in the offensive zone. Since zone start tracking became publicly available in 2007, Thornton has never started a higher percentage of his shifts in the offensive zone. Kevin Labanc, Thornton’s linemate, is the only Sharks forward that has started a higher percentage of his shifts in the offensive zone this season. This makes all kinds of sense. Before his knee injury, it appeared age was starting to catch up to Thornton, if it hadn’t already. His 50 points in 79 games last season were the fewest since he was a 19-year-old in Boston. The Sharks have taken greater steps to mitigate Thornton’s inevitable decline this season, but it hasn’t led to a true breakthrough at even strength. Four of Thornton’s nine points this season have come on the power play, as Thornton’s been a bit unlucky at even strength. He has only one primary assist during five-on-five play, in part because the Sharks have scored on only 6.9 percent of their shots with Thornton on the ice in even strength situations. At the same time, Martin Jones and Aaron Dell have only stopped 87.5 percent of the even strength shots they’ve faced with Thornton playing in front of them. That’s not very good, and it likely won’t last much longer. The Sharks are winning the puck possession battle with Thornton on the ice, routinely controlling the majority of shot attempts. Should that hold, a little regression to the mean in either direction will go a long way towards Thornton getting better results. That would be good news for Joe Pavelski, who’s scored in each of the last two games, as well as Kevin Labanc, who hasn’t scored an even strength point since Oct. 17. It would also be a welcome development for Thornton, allowing him to move even further up the NHL’s all-time scoring list this season.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081534 St Louis Blues

Yeo has relied on defensive nucleus thus far

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago (…)

If not for Carl Gunnarsson becoming a father, the Blues may well have used the same six defensemen in every game so far this season. In 13 of their 14 games, it’s been the same players: Gunnarsson, Alex Pietrangelo, Colton Parayko, Joel Edmundson, Robert Bortuzzo and Vince Dunn. In the one game Gunnarsson missed because he became a father that day, Nate Prosser stepped in. Blues coach Mike Yeo thinks that the presence of Prosser lurking in the background, and the potential return some day of Jay Bouwmeester, still out with a broken ankle, has spurred the six into playing consistently well. The Blues are allowing an average of 2.29 goals per game, the second- best mark in the league going into Friday’s action. Only the Los Angeles Kings, at 2.08, have been stingier. “We’ve got a guy like Pross, who did a nice job coming in for the game, and it’s not easy,” Yeo said. “Normally you’d want to get a guy like that in the lineup and he’s a great teammate, he’s kept a great attitude and had a great work ethic, but we haven’t been able to. The other guys have been doing such a good job and we like that consistency. “We don’t feel like there’s any drop in any of their focus or intensity coming to the rink night after night. And because of that, I think there’s the recognition on their part that they’ve got a guy like Pross who’s eager to get in, and they don’t want to put themselves in that position and I think they also look at the possibility of a guy like Bo coming back and they want to make sure they’re not in the conversation to come out when he does. We’ve got a bunch of guys that are proving it will be a difficult decision, but that’s OK.” Bouwmeester’s return still seems to be a ways off. He’s been out six weeks, so once he’s cleared to resume skating, it will take him a while to get into game shape. He made a pre-practice appearance on the ice earlier this week, but Yeo didn’t want to characterize it as skating. “We’re certainly not going to rush him,” Yeo said. “We never really want to be in a position where we’re going to rush somebody and put them out where they could risk injury or they’re going to hurt the team. He’s been out a while. We’re going to need to make sure when he’s cleared and ready to start practicing that we give him a good opportunity to get his game, to get his conditioning and to get feeling good before he comes in the lineup. “I think we’re in a position where we can allow him the chance to feel really good about himself before he comes into the lineup. That said, he’s a darn good hockey player and we look forward to having him back too.” Carter Hutton became a father on Thursday afternoon, which meant his vigil was over and Ville Husso, who the Blues had been carrying as a third goalie, could go back to San Antonio of the AHL. (Actually, Husso went to Des Moines, where San Antonio played Iowa on Friday night.) The Huttons had a boy, Palmer, and all is well, the father reports. One thing that doesn’t seem imminent is young Palmer getting his first set of goalie pads. “He’s not going to be a goalie,” Hutton said. “He’s going to school. We’ll let him choose when he’s older.” Forward Jordan Kyrou, the Blues’ second-round pick in 2016 (a pick they got in the Brian Elliott trade), was named the Ontario Hockey League’s player of the month for October after he had 12 goals and 13 assists. And his November is looking pretty good too. He had a hand in six of Sarnia’s seven goals in a 7-5 win on Thursday. Kyrou had two goals, four assists and, for good measure, six penalty minutes. … Center Robert Thomas, the Blues’ top pick in the 2017 draft, was named captain for his junior team, the London Knights of the OHL.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081535 St Louis Blues

Maple Leafs vs. Blues preview

By Jim Thomas St. Louis Post-Dispatch 4 hrs ago (…)

About the Maple Leafs • Toronto is one of the NHL’s highest-scoring teams (53 goals), with one of the league’s top power play units (25 percent), but also has one of the league’s most accommodating defenses (49 goals allowed). Former No. 1 overall pick Auston Matthews set a Toronto rookie record with 40 goals last season, earning the Calder Trophy as the NHL’s top rookie. He already has 10 goals this season. After a fast start, the Leafs (8-6) have lost four of their last five and have allowed three or more goals in 11 of 14 games.

Jim Thomas St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081536 St Louis Blues playing my time in Nashville, I played with a guy like Rinne, and he’s more of a street-hockey goalie like me – so it almost kind of fed my fire.

“I’ve found that I’ve always had that different side of me to make athletic Blues' Allen enjoying timely reunion with boyhood mentor saves, whereas David, with the way he’s taught Jake, he has Jake playing so efficient. And that’s helped my game become more efficient. And I think with that comes more consistency. I think that’s my main 5 hrs ago (…) benefit from him is being the same goalie, in and out, where having that street-hockey competitive mentality can steal you a game, but it can’t Benjamin Hochman is a sports columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch give you that same consistency which I really need.” Before joining the Blues, Alexander was with the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch the past four seasons. His starting goalie a year ago was Mike KcKenna, Nearly half his life ago, a boy went to camp. a St. Louisan. This summer, McKenna described Alexander to The Post- And Jake Allen, a fortuitous 14-year-old, developed a relationship there Dispatch as a “meticulous, forward-thinking, progressive” goaltending with a goaltender who became a mentor. coach. There was just something about Jake. And there was just something Look, the reality is, the Blues just might go through some unsteady about David. stretches. There might be times where both Allen and Hutton are off their game, and some might wonder about Alexander’s role in all of it, whether “He doesn’t just know goaltending – he knows the game,” Allen said. that’s fair or not. But overall, it appears the Blues plucked the right thinker “That makes a difference.” and the right mentor for their goaltenders. And sure enough, he was already the starter’s mentor. David Alexander was his name. He was in family business. His father ran Alexander Goaltending, an academy up in the Canadian province of New Brunswick. The younger Alexander tutored the young Allen. And Alexander was also his goalie coach for the Fredericton Midget AAA St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 Canadiens. In ensuing summers, even after Allen became a pro, he’d still work with Alexander. Forever 14. As the story goes, Allen replaced Brian Elliott, the goalie who carried the Blues to the Western Conference finals in the spring of 2016. Then in the summer of 2017, the Blues needed someone to replace Martin Brodeur, the goalie coach who saved Jake … who then saved the season. Well, it’s crazy how life works out, eh? David Alexander is now in his first year as Blues goalie coach, and the Blues enter the weekend with the second-best goals against average in the National Hockey League. Now, with position coaches, it’s tricky to distribute credit. And blame, too. Like, was Leo Mazzone a genius pitching coach who developed Hall of Famers John Smoltz, Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine? Or was Mazzone a standard pitching coach who became this guru of lore because three of his pitchers had otherworldly talent? It’s fair to say the truth is somewhere in the middle. So, yeah, Jake Allen is really good at stopping shots. When Allen went through that weird spell last year, Brodeur Yoda’d him out of it. And now, Allen is playing at an elite level again, and David Alexander is fueling him, fine-tuning him and challenging him to look at the game differently. Literally. “A lot of it has to do with tracking pucks with your eyes – your eyes sort of lead everything,” said Allen, whose first-place Blues take on Toronto on Saturday. “It helps with understanding where players are on the ice, helps you get set earlier and it slows the game down for you a little bit. It’s a habit a lot of people get away from, and to be honest, myself and (Carter) Hutton, we’ve gotten away from it a lot in the last couple years, and it’s something to bring back. It’s a little thing you don’t think about a lot – you think it’s natural – but it’s almost like you over-exaggerate that in practice in order to relay it into a game.” Alexander is the goalie whisperer, but the goalie coach isn’t even allowed to as much as whisper to the media. Blues assistants are off limits, so to learn more about Alexander, I went to his pupils. The loquacious Hutton is back in town – new father! – and back with the Blues. I’ve often gushed on these pages the importance of Hutton, who won some key games last season, as the Blues played catch-up after the Ken Hitchcock months. And this season? Hutton is playing like gosh-danged Martin Brodeur himself on the road. Alexander is making Hutton more dynamic, melding his Pekka Rinne qualities with some Jake Allen qualities. “I have a lot of athletic capabilities in net, I’m very active and compete hard, so I think with that it’s trying to control me, (have me) do things in the right way,” Hutton said of Alexander’s tutelage. “If you watch the way Jake plays, he’s so controlled. When he’s playing well, it looks easy, it’s almost a boring game to watch, and that’s a good thing, right? You don’t want him to have to make acrobatic saves. Jake is so good at being at plays on his feet and being square and being set, where I came from 1081537 St Louis Blues the Blues got away from their identity on Thursday, they have done a good job of finding it again so far this season.

“Tomorrow will be a good test,” Yeo said. “That’s pretty much what we Blues re-focus to find identity after loss to Flyers said on the ice. It’s good we talked about the issues, it’s good that we looked at them on video and tried to fix a couple of them in practice and worked on a couple things. You can’t just assume it’s going to be better. By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 5 hrs ago (…) We’ll play a desperate team tomorrow, so we’re going to have to come back to the rink with a real attitude. We’re going to have to come to the rink focused and prepared to play our game for 60 minutes. The other team has a say in it. On a night-to-night basis in the NHL, not much Blues goalie Carter Hutton is, after all, a professional hockey player, so separates you from the team that’s across from you so you better be after becoming a dad for the first time on Thursday, he sat in the hospital prepared to be on top of your game.” room and watched the Blues play the Flyers. Fortunately for the family, the subtleties of a 2-0 loss, the first shutout of the season for the Blues, were probably lost on Hutton’s infant son. St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 “If we score two goals, it’s a totally different attitude today,” Hutton said. “Stuff happens. We’re back to the drawing board. We weren’t going to go undefeated at home. It’s a tough loss, but we’ll be ready to go again.” Indeed, it is the fine line of hockey that the Blues generated plenty of chances and none of them could produce a goal. And while wins can sometimes cover up some shortcomings, losses lay them bare (and may possibly exaggerate them). In any case, the end of the Blues’ four-game win streak – and seven-game point streak – delivered a wakeup call for a team that has been among the top teams in the league in the first month of the season. “We weren’t our normal selves,” said forward Scottie Upshall. “We made the game a little easier than it should be for us. … We had a lot of chances but we also gave up a lot. We didn’t do the right thing, the stop- starts, the supporting a teammate. Yeah, we created some chances, but our second efforts weren’t there. We beat ourselves.” The Blues lost despite having 33 shots on goal and, perhaps more staggeringly, taking 68 shots in all, which is among the most shot attempts this season by a team that failed to score. (It looks to be the fourth-most shot attempts in a shutout this season, according to research through hockey-reference.com.) The Blues had 20 shots blocked and 15 that were off target. The Blues have taken more shots only twice this season and on Thursday, the Flyers clogged the middle of the ice, giving the Blues space outside and the Blues gladly took it, even though there was nowhere for the puck to go. “They did a good job of keeping us to the outside and letting their goalie see the puck,” forward Paul Stastny said. “There’s obviously a little bit of open ice on the outside and I think we were a little too willing to take it,” Yeo said. “I think part of that problem is we were slow getting to the net front, we were slow shooting pucks. When you do that, you allow more people to get into those lanes, and I think that was the issue. We didn’t have enough zone time. You want to get shots, you can’t just get the puck and shoot it into someone’s shin pads and then backcheck for a shift. Sometimes you have to break teams down and spend time in the offensive zone and I felt we were a little one-and-done in the offensive zone.” “We had trouble penetrating for second and third chances,” Upshall said. “That’s what our team is built on. We’re built on second effort and supporting teammates. That stuff will happen but you can’t let it creep into your game too much.” Which is what the Blues want to avoid and why the focus of Friday’s practice, on the eve of a showdown with Toronto at Scottrade Center, was on play in the offensive zone and getting to the front of the net. “I think we can be more direct, whether it’s off the rush, whether it’s in the offensive zone,” Yeo said. “It’s something we’ve been doing really well up until last game. That wasn’t the only factor in the game. You’ve got to be able to create offense in other ways. I felt there was parts of our game that were lacking and didn’t allow us to get to our offensive game, and when we’re on top of our game, whether it’s coming out of our own zone, through the neutral zone, it’s crisper, our puck support is better and we do a real good job of checking to create turnovers. I didn’t think that any of those ingredients were really there last night.” The Blues’ third line was hardly seen in the third period, with the grouping of Oskar Sundqvist, Magnus Paajarvi and Beau Bennett getting only two minutes of ice time, half of what the fourth line received. That likely led to Dmitrij Jaskin, who has been playing well on the fourth line, moving to the third line Friday and Bennett sitting out. Chris Thorburn, who has been a healthy scratch in eight of the past nine games, may be back in the lineup vs. Toronto on the fourth line. For a team that has lost only four times this season, and only three times in regulation, bounceback opportunities have been limited. The Blues are 2-1 coming off a loss, and the two wins have been emphatic 5-2 wins. If 1081538 St Louis Blues

Blues focus is on offense after season's first shutout

By Tom Timmermann St. Louis Post-Dispatch 14 hrs ago (…)

Carter Hutton is back, Ville Husso is gone, Dmitrij Jaskin has moved up and Beau Bennett has taken a seat. And there was a lot of video to watch. That's where the Blues stood on Friday after their first home loss of the season, on Thursday night against Philadelphia. With Hutton having successfully navigated the bridge to fatherhood on Thursday afternoon, the Blues sent Husso back to San Antonio, which in this case actually meant sending him to Des Moines, Iowa, where the Rampage play Iowa tonight. Young Palmer Hutton was born on Thursday afternoon – “It's a name we liked,” Papa Carter said – giving his dad a chance to watch the Blues- Flyers game from the hospital room. “It was a tough loss,” he said. “Jake played great. I'm watching the goalies and I thought their goalie played really well. We score two goals it's a totally different attitude today. Stuff happens. We're back to the drawing board. We weren't going to go undefeated at home. It's a tough loss, but we'll be ready to go again.” After the third line mostly got the third period off on Thursday – Bennett, Magnus Paajarvi and Oskar Sundqvist played about 2 minutes each in the final period, about half the time of the fourth line – Jaskin was moved up to the third line in practice, taking Bennett's spot. Chris Thorburn, who has been a healthy scratch in eight of the past nine games, skated on the right wing on the fourth line. The lesson driven home in a lengthy video session and then on the ice: Get to the net. “I think we can be more direct, whether it's off the rush, whether it's in the offensive zone,” coach Mike Yeo said. “We played a team that looked to protect the middle of the ice, and when you do that, there's obviously a little bit of open ice on the outside and I think we were a little too willing to take it. “It's something we've been doing really well up until last game. That wasn't the only factor in the game. You've got to be able to create offense in other ways. I felt there was parts of our game that was lacking and didn't allow us to get to our offensive game. When we're on top of our game, our execution, whether it's coming out of our own zone, through the neutral zone, it's crisper. Our puck support is better and we do a real good job of checking to create turnovers and I didn't think that any of those ingredients were really there last night.” Center Robert Thomas, the Blues' top pick in the 2017 draft, was named captain for his junior team, the London Knights of the OHL. Another Blues prospect, forward Jordan Kyrou, the team's second round pick in 2016 who they got in the Brian Elliott trade, was named the OHL's player of the month for October, after he had 12 goals and 13 assists. And his November is looking pretty good too. He had a hand in six of Sarnia's seven goals in a 7-5 win on Thursday. Kyrou had two goals, four assists and, for good measure, six penalty minutes. Also, in a fact that's largely irrelevant, it was Plaid Night at Peterborough, Sarnia's opponent in the game.

St Louis Post Dispatch LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081539 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning’s Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn fined $5K for Rangers run-in

Staff Report Times wires Published: November 3, 2017Updated: November 3, 2017 at 10:16 PM

Lightning forwards Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn and Rangers forward Kevin Hayes were fined $5,000 each by the league Friday for unsportsmanlike conduct in an altercation spurred by Hayes in the third period of the Rangers’ overtime win at Amalie Arena. Hayes sprayed Killorn with water from the Rangers’ bench before a neutral-zone faceoff near the bench 3:01 into the third Thursday. Killorn reacted by jabbing Hayes with his stick a few times. Stamkos got involved after Killorn was given a slashing minor by spraying water in the direction of the Rangers’ bench. He hit Rangers TV analyst John Giannone, who was stationed inside the glass. The exchange also sparked a fight between the Lightning’s J.T. Brown and the Rangers’ Steve Kampfer. The $5,000 fine is the maximum allowed under the collective bargaining agreement. All the money goes to the Players’ Emergency Assistance Fund.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081540 Tampa Bay Lightning

Lots of NHL power at Lightning practice

By Roger Mooney Published: November 3, 2017

It was quite the busy afternoon at the Ice Sports Forum in Brandon, where not only did the Lightning practice but so did the Rangers and the Blue Jackets. The Rangers, 2-1 overtime winners Thursday against the Lightning, practiced before heading down to South Florida, where they will play the Panthers on Saturday night. The Blue Jackets (9-4-0) play the Lightning (10-2-2) on Saturday night at Amalie Arena. At one point, the Lightning and Rangers practiced side-by-side on the two rinks. The Blue Jackets followed the Lightning on the ice. Of note from the Lightning practice: Former Lightning coach John Tortorella, now the coach of the Blue Jackets, is in town and will be a part of Saturday's celebration of the 2004 Stanley Cup championship team. He said he is looking forward to tonight's dinner with his former players from that season. When asked if he could believe how much time has passed since he lifted the Cup after the Game 7 win against Calgary in the finals, Tortorella said, "It shows you how hard it is to get there. It's been a long time, but it's true what they say, you don't forget one another when you go through that stuff. I think this organization has done a terrific job trying to keep the people together." The 2004 team will be honored before Saturday's game against the Blue Jackets. The festivities begin with a blue carpet walk at Thunder Ally outside Amalie Arena, where players will sign autographs. Scheduled to appear are Dmitry Afanasenkov, Dave Andreychuk, Dan Boyle, Martin Cibak, Jassen Cullimore, Chris Dingman, Ruslan Fedotenko, Pavel Kubina, Vinny Lecavalier, Brad Lukowich, Fredrik Modin, Brad Richards, Andre Roy, Cory Sarich, Martin St. Louis, Tim Taylor, GM Jay Feaster and Tortorella.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081541 Tampa Bay Lightning

What’s more fun than the Lightning? Nothing.

Tom Jones Times sports columnist Published: November 3, 2017Updated: November 3, 2017 at 11:59 AM

Want to have a good time? Watch a Lightning game. Even when it loses, the Lightning is a blast. Take Thursday night. Truth be told, Tampa Bay played one of its sloppiest games of the season. It didn’t even deserve the one point it got for a 2-1 overtime loss to the Rangers. But it sure was fun to watch. End-to-end rushes, scoring chances and even a few flying fists. Controversy, too. The Lightning had a goal that should have counted disallowed because of phantom goalie-interference call. This wasn’t exactly the type of performance coach Jon Cooper wanted to see. He correctly pointed out, "The game ended up the way it should have ended up." Translation: the Lightning deserved to lose. Oh well. It happens. Can’t be perfect every game. And because they have an outstanding goalie in Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Lightning still mustered a point. The big Russian netminder was brilliant, as he has been all season. This is shaping up to be a special season for the Lightning. They have as much talent as any team in the league and their skill and scoring ability is dazzling. If you’re a Lightning fan, you almost wish it was April already so you watch the playoffs. Then again, think of all the fun hockey you’d miss between now and then. So sit back and enjoy the next five months. Should be fun.

Tampa Bay Times LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081542 Tampa Bay Lightning CulliMORE: "The first game against Calgary, after we lost the game, we’re like, ‘Okay these guys are tough.’ "

Lecavalier: "I thought this was supposed to be our ‘easy’ series." Join in as the Lightning re-lives its greatest moment The Lightning gets its second power play midway through the first period. Broadcaster Bob Cole points out that the unit was one of the team’s Joe Smith strengths that postseason, having scored at least a goal in all but one game. Times staff writer Cole: "You don’t want to be giving them any bonus chances on the power Published: November 2, 2017Updated: November 4, 2017 at 12:04 AM play." The camera pans to the Lightning bench, where a cut above Fedotenko’s right eye is getting tended to by the training staff. He had taken a high TAMPA — Vinny Lecavalier hadn’t seen it since he lived it. Ruslan stick and refused to get the required six stitches until intermission. Fedotenko figured he’d wait until he had grandchildren to gather around the fireplace and reminisce. Fedotenko: "There was no time for that. It was Game 7." Jay Feaster watches it every June 7. As the power play continues, the puck gets sent up the boards to Brad Richards. Richards flips a shot from the right point. Fedotenko, jostling Every year, says Feaster, general manager of the 2004 Tampa Bay for position in the high slot, gets a piece of the puck with his stick. Goalie Lightning, he spends a chunk of that day on his couch in his Brandon Miikka Kiprusoff kicks out a rebound with his right pad. The puck lands home, replaying the 2-1 victory over Calgary in Game 7 of the Stanley right on the stick of Fedotenko, who puts it in for the game’s first goal. Cup final at what was then known as the St. Pete Times Forum. Fedotenko: "I remember tipping the first (shot), and I was excited maybe It is a tradition sparked years ago by one of his five children, who asked, it was going to go in. And all of a sudden, I turn and the puck is basically "Dad, why don’t we watch Game 7?" on my stick. I just shot it quick. I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, I just scored.’?" So they do, as Feaster fields text messages from former Lightning staff Three minutes into the second period, Richards loses an offensive-zone members and coaches wishing each other happy anniversary. faceoff. "Just to remember," Feaster said of the tradition. "To celebrate." Feaster pops out of his seat and points at the screen. With the Lightning celebrating its 25th season, this will be a year full of "Rewind the tape," he says. "There was a great graphic." reflection, including Saturday’s reunion for the 2004 championship team. On Monday, Feaster watched it again, this time gathered in an Amalie As Fedotenko skates to the bench after the shift, a graphic shows that in Arena conference room with Lecavalier, 37, Ruslan Fedotenko, 38, and his first 22 career playoff games, he had just one goal. In his previous 22, defenseman Jason Cullimore, 44. he had scored 11. This time they watched Game 7 together, with members of the Tampa Lecavalier: "That’s better." Bay Times. Feaster flashes back to the 2002 draft in Toronto, where he sent the No. As they re-lived the greatest moment of their professional lives together, 4 overall pick to the Flyers for Fedotenko and two second-rounders. swapping stories about Monday, June 7, 2004, and poking fun along the Feaster remembers a Lightning scout named Duke Williams resigning in way, Feaster sat at the head of the table. protest, but the GM went with Tortorella. It’s Monday morning, and the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. broadcast of Feaster: " I remember going into the draft … and (Tortorella) said to me, Game 7 begins on the mounted 32-inch LG flat screen TV at the far end ‘If you step up and make a pick, we’re (in trouble). You have to get us of a mahogany-colored table. some help right now.’ " Lecavalier sits back in his chair, clutching the arm rests like he’s bracing The "help" scores the Lightning’s only goals in Game 7. for a roller-coaster ride. In a way, he is. With about six minutes left in the second period, the Lightning wins an As an overhead camera view of the opening faceoff flashes on the offensive-zone faceoff. screen, Lecavalier is feeling anxious again. Lecavalier gets the puck in the left corner. He loses Calgary defenseman He sees his 24-year-old self and teammates who were too amped to take Steve Montador with two spin moves, then slices into the slot, squeezing their routine pregame, mid-afternoon nap. Throughout the playoffs, coach through traffic. John Tortorella had the team stay at the Marriott Waterside hotel across from the arena, believing it would limit the distractions from family and Fedotenko turns to Lecavalier: "You worked so hard, and I’m standing in friends at home. the high slot waiting. You’re toe-dragging everybody, second guy, third guy." Instead of sleeping, Lightning players gathered that day in their "social room," a suite at the hotel, playing cards, pingpong and video games. Fedotenko pounds the table three times with his right hand. Lecavalier: "I just wish the game was at 7 (p.m.). The 8 (p.m. start) made "I’m like ‘Vinny, I’m here.’ " (the day) 10 times longer. Just the anxiety, couldn’t sleep." CulliMORE: "I was open at the point, too. We had five guys. Everybody Fedotenko, sporting the same baby face and build that projects from the was open but you, Vinny!" TV, looks at Lecavalier and smiles. "We were still excited from Game 6." This is one of Lecavalier’s signature assists. Lecavalier spots Fedotenko Cullimore wears a 2004 Stanley Cup polo shirt. He describes the Game 6 out of the corner of his eye, kicks the puck to his stick and feeds scene in Calgary on June 5: a police escort for the Lightning’s bus after Fedotenko before getting crushed to the ice by defenseman Toni its 3-2 double overtime win, parting a red sea of Flames fans gathered on Lydman’s high cross-check. the streets for a celebration that never came. Lecavalier: "I had a headache for three days." "It was a hostile environment," Cullimore says, his eyes glued to Game 7 CulliMORE: "Was it from the hit or champagne?" on the TV. The replay is shown in slow motion. It’s early in the first period. The sound of players getting hit into the boards fills the room. The rules before the 2004-05 lockout allowing Cole: "Oh my goodness, what a beautiful play. Oh baby!" clutching, grabbing and obstruction makes the game resemble wrestling as much as hockey. Lecavalier and Cullimore laugh and say bear hugs Lecavalier: "There was not much thinking. I got lucky. The puck went never would be allowed today. through a pad, and the play just kind of developed that way. Not like I saw ‘Feds’ as soon as I got the puck and did all this to set him up. It just Just 1 minute, 10 seconds in, the Flames’ Marcus Nilson is called for a happened kind of perfectly without you knowing and Feds was open. He slash, a two-handed whack. made the shot." Lecavalier: "Now you’d get a 10-game (suspension) for that. Wow." Fedotenko: "When the puck was coming to me, I remember distinctly, ‘Do not miss the net.’ I did not shoot it as high because I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss the net." One TV camera pans to the stands. A Lightning fan holds up a sign: "You’ve gotta believe." • • • The Lightning’s lead is cut in half with about 10 minutes left in the third period on what Feaster calls "the phantom penalty." It’s a one-goal game with half a period left. The Flames nearly tie it with four minutes left. Defenseman Jordan Leopold joins the rush, pouncing on a rebound in the left circle. He has an open net. But Lightning goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin makes a sprawling stop. Feaster is out of his chair again. "Look at Leopold, he started to celebrate." On the screen, blood drips from St. Louis as he heads to the bench. Tortorella puts him back on the ice for the next shift. The end of Dave Andreychuk’s 22-year wait to hoist the Cup is seconds away. He spends that time in the penalty box, courtesy of a late tripping penalty, watching teammates jumping over the boards and families screaming from the stands. Cole: "The Lightning has won the Stanley Cup." "Just like we drew it up, boys!" Feaster jokes, clapping his hands together. "Just like we planned it."

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Amadio gets first goal in surging Kings’ win over Leafs

GREG BEACHAM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS NOVEMBER 3, 2017

The Los Angeles Kings have climbed atop the Western Conference standings by adeptly combining their established stars with hungry young talent. Tyler Toffoli and Michael Amadio showed off the strengths of both categories in another impressive win for the surging Kings. Toffoli scored twice, Amadio got his first NHL goal and Los Angeles beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3 on Thursday night for its eighth victory in 10 games. Amadio, Michael Cammalleri and Trevor Lewis scored during a three- goal first period for the Kings, and the veteran Toffoli scored twice in the second. Jonathan Quick made 33 saves as the Kings improved to 10-2-1 and pulled even with St. Louis for first place in the conference. The Kings looked sharp as they returned from a six-game road trip to begin 2 1/2 weeks spent entirely in Southern California. Under new coach John Stevens, Los Angeles has improved its offensive play with depth and focus exemplified by the balance in its scoring. That mix led to a 5-0 lead late in the second period over Toronto, one of the East's most potent teams. "We knew that we had to be good coming off the road trip," said Amadio, who scored in his fourth NHL game. "We knew that they were a good offensive team, and we knew we had to get pucks behind their D and grind them down. I thought we did a good job at that, but we can get better going forward here." Amadio, a 21-year-old third-round draft pick from Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, scored just 2:34 into his fourth NHL game, capitalizing on a Toronto turnover. Tanner Pearson got the puck to him, and he slipped a shot underneath Curtis McElhinney. "It was a pretty indescribable feeling," Amadio said. "There was a lot of emotions running through my body." Los Angeles already had its huge lead before Auston Matthews scored on his first career penalty shot in the second period. Morgan Rielly and Connor Brown also scored for the Maple Leafs, who have lost four of five. "There's no excuse for our legs not to be there, but we have to start out smarter," said Matthews, whose Leafs won 3-1 in Anaheim on Wednesday. "We finally got going and created some chances, but when it's a back-to-back, it should force us to play smarter and take care of the puck more." Matthews got a second penalty shot in the final minutes after Los Angeles defenceman Jake Muzzin knocked the net off its moorings, but Matthews missed the net. McElhinney stopped 23 shots in just the second appearance of the season by Frederik Andersen's backup. "Besides the start, I didn't mind our game, besides the penalty kill," said Toronto coach Mike Babcock, whose club gave up two power-play goals for the first time since Oct. 7. "The start was problematic. You can't turn the puck over." Lewis scored with 36 seconds left in the Kings' dominant first period, hitting the net on a tight-angled wrist shot after an exceptional cross-ice pass from Nick Shore. Toffoli got his sixth goal of the season in the second period during a power play, and added another 2:01 later after Adrian Kempe did the hard work of taking the puck to the net under pressure. Pearson had three assists for the Kings.

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Saturday game preview: Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues

By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter Fri., Nov. 3, 2017

The Blues’ Jaden Schwartz looks to have joined the elite scorers this season, with eight goals and nine assists in 14 games. Schwartz, 25, has had three seasons of 55 or more points, including a career-best 63 in 75 games three years ago. . . . Auston Matthews, a 40-goal scorer a year ago, scored his 10th this season on a penalty shot Thursday night. That puts the Leafs sophomore on pace for 58 goals. The Blues (10-3-1, 5-1-0 at home) lost their first game at the Scottrade Center on Thursday, 2-0 to Philadelphia. The Leafs (8-6-0) are 4-3-0 on the road. . . . St. Louis was 14th in goals per game (3.07) and second in goals-against per game (2.29) through Thursday’s games. The Leafs were second offensively (3.79 goals per game) but just 26th defensively (3.50). . . . The Blues’ special teams are a weak spot. The power play is at 15.6 per cent, 22nd in the league, and their penalty kill is 25th with a 77.5 per cent efficiency. . . . Defenceman Alex Pietrangelo leads all Blues in average time on ice at 26:02. . . . Goalie Ville Husso was returned to the minors when regular backup Carter Hutton rejoined the team following the birth of his child. The Blues are still without forward Robby Fabbri (torn ACL), forward Zach Sanford (left shoulder) and defenceman Jay Bouwmeester (left ankle).

Toronto Star LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081545 Toronto Maple Leafs “We’ve got to start winning some games,” Rielly said. “We have lots of areas we need to improve in.”

Matthews was awarded two penalty shots on Thursday, scoring his 10th No break for road-weary Leafs goal of the season on his first attempt. Matthews became the fourth player in NHL history to take two penalty shots in one game, joining Mud Bruneteau (0-for-2 on Nov. 24, 1938), Erik Cole (1-for-2 on Nov. 9, 2005) By KEVIN MCGRANSports Reporter and Max Pacioretty (0-for-2 on Feb. 6, 2014). Fri., Nov. 3, 2017 Toronto Star LOADED: 11.04.2017 With the St. Louis Blues up next, this road trip doesn’t get any easier for the Maple Leafs. The Blues are 10-3-1 heading into Saturday’s game at the Scottrade Center, one of their best starts in franchise history and tied with the L.A. Kings atop the Western Conference. The Leafs need a win to salvage a .500 record on this four-game trip, and they need to put an end to their erratic play, especially in their own zone. “When you look at the two games we’ve lost on this trip, we’ve had periods where we’ve been happy,” defenceman Morgan Rielly said after a 5-3 loss to the Kings on Thursday night, in which they trailed 5-0 late in the second period. “We know what we have to do in order to have success. It’s just a matter of doing it for 60 minutes. “(The Kings) were a good team. The Ducks and Sharks were good teams. The Blues are as well. We’ve got to be ready to play.” The Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with an 8-6-0 record, but the cushion built on the strength of a 6-1-0 start has all but vanished because of struggles clearing their zone and turnovers in the neutral zone. “You can’t turn the puck over,” Leafs coach Mike Babcock said. “You can’t outscore your turnovers. We have to do a better job in that area.” Babcock used different lineups and lines through the first three games out west and still hasn’t found a combination he’s comfortable with. Mitch Marner has played with every centre other than Auston Matthews. Josh Leivo had a two-game cameo — first on the fourth line, then higher up — but he and Dominic Moore may have lost a regular spot to Kasperi Kapanen, who got into his second game of the season in L.A. “Good speed,” Babcock said. “(Kapanen is) way heavier than when he was here before. He used to be a skinny kid. Now he’s got some meat on his bones and can fly. Had some quality chances. Looks like an NHL player to me.” Babcock said he wasn’t worried about the team’s overall effort the last few games, believing the problems related to poor starts and special- teams play can be corrected. “Those are things we can fix,” he said. “I liked our energy (against L.A.). I liked a lot of things. We had a lot of good players, and yet we weren’t able to come away with (a win).” The Kings, described by most as “big and heavy,” were essentially the template for successful teams in the West. The copycats include the Blues. They’re an attacking team that forechecks and forces turnovers while remaining solid in their own zone. The Blues have blocked 223 shots, fourth in the NHL, and join the Kings as the only teams with three players among the top 25 in blocks — topped by defenceman Joel Edmunson’s league-leading 47. Meanwhile, St. Louis has committed only 67 giveaways, second-fewest. The Blues haven’t had playoff success like the Kings, Ducks and Sharks, but they’ve kept their good start going. At an average age of 28.1, they should just be hitting their prime. The good news for the Leafs, after three tough games in California, is that they ought to be ready for whatever St. Louis has to offer. “We’re not going to be in these 7-5 games any more,” Matthews said. “It’s going to be tight. We’ve got to make sure we’re doing the right things, and playing to our strengths. “(St. Louis is) a big, heavy team that has some guys with some offensive skill that can make you pay. It’s pretty much the same against anybody. If you turn the puck over in the neutral zone, they’re coming back at you with a two-man rush.” The start could be the key. The Blues are 7-1-1 when scoring first, and 5- 0-1 when leading after one period. But the result is all that matters. 1081546 Toronto Maple Leafs Heading into Thursday, more of Marleau’s game winners had been scored in the second period (34) than in the third (31). Twenty-three had come in the first period. Leafs lose 5-3 against Los Angeles after difficult start: Feschuk Los Angeles Kings left wing Tanner Pearson, left, and Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen fall as they go after the puck during the game. By DAVE FESCHUKSports Columnist Los Angeles Kings left wing Tanner Pearson, left, and Toronto Maple Fri., Nov. 3, 2017 Leafs right wing Kasperi Kapanen fall as they go after the puck during the game.

On Thursday, Toffoli’s eventual game winner came in the second period, LOS ANGELES—On the occasion of scoring his 100th game-winning on the second of two Kings power-play goals. Toffoli would score again goal back in 2006, Brendan Shanahan attempted to put the achievement shortly thereafter, turning a Leafs turnover in the neutral zone into a net- in perspective. crashing expedition for the home team. And while the visitors battled back — Auston Matthews scoring on one of his evening’s two penalty “It feels good,” said Shanahan, then a Detroit Red Wings forward, now shots before setting up a Morgan Rielly goal; Connor Brown tipping in a the Maple Leafs president. “Because obviously they’re not just Gardiner point shot to make it 5-3 — the deficit proved too big. meaningless goals.” “I thought the first eight minutes we weren’t as good as we should have That’s probably true. Every NHL goal surely means something to been and then I thought we did lots of good things,” Babcock said. somebody. The red light flashes for each of them. And as the old saying goes: “They don’t ask ‘How?’ They ask ‘How many?’” Still, you don’t Marleau, let’s be clear, has enjoyed a career filled with good things. And need to be a stats guru to understand that some game winners are more this is not meant to take away from his achievement. By reaching triple worthy than others. digits in the column marked GWG, Marleau joined a club with seven other members. The others are Jaromir Jagr (135), Gordie Howe (121), Consider the healthy collection owned by Maple Leafs veteran Patrick Phil Esposito (118), Selanne (110), Brett Hull (110), Shanahan (109) and Marleau. Marleau scored his 100th career game winner on Wednesday Jarome Iginla (101). night in Anaheim, helping the Maple Leafs to a much-needed 3-1 win that broke a three-game losing skid. There’s no doubt Marleau’s goal was When Jagr passed Howe for the record he joked that “it’s the only one significant — a backhanded slapper from the slot that gave the Leafs a 2- that Wayne Gretzky doesn’t have.” And maybe it says something that 1 third-period lead and punctuated a fabulous game for the 38-year-old Gretzky isn’t on that list. (Gretzky, who scored 91 game winners in the forward. regular season, shares his record of 24 game-winning playoff goals with Brett Hull). The first of Marleau’s game winners, scored back in 1998, was slightly less remarkable. It came a little less than three minutes after the opening It would be silly to suggest Marleau doesn’t own a highlight reel of big- faceoff. It gave Marleau’s San Jose Sharks a 1-0 lead in a game they’d moment goals. This is a man whose resume includes four playoff win 3-0. And it marked the first of 18 times in Marleau’s career that he’s overtime winners — as many as Gretzky. Only four men have scored been credited with the game-winning goal for scoring the first goal in a more of those. And Marleau has 16 playoff game winners all told, tied shutout victory. with Jagr for eighth on the all-time list and most among active players. Given that Marleau has scored 68 playoff goals, 24 per cent of them When the L.A. Kings jumped out to a 5-0 lead on the Maple Leafs on have been game winners. Gretzky’s number is 20 per cent. , Thursday night at Staples Center, it looked as though the Kings forward who van Riemsdyk listed as the most notable outlier of big-moment Michael Amadio, who’d opened the scoring in the wake of a Jake achievement in his memory bank, scored 17 playoff game winners — 36 Gardiner pratfall that led to a turnover, had a chance of owning the per cent of his career playoff haul. game-winning marker. Instead, the Maple Leafs rallied late to make it a 5-3 Kings victory, Toronto coach Mike Babcock lamenting how his team’s Still, not all game winners are created equal. Consider that Marleau once penchant for giveaways – in this case, a handful of early ones – spoiled scored a regular-season game winner on an empty net — expanding a an otherwise impressive road effort against a top-notch opponent. lead to 3-1 in the final minute in Columbus last season. It was a good thing he did. The Blue Jackets scored moments later to make it 3-2 — a And so it was Tyler Toffoli, the Toronto native who scored L.A.’s fourth goal that might have been considered meaningless if not for the meaning goal, who was credited with the decisive tally. it added to Marleau’s late tally. It’s no wonder Brian Gionta, the NHL veteran with 52 game winners on “There’s definitely some timing, and some luck involved, I guess,” his career docket, once described the game-winning goal as “a funny Marleau said with a smile. stat.”

“You have to look at when they happen,” Gionta said. Toronto Star LOADED: 11.04.2017 Leafs forward James van Riemsdyk, who owned 26 career game winners heading into Thursday’s game, acknowledged the imperfection of the number in question. “There’s many ways it can get skewed. Like, when you get up 4-0 and you score the fourth goal, and then they come back to score three and you win 4-3 — that’s interesting stuff,” said van Riemsdyk, raising a skeptical eye. “Maybe the ones that are overtime goals or the ones that win one-goal games — maybe there’s a little more value in those,” said van Riemsdyk. “How much? It’s hard to say.” Breaking down the 100 game winners Marleau had scored heading into Thursday — 98 of which came with the San Jose Sharks — illustrated the variance in the stat’s relevance. Nine of Marleau’s 100 game winners were actual game stoppers — overtime markers that left no debate about their decisiveness. On the other end of the spectrum, there were those 18 opening goals, wherein the game-winning goal scorer acknowledged a debt to the game-winning goaltender. “For sure, goaltending is huge,” Marleau said. “But if you do get an early goal and your goalie gets a shutout, that’s still a big goal. It doesn’t take anything away from it. I guess it just goes to show you how important every goal really is.” “When you think about it, you’re thinking of scoring that late goal,” he said. 1081547 Toronto Maple Leafs

Game Day: Maple Leafs at Blues

Terry Koshan November 3, 2017 10:32 PM EDT

THE BIG MATCHUP Nazem Kadri vs. Brayden Schenn The Leafs will get their first look at Schenn, formerly of the Philadelphia Flyers, in a Blues uniform. Taken fifth overall by the Los Angeles Kings in the 2009 NHL draft, two picks before the Leafs chose Kadri, Schenn has eight goals in 19 career games against the Leafs. If they line up against each other, Kadri, with 269 points in 422 career games, might remind Schenn, with 259 points in 447 career games, who has been more productive. FIVE KEYS TO THE GAME 1. More Freddie fun Two games does not a hot streak make, but the Leafs are keeping their fingers crossed that Frederik Andersen has turned a corner. In his two games on the four-game trip, Andersen has a .955 save percentage, stopping 64 of 67 shots. In his NHL career, Andersen is 4-3-1 versus St. Louis with a .923 save percentage. 2. Turn the page What more can coach Mike Babcock do to stress to his players that turnovers, especially those that are unforced, can lead to goals against? Babcock has been harping for a while, to little avail. There’s no reason for the Leafs to be fatigued, or have a slow start, considering they had a day of travel Friday with no practice. 3. Play the hits When the Leafs departed the Staples Center on Thursday, a few mentioned the Blues’ physicality. The Blues were second in the NHL with 351 hits, but the Leafs weren’t far off with 320, and Leo Komarov led all NHLers with 55. If the Leafs are serious about finishing the trip right, they’ll match the Blues’ physical approach. 4. Warning bells The Blues expect to face a Leafs team that will be sour after Toronto lost in Los Angeles on Thursday. It could work well for the Leafs if they meet those expectations. “We’re going to play a desperate team,” Blues coach Mike Yeo said. “They have a knack for dialling up the tempo and the pace of the game.” 5. Regroup on the PK For only the second time this season, the Leafs allowed two power-play goals against when they fell 5-3 to the Kings, who had four power plays. “Penalty kill, we got caught too high,” Mike Babcock said. “Those are things we can fix.” The Blues have an average power play, scoring three times on 17 chances at home.

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Two penalty shots later, Maple Leafs' Matthews winds up in record book

Terry Koshan November 3, 2017 8:08 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS — That’s one unusual way for Auston Matthews to put his name in the National Hockey League record book. During the Leafs’ 5-3 loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, Matthews became the fourth player in NHL history to attempt two penalty shots in one game, joining Mud Bruneteau (1938), Erik Cole (2005) and Max Pacioretty (2014) in the exclusive group. None of the four scored on both shots. Matthews scored on his first attempt late in the second period, beating Kings goalie Jonathan Quick with a deke to his backhand. That came after Anze Kopitar impeded Matthews’ progress with his stick as the Leaf was on a breakaway. The second attempt came late in the third period when the Leafs were awarded a penalty shot after Kings defenceman Jake Muzzin deliberately dislodged the Los Angeles net. Matthews tried to surprise Quick with a quick release, but the goalie got a piece of Matthews’ shot, sending the puck high. The penalty shots were Matthews’ first in the NHL and brought the Leafs’ franchise total to 68 penalty shots, on which they have scored 29 goals. In club history, the Leafs have had 90 penalty shots against, with the opposition scoring 28 times.

Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081549 Toronto Maple Leafs Play the same way against the Blues? The Leafs are bound to head into their home game against the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night haunted by another loss. Inability to execute killing Maple Leafs on road trip Toronto Sun LOADED: 11.04.2017 Terry Koshan November 3, 2017 7:41 PM EDT

ST. LOUIS — Whether it’s on a loop or reminiscent of a broken record, a frustrated Mike Babcock has been reduced to repeating himself. Unfortunately for the Maple Leafs coach, it hasn’t been about singing his team’s praises after victories. No, when the Leafs take on the St. Louis Blues — holders of one of the best records in the National Hockey League — on Saturday night at the Scottrade Center, Toronto will be hauling four losses in its past five games. Losers of two of three so far on the four-game trip, the Leafs can’t hold on to the puck, and it’s mucking with their overall record. Looking back won’t get a team too far ahead, but the Leafs, now two games above .500 at 8-6-0, should have departed Los Angeles with a win on Thursday night. Toronto mostly controlled the game with 73 shot attempts to the Kings’ 46, but early mistakes cost the Leafs. Simple hockey has become a challenge for the Leafs, and they’re paying for the inability to execute, turning the puck over with regularity. In total, the Leafs have been charged with 175 giveaways, the second-most in the NHL before games on Friday. The Leafs didn’t practise on Friday, and instead travelled to St. Louis after staying over night in Los Angeles. We can imagine it was a quiet flight. “(The Blues are) a big, heavy team and have some guys with a lot of offensive skill who can make you pay,” centre Auston Matthews said late Thursday night. “It’s the same thing against anybody. Everybody has so much speed and skill now that if you turn the puck over in the neutral zone, they’re coming back your way on an odd-man rush and it’s not looking good. We have to clean that up.” That doesn’t really wash. It’s not as though the Leafs have parachuted in a raft of new players who are unfamiliar. In fact, Patrick Marleau and Ron Hainsey, the Leafs’ two significant off-season additions, have settled in well. Having said that, Babcock reluctantly has been using Marleau at centre, sitting Dominic Moore the past two games. In a perfect world for Babcock, Marleau is on the wing when the coach sets his lineup every night. The Leafs have been able to avoid injuries, losing just four man-games, but individuals are struggling. Mitch Marner has good possession numbers, but has gone 13 games without a goal since scoring in the season opener. If the 20-year-old is doing anything dazzling, it’s usually on the power play. Even so, just two of Marner’s assists have come on the power play. Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk, both playing on expiring contracts, have not been consistent during even-strength play. Nazem Kadri has spent most of this trip in a state of frustration, failing to record a point in any of the three games. When there were breakdowns against Los Angeles, there was little Curtis McElhinney, making his second start, could do to keep the puck out of the net. Frederik Andersen, excellent against the San Jose Sharks on Monday and again in a win against the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday to raise his save percentage to .901, will be back in goal against the Blues. Babcock expressed the Leafs’ troubles post-game in Los Angeles when he said “you can’t out-score your turnovers.” A few minutes earlier, Morgan Rielly told media the Leafs had “learned their lesson” against the Kings. That remains to be seen. As much as it’s on the shoulders of the players to be in the proper frame of mind from the opening faceoff, it’s on Babcock to make effective in-game adjustments. Neither has been happening with much regularity lately. 1081550 Toronto Maple Leafs But given Ovechkin’s explanation that his Instagram foray was intended to be more about supporting Russia than a specific endorsement of Putin’s policies — it was already well known that the men are quite Putin Team idea just Ovechkin being Ovechkin, rather than 'politic stuff' friendly — that will probably be about the end of it. If famous Trump supporter Tom Brady can remain beloved in Massachusetts, which was 60 per cent in favour of Hillary Clinton, then Ovechkin can assert his Putin support and not expect the Capitals fan base to recoil in horror. Scott Stinson The next Russian election is scheduled for March 18, anyway. Putin November 3, 2017 Team will be but a memory by the time Ovechkin and the Capitals embark on another (likely) tragic playoff run.

Alex Ovechkin decided not to stick to sports in a very Alex Ovechkin way. National Post LOADED: 11.04.2017 The 32-year-old Russian has always played hockey with utter disregard for nuance or subtlety. He barrels around the ice, crashes into people with abandon and shoots from all over the place. That seems to be about the same manner in which he has inserted himself into Russian — and by extension, American — politics by posting a message on his Instagram account on Thursday night that said he was starting a “social movement” called Putin Team. “I’m confident that there’s a lot of us who support Vladimir Putin,” Ovechkin’s account said. “So let’s come together and show everyone a strong and unified Russia!” Shooters shoot, as they say. Almost immediately, though, Ovechkin, a left-winger by position if not by politics, started to walk back the meaning of his, well, whatever it is Putin Team is supposed to be. “I just support my country, you know?,” he said Thursday night. “It’s not about I try to make a statement, like politic stuff,” he said. “It’s just what I think and I support.” That would seem to be the key factor in considering whether any of this will matter. Ovechkin, the greatest Russian goal scorer in NHL history, has always been polarizing, but only because he has spent 12 years as the best player on a Washington Capitals team that is generally very good in the regular season and generally terrible in the playoffs. Ovechkin has worn a lot of that failure himself, and you could grab three random hockey fans and probably generate a decent debate about the Capitals and their sniper, and how much of the blame he deserves for their string of spring exits. But Ovechkin has never been particularly controversial in his opinions. He’s blunt and outspoken, yes, but in a goofy-kid way. He’s the guy who, several years ago at an NHL All-Star Game, took a photo of Phil Kessel, then with the Maple Leafs and the last player to get picked for one of the teams, sitting alone among a sea of empty chairs and captioned it “HAHAHAHA” on his Twitter account. He’s the guy who signed a US$124-million contract with the Capitals and then had his parents move into his home because he liked his mother’s cooking. He’s the guy who swore up and down that he was going to play for Russia at the 2018 Olympics even if the NHL decided against sending its players to South Korea and then discovered, belatedly, that he would be putting himself at great financial risk if he did so. (Ovechkin has since said he will not be going to the Olympics.) All of which is to say it’s a little hard to imagine that guy suddenly veering into spirited and thoughtful discussion about Russian politics. What’s his position on the fact that the former director of the FBI said there was clear evidence that the Kremlin attempted to influence the 2016 U.S. election? What are his thoughts on Russian incursion into the territory of its Ukranian neighbours? What are his concerns with Vladimir Putin’s policy toward Syria? I would bet we will not find out. Don’t get me wrong: it would certainly be fun if the scene around Ovechkin’s locker post-game turned into him routinely sparring with members of the White House press corps who have grown tired of being continually upbraided by the Trump administration. “Alex, talk about your game tonight. And, a follow up: have you ever met Paul Manafort?” And it would similarly be interesting if more athletes decided to take positions on political matters, other than the sparring presently taking place between Trump and members of the NFL and NBA. One of the curious things we have learned in the anthem controversy is that there is a breed of sports fan who absolutely believes that athletes should have no opinion on issues of the day, or at least if they have one they should not express it publicly. For these people, the viewing experience of a sporting event is not to be tainted by the realization that the players might have thoughts beyond the field of play. Certainly a lot of athletes agree. Ovechkin’s founding of Putin Team does seem a long way from Michael Jordan’s infamous declaration that Republicans also buy sneakers. 1081551 Toronto Maple Leafs The Leafs, meanwhile, have otherwise been rather mediocre. They're on pace for just 94 points — one less than a year ago — and their

possession numbers have dipped heavily the last two weeks. Their share Mirtle: The Maple Leafs would be lost without Auston Matthews right now of shots on goal at even strength, when score-adjusted, is just 48.6 per cent, which ranks 17th in the league.

What's even more alarming is what the Leafs look like with and without James Mirtle Matthews in the picture. At even strength, when he is on the ice, the Leafs have outscored the opposition 19-5. 23 hours ago When he has been on the bench, they've been outscored 33-21.

Some of that is good fortune. The Leafs' save percentage with Matthews LOS ANGELES — In a first, I've distilled a Maple Leafs game down into on the ice in these early days is sky high at .958 (compared to .860 a single GIF. without him). A lot of pucks are also going in for him, with his shooting One horrifying, derp-filled, 15 seconds of play that highlights a struggling percentage up to 23 per cent. hockey team. A struggling hockey team about to go down 3-0 in the first That kind of massive disparity likely can't continue. But what was period to the L.A. Kings. highlighted well against L.A. was just how careless many Leafs not It's not pretty. named Matthews or Nylander can be with the puck, which will contribute to those kinds of differences. That's just… dumb hockey there. Maybe the stanchion is a lucky break for L.A., but Nazem Kadri's second turnover at the blueline and Jake Gardiner, in particular, is having a horrific start to his year, after finishing Gardiner's blown coverage are simply poor hockey sense in key last season as the team's best defenceman. His numbers in pretty well situations, with time winding down in the period. every category are down, especially in terms of possession, where he typically leads the Leafs blueliners. Their coach did a nice job of composing himself enough that he didn't go as far as calling them out, when asked about the mistakes made in the Gardiner has a negative Corsi relative score for the first time in his career game. so far this season at -7.0. The past three seasons, he finished at 2.0, 3.7 and 4.8 — meaning the Leafs controlled the puck better when he was on “They scored on the breakaway where [Gardiner] falls,” Mike Babcock the ice versus when he was off it. said of the first goal the Leafs allowed, 2:34 into the game. “Then, we were really playing pretty good, and [Kadri] turns the puck over, and it's in He isn't the only offender on the roster, but given how many minutes he our net. So, that's two of them. In the end, you lose by two. You can't turn plays (22:09, on average), his struggles are significant. pucks over… The issue brewing here for the Leafs is they may not fully benefit from “I liked our energy. I liked a lot of things. We had a lot of good players. one of the most remarkable seasons in franchise history. If Matthews can And yet we weren't able to come away with it.” keep carrying his team to this extent, he is going to be in the discussion for the Hart Trophy — assuming that Toronto manages to make the A lot of Leafs did play well. Toronto actually controlled the game after playoffs — in part because his team has leaned on him so heavily. that tire fire of a first period, generating 52 shot attempts and only allowing 24 in the second and third. That dominance allowed them to His play has been so spectacular that, after a game like the one in L.A. claw back into a game they basically gave away in the first 20 minutes. — where he had two points, six shots on goal and handled a matchup against both Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty to a draw — no one on his Kasperi Kapanen stood out, in particular, and finished with five shots on team even mentioned his heroics. goal in only 11:35 of ice time. The Leafs' depth forwards, in general, played reasonably well. So did Rielly-Hainsey, in handling 20-plus They have become that routine. minutes. The Leafs, however, are simply counting on him to do too much right But it was Auston Matthews leading the way again, nearly willing the now. During Toronto's 2-5-0 slide, Matthews has eight points. Not one Leafs back into the game with a brilliant penalty shot goal and an assist other forward has more than four. late in the second period. Only William Nylander, meanwhile, is close in the shot generation Had Matthews scored again — on a second penalty shot attempt late in department. (Both have 25 in the seven games.) the third — the Leafs could have pulled to within one goal and had a Early this season, when plenty of pucks were going in, much of the talk chance to crawl back into a game they trailed 5-0 at one point. around the Leafs was about how well balanced their offence was and Not that they deserved that opportunity. how hard they were for teams to match up against. That simply hasn't been the case of late. What's happened instead is Matthews has As I detailed here a few nights ago after a different ugly loss in San Jose, managed to outplay the hardest matches possible thrown at him — and the Leafs aren't playing well lately. Thursday against the Kings was their his teammates have let him down with boneheaded plays that have fifth regulation loss in seven games, a two-week stretch during which ended up in their net. they've allowed nearly four goals a game. You have to give Matthews full credit for being able to succeed, in only Babcock has gone so far as to call his club a one-line team recently — his second NHL season, in such difficult situations. and it's not even really a point of debate what line that would be. Even as the Leafs have fallen into this turnover-driven funk and lost game after But you also have to wonder where the support is. And what happens game, Matthews' star continues to rise. when Matthews' shooting and save percentages return to more reasonable rates. His two-point night in L.A. put him up to third in NHL scoring, behind only Tampa teammates Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov. Matthews is You have to wonder if this kid can keep doing it all on his own. now on pace for 59 goals and 105 points, a dramatic improvement over last season's 40 goals and 69 points. The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 To put that in context: A player as young as Matthews has never scored that many goals in NHL history.

To put that in context: The last 20-year-old to pile up more than 100 points was Sidney Crosby, who had 120 in his second season back in 2006-07.

So Matthews is having a very, very special year. Better than anticipated, frankly. Just how unique it is was highlighted Thursday by the fact he hit the 50-goal mark for his career in just his 96th regular-season game, something only Alex Ovechkin has managed in the last 23 years. 1081552 Vegas Golden Knights

Cody Eakin, Erik Haula adjust as Gallant is pleased with lineup shuffle

By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal November 3, 2017 - 2:25 PM

KANATA, Ontario — The changes made by Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant may have changed the optic for the opposing team but it didn’t help the Knights stop their woes on the road. Gallant switched centers Cody Eakin and Erik Haula for Thursday’s game against the Boston Bruins, playing Haula with James Neal and David Perron while Eakin centered for Alex Tuch and Oscar Lindberg. Eakin scored in the second period, his second of the season, but the Knights still fell short, losing 2-1 to the Bruins. “Yeah, it looked pretty good,” Gallant said of the changes, which included returning Brayden McNabb and Brad Hunt on defense while sitting Shea Theodore and Jon Merrill. “I thought we played a smart game, a strong game and we just fell short.” Gallant said Friday he’ll likely keep the lines the same Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. For Eakin, he merely adjusted, making sure he and his new linemates communicated on the ice and on the bench between shifts. “I think we kept things simple, got some pucks in deep and created some chances,” Eakin said. “Not bad for a first time together.” According to multiple reports, Vadim Shipachyov has left Las Vegas and has returned to Russia. Shipachyov, who has been suspended without pay since Sunday for leaving the of the American Hockey League without permission from the Knights last Saturday, is seeking a resolution to his situation. The Athletic reported Shipachyov left Las Vegas Thursday. The NHL Players Association is reportedly involved and Shipachyov is willing to forego the majority his $2 million signing bonus if it means obtaining his freedom, something the NHLPA may not be too happy about. As of Friday, Shipachyov remained Knights property. If he gets his release, look for him to probably return to SKA St. Petersburg, his Kontinetal Hockey League team of the previous four seasons. Ottawa, which is in second place in the Atlantic Division, has been led by forward Mark Stone who has eight goals and 14 points. Stone played his junior hockey for Knights assistant general manager Kelly McCrimmon with the Brandon Wheat Kings. Erik Karlssson, the Senators’ all-star defenseman who has recovered from off-season ankle surgery, has 12 assists and is playing at his usual high level. Craig Anderson has played the majority of the games in goal and has a 5-2-3 record with a 2.93 goals-against average. He is coming off a 3-1 win over Detroit Thursday.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081553 Vegas Golden Knights 3. Shuffling the deck. Gerard Gallant mixed things up Thursday, moving Cody Eakin off his line and inserting Erik Haula with James Neal and David Perron. Eakin played with Alex Tuch and Oscar Lindberg. More Golden Knights enter Canada a struggling team important, Gallant returned Brad Hunt and Brayden McNabb to the blue line and both defensemen played well. That move paid more dividends even though Eakin scored. Gallant said the changes will remain intact Saturday, at least for the start of the game. By Steve Carp Las Vegas Review-Journal

November 3, 2017 - 2:17 PM LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL LOADED: 11.04.2017 Updated November 3, 2017 - 2:20 PM

KANATA, Ontario — Maybe a change of countries will change the Golden Knights’ struggles on the road. The team is in Canada for the first time in the regular season, and they entered the country with passports in hand and a three-game losing streak as added ID. (Yes, Customs officials in Canada are also hockey fans.) But despite the recent setbacks that have the 8-1 start a memory, optimism reigns. Coach Gerard Gallant was pleased with the effort Thursday in a 2-1 loss to Boston. He said if his 8-4 team brings that effort to the rink Saturday against the Ottawa Senators they will be rewarded. “I thought (Thursday) was a real good game, and if we play like that most games we’ll have a chance to win those games,” Gallant said Friday after a 35-minute workout at Canadian Tire Centre. “The guys are upbeat, so let’s get ready for the next one. You can’t dwell on what happened (Thursday) night or the last three games.” There’s a big difference between being disappointed and being discouraged. So far, the Knights don’t appear to have crossed that line. “We’re going through a rough patch right now,” center Jonathan Marchessault said. “(Thursday) it was a matter of inches. We have a puck lying in the crease and we can’t put it in. They get a good bounce and they score. But it was a good effort by us. “When you’re going good, you want it to last as long as possible. When you’re low, you want get through it as quickly as possible.” Linemate Reilly Smith said when you’re in a grind-it-out kind of game — as was the case Thursday and most likely will be the case Saturday — you’ve got to finish off what quality chances you get. “Both teams played pretty stingy,” Smith said of Thursday’s loss. “It’s a matter of executing. When you get your opportunities, you’ve got to put them in the back of the net.” The Senators can be even stingier than the Bruins. Guy Boucher’s team tends to be a team that waits for its opportunities, forces turnovers and gets the opponent back on its heels. “You’ve got to be smart when you play Ottawa,” Smith said. “They clog up the neutral zone, and you have to move the puck quickly against them.” Gallant added: “They throw that (neutral zone) trap at you and when you turn it over, that’s when they’re most dangerous.” Marchessault expects a close, low-scoring game with the Senators (6-2- 5), who are in second place in the Atlantic Division. “It’s all about us supporting each other on the puck and communicating with each other,” Marchessault said. “It’s obviously going to be a tight game when you play Ottawa.” Gallant said it’s a matter of staying with the philosophy that enabled the Knights to start 8-1. “It’s 20 guys playing for 60 minutes,” he said. “That’s a big part of it. I liked the way we forechecked (Thursday) and when we forecheck and play hard in the offensive zone, we usually have a good game.” Three storylines to follow: 1. The power play needs a boost. The Knights were 0-for-3 with the man advantage in Boston Thursday. Convert just once and they come away with at least one point. They need to get more pressure on the opposing goaltender and not look to make pretty plays. 2. Karlsson vs. Karlsson. They’re not related but the Knights’ William Karlsson will likely be trying to get by Ottawa’s all-star defenseman Erik Karlsson at some point Saturday. And that should be a good battle between the two Swedish stars. Erik Karlsson, one of the NHL’s elite players, had major ankle surgery in the offseason and he’s back. 1081554 Washington Capitals At just 23 years old, he still considers himself one of the young players in the locker room, but in his fifth season, he’s happy to offer guidance to some of his even younger teammates. For Capitals rookies, there’s playing in the NHL, and then life as an NHL “I think [Jakub Vrana] asked me three things yesterday in a text,” Wilson player said. “That’s fun, too. It’s fun to be outside your comfort zone and go explore and try new restaurants. . . . I think he asked me for a restaurant and a haircut place yesterday.” By Isabelle Khurshudyan November 3 at 5:31 PM Said Trotz: “They bring some life to all of us old guys. If you talk to any of the veteran guys, they’ll tell you the young guys make them laugh because of some of the things they do or say. They’re almost like For now, they’re all still residing at the hotel. Young NHLers don’t truly younger brothers — that’s best way to describe it — where you feel feel secure with a team until they’re told it’s safe to get their own place. responsible for them a little bit. At the same time, you kid around with For the Capitals’ five rookies, those assurances could take a while, so them and you can sort of laugh at them sometimes. They have a youthful the challenge is getting comfortable in the meantime. energy, which we all need in this game.” Between offseason roster turnover and early-season injuries, Washington has its least experienced team in recent memory. Coach has seen growth in the rookies on the ice, but the off-ice Washington Post LOADED: 11.04.2017 adjustment often can be just as tricky. According to the collective bargaining agreement, NHL teams must pay for at least 28 days of hotel accommodations for players new to the league or the franchise, and that can be extended to 56 days if the team hasn’t decided whether the player will be a long-term fixture. A team can of course give a player the blessing to get his own place at any point. “Usually I check with management on that just because I don’t want to be paying their rent,” Trotz said. “Usually we have that conversation when things settle down. I think probably this year, more than the three previous years, we probably are going to go the distance on some of the hotel stays.” Said defenseman Brooks Orpik: “I think for most guys, not that it’s any type of guarantee, but I think it’s really settling in when they tell you to kind of get your own place and you get to move out of the hotel. I don’t know if Pittsburgh broke the rules back in the day, but I think we had like eight guys in the hotel until Thanksgiving time, which I think was past the date where they’re supposed to tell you. I think there was like eight of us who were rookies, so we weren’t going to dare complain.” [Alex Ovechkin starts ‘social movement’ supporting Russian President Vladimir Putin] Sometimes that doesn’t even bring much security. Forward Zach Sanford was settled into an apartment last season when he was sent down to the American Hockey League for three weeks. He then was traded to St. Louis in late February. The rookies at least have each other this season, able to lean on one another as they navigate new experiences together. Three of them share the same floor of their hotel in Arlington, and after they’ve had their post-practice naps, they’ll often grab dinner together. They also can seek counsel from the veterans. If 23-year-old defenseman Christian Djoos has a question, he asks fellow Swede Nicklas Backstrom. “It’s more practical,” Djoos said. “It could be whatever, like, ‘Where do you go buy the best groceries?’ ” Defenseman Madison Bowey goes to Orpik with similar queries, such as where to go for dinner (True Food Kitchen in Fairfax’s Mosaic District) or where to take his parents when they’re in town (Filomena in Georgetown). “It’s just little things like that, just kind of getting to know the parts around the city more,” Bowey said. “Like Georgetown and D.C., I’ve never really ventured out there, so I think I’m just slowly trying to make my way over there and get familiar with everything.” Orpik also told the rookies about the organic butcher he likes, though their cooking capabilities are limited in a hotel. He decided to host dinner at his house Wednesday night. “I just figured they’re probably sick of eating out,” Orpik said. “I know for myself, just being on the road for a week, I wanted to get a couple of meals at home. Especially when they’re in the hotel, if you can get them out of there just for a meal here and there, it’s big for those guys. . . . “Every time a guy gets called up or you have a new guy, I think if you can make them feel comfortable off the ice, it usually has a pretty big translation to how they play on the ice, and vice versa.” Forward Tom Wilson remembers his rookie season four years ago as a “whirlwind.” “I mean, my second year, when you go into a rink, you’re like, ‘Have I even been here before?’ ” Wilson said. 1081555 Washington Capitals

Pheonix Copley is back from injury and that's good news for the Caps' goalie depth

By Tarik El-Bashir November 03, 2017 5:37 PM

Highly-regarded goaltending prospect Pheonix Copley is expected to be back in the nets for Hershey on Friday when the Bears play in Rochester. That, obviously, is good news for Capitals’ minor league affiliate. But it’s important for the big club, too. Why? Because for the past few weeks, Washington was an injury or illness to Braden Holtby or Philipp Grubauer away from being forced to dip deep into their system for help at the game’s most important position. Now—assuming everything goes smoothly for Copley in his return—the Caps will have their No. 3 netminder healthy and ready for duty in the event there’s a need. Capitals Coach Barry Trotz used the word “comfort” when asked about what Copley’s return means for Washington. “It means we have a good third goalie,” Trotz said after Friday’s optional practice in Arlington. “We had been using guys that were really [No.] four or five on the depth chart playing in Hershey. So an injury to us, or God forbid we had two injuries, we’d be into our five and six, really.” “And that,” he cracked, “is even deeper than Vegas.” Trotz, of course, was referring to the Golden Knights, who have seen three goalies go down with injuries in the season’s first 12 games. That’s an extreme example. But it’s not uncommon for teams to need their No. 3 goalie at some point during a grueling 82-game regular season. And now the Caps can breathe a bit easier knowing that their No. 3 is back in action. Copley originally suffered a significant groin injury while playing for the Bears in the postseason last spring. After a summer of rehab, the 25- year-old arrived in Washington’s training camp healthy. He made three appearances in the preseason, in fact, and played well. Upon returning to Hershey, though, Copley aggravated the original injury and was advised to rest and rehab. He ended up missing about a month, including the Bears’ first nine games. “We figured out what’s wrong…Obviously, he’s healed up if he’s going in tonight,” Trotz said. If Copley feels good against the Americans and doesn’t face too heavy a workload, he could start Sunday’s game against the Wilkes- Barre/Scranton. Copley’s return wasn’t the only good news on Friday for the Caps’ goaltending situation, though. No. 4 goalie Vitek Vanecek, who suffered a lower-body injury in a preseason game with the Capitals and has been sidelined since, has been reassigned the ECHL Stingrays. If all goes well, he could rejoin Hershey as the Bears’ No. 2 goalie very soon. “Hopefully we get that in order because it gives us comfort,” Trotz said. “Obviously, we’ve got Grubi, who is healthy, but it gives us comfort because things happen quickly as you’ve seen around the league.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081556 Washington Capitals

Caps' penalty kill was still bad on Thursday, but delivered when it mattered most

By J.J. Regan November 03, 2017 9:08 AM

If the Caps had lost to the Islander Thursday night, it would not have been hard to figure out why. Both teams were given four power play opportunities on the night. Washington went 0-for-4. The Islanders scored twice. New York tied the game at 1 with a John Tavares power play tally and tied the game again at 2 apiece in the second period thanks to Anders Lee. “They got back in the game on special teams,” Barry Trotz said to reporters. There’s no way to sugarcoat it: the penalty kill is a major concern for the Capitals and Trotz didn’t mince words after the game. “At home our special teams numbers are not very good at all,” he said. “On both sides.” He’s not wrong. In five home games this season, the Caps have scored only once in 19 power play opportunities for a paltry 5-percent success rate. The lone goal came in the home opener on Oct. 7. The penalty kill has struggled as well as the team has killed off only 15 of 22 power plays for a kill rate of 68-percent and it almost cost Washington the win on Thursday. But while Trotz was quick to recognize how the team’s struggles on the penalty kill allowed New York to stay in the game, he was also slow to criticize the unit. “We've got a lot of new people on the back end and also killing penalties so it's a work in progress,” he said. “It's part of the whole process. Coaching staff's working hard on it and the players take a lot of pride in it. We'll go through stretches where it's given up some goals, but it showed resilience. We give up two power play goals and when it really counted, they had two power plays and they didn't score. That's a lot on the resiliency of the guys.” That certainly is a glass-half-full way of looking at it. It may be a stretch to say that about the first penalty Washington killed off as it came in the second period with the Caps leading 2-1. It is absolutely fair, however, to point to their second kill as a critical moment in the game. With the game tied at 3 in the third period, Taylor Chorney took an interference penalty. Washington had only killed one of three penalties to that point so it was easy to believe the Caps could potentially allow the tying goal and ultimately see another two points slip away, but they were able to get that last critical kill. Less than one minute after Chorney came out of the box, Eller scored the game-winner. Killing two out of four power plays is nothing to write home about and the team knows it has to be better on special teams at home, but it was that final penalty kill that ultimately proved to be a critical moment in the win. Said Trotz, “I'm not going to beat up on the PK because the PK, when it mattered most, they got it done.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081557 Washington Capitals

Caps' top prospect Ilya Samsonov reportedly suffers concussion in KHL game

By J.J. Regan November 03, 2017 7:04 AM

One of the Capitals most heralded prospects had a rough night. Accordign to his now former head coach, goalie Ilya Samsonov reportedly suffered a concussion Thursday while playing for his KHL team . Samsonov came on in relief of starting goalie Vasily Koshechkin, but a collision with a player from the opposing team ended his night early. When asked about the young netminder after the game, head coach Ilya Vorobyov told reporters that Samsonov had suffered a concussion as translated by Google Translate. Given the nature of concussions, it is obviously too early to know his long-term prognosis or what his timetable for a return may be. For the season, Samsonov registered a .912 save percentage and 2.78 GAA. Metallurg ultimately lost the game 3-1 which spelled the end of Vorobyov's tenure as head coach. Interestingly enough, former Capital Viktor Kozlov now takes over as interim head coach after serving as an assistant coach for the team.

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081558 Washington Capitals

Caps break seven-game streak with rare first goal

By J.J. Regan November 02, 2017 11:20 PM

Just 5:55 into Thursday’s game, Taylor Chorney’s goal put the Capitals up 1-0 and a weight was lifted. If it felt like it had been forever since the Caps had taken a 1-0 lead in a game, well, it felt that way to the Caps too. “I feel like we've been chasing the game lately,” Alex Chiasson said. “It's nice to get on the board early. I think it allows the coach to roll four lines a little more and get everyone into the game. First goal in any game is huge.” The Caps had given up the first goal in seven straight games heading into Thursday. In the month of October, Washington gave up the first goal a league-leading nine times in 12 games with a 3-9-0 record in those games. The last time they took a 1-0 lead? October 13 in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Barry Trotz was able to laugh about it after the game. “It felt strange,” he told reporters. “I didn't know what to do. We were like, hey we got one.”

Comcast SportsNet.com LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081559 Winnipeg Jets "One of the really important aspects of Connor being comfortable and applying it, is the way Wade Flaherty’s been," Francilia said. "He’s been such a great resource for me and also a guy, when he came out to Goalie whisperer's loud presence Kelowna, he wanted to know what we were doing. He was really excited about it and embraced it. To have a guy like that who’s so close to the goalies — for him to really, really be on the same page — that allowed Connor to get further with it. Wade’s been fantastic. By: Mike Sawatzky "The team and Wade and the strength and conditioning guys on the Jets, Posted: 11/3/2017 10:47 PM | Comments: 0 they’ve been really, really understanding... about the changes that needed to be made. It’s a really great relationship that’s working."

Francilia works with his clients on and off the ice. "It’s like we’re in the Pittsburgh Penguins' Phil Kessel gets off a shot in front of Winnipeg Jets gym, but on the ice. I’m not a goalie coach like Wade is." goalie Connor Hellebuyck in the first period of an NHL hockey game in Pittsburgh, Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017. Hellebuyck made a glove save on Hellebuyck raved about Francilia’s teaching methods. the shot. "I went out there a couple of times and saw what he’s all about, worked These days, he oozes confidence. He has a new-found sense of calm. out with him and changed my body (position)," Hellebuyck said during training camp. Last season, you probably wouldn’t have described Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck that way. But early in 2017-18, his reputation is "His biomechanics are what’s coming into the game. It’s next-level stuff. changing. Everything he teaches me and talks to me about, it makes sense. I’ve been trying to apply it all summer long and I really like what it’s done for While the sample size is still small (nine games so far), the way my game. Hellebuyck tends Winnipeg’s net has changed, and so with it are the fortunes of a franchise. It’s that simple. "When I jumped on with him, I saw tremendous improvements come into my game. That’s what I was looking for, taking my game to the next level Going into tonight’s game against the visiting Montreal Canadiens, the and proving not only that I belong, but that I can be a high-end skill in this 24-year-old from Commerce, Mich., is 7-0-1 and holds a gaudy 1.92 league. With Adam’s help, I’m on my way to doing that." goals-against average and .938 save percentage. The early returns have been very encouraging for the Jets. Much of the credit for this transformation is being directed at Adam Francilia, a Kelowna, B.C.-based holistic health, wellness and nutritional Hellebuyck, a 6-4, 207-pounder, looks more composed and imposing expert who helped to reshape Hellebuyck’s game last summer. than ever. But why? Call him the goalie whisperer, fitness guru to goaltenders... whatever. "Do you notice that he’s much more economical in his movements, yet he looks faster?" Francilia said. "Faster glove, for sure, because of the "I’ve been around long enough to know that there are ebbs and flows, on postural changes that we made. His arms are completely different than a team and in a season," Francilia said via telephone Friday afternoon. last year because he’s not using his arms (for balance). "Things can change. I see more of a big-picture, long-term kind of thing. We created a change (with Hellebuyck). We’re reinforcing it and we’ve "What was happening last year was there were times, with his arms, created a platform now. If a player doesn’t feel like he’s standing on a Connor was using them for balance and as soon as he moved on his foundation with principles and rules, it’s really difficult, whether they’re a arms, his balance went away. And so the arm action wasn’t free, wasn’t goalie or a skater, to go back and figure out, ‘Why did I have a bad relaxed and being used for what it should." game.’" Francilia’s work wasn’t done when Hellebuyck returned to Winnipeg for How Francilia came into the picture is pretty simple. When Hellebuyck training camp. He watches games and reviews video of all of his clients changed agents earlier this year, switching to Ray Petkau, of the during the season and provides a daily workout regime to follow. He also Steinbach-based Alpha Hockey Inc., he got to know Alpha’s director of visits each client three times a season — he spent 24 days in October player development, Francilia, who serves as an in-house adviser to the visiting his pupils, including four days in the ’Peg. company’s clients on all all things related to nutrition and fitness. When he arrives, Francilia’s first task is to make a three-hour shopping And so, after Hellebuyck returned from a stint with Team USA at the trip to a grocery store where he stocks up on organic ingredients for a hockey worlds, he began working on some online video review with marathon two-day session in the kitchen. Francilia. The work expanded to face-to-face dryland and on-ice sessions when Hellebuyck travelled to Kelowna in the summer. "I cooked at least two to three months of food for each of those guys," said Francilia, who partners on some of these trips with his wife Cathy "Our first thing was to restructure, retool his posture (and) his frame," the Francilia, a heath and nutritional expert herself. "They all have 45-year-old Francilia said. "He’s a big guy, he’s big, he’s lanky. He’s got humungous deep freezes." some good long limbs on him. He definitely wasn’t using his frame to his advantage last year. In order to do that... we created awareness from the As for daily updates, Francilia likes to keep current with his goaltending midsection, the core, out to the extremities and understand how things clients, fine-tuning their approach and heading off any issues before they like pelvic tilt (works) and how he was angling his lumbar spine and some become major problems. of those little intricacies — those muscles just weren’t stimulated, they weren’t strengthened and they weren’t co-ordinated properly. And Did he notice any flaws in Hellebuyck’s performance during Winnipeg’s everything off of that was being affected." 5-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Thursday night? In three short months, Hellebuyck was able to build the all-star form he "I did see a couple of things that concern me and we’ll talk about that has shown thus far. today or whenever that’s convenient," Francilia said. "Some of the things that were getting him into trouble, due to faulty structure and faulty biomechanics because we were only able to, in Winnipeg Free Press LOADED 11.04.2017 whatever posture we’re in, we’re only able to move effectively or ineffectively off the posture we’re in currently," Francilia said, noting biomechanics is a fancy term for how the body moves. "For Connor, there were a few hiccups and I don’t want to get too specific, but there were some hiccups with how he was structured in his play last year. "I’ve gotta say, we pulled it off because of how willing Connor was to trust me and do everything he could to affect that change." Francilia, whose goalie clients also include NHLers Devan Dubnyk, Eddie Lack, James Reimer, Laurent Brossoit and Winnipeg prospect Eric Comrie, said it was important to have the Jets onboard with the changes. In fact, the club’s goaltending coach, Wade Flaherty, immersed himself in the process. He went to Kelowna and participated in Francilia’s Net360 elite goaltending camp. 1081560 Winnipeg Jets

Maurice says Lemieux does things "we can use"

Paul Friesen November 3, 2017

Rookie Brendan Lemieux, through six games, is making a strong case to stay in the lineup. Somebody will have to come off the roster now that Adam Lowry is ready to return to the Jets lineup. Rookie Brendan Lemieux, through six games, hasn’t given head coach Paul Maurice any obvious reasons it should be him. “Good and physical,” is how Maurice described Lemieux’s game against Dallas, Thursday. “There are some things he does that we can use. Every day he spends here he’s learning more and more about his routes. He’s getting better.” Thursday’s game provided a couple of occasions in which Lemieux got involved in fights or scrums. Infamous for crossing the line in junior, he kept his cool and never put the Jets down a man. “Temper’s a good thing in the NHL, as long as it’s handled and controlled,” Maurice said. “It’s an asset to have somebody that plays on the edge like that. Matt (Hendricks) plays the same kind of game, that hard, edgy game. “Learning to control it is a must. And I haven’t had any issues with that in his play.” Lemieux says it’s taken some time to adjust to the NHL game. “But I’ve always been the type of kid that can develop and grow with the better players and be around better players just raises my level,” he said. “I feel like that has been happening.” The 21-year-old has a goal, 19 penalty minutes and a plus-2 rating since being called up from the AHL.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.04.2017 1081561 Winnipeg Jets

Five keys to Jets vs. Canadiens

Paul Friesen November 3, 2017 8:41 PM CDT

Normally you’d give the goaltending edge to the Habs. But with a struggling Carey Price sidelined by a lower-body ailment, old friend Al Montoya will be between the pipes for the Montreal, versus a hot Connor Hellebuyck for the Jets. Montoya was in goal for an 8-3 Habs win in Ottawa, Monday. The Jets have been dominant out of the gate so far, outscoring opponents 20-9 in first periods. Conversely, the Habs stumble off the start line, on the wrong end of a combined 22-13 count, which includes a 3-0 deficit in the opening 20 in Thursday’s 6-3 loss in Minnesota. Winnipeg’s special teams are on the upswing, their penalty kill, 15 for its last 16, in particular. Two power-play goals in Thursday’s 5-2 win over Dallas provides hope the power play is also on the rise. Montreal has been dismal at both. It’s great to have a line that’s hotter than a $5 pistol, but it’s better to have two. Mark Scheifele, Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor can’t produce a hat trick every night, so Bryan Little, Nik Ehlers and Patrik Laine have to up their offensive game. Laine’s goal, Thursday, was just this unit’s second in five games. Little has just one goal in 12 games. Adam Lowry could return to centre the third or fourth line. But either way, if those two lines aren’t going to chip in with offence, they at least have to hold the fort. All six players turned in a clean sheet (even) in Thursday’s win. That should be enough on this night. Silence the “crowd” An appearance by Montreal always brings out the bleu-blanc-et rouge supporters by the hundreds, if not a thousand or two. There’s nothing like a lead to keep them out of the game, and keep the home crowd humming on a Saturday night.

Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.04.2017 1081562 Winnipeg Jets “It was about gaining confidence and tightening up my game,” he said. “So that’s what I did at the beginning of the year, and that just showed the brass that this kid’s ready, he’s confident, he’s going to make those Lemieux carving out role as an agitator plays and he obviously has that fourth-line, third-line type game that’s hard to play against.

“Guys don’t necessarily love playing against guys like me, and that’s why Paul Friesen I’m in the NHL. Roussel on their side (Dallas) has kind of made a name for himself doing something similar. I’m just starting.” November 3, 2017 6:45 PM CDT If desire and hard work are big parts of making a career in the NHL, Lemieux is well on his way. You only had to drop in at the end of a Moose practice and wait for him to get off the ice to see that. Rookie Brendan Lemieux notched another first in the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 win over Dallas, Thursday: his first NHL scrap. Now that he’s here with the Jets, a blocker to his face isn’t about to dissuade him from crashing the next crease he sees, either. He sat alone at his dressing room stall while the stars took their turns in front of the media, a couple of welts on his face not hiding the look of “No,” Lemieux said, the ensuing grin, like the welts, not going anywhere satisfaction of a job well done. for a while. Rookie Brendan Lemieux notched another first in the Winnipeg Jets 5-2 win over Dallas, Thursday: his first NHL scrap. Winnipeg Sun LOADED 11.04.2017 And while it didn’t produce the exuberant celebration that his first goal did four days earlier, it drew as hearty a cheer from a hometown crowd that probably never guessed it would embrace a member of the Lemieux family quite like this. The embrace is mutual. “It’s been a blast,” Claude’s 21-year-old son said of his first half dozen games in the NHL. “It’s being on the big stage. It’s something you’ve dreamed about your whole life. And it’s competing for the Stanley Cup. Every night you’re chipping away at the ultimate goal, which is making the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup. “So to be a piece of that, even if you’re a small piece, is really rewarding.” The game provided a nice little snapshot of what Lemieux can bring the Jets at this early stage of his career. In 9:33 of ice time, his highest total yet, playing on a fourth line with Matt Hendricks and Joel Armia, the stocky fireplug also drew a crowd when he got into the grill of Stars goalie Ben Bishop five minutes into the second period. Taking the goaltender’s special – a blocker/stick combo with a scrum and facewash on top – Lemieux kept his cool, not something he was known for as a junior. The penalties evened out. Just like in his first-period fight with Gemel Smith. “They were down 2-0 and he wanted it off the faceoff,” Lemieux said, a handful of reporters now around him. “I tried to be smart and keep the momentum on our side. I saw they took that penalty there. He came over and gave me a shot. That’s kind of my job – I’m not going to back down from anyone. “I decided, well, if I’m gonna fight, I better win.” He definitely threw more punches than he took, while the Jets got a power-play goal from Tyler Myers and were off to the races, up 3-0. “Obviously the timing of it, you’ve got to be careful about, winning 2-0 in the game,” Lemieux said. “But sometimes you can use it as energy, and that’s what we were able to do… so I was happy to contribute.” Someone in Lemieux’s role won’t win you games. But they can cost you. The fact the Jets are 4-0-2 since he was called up doesn’t hurt his chances of staying, even when Adam Lowry rejoins the lineup, likely for Saturday’s tilt with the Habs. “As a line we weren’t great, but we were solid,” Lemieux said. “That’s how you build trust with the coaching staff, is just being solid, consistent. We weren’t playing against bad players. I mean, Jason Spezza’s obviously a great player, and we were matched up against him for the majority of the game. “And he didn’t get anything against us, so that’s what we’re looking to do.” Acquired in the Evander Kane trade with Buffalo, Lemieux was as impatient to reach the NHL as any early-round draft pick would be. An injury-shortened first pro season with the forced patience on him. He went down to the AHL to start this season with a whole different mindset. 1081563 Winnipeg Jets And now he finds himself with five goals in 12 games, a respectable start. That’s a 34 goal pace and he hasn’t yet got hot. He may be a ways behind the league’s goal scoring leaders, putting the Richard Trophy out Bourne's notebook: (Carey) Price check, Tkachuk uses edgework to burn of the question, but I’m pretty comfortable saying Laine’s still getting 40 Crosby, Laine is fine, eh this year if he stays healthy. That shot is just too lethal.

Falling Leafs

Justin Bourne Some thoughts:

14 hours ago The Leafs defence simply isn't good enough for Jake Gardiner to be this bad — it's suspect even when he's his possession-dominant self. Thursday night in Los Angeles, both he and Nikita Zaitsev were a tire fire, particularly in the first period. If he continues to play like this, they need to When it rains, it pours, and my word, is it coming down in sheets on make a trade to shore up the back-end. Carey Price these days. As a forward, when you lose your confidence, weird stuff starts to happen on your chances. You rush shots, or you Curtis McElhinney is kinda screwed. He barely gets the crease, and hesitate a quarter second too long, and the puck finds new and creative when he does, it's the back-to-backs for an already defensively dicey ways to stay out of the net. team. I mean, he has a contract and it's a business and yada yada yada, but with two very good AHL goalies behind him — Sparks is among the With goalies, pucks find new and creative ways to sneak in when they AHL's best once again, statistically — and being given little chance to shouldn't. And to me, that's where it looks like Price is at. Look at these succeed … what do you think the odds are that he's the Leafs backup in three goals from Thursday night, all of which were Grade A chances, playoffs? 50 percent? Less? sure, but Price has more than a good chance to stop them. They just … find a way in. Roman Polak is kind of a Thing, at this point. At this point it feels like Babcock drew his line in the sand against analytics (and frankly, common When he's at his best, he plays quiet, he's efficient, he's smooth. Right sense), and his ego won't allow him to admit he's wrong. It's not working. now, he's a mess. The guy just can't get to where he needs to get to to be useful for the The thing is, when things aren’t going well, all you can do is try your Leafs. Look at this graph below. Now, the definition of “scoring chances” hardest. And Thursday night, as evidenced by the goal below, Price was is subjective, but if any definition results in this, you've got issues. not giving his best effort. Maybe they believe it'll just take him more time to get up to game speed. You can see when he goes back on that puck he's standing upright, I think the bad news is, at this point, that is his game speed. showing no urgency, and gives zero hustle getting back to his net. Even Keep Kasperi Kapanen in the lineup. Five shots in just over 11 minutes the pass was lackadaisical. And that wasn’t the only play he looked like against the Kings. Can kill penalties. He's an NHL player, and some of that on. the other forwards — what's up, Tyler Bozak — aren't worthy of more Confidence can’t be given, it has to be earned. If Price wants to find his minutes than he's been getting so far. game, his best bet is to dig in and do the hard work. The Leafs older non-Marleau forwards, and their weak back-end are One of my favourite ways forwards use deception to free themselves starting look like problems that can't simply be out-scored. The west space is when they’re heading toward the boards with a defender on their coast swing is always tough, but if you want to be the best you have to back. Your body language gives away a lot about which way you’re going beat good hockey teams. There's real trouble in Leaf-land. to go, so the trick is making it look like you’re cutting the way you aren’t.

You can do this by getting on one edge and leaning, then quickly flipping The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 to the other at the last second. You can also put your stick on the side of the puck you’re eventually going to go, which implies you’re going to be pushing the puck the other way.

Thursday night in overtime Matthew Tkachuk threw Sidney Crosby for a loop, bad. The Penguins captain read Tkachuk’s body language – he was going to bring the puck back toward the Flames end for a regroup – so Crosby tried to get the jump on him.

In the last replay, really pay attention to what Tkachuk does with his edges, it’s a hard, hard sell (Bryan Rust also buys it hook, line and sinker).

In pre-season, I was certain Patrik Laine was going to win the Rocket Richard Trophy this season. There was one goal in particular that cemented it for me. A rebound kicked off Eddie Lack’s pads over to Laine, who was clearly going to do what Laine, like Alex Ovechkin before him, does: One-time the puck from that magic left circle spot that treats their shots like spinach does Popeye.

But on this particular attempt, the room just wasn’t there. The rebound came out way too far to get to Laine, so the goalie had ample time to get over. Plus Laine has quickly earned a reputation as a shooter from there, so there seemed no doubt the goalie would give an extra little push. There was no screen.

But somehow, somehow he still found a way.

That was one of a handful of pre-season goals that had me so sure.

So when he did an interview earlier this week while sitting on four goals in 11 games talking like he is below, I wasn’t sure what was going on.

After watching some of his shifts, I have a conclusion: nothing. Nothing at all. He's just an extremely honest interview, and players go through ups and downs like that throughout every season. It's going to go in for him.

Laine turned around and scored Thursday night using his trademark bomb: 1081564 Winnipeg Jets There are several different ways to play hockey. From a theoretical standpoint, using models to create categories or player “styles” is useful and, when you do it well (Stimson), it is predictive of goal share.

What is the Winnipeg Jets' most optimal forward lineup? You can’t please everybody.

Murat Ates I started this investigation of Winnipeg’s forward usage by declaring that 17 hours ago its old-fashioned approach to a top six and bottom six holds the team back. Next up, we explored which depth forwards can help, and in what roles.

We did it, everyone! It’s time to talk about what Winnipeg should do moving forward.

On October 29 the Winnipeg Jets beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1 in a The rest of this piece is based partly on the assumptions I’ve stated, game that was, in a word, cathartic. As goal after goal went in, October’s partly on Stimson’s research into to playing styles vs. xG%, and in one tension loosened, then faded. By the time Blake Wheeler emptied the case a habit I just can’t see Maurice ever breaking. arena of its head wear, all of this recent handwringing about top six vs. bottom six, skill vs. depth, and Brandon Tanev vs. puck possession The goal? Winnipeg’s optimal forward lineup. barely registered as memory – the game simply was that euphoric. Stimson’s playing styles for forwards depend on the following metrics, And then, just two nights later, Connor Hellebuyck stood on his head for using data from 2015/16 and 2016/17: a 2-1 win over Minnesota. Mark Scheifele followed that by giving Shot Index (individual shots) Winnipeg its second hat trick inside of a week in a 5-2 win over Dallas and now, one month into the season, the Jets sit fourth in the Western Shot Assist Index (primary shot assists ) Conference. Build Up Index (secondary and tertiary shot assists) That obviously means we’re done here, right? Winnipeg has its depth forwards sorted out, Hellebuyck’s going to ride a .940 all season long and Pass Index (Total shot assists) everything is exactly as it should be? Transition Index (controlled entry assists)

Danger Index (Shot Contributions from below the end line or across the Six-out-of-eight Western Conference teams that held a playoff position slot) on November 1, 2016, qualified for the 2017 playoffs. As I just said, the Influence Index (Total shot contributions) Jets are fourth in the West today. Better still, Dom Luszczyszyn currently has the Jets at 80 percent to make the playoffs. Stimson used Corey Sznajder’s impressive collection of microstats to look at some of the most predictive publicly available metrics for Is all of this cause to dust off our hands and start celebrating? Is it expected goal share. He then used a process called cluster analysis to enough for me to ignore Katrina H’s thought-provoking question from two assign forwards into categories based on those seven metrics. weeks ago? The result? Four categories of NHL forward. The names Stimson chose In a word: No. were, in his own words, arbitrary, so don’t read too much into their titles.

A quick bit of background and then we’re off. They are:

The rest of this article is based off of Katrina’s question and three See the bulleted list above for descriptions of each stat. excellent pieces of work elsewhere on the internet: To assign each Jets player to one of Stimson’s categories, I converted This March 14 piece where Alex Novet demonstrates that hockey is a the percentile ranks of each playing style into quartiles (eg: Playmakers “strong link” game – that having the best player on the ice is more ranked in the 90.8th percentile for Shot Assists; for simplicity I converted important than not having the worst player. this and everything > 75 percent to first quartile.) I then compared how This April 4 article where Ryan Stimson sorts NHL forwards into four each Jet fared in Stimson’s seven metrics to the profile of each playing player styles based on seven metrics and then studies the expected style. goals percentage (xG%) for each combination of those player styles. In a lot of cases, the Jets player I was looking at aligned perfectly into This October 5 JetsNation post, wherein WPGChief states that, based on one of Stimson’s categories; in others, they did not. In those cases, I Novet and Stimson’s work, Paul Maurice’s opening night lines are sub- either made a judgment call (Patrik Laine as a shooter) or created a optimal. hybridized name (Tanev as a shooter-dependent.)

One final note of attribution: all three of those articles cite Dawson Finally, as I’m sure you can imagine, it’s important to keep in mind that Sprigings (@DTMAboutHeart)'s presentation at the 2016 Rochester this is a model. Players who share a category aren’t necessarily going to Institute of Technology Hockey Analytics Conference. Sprigings be exactly as good as each other. demonstrated that it is more efficient to spread a team’s forward talent Playmakers: throughout its roster than to concentrate it on one line. (Slides and video available are here.) In terms of influencing xG%, the strongest (and rarest) category of forward are Stimson’s Playmakers, with top quartile results in all of This is a lot of background research and each article is well worth your primary shot assists, secondary/tertiary shot assists, total shot assists, time. zone entry assists, dangerous shot contributions, and total shot If you’d rather get straight to the fun, Jets-based part, just know that this contributions (“influence”). article operates under the following assumptions: An example of a Playmaker is Nik Ehlers (biggest ring is first quartile; all Hockey is a “strong link” game (via Novet.) Once again, this means that graphics are from this worksheet): the team with the best player on the ice is more likely to win any given Each ring is a quartile – as you can see, Ehlers ranks in the top quartile matchup. Having the worst player on the ice is not. in most categories. When it comes to shooting from or passing into Spreading out your best talent is more efficient than concentrating it all dangerous areas, Ehlers excels. on one line. On one hand, this is a logical follow-up to No. 1. On the Winnipeg is actually a rare team in that it is loaded with Playmakers: other, a law of diminishing returns with respect to shot attempt based on his count of 54 players who meet the criteria for this category, percentages has been demonstrated statistically (by Sprigings). each team should have approximately two. The Jets are rich – they have five. Given that Playmakers are the player type with the highest expected goal share, the Jets should be in a good position to achieve roster balance. Balanced Forwards: Line 1: Connor–Scheifele–Wheeler (Dependent-Playmaker-Playmaker)

The second most dangerous category with respect to xG% are Balanced No questions, no debate. This line is humming, generating 83 percent of forwards. Balanced forwards achieved results in the second quartile for goals at 5-on-5 in six games since Connor was called up. Looking strictly all of Stimson’s seven categories except for shot volume, where they at shot attempts, you might think this is unsustainable and I would have were in the third quartile. some time for that argument.

In Winnipeg, Nic Petan and Joel Armia qualified as Balanced. Here’s On the other hand, Connor’s 22-11 dominance in High Danger Scoring Petan: Chances goes hand in hand with his sterling 59.86 xG% on the season. In other words, Winnipeg’s top line is getting outshot but winning the See how Petan very neatly meets the category of Balanced: second battle for shot quality by a substantial margin. Then, just to make them quartile in Transition Play, Build-up Play, Total Shot Contributions, Total look even more impressive, they are riding an impossibly high .973 5-on- Passing, and Primary Shot Assists and third in terms of Shot Volume. 5 SV% when Connor is on the ice. The match isn’t perfect – Petan also sneaks into the first quartile for Dangerous Shot Contributions but on the whole, he’s a very close match. Looking at the graphic above, the biggest red polygon that’s in the first quadrant for every stat represents Wheeler. The other large polygon The Jets also have two players who meet some of the criteria for represents Mark Scheifele and, as noted, these two Playmakers should Balanced and some of the criteria for Dependent – Shawn Matthias and excel to the tune of 54.4 percent expected goals even with a Dependent Adam Lowry. on their line. With a new and improved Connor completing this trio, I think Shooters: Maurice has it built perfectly.

Shooters are Stimson’s third most dangerous category of forward. They What about Matthieu Perreault, who skated today for this first time since don’t control play as much as Balanced players or Playmakers do, his injury? ranking second quartile in some categories and third in others but, In his absence, Winnipeg’s top line is excellent – they’ve been full value appropriately, they’re first quartile shooters. for their offensive results and a little lucky defensively. As a result, they Winnipeg has one shooter and you know him as Patrik Laine: should stay together even when the Jets return to full health and even though it creates a logjam at the bottom of the roster. You’ll see I’ve made a little bit of a judgment call here. As opposed to a mix of second and third quartile results in all of the non-shooting metrics, Keep in mind, this is no slight to Perreault – it’s a compliment. I believe Laine’s results were predominantly third quartile (with one fourth). Plus, that he is an effective player by possession and results and, in the name he didn’t quite make it into the first quartile for Shot Volume as a rookie. of optimizing Winnipeg’s lines, I’d prefer Winnipeg used his skills to boost other players. That said, I think it’s fair to say Laine would impress in more categories if these metrics included this season’s results and that he is already a top Line 2: Ehlers–Little– Laine (Playmaker-Playmaker-Shooter) level shot producer at this stage of his sophomore season. In short, On the face of things, I see three players whose line should not be Laine’s business is shooting and business is good. altered.

Tanev is an interesting case. He’s a shooter in terms of shot volume but In the graphic above, Bryan Little is the biggest polygon and is in the first a dependent by every other category: quadrant for every metric except shot volume. Nik Ehlers is the Note how he excels strictly in terms of shot volume but ranks in the fourth first/second quadrant player sticking out behind him. Both players are quartile by most other stats. And, unlike would be the case with Laine, excellent at gaining the zone and, once they get there, passing it to this year is unlikely to make Tanev look more impressive. Hence, for the dangerous areas of the ice. purposes of this piece, Laine is a Shooter and Tanev is a Shooter- When looking at Laine, whose rookie season last year is poor by all of Dependent. these metrics except for shot volume, you might accept his worst case Dependents: scenario as a Dependent. Even if you discount Laine to that extent, Stimson’s work suggests that a line with two Playmakers and one Stimson called his final group Dependents. Ranking in the third quartile in Dependent should have 54.5 xG%. If you upgrade Laine to his rightful five categories and the fourth quartile in the other two, Dependents are place as a shooter, the line’s expected goal share increases to 55.4 typically bottom-of-the-roster players. As you’ll see in a moment, that’s percent — the third most effective combination of player styles. not the same as saying they don’t have their place. In theory, this should be an excellent line. In practice, it has struggled a Here is Andrew Copp as an example: little bit.

Winnipeg’s other Dependents by 2015/16 and 2016/17 data are Marko Over the past five games Little, Laine, and Ehlers’ SAT%s are 41.0 Dano, Matt Hendricks and six games worth of Kyle Connor. I didn’t bump percent, 45.9 percent, and 44.1 percent respectively – they’re getting Connor into an upgraded playing style based on his six games so far this outshot. And they’re not making up for it by scoring like the first line has season but, as you’ll see, that doesn’t impact how effective I expect him done – Laine and Ehlers have two points each over the past five games to be. while Little has just one. Finally, their Zone Starts and PDO have been middling – it’s not like they’re getting worked over by the percentages, You’ll note Brendan Lemieux is absent from this list and that Connor is either. unfairly designated a Dependent. Like I say, this isn’t a major concern. There’s also this: To see why, let’s look at Stimson’s expected goals percentage for every possible three player combination of playing styles. On the seventh row, So why would I stick with them? note that a forward line comprised of two Playmakers and one Dependent can expect to achieve 54.5 xG%; therefore the Jets top line of In short, I believe in the players, I believe in the Player Styles, and Connor-Scheifele-Wheeler should be very good at a minimum. struggling over five games isn’t the same thing as getting caved in over the course of the season. Plus, I don’t mind giving substantial minutes to Line Combinations and xG%: young players as gifted as Laine and Ehlers are.

Otherwise interesting: of the 13 line combinations with an xG above 50 Even if a temporary shuffle is needed to get Laine saying warm words percent, four of them have Dependents on them. This supports Sprigings’ again, I believe this line has it in them to succeed. conclusions with respect the efficacy of spreading talent out – good forwards can achieve very good results even with complementary players on their line. Importantly, it also supports the idea that you can build a Here is where the problems begin. Despite its bottom six struggles, winning team with a good mix of impact and complementary players. Winnipeg has a glut of depth players who are at least somewhat useful. When Maurice says players need to distinguish themselves, it’s not an empty statement; I sincerely believe Winnipeg is deep in complementary It’s time to make decisions. Assuming full health, what should Winnipeg players. As a result of this glut, it isn’t possible to give minutes to do? everyone who has value. It’s also not possible to please every fan. What I’m going to propose Copp, meanwhile, is solidly in the third quadrant for all seven categories, comes at the expense of players I believe could be useful in expanded making him a poor man’s Matthias. As the second youngest player left to roles. After all, as we saw in Part 2 of this series, there are players who choose from and arguably the most impactful at even strength and on the can help. PK, I have plenty of time for Copp to fill out the fourth line.

As such, any slights to your depth player of choice come in the hunt for I’ll be honest though. After Part 2 of this series highlighted Copp and “optimal.” Dano’s strengths in terms of shot attempts and High Danger Scoring Chances, it breaks my heart a little not to have both of them make the Line 3: Perreault–Petan–Armia (Playmaker-Balanced-Balanced) final cut.

This should be a little bit contentious. No matter what you think of Petan’s As such, here is a proposed fourth line which assumes Petan is still in skills, it’s tough to look at the goose eggs in his AHL stat line (as a 22 the AHL and Lowry centres the third line: year old, at that) and believe he should be promoted to a skill line. Line 4: Copp–Matthias–Dano (Dependent-Balanced/Dependent- But then, you knew some of this was coming – I saved Perreault for the Dependent) third line in a concerted attempt to push skill deeper into the lineup. As before, everyone left to choose from is Dependent; Copp and Dano In keeping with Stimson’s playing styles, it also ensures there is at least get my pick because they’re the ones who impressed me the most in Part one Playmaker on each of the top three lines. 2 of this series.

Why Petan and Armia? At this stage of the exercise, they are the only Both players excelled at High Danger Scoring Chances while looking like Balanced players left to choose from and we’re fresh out of Playmakers. strong third line players by SAT% and High Danger Scoring Chances. Everyone else is useful but flawed in some way. Lowry and Matthias With a mind toward choosing the most useful forwards left for the Jets border between Balanced and Dependent, Tanev is Dependent with a roster and prizing the fact they are both younger than the less effective hint of Shooter, and Copp and Dano (who I like a lot) both fit the criteria Tanev, Copp and Dano get my vote. of Dependents. Given that Dano hasn’t played since October 27th in Columbus and has In the graphic above, Perreault is the blue polygon which is first quadrant averaged 7:15 ice time in just six games, I think Maurice might disagree. in everything except Shot Volume and Dangerous Shot Contributions. Armia is the green polygon which perfectly covers Perreault’s shooting Line 4 (Expected): Tanev–Hendricks–Matthias (Shooter-Dependent, weaknesses, while Petan is the salmon pink polygon whose biggest Dependent, Balanced-Dependent) strengths are in Transition Play and Dangerous Shot Contributions. As a trio, they have every category covered – largely thanks to Perreault. As much as I’d love Petan to earn that third line job, it’s Lowry’s to lose right now. More than that, I just can’t bring myself to believe that Maurice Do I believe it would work? Absolutely. On paper, these three players will move on from Tanev. As a result, here is a graphic for a fourth line offer very complementary skill sets. Perreault is excellent with respect to Maurice might actually use. zone entries and transition, all three players are at least adequate passers, and Armia can be counted on to generate shots. Looking at the graphic above, it is reasonable to expect that Hendricks and Matthias can move the puck up the ice. They’re both second quartile Do I believe it ever sees the light of day? I really don’t. When healthy, players when it comes to Transition Play (zone entries and assists) and Lowry is Maurice’s choice for third line centre and Petan, despite his skill, that is a good thing. It’s just that I wouldn’t count on them getting much is pointless in three AHL games. done once they get there.

For comparison, here is the third line with Lowry as its centre: And Tanev? He will skate a lot and shoot a lot but I don’t expect much more than that. Owing to Perreault’ skills and Armia’s shooting contributions, the less- optimal but perhaps-more-likely third line looks almost as good as the Let me be clear: I value the human element of hockey. If Tanev skating one I proposed. for miles gives Maurice less anxiety, I can accept that. If Lemieux says Hendricks is a well-loved father figure, then I believe him and I don’t just Strictly in terms of offense, Lowry does nothing that Perreault and Armia accept the concept, I support it. Coaches and players aren’t robots and I can’t do, but thankfully he’s not a total passenger. He has historically don’t believe a graphical efficiency contest should be the only factor that been a second quadrant player in terms of Shot Assists, Total Passing, goes into roster decisions. and Dangerous Shot Contributions – if only just so – and offers more physicality than most of his teammates. Plus, both Armia and Lowry can I just wish it were a little more of one. kill penalties (and Armia can even score while doing so) while Perreault has had success on the power play.

Even though Winnipeg’s second most optimal third line isn’t perfect, I Given the first line’s continued success and my belief in the second line would still be happy to see it on the ice. improving, the following “Optimized” lineup is built on the research I’ve cited throughout this piece. Line 4: Lowry–Matthias–Copp (Balanced/Dependent- Balanced/Dependent-Dependent) Novet tells us that hockey is a strong link game and Sprigings shows a law of diminishing returns in terms of concentrating talent. For these With Petan centering a skill-based third line, the most impactful players reasons, I’ve placed skill deep into the top nine and included some on the the Jets have left are Matthias and Lowry. fourth line as well.

Matthias has been reasonably good at zone entries and at Stimson’s playing styles favours Playmakers, Balanced players, and secondary/tertiary shot assists over the past two seasons – he’s probably Shooters in that order so I have placed at least one Playmaker on each an underrated passer. Lowry, as we’ve discussed, offers physical play line and two Balanced players alongside Perreault on the third line. The and solid contributions to Shot Assists, Total Passing, and Dangerous fourth line takes the best of what’s left. Shot Contributions. Optimal Lines: (xG% from Stimson’s Player Styles) Now you see why keeping Connor on the top line, while being tremendously effective, causes all sorts of problems down the line. With Connor–Scheifele–Wheeler (xG: 54.4%) Lowry and Matthias composing two-thirds of the Jets’ fourth line, there is Ehlers–Little–Laine (xG: 55.4%) precisely one roster spot left on offer and all of Copp, Hendricks, Dano, Tanev, and Lemieux left to compete for it. Perreault–Petan*–Armia (xG: 52.2%)

Why do I give the job to Copp? If you squint hard enough such that Lowry–Matthias–Copp (xG: 44.6%) Lowry and Matthias show as Balanced (as opposed to Balanced- Hendricks, Dano Dependent), the fourth line’s xG maxes at 45.4 percent. The only players left to choose from are Dependents – that xG% isn’t going to get any *Lowry in for Petan/Dano in Lowry’ spot if necessary higher. AHL: Lemieux, Tanev (if he clears), Petan (if necessary.) If Petan produces enough in the AHL (which he should; otherwise we have problems) to earn his call-up, I really like the looks of this roster. If he doesn’t, Winnipeg has adequate depth to cover for him.

I’ve waived Tanev because for all that he brings, he’s 25 and not demonstrably more effective than players like Dano and Copp who are two and three years his junior. I simply don’t believe Tanev does enough to warrant the fear of losing him. Finally, I love Hendricks’ intangibles – I really do – but I’m also just as happy with their effect as the 13th forward as I am with him on the fourth line.

Recall the first/second/third/fourth quartiles in terms of High Danger Scoring Chance % from Part 2. (It’s the closest thing I used to xG%.)

Average 1st quartile HDSC: 59.0%

Average 2ndquartile HDSC: 51.7%

Average 3rd quartile HDSC: 48.0%

Average 4th quartile HDSC: 42.2%

If you make a straight comparison between the lines I’ve created based on Stimson’s research and the HDSC% I used in Part 2 of this series, things look pretty good. Winnipeg’s wealth of Playmakers makes creating three strong lines a distinct possibility – in fact, it looks like the Jets would have a real shot at an exceptionally strong top nine. This obviously depends on Connor’s ability to stay consistent in his role with Scheifele and Wheeler. It also depends a lot on improved results from Ehlers, Little, and Laine on Winnipeg’s second line.

Conclusion:

We’ve long established that the old-school, top six vs. bottom six, skill vs. grit tradition that the Winnipeg Jets employ is inefficient.

In Part 1, we looked into the black-and-white distinction between roles between the big six of Wheeler/Scheifele/Little/Laine/Ehlers/Perreault and everyone else. Using last season’s data to compare Winnipeg’s top six vs. bottom six to the rest of the league, it was clear both groups had room to improve – especially Winnipeg’s third and fourth lines – and this season’s opening games bore that out.

Injuries to Perreault and Lowry has forced Maurice to break from his opening night lines. His use of Connor on alongside Wheeler and Scheifele on the top line has been inspired – that line is humming – and marks a huge departure from Connor’s demotion out of camp. It also speaks to Connor’s character – he owned his demotion, produced in the AHL, and if things continue to go this well for him, he’ll never see the minor leagues again.

In Part 2, we looked more intensely at Winnipeg’s depth players and found the areas where each one might play a bigger role. Lowry, Matthias, and Armia all met expectations, Copp and Dano exceeded them, while Petan confused and Tanev disappointed. What a large group of useful but flawed players Winnipeg has, and as an added bonus, Copp, Petan, and Dano are all 23 or younger. Also, we found that many of them have potential on Winnipeg’s special teams although the disproportionately below average results for the whole team speaks to systemic problems.

In Part 3, we reviewed a great deal of evidence in favour of spreading out Winnipeg’s talent throughout its lineup. By keeping Connor on the first line and using Perreault on the third, we’re able to construct a Jets roster with three genuinely effective lines in terms of their expected goal share.

It will be exceptionally interesting to see what Maurice decides to do once Lowry and Perreault draw back in. In my opinion, Connor has been playing too well on the first line to be demoted. This gives Maurice a tremendous opportunity to experiment with a modern, optimized lineup with skill throughout the roster.

So far Maurice has seized that opportunity. That said, the real test begins this weekend as Lowry comes off the IR. When Perreault follows suit in the weeks to come, we’ll know whether Winnipeg is truly committed to modernizing its 21st century Jets.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081565 Vancouver Canucks ‘We still have to get better at getting to the net and staying in front of the net. On defence, they could hit the stick off to the side more, says Canucks winger Thomas Vanek, here partially screening Buffalo Sabres No offence, but Canucks need to figure things out netminder Chad Johnson. ‘Those are things we're still learning as a group.’

So how again is this team going to score any goals? Jason Botchford Well, they piled up 145 shot attempts in the past two games and they Published: November 3, 2017 took a high number of those attempts in scoring areas. Updated: November 3, 2017 5:03 PM PDT “It’s not a matter of just shooting pucks at the net and hoping they go in,” Green said. “Shot attempts are a big factor in analytics. But scoring chances are one of the stats I look at. The three forwards on the Vancouver Canucks’ top line — Bo Horvat, “Not only have we done a good job generating attempts, but we’ve had a Sven Baertschi and Brock Boeser (left to right) — enjoy what for the lot of scoring chances. When you combine those two numbers, that’s team has been a rarity in the last couple of seasons: putting the puck in important. the net. The newly minted trio have one 20-goal season — Horvat’s — combined. “We have to keep at it.” Forget everything you know. The Canucks are doing more, however, than “keeping at it.” They are tweaking some things that will be obvious and some that won’t. The Canucks can score. Travis Green thinks so. The obvious part came in the Canucks’ power-play work Friday. Brock He said he has a team that could be offensively average, maybe better. Boeser was playing the left circle, which is the old Radim Vrbata spot, with the Sedins. This is a better use of Boeser’s shot and could lead to “I think we do have that, but it’s easy to say,” Green said. good things. If they still stopped the presses, this would have done it. Mostly because The coaching staff also met with players in video sessions to make other he said it and no one laughed. changes. Things have been that bleak here for some time. The Canucks have “It’s been frustrating,” Vanek said. gone from a goal-scoring powerhouse to a punchline. It didn’t even take five years. “I’m actually not a big believer in analytics. I think that’s for baseball. But the way we played last game, there was a lot of ‘Get puck to the D and You think driving in the snow in Vancouver is challenging? You should get to the net.’ see the Canucks trying to score. The goal scoring has been so bad for so long it’s made the Whitecaps jealous. “We still have to get better at getting to the net and staying in front of the net. On defence, they could hit the stick off to the side more. Since 2015, no team has made scoring look harder. For the past three seasons, including this one, the Canucks are averaging 2.24 goals a “Those are things we’re still learning as a group. game. No team has scored less. Let that marinate. And to think people still wonder why there are attendance issues. “We need to figure out the ‘How can we do it?’ ” If you think goals are entertaining, and many of us still do, the Canucks That’s been a question goal scorers have been asking here for years. have been the least entertaining team in hockey, and not for a short period. ‘We ran into a couple of hot goalies, and that happens,’ Canucks coach Vancouver Province: LOADED: 11.04.2017 Travis Green says of the club’s offensive output. ‘You need a longer look at those kind of nights to say whether we just can't score or not.’ But things seem to be changing. In the past two games, the Canucks combined for 81 shots. Yes, those were all on net. Now, they still lost both games and only scored a single goal. There are a couple of ways to look at this. One, the Canucks just played their two best games of the season and still couldn’t score. Two, there is this universal truth in hockey: The teams that shoot the most, score the most. In other words, goals are coming. Hallelujah. “Not only are we playing a good transition game in the offensive zone, but I think we’re defending extremely well,” Green said. “We ran into a couple of hot goalies, and that happens. You need a longer look at those kind of nights to say whether we just can’t score or not. “I don’t believe that (we can’t). We have guys in the room who have scored 20-30 goals. They were snakebitten the other night.” It’s OK to remain skeptical. The three forwards on the Canucks’ top line, and that’s Bo Horvat’s, has one 20-goal season combined. The team’s second line, and that’s Brandon Sutter’s, is being deployed as a matchup, shutdown trio and that seems to be limiting offensive opportunities for Markus Granlund. The current six playing defence combined for a total of 14 goals last season. And the Canucks’ two lines with the forwards who have the most offensive pedigree, including the Sedins and Thomas Vanek, are seeing the least amount of ice time. Plus, the Canucks are 23rd in the league in shot attempts per 60 minutes at even strength, and 21st when it’s 5-on-4. 1081566 Vancouver Canucks Being a consistent threat is part of the development process for any offensively-minded player. It’s clear that Pettersson is gaining confidence and getting more dangerous with each passing game, and he's riding a Elias Pettersson appears to be on the right track with Vaxjo hot streak, with the aforementioned five-point game and a three-point game the week before that.

There will likely be scoring lulls to come, but the expectation for Ryan Biech Pettersson to maintain a point per game pace over the rest of the season isn’t out of the question. 15 hours ago There's plenty to love about Pettersson’s game, and Canucks fans are rightfully excited about his future. His progress in Sweden will continue to be monitored closely. Elias Pettersson has been making waves with some dominant performances in the SHL this week, including a breakout five-point game. The soon-to-be 19-year-old Swede was flying offensively that night and could’ve easily scored another couple goals. The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 So far this season, Pettersson has been playing as a winger at 5-on-5 for the Vaxjo Lakers. This has allowed him to attack from the wall with the puck. He uses his on-ice awareness to spot his teammates as trailers or get in on the forecheck and create turnovers. A couple of his recent goals have been plays where he cuts off a lane because his opponent is being pressured by the other Vaxjo forechecker. Pettersson is then able to get in front of the opposing winger, who is waiting for the puck, and then go to the net. Not known for having a particularly hard shot, he's been able to score with precise shots above the goalie's shoulder. There has been some concern about Pettersson playing the wing, as the Canucks drafted him fifth overall in this past summer's draft to be a centre. But placing a young centre on the wing is quite common in Swedish hockey leagues. Generally, a veteran will be placed in the middle to handle the defensive responsibilities, which enables the dynamic younger forward to do what he does best. This happened last season with Timra, as Pettersson and fellow Canucks prospect Jonathan Dahlen flanked veteran forward Sebastian Lauritzen. Pettersson and Dahlen were able to create the offence while Lauritzen skated up and down the ice trying to keep up with them. The Canucks' long-term view for Pettersson is for him to grow into a top- six centre. But right now he's playing wing in a men’s league, where he's gaining confidence and rounding out his game, which is ultimately what's most important to his development at this time. Pettersson has points in 11 of 15 SHL games. Two of those games where he was held pointless were sandwiched around a game that he missed on Oct. 5. He had been battling an upper-body injury that resulted in him missing that early October game as well as a Champions Hockey League game. Including his first game back from injury, Pettersson has 12 points in eight games. That includes all five of his goals, and he’s seen his ice time steadily increase from 14:12 (Oct. 8) to 21:56 (Oct. 28), which shows how much the team is leaning on Pettersson, who's now fifth in SHL scoring. The average age of the four players above him on the SHL scoring leaderboard is 29, and that includes 23-year-old Michael Lindqvist. So what's the outlook when you compare Pettersson to his peers? With 15 points, Pettersson leads all under-20 players in the SHL by eight points. Chicago Blackhawks prospect Tim Soderlund and 2018 draft- eligible Isac Lundestrom have seven points and have both played more games than Pettersson. And if you look back at top NHL prospects playing in Sweden in their draft plus-one season, Pettersson's early pace stands out even more: One thing to keep an eye on going forward, however, will be Pettersson’s situational point breakdowns: Eight of his fifteen points have come on the power play, which skews a little high accounting for 53 per cent of his total points. But he has been lethal with the man advantage at the right point in a 1-3-1 set up, regularly controlling the play and movement. Overall, primary points make up 87 per cent of Pettersson's production, with the remaining 13 per cent being secondary assists. It shows how much Pettersson is controlling the play and creating offence on his own. Pettersson is averaging 4.49 P/60 in all situations, which leads the SHL: Aside from the over-reliance on the power play and low shot volumes – Pettersson is averaging 1.66 shots per game with a shooting percentage of 20 per cent – his recent offensive outburst, especially considering his ice time, is encouraging to see. Pettersson has 20 points in 19 total games with Vaxjo, as he has also posted five points in six games in the Champions Hockey League. 1081567 Websites It’s incredible how you start to stress. The more you stress, the more you cheat. The more you cheat, the worse it gets. Once that filters into a players’ head, there’s that great phrase ‘paralysis by analysis.’ You’re The Athletic / Duhatschek Notebook: On sophomore slumps, Eberle-for- thinking. You’re seeing more video. You know what you’re not doing, but Strome trade, and scoring increase the harder you try, the worse it gets.” Laine was unusually candid about his own slow start this season at the Jets’ morning skate Thursday, noting that he was finding hockey “really Eric Duhatschek hard” at the moment, but venturing that every player feels that way sometimes and he just needed to work through it. Laine acknowledged 12 hours ago his confidence wasn’t where it needed to be, but he was happy that the team was winning and only wished he could be contributing more to their

overall success. Laine concluded by saying he’d gone through stretches NHL rookie crops are a little bit like wine years in Bordeaux. Some like this before, always came out of it, and predicted he would again. It vintages are just naturally better than others – but pretty much everyone was a mature and thoughtful summation of what he was going through, can agree, 2017 was one of the best years ever. Not only did you have something not many 19-year-olds would be able to articulate as well. Auston Matthews and Patrik Laine at the top vying for the Calder Trophy, For Laine, like the other players searching for their lost confidence, the the quality didn’t diminish until you got 20 to 25 players deep into the solution may well be to relax and play again on instinct, which is how rookie class. they had success in the first place. That’s easier said than done, In any other year, the numbers posted by William Nylander or Mitch according to Ferraro, who believes the modern-day player is taking in so Marner, Zach Werenski or Matthew Tkachuk, even Sebastien Aho to much information all the time that he often has a hard time just exhaling Brayden Point would have had them in serious contention for rookie-of- and clearing his mind. the-year honors. And that didn’t even include all the impact rookie “The thought of doing less and caring less – that goes 180 degrees defencemen we saw – from Ivan Provorov and Brady Skjei to Nikita against everything you do,” Ferraro said. “But in reality, that’s the exit Zaitsev – or the players who didn’t get a full season in the league, but door. You have to find a way to let your instincts take over, which is what made a genuine impact once they arrived (Anthony Mantha; Jake they did as rookies, because they had no expectation. Everything, every Guentzel). place, everybody was new to them last year. And now, you go in and But a sophomore year can be a funny thing. Generally, I abhor the term Patrik Laine does an interview and people ask, ‘why are you struggling?’ “sophomore jinx” as a catch-all to describe the challenges that player Zach Werenski, people are noticing now. Last year, if Werenski started faces in his second year that didn’t affect performance in the first year with no points in 10 games, who would even have noticed? He was just a because it implies it’s mostly a question of bad luck. There’s more to it young kid. I’m almost certain that Zach Werenski is a really good player than that. As we’re seeing this year with another extraordinary NHL who is going to have a great career. But he’s probably doubting himself a rookie class, there is a palpable level of excitement for players when little bit right now, and doubting his decisions, and once you start to everything is giddily new and before reality sinks in — that this is actually doubt, you’ve dug yourself your own little hole that you have to fix. And a job and there’ll be good days and bad days once you settle in as an that takes time. It’s sport. The other guys are trying, too. NHL regular. “Marner, everything went so well for him last year. He played all the The first month of 2017-18 showed a great divide between the games. The power play was great. His line stayed the same. If you think sophomores that have smoothly adapted to change and those that are that’s the way it always is, then you haven’t been following sport. Nothing struggling. And no, it isn’t just Marner having issues. Even though the that happened last year has any real bearing on what happens this. It’s Winnipeg Jets have started well, Laine managed just his seventh point almost like that goofy stat – Team A is 4-11 on Tuesdays. Like who Thursday night against the Dallas Stars (more on Laine in a minute). cares? It doesn’t matter. To expect the same result as last year is Aho, a 49-point producer last year, is still looking for his first goal. nonsense. I’m reading Edmonton saying, ‘we had a 2-7-1 stretch last Werenski snapped a four-game drought by contributing two assists year, and so this is a lot like that.’ Why would that have any bearing on Thursday in a blowout win against Florida, only after coach John this year? It doesn’t. For the guys who had really good years last year, Tortorella told him to try and produce more offence. Skjei had 39 points maybe we think, ‘that’s the norm’ and it’s going to be like that all the time. in 80 games for the Rangers last year, but is stuck at just four this year. But it’s not going to be.” Guentzel, who had 33 points in 40 games after being called up by the THE BEST LAID PLANS Penguins last season and then set all kinds of rookie playoff scoring records, has been moved off Sidney Crosby’s line and has just seven Back in June, when the Islanders and Oilers completed the Ryan points. In short, it isn’t always sweetness and light the second year. Strome-for-Jordan Eberle trade, the assumption was that both players Challenges abound, and in the case of Laine and Werenski, it looks as if would benefit from the change of scenery, largely because of who it teams are simply keying on them more. With Aho, the chances are meant they could play with. Just about everybody penciled Eberle in on coming and not going in. But Aho didn’t score in his first 13 games last the Isles’ top line, alongside John Tavares, because the two had played year and still finished with 24, so there’s hope in Carolina that he will together so well for Canada at the 2009 world juniors. If they could mesh emerge from his early-season funk. so well in a short pressure-packed tournament, how well would it go when they had a chance to develop chemistry over time. Strome, But as TSN analyst Ray Ferraro says, just because things went well for a meanwhile, was thought to be a fit either with Connor McDavid or player last year doesn’t mean everything’s going to fall into place this possibly Leon Draisaitl, depending upon how coach Todd McLellan year. shuffled his lines on any given night. So much for the best-laid plans. “Look at anybody’s hockey card,” said Ferraro, in an interview with The Tavares and Eberle didn’t hit it off right away, so Isles coach Doug Athletic. “There’s good years. There’s bad years. And even in a good Weight reverted to a line that worked so well down the stretch for them – year, there might be a stretch of six weeks where they’re terrible and get Tavares between Josh Bailey and Anders Lee – and they’ve been nothing done. But for these guys, the problem is it’s happening in monstrously successful. Tavares, the soon to be unrestricted free agent, October.” is the catalyst, with 10 goals in his past six games. But Bailey has 14 points in his past eight games, and Lee 13 points in his last seven. Ferraro, who played 1,258 NHL games over 18 seasons and scored 898 career points, says players in their second seasons face far greater All three are in the NHL’s top 20, and much of their success of late has “internal or individual” expectations and it can negatively affect come on the power play – seven goals in the past 14 tries, the three of performance. them, plus Nick Leddy and impressive rookie Mathew Barzal manning the points. The Isles’ PP wasn’t an overnight sensation, but Weight “Last year, those guys don’t know what to expect, so they had no added former NHLer Scott Gomez to his coaching staff in the off-season. expectations,” Ferraro said. “They just wanted to make the team. Pretty Gomez was a creative happy-to-go-lucky character with great vision in soon, they’re three months into the season and things are going pretty his playing days, and some of that seems to have rubbed off on the well and they haven’t even really thought about it. Season finishes; and Islanders play with the man advantage of late. Eberle is now on the Laine had the year he had; Aho had 20 goals unexpectedly; Werenski second PP, but plays even strength with Barzal and Andrew Ladd. was just dynamite for Columbus; but now they’ve got all summer to think Strome is still trying to find a home in the Oilers’ lineup. about it and put expectations on themselves. SHORT TAKES “If you go through a stretch like this in the middle of February, you don’t really notice and the media doesn’t really notice. But it’s happened out of –Scoring was up about half-a-goal-a-game in October compared to last the gate. So here we are, 10 games in, and Aho doesn’t have a goal. year. There are lots of theories as to why that may be, but the most When he picks up the stat sheet before the game – because all the guys logical explanation is the NHL’s crackdown on slashing, which is do – he looks and sees he’s got the same number of goals as the goalie. permitting goal scorers to get cleaner looks in close, without having to worry about having their sticks slashed out of their hands by defencemen, trying to take away a premium scoring chance. –Just because it’s so much fun to type the term “Legion of Doom,” consider this stat: Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov became the first teammates to record 20-plus points in a month since Eric Lindros and John LeClair did it back with the 1995-96 Flyers. Stamkos had 24 points for the month, Kucherov 21. Twenty-one years ago, Lindros went 10-11- 21 in October and LeClair 9-11-20. Mikael Renberg made up the third member of the Flyers’ legendary Legion of Doom line. –Mark Scheifele became the third Jets’ player this season to record a hat trick, when he netted three goals against the Dallas Stars Thursday night. The others: Blake Wheeler and Nikolaj Ehlers. It was always assumed that Winnipeg would score this season. The reason the Jets are off to a better start is that Connor Hellebuyck continues to play lights-out good in goal for them. Hellebuyck has still not lost in regulation (7-0-1) and the win over Dallas made him the first goaltender in franchise history to earn at least a point in eight consecutive decisions to start the season. Winnipeg went out and signed Steve Mason in the off-season to stabilize its goaltending. For now, the answer appears to have been there all along. Hellebuyck just needed time to mature. His 1.92 goals-against average and .938 save percentage may be unsustainable over the course of the season, but Winnipeg’s ability to pile in the goals will create a margin of error, even if the numbers slip slightly. –The Sharks’ Joe Thornton became just the 20th player in NHL history to get to 1,400 points as the Sharks continue to adjust to the post Patrick Marleau era. –With Ryan Getzlaf and Ryan Kesler out with injuries, Anaheim’s top four centres at the moment are Kalle Kossila, Antoine Vermette, Derek Grant and Dennis Rasmussen. You could argue that with Patrick Eaves, a 32- goal scorer last season, and Cam Fowler, a 25-minute per night defenceman, also out, the Ducks are missing four of their top eight players. Not many teams could survive that sort of carnage and stay competitive. –Once Edmonton wraps up its five-game homestand with Sunday’s game against the visiting Detroit Red Wings, they make a tour of the New York teams, starting with the Isles and ending with the Devils, which means they get to see their former teammate Taylor Hall twice in a six- day span. It’s also their first chance to face Eberle.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081568 Websites Another reason, former teammate Sidney Crosby said, is good genes. Matt comes from a hockey family; both his brothers, Mark and Joe, played professionally, and his dad was a terrific player and coach. The Athletic / How 20-year NHL veteran Matt Cullen defied odds and But maybe the biggest reason Matt has yet to be bounced from the discovered the fountain of youth getting-younger, getting-quicker NHL is because, simply, he’s such a good person. He’s willing to be a fourth-liner at this stage in his career with a specialty in penalty killing, and NHL executives want his leadership Michael Russo 21 hours ago planted inside their locker rooms. “He’s always taken such good care of himself,” said Penguins General Manager Jim Rutherford, who also had Matt twice in Carolina. EDINA, Minn. – Matt Cullen seriously can’t catch a break. “Everything from what he puts in his body, to how he prepares his body and his determination. And he’s also found a niche position for a team. Famously, his wife, Bridget, was so mystified during his first run with the He can skate, he can play up in the lineup, and the specialty teams are Wild by one of his turnovers that she sat in a darkened living room until so important to teams, and he’s good at it. Everything him and his family the wee hours of the morning waiting for Matt to walk in the front door does is special, and it’s about ‘we,' it’s not about ‘I.’” from Dallas. The second he tiptoed in, Bridget cued up the DVR and wanted to know what her husband could possibly be thinking. The first time Matt did a food sensitivity test was after his 17th season in the NHL – the summer before he arrived in Pittsburgh. “Hey, it worked,” Bridget said this week. He wasn’t feeling the greatest at the end of his tenure with the Nashville “Yeah, I’ve never made a mistake since then,” Matt said. Predators, and after the test, he decided to cut out dairy and gluten. “Well, not that bad. That was like a bad one. I mean, it was a goal. “I was so mad because I loved cream and butter,” Matt said. “But two Usually, you cough it up and not much happens,” Bridget told her weeks later, I felt so good. I felt better than I knew I could feel.” soulmate since 17 years old. Matt joined the Penguins and quickly aligned with Andy O’Brien, the Well, like mother, like sons. former Florida Panthers strength and conditioning coach who is the Turns out their three boys take after mom, especially 7-year-old Joey, Penguins’ director of sport science and performance. O’Brien has been who greeted his hero at the front door during last year’s Eastern well-known in NHL circles for years for training NHL stars like Crosby and Conference Final with, “Dad, you suck!” because the then-Pittsburgh John Tavares. Penguin fired a slap shot at a yawning net well wide during a pivotal Matt has long been fascinated with nutrition and how it correlates to moment. training and performance. He looked up to teammates like Paul Kariya, This past summer, Matt, who celebrated his 41st birthday and 1,500th Bret Hedican and Doug Weight because they took such good care of NHL game Thursday by scoring a goal and assist in the Wild's 6-3 win themselves. He read a ton of books because, as soon as he turned pro, over the Montreal Canadiens, found his old 2006 Carolina Hurricanes he figured out quickly that if he planned to do this for a living, he should championship DVD. His boys had never seen him play for the Hurricanes learn how to get a step ahead of his opponents. because not even Brooks, the oldest at age 11, was born yet. To this day, he reads weekly studies on nutrition and supplements. “They watched the whole video and were like, ‘Woah, Woah, Woah,' and Matt Cullen takes dozens of supplements daily. (Credit: Margo LaPanta) they were so into it,” Matt said, laughing. “Afterward, this little fireball, Joey, says, ‘Dad, no offense, but you were a lot better back then.’ Do you When he got to Pittsburgh, he learned that Crosby, a future Hall of Famer believe that?” and three-time Cup champ, also eats gluten-free and dairy-free. “Well, you were,” Joey said. “Andy and I, we’re a similar age, so we got along and we talked a lot and we have a lot of likeminded ideas and we’re both really into it,” Matt said. “Yeah, kids can be very humbling,” Bridget said. “So, I was kind of the guinea pig in doing all this testing and then trying Matt Cullen gets pointers from his family when he makes a mistake at all this stuff. Andy’s one of the most unique guys that I’ve ever worked work — even from youngest son, Joey. (Credit: Margo LaPanta) with because he has the training aspect unbelievably down, but then he has the whole nutrition and supplement side of it down, too. He studies Growing up, few people envisioned Matt playing in the NHL, let alone and knows more about it than anybody I’ve ever met. I’ve probably skating for 20 seasons and becoming one of 35 players in the history of learned more in my last two years in Pittsburgh than I’ve learned in my the league to play until at least age 41. entire career. Not even his high school coach – his own father, Terry, who grew up “And I just felt really good. Through the playoffs is when I really felt the playing hockey in International Falls and coached Minnesota high school huge sort of surge of energy. And, so this year now, I think they have a hockey for 21 years in Gilbert, Roseau, Virginia and Moorhead – thought lot of the team going through that and are making that switch. So, all the his oldest of four children could pull off this impressive feat. food that the Penguins have at their facility is now gluten and dairy free.” Neither did former NHLer Mark Parrish – Matt’s childhood and high In fact, last week when the Penguins were in Minnesota, Crosby, Patric school rival who became his linemate at St. Cloud State – nor any of Hornqvist, Ian Cole and Carl Hagelin came over to the Cullens house for Parrish’s friends. dinner. Bridget prepared a feast for Matt’s ex-teammates and a special gluten-free, dairy-free meal for Crosby. “And we don’t even feel bad saying that because he’s rubbing it in by still playing, and he’s got three Cups,” said Parrish, who carved out a solid “And all the rest of the guys’ faces turned red,” Bridget said. “I said, 216-goal, 722-game NHL career. “Of all of us ’95 grads – myself, Erik ‘What?’ They said, ‘We don’t want to hurt your feelings, but we’re all dairy Rasmussen, Wyatt Smith and Mike Anderson, and granted I only beat free.’ So, I was peeling the cheese off the food, and then they all had him by like a step, Cully was the slowest by far of the five of us. their Ziploc bags full of their stuff.” “He’s always had his lateral motion. His lateral movement has always That “stuff” is all geared toward gut health. Matt, for one, takes a daily been lightning quick. He can turn on a dime. He’s shifty as can be, that’s regimen of literally dozens of pills full of herbs, supplements and oils. one of his tricks with his stickhandling that blows my mind. But he never really had the north-south. Well now all of a sudden, he’s got this north- How does he remember what he has and hasn’t taken? “I’ve got it down. south thing, too. It’s just incredible to me. I think he found the fountain of Oh, I’ve got it down,” Matt said, laughing. youth, and he is selfish because he’s not sharing. There’s your basic multivitamins. Then, there’s things like turmeric, “The way Cully has just evolved, it just seems the guy’s like Benjamin Glutamine, Maca-3, ProbioMax and other enzymes to help digest food. Button. He’s aging backwards for crying out loud.” “Helping your gut health allows you to digest food better and use Matt has played this long in the NHL for many reasons. everything that you’re eating,” Matt said. Few players are more committed to offseason training and daily nutrition Matt Cullen said all the supplements he takes are approved by the than Matt, something he opened up about during a wide-ranging league. (Credit: Margo LaPanta) interview with The Athletic earlier this week. He’s still playing because he He doesn’t push this way of life on his new Wild teammates. But if turned his perceived weakness – skating – into one of his biggest teammates have questions, he’s there to teach. Linemate Daniel Winnik strengths. has been the most curious, Matt said. “This approach has served me well over the years. I try to be open to and then, … Brian Bonin is a perfect example. He was a ‘can’t miss,’ I new ideas and try to improve the way I do things,” Matt said. “So many thought. I mean, he stuck out and was a hell of a hockey player at the people get caught in a rut, like, this is how you do it. But I never wanted University of Minnesota. And we would’ve all bet a lot of money that he to be that old guy saying, ‘This is how it’s always done,’ because those would’ve made it, right?” are the guys that seem to get pushed from the league.” Bonin played 12 NHL games. By the way, Matt said with a laugh, the ingredients in each bottle have been league approved. “So, it’s so hard,” Terry said. “There’s so many things that can go wrong. And to be able to have the kind of career Matt’s had is just an absolute There’s no concern of Matt Cullen, he says, testing positive for blessing. So many things have to go right. And God knows he did his performance-enhancing drugs. part. He took good care of himself, he works hard. God knows he wasn’t blessed with the best speed, but here he is at 41, I think one of the best “I don’t have any muscle to show for this,” he said, laughing. skaters on the ice most nights. Matt’s offseason workouts are “second to none” and “legendary” with his “So, you know, he’s worked at it. He’s done his part. But I guess there’s friends, especially Parrish, who says Cullen’s ability to be the NHL’s been a lot of help from above getting there because so many things can second-oldest player “is a testament to his work ethic and process of happen.” sticking with his routine over the years.” Matt Cullen with his dad, Terry, after winning the Cup in 2016. (Credit: Bluntly, Parrish said, “That’s what gets a lot of us. That’s what got me. Michael Russo/The Athletic) And, that was at 35.” As kids in their unfinished basement every night after dinner, Matt and Parrish still remembers the summer of 2012 when he unofficially retired. Mark, now 39, would be teammates against Terry and Joe, the youngest “I knew I wasn’t pushing myself hard enough, and I just knew I didn’t Cullen brother who is now 36. want to,” Parrish said. “I just didn’t have anything left. I remember the last “We would play, and the losers would have to make the winners day. I was going skate with [local skating coach] Barry Karn, you know, chocolate malts,” Terry said. “I still remember the day Joe came up to me just skate, maintenance stuff. It would have taken 40 or 45 minutes. Not and said, ‘I don’t want to be on your team anymore. I want to be on cardio. Not nothing. I opened up the back of my truck and I looked at my Matt’s.' I still tell him I haven’t forgiven him to this day for that one.” hockey equipment and I looked at my golf clubs and I looked at my hockey equipment and I looked at my golf clubs. Matt remembers that day, too. “I called up my wife [Nicholle] and said, ‘Nick, where are ya?’ She goes, “I was 11 or 12, Joe was 7 or 8,” Matt said. “It was a proud moment for ‘On my way to the golf course.’ I go, ‘I’m gonna be there in 20 minutes.’ I me when Joe made the switch.” got there, and she goes, ‘So, I guess you’re retiring then?’ “They loved to play, and we all did,” Terry said. “Cully’s ability to not just keep his edge for that part of his game, for the process, for the hard work, for the gritty, grimy work, the stuff that nobody Terry was and is Matt’s hockey hero. sees on camera, the summer job as a lot of the guys like to call it, but to Terry grew up in International Falls, Minn., as one of seven siblings – six evolve and to change that process, that’s what impresses me the most. brothers and a sister, including Terry’s identical twin, Tim. “He just flat out enjoys it, which is incredible to me to have that kind of Sadly, three months ago, Terry and Tim lost their third of four brothers. mental fortitude to push yourself to stay at that level physically at age 41. He just likes that part of the entire process of being a hockey player.” Terry and Tim loved playing hockey. Parrish shakes his head and utters a couple sarcastic curse words. “We were late developers, but we had good hockey sense,” Terry said. Moorhead legend Dennis Bushy, 70, has been involved in youth hockey They played three years of junior college at International Falls and at the in Moorhead — which is 230 miles west of the Twin Cities — for 40 years same time would cross the bridge over to Fort Frances, Ontario, to play and runs the rink there. He watches Matt’s workouts up close and junior hockey for the Fort Frances Royals. That meant they played for personal every offseason. two teams all winter long. “I’ll tell you, that man works his butt off,” Bushy said. “He’s in the weight They went on to Concordia College in Moorhead, then to the Green Bay room, on the turf on the north rink and after that gets on the ice and they Bobcats to play semi-pro. They both went on to successful high school have pickup games four days a week in the summer. He goes after it. coaching careers with Tim coaching in Alexandria and Fergus Falls. He’s a warrior. He’d be a great guy to have in the foxhole with you, I’ll tell you that.” Terry had three boys and a girl, Tim three girls and a boy. Parrish loves to joke that he wasn’t a fan of Matt growing up as a peewee “Terry was No. 9, a center. His left wing was No. 10, Tim,” Matt said. and bantam. “They’re hilarious. They’ll wear almost the identical stuff to things without even seeing each other or talking before. It’s spooky. I still remember Parrish grew up in the Bloomington system, Matt in Moorhead, “and I digging through my dad’s closet and finding all his old jerseys and trying never could get the puck from that little No. 9 lefty.” them on. It was so cool.” In high school – Parrish at the dynasty that was Jefferson, Matt at There’s no doubt Cullen credits his career to his family. Moorhead – the two developed a personal rivalry. Anytime somebody lauds him for his longevity or skating prowess, he’ll Parrish scored his first high school goal at Moorhead and his Jaguars immediately point out it was training with brothers Mark and Joe that beat Matt’s Spuds in the 1994 state championship game. But then they helped shape him every step of the way. wound up at St. Cloud State together. “We didn’t even have a skating coach,” Matt said. “We’d just skate and “I’ve wanted to hate him my entire life, then I became his teammate and train together and pull out an old video camera and watch our strides and three days in, I was in love with the guy because he’s the nicest guy on analyze it together. I owe them everything.” Earth,” Parrish said. “He’s just the consummate professional, and he does it with a smile on his face. It really pisses me off. He’s such a good *** person.” Matt does pinch himself. Terry says that all comes from his ex-wife, Matt’s mom, Nancy. He still remembers his first game on Oct. 28, 1997, when the young, not- “She’s a great mother,” Terry said. “He’s always had and he’s always so-grizzled, brown-haired 20-year-old walked into the storied Maple Leaf been a good boy. I’m not kidding. We were well aware of the fact that we Gardens with the formerly named Mighty Ducks of Anaheim for his NHL were so blessed to have such a good kid to show the example for the debut. other three.” Ted Drury – Chris’ brother – was one of his linemates. Teemu Selanne In a small house in Moorhead 30 years ago, nobody could have was at the start of a 52-goal season. Current Wild development coach envisioned that Matt would carve out a 20-year NHL career that would Richard Park was a teammate, as was Sean Pronger – Chris’ brother – include three Stanley Cup rings. future Avs coach Joe Sacco and the late Ruslan Salei. “As a high school coach, I thought I had a pretty good idea of talent, and I On Matt’s first shift, he was out against Mats Sundin. Matt lost the talked to his mother [Nancy] a lot about that we don’t know if he’ll play faceoff, and the Maple Leafs almost scored. Division I hockey,” Terry, 66, said. “You see so many really good players, “Then we changed. It was a short shift,” Matt said, laughing. Thirty-seven days after Matt’s NHL debut, a baby was born in Chesterfield, Mo. His name was Luke Kunin, Matt’s linemate in for Kunin's NHL debut last month. “It’s amazing,” Kunin said. “It really is.” What’s that say about Matt Cullen? “That I’m old?” Matt interrupted. “You instantly feel a lot older when you bring up the young group of guys. It’s actually a lot of fun. It really does help you feel young and help keep the young energy, the excitement. I remember my first Bushy, who used to coach all the Cullen boys, is extremely close with the family and even attended the Stanley Cup Final the past two years as Matt’s guest. “I still remember when he was a young bantam, we were playing Wadena, I had to help Matt pull the jersey over his head,” Bushy said. “I said, ‘Remember this now when you’re playing in the NHL and make sure you buy me a brand new car.’ He just giggled. I remember that to this day, and look at him now. Twenty years in the NHL. Forty-one years old. “Matt used to be the first one on the ice and the last one off, and the last one out of the locker room.” For the record, Matt never did buy Bushy the car, but Moorhead’s hockey ambassador and USA Hockey’s William Thayer Tutt Award recipient last summer said, “Matt’s given me a lot of happiness, much more than any car would have ever given me.” Matt once again claims this season is probably his last in the NHL. Of course, he said that three years ago in Nashville and the past two years in Pittsburgh. “I just don’t want him to get his roots too deep into Minneapolis, because we want him back here in Moorhead with his wife and three boys,” Bushy said. “With that nice house he’s built, I think he’ll be back here. He better be.”

The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081569 Websites St. Louis: Model still underrates them, but the Blues are looking much better than expected so far, especially without Robby Fabbri for the season. The Athletic / NHL Trends: A look at who's up and who's down after the Coldest Teams first month of the season Buffalo Sabres

Last Month Strength: 0.464 Dom Luszczyszyn Current Strength: 0.442 15 hours ago This year was supposed to be different. This year was supposed to be the year Buffalo takes a step forward. Instead, it’s been more of the The end of every month is a great time to look back and reflect on the same. In fact, it might even be worse because of the expectations. previous month of hockey and see which way teams and players are They’re still a dreadful team at 5-on-5 and have actually dropped in most trending. A one month sample is usually obfuscated by hot and cold meaningful categories since last season and their biggest strength, the streaks, so it’s valuable to find ways to separate the signal from the power play, has evaporated in a trail of shorthanded goals. Sam Reinhart noise. Those at the extreme ends of the spectrum also make for some and Kyle Okposo have been the biggest disappointments so far, but this great stories. team is full of players not far behind with the play of Evander Kane and Jason Pominvlle being the lone bright spots. Thursday night’s win over The end of October is an especially interesting time because all we have Arizona might’ve been a turning point – or it could’ve just been a win is a small sample of games and our pre-season perception to compare it against another bad team just like them. to. The Athletic has a model we use for projections and probabilities that are updated daily and this is the first look at how much has changed Montreal Canadiens under the hood since the season started. Last Month Strength: 0.536 Our season preview series offered a snapshot of how and why each Current Strength: 0.515 team was rated the way it was and this is an opportunity to provide further context as the season progresses: an update on how valuable the No surprise that Montreal lands here: no team has been more model sees each player and how much that’s changed over the last disappointing this season than the Habs. Even if you were skeptical of month. It’ll hopefully be an interesting sneak peek at how the model the Canadiens – and many were – most people still thought they could operates and how much perception changes from month-to-month, and be competitive (and this model thought they could be much more than it’s a question many have asked after seeing the daily probabilities that). They haven’t been. That all falls on Carey Price right now. It’s not operate. all his fault, obviously, but he’s the reason this team has hope every season. This season he’s the reason they have none. They obviously What you’re getting is two articles in one. The first looks at the teams and have their scoring issues, but we knew that going into the season. The players that have made the biggest changes from where they were constant would be they had a superstar goalie who could mask those during the pre-season. The second is a brief run through of each team problems. Price hasn’t had been able to hide anything so far. I don’t with accompanying charts looking at how each player’s value has doubt he can return to form, but with the hole they dug it may already be changed over the last month – an appendix of sorts that covers all 31 too late. teams for those that want to take a deeper dive into every team or simply curious about their own. (S/T to Tyler Dellow for the great idea from this Honourable Mentions: post, although I’m on the record as a Julius Honka Truther). Pittsburgh Penguins: The Stanley Cup hangover is very real right now as Hottest Teams the team sits with a minus-14 goal differential despite an 8-5-2 record. Back-to-backs are killing them. Los Angeles Kings Arizona Coyotes: The league’s worst team in October is falling fast, just Last Month Strength: 0.491 not as quickly as some other teams. They should have a better record Current Strength: 0.516 than they currently do. The most impressive thing about the Kings first month of the season is Appendix: How each team's strength has changed over the last month. that they basically did it without their first-line-calibre second line centre, Most Valuable Players Jeff Carter, who played in just six of their first 13 games. No matter, the team is clicking like the last three seasons never happened. Anze Kopitar Dustin Brown, LA is back to playing like a top 10 centre, Dustin Brown (see below) is playing like an elite winger, Drew Doughty is on another level, too, and Last Month GSVA: 0.61 wins then there’s Jonathan Quick who’s been spectacular with a just barely Current GSVA: 1.25 wins under .940 save percentage (he’s only been above .920 once in his career). The Kings are running a bit high on percentages, but it’s clear Who is this Dustin Brown and what has he done with the actual Dustin this is a very different team than before, one that most of the hockey Brown? He’s playing at a point-per-game rate with a near even split for world greatly underestimated before the season started. Perhaps most goals and assists, and is taking 3.4 shots per game, a mark he hasn’t surprisingly, they’re actually fun to watch, too. been anywhere near in about nine years. He’s playing over 21 minutes (!) per night, something he hasn’t done in five seasons, and why wouldn’t Tampa Bay Lightning you when he’s playing like this. A resurgent Brown has been a big part of Last Month Strength: 0.526 a resurgent Kings, except this is more than that – he’s playing at a rate he’s never shown before. He’s nearly doubled his value in one month, Current Strength: 0.549 the biggest spike for October. He’s been a 30-point player the past four seasons and it sure looked like he was finished (with a disastrous According to The People, the Lightning are the unquestioned vote for the contract to boot), and while it’s unlikely this continues all season, it sure league’s current best team and it’s hard to disagree. They’re getting there seems like he’s found another gear. thanks to the performance of their superstars, but also because their younger players have taken big leaps. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Josh Anderson, CBJ Kucherov rightfully get all the fanfare, but Brayden Point has also played at a point-per-game pace and their linemate Vladislav Namestnikov isn’t Last Month GSVA: 0.46 wins far behind either. On defence, Mikhail Sergachev has been a revelation, Current GSVA: 1.03 wins much better than expected (he’s outscoring Jonathan Drouin!) offsetting the one signing we won’t mention that many expected could set the Anderson went to the 11th hour in his contract stand-off with the Blue Lightning back. Pretty much everything is clicking for the Lightning right Jackets, eventually signing the day before the season started. I didn’t get now and they’re on the right path to Cup contention. Sure seems like why he was even in a stand-off because he hadn’t proved much in the very few teams can stop them. NHL yet (he eventually took what Columbus offered so he could play), but he wanted to bet on himself with a shorter deal and clearly he knew Honourable Mentions: what he was capable of. He’s off to a hot start this season with eight Columbus Blue Jackets: Last year was no fluke, this team is proving points in his first 11 games, a sterling 56 possession rate and is being they’re the real deal. Model thinks they’re next best after Pittsburgh and handsomely rewarded for his efforts averaging 19 minutes of ice-time Tampa Bay. over his last three. He’s become an important part of Columbus’s forward group and has moved up to the top line with Artemi Panarin and Nick Foligno. The trio have been excellent since being united, and Anderson has been a big part of that. Honourable Mentions: Pavel Buchnevich, NYR: Every Rangers fan who screamed “play Buchnevich more!” last season is yelling “see!” this season. Vladislav Namestnikov, TBL: Does any player in hockey have a better gig then the guy who gets to play with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov? No, but Namestnikov is good on his own terms, too. Least Valuable Players Tyler Johnson, TBL Last Month GSVA: 1.42 wins Current GSVA: 1.08 wins The Lightning are flying high right now, but Tyler Johnson is going in the complete opposite direction. Before the season, and for much of the last few seasons, he’s looked like an upper tier second line centre and was paid handsomely for it in the summer, but he hasn’t played the part so far. His seven points in 14 games are largely underwhelming, his Corsi and individual shot rate has dropped in three straight seasons and he’s seen a big minute reduction as a result. I don’t see the situation getting much better for Johnson in the foreseeable future either as Brayden Point has outright stolen his job. Mitch Marner, TOR Last Month GSVA: 1.79 wins Current GSVA: 1.33 wins Auston Matthews has taken his game to the next level. William Nylander has done the same. Mitch Marner is on the fourth line. Development isn’t linear and Marner is experiencing a bit of a sophomore slump this season unlike the other two members of The Big Three. He hasn’t looked like himself much this year. He's scoring under half-a-point per game and is playing two minutes fewer than last season. Much will be made about his defence and an ugly minus-10, but he’s actually been much better at possessing the puck and it’s probably not his fault his goalies stop under 85 percent of shots when he’s out there. The low on-ice shooting percentage should turn around soon and his game will follow, but it was a very forgettable October for one of the league’s brightest young stars. Honourable Mentions: Jason Spezza, DAL: Averaging under 13 minutes per game and has just five assists in 13 games. Not an ideal start and not totally surprising since he’s no longer on Dallas’s top power play. Conor Sheary, PIT: Life ain’t so easy when Crosby isn’t going at his usual pace. Last season was probably a little too good to be true for Sheary though.

The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081570 Websites “I feel terrible for him because he’s working hard, he’s positive, he does and says all the things that you want to hear from a guy, but we’re still finding ways to put him in tough spots. When a guy’s not feeling his best, The Athletic / Basu: Price will come out of this, the question is when I don’t know how he’s feeling mentally or whatever, but you’ve got to do your best to help him out and give him chances to succeed. We’re not giving our goalies enough chances to succeed.” Arpon Basu Price has a 3-7-1 record, .877 save percentage and 3.77 goals-against average this season. He is one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL right 9 hours ago now, based on those numbers. But we’ve seen this before, very recently. From Dec. 22 to Jan. 21 of last season, Price went 3-5-3 with an .887 save percentage and 3.42 goals-against average. He allowed 38 goals in WINNIPEG – It is probably a helpless feeling. 11 games over that span; he’s allowed 39 goals in 11 games over this The Canadiens have a ton of things they need to work on to dig one. The obvious difference is this is the start of a new season, and the themselves out of this 4-8-1 start to the season, and they went about that numbers have nowhere to hide, nothing to cushion the blow. work Friday. Over the remainder of last season, after Jan. 21, Price had a .928 save They began practice working on zone exits, as simply as you possibly percentage in 27 games. So it is not exactly impossible to imagine he can. Puck stopped behind the net, a defenceman picks it up, passes it up won’t figure it out. In fact, it is all but assured that he will. to a winger on the wall, he chips to a forward in support, and away they But when? How? Does he need time off to perfect his technique? Can he go. Over and over again, something all these players have done since be allowed to play through this with the hope his teammates will carry they were 10 years old. him in the meantime? How exactly do you allow a goalie to find his They moved on to an equally simple offensive zone drill which game? Any other player can work his way through a slump knowing his emphasized finding tips in the slot and in front of the net. Over and over teammates can pick up the slack. If he’s a goal scorer, other players can again. Repetition. Simplicity. score. It can be comforting at a time like this, getting down to basics. Price does not have that luxury. His position dictates that he play. The team is built that way, any team is, because there’s a reason why backup Except there was one player missing from practice, and that one player goalies are paid less than starters. overshadows everything the Canadiens are working on, everything they hope to achieve resting on his shoulders. Fair or not, that’s the reality, The Canadiens season is hanging by a thread in early November. They and the Canadiens can work on perfecting those little details in their need their best player to figure things out quickly. game all they want. And now he’s injured. It won’t matter much if Carey Price doesn’t perfect the little details in his.

Price missed practice with a minor lower-body injury. I only mention the The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 word “minor” because Claude Julien emphasized it in both languages as he announced the news after practice. It is a minor injury, Price is day to day, breathe. Al Montoya will start Saturday at the Winnipeg Jets, Charlie Lindgren will back him up, and Price will sit out. The way he has played of late, this news was not received as the bombshell it normally would be. “I have no concern about the fact Carey will find his game and will be a big part of our success,” Julien said. “We know he’s going through a tough time, we won’t hide it. No one is hiding from it. But we know what kind of goalie he is. Unfortunately, a forward or a defenceman can go through something like this and it’s always a little harder to tell because he’s not the last person left to stop a goal. So when it’s a goalie, it’s obviously always worse.” It is indeed worse, in so many ways. Because the Canadiens confidence as a team flows out from their crease. And when that tap is shut off, we can blatantly see the result. Except as obvious as that elephant in the room is, talking openly about Price’s struggles has almost become taboo among a group that has gained so much from his greatness. They owe him so much, not only do they hesitate to talk openly about his difficulties, they want to help him get through it more than anything in the world. And when they can’t, when they can’t outscore the mistakes, it becomes frustrating and it can snowball. The emperor has no clothes, as it were, and everyone wants to compliment the cut of his suit. Karl Alzner is not necessarily someone willing to point out the nudity, but as a newcomer he seems a little more willing to admit that watching what is happening to Price this season is difficult, even within the context of the team’s overall troubles. Alzner, as a defensive defenceman, saw the opportunity of playing in front of Price as a big plus when he signed with the Canadiens, though the five years and $23.125 million he was offered was ample enough reason to make that decision. Regardless, the belief in Alzner’s mind was that he would help an elite goalie and make his job easier. It seemed like a perfect fit. Now this. “Everything is a product of your teammates and the way that we’re playing. Unfortunately for him, he’s the guy,” Alzner said. “He’s the last line. He’s the most recognizable guy on the team, the guy that’s really electrified the franchise over the last 10 years or whatever it’s been. So it’s tough, tough for us especially as d-men because we take so much responsibility in how the goalie's numbers end up being and how they’re playing. 1081571 Websites the executive. “Is this a guy who makes other people better? He’s a talented player and he’s played with talented players. But I like Nyquist.”

Inconsistency is a word that came up often on Nyquist. The Athletic / Custance: What's the trade value for Red Wings forward Gustav Nyquist? “That’s the question I’ve always had on him,” said another Western Conference exec. “He’s a talented player but he doesn’t have a ton of size or strength … everybody probably still looks for him to be that 20- Craig Custance goal scorer he was a few years ago and he hasn’t seemed to get back to that level.” 18 hours ago If a team is trading for Nyquist, it’s because it believes he’s going to be a 20-goal scorer. That’s where he’s slotted in the salary structure. First, let’s start with a bit of reality so as not to create any unnecessary One assistant GM pointed out that while Nyquist’s cap hit is fairly rumors. The Red Wings are not actively shopping winger Gustav Nyquist reasonable at $4.75 million this year and next year, his actual salary is on right now. He also has trade protection in his contract. the higher end. His actual salary increases to $5.5 million next season as part of an escalating contract. For a big-market salary cap team that’s not They’re still trying to win games and moving someone from their top a huge issue, but if you’re a smaller-market team with an internal budget (depending on how you feel about the Dylan Larkin trio) line might not be it becomes a consideration. the best route. “His contract might be a little rich based on the contract, not the cap,” But we’re getting to a point where NHL general managers are starting to said the assistant GM. “It’s all about the role you’re going to put him in do internal assessments about their teams. We’re getting to a point and the players you’re going to play him with. The guy is intriguing where young players who were given opportunities to seize a job have because of his skill and his contract is not terrible.” either done it or shown they’re probably not ready yet. That’s a pretty good assessment of the contract. It’s not terrible. “Teams that feel like they’re underperforming might be looking (to make a move),” said one NHL general manager on Thursday. As for the return, one GM suggested that the Red Wings' preference might be to get a younger defenseman they can plug into their lineup. “I think now, guys are starting to call again,” said an assistant GM on The problem is that the going rate for a good, young defenseman in Thursday about the trade market. return for a winger is typically someone with a much higher end than Nyquist. That’s why you still can’t rule out an Andreas Athanasiou trade – And if that activity starts to pick up as Red Wings GM Ken Holland’s he might be the preferred winger for teams with a defenseman to move. annual roster evaluation deadline of Thanksgiving closes in, winger Gustav Nyquist may be a guy who garners interest. But there’s definitely value there. Maybe it increases if the Red Wings retain some of the salary. Maybe it increases if Nyquist can get hot and He might have been a trade candidate in the summer but he was coming take advantage of his ice time with Zetterberg. off a second consecutive subpar offensive season and the Red Wings weren’t eager to sell low on their underperformers from a year ago. The At the very least, it becomes an area for Red Wings management to plan instead was to get into the season, let the players re-establish their explore if they continue to tread water in the middle of the standings. value and assess where the team is from there.

Well, it’s getting close to that point. With another loss on Thursday, the team is who we thought it was. Slightly more losses than wins. Slightly The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 more goals allowed than scored. Some good young players, solid goaltending. They’ll probably hang around just close enough to a playoff spot to make it interesting. The better news is that Nyquist has shown signs of being more engaged offensively. He’s scoring goals at a rate that would put him back over 20 for the season. He’s getting opportunity on a line with Henrik Zetterberg and Tomas Tatar that should keep his point production at a number that will be intriguing to opposing general managers. He has four goals, a milestone he didn’t hit until Nov. 23 last season. Goal No. 5 didn’t come until Jan. 12 last season. “People always look at goals and assists,” said teammate Justin Abdelkader. “(Nyquist) does a lot of other good things for us. He creates matchup problems, he can really skate, back defensemen off. He’s really strong on the puck. You’re going to have years where maybe the bounces aren’t going your way, pucks aren’t going in as much.” Those probably aren’t the years to trade a guy. But as the Red Wings transition to a younger team, with wingers on the way in Grand Rapids, this has to be a consideration as Nyquist nears the end of his contract after next season (more on that in a sec). The interesting question is what kind of trade value does Nyquist have at this point in his career? He’s shown flashes of being a high-end offensive player but also goes long stretches without producing. What do executives around the league think? “I’ve always kind of liked him. He provides an element on their team of hockey sense, speed, ability to make a play and he’s that good skill player – not great skill player,” said an Eastern Conference executive. “It’s really hard to find skill. It’s really, really hard to find skill guys who can play in the NHL. I would think there would be some takers.” A Western Conference executive said that he likes players who have come up through the Red Wings system. Nyquist has been taught to play the right way by high-end players, so if you’re trying to win, he's a guy who understands the demands. But he also wondered how much of his offensive production is a result of playing with those high-end players. “He’s been inconsistent. When you’re playing with (Pavel) Datsyuk, (Nicklas) Lidstrom and (Henrik) Zetterberg, you’re a better player,” said 1081572 Websites of the question, but I’m pretty comfortable saying Laine’s still getting 40 this year if he stays healthy. That shot is just too lethal.

Falling Leafs The Athletic / Bourne's notebook: (Carey) Price check, Tkachuk uses edgework to burn Crosby, Laine is fine, eh Some thoughts: The Leafs defence simply isn't good enough for Jake Gardiner to be this bad — it's suspect even when he's his possession-dominant self. Justin Bourne Thursday night in Los Angeles, both he and Nikita Zaitsev were a tire fire, 14 hours ago particularly in the first period. If he continues to play like this, they need to make a trade to shore up the back-end.

Curtis McElhinney is kinda screwed. He barely gets the crease, and When it rains, it pours, and my word, is it coming down in sheets on when he does, it's the back-to-backs for an already defensively dicey Carey Price these days. As a forward, when you lose your confidence, team. I mean, he has a contract and it's a business and yada yada yada, weird stuff starts to happen on your chances. You rush shots, or you but with two very good AHL goalies behind him — Sparks is among the hesitate a quarter second too long, and the puck finds new and creative AHL's best once again, statistically — and being given little chance to ways to stay out of the net. succeed … what do you think the odds are that he's the Leafs backup in playoffs? 50 percent? Less? With goalies, pucks find new and creative ways to sneak in when they shouldn't. And to me, that's where it looks like Price is at. Look at these Roman Polak is kind of a Thing, at this point. At this point it feels like three goals from Thursday night, all of which were Grade A chances, Babcock drew his line in the sand against analytics (and frankly, common sure, but Price has more than a good chance to stop them. They just … sense), and his ego won't allow him to admit he's wrong. It's not working. find a way in. The guy just can't get to where he needs to get to to be useful for the Leafs. Look at this graph below. Now, the definition of “scoring chances” When he's at his best, he plays quiet, he's efficient, he's smooth. Right is subjective, but if any definition results in this, you've got issues. now, he's a mess. Maybe they believe it'll just take him more time to get up to game speed. The thing is, when things aren’t going well, all you can do is try your I think the bad news is, at this point, that is his game speed. hardest. And Thursday night, as evidenced by the goal below, Price was not giving his best effort. Keep Kasperi Kapanen in the lineup. Five shots in just over 11 minutes against the Kings. Can kill penalties. He's an NHL player, and some of You can see when he goes back on that puck he's standing upright, the other forwards — what's up, Tyler Bozak — aren't worthy of more showing no urgency, and gives zero hustle getting back to his net. Even minutes than he's been getting so far. the pass was lackadaisical. And that wasn’t the only play he looked like that on. The Leafs older non-Marleau forwards, and their weak back-end are starting look like problems that can't simply be out-scored. The west Confidence can’t be given, it has to be earned. If Price wants to find his coast swing is always tough, but if you want to be the best you have to game, his best bet is to dig in and do the hard work. beat good hockey teams. There's real trouble in Leaf-land. One of my favourite ways forwards use deception to free themselves space is when they’re heading toward the boards with a defender on their back. Your body language gives away a lot about which way you’re going The Athletic LOADED: 11.04.2017 to go, so the trick is making it look like you’re cutting the way you aren’t. You can do this by getting on one edge and leaning, then quickly flipping to the other at the last second. You can also put your stick on the side of the puck you’re eventually going to go, which implies you’re going to be pushing the puck the other way. Thursday night in overtime Matthew Tkachuk threw Sidney Crosby for a loop, bad. The Penguins captain read Tkachuk’s body language – he was going to bring the puck back toward the Flames end for a regroup – so Crosby tried to get the jump on him. In the last replay, really pay attention to what Tkachuk does with his edges, it’s a hard, hard sell (Bryan Rust also buys it hook, line and sinker). In pre-season, I was certain Patrik Laine was going to win the Rocket Richard Trophy this season. There was one goal in particular that cemented it for me. A rebound kicked off Eddie Lack’s pads over to Laine, who was clearly going to do what Laine, like Alex Ovechkin before him, does: One-time the puck from that magic left circle spot that treats their shots like spinach does Popeye. But on this particular attempt, the room just wasn’t there. The rebound came out way too far to get to Laine, so the goalie had ample time to get over. Plus Laine has quickly earned a reputation as a shooter from there, so there seemed no doubt the goalie would give an extra little push. There was no screen. But somehow, somehow he still found a way. That was one of a handful of pre-season goals that had me so sure. So when he did an interview earlier this week while sitting on four goals in 11 games talking like he is below, I wasn’t sure what was going on. After watching some of his shifts, I have a conclusion: nothing. Nothing at all. He's just an extremely honest interview, and players go through ups and downs like that throughout every season. It's going to go in for him. Laine turned around and scored Thursday night using his trademark bomb: And now he finds himself with five goals in 12 games, a respectable start. That’s a 34 goal pace and he hasn’t yet got hot. He may be a ways behind the league’s goal scoring leaders, putting the Richard Trophy out 1081573 Websites Detroit’s in Sunday. We shall see.

Sportsnet.ca / Oilers outmuscle Devils in attempt to push their way to the Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 top

Mark Spector @sportsnetspec November 4, 2017, 1:36 AM

EDMONTON — Nobody outside northern Alberta is feeling sorry for an Edmonton Oilers team that was supposed to be pretty good, but hasn’t been. In fact, there have likely been a few fist pumps. We get that. But you’ve got to feel for poor Oiler Fan, just a regular, hockey lovin’ Canadian who thought that — finally — they might have a good hockey team to cheer for. Understand, the Oilers hadn’t had a pre-season Stanley Cup contender since about 1989 or ’90. They’ve been bad for a long, long time. Sure, they had those plucky teams that the Dallas Stars used to beat in the late ’90s, but those teams were more cute than competitive. So finally, after 20 years of lousy teams — and 10 years of missing the playoffs altogether — it wasn’t so much about watching an Oilers team that dominated everyone this season. It was just about watching one that didn’t suck. One that was going to play 82 relevant games, plus playoffs. So a 3-7-1 start, with so many players playing so poorly, brought back a torrent of Oiler Fan Phobia that other markets might not understand. Because if your team hasn’t had four No. 1 overall draft picks and still been awful, you don’t know disappointment like Oiler Fan knows disappointment. On Friday night, the Oilers dominated a fast and thus far successful New Jersey Devils team, winning 6-3 to move to 4-7-1 on the young season. Drake Caggiula and Oscar Klefbom scored their first goals of the season, while Anton Slepyshev had his first point. Milan Lucic looked like Milan Lucic, and Connor McDavid had three assists. All things that were supposed to happen far more often than they have around here. Lucic fought, scored, hit and snapped an expensive stick. “I don’t pay for them, so it’s all good,” he chuckled afterwards. Cam Talbot was better than Devils goalie Cory Schneider, who watched waves of Oilers crash his crease, and while Taylor Hall (one goal, six shots) was excellent for New Jersey, Adam Larsson (assist, three shots, 13 hits) was perhaps even more impactful for the Oilers. “It’s a start,” said Larsson. “We have a big hole to fill here and two points is not going to get us too far. We can’t look too far ahead. We can feel good about tonight, but realize we have to get back to work tomorrow.” The Devils are small, quick and good. They weren’t going to win a physical game in this rink however, but it was incumbent on Edmonton to play that advantage. So the Oilers crashed the net and banged the Devils every chance they had and, as so often happens, big and good beat small and good on this night. “That’s a pretty crazy number,” McDavid said of Larsson’s 13 hits. “I couldn’t really believe it when I saw it. He plays a real physical game, a real tough game, and has a little bit of skill to back it up as well. He’s a special player.” Edmonton scored just its second power play goal in six games, and figured out how to fix that dreadful penalty kill: They didn’t give the Devils a single power play. “A very clean game by them,” said Hall, whose Devils might be at the tail end of a hot streak here. “You have to be proud of our record (9-3-0) to this point of the season … but at the same time we were 9-3-3 last year and we finished 27th. “If you look at our last few games, we have been outshot and outplayed a bit. We have to figure it out quickly.” Are the Oilers heading in the other direction? Gosh, does this fan base hope so. Déjà vu in Edmonton isn’t a pretty thing, we can tell you that. Said Caggiula: “Hopefully this is the start of a good run here.” 1081574 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Injured Oilers defenceman Sekera skates with teammates

Mark Spector @sportsnetspec November 3, 2017, 3:03 PM

EDMONTON — The long road back took a positive twist on Friday, as Edmonton Oilers injured defenceman Andrej Sekera skated with his teammates before the Oilers game against New Jersey. “It feels good to be out there with the guys, getting used to the rhythm again,” he said, leaking sweat after the workout. “Passing, shooting, skating-wise — it’s better with someone else than just the trainers.” Sekera tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee in Game 5 of Edmonton’s Round 2 series against Anaheim last spring. The injury came on a clean hit by Ryan Getzlaf just after Sekera had gained the centre line and dumped a puck into the Ducks zone. “I just played the puck, got hit, and I felt a ‘snap.’ It wasn’t anything painful,” said the 31-year-old Slovak. “You dump the puck in, you get hit 100 times (like that). I guess my body was in a position where it couldn’t take the impact. It broke down.” He had ACL surgery on May 18, so the fact Sekera got on the ice for a full practice before the six-month anniversary should be looked at as positive news. “I think I am right where I should be. I feel better and better each week. The leg is getting stronger,” he said. “With this injury, your body decides when it’s ready to go. Somebody takes six months, somebody takes nine months. I don’t know how my body will respond. “I haven’t been cleared yet to do any battle (drills),” he said, “and I have to wait a couple of more weeks to do that. I would love to be in there right now.” Meanwhile, the struggling Oilers can’t wait to have their No. 3 D-man back on the blue line. “We miss him a lot,” agreed Oilers captain Connor McDavid. “He’s a great defenceman who breaks up a lot through the middle and gets the puck moving forward. He’s real smart back there. He’s played a lot of years in the league.”

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081575 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / Sens, Avs, Preds discussed three-way trade involving Duchene, Turris

Mike Johnston @MikeyJ_MMA November 4, 2017, 12:04 AM

As most NHL fans are likely aware, Colorado Avalanche forward Matt Duchene’s name frequently came up in trade rumours throughout training camp and even dating back to last season. According to various reports, including one from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Avalanche, Ottawa Senators and Nashville Predators discussed a three-way trade involving Duchene, Kyle Turris and other assets. As Friedman’s tweet suggested, Duchene would’ve ended up in Ottawa and Turris in Nashville. Initially, Mattias Ekholm was thought to potentially be a part of the deal, but the Avalanche would’ve instead received picks, prospects or a combination of the two. Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun reported in mid-September that Senators general manager Pierre Dorion had been “aggressive” in his pursuit of Duchene. The Preds have also been in the market for a centre. They’ve been one of the teams linked to Duchene, but a player like Turris would also filled that void down the middle. It appears, however, that the potential three-way deal is no longer being discussed.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081576 Websites But Tampa’s success stretches beyond its top line. You want depth? Twelve different Lightning players posted at least five points and every forward who’s appeared in at least seven games has found the back of Sportsnet.ca / Quick Shifts: Maple Leafs’ Marner still looking for his the net. dance partner Too bad Tampa and Toronto — Atlantic Division rivals jostling back and forth as the NHL’s highest-scoring team — don’t play each other until January. It would be nice to see these high-powered clubs meet while Luke Fox everyone is healthy and firing. @lukefoxjukebox 4. Ottawa nixed the morning skate during its long, bruising playoff run in the spring, and that strategy has continued this fall. The trend is picking November 3, 2017, 12:09 PM up steam. Carolina, Philadelphia… more and more teams are cutting down on the game-day twirl.

“You’re going to see that all day long. Columbus never morning skates. A A quick mix of the things we gleaned from the week of hockey, serious lot of teams are not going to morning skate anymore. The league has and less so, and rolling four lines deep. become so tough, so demanding that wherever you can save the energy, 1. Because who doesn’t love a good superlative, we surveyed the NHL’s you do,” explains Senators coach Guy Boucher. rosters to determine the league’s heaviest, lightest, youngest, oldest, “Problem with the morning skates is, it’s very hard to be specific, to come most Canadian and least Canadian teams. out there and have a real practice and do something significant. It’s Fun Facts! basically a stretch. I could do without the stretch. I’ve never believed in morning skates, I’ll be honest with you. I do it because sometimes • The Calgary Flames dress more Canadians (17) than any other club. players want to get on.” • The Detroit Red Wings, New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are There are exceptions. Despite his cumbersome workload, Toronto goalie the least Canadian, with only six Canucks on their respective rosters. Frederik Andersen, for example, feels it necessary to get a stretch and sweat the morning before a start—even if he spends more time gearing • The high-flying Devils are the most American club with 14 U.S. players. up than he does on the ice. Don’t tinker with a goalie’s routine. New Jersey’s head coach and GM are also American. “The Chicago Blackhawks—they never practice. That’s what it’s become. • The Vancouver Canucks have the most Swedish players (six). The It’s a very difficult league to play in,” Boucher goes on. Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning are tied for most Russians (four apiece). “Since every game is a do-or-die, from the beginning of the year until the end, it demands a lot of the players, and we can use the energy. Get on, • The Washington Capitals have easily the most cosmopolitan dressing make a few passes, get off.” room, with players from nine different countries. 5. Jumping in and out the Toronto lineup amidst a recent flurry of • The rebuilding(?) Detroit Red Wings have the oldest roster (average combination tweaks is Roman Polak, who says his relationship with age: 29). coach Mike Babcock is very strong despite the occasional healthy • The contending Columbus Blue Jackets have the youngest roster scratch. (average age: 25.3). “We respect each other. He’s just honest. He tells you what he thinks,” • The heaviest club is Dallas, weighing in at 210 pounds per player. Polak says. • The lightest is Tampa at an average of 195 pounds, which provides a “I do the same thing. If I deal with someone, I just tell him what I’m very literal excuse for the Bolts’ worst loss of the season coming against thinking. I just don’t won’t to go around bulls——- and lying to your eyes a “heavy” Anaheim team. and say something else behind your back.” • There is no sense quibbling over who is the tallest or shortest NHL OK. But are players comfortable saying what they really think to team. All 31 lineups average out to either 6-foot-1 or 6-foot-2. Babcock’s face? 2. Andrei Vasilevskiy deserves all sorts of props he’s not getting. “You miiiight,” Polak chuckles. “I’ve tried it a couple times. But you have to be real careful with it. You have to be smart with it. He likes it if you The last time the goaltender went consecutive starts without earning the have a real response that makes sense.” Tampa Bay Lightning at least one standings point was way back on March 21. Before that, it was January. 6. Maple Leafs fringe winger Nikita Soshnikov had a tough training camp trying to make the cut while getting comfortable playing after his first This month Vasilevskiy became the first goaltender in Tampa’s history to concussion. earn wins in nine consecutive appearances, topping a Nikolai Khabibulin record that had stood for 13 years. “Intense” is how he described the experience of striving to re-make an NHL team he played 56 games for last season. He also tied the single-season NHL record for wins in October with 10. (Craig Anderson did it in 2009-10 and Manny Legace accomplished that “Two or three days into training camp, I went to Sosh and said, ‘Sosh, in 2005-06.) you’re all wound up. Whoa. Take some pressure off yourself. We know you’re a good player. You’ve missed a ton of time, and you’re not in the The numbers get better. physical shape you should be in. You’re not in the mental shape you should be in. Number 1, get yourself looked after mentally. The first thing Scroll back to mid-February, and Vasilevskiy is 22-5-2 with a .935 save you gotta do is breathe. Then get out here and play,’ ” Babcock said percentage over his last 29 starts. shortly before sending him down the AHL. For all that’s going right with the Bolts, this is still a group getting out-shot “He’s a good player; we know it. We’re going to do whatever right to help by a puck a night. Their 23-year-old goaltender — finally a clear No. 1 — Sosh be the best player he can play.” is a huge reason why they’re winning. So far, so good. Injuries were a major cause for the Lightning’s playoff whiff last spring, but so was an uncomfortable goaltending tandem, as they tried to The 24-year-old Russian leads all Marlies in shots (27) and scoring, with smoothly increase Vasilevskiy’s workload and decrease Ben Bishop’s. eight points through nine games. He’s a plus-4 who has produced points The rhythm was off. in all situations: even strength, power play, and on the kill. Now the kid with the bargain cap hit (a steal $3.5 million for the next “I feel more comfortable to take a hit and to give a hit,” the player said. three winters) must do what he’s never done before: play more than 50 games. It’s coming. 3. Much has been made of the torrid Steven Stamkos–Nikita Kucherov 7. Mitchell Marner is in the ugliest offensive slump of his life. duo, and rightfully so. You have a one-time 60-goal man running away Thirteen games without a goal. Five games without a point. with the assist lead and a $4.7-million winger scoring 13 goals through 13 games. Keep it up, and the Lightning will be dressing a line of two He needs a dance partner. Maurice Richard Trophy winners come spring. Babcock thinks of forwards in terms of pairs: Matthews-Nylander, Bozak- What a hockey name. van Riemsdyk, Kardi-Komarov. But Marner has never been matched with that one guy who just fits. Mud missed on both his penalty shots that forgettable night, but he holds claim to something more spectacular. A year ago, he ranked third among Leafs forwards in ice time (16:48). He’s now down to seventh among forwards at 14:55 per night. Having been called up to the Red Wings with just two weeks remaining in the 1935-36 season, Bruneteau was adjusting to the NHL pace when he “Mitch doesn’t want to play on the fourth line, and we don’t necessarily was thrust into his first playoff series. want him on the fourth line,” Babcock said. “We want him to play enough that he’s important to the team.” On March 24, 1936 against the Montreal Maroons, Mud scored the winner at 16:30 of the sixth overtime (116:30 of total overtime) to win the We’ve seen several Marner passes to teammates with open nets scoot longest NHL game in history 1–0. past the shooter’s stick. And Marner’s own shots just can’t squeak through. He converted on 10.8% of his shots as a rookie. Now he’s down Further to MacLean’s metaphor, we found Chicago goaltender Corey to 4.2% — worst among all Leafs. Crawford’s recent comments on save percentage interesting. The guy is operating with a career-best .941 mark — tops in the NHL (minimum five Look at Marner’s double chance on Martin Jones this week for a taste of games played) — but isn’t putting a ton of stock into that figure: his luck:

“You think you’re snake-bitten,” said Babcock. “It just didn’t go in.” Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 8. I had a chance to speak with three-time Olympic gold medallist Jennifer Botterill this week at Nike’s unveiling of the 2018 Team Canada sweaters. With the NHL skipping out on Korea, you wonder if the women’s tournament will get a little more shine. Botterill figures the U.S.-Canada hockey rivalry is up there among sport’s best. “I feel like it’s great for the game. It’s very fierce on the ice. People embrace that. Every time we played them, you always wanted to bring your best,” Botterill said. “It’s the same this year. We’ve seen a big flip-flop in scores. The U.S. won the first game 5-1, then Canada came back and won the second game.” Smart that the twin powers of women’s hockey are holding a six-game series in advance of the Winter Games. Four games remain: Minneapolis on Dec. 3, Winnipeg on Dec. 5, San Jose on Dec. 15, and Edmonton on Dec. 17. “When I was at Harvard I played on the same teams as some of the U.S. Olympians. I feel it made that rivalry at the Olympics that much more intense because you had to go back to school and deal with them for the next few years,” Botterill said. “That added a healthy element of tough competition on the ice, but off the ice they’re still good people and you’re friends with them.” Botterill, 38, went out on top. Her final international point was an assist on Canada’s gold-clinching goal in Vancouver in 2010. She won’t be travelling to Pyeongchang as she just gave birth to her second daughter two weeks ago, but will be following the action closely. 9. Next Thursday, Lanny McDonald will be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. McDonald serves as chairman of another hall of fame, the hockey one, and is the only hockey-playing member of the CSHOF class of 2017, which also includes Mike Weir, Simon Whitfield and Cindy Klassen. Only seems appropriate to honour McDonald in Movember. 10. Poor Roberto Luongo went to IR (hand) exactly tied for fourth overall with Curtis Joseph in the NHL’s all-time wins list (454). Luongo needed 27 more games than Joseph to reach the mark, but posted 22 more shutouts along the way. He has a good shot at passing Ed Belfour (484 wins) and moving into third before he retires. Patrick Roy and Martin Brodeur should be out of reach. When Luongo does call it a day, he’ll go out as the greatest goalie for two different franchises, Vancouver and Florida, and should double down on number retirement ceremonies. One more victory and Luongo will take Joseph’s dubious title as the winningest goalie in history to have never won a Stanley Cup. The only other goalie to rank top-15 in all-time Ws and not own a ring? Henrik Lundqvist. CuJo fired a friendly chirp Strombone’s way: 11. Thursday night in Los Angeles, Auston Matthews became just the fourth player in NHL history to attempt two penalty shots in one game. He scored on one of them, even though I wouldn’t call what Anze Kopitar did penalty-worthy. Max Pacioretty (0-for-2 in 2014) and Erik Cole (1-for-2 in 2005) also had two cracks at it this century, but you have to scroll back to Nov. 24, 1938 to find the founder of the double-penalty-shot game: Detroit Red Wings forward Mud Bruneteau. 1081577 Websites solace in the fact Monahan and Johnny Gaudreau are off to uncharacteristically hot starts.

The club’s vaunted defence seems to be rounding into the form that Sportsnet.ca / Mike Smith giving Flames all they can ask for and more tabbed them as one of the league’s best on paper, with captain Mark Giordano leading the way once again. But nothing has lifted this team’s spirits or chances of winning every night than Smith’s inspiring play. Eric Francis “When you know you have a goalie like that there is a sense of @EricFrancis assurance that you’ve got a guy battling every night and one of the league’s best goalies,” said Gulutzan, a calm, measured sort who has November 3, 2017, 2:09 PM shown tremendous frustration several times already this year. “I think as the game (against Pittsburgh) went on, the way we came back for Smitty

was a big thing – we showed him we can play with, well, the top team, The biggest question mark for the Calgary Flames heading into the there’s no disputing that. We responded in a positive way and that will season was Mike Smith. help us moving forward.” One month in, he’s proven to be their most valuable player, prompting Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and Sean Monahan to chuckle at the mere notion Smith was a wild card. fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. “I know how good he was in Phoenix – he made a lot of big saves on me,” said Monahan, breaking into a broad grin. “He’s such a gamer. I Smith has started all but one game this season, including an historic actually remember one game I put the puck in after the whistle and he shutout against the Ducks that stopped the Flames’ 13-year drought in took a snapshot at me and almost hit me in the back of the head. We Anaheim. He’s held the fort while the Flames scramble to find their game. were just joking about that when he signed. He’s a great goalie and he’s “No matter how many shots you give up it’s still rewarding to beat two kept us in a lot of games – night in and night out we’ve got to give him good clubs like that, especially in tight hockey games,” said Smith, now credit. He’s been our number one guy all year.” sporting a 2.19 GAA and stunning .936 save percentage. Coming off another heroic 43-save effort that saw his Flames somehow “They’re both powerhouses in the East and we want to be touted as one snag a 2-1 overtime victory over Pittsburgh Thursday, Smith’s dressing of those groups in the West, especially in close games. If you’re going to room smile turned into a hearty laugh when asked about his attempted win down the stretch and in the playoffs you need to win tight hockey sniping of his new teammate. games. This is all a learning process for this group. Learning how to win “I almost hit him,” recalled Smith, known league-wide for being the best close games against good teams is priceless.” stick-handler of all netminders. So is finding a goalie, seemingly lost in the desert, to help stabilize a “As soon as I let go of the puck I felt terrible. I was worried it was either promising squad that would otherwise be digging out of more than just going to hit him or go over the glass and hit a fan in the stands. I’ve snow today. regretted it ever since. But we’ve talked it over and we’re buddies now.”

Smith is everyone’s best friend in Calgary these days as he has almost Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 single-handedly prevented the Flames from starting with the same type of 5-10-1 start they had last year. With back-to-back 2-1 wins over visiting Washington and Pittsburgh this week, the team is starting to show signs of getting the swagger back that helped the Flames win a franchise-record 11 in a row last year to save the season. The difference early this year is they have goaltending, which could make the Flames one of the scarier teams in the NHL once they find their stride. Thursday was the third time this season Smith has stopped more than 40 shots for a win, with Thursday’s ego-booster including 19 saves in a first period onslaught by the Penguins that should have had the visitors up by at least three or four. “They brought us one of their two Stanley Cup performance kind of games and our goalie bailed us out, 100 per cent,” said Flames coach Glen Gulutzan. “It’s one of the best goalie performances I’ve seen in a long time. It gives you confidence going into any building.” Three games into a seven-game homestand, the Flames moved to 7-6, a record they should feel fortunate to have given how many shots they routinely give up, and the fact only one player outside of the top two lines – Kris Versteeg – has scored this year. Like Miikka Kiprusoff did here for so many years, the 6-foot-4, freakishly athletic Smith has been able to mask various shortcomings the Flames has had thus far. While that may be surprising to those who shuddered when the Flames traded for the 35-year-old this summer, those paying attention knew Smith was actually coming off one of the best seasons of his career. “I think last year was probably the most consistent hockey I’ve played over the course of one year,” said Smith. “Obviously the wins weren’t there but, personally, my goal was I didn’t want goaltending to be an excuse or an issue for us losing hockey games. “I tried to carry that same momentum from last year into a new season with a new team. Obviously you want to get off to a good start and be an impact player and be solid for this group and get the confidence from them early in the season. I just want to keep that going.” Secondary scoring, backup goaltending and special teams are still major question marks for the club, as is the health of Jaromir Jagr, who seemed to have a bit of a setback Thursday when his groin injury prompted him to skip the team’s morning skate. However, two significant wins for a team that needed something to help turn around a 1-4 stretch could do wonders for a team that can also take 1081578 Websites Matthews had 40 last season, but at least he did that for a team on the rise (which he obviously played a huge role in).

As of now, Keller is six goals clear of the next group of goal-getters on Sportsnet.ca / Carey Price’s massive struggles highlight four surprising his own team and while the rate at which he’s converting is probably NHL stats unsustainable (17 per cent shooting) he is still generating the ninth-most shots in the league at 53, tied with another sniper, Vladimir Tarasenko. That puts him on pace for 31 more shots than Matthews got as a rookie. Rory Boylen Could Keller, who has been better than a point-per-game player at every level, surpass that 40-goal total this season? Heck, if he can maintain a @RoryBoylen point-per-game pace through the season (ya, ya it’s early) he’d be just the fourth rookie to do that since 2004-05, joining Alex Ovechkin, Evgeni November 3, 2017, 1:55 PM Malkin and Sidney Crosby who all, admittedly, played under much more favourable offensive conditions out of that lockout. Yes, it’s still early in the season and, yes, some slower- or faster-than- If he does do it, though, it won’t be a race for the Calder at all. expected starts can still find a way to even out over the next month or so.

But we are approaching the quarter-mark of the season and have enough solid statistics to start making some bold projections about what Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 the April playoff picture will look like. Last month, Mark Spector looked at seven surprising small sample size stats and some of those have already come back to reality. For instance, Nail Yakupov has just one point since that piece was published and won’t be leading the Colorado Avalanche in scoring. Some of the ones we’ll look at this month may actually be sustainable, in that you’d expect them to have started course correcting by now if the early signs were just a flash in the pan. Our take: Burns also led the NHL in shots last season with 320 and the funny thing is he’s averaging more shots per game this season (4.5) than he did last season (3.9). Burns was scoring at a forward’s pace last season and had the most goals from the position since Mike Green’s 31 in 2008-09. If you think his 12-game scoreless streak is a small sample size, consider that dating back to last season and including the first- round playoff series loss to Edmonton, Burns has just two goals in 41 games — a half season’s worth of data. He has seven assists in 12 games, but only one of those has been a primary point at 5-on-5 hockey. Our take: If you had to guess off the top of your head who led the league in this stat, Connor McDavid would probably be the first name to come to mind. And that’s not a bad choice, considering he’s second at 54.2 per cent. After dropping from 78 points in 2015-16 to 61 last season, Gaudreau really needed to bounce back to his near point-per-game level or better this season as the Flames set off with visions of the Stanley Cup in their heads. So far, he’s been up to the task. The problem here comes from the rest of the lineup. While Mike Smith has been saving the Flames’ bacon with his stellar play behind a much more porous defence than we expected (allowing 33.9 shots per game), the overall offence has been slow too. Calgary is second-last to Edmonton in goals-per-game at 2.23 and just one forward outside of the top six has a goal — and that’s Kris Versteeg with his two. Our take: Sure, some of this likely has to do with a slow, depleted defence in front of him, but that doesn’t explain everything. The struggle is real for Price. He was tied for sixth in the league with a .923 save percentage last season and led the league in the high danger department with an unreal .877 stop rate. In fact, he hasn’t finished with a high danger save percentage lower than .800 since the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season, and the only time Price ever finished with an HD mark lower than he’s currently at was 2009-10, when he ceded the net to Jaroslav Halak come playoff time. Through 11 games, Price has been more likely to allow four-plus goals in a game than stay under that number, and has already been the target of a Bronx cheer at the Bell Centre. We’re still willing to wager that Price will recover and certainly not finish with an overall save percentage below .900. But with Corey Crawford, Sergei Bobrovsky, Braden Holtby, Jonathan Quick and the like off to much more stable starts, it’s getting close to the right time to re-open the “Who’s The Best Goalie In The World” debate. Can Clayton Keller match, or pass, Auston Matthews? Rookie Clayton Keller has nine goals in 14 games on the NHL’s worst team. Our take: Without a Connor McDavid or Auston Matthews type of superstar running away as the top prospect in the 2017 NHL Draft, it was believed the Calder Trophy race this season would actually be a race between a strong group of rookies that wouldn’t have a standout talent. But Keller, the seventh pick in 2016, is proving a lot of people wrong. There was never any doubting his talent, but the fact he’s scoring at this level for a team that’s won just once in 14 games is astounding. 1081579 Websites Because of the league’s overwhelming parity, it doesn’t take much of an adjustment for the situation to get really bleak. If the first month of the season convinces us to adjust the expectations of those teams Sportsnet.ca / How NHL team playoff hopes start to die in November downward just four points, from 100 to 96, again we find the playoffs have become a long shot even with average fortune the rest of the way.

That’s not to say a team in this position should give up and write off the Jonathan Willis rest of the season. A lot of those failed teams knew they were going to be bad before the season started. Some of the greatest stories in sports are November 3, 2017, 11:28 AM improbable comebacks, and a club that started the season with a reasonable expectation of success has little choice but to maintain the

courage of its convictions. Let’s talk about the NHL playoff picture. But the unlikely recoveries from terrible starts are great stories precisely For most hockey fans, the immediate reaction to that sentence is to look because they’re so rare. Recent history shows that nine out of 10 teams at a calendar and question the sanity of the person writing it. It’s early in a deep hole at the start of November will be golfing come April. For all November, every team in the league is stuck between just 10 and 15 the calm reassurances going around right now that the season is still games played, and as we know, the NHL season goes on forever. young, the truth is that it doesn’t have to get very old before we can start penciling in the also-rans. We should also know by now that in the modern NHL, parity rules the day. Commissioner Gary Bettman, a bean-counter’s bean-counter, has long Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 laboured to create such an environment. He appreciates the many marketing advantages of having lots of teams in the playoff race late, and of having teams capable of rising from the league floor to the middle of the pack in a single season. “As long as the hockey is exciting and entertaining, that’s what it’s all about,” Bettman said at the 2016 Draft lottery. “And we have the most incredible competitive balance and you’re seeing it in terms of the number of teams that made the playoffs this year that didn’t the year before; I think that’s five teams, last year it was seven.” Ryan Dixon and Rory Boylen go deep on pucks with a mix of facts and fun, leaning on a varied group of hockey voices to give their take on the country’s most beloved game. Some of that balance is genuine and a direct result of equalizing forces like the salary cap and draft lottery. Much of it is artificial, thanks to measures which tend to bunch teams together, with three-point games, the shootout and a long trend towards lower-scoring games among them. One side effect of that artificial equivalence is that it makes it really difficult to move rapidly up or down the standings over the course of a year. Elliotte Friedman often mentions the Nov. 1 benchmark: Teams four points (or more) out of the playoffs at that point rarely overcome the deficit. Since 2005-06, 46 of 52 teams (88 per cent) that far out on Nov. 1 ended up missing the playoffs. Among Canadian teams this year, both Montreal (four points, since expanded to six) and Edmonton (seven points) meet that description. It’s worth going into the math a little bit here. Let’s imagine, for a moment, that we have a magic orb with one function: It can give us the true talent of an NHL team, with no allowance at all for luck, in terms of standings points. For the sake of argument, let’s further say that it tells us Edmonton and Montreal are 100-point teams on merit, which isn’t crazy given that both clubs were expected to be only a little worse than their matching 103-point finishes last year. Given the infallibility of our orb, we can compare how well those teams should have done to how well they’ve actually done. We also know that the rest of the way those teams should play at a 100-point pace: Already our 100-point teams are in some danger. The average wild card team over the past four years had 96 points; the average best team to miss the playoffs had 91. Four of those eight best-non-playoff teams finished with a point total of 93 or better. Additionally, there’s an even chance of even more bad luck (poor health, unfortunate bounces, whatever). The dice have no memory, so more bad luck is exactly as likely as equalizing good fortune. If our 100-point Edmonton or Montreal teams bleed just four more points that way over the last 70-ish games of the year, both become almost certain to miss the post-season. Only one sub-90-point team has made the playoffs in the past four seasons. LEARN MORE That’s a little unsettling if you’re rooting for either of those teams, but the reality is actually worse because our Orb of NHL Standings Truth is an imaginary construct which existed solely for the purposes of the last few paragraphs. Despite fairly successful recent histories, we don’t know that the Oilers or Canadiens are really true-talent 100-point teams. They might be better than that, but with every passing loss it becomes more likely that their actual level of ability is somewhat lower. 1081580 Websites

Sportsnet.ca / A look at how projected No. 1 NHL draft pick Rasmus Dahlin is playing

Rory Boylen @RoryBoylen November 3, 2017, 4:56 PM

When the NHL Draft descends on Dallas on June 22, you can expect to hear the name Rasmus Dahlin before anyone else. The 17-year-old Swedish defenceman is likely to go finish where he started as the projected top pick and was even getting that attention through last season. At six foot two and 183 pounds, he’s been compared to countrymen Erik Karlsson or Nicklas Lidstrom. But according to Detroit Red Wings super scout Hakan Andersson (who’s credited with finding such diamonds in the rough as Pavel Datsyuk), Lidstrom isn’t a good comparison for Dahlin. In talking to Russian reporter Igor Eronko, Andersson said Dahlin has the tools to become the NHL’s top defenceman in his own right, playing his own style of game. So far this season, Sportsnet has published two 2018 draft rankings: one by Sam Cosentino to start the season in October, and another follow up by Jeff Marek in November. It’s no surprise that Dahlin topped both lists and the reviews were extremely positive as the two insiders got input from scouts who view the player. All reviews of Dahlin’s play have been positive in his second season, and first full one. He had three points in 26 games last year for Frolunda playing in Sweden’s top pro league among men. This season, he’s upped that rate to seven points in his first 15 games and is tied for 12th in scoring among blueliners. The highlights Marek eluded to have come fast and furious. Check out this play, in which Dahlin winds up for a slapper from the point, and then changes up for a neat little pass to his wide open partner for an uncontested shot and goal. Dahlin’s Frolunda team has five wins in 15 games so they’re in the lower half of the league. But the defenceman has been dominant by the same possession metrics we often see used to measure the impact of NHL players in North America. (The stat is capturing the top five Corsi players with at least 10 games played) The result is an expanding role for Dahlin. He’s currently playing a top- four role on the Frolunda blue line, averaging 17:50 of ice time per game. But that role is expanding. In his first game of the season, Dahlin played 14:19 and had less than 15 minutes in two of his first five games. But recently Dahlin has been playing much more, earning more than 19 minutes of ice in five of his past seven games, which has unlocked his scoring to a degree as he’s added four points in that span. It’s a given that Dahlin will represent Sweden for the second year in a row at the World Junior Championship, but he’s been so good at the pro level that he’s even getting a long look for the Olympic team in February. He will play for his country in next week’s Karjala Cup in Finland, where teams (like Canada) are monitoring most of their Pyeongchang hopefuls. So while the hype is huge, the left-shot, all-purpose defenceman is more than living up to it by all indications. So if you’re a fan of the Edmonton Oilers, Montreal Canadiens, Arizona Coyotes or Buffalo Sabres and you’re fretting over a miserable start to the season, take solace in the possibility that it could result in ending up with the next player who will take on the mantle as the NHL’s best blueliner.

Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 1081581 Websites When adjusted for era, Shanahan’s 51 goals become 41 (1992-93 was a crazy year for goals around the league). Meanwhile, Tarasenko’s 40 goals suddenly become 45, four more than Shanahan. Sportsnet.ca / Era Adjusted: Vladimir Tarasenko vs. young Brendan If you’re nostalgic for ’90s hockey, go on YouTube and search “Brendan Shanahan Shanahan 1992-93.” Remember, he scored 51 goals that season. You know what all the videos are of? Fights. Steve Dangle Shanahan had 174 penalty minutes in 1992-93, which was only topped by the 211 he posted the following season. November 3, 2017, 12:01 PM Age 25 season

Brendan Shanahan Vladimir Tarasenko For the past couples weeks, I’ve been talking about the best goal-scorers of all-time when adjusted for era by hockey-reference.com. They’re neat Goals 52 39 little lists, but what I want to do this week is take two players – just two – ADJ Goals 47 43 from completely different eras and look at them head-to-head. But not even era adjusted numbers allow Tarasenko to surpass With the Leafs taking on the St. Louis Blues on Hockey Night in Canada Shanahan’s 25-year-old season. In 1993-94, Shanahan scored what this week, the first name that jumps to mind is Vladimir Tarasenko. He’s would end up being the highest single-season goal total of his Hockey a goal-scoring monster in an era that has the NHL begging and pleading Hall of Fame career, with 52. Because the 1993-94 season didn’t feature for more goal-scoring. Since we know era-adjusted stats tend to be very as much offence as 1992-93, he only loses five goals when adjusted for kind to today’s players, I’m sure Tarasenko’s numbers will jump off the era to end up with 47. In his age-25 season a year ago, Tarasenko page. scored 39 goals, which increase to 43 when adjusted for era. Here, the But who to compare him to? 25-year-old Shanahan bests 25-year-old Tarasenko by four era adjusted goals. My first thought was Thomas Steen. After all, he’s Alex Steen’s dad, and Alex was drafted by Toronto before getting traded to St. Louis in a trade All in all, for their ages 23, 24 and 25 seasons, Shanahan wins the actual as uneven as a see-saw with a chicken on one side and an anvil on the goal battle 136 to 116. But when adjusting for era, Tarasenko comes out other. Thomas wasn’t really an offensive dynamo however, so the on top 130: 117. A difference of just 13 era adjusted goals spread over comparison was unfair. three seasons? These might not play the same brand of hockey, but when it comes to putting the puck in the net, Tarasenko and Shanahan Doug Gilmour was another name I considered. He played for the Blues are pretty even. and Leafs and didn’t actually leave St. Louis until he was about Tarasenko’s age. Even though Gilmour could score goals, nobody would Will Tarasenko end up in the Hall of Fame as well? Maybe a better really categorize him as a “goal-scorer.” Over his career, Gilmour had question would be who will bring their starving fanbase a Stanley Cup more than twice as many goals as he had assists, and he won the Selke first? Trophy as a stellar defensive forward. But no – we need a pure sniper here. Sportsnet.ca LOADED: 11.04.2017 So how about… Brendan Shanahan. Sure, he never played for the Leafs, but now he’s the boss. And when you’re ’s boss, you’re the boss. Shanahan also happened to be a player for the St. Louis Blues around the same age that Tarasenko is now. Shanahan also happens to be 13th all-time in NHL goal-scoring. Since Tarasenko was 23-years-old when he had his breakout season, let’s compare Vladimir Tarasenko to Brendan Shanahan at the same age. Age 23 season Brendan Shanahan Vladimir Tarasenko Goals 33 37 ADJ Goals 29 42 Between the ages of 23 and 25, Tarasenko and Shanahan had very similar production when adjusting for era. At age 23 alone? Not so much. Shanahan’s 33 goals in 1991-92 get bumped down to 29 when adjusted for era, which isn’t a huge fall. Tarasenko’s 37 goals in 2014-15 rise to 42, which isn’t a huge move either. But when you take both of them into consideration however, along with Tarasenko straight up scoring more goals, and Tarasenko beats Shanahan 42 goals to 29. On top of that, Tarasenko also had 39 era adjusted assists to Shanahan’s 32, and 81 era adjusted points to Shanahan’s 61. Age 24 season Brendan Shanahan Vladimir Tarasenko Goals 51 40 ADJ Goals 41 45 Now we’re talking. Shanahan’s 33 goals at age 23 was nothing to sneeze at, but it wasn’t quite the monster breakout Tarasenko had. A year later at age 24 in 1992-93, Shanahan would explode into the 50-goal club. Tarasenko’s 24-year-old campaign — in 2015-16 — was his first 40-goal season. 1081582 Websites McLennan’s theory is that goaltenders have struggled at the start of this season because of the way rules have been enforced. With slashes to hands consistently resulting in minor penalties, McLennan said players TSN.CA / What’s wrong with Carey Price? with speed are “getting to the middle of the ice untouched” because it’s harder to slow them down. That means more clean shots from the slot, saves that Price usually makes. By Frank Seravalli The Canadiens have also been porous defensively in cutting down back- door opportunities at the side of the net, McLennan noted, which is an Columnist image abnormality for a Julien-coached team. Biron said Price’s situation reminds him of Jake Allen last season, when the St. Louis Blues told him to stay home to try and find his game. Allen, Claude Julien chuckled, and then said what everyone in Montreal has like Price, needed a “hard reset.” been thinking for the last month. “Except, the Canadiens don’t have that kind of breathing room,” Biron “We’re not idiots,” the Canadiens coach told reporters in French. “We can said. “This isn’t a young guy trying to figure out his game.” see that he’s not the Carey Price we know.” Tony Marinaro is trying to find solutions to Carey Price's early season It has been plain to see. The Canadiens’ all-world netminder allowed five struggles and believes an equipment change may be in order. goals on 26 shots Thursday night in Minnesota, the seventh time in his last 10 starts he let in four or more goals. McLennan recalled a lesson from his first NHL goaltending partner Ron Hextall: “You can’t stop the puck harder.” Price, 30, is off to the worst start of any season in his career with a 3-7-1 record, .877 save percentage and goals-against average of 3.77. “It sounds funny, but players can skate harder, shoot harder, work harder,” McLennan said. “As a goaltender, if you try harder, it’s “It’s definitely a battle,” Price said Thursday night. “But I know how to get counterproductive - you ended up chasing the puck and opening up more through it, so I’m not concerned.” holes. I think that’s why you’ve seen him try to stick with it.” Yes, Price has been here before. He went through a tough stretch last McLennan said Price will need to “play his way out of it.” January, right before Julien replaced fired coach Michel Therrien. “His timing is off. His position is off,” McLennan said. “Mentally, it’s a There have been other statistically worse 11-game stretches in his struggle. That’s his game in a nutshell right now. The smoothest goalie in career. The last 11 games of the 2012-13 lockout-shortened season, the game looks like he’s thinking in net.” Price went 4-7-0 with an .876 save percentage. He went 2-7-1 with an .865 save percentage in 2008-09. This may be rock bottom – a jarring sight for a team that relies on their TSN.CA LOADED: 11.04.2017 goaltender to breed confidence like no other in the NHL. Martin Biron, the 16-year NHL veteran who is now an analyst for TSN, RDS and MSG during Sabres broadcasts, first saw Price play in 2007 in Hamilton while Price was a teammate of his brother Mathieu with the AHL Bulldogs. The conversation in the stands that day was “not if Price would win a Vezina, but how many,” Biron recalled. So the sample size is large. “This is the worst he has looked, no doubt,” Biron said Friday. “It’s almost like he has lost his tool box. He is having a hard time finding the puck. He is late on rebounds. This is a guy who usually makes hard saves look easy, someone who is bailing out his teammates.” Price wasn’t at practice on Friday. The team announced he is dealing with a minor lower-body injury. Al Montoya is expected to start Saturday against the Jets. The spotlight is burning extra bright, TSN analyst Jamie McLennan said, because the Habs are off to such a poor start. His body language also visually amplifies his bad play. “When you think about the last few seasons, whenever his game has gone into the ditch, the Canadiens had always gotten off to such a strong start that he had already established himself in the season as a dominant force,” McLennan said. “So much is under the microscope. It doesn’t help that Carey Price is so good and so sound that when he’s on his game, he looks casual in net. When he’s bad, he looks really bad.” Part of that has caused fans and even some in the media to interpret Price’s play as “lazy.” That isn’t what Biron and McLennan see. “If it almost looks like he is not trying, it’s because he is always on that line between nonchalance,” Biron explained. “That’s how easy he makes saves look because of the technical aspect of his game. It may look like he is getting up with no spring in his step, but he’s been uncharacteristic. He almost looks like he is stumbling or clumsy. It’s hard to watch.” Price has been especially victimized by shots coming from his blocker (right) side. According to SPORTLOGiQ’s Mike Kelly, Price entered Thursday’s action with a .677 save percentage on shots from that area, which is nearly 20 per cent lower than the league average of .864. Among goaltenders with at least four starts this season, Price ranks 38th in save percentage, ahead of only Steve Mason, Philip Grubauer and Louis Domingue - who was recently demoted to the AHL. Price is hardly alone. More than half the NHL’s starters are well below a .910 save percentage so far, including Matt Murray, Tuukka Rask, Cam Talbot, Henrik Lundqvist, Craig Anderson and Frederik Andersen. League average last season was .914. 1081583 Websites development side and more of the management side. When you’re a player you’re keyed into your thing and your daily routine and trying to prepare for the next game. Now I'm able to sit back and take a different TSN.CA / Dreger Report: NHL, NHLPA could face marijuana discussion perspective and see where I might go when I'm done.” Derian Plouffe of the Niagara Purple Eagles scores twice against Sacred Heart. ‘Courtesy: Niagara Athletic Communications’ By Darren Dreger He's a bright and talented young man from Shawville, Que., and every Columnist image day he’s reminded of how lucky he is to still be playing hockey, and, quite frankly, how lucky he is to be alive.

Just under a year ago, Plouffe was enjoying his junior year, leading the As of July 1, marijuana use will be legal in Canada. team in scoring, when his world took a sudden turn in a routine two-on- two battle drill in practice. A shot on net ricocheted off a stick and struck Marijuana is not a performance-enhancing substance and therefore it’s Plouffe in the side of the head as he drove to the net. not on the National Hockey League’s banned substances list. So, theoretically, there could be an argument made to allow for its use for “The last thing I remember is being behind the net, getting the puck, medicinal purposes in the league. passing to my teammate and then waking up on the ice about 30 seconds later,” he said. Chat amongst yourselves... Plouffe was taken to hospital where a CAT scan revealed a skull fracture To be clear, at the moment, marijuana is among the variety of drugs the and bleeding on the brain. Very quickly, a hockey injury had turned into a NHL and National Hockey League Players’ Association test for under the life-threatening event. He was transferred to Mercy Hospital in Buffalo umbrella of the joint Substance Abuse and Behavioural Health Program, where he spent four days in the intensive care unit, undergoing additional so legalizing its use in Canada doesn't mean it will automatically be scans every six hours to monitor his condition. dropped from that list. “I got progressively worse,” he said. “Next day, when I woke up I couldn't The league says the list is reviewed every year, but there hasn't been really walk on my own. I was so dizzy and nauseous and all of that.” much support for changing the status quo. However, union sources suggest if marijuana is determined to be an appropriate means to treat Released into the care of his family, it was apparent Plouffe’s recovery pain relief for players in Canada, at the very least this is a discussion the was going to be a lengthy and difficult process. two sides are going to have to have. “It took me about three or four weeks before I could start walking on my Brian Gionta, Ryan Malone, Matt Gilroy and Mark Arcobello among the own again,” he said. “...It was a tough year I guess you could say.” veteran ex-NHL names Team USA could have on board at the upcoming Olympics. He was introduced to Ottawa Senators doctor, Dr. Don Chow, who quickly provided a positive outlook to Plouffe’s prognosis. However, it The Americans are also expected to dip into the NCAA, with University of was two months before he started to feel normal and was able to focus Denver standout Troy Terry and Harvard forward and Boston Bruins on the possibility of regaining his strength and returning to the Purple second-round pick Ryan Donato high on head coach Tony Granato’s Eagles. radar. “Dr. Chow assured me that once six months were up you just have to Gionta is excited about playing for his country again and getting back in trust the process, trust yourself,” Plouffe said. “Obviously you won’t really the game. The 38-year-old has been managing double duty this season, know how you feel until you take the first hit." dropping his children off at school before jumping on the ice with the AHL's – a team he has been practising with all Plouffe started skating on his own in late February and knew at that point season. he had won the battle. He rejoined his teammates prior to the start of this season and says, despite his brush with tragedy, he’s never felt better. Gionta had NHL interest in the off-season, but he didn't pursue those opportunities because there wasn’t a right fit for his family. While he “Once I took a couple of hits in practice I knew I was fine and I’ve been maintains he would still be selective, Gionta is more open to reconsider great ever since...in fact, this is the best I’ve ever felt in my life,” he said. his options if something surfaces or his international play sparks some “I don't know if the time off helped me...not sure what it is, but it’s the best interest. I've ever felt.” “At that point we will assess if there are opportunities and what they are With the worst behind him, Plouffe is focused on continuing to lead the and whether they make sense,” Gionta tells the Dreger Report. “But I Purple Eagles. Beyond that, his goal is to follow his path in hockey as far would definitely be open to it for sure at that point.” as it will take him. Gionta will join Team USA next week for preparations heading into the "I definitely want to play professional hockey,” he said. “Obviously the Deutschland Cup. He says he's all-in and takes great pride in the NHL is the dream, but playing professionally somewhere is definitely the potential opportunity to win Olympic gold. While he feels he can still help goal.” an NHL club win a Stanley Cup, having the option to play for his country has made things easier. Considering what he's overcome, I wouldn't bet against him. “I made the decision late summer around training camp and this was the direction that interested me and kept me in it a little bit with having TSN.CA LOADED: 11.04.2017 flexibility with my family as well,” Gionta said. “At the stage of my career I'm at, there’s no secret I'm at the end. So it interested me for sure to be able to do that." If the end is near and a NHL club doesn’t call, Gionta is prepared to move on. His NHL resume boasts a Stanley Cup (2003) and more than 1,000 games played. If his playing career is over post-Olympics, he’ll have no regrets. “None at all,” Gionta said. “The decision wasn't made with the end game of getting back into the NHL. It was made with my family first and I'm comfortable either way. I had a good, long run and I'm content with that as well.” Aside from being a full-time dad, Gionta sees a future off-ice in the game. Given the respect that he earned as captain of the Montreal Canadiens, Buffalo Sabres and, prior to the NHL, Boston College, when he chooses to shift into coaching or a front office, landing a job won't be a problem. Gionta says he intends on getting involved. "In some capacity I would still like to stay in the game,” he said. “With being in Rochester, I'm practising with those guys, but I'm also able to take advantage of picking the coaches brains or seeing more of the